"I figure that Athena's the best bet to rule Olympus if Pop doesn't. There's plenty others who'd want the role, but I think she has the respect to unite them and she's a lot less likely to lose her head and go mad with power over it than most my siblings."
It's not impossible--Athena has her petty moments too, despite her protests to the contrary--but Hermes trusts that her wisdom and love for her family wins out more than not, even if she commands them all. And he trusts her to get the rest of the family in line when they misbehave.
Hermes refocuses when Achilles catches the apple. He settles somewhat, coming back down to touch the ground. Here he is, talking about strategy, and he hasn't even assured his lover that he's still safe.
"The secret is safe. He thinks I'm asleep." Hermes rubs the back of his neck, thinning his lips. "...So do most of my family. And they... haven't been taking it too well. The woods are hostile, grapes are souring, and a lot of mortals are getting sick in the head."
He hadn't expected Artemis and Dionysus to take it so badly. Artemis has always been distant from the family, and Dionysus seems to respond to any hardship by partying harder. But hunters aren't finding favor, and anyone who's erred close to madness has found the slope of sanity far more slippery than usual. Grapes souring on the vine and Dionysus' less savory aspects growing more powerful among mortals just tells Hermes how distraught his baby brother is, and it makes him sick. Same as stories of dark woods with vicious predators and harsh nights.
It really feels like he did this with his foolish attempt at reconnecting his mother with her family. He hadn't meant to drag his siblings into it. He hadn't meant to upset them so much. And every day he lets them keep grieving feels like a day he's hurting them more.
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It's not impossible--Athena has her petty moments too, despite her protests to the contrary--but Hermes trusts that her wisdom and love for her family wins out more than not, even if she commands them all. And he trusts her to get the rest of the family in line when they misbehave.
Hermes refocuses when Achilles catches the apple. He settles somewhat, coming back down to touch the ground. Here he is, talking about strategy, and he hasn't even assured his lover that he's still safe.
"The secret is safe. He thinks I'm asleep." Hermes rubs the back of his neck, thinning his lips. "...So do most of my family. And they... haven't been taking it too well. The woods are hostile, grapes are souring, and a lot of mortals are getting sick in the head."
He hadn't expected Artemis and Dionysus to take it so badly. Artemis has always been distant from the family, and Dionysus seems to respond to any hardship by partying harder. But hunters aren't finding favor, and anyone who's erred close to madness has found the slope of sanity far more slippery than usual. Grapes souring on the vine and Dionysus' less savory aspects growing more powerful among mortals just tells Hermes how distraught his baby brother is, and it makes him sick. Same as stories of dark woods with vicious predators and harsh nights.
It really feels like he did this with his foolish attempt at reconnecting his mother with her family. He hadn't meant to drag his siblings into it. He hadn't meant to upset them so much. And every day he lets them keep grieving feels like a day he's hurting them more.