*wet dog smell*

finally being rid of the family, mercury is able to breathe the biggest sigh of relief on the planet, and then subsequently have a massive breakdown and identity crisis. being forced to suppress every instance of yourself, every instance of self doubt and sick feeling in your gut you've ever had in your life for everyone else, and squeeze yourself down into a businessman mold you don't even fucking Like will do that to you.

But after all that, mercury (she/her now, thank you) Does finally start to take small steps to develop her own identity, outside of what the family told her she should be. she does a lot of experimenting. she can't say she's doing Great, but she's doing better. she's still haunted by all the garbage about herself her ex-partners fed to her. but she's doing better.

venus, meanwhile, is... well... she had Thought she'd wanted the family gone (and she did, and does. god she's happy they're gone). but she couldn't even say she was a 'partner', or god forbid a 'friend' to them, not like mercury was. to the family, she was merely a lab rat; a thing to be observed and otherwise left to her own devices until needed. there is no relief or freedom to be felt when she'd never even seen the family's faces until maybe a day ago, at most.

most of her known life has been informed by fear or by rage, and venus isn't quite sure how to carry herself in a world where those defense mechanisms aren't needed anymore. she's not haunted by the damn dog, she's haunted by her own persona that lead her here, the lingering paranoia and mistrust surrounding the idea that Everything Just Goes Back to Normal Now, Everything's Fine Now, Promise. the version of herself that threatens to drag her back down into the trench under the city.

in what world can everything just go back to normal for her now? what normal?

it feels like kind of a sick joke to her. where once, in 'before' times, mercury would follow in her shadow at every instance, look to Her for support, the sun looks to the moon for answers now. what is she supposed to do here?

the psychopomp has no more guidance or truths to bear for her, and it's removed altogether.

she WILL get better eventually as well, but it's just going to take a while. it'll take a while for both of them.

venus and mercury stick together at first if only because literally who else do they have? where else do they go? (and god knows despite everything, despite everything she can remember now, mercury can't leave vena alone in good conscience).

neither the thrait nor evren wish them to rule again. not in this state. (and though they say to their faces with soft smiles that one day their queens will be fit to rule again, they do not make their mourning of their gods subtle, at all.)

they will both start to heal eventually but again, it'll take a while and a lot of effort. but by god. i will make it happen. i Will. (i'm also very aware this very much is Not likely how psychopomp 2 will end, but that's what aus are for baybee!!