@calledkore continued from here
Persephone wrapped the hand that Hazel had extended in both of her own, the goddess' touch surprisingly warm, despite the perpetual chill of the Underworld around them. It wasn't cold, really, especially considering the fact that it was winter up above, but it was chillier than Hazel had expected. Her stepmother's warmth is inviting, and Hazel found herself smiling back at the goddess, a fleeting thought that she could understand why Pluto had been so taken with Hazel's own mother.
The thought is gone as quickly as it surfaced, the girl putting it out of her mind. They had been separated when Maria had summoned the Lord of the Underworld, but Hazel still felt a momentary pang of guilt that her father had strayed away from his wife.
Hazel nods when Persephone tells her there's no need to be so formal with family, which she supposes is true. She didn't call her father Lord Pluto--or Lord Hades, since he appeared to be in his Greek aspect most of the time, but it had been her first time meeting Persephone. Quite frankly, she hadn't wanted to assume she could be so informal with her stepmother, but now that she had assurances otherwise, Hazel would do her best to be more familiar.
"Thank you for letting me come stay for the holidays," she said instead, looking around the decorations. "It'll be my first time with family in….a long time." There was a momentary pang when she spoke, but her mother was in Elysium; she couldn't be too sad that she wasn't here. And now she had the opportunity connect with the rest of the family she hadn't known she'd had until recently. Hazel was just glad that Persephone was welcoming; she'd heard plenty of stories of step-parents of demigods who had been…..less than gracious.












