#athenarhea

[goldentheseus]

@athenarhea​ location: after a presentation.  time: first week of february. 

there were few things more dangerous in the world than those belonging to the rhea clan -- there was nothing more dangerous than a member of the rhea clan walking toward you with determination. ( what had he done to earn such ire from luck? they were meant to be pals, luck and him! ) but there athena rhea was, approaching theseus after a presentation that he could best describe as ‘ interesting for someone who likes that sort of thing. ’

“oh, athena! long time, no see.” he plucked two drinks from someone walking by -- most likely a caterer, given they did not make too much of a fuss at him. he held one out to her, like it had not been ten years that separated them. “would you like a drink, dear?”

[prcmethevs]

CLOSED STARTER || athena rhea ( @athenarhea​ ) LOCATION: the nemean hall TIMESTAMP: heteraidia festival – second day ; evening

Seeing Nemean Hall bustling with activity wasn’t anything new. But even Prometheus had to admit that it felt a little unusual to see such so many people gathering in this one area. Everyone who was important had arrived in droves yesterday, and despite receiving an invitation to celebrate the festivities, they were all still seeking for partnership opportunities. And now that they were officially employed by Zeus Rhea, Prometheus had a duty to manage these propositions. 

And so they went around the room, equipped with an enticing promises and a rigid set of guidelines for any prospective allies that came their way. It was only after hours of this that their eyes met Athena’s. “Fates, it’s nice to finally see a familiar face,” Prometheus said as they approached her, flashing a smile that was warmer than the ones they had given the rest of the guests. “Mind if I join you for a bit?”

[hinge]

Hinge presents an anthology of love stories almost never told. Read more on https://no-ordinary-love.co

[odysseuslaertes]

@athenarhea​ location: after one of the demonstrations. time: week one. 

it was with relief that odysseus gestured to athena rhea -- relief that, amidst all the shining glamour of the technology and innovation conversations, there remained one whom odysseus considered a friend. ( and what was a friend, if not someone who shared the view that things might be better than this? ) tired as he was, the small smile that made its appearance was easy, natural. 

“i wasn’t too harsh, was i?” sometimes, he could hardly help himself. “i thought after my third string of questions, someone might drag me off and be rid of me. what did you think of... whatever that was?”

[ohartemis]

ft. @dionysusrhea & @athenarhea !

[achillespithia]

status: closed for @athenarhea​ ! location: the nemean hall, olympe. event: the hall of hidden knives ! 🛡

he’s here in pursuit of hypnos. keeping track of everyone hasn’t been an easy feat, but achilles has managed so far. he could probably just text hypnos, but what’s the fun in that? sometimes it’s fun to sneak up on someone and see what happens. he hasn’t actually been in the nemean hall, before. the hall’s ceilings seem to rocket upwards past the point of reason. everything is a strange, golden hue that makes him feel like a headache’s on the way.

people walk by at breakneck pace, their heads bowed as they review... whatever it is that’s related to the news, probably. he doesn’t know. cutting through the sea of faces, he spots athena rhea. she’s easy to spot, recognizable as any of zeus’ children are from the sway of nepotism. achilles weighs his options, connects the dots in his head, and then decides to throw logic and reason out the window in favor of poking around in business that isn’t his. that’s half his job, after all. her quick exit from tartarus and tisiphone’s subsequent change in mood hadn’t slipped his notice. there’s no better day than today to figure out why. “athena!”

[herarhearp]

Who: Athena ( @athenarhea​ )

When: January, 2130 - New Year Festival

Where: The Xenios Estate

Hera considered having this conversation in her personal office inside the family’s headquarters, but even her own spaces there would feel like Zeus’ domains now. Instead, she sent a message to Athena and invited her for a conversation near the rooftop pools. The area wouldn’t be too crowded, and mother and daughter knew how to find discreet corners there. It was their home, after all. 

