Hades relationship with his abilities as a Medium were… complicated. His connection to the spirit world was something that had manifested at a young age, but he had kept it a secret for years. When Kronos had found out his oldest son could see and speak to ghosts he had forbade the child from telling anyone about his ability. Mystiques were held in higher regard in Greece than they were in many other parts of the world, but anything involving the dead or the Underworld still left people shivering. Zeus could summon storms and Poseidon could create earthquakes where he walked, but Hades being able to contact the souls of those who had passed was the weird thing no one understood. Or rather, didn’t want to understand.
For a little while in his childhood ghosts had been his only friends. “Friends” was a loose term - they were more of just company for him when he had no one else. Then, in his angsty preteen years, they had flocked to him like moths to a flame. His deep-seeded sadness and emerging anger attracted them and they fed off his hurricane of emotions. There was a reason happy people weren’t haunted.
“Fair enough,” It was pretty basic advice, but Hades wasn’t about to downplay the kid’s fatherly wisdom. All of the ‘advice’ he had been given by his own father had just been harsh criticisms in disguise. “Well I thank you for coming then, Norman.”
The conversation was quickly derailing from the subject of their employment, but Hades didn’t entirely mind. It wasn’t often that he got the chance to discuss his Mediumship - let alone someone who shared the same ability. More often than not when people found out he could communicate with ghosts they either quickly grew uncomfortable or wanted him to contact a deceased family member for them. “See, hear, talk to, summon - the whole works,” Hades gave them an amused half smile. “Though it was something I was born with, not cursed.”
Hades crossed one leg over the other, “How… noble of you.” Maybe once he had thought about using his abilities to help spirits more, but as he grew older it just became less of a possibility. He wasn’t a kid with a ton of free time on his hands. It didn’t help that most of the ghosts that surrounded him weren’t exactly nice spirits. It was better for his own mental health to just block them out. “But I suppose someone’s got to do it, good on you and your uncle.”
seeing another medium was a total shock to norman. he always thought that he was one of the only mediums in the world; but another one in porthaven, so close to them? it was amazing. hearing hades’ words, it pulled him back into the real world with a soft smile. “oh i mean, it more thanks for having me... i just- i haven’t actually had a job before, not outside of working for my uncle. i wanted to look good since I don’t exactly have a resume...” he mumbled, smiling weakly.
at hades’ confirmation, the grin on norman’s features grew. “i’m not like cursed, i’ve had it my whole life too! but uh, my parents see it as a bad curse, rather than another way to help people...” he explained, looking at the other. “did you uh... there’s one sitting in the waiting room, he looks rather patient, but he’s trying to read the paper and can only read the first page.” norman explained, fairly certain that the ghost would still be there.
‘My uh... my whole life here is ghosts right now... and don’t get me wrong, I do love working with them, but I need something else. and it would really mean a lot if you trusted me to walk your dogs.” norman ranbled, desperate for hades to like him.
