Eric
A Conversation Between Siblings
Emilio
"I am aware you have fallen short of your payments, but what did you expect would happen throwing your money down on a couple of horse races?" Plutus's eyes rolled back along with his head which tapped against the back of his throne with an audible *Thunk.* One might think he was hard at work by the way he reacted to the voice on the other end of the phone - the phone which sat at least a foot away atop of his desk and was put on speaker so he could expend the least amount of effort possible to deal with the so-called *Client* On the other end. 

The voice, which was an octave too high and getting more panicked by the minute, was talking too fast for Plutus to care to follow. Not to mention it was delving into a sensitive subject - money. 

Specifically lost money. 

Plutus could be a very generous god for the right price, but his generosity only went so far. When he loaned out - or as the mortals liked to call it, *Gave* Out - money to those who wanted or needed it, he didn't expect them to come crawling back for more after gambling it all away. Well. Maybe he *Did* Expect it, knowing some of his clientele, but he didn't want it. And he certainly didn't encourage it. Squandering his generosity was a quick way to his bad side. 

"I'm afraid the bank is closed on Sundays," Plutus said, knowing very well it was a Friday. "But do try to call back on February thirtieth." 

He stretched his arm out to reach for his phone, clicking the "Off" Button without another word, and then he sank back into his throne, body draped in cat-like relaxation. He leaned heavily on one arm of the chair while his legs dangled over the other, stretching him across the seat. Eyes closed, he rubbed his temples to rid himself of a growing headache before reaching over to click another button on his phone.

"Alexis, cancel my two o'clock. No, I don't care who it is. Tell them to come back tomorrow." He hung up again and traded his phone for a glass of wine sitting right next to it. "Ce n'est pas celui qui a beaucoup qui est riche, mais celui qui donne beaucoup." He lifted his glass to toast himself and then took a sip.
Ellen
```Past Scene.```

Persephone stood within the shadows of the doorway in amusement, leaning her small frame against the ornate door. A business casual suit of cream, with a corset of floral decor adorned her figure. Red hair done up in a loose bun that fell in curled strands around freckled cheeks and rouge lips. She looked nothing of the frail thing that frolicked through the fields at her mother's whims on this day. The small thing that had moved within herself, in overgrown dresses and mousey words and manners. Instead she was much the grown figure, a glowing mother of two, and a stronger woman for it.

A woman who watched her brother enveloped in the element he so thrived within. His figure slumped over his chair in a freedom and confidence she had always envied. A knowing smile creeping over her lips while he spoke his words of cheers in the language she had grown rather fond of. The French Alps a beautiful place to be whisked away for a romantic occasion or two. Or perhaps one she would later beg Plutus to take her on, a time to get to know the eldest sibling better. Take him to a place of comfort and warmth before she dove beneath those walls he kept up... Up and sturdy for any he tried to know the truest versions of him. 

"Et qu'en est-il de sa sœur?"
_ _

She walked into his office in full casual form. Her legs striding with confidence, heels clicking against the marble flooring. "I am afraid your two o'clock is already here, dearest brother. Do not blame your assistant, I know this place far too well and them.. Far too little. Is that a new one by the way?" Slowly she sank within an empty chair with a cock of her head in curiosity and playful accusation, one leg crossing over the other, and eyes moving to the drink within his hand.

"Though I will join you in your toast, if you'll have me?" 

She moved for a glass at the bar set near them before he could protest. Tempted to pour the bottle in its entirety down her throat before starting this damned conversation. Settling on a whiskey glass and what looked to be a fine aged bourbon. Wine being far from enough for her in the next coming days. A sip would do, however, letting it burn slowly as she hoped for a source of courage. 

"I won't keep you. I just wanted to let you know I'm leaving..." 
_ _
Emilio
Plutus rested the cool glass against his forehead, eyes closed as he nursed the headache brought on by beggars. He very well might have allowed himself to pass out just like that, but the all too familiar voice of his sister reached out of the shadows. If it were any other, he might have jumped in surprise, but Persephone's tone was rather disarming, even when unexpected. 

Slowly opening his eyes, he glanced in her direction, feigning disinterest. "Surtout la famille," He said, his voice deadpan for all of three seconds before his lips turned up into a smile. "Dearest sister . . . I didn't realize you were my two o'clock. Since when do you make appointments to drop in?" While his tone sounded like it was dripping with sarcasm, he was completely sincere. Persephone got a pass. On most days. 

He sat up in his chair but regretted it immediately and reached up to rub his temples where the headache was most prominent. "Unmet appointments are reserved for Mother. You are welcome any time." He tossed back the rest of his wine, hoping to numb the pain with more alcohol, and then walked down the three steps from his throne so he could be level with Persephone. 

