Ambrosia (1x1)

"I'll be sure to send word to the best wool weavers I know when your measurements arrive." The back and fourth joking was nice. It was a comfortable shift in the usual formalities and to something more light hearted and less draining to partake in. If there was anything Hades truly hated, it was extremely serious, formal conversations. It was easier to crack a joke then try and skirt along the boundaries of safe and ok to say and absolutely the worst thing to be said. Persephone's general presence aided with the lighthearted feel of the conversation.

Being asked if he was lonely was not a foreign or rare topic that came up. Nearly every time he came to Olympus for the festival, Zeus would ask Hades if he was lonely and if he ever wanted to finally find a partner to rule his lands with. He always answered with an 'I don't know' because... he didn't know. He wouldn't say he was lonely, but he wasn't thrilled to be alone either. It was more like a tolerance to living practically solitary, and while he would like someone to make life just a little bit better inbetween the long days back home and the times he spent at the festival, he's never come across anyone whom he was comfortable with, someone whom he'd like to have in his kingdom, someone who'd like it there. And because he never found someone like that, he stayed tolerant of his loneliness.

Hades sighed softly. "I do have servants, but I know that's not what you're talking about." He looked at a statue of a man in mid action, though it wasn't too realistic with how perfect his form and body, and the flowers beneath. "I tolerate being alone. It's not terrible. And I think about many things. My childhood, Zeus' children, Poseidon and maybe seeing his gorgeous islands again... Anything that comes to mind, and it's usually memories."
 
At his mention of servants, Persephone shook her head. Sure she got along well and even considered herself to be friends with most of those who worked for her mother but they were far from being the only people that she had available to interact with on a daily basis.

"After all this time you've just gotten used to it." Persephone reiterated, doing her best to keep her voice at a neutral tone but still sounding a little bit sad at the prospect. It was hard to imagine a life where the majority of daily interactions you had were few, and then only with servants, not friends or family. Especially with her having grown up in the heart of Olympus, constantly surrounded by commotion and noise, people of all sorts going about their daily lives.

"You don't ever think about the future?" She asked. "Whenever things calm down around here enough for me to think I always end up looking toward tomorrow, or the next day, or the day after that. I suppose that goes hand in hand with all the hustle and bustle around here though. There's always something going on, always something that needs to be done."
 
"If it's where you've lived the longest, you get used to it, yes." He replied, shrugging his shoulders. He had no reason to think it was as sad or boring of an existence as Persephone probably did, and that explained a lot about the differences in their upbringings and the life styles they have lead for most of their lives. One in the bright, social and warm Olympus, the other in the cold isolation of his own castle. The perfect juxtaposition. They were pretty much polar opposites.

The future? That was something new. Now that she mentioned it... he actually never thought of the future. He was always in his mind but dwelling on his past for nearly everything. His childhood, the beginnings of him being king, past festivals, his youth and upbringing originally in Olympus, the success of an exploration deeper into the cold, blank landscape of his kingdom months earlier. Rarely ever, though, did he look to the future. He found... no reason to. There was a certain rhythm to his life, a pattern it always followed. Why wonder what will happen when he knew what was going to happen?

He went silent for quite a moment, the question really surprising him. "I've... never thought about the future, actually." He finally replied, looking at Persephone, his expression unreadable. "Never really found a reason to, I guess."
 
"Really?" It was Persephone's turn to sound surprised, though it was almost to be expected she supposed. As a king, Hades likely already had most of his life planned around that one factor. She, on the other hand, had yet to solidly decide on a profession, never mind think about finding someone that she enjoyed the company of enough to settle down and get married. Both were huge topics, ones she often laid in bed thinking about on humid nights when sleep failed to come as easily.

"There's so much that I find I have to look forward to," Persephone continued. "Each day brings with it the possibility of something new happening that it's hard for me not to think ahead sometimes." She confessed. "Realistically I know that I'm like to follow the same path that my mother did but it never hurts to dream up something more exciting in the mean time." She said with a shrug. The past few days leading up to the festival had her doing just that a lot, of what the banquet would be like this year, what people would wear and if anything scandalous would happen yet again. Though mostly she had been thinking about the potential chance of seeing Hades again and talking to him. It had been nice talking with him in the gardens, cut short as it had been, and the potential conversations that they could have - the flowers that she could show to and tell him about - had run through her head whenever she'd gotten a chance to take a break more often than she would ever likely admit.
 