When Athena arrived, Hera held back a shiver. She wasn’t afraid of much, but she was terrified of this moment. What had Zeus told their daughter about the separation? Would her baby understand Hera’s side, or would she see her mother as a traitor? Athena was far too smart to miss the facts between the lines, but she worshipped Zeus. For her entire life, her dad had been her superhero, and now her mom had walked away from him. How could she explain the situation without revealing the unspeakable truth?

“Thank you for meeting me here, sweetheart. I imagine you have some questions for me, but first, how are you holding up?” The New Year meant a lot of work for Zeus and his professional team, and a lot of pressure for his side of the Rhea family, and Athena happened to be a crucial part of both. This time, with the presence of Poseidon and Hades, the festival was bigger than ever, and there were probably fires everywhere. “I am not exactly involved in planning Heteraidia this year, but if you need me for anything, I’ll be there.” Wherever she lived, whoever she sided with, Hera would always put her children first, even if that meant setting aside her anger for a moment.

[hinge]

Hinge presents an anthology of love stories almost never told. Read more on https://no-ordinary-love.co

[patroclusc]

who: @athenarhea when: summit - week one where: helicon - in an outdoor restaurant.

Even if the circumstances of Athena being here has nothing to do with recent news, Patroclus still wished it was a better visit and by asking Athena to have dinner with him he thought that maybe it would lighten the mood for a little bit. There were a lot of people who were hurt by the news of Hephaestus and Zeus affair that went public and Patroclus had a feeling that Athena was one of them, maybe this dinner will help even a little bit. 

They were sitting in outdoor restaurant that was looking over the ocean view. “I almost forgot about the summit this year.” There was a bigger elephant in the room to talk about but Patroclus wanted to ease into it, he mostly wanted to bring the subject just to make sure Athena was alright. “You should come visit the greenhouse.” 

After a few more back and forth, maybe neither of them was dumb and the elephant in the room was too big to ignore. “How are you doing?” Patroclus asked quietly, hoping the automatic ‘Fine’ won’t come out of Athena, because Patroclus knew better.  

[icarusfclling]

WHO: @athenarhea WHERE: Icarus’ apartments in Xenios WHEN: January 3rd, 2130. Early afternoon. WEARING: Casual, comfortable, classy (x)

Athena’s message had put a smile on his face at first, the prospect of spending time with one of his oldest friends a welcome reprieve, but as Icarus makes his way home from the agora the tension in his brow increases with every step. The lying, pretending to be something  —  someone  —  he’s not is bad enough when it’s with people who matter less, other members of the Quorum or lobbyists or businessmen each with their own agenda, but Athena is his friend. Athena is also Zeus Rhea’s daughter, however, and now a close colleague in her role as a correspondent for Nemean News, and both of those things make lying to her difficult and dangerous. It’s the friendship that makes it painful, though, the friendship that makes him consider wrapping up the delicate box of rose-flavored macarons and sending it to her with an excuse about a headache and an apology.

But that will only delay the inevitable; he’s going to have to see her some time, and frankly it’s a miracle it hasn’t happened already, so Icarus shrugs off his jacket and programs the kettle to boil just before 2pm. The intervening thirty minutes are spent freshening up, a change of clothes essential to the performance he’s going to have to put on. It isn’t all her fault, but he does have to credit Dion’s influence for the way he now uses clothing  —  as a costume, a way to prime people’s expectations or throw them out the window, a reminder to himself of the character he has to play.

Icarus is ready at five minutes to two, kettle bubbling quietly in the kitchen and cookies laid out on a plate - an unnecessary gesture, he knows, since Thena never minds pulling them straight from the box, but he’d needed something to do with his hands. Then there’s a knock at the door and the curtain goes up; welcome to the show.

“Athena, what an unexpected pleasure!” His eyes sparkle, a laugh barely restrained at the joke. “You should’ve told me you’d be stopping by!”

[zeusrhea]

( Zeus’ office at Nemean News / Days after the Heteraidia Festival / @athenarhea​ )

Zeus doesn’t break the news to Athena within their home, because he doesn’t want to bring it into their home. Even if his daughter has no way to know that the matter was decided not by heart, nor body, but in a meeting by jury– even if it seems, on the surface, like a subject more personal than anything could possibly be– he doesn’t want to bring it into his home. For Athena to associate anything in the estate with this moment; those are the slippers I was wearing when my father told me about the affair. This is the blanket I was sitting on when my heart broke. For this he will use his office, setting of a hundred tough conversations, a different kind of pain entirely.

