Kraykraykratos

It started because Freya said their fur was matted and how that could lead to disease and he couldn’t let that happen. He wouldn’t make them suffer like that nor would he fail his son like that. So, he begins to brush them with a comb he saw Atreus use for them once.

At first the two girls seem confused, Speki not all that happy with how rough he was at first but forgiving him quickly when he used more caution. She was as well behaved as ever after that, if not testing the man with her numerous licks.

Svanna refused to roll onto her back the first time, still not to sure on her masters father, but after feeling his gentle hands cup her maw and give a sound border lining on a coo upon her whining, she gave in. He wouldn’t approve of such sounds when they were ‘working’ but seemed to find them amusing otherwise. So, upon him bringing out the brush she would roll right over and from then on actually refused to not be that way.

Kratos also learns that Svanna prefers chicken while Speki likes deer and starts to make sure they get what they both prefer. The one time he mixed it up they both looked at him with such sad little eyes it reminded him of his son and he gave them double of their preferred meat.

Mimir would have loved to make fun of his friend when he first let the wolves into the house, breaking his own rule, but that night wasn’t the time. Kratos had awoken from a night mare with fear in his eyes and stormed out, coming back just moments later with the wolves at his side. They slept next to him on the floor and waited until he was ‘asleep’ and then jumped to cuddle up with him.

Mimir waited until a week later and it happened again, this time with him letting them have dinner isnide because it was ‘too hot for their fur outside’. Only then did he tease his brother, acting like he didn’t see him clutching the wolves fur as if it was the only thing keeping him alive.

Thinking about how Kratos would explain his scar to his son. Personally I don’t think it’s from when Zues attacked him, but from the end of the Greek series where he tried to take his own life.

I know that Atreus probably wouldn’t ask very outwardly, but as he grows older and Kratos becomes better with accepting his past and himself, I want to know how it would go.

Would Kratos admit he didn’t want to live?

Would he tell his son all the reasons why, including his daughter?

Would he plead for his son to never try to do the same thing, no matter what his failures may be?

Either way, this makes me think of GoW and Atreus. First I thought about him learning to shape-shift to be like other people, similar to Zues or Odin, and discovering that he’s comfortable in different genders. Maybe he experiments a bit and makes a female version of himself and halfway through ends up in some kind of mix between and thinks, “hey, I kind of like this as well”. With Anga they shift all the time to what they feel like, either for a few minutes or full days, but he’s scared to do so around the others. Either Mimir figures it out and tells Kratos or the man himself just knows his child well enough, but either way he ends up telling him the story of Caeneus. He explains that he was born a woman and that he was one of Poseidon’s many lovers. He made him a man when Caeneus confessed to their gender, while also making him invincible. It was of course a trade, when he was still a woman he had to have sex with the sea god, but alas it worked. Kratos knew the man and was for a time his friend, and Caeneus taught him many things of how the gods could be wrong about love and gender.

Atreus feels safe to come out to their father then. Kratos struggles with the pronouns and still holds some ignorance, but he tries and that’s all that matters.

First is the most obvious to me, that Kratos just lost his wife and has already been through that grief once before, I don’t think it would fit who he is and has became for him to just… move on. Plus, while he’s not shown to be sexist, he is still a man from Sparta and I’m sure he does see sex as a seperate thing to love and as such has probably not had many female friends or allies that he hasn’t laid with.

Kratos hums before explaining, “In my home land, we were made as one being that would be split in half, creating what you might call a ‘soul mate’. Our souls are torn in half, but overtime will be fused to either our other or adjust to a life of solitary.”

They enjoy the story, with Mirmir being the one to explain how humans were made with four arms and legs and so on, something Kratos didn’t seem necessary.

Atreus nots but then asks another question, “but… there’s like this glowing thing too, it’s orange and really really bright. It moves a lot but it doesn’t seem connected to you. Is that your guide?”

Kratos is silent for a moment, making them all think that he’s going to shut down the conversation, but he surprise them by continuing, “In my home land there were creatures called Pheonix. There was one for each god born, an endless creature that would be reborn upon death and had the power to heal a god. Most of them forced their Pheonix to give their lives and their ability to be reborn in order to be stronger and live longer…”

He trails off but continues despite his obvious grief, “Ares, the god I served, hid his Pheonix beneath a lake of ice. He chained her, tortured her with water and ice, with no air for her flame and no heat for her heart. When I killed Ares I was told of her, I chose to save her as I thought of… my past. I took her from the ice, broke her chains and took my blade to her chest yo revive her fire. Unlike the other gods I told her to live freely, but she instead chose to serve me after I showed her mercy. She did my bidding, as my right hand, spied on my foes and burned my enemies when I was unable. She was cruel herself, enjoyed collecting bones and jewels from her victims, but she was still a child. Old to a human, maybe, but she had the mind and body of a child despite her brutality. During my fight with Poseidon, I was killed. My heart was ripped from my body and yet, despite how much I begged her, she gave up her live and her chance of revival to save me. She ripped apart her very being, infusing her flame to me so I would live… I tortured Poseidon for it, but at the end I knew the choice was hers. Part of her will always be with me, though we will never meet again.”

Atreus has finished his long journey, finding all the giants and preparing to find them all new homes, new bodies, but first he wants to go home. He misses his father and Mimir, wants to tell them of the journey he’s faced so far. So, he does. He’s so happy he hugged by his father, to jump up and wrap his arms around his fathers neck and be squeezed gently. He grins so wide it hurts when he sees Mimir, happily starting to talk about ally he things he’s seen when suddenly-

“Mwuur?”

Jumping onto his fathers shoulders is the most majestic looking cat he’s ever seen. She’s small, fluffier than any other animal, and as white as the skin of his father. Her eyes are pure blue, striking and almost unnerving. Her long tail brushes against the back of Kratos’s head as the sweet little lass rubs her chin against his beard, her favourite scratching post.

What surprises Atreus the most though, is when his father lifts a large hand up to carefully pat her soft ears, causing a purr so loud he recons Mimir could feel it.

The way Thinkers and Speakers can clash is really hard to deal with but defiantly not impossible.

Atreus: are you mad…?

Kratos: no.

Atreus: I feel like you’re mad?