Cloudy with a Chance Pt. 5

For another hour, the four of us went around to all the different exhibits this aquarium had to offer. From fish and sharks to dolphins and even cephalopods, I don't think we missed a thing. Chloe barely gave us time to assess one species before urging us to move on to the next.

And now, I'm just sitting on a bench in the outdoor area, finally realizing something crucial—I am completely out of shape. My legs ache, my breathing's a mess, and my head feels like it’s about to explode.

I don't work out. The only thing that even remotely counts as exercise is my occasional morning jog. Do I seriously need to start training just to keep up with these goddesses?

With a sigh, I buried my face in my arm. "Ugh..."

"You good, my dude? Why the long face?"

"Ah, it's nothi—"

I turned to my left. No one was there.

Then I looked down.

Okay. Maybe Lana's right. Maybe I have become numb to all the weirdness slowly creeping into my life. Because sitting next to me, stomping around on the wooden bench, was a tiny pigeon. He pecked the seat twice, then snapped his head up to glare at me with those uneven, judgmental little eyes.

"Howdy!" the voice rang out in my head.

I just stared. My brain refused to process what was happening.

"What... the hell?" I muttered.

"Hey! Kinda rude, don't ya think?" the pigeon shot back.

"Depends. Who am I speaking to right now?"

I uncapped my water bottle and took a sip while he said, "Me? I'm Hermes." And then I spat it out, causing the people in passing to stare at me strangely.

"H-Hermes...? As in... the Messenger God?"

"Yep! That's me!" he grinned. It's not like I could see the grin, but the way he said it made it seem like he was grinning.

"What is even going on right now...? I feel like this is what people see when they're high."

"What, a talking pigeon?"

"Yeah."

"I can see that. Though, I can't say since I've ever smoked any of that stuff. Can never be too safe when dealing with mortals and their spontaneous tendencies to do the dumbest things imaginable, even to us gods."

"Uh-huh... Anyway, is there something I can help you with, sir?"

"Just 'Hermes' is fine, my dude. And nah. I'm just here because of a rumor. The Fates have their eyes set on a mortal. Looks like it wasn't just baseless gibberish."

Now that I look back at it, even Poseidon knew I was the one in all those rumors. After all, he initiated the conversation first.

I knew the possibility of running into the gods was there, but now... I think the odds are heavily stacked against me and my desire to stay away from them.

"God dammit..." I mumbled.

"What! What did I do?!" Hermes exclaimed. "It was Aphrodite! Not me!"

I glanced over and stared blankly at him. I'm getting some hardcore déjà vu right now.

"Anyway, what's up with you?" he asked. "You're hanging with the Fates right now, aren't ya? Not enjoying it or something?"

"No, that's not it. I guess I'm just... lost."

"Mmm, makes sense. Heh, a mortal? Hanging around the Fates? Not a single person on Mount Olympus saw it coming, let me tell ya. Even we, gods who have known them our whole lives, haven't progressed as far as you did. They keep to themselves like no other. I mean, we could still call each other friends, sure, but hanging out with them solo? Now that's what we'd call an achievement. To this day, only Hades and Persephone have made it that far, so don't worry, man. You're doing good."

I stared at Hermes as a subtle ray of light beamed down from above. For some reason, this pigeon… looks insanely elegant right now.

Oh, how my life has come to this. Skipping college classes to have a therapy session with a freaking pigeon in the middle of an aquarium. This is probably what they call, 'rock bottom.'

"It's just... tough to think about," I admitted. "I know we're hanging out now, and I'm grateful for that, but what about next month? Or the one after that? Will they… still be here?"

Hermes flapped his wings, tilting his head. "Hmm… I get why you're worried, but I think you're giving us gods way too much credit."

"Too much credit? What do you mean?"

"We're not as important as you think. Not in this day and age, anyway. We don't have some grand duty to watch over mortals anymore, so we're just vibing."

"I mean… you're still gods, aren't you?"

"And you're stubborn as hell, man," he sighed. "Look, there's a reason why mortals don't freak out when they see us walking around."

