#if someone could draw athena baking carrot cake

[ikea09]

I know a lot of people think Athena was a lot harsher with child-odysseus than she's being with Telemachus but what if she isn't?

What if ,when odysseus trained under her, she was once soft and gentle with him too. She praises him and ruffles his hair and lets him lay his head in his lap when he gets tired and tells his parents they should be proud of him when they reach the palace after she walks him home. To award his progress, she bakes him carrot cake and knits owl plushies for him that even into his 20s he still sleeps with for they remind him of his mentor.

(Only because he's fragile. Only to motivate him. yes she's totally not getting attached to. Attachments and emotions are for the weak. He is only my mentee.)

She doesn't know how much she is tricking herself.

That changes with the trojan war. She sees an opportunity to gain glory, to be known. Her unknown attachment is overridden by her ambition.

With that she truly starts seeing odysseus as just her mentee. no. less. Her weapon to deliver on the trojans for slighting her. Her little warrior.

She becomes harsher and sterner on him pressuring him into remaining the perfect general.

(Does she know? Does she know how he cannot sleep? How the horrific war crimes he committed under her influence keep him up at night?)

The war ends. He spares a cyclops. She is *enraged*

How dare he? How dare he scorn her teachings, she who gave him glory?

(But what's a title that a goddess can lend, if he'll never sleep at night?)

That night she attempts to sleep. And the next. And the next. A horrible, guilty feeling swirls in her stomach and keeps her up, gruesome images of what may be happening to odysseus play in her mind along with those of a bright eyed boy she can't help but feel she failed.

After a few years, she goes through this problem logically.

Why do I feel so guilty about him? Why do I want to run back and fix things?

Ah, I must have gotten much more attached than I thought.

Ok. Now i know the problem, I can apply the solution.

Forget him. Emotion and guilt are for the soft. To remain strong, I can't let these feelings get to me.

Then, she remembers something.

What got odysseus through all those years at troy? Through the guilt and blood?

Penelope.

Telemachus.

He was never fighting for her.

He was fighting for them.

They were his strength.

His love for them were his strength.

Maybe, my love can me mine?

Maybe, my attachment to him isn't so bad ?

Maybe, it isn't so weakening.

Yes.

Who would have thought that a goddess of wisdom would be taught wisdom from a mere mortal?