Q&A - Hades

Hey all! It's Hades's turn in the q&a queue, so he gets the spotlight this month with the current list of questions. I hope you enjoy.

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1. What is your greatest desire?

To be seen, and taken for what I am without reluctance.

2. Who was the most important person in your formative years?

My mother, by every measure or importance but one. Unfortunately, that one measure is ‘degree to which they changed the trajectory of my life,’ and that distinction belongs to my father. As it was always going to.

3. What would you tell the younger version of yourself, if you could talk to him/her/them now?

There will come a time when it does not hurt so much. Bear this, and you will find you can bear anything. It is not fair, it is not right, but it is inevitable.

4. What sorts of people are you most easily drawn to?

I think perhaps I have a natural affinity towards those who express themselves openly and with kindness. On the other hand, I seem to get along well with the very reserved as well. Perhaps it is the kindness that is the common thread. Even if it is deeply buried, it is always there, in the people I care about most.

I suppose I shouldn’t omit that I also often find myself drawn to those who have been cast out, or disadvantaged in some way.

5. How would you say you react to stress?

By working. Lest anyone think this is a good thing, I assure you there is a point at which it becomes both destructive and counterproductive. Fortunately, these days I have friends who will tell me when I have reached that point.

6. Of those in your inner circle, who do you feel closest to?

That is a difficult question. Closeness is something that has a certain ebb and flow to it; it will fluctuate even as a friendship endures and grows stronger. But I suppose of all of my friends, the one I am most consistently close to, and perhaps the person who knows me most intimately, is Charon.

7. Of those in your inner circle, who do you find yourself clashing with most often?

I don’t typically ‘clash’ with any of them. We resolve disagreements amicably, and I often ask for their opinions knowing those will be different from mine. Appreciating the fact. I suppose I am most different from Pyri, but that is all the more reason to value their perspective.

8. Do you have any daily rituals or routines?

Very many. I have learned to live with the fact that the nature of my work means things are not always routine, but I enjoy keeping to one as much as possible. It ensures that I have the time for the things I find valuable, and do not neglect them.

9. Of the four humors, which one or two would you say are most dominant in your personality?

I would like to say phlegm and black bile, if we’re talking about the corresponding traits, but I must acknowledge there is a part of me that can be quite… choleric, in times of stress.

10. What part of your personality gets you into the most trouble?

Trouble… That’s hard to say. I don’t often think of myself as ‘in trouble.’ That choleric streak I was talking about tends to escalate my disputes with my brother, so I try to keep it under control as much as possible. I think that’s about as close as I can get to a proper answer.