"Because they don't know?"

"That's right. They don't. And do we care? Not even a little, but that's exactly my point. You're overcomplicating this. Gods this, gods that—none of it matters. Just do what you do, and it'll all work out. Trust me."

His words struck something in me—something familiar.

I thought back to that day at the stationery shop with Alice. We spent time together, just the two of us, and at one point, she told me to forget that she was a goddess. Instead... she wanted me to see her as a woman.

Of course, I brushed it off back then. Why wouldn't I? She and her sisters are goddesses. But... that's not what really matters, is it? They're people. Beautiful, captivating, frustrating people who, despite the divide between our worlds, never treated me like I was any different.

In that case… shouldn't I do the same? Shouldn't I stop seeing them as something untouchable and instead—

A chuckle pulled me from my thoughts.

"Looks like you're finally getting it," Hermes said. "Now, go on, my dude. Tell them how you feel."

"H-how I feel?" I mumbled nervously. "What are you talking about?"

"Oh, come on. You ain't fooling me. I've been watching you from above ever since you landed here. Ain't no way you're gonna tell me that you don't—Agh?!"

He was suddenly cut off, grabbed by his legs, and left to dangle in the grasp of a hand.

"Oho... And who do we have here?"

I snapped my head up in a panic, ready to snatch Hermes back from whoever had snatched him up. But the moment I saw who it was, my resolve crumbled.

"L-Lana…?" I mumbled.

She tilted her head, still holding the pigeon upside down like a toy she wasn't sure what to do with. "Oh! Aikami! Where have you been?!"

"I… got lost?"

"Eh?!" Hermes exclaimed. "So when you said you were lost, you meant it literally?!"

"...Half and half. Wait, hold on! Before that—Lana! Let go of that pigeon! He's—"

"Oh, I know damn well who he is." She narrowed her golden eyes at the tiny bird. "Still spying on people for a hobby, Hermes?"

"W-what are you on about?!" Hermes squawked, flapping his wings wildly. "I wasn't spying on anyone! Just having a meaningful conversation with a mortal!"

"And why did it have to be Aikami? No way you just happened to pick him. Unless… you already knew who he was."

"...Chirp..."

Lana turned to me with an unsettlingly sweet smile. "Hey, Aikami."

"Y-yeah?" I gulped.

"How does fried chicken sound?"

"Eh?!" both Hermes and I yelped in unison.

Did she just threaten to deep-fry the Messenger God?! Just how powerful is she to say that without a second thought?! Even Hermes looks like he's about to have a heart attack!

I let out a sigh. "I think you should let him go, Lana. We don't wanna do anything rash."

"Huh? B-but… fried chicken…" she mumbled, her voice carrying the weight of genuine disappointment.

"I'll buy some on the way home. Just… let him go."

"Hmph. Fine."

But before she released him, Lana lifted Hermes to her eye level, her grin taking on a devilish edge. "Consider yourself lucky that Aikami has such a pure soul, Lord Hermes. Now, be a good little bird and buzz off."

"…Yes, ma'am…"

With that, she let go, and Hermes vanished in a blur before I could even blink. He was actually scared. Meanwhile, I've been hanging around Lana like it's nothing.

"Phew. That was fun," Lana sighed, stretching her arms behind her head. "It's not every day I get to catch that Tasmanian Daredevil and threaten to cook him."

"You say that like it was on your bucket list."

"It was! He moves way too fast for me to catch!"

"Hah. You’re crazy."

"Just noticing? Come on, the others are waiting."

I got up and followed her down the crowded path. But as we walked, Hermes’ words echoed in my mind.

'Tell them how you feel.'

Tell them… about what? That I want them to stay?

Absolutely not.

They're goddesses. No matter how casual they act now, that fact will never change. Compared to them, I'm just one of many mortals. I shouldn't… let my selfishness get the better of me.

"Did you mean it, by the way?" Lana asked.

"Mean what?"

"That you'd buy fried chicken for me."

"Hah. Yeah, I did."