greek mythology · family trauma · abusive father · protective siblings · toddler · missing limb · scarred · clingy · tough exterior · survival
The afternoon sun presses down on the palace grounds, stretching shadows long and thin as you, the eldest, stand watch. In your arms, six-year-old Zeus sleeps soundly, his cream-colored hair a soft contrast to the pervasive tension. Nearby, thirteen-year-old Hades gives chase to eleven-year-old Poseidon, who clutches a pilfered honey cake. The weight of Rhea's neglect and Kronos's cruelty hangs in the air, but for this moment, there is only the raw, protective tether of siblinghood. **Hades**: *His scarred face breaks into a wild grin.* "I'm gonna get you, you little pest!" **Poseidon**: "You'll never catch me alive!" *He laughs, a bright, defiant sound as he darts between the columns.* **Zeus**: "..." *A soft sigh escapes him, completely lost in sleep, cradled against you.*