#{ much earlier if the partner is physically stronger/more powerful than her though — aforementioned 'feeling safe' as the biggest catalyst

[huntershowl]

PERSEPHONE & PARANOIA.

when i start plotting out a ship with someone, sleeping is often one of the first sticking points. safe to say that most people, when they develop a romantic relationship, naturally fall into the habit of sleeping with their partner (in a literal sense as well as others.)

it's not something i talk about in their doc or even that often outside of it, but persephone suffers from sleep paralysis, night terrors, and insomnia. even alone, they're often unable to sleep until it's well into midday, catching a couple of hours at most while hidden away in a spot they're completely sure is secure and unseen. ( one of the reasons she became so dependent on alcohol is that sometimes the only way they can fall asleep is after drinking an irresponsible amount. ) and because the trauma that caused her paranoia was suffered at the hands of another person, the presence of other bodies makes the prospect of sleeping even more difficult than it already was.

that is to say, persephone is incapable of sleeping in the same space as another person. this is the case whether we're talking about the same bed, the same room, or the same house/unit.

it takes a lot of work to begin to rectify this, along with a TON of trust, time and patience. by trust, i mean complete trust — not only persephone knowing for a fact that the other muse won't turn around and ambush her in the night, but also knowing that they could protect themselves (and her, in the event they're keeping watch while she rests) if someone tried. this most often comes with a heavily plotted and very specific Type of romantic relationship. it happens faster with some muses than with others, depending on how physically safe seph feels with them (ie. their general power level and their history with seph.)

sleep isn't the only way their paranoia manifests, however. it's the reason she sticks to traveling by rooftop, alone — being on ground level makes them genuinely believe (not just feel like) they're being watched. it's also the reason they don't stay in the same place for more than one night: they travel between out-of-the-way, ramshackle, abandoned apartment units (i call them her hideouts) each evening, and though she usually doesn't sleep the whole night (or at all), she still uses that particular hideout as her base until morning.

if someone learns the address to one of their hideouts, or if they have to take another person there, it's considered compromised, and they abandon it as soon as possible. they haven't stayed/slept in their actual apartment since returning from their disappearance.

lastly, when persephone agrees to meet up with someone, or goes on a job with a partner from the unseen, they prefer to travel alone and meet up at rendezvous points. this allows them agency and privacy in travel; they can move around by rooftop without worrying about another presence with them.

note: all of this applies to her life after her two-year disappearance. ( so roughly 5 years ago through present-day / early 20s to mid/late 20s in age.) beforehand, despite still being a very independent kid, seph was a lot more comfortable spending idle time, sleeping, etc. around other people. she and orion were together more often than not, they'd seek friends out when bored, and you could pat her on the shoulder without her trying to kick your teeth in on pure reflex. KJSHDJHSD