Who says times are hard?

“I’m technically a mortal,” he told her, “On a big technicality.  I will eventually die, one day.  I just have an incredibly long life span.  Most Time Lords can live up to millions of years.  I’m still relatively young.  No, I’m not exactly a mortal, but I am indeed not a god, that is correct.”

“I’m not, no,” he told her, “Now, where exactly did you say this place was again?” he asked her as he walked up to the TARDIS to program the coordinates.

The Doctor smiled and lead the way back to his TARDIS.  He snapped his fingers to open the doors and opened his arms, offering her to take a look inside first.

“By foot?” he asked, “But way underground?  How long of a trip is this?  I might have a better way of getting there.  I have a ship that can go anywhere.  if it does physically exist, I can get us there as long as you know the way.”

Yeah.

Freer.

To say nothing of the bitterness and hatred that had dwelled in every part of Ozai’s heart.  The jealousy, the desire for vengeance.

The emotions he didn’t even know how to feel.  

“Well?” he stated, expression quirking and unable to hide the distance in golden eyes.  “Keep it coming.  I’m not even tipsy.”

Persephone found herself chuckling at the way he was so casually requesting more to drink. But, who was she to deny him? It had been all that had gotten her through many cold winters, and she wouldn’t hold back from someone else who needed or wanted it.

One eye narrowed to regard her, body stilling before he decided it wasn’t worth worrying over and so he shrugged, settled down in his chair and continued drinking.  

“What’s natural can also kill you.”  He shrugged.  Sarha Lee was very adamant about getting that lesson through his skull–even if Ozai was generally less susceptible to poisons and rather thick-skinned.  

“But if that’s what you’d like to do, I can find a place to put you to work.”

There was always something that needed to be done around the farm, but he found it suited him–being done in the sunlight, on his own schedule, and being mostly hard labor was nice.

Persephone didn’t seem bothered by his suspicion, even if she did smile a little- almost knowingly- as he settled once more and continued with his drink. She wasn’t overly concerned either, and was glad to see he no longer was.

“Sure it can,” she agreed. “Most deaths tend to be from a natural cause.” And after all, wouldn’t she know that best? “Time itself is natural, and the most common killer. But I don’t think it does any good to keep worryin’ about that.”

Her smile grew more genuine at his acquiescence.

Now the Doctor was quite confused.  “What do you mean it doesn’t exist?  How are we supposed to go somewhere that doesn’t exist?”

He took one step, two.

Came to a stop, idled there a moment, fingers twitching at his sides.  

He couldn’t comprehend the burning in his eyes nor in his heart.

It’s not you.  It’s not you, I can’t trust you, I can’t trust anyone, the entire world is out to get me.  My home and father would torture me the rest of the world would kill me and nowhere is safe and I can’t trust anyone and it’s not your fault.

Such words, too big to fit in his mouth.  

“You asked if I can trust you.  I can’t.  I’m sorry.  You shouldn’t waste your time trying to get me to.  You deserve something better.”

Persephone gave a small shake of her head, and walked closer to him once he stopped walking. She wanted to put a hand on his shoulder, but instead settled for standing at his side.

“I can decide if I deserve somethin’ better,” she said. “I don’t wanna drop you like this. I know you may not trust me right now. Maybe you won’t ever.”

She smiled a little bit as she looked up at him. “But can you give me the chance? I’m not askin’ for your trust right now. I’ll do what I can to help you, if I can. I’m here for you. I wanna be here for you. There’s enough pain and sufferin’ in this world. If we can find any kinda reprieve from it... Don’t you think we should take that?”

It was strange, how things worked.

Ozai found that every little bit of trust that had built up had promptly drained out, just from one simple conversation.  

Lips puckered and he stopped following her, something that felt suspiciously like betrayal blossoming in his chest.

He can’t trust anyone.

He should have learned that lesson long ago.

“I see.”  The words were stilted and unnatural, just as his posture, and his eyes flickered over her, before he pivoted away.

“I should go.”

Persephone recognised quickly the shift in Ozai, and she sighed softly. There weren’t many ways to truly reconcile this sort of thing, not when the human in her company began to realise something wasn’t quite right with her. Sometimes, if she just came out with the truth...

Sometimes that was enough to keep them from leaving- especially the ones who liked the truth. 

But she couldn’t tell how Ozai would take it, so she decided to let that be a last ditch effort, if she had to say something to keep him if she could.

It was the new way of the world. the new rhythm that they were all settling into. The shades who didn’t walk behind her and her lover had adapted easier, but everyone else had fallen into line slowly but surly. With Persephone here now, things would change, but they would have to see lighter. Maybe they would get some spirit and hope at last. Eurydice, though? Eurydice simply wanted to know what it was like in the world above, what it was like for her lover, if things had always worked like the way they always did. 

