Stranger part 19 Hermes’ version
Reader is Telemachus' friend, and when he leaves for his "diplomatic mission" he asks her to watch over his mother. Later, once the king has returned, she stumbles upon an injured Poseidon.
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Content specs: she/her pronouns used, afab reader, Platonic! Telemachus x reader, Epic!Hermes x reader, possible OOC!Hermes, Polites’ daughter! Reader, unrequited love, blood, fighting, nudity, illusion, possibly more?, trying to avoid using y/n, slowburn, suggestive themes.
A/n: Welcome to the Hermes au! Everything leading up to part 18 will have happened the same way, but from this chapter and onwards, things will happen differently.
“This necklace contains one of my feathers, if you wear this you’ll be able to keep up with me by holding my hand.” He explained. “Here, I’ll help you put it on. Isn’t that an honour, darling? We get to hold hands all day long.” Hermes teased. With a pull on her hand, he took off.
The speed at which the God travelled was unlike anything she’d ever experienced, and she’d never been this high up before either. Her heart was beating out of her chest and her hands were getting sweaty, but instead of dropping his hand and wiping it, she gripped tighter. Probably tight enough to break his hand, had he not been a God. She would’ve closed her eyes out of fear, but she feared that would make her nauseous.
Hermes must’ve glanced sideways, as he was now laughing and clutching his stomach with his free hand, they were floating somewhere in the sky as he did so. The moment of stillness gave Ónoma the opportunity to look around, the view was breathtaking when they weren’t going so fast. If she wasn’t so mesmerized, she would’ve complained about the God’s laughter. “You get to see this every day?” She asked, somewhat jealously.
“I usually don’t take the time to take it in. Things to do, people to see, messages to deliver, you know?” He replied somewhat sheepishly. “That’s a pity, it’s really beautiful up here, when you’re not going so fast.” She mumbled the last part, still looking around and trying commit the image to memory. The God absentmindedly chuckled at her comment but took her words into consideration.
“I should, take the time to look around, that is.” He mumbled, taking a glance at their surroundings, but focusing on her. She was calm in a way he had not seen before, an almost childlike joy taking over now that she was getting used to the height. The sun behind her casted a glow around her that made her look otherworldly. “But we must get going now, darling. Time is ticking, much to do.”
The entire day they flitted about, island to island, city to city. Only once had she been left behind, as he had to deliver a message to one of the Olympians. “You’re not exactly allowed on Mount Olympus, darling.” He’d explained. “Maybe next time.” He’d joked. There was no way that she, a mere mortal, would be allowed up there under any circumstances, she thought.
As the day went on, the God got more and more energetic. He seemed nervous, or excited, for whatever he had planned, and Ónoma was getting anxious. If he was nervous, it probably wasn’t anything good, and if he was excited, it probably wasn’t anything good either. Maybe he was planning an elaborate prank or something.
Twinkling lights caught her attention. Hermes had been flying slower than he had the entire day, they were headed to Troy, or rather what was left of it, of all places when they appeared. The lights were floating around the God, seemingly trying to get his attention. It wasn’t until Ónoma pointed them out that he noticed them.
“Finally!” Hermes exclaimed. It was excitement, then, what he was feeling. “What is it?” Ónoma asked. “Souls! I asked Hecate to take care of as many as she could today, seems I underestimated her, a lot.” His answer only raised more questions, but before she could ask the, he took off, dragging both her and the souls along with him.
As they reached the entrance of the underworld, he let go of her hand. In his, now free, hand he materialized his Caduceus. Using his staff he transformed the twinkling lights, before them now stood people. Ónoma questioned if that was the right word to use, as she knew these people to no longer be among the living.
The winged man led them to a point along a river, the Styx, as she knew it to be. In a boat Charon sat waiting, hand outstretched, awaiting the coins needed to ferry across the river. Ónoma started to move towards the man, as the souls had done, but she was held back by her travel companion. “You’ll get to go on the boat someday, but today you’re with me, darling.”
Just as they were starting to leave, or rather, Hermes was leaving and Ónoma was being pulled along, another figure showed up. A woman holding a torch was guiding sparkling lights, or souls, as she now knew them to be. The twinkling of these souls seemed more incessant, restless in a way. “You owe me.” Were the first words she spoke as she reached them.
“Difficult bunch I see.” Hermes commented, smugly. Hecate glared at him with such intensity, that Ónoma instinctively moved slightly behind him. She felt him squeeze her hand, but it did not feel reassuring, it only communicated his amusement. “Ares started another war, these souls believe their death should have been grander.” She replied.
“There are no do-overs in death, when will they learn?” “You try telling them that.” Hecate moved around them to get to the ferryman and took a look at the girl almost hiding behind Hermes. “You brought a living soul to the land of the dead?” The Goddess questioned. “That’s quite unlike you, is that why you needed the day off?”
“Kind of, I suppose I should thank you. Now I’d love to stay and chat, but we really must get a move on.”
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