Epic Athena - Blog Posts

Athena: I can't belive Odysseus didn't told me he was expecting a child. I trained him so hard and now his kid is unprotected and small : (

Dyonisus: *trying to help* Wait how small? Cause if it's hold in your arms small it actually just means Odysseus had it on his thigh.

Athena: *considering* He does have big thighs but I assumed it was cause of all the training.

Dyonisus: The training was helping make space for the baby : )

Athena: Oh! So it'll grow?

Dyonisus: Yup. 100%

Artemis: *goddess of childbirth, patron of midwifes, literally helped her mother deliver her brother seconds after she was born* What the fuck are you two saying?

I finally got into Epic and RAAAAA THE BRAIN WORMS AAAAAAAA

[Concept/Fan Art: "Athena"]

"Goddess of Wisdom, Master of Wars and Queen of the best Strategies ever seen"

The journey continues! ✨ Presenting my take on Athena, the wise and formidable Olympian.

More Olympians coming soon—who do you want to see next? ⚡🦉

[FanArt EPIC the Musical: "King Odysseus of Ithaca"]

Here is my take on the reigning King of Ithaca Ody! Finally!

I even did a small Sketch with Young Ody and my Athena Design!

Don' t worry! I'm still on finalizing those God Designs! But be prepared to see more EPIC FanArt!

You'll Need It More Than Me (She'll Need You More Than Me)

A little something inspired by the fifth headcanon because I couldn't help myself. Love me some tragic sibling relationships.

The sense of déjà vu tasted like ash and ozone in her mouth as Athena watched Hephaestus get banished from Olympus like she had been before him. Everything was the same as last time, down to the last word spoken by the God-King. Except for the tears silently streaming down Hera's cheeks.

This time, the Queen of the Gods was devastated to see her true child leave — flesh of her flesh, blood of her blood. Athena knew that if she could, Hera would offer her own life for Hephaestus’. But goddesses could not die, Hera could not move from her place beside Zeus' throne and this was perhaps the cruelest of punishments.

(Athena would do it too, take Hephaestus' place so he could stay by Hera's side. As a family. It wasn't like there was a place for her anymore.)

Ares' rage beside her seeping into the white marble like poison made her lose her mind, made her want to take that step forward and save Hephaestus from his fate. Or maybe it wasn't Ares, maybe it was all her.

A look from Hera, full of sorrow and anger, made Athena stop in her tracks. Obviously Hera did not want her help, did not need her. Athena's eyes sharpened beneath her helmet and she placed a hand on Ares' arm to stop him from doing something even more foolishly reckless than her.

Hephaestus looked so small in Zeus' shadow, scared and fragile. Almost human. Has she ever looked this small? Not in daylight anyway.

(She had never had the opportunity to be an infant.)

(But it wasn't about her. It was never about her.)

Zeus tore Hephaestus from Hera's arms and for a moment Athena's blood froze in her veins as she thought Zeus was going to yeet him from the mountain. She took an instinctive step forward.

“I’ll do it,” All eyes turned to Athena — Zeus's savage satisfaction, Hera's cutting disappointment, and Ares's corrosive disdain — but she composed herself, keeping her head high.  “I shall take him to the mortals.”

If there had been hope between Hera and her before, it was over. Not when Athena was the hand that snatched her true child away. 

Zeus smiled. “Great idea, child-of-my-mind. Come dispose of him.”

Athena stepped forward toward Zeus and he dropped the infant into his arms without warning. She made her forearm guards disappear before he could collide with the rough metal, cradling Hephaestus as gently as possible. She felt more awkward than a newborn fawn, all sharp elbows and violent hands. 

Without a backward glance, Athena left the throne room, her wings spreading behind her as she took flight.

.

.

.

Finding a mortal family she trusted to care for Hera's son, her brother, was surprisingly not the hardest part. Parting with him was. It felt like she was tearing her chest open and ripping out her own lung. As a goddess, she didn't need to, but it hurt to breathe all the same. 

She landed in a forest, away from men and gods, and carefully brushed Hephaestus' cheek. Hephaestus grabbed her finger and babbled, so happy that Athena's heart could burst with joy.