"Who, Alexis? Not new enough to let the Goddess of Spring slip by unnoticed." Who could miss such a beautiful and elegant creature, after all? "She's terrible at organizing my digital records. I really only hired her because she was good at—" He paused, glancing down at his sister with a long gaze. "—of course you're welcome to join me."

He met her at his mini bar in the corner of his office and set his empty glass down. A half-finished wine bottle stood on the countertop with its cork missing, but before Plutus could reach for it, he saw Persephone reach for the bourbon. His eyebrows raised with interest. 

"What's the occasion?" He asked as he plucked up the whiskey glass and its sibling before she could. "Allow me." He poured them both a sizeable amount before pressing the glass into her hand. Then, he held up his own to prepare for the toast. What had his sister so stressed that she was going for the hard liquor? 

"Leaving? I thought you just got here," He said with a smirk, knowing that it wasn't what she meant. He hid it behind his first sip, but his eyes gave away how funny he thought he was. "Where are you going?"
Ellen
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*"I really only hired her because she was good at-"*

An eyebrow perked in amusement at her brother. She was no fool to his antics, and though she was loyal to one and only one, she would never judge him for indulging in as many different *Passions* As he liked. Plutus could not be further from Persephone in his mannerisms, personality, and talents, but she enjoyed that about him. Envied his abilities to forever stay true to who he was with no apologies given. 

"Yes I'm sure she has quite the talents ...Elsewhere." A teasing smile poked at the corner of her lips as she watched him pour the glass with tempered nerves. Her hands felt as if they would slide straight from the glass itself when they wrapped around. Her heart still threatening to beat through her damned chest. 
_ _

Until now, she had yet to speak her plans aloud. She hadn't dared. As she knew that would make them all too real, but if there was anyone that could give her a true, unfiltered opinion, she knew she could always rely on Plutus for it. 

"The Underworld. I'm going to tell Hades my feelings, and that the twins are his own, to father. I am hoping to make a permanent residence there..." She took another long sip from the bourbon and made a face that spoke to her lack of ability to drink strong alcohol, practically choking in her next words. Whether from fear or lack of experience was to be decided. "...You know, for the childrens' sake. They should be raised alongside a father." 

Sinking back into the chair, the definition of grace and elegance slumped for the first time in centuries. "Am I a fool? I'm a fool aren't I? Chasing a man that has barely shown an inch of attraction in my direction since the twins, and here I am chasing after him like a lovesick school girl. The King of the damned and the Underworld itself... I should have expected it to be nothing more than a fleeting phase for him." 

Laying her head into the back of the chair with a deflated stance, Persephone looked up at the ceiling with a dazed sense. "...And then there's, of course, mother..." 
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𝙋𝙄𝙉𝙂𝙎:
Emilio
"The Underworld."

He wouldn't pretend to be surprised. Persephone's interest in Hades and his realm was obvious. Not only did she tell him about it on several occasions, but her desire to go there on her own even *Before* The children was easy to see. Now that she had managed to bed one of the Big Three and bear his children, he only wondered why it took her so long to figure out that she wanted to go back. Either way, he was proud. His sister was certainly *Going places* Literally and figuratively. 

"Well that certainly sounds controversial," He said with a growing smile. He watched her force down a rather large gulp of the bourbon before asking a more direct question. "What are you gonna do if he says no?" He sipped from his own glass right after he asked, but kept it short and dainty so as to not interrupt his gaze waiting for her reaction. 

Amber eyes followed her form as it sank into his velvety chaise, and he was taken aback by her terrible posture. One of the few things they had in common was their grace and elegance, though she certainly effortlessly embodied them better than him on most occasions. He realized then that he couldn't just be the fascinated observer; he had to be the supportive older brother.

Sighing, he crossed over to her side and lowered himself to the end of the chaise, crossing his legs and resting his arm on his knee. He still held his glass in that hand, but it was already mostly empty. 

"You're not a fool," He said straight away, and though his words were stiff, he meant them. He was just terrible at comforting people. "You're a mother who loves her children and wants the best for them. Having a father in their lives might be what they need." He paused. "Though . . . I don't see why considering they already have an amazing uncle." 

When she mentioned their own mother, he rolled his eyes. "You let me handle her. You . . . Run off and frolic with your King of the Underworld because if you *Don't,* Then she'll never let you leave." 

He finished off his drink. Just the thought of having to deal with Demeter made him want to get drunk, but he would do it if it meant keeping her off of Persephone's back. 