Maybe he did lie a little bit about never doing it. Recently, he did think about another encounter with Persephone, but he doubted that really counted. Seeing Persephone and talking to her wasn't far into the future, it wasn't something that unlocked future possibilities. He and Persephone would just be acquaintances, possibly even close friends as the years go by, but he didn't think he and her would have their futures definitely entertwined together. That sounded a little harsh, but Hades' relationships were.. typically like that.

"What kind of things do you dream up? Moving away from Olympus to start a new life? Deviating away from gardening entirely? You have a lot of possibilites for your future, it comes as no surprise you think of it quite often." If there was anything he wished he could have different in his life, it would be the ability to do more than just... his kingly duties. It'd be nice to take up jobs just because he could, not necessarily because he had to.
 
"I don't think I could ever move away from Olympus and not come back, I'd break my mother's heart." Persephone joked. "And honestly I think I would miss it here. There are all these little things I know I take for granted that I'd have to give up if I ever were to leave."

Taking a moment to think about the question Persephone began to wander leisurely down the cobblestone path, taking pause in front of a statue of a woman that held one arm outstretched as if to say 'come closer'. "When I was little I would often dream about becoming an explorer and being able to travel all over the continent. To visit the farthest most unexplored islands to the south and explore way, way up north. I'd find hundreds of new species of plant life and bring them back to Olympus in order to open a 'Museum of Plants'. It was a silly dream, but a fun one." She laughed to herself, turning away from the statue and back to face Hades. "I think part of the reason why it was so appealing to me was because it bothered my mother. I appreciate her and everything she's done for me but it gets... suffocating, sometimes."

Glancing back at the statue she sighed and turned away, continuing slowly down the path. "I still dream about travelling and being able to experience different things, see different plants and maybe still find a few new ones." A bit of the slightly embarrassed smile she'd had earlier when speaking about the childishly named 'Museum of Plants' returned at that last part. She'd never given up fully on that dream, though with a better understanding of the world as an adult she understood that it would likely be better just staying as a dream. "Sometimes I think about bumping into someone with like interests and we could travel together but I'm not too worried about that. Part of the fun of it would be it just happening."

"Was there anything you ever dreamed about doing before you became king?"
 
It was interesting, to finally learn some more about Persephone. He didn't feel like he was too interesting of a topic to warrant a conversation all about him, so the shift was also appreciated. Her little dream sounded typical of the young child's: dream big, and aim for the stars. He'd be a liar if he said he wasn't the same when he was younger, dreaming of doing fantastical feats that no one else had done before, having his name in the history books for something. But as you grow up, it becomes more unlikely and is stored away for a mere memory of the heights of child wonder and youth.

Hades followed a comfortable distance behind Persephone. In the close distance he heard the soft splashes of a fountain, probably a small but ornate one that was hidden in the foliage of plants and the like. "Of course I dreamed of traveling too. Growing up on Olympus always felt constricting because I always thought I'd be stuck there. I can't quite recall any specifics, but I know I really wanted to see snow. Guess that wish came true, but in a really extreme way." He said with a soft chuckle, shaking his head lightly.

"Do you have any plans for the future, then? Ones that aren't childhood dreams?" He asked, curious.
 
Persephone laughed at that, "there's an old saying about something like that, oh what is it? I used to have it quoted at me constantly." She hummed thoughtfully for a few seconds before finally remembering. "Be careful what you wish for because you just might get it. You definitely got it" She agreed.

"That's harder," Persephone replied, eyebrows furrowing slightly at the mention. "My mother wants me to work full time here at the castle, especially now that the gardens are here. It's an option and would definitely be good for me, but I'm really not sure if it's what I want to do. Otherwise, I suppose I could always end up taking over her post when she steps down. Or running a flower shop - Olympus is lacking a good one of those - or something else simple like that. It's all rather boring stuff but that's the way of life is it not." She gave a good natured shrug almost as if to say 'whatever happens, happens'.
 
