When she returns, it’s with her mother following closely behind with a basket full of flowers on her arm.
“Hades! I’m surprised to see you out in the sun,” she says, smiling kindly but without the warmth that Persephone smiles with. She looks disapprovingly at my pale skin and purses her lips. “You know, Zeus brought me back something called tanning lotion from the future…he always has to go and subtly correct twisted myths…maybe you should borrow some?”
“Oh, no thanks,” I say hastily. Demeter is nice enough, but she’s always pitching some sale. “Actually, I’m here for…” What was I here for again? I don’t think it was Persephone… ”...pomegranate seeds.”
Her eyebrows arch. “Pomegranate seeds?”
“Yes. For my garden.”
“Very well,” she says, looking puzzled but pleased. She draws some from her pocket and hands them to me.
As I turn to leave, Persephone smiles again and waves me off. I return the gesture and leap (dashingly and masculine-ly, I hope) onto my chariot and ride off.