"Just a side note . . . If you were nothing but a phase to Hades, then he's an idiot." Most people might not have dared to insult one of the High Gods - and he wouldn't do so if Hades was standing there - but Plutus's lips were loosening the more he drank. "*He's* The fool if he passes up the Goddess of Spring."
Ellen
*"What are you gonna do if he says no?"*

"I- haven't thought about it." A lie. She had, far more than she would like to admit. Every horrible outcome of what could happen had replayed over and over again within her head like a broken record. Hades had laughed within her face. Hell, Persephone had even shown before his throne, naked in her dreams, or rather nightmares. It was all she thought about, but then that one glimmer of hope shown through in sober thoughts and played the what if game in her anxious subconscious. The thought that he could love her back. It was enough to drive her to the madness of this whole plan. 

Persephone chewed her lip as her forest green eyes peeked from her melodramatic state at her brother sitting beside her. Plutus had always been a man of a rather careless demeanor. His laid back aspect of the way he took on life with calculated unbothered responses was something she envied, but this, this was the side that he opened to so few. The rare jewel of the man that lay beneath. Her protector. Her brother. 
_ _

Sitting up, she slid her hands gently into his own. Her fingers wrapping around and brushing against the well manicured skin of the god of wealth. A grateful smile creeping up her lips as so much was said beneath the surface of his words. "I know I could never convince you to come with me, but knowing you support me in this..." She knew how he hated the emotions his sister so easily placed on display. The tears that welled up within her eyes, that were quickly blinked away so to hide the evidence from existence. 

So few had cared for the goddess of spring beyond her abilities to heal. A woman that was beauty and grace, but held little power or respect amongst the Olympians. Persephone, the lost little flower, delicate and weak, and yet Plutus had never once treated her as such. Never once had he looked upon his sister as if she were a helpless flower that would wilt away at the first sign of trouble, but instead he firmly stood by her in all her crazy endeavors as an unyielding beam of support. 
_ _

"They do have a rather amazing uncle don't they?" A breathy chuckle left her lips as a tear escaped from its temporary refuge and rolled down her rouged and freckled cheeks. "Though you spoil them far too much. What will they learn if their uncle simply gives them their every wish?" A playful nudge of her shoulder, before she rested her head against Plutus in a tender show of sibling affection she forced upon him from time to time in moments rare, such as this. Her red hair falling in loose curls down his immaculately dressed self. 

"That is just it, Plutus... I am only the Goddess of Spring. The lost flower in Demeter's field with her one flickering ability. He is- Hades." A frown wrinkled within her otherwise youthful skin and she picked her head up to place a subtle kiss upon his cheek. "Though I appreciate your attempts, I am afraid not everyone holds me upon the pedestal you do, Plu." 
_ _

As if she realized the sentiments the alcohol threatened to toss her down, Persephone sobered herself and straightened her shoulders. Her hands pulling from her brothers in timid nature, but not before she tenderly placed a loose strand of his hair back in its place. "I'm going to miss you, Plu." She was not naive enough to misunderstand what would come of this. Demeter's wrath was sure to follow when her daughter came up missing from the fields she sown, and for that Persephone would have to hide behind the King in his realm of the dead for a time unknown, if he accepted her request. Hide from the world she had come to know as her own, and those she loved for their own sanity and safety. She would have to distance herself from Plutus, to save both of them from the destructive aftermath.
_ _
Emilio
Expression remaining mostly unchanged, Plutus watched Persephone go through a plethora of her own emotions, clutching his hands as if to hold on for dear life. He watched as she mentally went over everything in her head, and waited patiently for her to think of the words to say - if she even wanted to say them. He let her cry so she could feel the sweet relief of the aftermath while he provided a safe environment for her to do it freely. He even allowed her to rest her head on his shoulder without recoiling as if burned.

"Ew. Go with you to a place with no light? How will I ever see my gold outfits glint or my money shine?" He teased, but there was some truth to it. Plutus had no interest in living in the Underworld, though he didn't have anything against Hades specifically. It was simply just . . . Not his vibe. He was the kind of god who liked to shine in the brightest areas, who liked to show off without having to say a word. His style was one way to do it, but what room was there for style in the afterlife? 

"They will learn that their Uncle has a bottomless pit of disposable income and they should visit me often so he can give it away." He let a cheeky smile take over his face. "Is that not the correct lesson to teach them? I never was a good teacher." 

He reached a hand up to gently pat her head, sighing as she began to doubt herself. Then he found an easy way to keep his hands busy when her hair fell out of place; he gently brushed it back behind her ear before putting his hand back at his side.