Hades let out a low laugh, a soft smile on his features. It seems like the sun was close to having fully set already, the sky darkening and the night drifting into cooler and cooler temperatures. It just felt slightly less warm to Hades. "That is a very true saying. I'm the perfect example of it."

It seemed like all her answers continually revolved around flowers, planting and gardening. Not at all a shock to him. It would be quite funny if her response was something about iron smithing, something totally left field and unexpected, but Persephone was pretty straight forward. There wasn't much guessing needed to try and think of things she'd like, things she'd do, and so on. It was nice to have things not very shrouded in mystery.

"They're all pretty related, so with whatever you choose, you'd probably be content with it. Though that's just my opinion." The idea of a flower shop was pretty nice. Easy, relaxing, and something Olympus did need. As he thought, he looked upwards, toward the glass ceiling of the garden and up to the slowly darkening sky. The moon was slowly coming more and more into view. "The moon might be full tonight. Though I doubt the view from here would be impressive."
 
"I agree. It's just a lot to think about sometimes but I still have plenty of time to figure it out." She replied. It had been a while since she'd actually taken the time to think about what her future was going to look like in depth rather than just dreaming about possibilities that had little chance of ever happening.

At his comment, Persephone looked up into the sky herself. It had gotten much darker for such a short time, or more time had passed while they were talking than she had realised. Either way, the coming of the night was in no way a bad thing. The banquet would likely continue to be lively through the latest parts of the night and into the wee hours of the morning. "I think it may actually be tomorrow, it's certainly very close though. The glass tends to warp things, even if just a little bit. I think the idea was more to keep the guests looking at the flowers than anything else." She said, glancing around. Several of the brightest flowers were closing for the night, delicate petals folding in slower than the eye could track.

An idea occurred to her then and Persephone stopped, turning to look around at the surrounding flora in order to gain a sense of direction before motioning to Hades and setting off down a connecting path. "Have you ever heard of Moonflowers?" She asked as they walked.
 
"I knew the moon was going to be full sometime this week. It'd certainly be a nice sight for the first day of the festival. Well, not really in here." He replied, trying to see if he could spot out any bright constellations in the sky, but with the distortion of the window he couldn't find anything, really. If he were outside, he could spot a few.

Hades looked over to Persephone when she brought up the moonflowers, his eyes going wide and bright at the mention. Moonflowers? He had never heard of that in his life. Daisies, roses, even sunflowers but never moonflowers. He felt like a kid, suddenly imaging a flower that sprouted and spread across the surface of the moon, a slight off white color that gave the moon it's pale, light glow in the darkness of the night. The flower sounded absolutely wonderful, in the same way that sunflowers rightfully earned their name in multiple ways.

"I don't think I have. I'm guessing there are moonflowers in this garden?" He followed close to her, walking beside her, to her left. He idly looked at the numerous flowers that were slowly curling up with the absence of light. "They sound absolutely darling. I'm sure they're as beautiful as they sound." He added after a moment. He would feel silly bringing up his kiddish thought about the white flowers on the moon, but the thought kept a smile on his face. Sure, he was a grown man, but a child's imagination never truly leaves everyone. Every now and then people think silly, nonsensical things.
 
Any attempt at holding back a smile failed when Persephone caught the look on Hades face at her mention of Moonflowers. She'd had a similar reaction the first time her mother had shown them to her. "Not this garden, they prefer the open air to a glass ceiling. There's a courtyard where they grow though, it's not far from here." She said, taking a right and leading them down another path that ran adjacent to the castle. "I'd try and describe them to you but words don't do them justice, you'll just have to wait and see."

Walking with purpose now rather than just leisurely strolling Persephone lead them through the twists and turns of the gardens, occasionally pointing out or commenting on a type of flower they passed but otherwise not dallying too long. Eventually, they reached the edge of the glassed in garden and went through the entrance to an open air courtyard. There were stone columns that stood as sentinels next to the entryway, reaching high up into the cooling evening air, many more across the courtyard coming together to form arches while others stood alone. The centre of the courtyard held a wide pool with an elegant fountain sitting in the middle of it, water sprouting from various points at its peak and flowing down several levels before it reached the base pool once again. On the surface of the water floated lilies in various shades of pink and purple, their reflections turning the dark water below a dozen different colours.

