#ares.

[ 🫳 ]ㅤ.ㅤwho do they feel they owe, but never paid back ?

[ 🧨 ]ㅤ.ㅤwhat’s the quickest way to set them off, even if they hide it well ?

[ 🩸 ]ㅤ.ㅤis there something or someone that, if lost, would break them ?

For Ares, Athena, and Hephaestus

[ 💤 ]

athena is a hugger - she's curled into a tiny ball with a pillow in her arms until she's a human donut under the covers. she likes a good nest around her, too, lots of warmth.

ares is a back sleeper, legs sprawled out wide, blankets inevitably around his waist.

hephaestus tosses and turns a lot, but usually always ends up somewhat diagonal, with pillows arranged just so to keep him propped the right way.

[ 🫳 ]

for athena, it's her mother. not that she's ever had a chance to repay metis, but everything she is and was allowed to become was because of metis' sacrifices, and the very essence of her mother, transmitted to her to give her life. it's powerful, and athena wishes she could show her gratitude somehow.

i had to think on this one for ares for a while, but i think maybe artemis? he was a wreck after his captivity, but artemis was ultimately the one who saved him and i don't think he was in the right state of mind afterwards to thank her. so maybe that!

it's not for lack of trying, but i think hephaestus feels as though there's nothing he can ever truly do to repay thetis for her assistance in his childhood. she raised him when he was unwanted, sheltered him when he was injured, and gave to him the peaceful childhood he likely would not have had otherwise. he hasn't stopped "repaying" her, and he likely never will.

[ 🧨 ]

for athena, anything that triggers her perfectionism. if it's insinuated that she's failed, or that she isn't doing something well enough, she can become incredibly agitated.

for ares, insulting or directly harming anyone he cares about. it can be an offhand comment about aphrodite, or harmonia, or his mother - but he will go off the rails to defend them. otherwise, his anger is typically reserved for battlefields.

for hephaestus, it's messing with his space or his routine. nothing pisses him off faster than someone moving a tool and it not being where he needs it.

[ 🩸 ]

if athena lost her sense of purpose, her duties, the necessity of others, i think that would break her. she is so bound to her feeling of usefulness, that suddenly being made null and unimportant would genuinely destroy her sense of self.

for ares, take your pick, lmfao. he's always one bad day away from losing his mind, and has come quite close in several instances. losing aphrodite, losing his children, losing his mother, his sisters - he loses any one of them and he's going bonkers.

jugdral boys!

bold: often. italics: sometimes. strike: never.

ANGER — jaw clenching, hands balling into fists, teeth grinding, yelling, going nonverbal, vocalizations, stuttering speech, rushed speech, slow concise speech, rambling, quiet, arms crossing, shaking head, curling lip upwards, baring teeth, tearing up, animated, expressionless, projects, internalizes, vents, withdraws, tighter movements, passive-aggressive, direct, physical outbursts, verbal outbursts, pacing, going still, anger boils over in the heat of the moment but cools down quickly afterwards, anger brews slowly but lingers longer, will act out of impulse when angry, will stew on their anger and plot revenge, holds grudges, forgives easily, forgives but never forgets

JOY — easy smiles, fighting back grins, suppressed laughter, loud laughter, giggles, chuckling, smirks, whole body laughs, covers mouth when laughing/giggling, throws head back when laughing, slaps leg, touches people around them when laughing, looks down when laughing, looks for eye contact when laughing, sparkling eyes, bubbly happiness, quiet subtle happiness, obnoxious happiness, wants to spread joy, quietly savors joy

SADNESS — crying, bottling it up, seeking distractions, wallowing, meditating and processing, avoidance, seeking out comfort, withdrawing, swallowing thickly, talking it out, internalizing it, sad smiles, depression naps, using alcohol, using drugs, seeking out sources of joy, fidgets with sentimental item, sits in silence, broods, gets moody, wants someone to share the misery, tries to hide negative emotions, nurtures others to make themselves feel better

EMBARRASSMENT / SHAME — blushing, looking away, rubbing at the back of the head, running a hand through hair, tucking hair behind an ear, clearing throat, covering the face, laughing nervously, laughing it off, overthinking, letting it go, self-deprecating humor, deflecting, getting irritated, smiling, withdraws, crossing arms over the stomach, crossing arms over chest, hands in pockets, shoulders sinking, shrugs, falling into silence until comfortable again, talking a lot to compensate, avoiding eye contact

GUILT — avoiding eye contact, shoulders sinking low, head hanging down, crying, chest aches, lashing out, internalizing, apologizing, deflecting, communicating, withdrawing, grand gestures for forgiveness, accepting fault easily, punishing themselves, martyrdom, victim complex, over-active guilt complex, healthy conscience, internalizes even after forgiveness, seeking redemption, moves on easily, denial, shuts off empathy to cope, lack of guilt / conscience, sorry they got caught more than caused harm, can’t handle knowing they hurt others

FEAR / ANXIETY — trembling, crying, sarcasm / sass to cope, humor to cope, rambles, going quiet, going nonverbal, getting angry, fidgeting, freezing up, impatience, clenching jaw, picking at nails, chewing at the lip, pulling at clothes, adjusting jewelry / clothing / hair, pacing, swallowing thickly, eyes widening, overreacts, under-reacts, calm, logical, panic, irrational, overthinks, carefully analyzes, talk to themselves, breathing exercises, flight, fight, withdrawing, breaking out into a cold sweat, eyes darting everywhere