“I'm sorry you won't know your mother,” Athena apologized softly. “She… she’s wonderful. And you deserved to know her. I'm so sorry, Heph.”

Tears fell down Hephaestus' cheek and he looked up at her with big, round eyes, full of innocence, empty of judgment. It wasn't fair that Hephaestus had to grow up without his mother. Not when Athena knew how incredible it could be.

But maybe he didn't have to. 

Hera had once promised her that she would be loved forever, perhaps Athena could pass on that promise even if it no longer applied to her. Summoning to her the necklace Hera had given her centuries ago — hidden in a pocket dimension, never on her person, never too far away — she placed it around Hephaestus' neck.

She smiled in spite of herself when she saw the iridescent colors of the little metallic peacock. She had truly trusted Hera and her promise at that time, and the necklace had continued to bring her comfort long after the rift between them had widened. 

“I hope you have a happy life,” Athena whispered as she kissed the infant's forehead. "Remember that you are so, so loved. More than you will ever know.”

When Athena left, Hephaestus clutched in his hand a peacock necklace and an owl feather.

Some Slipping through my Fingers headcanons (is it a hc if it's my story? Wouldn't lore be more accurate? Does it matter?):

Athena's first crafting-related hobby was embroidery from when Hera gave her an old project to occupy her with way back. She always kept that hobby, but she's switched to weaving more since she has her official domain to distance herself from her childhood.

Athena and Ares spent a pretty long period living in a palace with their parents before Hephaestus built their own palaces. Little Ares had a proper "Do you want to build a snowman?" phase with his older sister. Athena may or may not have soundproved her door for a while against his knocking (Mean, mean owl. XD Also peak sibling behavior)

Athena refused to settle down in Lake Tritonis for the longest time. She held onto hope that she'd be taken back to Olympus soon. She started training hard to be good enough to be allowed back, and feels extra guilty because Pallas' death gave her exactly that, though only once she didn't want it anymore.

Athena is actually not Zeus' eldest daughter, she's just the oldest he claimed. Persephone was born very very soon after the Titanomachy. (teen pregnancy go brr) and neither he nor Demeter like to talk about it.

Hephaestus has a necklace with a peacock pendant that Athena left with him when she brought him to mortal family to raise. It was the same pendant Hera gave her when she was younger to remind her she was always loved.

Aphrodite was washed up on the shore near Olympus in a shell a lá Birth of Venus. Nobody knows exactly how she ended up in the sea, not even herself.

Ares likes the smell of  olives but not the taste. (Yes he gives them to Athena)

Hera's animal form is a white peafowl (wedding dress birb fr), not a "common" female peacock. She does keep the peacock color scheme for herself tho cos it's pretty.

Post-Triton Athena only very rarely goes completely armorless outside of sleeping. That doesn't mean she always wears a full set, but she does mostly wear something on her torso at least. Something non-metal like leather would already be considered casual. 

Athena called Metis "Mama", so she would never consciously call anyone else that, even when she was younger. She got to calling Hera "Mom" tho (Hera cried a little. All her kids, bio or adopted, call her Mom btw), post-Triton, Athena calls Hera by her name. She addresses Zeus by "father", but refers to him as Zeus when speaking about him. When she feels extra like hurting herself, she'll refer to Hera as "your mother" around her siblings.

Chat, what do we think? :)

I love this concept so much, and the potential for angst is scrumptious. And since I was already in a writing frenzy (2000 words in 2 hours after several weeks of not writing), I decided to give it a go. So without further ado, here is my humble contribution.

Lightning streaked the night sky in thousands and the echo of thunder made the earth tremble to the very foundations of Olympus, the divine wrath of Kataibates Zeus raining down mercilessly on all beneath him. Flashes of light sporadically illuminated the crumbling white marble columns and the cracks developing deep into the hearth.

Electricity crackled viciously through the air, piercing mortal and divine alike.

The hairs on the child's forearm stood on end as she tightened her wings around herself to shield herself from the destruction of her home around her at the hand of her creator. All her most animal and ancient instincts were screaming at her to fight, to rise into the air and face her fate, her tormentor.

