Dionysus

> *"Welcome to the party!"*
>
>

## Storyline

The Listener continues their work for Hades and arrives at a party to interview Dionysus, though he's busy chatting with nymphs at first. The god willingly appears when summoned and is delighted to hear that they want to interview him, though they refuse his offer of wine while working. He warns them that he will have questions of his own to ask for "a bit of sport".

Dionysus reports he's been fitting in rather well compared to his fellow gods. He gives credit to the fact that he joined the pantheon later than them. He stayed abroad most of the time instead of staying in Olympus to be shunned by them but they welcomed him with open arms when he introduced them to wine. Nevertheless, he's found the world less simple since he's returned. He starts to flirt with the Listener, comparing their beauty to that of Aphrodite's, but they brush him off and he goes on with the interview. He reveals that he has a dream of opening his own vineyard to create the best wine that "ever was, is, and will be", craving the simplicity that comes from growing crops instead of being a god (including underpaying the workers who will actually pick his grapes). Though he has the funds to start one he hasn't started yet because he's grown accustomed to this changed world, one where money instead of honor can get you anything you need.

Dionysus asks the Listener what they think of the gods they've interviewed so far and says they they have only heard "one side of the story". Not all gods, he says, will have adapted as well as him. He advises them to visit Hermes next to see what he means. The Listener allows him to leave some closing remarks and he bids them farewell, returning to party with his nymphs.

## Personality

For a god of wine and revelry, Dionysus is a fairly level-headed god who enjoys a good party but not necessarily to excess (that we can see). He has a curious mind and is very observant, able to deduce that the Listener had interviewed other gods before meeting him. He likes to have fun with his guests by flirting with them and asking them questions to get to know them better. He appears to prefer spending time with his nymphs instead of humans and is willing to give up some of his godly privileges in exchange for a simpler life (just not immortality, he likes that one), a first so far among all the gods we've met. He is wistful for a time when the world was simpler, where honor had more weight than money, but he's enjoying himself nevertheless.

It seems he has a distant relationship with most of the other main gods but he likes Hades, possibly sympathizing because they are both gods that were/are shunned by the rest of the pantheon.

Dionysus is delighted by the Listener and impressed by the fact that they're working with Hades and the other gods but isn't overly attached to them. He's as quick to compare them to Aphrodite as he is to show them the door once the interview is done so he can return to his party.

## Trivia

### Dionysus

* Has a wine fountain.
* Has had a misunderstanding with a pair of twins.
* He is willing to (ahem) engage with Aphrodite but only if she kicks out her son first.
* He spends most of his time with his nymphs and doesn't meet many humans nowadays.
* His closing statement: "My interview distracted me throughout with their beauty, I felt personally attacked by that, and, us. sometimes in life you must sink or swim, and sometimes you can do one without realizing you're doing the other."

## Audio References

1. ↑  A Flirtatious Interview With Hades
2. ↑ A Drink With The God Of Wine
3. ↑ An Encounter With The God Of Desire