“We might still be a little bit early to see them in full bloom just yet, but once it gets full dark it doesn’t take long.” Persephone said, glancing up at the darkening sky. Out in the courtyard now the air was much cooler than it had been in the day and though she wasn't cold, the change in temperature from the glassed in garden to the outside had goose bumps momentarily raising on her bare arms.

At the far end of the courtyard in the direction they were walking there were several wooden trellises that were leaned up against a stone wall, each crawling with a deep green leafed vine. Intermittently along the leafy vines, large white flowers were slowly unfurling, though with the sun only having just set not too long ago most were still curled up in elegant twists. A few of the smaller flowers, given shade by the leaves were fully open, delicate looking and a brilliant white that almost seemed to give off a glow in the gathering dark.

Stopping just short of where the trellises were leaned up against the wall by a pair of stone benches Persephone motioned to the vines, the smile on her face growing as she saw how many of the flowers had already started to open. “These are moonflowers." She said, pausing momentarily for dramatic effect. "They’re actually a type of ‘nocturnal’ morning-glory that only bloom once it gets dark and close up again the sun begins to rise, but calling them moonflowers seems more suited to how lovely they are.” Persephone stepped forward and gently cupped one of the smaller flowers that had already opened fully in her hand, admiring it for a moment before beckoning Hades to have a closer look. “As I was saying they only open like this under the light of the moon, in the day they curl up and aren’t much to look at, at all. There's an old rumor that they look even more beautiful under the light of a full moon but I've never noticed too much of a difference."
 
The cooler outside air felt nicer to Hades, who wasn't one to really enjoy warmer weather after being so accustom to its opposite for so long. The garden was cool as well but almost like a pocket of warm air, the night chill not really able to penetrate through the glass to lower the temperature inside the gardens substantially. The air felt crisper as well, a bit lighter, and as he expected, without the distorted glass panes of the garden's encasing, he could see the stars in their true, distant form. They twinkled gently but brightly enough to be seen and spot constellations. He briefly tried to remember which constellations could be spotted during this season and where, but was brought out of his thoughts by Persephone. He nearly tripped over her by the sudden stop, but regained his balance quickly and merely stuttered in his step.

He looked down at the flowers, looking close to what he imagined them to be. They were simplistic, not ornate and fancy. They were each impeccable in condition, no spots of rot or a single flower was wilting. They were bright and flourishing in the outside garden in the light of the moon. Their names fit perfectly; Hades could image these flowers covering the surface of the moon, swaying gently in the craters. He leaned in a bit closer, being careful not too loom over Persephone and give her some space as he looked each flower over. He had competition for his favorite flower: a tie between the ambrosia flower he was gifted and shown, and the moonflowers.

"They're wonderful. I'd love to have these growing out in my kingdom, but they'd probably blend in too much with the snow." He gingerly traced his fingers along one of the flowers. "It's interesting that they open up in the light of the moon. Certainly makes a night strolls through a garden more special when these are the ones you can see during the dark of the later hours."
 
"I think the leaves would make them stand out even with the snow." Persephone pointed out, watching Hades gently handle the flowers out of the corner of her eye. She refrained from mentioning that Moonflowers were only able to grow in hot climates and would not last a day up in the cold of the north even with the assistance of a greenhouse. There really was no need to say anything and she wasn't about to break the news to Hades, not after seeing how entranced and in awe he looked, almost childish with excitement.

Not wanting to be caught staring Persephone looked away, habitually running a hand through her hair to push it back and out of her face. A slight flush had returned to her cheeks, though the dimming evening light prevented it from being overly obvious, or at least she hoped it did. She'd noticed before - it had been almost impossible not to - and even though he was near polar opposite to what was considered 'the look to have' in Olympus, Hades was a very handsome man.

"I've never figured out why they do it, but I wouldn't have it any other way. They look much less magical in full daylight." She added, reaching out and carefully turning one of the half opened blooms to face her, watching it unfurl beneath her touch. "There are other flowers like them in Olympus, that only bloom at night. I've always thought the idea of a night garden would be fun but it's still only just an idea."
 
