audio: Persephone

[threshes]

[This is the first day of actual fall and Persephone knows that, even though it's been decades since there was a proper fall where she's from. All day, Persephone's ears have been straining to hear the whistle of a train, the gravel deep tone of her husband's voice, the Fates singing in the back of her mind... something. But there ain't been anything but the mocking of the network's emptiness and the feeling of how the world turns when things start to die. For Persephone, it's been three seasons here. She'd come from Winter on the verge of Spring, and then there had been the Summer and now. Now this.

She's trying desperately not to let the same worry that her husband has consume her. Which is why, it's probably not a surprise that Persephone's been in the orchard since before dawn drinking. She's floating on a river of wine from before there was such a thing as humans, and Persephone has decided, as the setting of the sun, that drunkenly addressing the network is the smartest thing to do.]

He ain't ever been late before. Not once. Early loads of times, but he ain't ever been late.

[There's a hesitance, as if Persephone wants to say more, but then she just settles on:]

I hate this place.

Comments

[threshes]

I could rip through this whole damned place and kill every mortal here til someone shows up to take 'em, but I ain't about to try that.

[wasinnocent]

I feel like all that'd accomplish is pissing off the mortals here.

[threshes]

[Persephone's shrug is practically audible.]

I've been pissin' of mortals since there was 'em.

[wasinnocent]

Just doesn't seem like the smartest thing to do in a place we're all trapped in together.

[threshes]

If I were gonna actually do it, I woulda done it already.

[wasinnocent]

Point taken. [ She pauses before she says anymore. ] This is exactly why my people try to avoid the whole eternal bonding thing. Feels like something always goes wrong when you love someone for a really long time.

[threshes]

It goes wrong and then it goes right again. We ain't human, but there's definitely something very human about how the way that our hearts go.

[wasinnocent]

You really think those right times are worth the wrong ones?

[threshes]

How old are you?

[wasinnocent]

Not sure, wasn't much of a reason for us to keep track on our planet. But I've been stuck on Earth for several thousand years.

[threshes]

He and I, we've been married since the Earth began. Yeah, I think that the good times outweigh the bad ones.

[wasinnocent]

Impressive commitment. Have either of you ever had other lovers?

[threshes]

Nah. Ain't ever wanted anyone else. Not since he first came to me in my mama's garden.

[But then there was this whole thing with the girl that he was doing to deliberately make her jealous.]

[wasinnocent]

Must be one impressive lover. Then again I guess I wouldn't have needed anyone else if I'd been able to stay with mine.

[threshes]

Staying is always the hard part, ain't it?

[Because six months out of every year (even if it ain't been a true six months in a good long time) she needs to leave hers.]

[wasinnocent]

Especially when you have different roles to play.

[threshes]

[That she understands.]

Especially when on the surface, they seem like they're conflicting. What with me making mortals live and him collecting em when they die and running the Underworld.

[wasinnocent]

Feels like you couldn't get more opposite and conflicting than that.

[threshes]

Things return to the Earth to come back to life. That's just the way it is.

[wasinnocent]

I guess it works together in a cyclic way, then.