But she stood there frozen, her sobs wracking her body, inaudible and invisible in the chaos.

For even though she was born in an already developed form, covered with armor and a spear in her hand, ready to fight under her father's hand, she was but a child. Immortal and divine, existing outside the passage of time itself.

All-powerful and all-knowing.

A fledgling fallen from the nest.

Thrown into the light after a distorted and unknown amount of time in the darkness, both an eternity and only a few days.

Not enough time with her mother anyway.

She, who had lived many lives and none at once. She, who could be of use but was not yet. She, who was neither a child nor an adult.

She, who had no place at all.

Glaukopis Athena.

An unexpected hand had reached out to her, not the wrong hand but a different one. That of a goddess. That of a mother. A woman abused by her creator, eaten alive at birth, who had lived as long in the darkness of Kronos' womb as in the light of her own divinity. Someone who understood.

Tucked under her vibrant and colorful wing, the child had grown. Cared for and loved, oh so loved by the goddess who didn’t dare call herself her mother. The only person the child could trust.

“Athena?”

The goddess's voice cut through the lightning, thunder, and pouring rain, through the darkness that had engulfed the child. The child raised her head, her tears of fear and anguish mingling with the deluge coming from the sky.

“Athena!”

The relief in the goddess's voice was palpable, so solid and true that the rain stopped around her. The goddess knelt before the child, her knees sinking into the mud and soiling her immaculate dress.

“Oh baby, I couldn't find you anywhere.” The goddess's voice was soft and full of love, a voice that only the child heard.

Tears welled up in the child's bright eyes again, tears of joy this time, as she bit her trembling lip painfully. The one she didn't dare call her mother had come. She was not alone in the darkness.

“Little owl, can I hug you?” The goddess asked, opening her arms as an invitation to the child.

The child rushed into the arms of the goddess, hugging her waist with all the strength of her little arms and her divine nature. The goddess's arms closed around the child, protective and loving. The child melted into the embrace, the hand around her throat slowly loosening as the goddess gently ran her hand through the child's soaking wet hair, through every sensitive feather.

“I don't like being alone in the dark, Hera,” the child whispered. A secret in a place where they did not exist. A weakness confessed in a place where they were mortal.

“I know, I'm sorry,” answered the goddess, tenderly wiping the tears from the child's cheeks.

The child's eyes glowed with memories of the past, eyes gray as the storm raging around them. The eyes of her mother.

“Sometimes I'm afraid that it's all just a dream and that you're not really here. That I'm really alone in the dark,” the child revealed. The most courageous act she had committed to that date. “Or worse, that you'll leave, that you'll leave me alone.”

“Oh my child, I will never leave you,” the goddess promised. “I will always stay by your side.”

“Really?” the child asked innocently, her voice almost inaudible.

The goddess presented her little finger and intertwined it with the child's. “Promise.”

This time it was the child who hugged the goddess, wrapping her wings as best she could around the goddess. Her head buried in her protective cocoon of feathers and love, she whispered the most dangerous secret.

“I love you, Mom.”

The word burned her lips, the feeling that she was betraying the memory of her first mother still uncomfortable and heavy in her stomach.

“I love you too, Athena.”

.

.

.

Lightning streaked the night sky in thousands and the echo of thunder made the earth tremble to the deepest depths of the ocean. The sea raged with the sky, the waves titanic and destructive.

Athena curled her wings around herself, immune to the cold but still shaking. A bird unable to fly. Her cheeks were dry with tears, a notion that had been useless for decades.

The hand around her throat tightened with each clap of thunder.

The night and darkness around her had no end in sight, infinite and infinite torment, and she flinched at every flash of lightning, her body so out of her control.

She was alone.

Again.

“Liar,” she whispered to the stars so far from her.

To the mother so far from her.

I, too, sometimes dabble in the dark arts of AU making.