“Thank you for coming,” he says, bypassing the usual have a seat gesture and crossing the few steps to her instead, putting a hand on her shoulder and a kiss to the top of her head. It’s more affection than he usually shows during office hours, especially knowing how important the job is to Athena, the professionalism of it all, but– who knows the next time she’ll be open to it again. The easy kind of love, the little daily gestures that add up. The kind that disappear first, in a falling-out.

He leads her to the seat with a hand on her upper back, before taking his own seat– next to her, not across the desk. “So,” he starts. Pauses. “Are you well?”

[goldentheseus]

@athenarhea​ location: arcadia university, study hall.  time: 2117. 

it had been more of a challenge than an invitation -- a test of wills, if you’d rather. ( as everything between them ended up. ) but there was no one else in the economics class that he’d be willing to... shudder... study with. 

he kicked back the chair across from him, gesturing for athena to take a seat as she approached. with her, he was never sure who was the wolf and who was the shepherd, but he grinned at her, the gesture more than a touch wild. he was nothing if not determined to prove that he was as good as the golden star. better, even. she knew this about him. if he thought too hard about it, he might even suspect she appreciated this about him. 

“miss rhea,” he said in lieu of greeting. he adored the way her name sounded; he hated it too. “i wasn’t sure you’d come after thoroughly wiping the floor with the rest of the students. i’m glad to see you may still have something to learn. how boring this would be otherwise.”

[sccylla]

where — coffee shop on helicon, sun-rising side. when — a monday afternoon during the summit. with — @athenarhea​

She tells Athena Rhea not to bring an agenda and expects her to do just that. Everyone on this boat moves with an agenda, after all, and she thinks it a rather tiring party trick. What the fuck happened to just doing your job and doing it well? But there is a game to be played here, that she knows, and maybe she should send Naia ( one of Scalpel’s few social media savvy members ) out to play it.

But hey, at least Athena offers some mental stimulation. Maybe, more importantly, she is a Rhea. Scylla has no intention to give her anything to use: Scalpel is a mystery and shall remain as much until it’s forced into the limelight. Maybe, though, Athena can feed her own interest. So, she sits at a corner table, scrolling through code, already two espressos deep, when the political liaison joins her right on time.

“Hi,” she greets, giving a smile. Scylla’s mind travels to university and she hardly feels nostalgia: she just knows that the years have lifted her up, increased her potential. What had they done to Athena? “I would have ordered for you, but I don’t think I ever remembered your order.” Her laptop is locked, closed, placed in a waterproof backpack, and she empties her tiny espresso cup, readying for another order. “How are you liking the summit?”

[diomcdes]

𝐖𝐇𝐎: DIOMEDES & ATHENA ( @athenarhea​​ ) 𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄: PONTIUS, AUDITORIUM 𝐖𝐇𝐄𝐍: FEBRUARY 2130, WEEK TWO OF THE SUMMIT

Though they had been keeping somewhat of a low profile for the duration of the summit ( how very uncharacteristic ), Diomedes had made the effort to locate the Governance and Tech in Gaia panel – not because she was particularly interested in the topic ( though, she should have been ), but because ODYSSEUS was a panelist, and ATHENA was moderating. Just a few short months ago, they would have openly been here to support them both, but now, Diomedes keeps their gaze low when Odysseus looks into the crowd, and actively avoids him when it is over, instead making a beeline for Athena.

“Wonderful job.” She says as soon as Athena is within earshot, clapping her hands together with a grin. Athena was one of the few friends Diomedes would say they truly trusted – someone who had been there almost as long as Diomedes could remember, always willing to offer a shoulder or some advice ( even if Diomedes’ inclinations to take the advice varied wildly with their mood ), and, even with the scandal that Diomedes was currently wading through, Athena had not abandoned them, which was more than could be said for others.

