there are many behavioural quirks you need to learn to interpret about thena if you spend enough time with her. there are other facets, but these are the predominant ones-
the “hm-” is a big one, because she does it. all the time. and the tone inflection is almost always the same, so figuring out what “hm-” she’s giving you is not easy by any means. and visually, her expressions are minute, her face is not one so easily read. so, you have to consider the context of your conversation / interaction in order to determine what kind of “hm-” she’s giving you. really, interpreting it is, at best, an educated guess. there are generally three main implications : she’s amused, she’s bored, or she’s insulting you. it could be a combination of two or all three, but that’s generally what you can expect. there are other possibilities, but those are the top three.
sounds. she growls. she snarls. she scoffs. she hums. even her inhales/exhales have a certain inflection. a lot of her communication is non-verbal. not because she can’t speak or doesn’t want to, but mostly because she typically doesn’t have much to say. and when she does speak, it’s usually specific. there’s a reason for her to say something, and it’s straight to the point. so you need to learn to interpret the sounds she makes and spot the difference in her cadence tone.
bared teeth. this goes hand in hand with the growling / snarling, but the bared teeth can also be expressed silently. like an animal, particularly of the predator type, thena bares her teeth primarily as a warning, which can also vary from light to severe. she’ll bare her teeth if she’s provoked, or threatened, or challenged. but it’s not always in a snarl. sometimes, she’ll flash her teeth when she smiles. this can also be a warning, or it could be an invitation.
touch starved / touch averse. she fluctuates between the two and this aspect of her behaviour is possibly the easiest to interpret. ordinarily, thena is quite tactile. she likes to feel things : textures, especially. but she will, if you are someone she considers a friend, family or a lover : she will instinctively touch you. be it your hand, your shoulder, your back, your thigh. wherever she and you feel the most comfortable, she will touch in some way. and she will seek or want for your touch in turn. although she may not always reciprocate embraces or displays of affection, she does allow them and, at times, appreciates them. however, this can change with a snap of ones fingers. when she is on edge, threatened, and sometimes post mahd wy’ry, she will close in on herself and she will respond aggressively if you try to touch her. it is best to keep your distance when she is like this, and she will instinctively do the same. it’s really easy to tell what kind of state she’s in when it comes to physical connection. she is also well aware of how dangerous she is and can be, and sometimes this does make her wary of or afraid to get too physically close to someone.
blunt. not only is thena blunt herself, but you have to be blunt with her. you have to be direct. she doesn’t wholly understand nor care for metaphors. while she does understand sarcasm and she can read between the lines and can pick up on hidden meanings or see through your / your intentions etc etc. it would not be uncommon for you to have to explain something you’ve said to her because she didn’t understand it, or she took it too literally. she is a lot like drax the destroyer. and thena herself, i’ve said this before, is brutally honest. she doesn’t believe in sugar coating or beating around the bush so to speak. if she has something to say, she will say it. she does not pull her punches, physically or verbally. you really need to understand this about her because otherwise you will likely get your feelings hurt, and that’s not at all thena’s fault. she doesn’t intend to be mean or cruel or upset anyone. and she is often somewhat confused when someone thinks she’s being rude. i’m not saying she can’t be perceived that way, because there are times where she can be an asshole or a bitch, nor am i saying your feeling hurt or slighted by her isn’t valid, but it’s also not something she can entirely control.