So here's an idea. What if Hera actually represented her domain with Athena. There's this young goddess, and let's be real, she's already traumatized by having been EATEN (Hera can relate) and Zeus is like eh. He's better with small children, and Athena's pretty grown up at least physically. She's also still pretty weak from being inside him so she can't be useful yet. Hera doesn't even know why she feels protective of her husband's child. She's always wanted kids of her own, never considered adopting or whatever, but here's a kid that doesn't have a mother anymore, that's scared and new to the world and doesn't trust anyone. And for some reason, Hera wants to be the person that she can trust.

Basically, Athena's a total momma's girl in this. She doesn't care for Zeus, why would she. He's only ever hurt her and now she's out of him, he barely acknowledges her.

Unfortunately, Poseidon is a bitch and just had to jibe Zeus about Hera and Athena being so close. So Zeus, being the paranoid ass he is, decides to send his daughter to train elsewhere... maybe far away on Earth. And ofc, nobody is allowed to disturb her training. yk, so she gets better. Athena doesn't know Hera is not allowed to visit. All she hears when she sits on the shores at night, waiting in vain, is her stepmother's words that now ring so hollow: "I will never leave you."

So yeah. That's the premise (don't be afraid to use it as a prompt, just tag me if you do, I'd love to see). I don't have a name yet, but I have some more ideas. Feel free to ask or make suggestions about this :D Edit: I have since decided to call it "Slipping through my fingers" after the Abba song)

Okay, so I really thought about it (and couldn't help but add a tiny little bit of angst) and I like the idea of Athena calling Odysseus Little Warrior when he was young and she was feeling extra affectionate towards him (not that she realized that just yet).

But now she doesn't dare call him that anymore because she doesn't want him to think he's just a warrior and a tool to her, especially after My Goodbye.

Ody kinda misses it though because it reminds him of his happier times with her when he was young.

With Athena calling Telemachus little wolf these days, what nickname might she settle on for Odysseus? (assuming she does end up using one ofc)

I think I'll update the post with the suggestions so we'll have a masterlist hehe, every suggestion wins, no matter if I vibe with it.

Odysseus: *gently hands Athena baby Telemachus*

Athena: …you were PREGNANT AND YOU DIDNT TELL ME?!

Odysseus: what?- no-

Athena: DO YOU KNOW HOW DANGEROUS THAT IS?! I WAS TRAINING YOU!

Odysseus: no I wasn’t the one-

Athena: THAT POOR BOY WAS PROBABLY SO SQUISHED IN YOUR HELMET! LOOK AT HOW SMALL HE IS!!

Drew @duvetbox 's Athena design!! Love her sm

I rlly love the Telemachus and Athenas duo !!<3<3

Personally I think that Telemachus permanently and irreversibly changed Athena for the better, more on that at twelve

My EPIC hyper fixation is getting mixed with my Arcane hyper fixation.

heLP

BEWARE, long “EPIC: The Musical” rant ahead, [Spoilers] for the Thunder Saga:

I'm surprised nobody has said this, but in Scylla's song she's not talking about Odysseus, about how she and Ody are the same monsters. She's talking about Eurylochus.

Im surprised by how many people think she's talking about Ody since the beginning, but she doesn't talk about him until the last moment, after he's already offered six of her men as an offering for her to let the rest leave in peace

When Scylla says, "you hide a reason for shame", it's just when Eury says that he has a secret he can't keep any longer, one that's been eating him form the shame and guilt When Eurylochus says "I opened the windbag while you were asleep", the animatic focuses on Ody as Scylla says

"leaving them feeling betrayed", because Ody felt betrayed that his best friend, his second in command would betray him in such a way, would be the reason why he couldn't reach his home sooner

"Breaking the bonds that you've made" again with Ody's silence, how he was mentally preparing and planning to make Eurylochus part of the sacrifices, as that was the final straw for him to become ruthless and "a monster"

"There is no price we won't pay", with Eurylochus begging for forgiveness, not because he actually is sorry, but to try and get into his captain's good side because he knows he fucked up. By that moment, he no longer trusted Ody, and I'm sure he didn't felt any actual remorse But he had to get on the man’s good side because 1. He had almost committed a mutiny (I think) when he tried to make Ody abandon their men in Circe’s island. And 2. Because Odysseus was still his captain and King. Who would want to be on their king’s bad side?