Hades wasn't quite sure, even then, if the flowers would be able to stand out enough against the snow. With how white they are, they might even look like flowers that had a layer of snow over the true colors of its petals. They at least wouldn't be completely washed out and blend in with the snow with the background of their leaves. "I'd want a pop of color for a flower that grows on my lands. Something to bring more life into the scenery. There's too much white back home."

Oblivious to the staring, he stayed focused on intently examining each flower that caught his interest, mostly the ones that were fully unfurled and larger in size. They were captivating flowers, almost like tiny little moons down on earth, blooming from the soil. He loved these flowers a lot. He didn't think flowers needed to be bright and vibrant to be beautiful like Zeus believed; they just had to be given the right care and allowed to blossom, and they become instantly beautiful, regardless of color.

"Maybe that's what you should do in the future. Create an open-to-the-public night garden. I think it'd be a spectacular attraction for Olympus," He replied, then straighting up, back to his full height. "It makes a garden more interesting when you can go in the night, see more flowers than most believe exist. I really didn't know there were flowers that bloomed under the moon,"
 
"The first chance I get I'll make you a list of more hardy flowers and plants, I might even be able to give some seedlings to you to bring back if I get enough time before the festival is over." Persephone offered. The hardest part of that would be looking up what sort of plants she could get to grow in the snow, or at least in cooler weather and hope that Hades had some sort of greenhouse or was planning on keeping them inside.

It was nice that Hades seemed genuinely interested in her and what she was going to do in the future. It was a conversation she'd had a hundred times before but it had never felt like anything more than a formality that needed to be addressed before you could move on to less involved topics. "It certainly would, wouldn't it?" She mused, already compiling a list in her head of the different night blooming plants she knew of. There were certainly more that she didn't know but it would be a good start in any case. "Most people don't know or haven't ever thought about the possibility of flowers being able to bloom underneath the light of the moon. It's unfortunate, but at least this way people aren't rushing out here once the sun sets to pick them off the vines."

With a glance behind her toward the castle Persephone sighed. "In any case, we should probably head back to the banquet hall even if just for a few minutes. It wouldn't do to be missed and have people sent out here to find us."
 
Persephone was quite right that they should be heading back now. They were going to miss the serving of foods as well as a speech from Zeus, and if the king's brother was gone from this occassion and was last seen with Persephone, it wouldn't do much good to stay away from the main festivities. Rumors weren't going to be great if they did spread regarding Hades and Persephone's mysterious and long disappearance. There was no need for Hades to be a part of some sort of scandal or big rumor that almost always occurs at this event. He had a clean record, and would like to keep it that way.

They made their way back to the banquet, making it just in time as Zeus was getting ready for his grand and dramatic speech. Hades felt like they were weaving their way through the twisting and curving cobblestone path of the gardens for too long, but was able to rest easy when it seemed like they hadn't missed much at all. People were still mingling, but Zeus was no where to be seen.

The rest of the events went along smoothly. The food now provided was plentiful, abundant, and absolutely delicious. If Hades could say one thing that he liked about these banquets, it would have to be the food. Due to the lack of ability to farm and plant really anything, more often than not Hades would eat simple stews, soups and broths for his meals that had mostly just meat in it from hardy animals that lived in the environment. They weren't as flavorful as the food served here in Olympus, with a wide arrange of spices, herbs, plants, and meats to choose from, all served in more than just a watery soup.

Persephone and Hades conversed mostly with each other, though occasionally someone Persephone knew would stop by and chat with her for a little bit, leaving Hades awkwardly standing there before they finally left. Though, deeper into the night and a few hours later, Zeus came by, and requested to speak to Hades. While he wasn't surprised Zeus stopped by, but it wasn't often he requested to speak to his brother in private. The conversation must have been something important, as Zeus pulled Hades away from the thick of the crowd to the empty, more spacious outskirts of the banquet hall, far from curious ears that would strain and struggle to hear what they would be speaking about, and out onto one of the grand balconies.

