my muses... as dads, pt. 1:
ares:
ares is literally âworldâs best dadâ and has like five mugs to prove it. he really, genuinely, cares more about the well-being of his children than anything else in the world. he is fiercely protective of them, and would go to the ends of the earth. he sets strong expectations and will call his kids out when they fuck up -- but he also completely respects their autonomy and gives them room to make mistakes. he never holds a grudge when it comes to his kids. and he is so welcoming and accommodating of whatever his kids need. he is very safe to come out to, or change their name and have it respected, or if they want to use different pronouns, he doesnât bat an eye, and you might not guess it from looking at him.
also, despite how gruff he can be and how much of a hardass he comes across as, heâd never actually make the person his child is dating uncomfortable? like heâs not the kind to give a shovel talk or threaten them âwith his shotgunâ. the only time heâd ever say something is if they actually hurt his kid, and even then, its only if they canât fight the battle on their own. heâs just very respectful and loving ok, even if he seems tough some times.
hades:Â
hades is not very good at showing affection. he tends to be pretty aloof and far-removed. however, it doesnât stop him from trying, and if thereâs one thing that hades stands out for, its doing his absolute best to be better when it comes to his kids. he started off much colder, and has slowly learned to warm up to his children as the years go by. heâs not very physical -- he might not give many hugs. and heâs not great with words either, struggling to say anything mushy.
but he does try to make up for that in other ways. he showers his children with gifts -- but not in the âthrow money at themâ kind of way. he tries very hard to give them things that are very meaningful, and that have some great purpose in their lives. he tries to give them things that will genuinely make them happy -- on top of all the other fancy stuff, of course. he also tries to do things for others. he spends a lot of time doing little things to make his childrenâs lives easier. he might not show much affection, but he does try to show that he cares in many other ways.
hermes:Â
hermes is a super carefree, laidback, uninvolved sort of dad. he really tries to let his kids find their own path in life, but heâs always waiting in the wings to cheer them on and offer guidance when he can.  its hard for him to stay grounded and hang out for extended periods of time, but when he does show up, he does his darnedest to make that distance worth it. heâs definitely not the responsible parent, but what he lacks in being rational, he makes up for in enthusiasm.
heâs the kind of dad to come to your baseball game and cheer the loudest, or bring you a massive bouquet of flowers for your opening night. he takes you on crazy adventures and makes you feel very loved, and when he canât be around, sometimes shoots you gushy texts (if he remembers... its a work in progress). just donât expect huge commitment all of the time, because hermes is basically incapable.