Neon Gods

Hades wakes, stirred with tenderness for Persephone even as he reminds himself that their arrangement cannot last. He thinks of his preparations for the lower city’s coming crisis and considers that Zeus will likely act soon after their next public spectacle. He admits that the political benefit has become secondary to their mutual desires. He realizes that he has begun to fall in love with her. Persephone wakes and asks if he is thinking of the supply problems, apologizing for her thoughtlessness and upbraiding herself for impulsively running away and endangering others. Hades assures her that she is making the best decisions she can, and that if she claims to believe in him, she should accept his faith in her.

Persephone changes the subject, telling him that she wants them to have sex without condoms, since she has an intrauterine device, or IUD, and they are both tested regularly for sexually transmitted infections. She assures him that her preference is not an ultimatum, however, telling him, “if you’re not comfortable with it, that’s okay too, I promise it is” (250). Hades is deeply touched by her concern and empathy, something he rarely experiences as a leader others depend on. They agree to stop using condoms, and Persephone enthusiastically initiates sex. Hades is nearly overwhelmed by the intensity of their bond, and they kiss tenderly afterward.

Persephone reflects on her afternoon with Hades. They visited many shops other than the greenhouse, as part of Hades’s effort to verify his citizens are safe and comfortable amid the supply challenges. Persephone approves of his concern and care, seeing it as a mark of his more authentic leadership. They stop at a pet store, where the owner, Gayle, greets Hades warmly. Persephone, a lifelong dog lover, is drawn to a litter of puppies. The owner is somewhat skeptical of her, clearly associating her with the current social upheaval.

Persephone tells Hades that he deserves the companionship of a loving pet, and he decides to take the litter. Persephone comforts herself with the idea that Hades will still have the dogs after she departs Olympus in the spring. As they return home with the dogs, Persephone is startled to realize that she feels like this is her true home. She resists the idea, feeling as though that would mean “I’ll have traded one beautiful cage for another” (262).

Hades, now the point-of-view character, is playing with the puppies when Persephone shows him her dress for the evening. She is in a form fitting black gown, and he is overcome by her beauty and the way the dark color showcases her hair and eyes. Persephone tells him the puppies need names, and he names the first one Cerberus. When she hesitates to name the others because of her departure, he tells her that if anything about their lives were different, “I would move Heaven and Earth and the Underworld itself to keep you with me” (266). She reciprocates, telling him that in any other world, she would be his partner and remain in his home. They are both nearly brought to tears, and he tells her, finally, to name the dogs so that he can associate her with them. She chooses Scylla and Charybdis, making him laugh, as both are mythical monsters, not domesticated pets.

They walk toward the public sex space together, and Persephone admits to nervousness. Hades assures her that they can design another scene, and she tells him, “I know I don’t have to do anything I don’t want to when I’m with you,” suggesting that they decide more when they arrive (268).

On the stage, Hades senses that Persephone has adopted her customary air of cool and calm, as if she were at an event in her old life. He tells her that they will be on the throne, not on full display, and she is touched that he can sense her ambivalence. He assures her that he respects her fantasy but that her consent is what makes it truly powerful. Confident once more, Persephone tells him to sit on the throne while she performs oral sex. She tells him that she is eager for the display and that they are mutually bound by desire, whatever the audience thinks.

His enjoyment is diminished by the audience reactions, as he senses some of the observers believe he is harming her or merely using her as a political tool. Persephone pauses briefly to remind him, “Stay with me Hades. We’re the only ones who matter tonight” (273). After his orgasm, he surprises Persephone by seating her on the throne and kneeling in front of her.

Hades stays on his knees, an unusual position given the political purpose of the demonstration, and his usual dominance in scenes. He begins to perform oral sex, and Persephone watches the audience, limited to watching while Hades holds all the power over them both. After bringing Persephone to orgasm, Hades commands the audience to understand “the truth of what happened here tonight. She’s mine […] and I’m hers” (279). Persephone is stunned by this new political and personal commitment, and Hades ushers her from the room, dismissing the idea of talking to anyone. Hades is still somewhat overwhelmed, speaking incoherently about how everyone there assumes there is no meaning behind their actions. Persephone sits in his lap to offer him comfort, and he admits that he will miss her when she leaves.

Persephone begins to truly contemplate what she will lose when she departs Olympus and the terrible circumstances that have brought her here. In most situations, she would have never met Hades or seen the sides of her personality he brings out. Persephone realizes that she has fallen in love and understands how much she too will lose. Rather than speak of her feelings, Persephone asks him to kiss her, and they have sex. When Hades tells her to remember him when she has sex with future partners, Persephone is hurt, but does not pull away. Afterward, he apologizes—for hurting her, or, perhaps, for their emotional entanglement, and she tells him that she has no regrets.