Zeus strolled over to it's ornate railing and leaned over it casually, looking down and out at the wide, beautiful expanses of Olympus. Hades joined him at his side. Up until now, Zeus said really nothing, only having spoken when he was asking Hades to join him. When he finally spoke, he turned his head to his brother and had a gentle, serene and thoughtful look on his face. It was a look that was rare but nice on Zeus -- he was normally grinning wide and bright. The wrinkles that creased his face due to grinning so much were smoothed out; he looked younger and more vulnerable. Then he spoke, and Hades nearly choked on the small little snack he was just finishing up.

Zeus immediately suggested that Hades should marry Persephone. Not even letting Hades speak, he continued on to say how he noticed how close he and her were all through the night, the way his brother looked at Persephone, the way Persephone looked at him. The mutual interest in gardening and flowers, the fact that they were pretty much opposites and opposites attract, duh. Hades was struggling to keep his cool and not choke while he kept rambling on with reason upon reason, but managed to cough out a strained "stop!" and that got the tirade to end.

At first, Hades was unsure how to feel about it. He went silent after that to think on his words, crickets chirping in the distance. He and Persephone, married together? It sounded ridiculous. Someone as beautiful, talented, interesting and someone with a future didn't deserve a loner who spends most of his time cooped up in his room, staring at snowflakes as they sprinkle on the ground. Persephone deserved more than a white wasteland with no hope or chance for the beautiful greenery and plant life Olympus boasted and had an abundance of. She wouldn't last a single day in the biting cold, and if frostbite didn't kill her, boredom would. Since barely anyone inhabited his kingdom, he barely had any kingly duties to fulfill, and thus was left to do whatever mundane tasks and idle time wasting he could. She didn't need to rot away in his empty castle with him.

But her presence.... was warm, inviting, sweet and wonderful. She attracted people like no one else, was a good person to talk about anything and everything. She was beautiful in her clothes made for the dirty work of gardening and that flowing white gown she was wearing tonight. Her hair twisted in braids and pinned up in a pile that resembled flowers was as beautiful as her hair in little ringlets, puffy and all over the place in their natural state. She was gentle and elegant, seemed to float everywhere and do everything with ease. Her care and knowledge of plants was entrancing. He could get lost in her words of any plants they came across.

He was a mess.

He looked back at Zeus and told him maybe. If Persephone wished to marry him, to spend her life with him in a different world than the one she knows and loves, he will agree to marriage. If it's not what she wants, he wasn't going to force her hand for his own gain and benefit. He wanted what she wanted.

Zeus then smiled, not bright and with a grin that consumed his face but a small grin that barely showed his teeth, and told Hades that he deserved someone like Persephone. Someone who saw him not as a king but as another person in the crowd. He has been alone for too long. And after that, the two of them returned to the thick of the banquet, Zeus disappearing from Hades' sight as he made his way to Persephone.

He never brought it up to her then, the idea of them marrying. It felt too soon, a terrible time to say it. He felt like it would make him sound desperate, that after one night of someone paying attention to him, he immediately wished to marry them. He would need more time to think it through, too, before deciding on if he would bring it up to Persephone or not.

When the banquet ended, it was extremely late at night, though everyone went home tired, but fulfilled and happy with how well it went. It was another year of Zeus creating another great banquet and start to the festival. Hades was drained and dead tired, glad that things ended when he couldn't bear to stand any longer than 2 seconds. He bid Persephone a farewell, and hoped her travels home would be safe. Late at night was never a good time to be about the streets and towns, but she didn't live far from Zeus' castle and would make it home just fine.

The next day, Hades was left with nothing much to do. Zeus was sleeping the day away after having too much wine and having too much fun, much to his wife's dismay. Left with no royal duties to really worry about, he ended up just mindlessly strolling through the castle, and ended up in the same outside gardens as the ones he and Persephone were at not too long ago. The moonflowers were closed up, just like he was told. The garden out here looked vastly different, light shining and reflecting off the petals and leaves of the flower much differently. It was brighter, lighter, and just as beautiful as they were bathed in the light from the moon. His pace was leisurely and casual, and when he made a turn and nearly crashed into Persephone, he was quite surprised.