“Fascinating stuff, really.” They say, “You even managed to make what Icarus was saying sound sort of interesting, so, kudos to you.”

[ohartemis]

where — athena’s room, xenios estate with — @athenarhea​

Sometimes, the Xenios estate makes her feel like a child again. Plenty of years have passed since puberty, but sometimes Artemis suspects that she’s stunted, grown wrong, as if her teenage self is stuck somewhere in her body. She finds she does not like nostalgia. She likes it in art, in film and literature, but not when it takes root in her own body. But still, there are certain traditions that can be repeated. So, she sends Athena a message. On my way, be there in five x !

She does not pad her feet quietly as she makes her way to Athena’s bedroom, instead tinkling along the hallway merrily, two crystal glasses like tiny instruments in her left hand, a bottle of red in her right. She’s polite enough to sort-of knock by banging against her door with her knee, before waiting one-two— not even three seconds before opening it with her body. One perk of honing your body as an instrument all your life? You become quite good at using it in unorthodox ways.

“Welcome back!,” she sing-songs upon entrance, neatly placing her bearings on a surface before pulling Athena into a hug and placing a kiss on one cheek. “I think it’s true what they say about absence making the heart grow fonder, because I’m like, super fond of you right now.” She smiles, winks, plucks the bottle of wine from where she’d left it. “I brought gifts. Well, just the one. How were things up north?”

[icarusfclling]

WITH: @athenarhea WHERE: nemean news tower, olympe WHEN: mid-january, a few days after the pandora article WEARING: alexander mcqueen (x)

Their panel is scheduled for the beginning of the second week of the summit and Icarus refuses to wait until they’re somewhere unfamiliar to begin preparing; perhaps a calendar invite is unnecessarily distant and formal, but Athena accepts it immediately and he breathes a sigh of relief. Their office at Nemean News is far from the first place they would ordinarily choose but it seems the safest place to be right now, firmly embedded in the veneer of professionalism that is the only thing holding them together.

It’s difficult to look at Athena when she arrives, five minutes early with a drink in each hand, but Icarus manages. Keeps managing as he forces his lips into a smile that doesn’t reach his eyes and clears a space on his crowded desk for her to put her things down. “Thanks for coming — I have a list of key points and potential questions if you’d like to go over those before we begin, and I’d like to review your notes as well.” 

They feel cold to the core, shut in a freezer watching her through a glass door, but he can’t let anyone else see him the way Orpheus had seen him a few days ago. He has to be ready for two weeks of Hephaestus around every corner, needs to practice keeping themself together because sooner or later Zeus is going to summon them to his office and that is going to be pure torture; Icarus hates to use Athena as a practice run for dealing with her father but... if they aren’t ready? If Zeus manages to get under their skin?

They shove the thought as far away as it will go and reach for the coffee labeled with their name. “Thank you for this, too. I’m not sure how long we’ll be here but if we run over into lunch time I’ll get something delivered.”

[herarhearp]

Who: Athena ( @athenarhea​ )

When: February, 2130 - First week of Kalavria Summit.

Where: Kalavria, Pontius

From the moment this plan started to form, Hera’s first worry was how the children would react. She hated the effect it would have in their relationship with Hephaestus and she wasn’t looking forward to any of the conversations she would need to have with them about this, but the confrotation she dreaded the most was with Athena.

Her daughter’s friendship with Hephaestus had barely been restaured, and Hera knew how much that man meant for Athena. She looked up to him, wanted to be like him. How would that admiration survive a hit like this? 

Another problem was that Athena would see every hole in the story, and she would be hungry for answers. Stubborn as every Rhea, she wouldn’t be satisfied until a logical explanation was presented. Thankfully, Hera had time to rehearse her speech before inviting Athena to her room in Pontius, as soon as she arrived for the Kalavria Summit. “There she is! Are you excited for the panel next week?” She hugged her daughter, all smiles. She might be prepared to talk about it, but she won’t be the one to bring up the affair. 

[hinge]

Hinge presents an anthology of love stories almost never told. Read more on https://no-ordinary-love.co