As I was doing up my zones of regulation tree, I realised that not only did Persephone have the coping skills of a 3-year old, so did Artemis.
Artemis is always portrayed as a young girl who lashes out and destroys those around her. She often is in the top of the tree, raining destruction down on others. Their self-regulation tree would have green in the middle, blue under and yellow over the green, red at the top of the tree and black at the top and bottom of the zones. They would get lost in the black whether they attacked or withdrew, and destruction was always the outcome.
I imagine both Persephone and Artemis as young girls, lost in the woods with no one to teach them how to survive, doing their best to keep each other safe from the attacking wolves that surround them. Fear and anger were the overriding emotions, as well as love and loyalty. Destruction was often the only option as both defense and offense.
So not only am I changing Persephone from a child to an adult in my story, I must also have Artemis growing up as well.
My tree has Persephone and Artemis both as adults. Persephone has a staircase to travel up, with work to do on each step, as she grows up. I think that Artemis will accompany her and work alongside Persephone so they can both grow up together.
Which means that on Step 1, while Persephone works to get over her fear and to accept the dogs (emotions), Artemis will be learning how to teach them to be a well-trained pack of hunting dogs that can go anywhere with them. The dogs will be able to protect the girls, as well as help them be successful in their endeavors.