She nearly dropped a watering can from her grasp, almost wetting the both of them with water. He quickly stepped back to allow her some space and let out a soft apology, surprised they even crashed in the first place. He couldn't help the smile that was brought to his face when he saw Persephone, though. But it almost faded away just as fast, as he remembered the conversation he had with Zeus yesterday. He had been thinking about it a few hours ago, and he was still leaning towards the side that told him just to bring it up to Persephone, as it would never hurt.

"Nice to bump into you, Persephone," He greeted, managing to keep his smile from fading and keep himself from feeling nervous about what he was planning on bringing up later. He didn't know why he was so anxious; what was the worst Persephone could say about it? "I guess your only visits to the castle are for gardening duty, yes?"
 
Persephone managed to only just catch the watering can before it could slip from her grasp, the fact that she had gotten water on the smooth handle when she had filled it not helping. Thankfully not that much water had actually sloshed out and what had, had only splashed her sandals and the surrounding grass. She readjusted her grip, eventually just lifting the can up and holding it against her chest. It wasn't the most comfortable but it meant she wouldn't spill it again... hopefully.

"Hades!" Persephone exclaimed, surprised to see him but not in a bad way. Thanks to how late she had gotten to bed after walking home from the banquet she'd woken up much later than her normal at-sunrise time. The day had gotten hot quickly - even for her standards - from there, only a few vague wisps of clouds in the too blue sky. It was a little surprising to see Hades up and walking about the gardens, not only because of the time but also because of the unrelenting force of the sun. "The bumping was an accident, but it's good to see you as well." She joked, catching the slightest hint of nervousness in his expression but not thinking anything of it, the thought quickly leaving her.

"Not all of them, but most have been as of late. I have to keep everything looking its best for the remainder of the festival. The change of scenery from mother's gardens is always welcome too." She replied with a shrug, the best she could while carrying a watering can in her arms anyway. "Walk with me? I'm just finishing up watering then I was going to take a break, maybe grab something from the kitchens."
 
Persephone was as bright as she normally was, though there was a hint of darkness under her eyes, likely from how late they stayed up the night before for the party. He hopes she got a decent amount of sleep, however. Though it didn't seem like she didn't; she was the same as last night and the day they met. Perhaps it was the surprise of seeing him and the added enjoyment of her gardening work.

"Ah, so Zeus just has you as a slave for the festival." He joked, smiling. It felt nice to be with Persephone again, even if that heavy question still rested upon his shoulder, nagging him to just ask already. The weather was also decent. He was dress in his usual dark attire but minus the heavy overcoats, thick layers and fur lined cloak. No point in bringing them to an even being held in the early months of summer. Every year, though, he thought of just buying clothes to wear at Olympus during the festival, but always felt... exposed or really, really stupid in the popular styles. His skin was pale and blindly bright and shouldn't be exposed more than his neck and face.

"I'm all free today, so a walk would be nice. Do you want me to carry that for you?" He noticed the slight discomfort in her hold of the watering can, and didn't want her to fall or actually spill water, unlike the close call earlier.
 
"He only wishes." Persephone let out a laugh in response. It was true that Zeus had been asking her to the castle far more often this year than he had in previous years. One could argue that it was because of the gardens, and while that was partially true there was no shortage of others from house Demeter were attending to the gardens at the same time as her. There was no need for them all to be there at once but she didn't mind making the walk visit the castle every so often. The recent talks with Hades had been nice too.

Persephone shook her head at his offer, shifting the watering can in her arms so that it was more comfortable to carry. A bit of water sloshed out the spout at the action, darkening the fabric of her shirt sleeve but it quickly settled once she was holding it properly again. "Thank you, but it's alright I've got it." She said, glancing in the direction toward the glassed in gardens before turning back to Hades. "Let's get going then. The flowers aren't going to water themselves." And with that, she turned and began walking toward the festival gardens.

Once again leading them down the winding paths it didn't take long for Persephone to reach her destination. She had stopped in front of a collection of ferns and other big leafed plants and set the watering can down so that she could kneel down to test the soil underneath them. Satisfied with the dryness there she stood and picked up the watering can in order to rectify the situation. "Did you enjoy the rest of the banquet last night?" She asked conversationally, glancing over at him but otherwise not taking her attention from watering.
 
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