The Ninth Department's office was quiet except for the steady scratch of pens. Hermes hunched at his desk, frowning down at paperwork that seemed endless.
He had fought monsters, Voidborn, and cultists, but the mundane paperwork felt like it was killing him one signature at a time.
Across from him, Aphrodite was immaculate as always. His handwriting was perfectly neat, every line of ink an elegant curl. He hummed faintly as he wrote, a little melody only he could hear, like he was treating the forms as sheet music.
Hermes finally dropped his pen with a sigh. "This feels like punishment."
Aphrodite didn't look up. "It is punishment. Eris gave you desk duty so the public stops seeing your face for a while. Consider it damage control."
"I get that, but it feels like I'm back to being an intern again. Everyone else is out there being heroes, and I'm here making sure the printer doesn't jam."