All that she could do was relax her shoulders slightly, shaking her head before she looks upwards at the goddess in attempts to read her face. The words still her and really she wasn’t sure what she should say, swallowing as she looked at the other shades around them. Was it even fair of her to be here now, talking to this woman, taking a break as the others who she feels like she failed? More over what was possibly so bad that Eurydice needed to sit to hear it? She didn’t know and the idea of it made her tense up, but Eurydice swallowed it down, nodding just a little before looking down. 

“ If you’re sure that it would be alright. “ She hummed, smiling just slightly as she took a step towards her and away from the workers. “ Where are you thinking? “ She hoped it was the bar, but didn’t know. Still, she couldn’t help but ask a final question, scared. “ …Is he… alright? “ 

Persephone felt that familiar ache in her chest as Eurydice seemed so hesitant to leave the other workers behind, to even stop and take a moment to rest, hear what news Persephone had brought to her of the world above. To hear what news she'd brought of her lover, who still sang, even in the deepest sorrow he may have ever known. How horrible were the conditions, then, for the workers if Eurydice was so hesitant to leave them, just to go and speak with the goddess for a few moments?

She sighed, and nodded slightly. "Of course it's alright," she told Eurydice. "We won't be gone for too long, unless you find you're needin' some rest."

That was another thing that worried Persephone about the Shades. She knew, of course, that they didn't truly need rest- after all, they were dead. Only living beings needed rest. But what sort of horrid afterlife required nothing but work from those who had passed? To spend their entire lives above slaving away, and then to continue to do so once they were below? 

Yes, that sounded like Hell indeed.

“Don’t joke about that.”

Ozai wasn’t above putting her to work.  It had actually happened once with a woman that he had housed briefly.  One of the other townsmen later told him that she apparently wanted to sleep with him.  Well, why didn’t she just say that?  

He never understood this whole dancing around intentions.  He’d much rather say what he wanted and be told what was wanted.  One foot twitched in the air as he rocked back in his chair.  

“I likely won’t be heading back for an hour or so.”

Persephone chuckled softly at his warning not to joke.

“Who said I was jokin’?” she asked him, smiling a little. “I mean it. I ain’t above helpin’ out to earn my place somewhere. And if the crops is what it takes...”

Now, she shrugged, drinking from her cup.

“Besides, fruit and vegetables are fine with me. I like the grown foods. It’s what’s natural, isn’t it?” And Persephone liked nothing more than what was natural.

The shoulder squeeze and the smile are almost overwhelming. Everything down here is overwhelming in its own way. Memories blurring together already, not yet fading but almost glaring at her, mocking, challenging her to recall what was real and what was simply something that she made up. Truth be told Eurydice almost feels as though she could ask the goddess thousands of questions and never be satisfied with the answers. At the same time, though, this woman is a goddess. This woman may be the only person who can give her the answers she so desperately craved. It wasn’t fair of her to follow, especially after she failed him. 

“ I can tell you that the others are relived you are here. We’ve been hard at work but… well there are certainly things that he’s been waiting for you to approve. “ She had not been up and working for too long but even she knew that. Mister Hades had plans, though she wasn’t sure of what those plans were just yet. She hadn’t brought herself to meet the kings eyes just yet, blaming him in part for everything ( though it was just an excuse so she would not blame herself really ). Still, boldly, Eurydice tilts her head. She clears her thoat, and she askes the question that she so longed to - “ …How was he? “ It was a question she did not quite know if she wanted an answer to, but she needed one none-the-less. “ How was the summer? The spring? “ 

Persephone was glad to hear it was good she’d returned, that the workers were relieved she’d returned. Soon enough, she’d go up and see what it was her husband wanted approved.

Hearing Eurydice’s question nearly broke Persephone’s heart. Then her following questions, and... it never got any easier. If anything, the opposite was true. It was harder. It was as if the new questions only made Persephone want to say it was all good and just like always, perhaps to spare the girl’s concerns for her lover. But to lie and tell her Orpheus was just fine... The goddess couldn’t bring herself to do so. It wasn’t true, and she wasn’t going to lie and say that it was.

“Where is it on the map,” he asked her, “If you are going by foot, how would you get there?”

“How?”

While there were a great many things that Ozai was willing to let go, this was not one of them.  Not something that was so personal, so integral to the Nation he called home.  

“What happened?  They stole from my father.  It was a petty theft by an incensed head of the household that earned a death sentence for the entire family and everyone associated with it.”

Persephone nodded as she listened to the story, keeping a very nonchalant attitude about it all. Whatever he said, it was as if it rolled right off her back. Humanity rarely surprised her these days.