Work Text:
Disclaimer: I own nothing. Hadestown belongs to Anais Mitchell. The myth aspects belong to the stories as I learned them. This is just for pleasure.
Italics-Inner thoughts
Regular-regular story
" "-speech
For Oli...thank you listening.
Hermes- Orpheus is about 1.5
‘What is so important that she needs to see me right now? It’s just past the fall equinox. I just got Steph down below. This is my time to relax before taking souls down. Calliope better have a good reason for summoning me.’ Hermes thought as he walked to the little house in the woods. Truth be told though he was worried. She hadn’t been to the bar in a while, which was uncommon for the Muse. Reaching the house, he knocked on the door. When a second knock doesn’t have anyone coming to open the door, Hermes pushes it open. Looking around the place looks abandoned. ‘Why would she call me to an abandoned house?’ Hearing a noise, Hermes startles. Looking down, he sees why she called him there. ‘A kid?! She had a kid ...and she left him here. Alone with winter coming.’ Leaning down, he scoops the kids up.
“Hi there little one, what’s your name huh?”, croons the god. “Phe”, is all he can understand from the kid. ‘Note, where’s a note? She has to have left a note. There is it.’ Leaning down to the table, he reads the note. “Hermes, can’t take being a mother. The kid won’t stop crying or making noise. Your half-brother Pol is his father. He knows about him, doesn’t want him either. The kid’s name is Orpheus. If you don’t want him, just dump him. Cal.” Taking a deep breath, Hermes thinks. Yes, he has jobs, but he can’t just leave the kid. A son of a muse and the sun god's gonna need some help growing up. Steph will help during the warmer months, and the bars pretty slow during the winter anyway. He can do this. “Hey Orpheus, let's go, buddy. Let's get out of this place. It’s not a place for us. I have some good food and clean stuff at my house. You’ll like it, there’s always music.”
Persephone- 6 months after Hermes, Orpheus is just 2
“Hermes what do you want to show me so bad huh? I just got done seeing mama. You know how she gets if I don’t stop by her place right away. The last thing we need up top is a spring frost.” Persephone was tired and confused. Her and Hades had been fighting most of the winter again. His new project Hadestown was an eyesore. ‘Why he won’t listen to me, I do not know. I don’t know why he thinks I’d like that.’
Hermes hurried her along to the bar. “I know sister. I know. But I need your help and this is important. Just help me please, and I’ll never ask for a favor again. Walk a little faster, please. Thank you so much, Lady Hestia, for your help. I’ll make sure your payment is there first thing”
‘Lady Hestia?! What the Styx is so important, Hermes needed Lady Hestia to help him? Especially what is he willing to pay for?’ “You gonna fill me in there brother?” asked Persephone with a cock of her eyebrow.
“This is what’s so important Persephone. Meet Orpheus. Calliope just left him. Our sunshine brother is his father and doesn’t want the responsibility of actually raising the boy. Her note told me to just dump him if I didn’t want him. I had to take him, sister. But I need your help while your up top. Please. He can’t spend the whole spring and summer inside like during the fall and winter. I can’t take him out all the time, not with the bar and the messages.”
Persephone was struck silent. A baby? Or a toddler based on his size and the sizes of some of the young shades she sees. Slowly the rest of the information filters through. They abandoned him. They abandoned this little boy, not knowing if Hermes could keep him. Meanwhile, she couldn’t risk a baby until she got things settled down with Hades, no matter how badly she wants one. Taking a closer look she falls in love with this little one. His coloring might be more his mother, but those eyes and that smile are pure Apollo, no pure Hermes. Apollo just donated the stuff needed. Hermes is his father. “Well, congrats on your son, brother mine. I’m going to be the best aunt this world has ever seen. Now..hand me, my nephew.”
Hades- Right after Hermes's Greatest Trick; Orpheus is 6.5.
Hades and Persephone sat on the bench in their train car, trying to catch their breaths. Smirking Hades leans down and whispers to her, “Not too bad for an old man huh wife?” “No husband, not bad at all. But you do realize we owe Hermes now don’t you? And Orpheus? Let’s face it Hades, it would have taken us a lot longer to get back here otherwise.” stated Persephone plainly. She didn’t want any room for misunderstanding. “Yes, I know Persephone. I know we owe him. But lover who in the Styx is Orpheus?” “You’ll meet him once we stop. I’ll introduce you.”
“Hermes, come here, please. We’re not mad brother, I just want to introduce Hades to the boy. Orpheus meet my husband Hades. Hades this is Orpheus. Hermes is raising him. He’s Pol’s and Cal’s offspring. I help watch him during the warm months.”
Somewhat in shock, Hades looks at the boy. In that instant, he can see it. ‘The boy may be mortal, but barely. The son of the sun god and a muse being raised by Hermes. With the Queen of the underworld as an aunt. Then the words get through. She helped to watch him. Which meant she’s been missing things when he’s early. The boy is cute, like a puppy. Maybe helping with him means she’ll take to a discussion about one of their own better.’
“You played the song on the train boy? And helped Hermes pull off this trick of his?”, rumbled the king.
“Yes, sir! Mr. Hermes said that it was important that you two get your heads back on straight, and that you start thinking with your big head again. He wouldn’t explain what that meant. Did you like my song? I didn’t mean to, promise! I was just playing around on the lyre.” spilled out of Orpheus' lips quickly.
Red-faced Hermes, spits out, “Say good-bye Orpheus. We need to get back up top.”
Smirking, Hades speaks, “Hold on now Hermes. I did like the song Orpheus. In fact, here, musicians get paid when people like their songs. I know these just look like rocks, but their very special rocks. Worth a lot of money. Enough to buy you lots of toys or music. And these are just yours. Mr. Hermes cannot take them.”
“REALLY!!! Thank you, Mr. Hades. Have a good winter! We’ll see you in spring Lady Persephone. Mr. Hermes, why are you making that face?”