"*Only* The Goddess of Spring," He said with a roll of his eyes. "As if that isn't a big deal. You are related to *Me,* Seph, and anyone related to me is worth knowing." Even his mother, though he would never say so out loud, lest Zeus strike him down from his perch. His lips twitched as he took the next strategy to make it all about himself - trying to drag the negative attention off of her.

"If Hades holds himself on such a high pedestal, then you need to be standing on one just as tall to reach him. Don't sell yourself short. You've let mother drag you down for too long. It's time you made your own way." 

He playfully tried to dodge her touch when she reached for a curl to tame, but then just let her fix it without a fuss. "Of course you'll miss me. I am completely unforgettable. But don't let that stop you from reaching your goals. I'll still be up here doing what I do best."
Ellen
There was always a subtle dance of emotions between them, an undertone of amusement and exasperation. A slight chuckle escaping from Persephone's lips as she watched Plutus awkwardly work around the turmoil of emotions that was his sister. She had always worn her heart upon her sleeve, whereas Plutus remained an impenetrable wall to those around him. A stoic fortress to any who attempted to break those very walls down. Still, she felt his hand reach out and tuck a curl behind her ear. Let her do the same to his own. A small statement to the true care he held for the little flower he had watched bloom and flourish under his ever watchful gaze. 

"Being related doesn't automatically grant someone worth, dearest brother." Though what was a pep talk from the god of wealth, without the inflated sense of self importance casting its shine upon the room. A steadfast confidence that seemed to skip over the youngest bloodline of Demeter. "If I stand on a pedestal to reach Hades, it is only a false persona I bring to him." Biting her lip she rose from the chair and brushed the wrinkles from the trousers that accented her form. "...But you are right, Mother's shadow is no longer cast over me in the fields, and it is time I realize that and forge my own path."
_ _

A path far from those that stood upon the clouds of Olympus. Noses held high and chaos created in the name of entertainment. The goddess of Spring could not help but hold a form of resentment for the way her ideals had been shaped in their whispers. In the doubts and the downward casts of pity whenever she had dutifully trailed behind Demeter.

*"...Of course you'll miss me..."* 

A scoff leaving her lips as she shook her head at her dearest brother. "You may joke your feelings away, Plu, but I need you to know this with absolute certainty. I will miss you every day, and I love you. You have been a solid stone pillar for me to lean upon for as long as I remember. I will move mountains for you, if you simply ask me brother. Do remember all this for me when mother is in your ear berating you for my own actions?" 

Her heels clicked agains the floor as she approached him to leave a gentle kiss upon his cheek. The glass placed upon the table it had been misplaced from before she turned towards the door. Enough sense of knowing that Plutus would likely squirm in her open expressions of affection. Her hand pausing against the ornate door frame as she began to make a graceful exit, the goddess of spring once more. 
_ _

"Oo and Plu? You overly spoil my children and I will turn your receptionist into the prettiest little plant you ever did see." And with that she was gone from his sight. Heels an echo in the distance as she headed towards the uncertainty of a future within the depths of Hades' realm. 
_ _
Emilio
"In most cases, yes, but considering how much I'm worth, I would say I'm the exception to that rule," He joked, but noticing the seriousness in her statement made him change his tone to match, if only for a moment. He couldn't allow his sister to believe she wasn't worth anything without him around. Persephone was worth a million gods, and was certainly better than Plutus could ever hope to be. "I think . . . You've already started to realize your worth. Why else would you come here telling me exactly what you plan to do?"

Of course, Plutus couldn't keep from his usual banter for long. The god of wealth was nothing if not unsentimental. He couldn't have people believing he *Cared,* After all, and Persephone had enough of that in her for the both of them. 

"Who's joking? I *Know* You'll miss—" He started to say the words again, but Persephone beat him to the punch, exposing the beauty of her soul by telling Plutus all the things that might have shaped him into a better god if only he was told the words more often as a child. If only he hadn't been shunned by their own mother because she couldn't bare to look at the face that reminded her of a lost love neither of them were ever getting back. 

"As if she ever does anything else," He said, hiding the rest of her touching sentiments behind a smirk where they would stay so he didn't have to think about the pieces of his golden heart chipping away. "But mother is one thing I can handle myself. Leave her to me." 

He pretended to be annoyed with her kiss while leaning down to allow her to reach, rolling his eyes. He didn't return his own, but his arm reached up as if ready to wrap her in a hug, stopping just short. "Don't let that damn dog eat you on the way in."

Pulling back, he finished his own drink and set the glass next to her, watching her go with an expressionless stare. But while his face didn't move, didn't twitch, his mind tread through a field of dead flowers. 

Her final words - a warning, but one told in jest - made his lips twitch into an almost-smile. 

They would be spoiled rotten.