It's not until Odysseus tells Eury to light up six torches (six men to sacrifice) that Scylla is actually talking about him. And it's not till the final verse ("We are the same, you an I") that Ody actually admits he's become like Scylla.

Thank you for coming to my TED talk.

EPIC: The musical is such a great source of media. The characters are fucking well written, it’s such a genius and creative adaptation. The designs that every artist makes are chef kisses. And the music itself feels like it’s being sung to me by a chorus of angels right from my ears to my heart.

That’s it. That’s all that I wanted to talk about. EPIC is amazing.

Happy New Year.

One of the things I noticed in some EPIC animatics is that some of the God's are bird themed. I know it represents their animal forms but I just wanted to point that out.

Zeus is an Eagle, Hera is a Peacock, Aphrodite is a Dove, Apollo is a Swan, Ares is a Vulture, Athena is a Owl, Hephaestus is a crane, and Hermes is a rooster.

Btw the gods represent more than one animal, I'm just pointing it out that half of them represent birds.

Do any of you EPIC Fans think that Argos remembers Athena by her scent? One of my personal HCs is that people/animals/other gods have a good sense of smell that they know who that god/person/creature is.

I think Argos would be protective over Telemachus when Athena shows up. Because he knows that Athena trained Odysseus, Argos would spend time watching his master spar/train with this mysterious person. Then when Odysseus heads for war Argos doesn't see him again.

Im thinking that Argos thought that Athena is one of the reasons why Odysseus dissappear. So like any other good companion he's always protective of Telemachus whenever he sees Athena.

Telemachus: Have you met Argos? :D

Athena: .......Yes........I have........

Telemachus: Really??

Athena: Yes and I don't think- oW-

Argos: *Jumps on Athena and bits her shoulder*

Athena: Son of a B-

Athena Meets Baby Telemachus ____________________________

Odysseus: This is my son, *Gives the baby to Athena*, Telemachus.

Athena: *Looks down, looks up, looks down again, finally looks up*, Y-you were pregnant??!

Odysseus: Huh.

Athena: All this time... no wonder why you were away for many periods of time, you were pregnant!

Odysseus: What.

Athena: All the punishments, the time outs, the hard working hours.........you were pregnant the whole time!

Penelope: Excuse me?

Athena: How did you manage to get away with it? Oh Ody I'm so sorry, I didn't know I was overworking you while being pregnant.....

Odysseus: WHAT?!

Penelope: Yah his cravings were wild, I didn't know he liked pizza with pickles and mustard

Edit:

Athena: I'm surprised you don't have a dent in your head.

Odysseus: ...

Dionysus: I'm surprised he still has good thighs.

WISDOM SAGA LETS GOOOOOOO

YAAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYAYYAYAYA

I love mishearing epic lyrics and just taking it as my own cannon

A very famous example of this being:

“Well done you’ve lied to me what’s your name” - Warrior of the mind

My personal favourites though are:

“Throw their bodies back into the water, watch them drown” - Different beast

“Faster! Faster! Bastard!” - Mutiny

It just adds that little bit of ✨spice✨

BUT WHEN does the infant becomes a meteor 🌠🌠

Okay, let's get acquainted again! This is the first piece from the Odyssey triptych that I am working on.

MY GIRLFRIEND ❤️

I mean

Athena (this is a test, I think I like this design)

i’m gripping you by the shoulders. guys. GUYS. PLEASEEE hear me out when i try to convince you to make your odysseus design have gray eyes. HEAR ME OUTTTTT OK- i know he has heterochromia in the odyssey or whatevs BUT IDC I AM SPREADING THE GRAY EYE AGENDA!!!! its because athena blessed him and therefore gave him the eyes of a warrior of the mind!!!!! IT FITS SO PERFECTLY!!! GUYS PLEASE!!!

dreamin' of all these monsters that I'll never get to fight

SING LEGENDARY FROM EPIC W/ ME! SING IN TH REBLOGS!!

It's just me, myself and I....

While her scars may fade over the centuries, I think that Athena would keep her facial marks as a reminder of her bestest of friends