Phobos {rewired}
.the mundane;
» Name: Pippa
» Journal: shotgundivorce
» Contact: AIM: pseudologosx /shotgundivorcex / charybdissleeps
» God(dess): Phobos
» Reference: @ Wiki and @ Theoi.
» Family: {mother & father} Ares & Aphrodite; {spouse} N/A
» Played By: Heath Ledger
» Human Alias: Tobin Raith
» Human Age: 27
» God of...: Panic-fear & "battle rout" (retreat from the battlefield).
» Flair:
1. He can tell when people are scared/anxious. This can actually be quite confusing because people these days are unsettled by a lot of things. Like mortgages. And no, he can’t actually tell what they are scared of, but he can make an educated guess. [CONTINUOUS]
2. Should he wish to, he can, on contact, induce a fleeting moment of sheer panic. Nothing more than the kind that causes you to launch out of your seat in surprise during a horror movie, but hey, he can work with that. [ACTIVATED]
» Flair Type: See above.
» Fitting in: He runs a tourist attraction (LED -- "laboriosus exitus domus"), not dissimilar to the London Dungeon. It is an actor-led, interactive recreation of various gory and macabre events that have taken place throughout history. And he loves it. Because the ‘audience’ practically become members of the cast, they end up so involved in what is going on around them that they emerge at the end thoroughly horrified. Every now and then, they use the premises to host the rather more gory stage productions (such as Sweeney Todd: the Demon Barber of Fleet Street) and they pull out all the stops with the special effects; again, trying to involve the audience in the horror. Good times. He also occasionally gives seminars on the "Psychology of Fear". He doesn't take it very seriously.
» History:
Born to Ares and Aphrodite, Phobos is one of twins who took after their father rather more than their mother. Of the twin Fear Gods, he was the one generals prayed to for victory in battle; quite literally so that he may scare the opposition so much they fled from the battlefield ("We must put up a good defense against the assault of such a man, for already Phobos is boasting of victory at the gate." -- Aeschylus' Seven Against Thebes). Warriors wore depictions of the twins and their father (and other related gods) on their armour to makes themselves more fearsome and to keep the gods on their side ("On the shield of Agamemnon is [depicted] Phobos, whose head is a lion’s... The inscription on the shield of Agamemnon runs: This is the Phobos of mortals: he who holds him is Agamemnon." -- Pausanias). But apart from fighting alongside his brother and father during wars, Phobos did nothing remarkable--with the exception of joining in with more godly wars whenever the bigger names disagreed with each other. Tales involving him are all rather repetitive. Although one of his brothers (half-brother? We're not certain) is reported to have taken to beheading those who passed him so he could make a temple to Phobos from their skulls. Such a loving family.
For the sake of gameplay, Phobos has been taken from as recent a time as possible.
» Weakness:
Mortality -- Phobos is having trouble reconciling What Is with What Was And Always Will Be. Or rather, he would insist it is not he who has that problem, but everyone else. Fear is a fundamental concept that has been around since there existed creatures with enough intelligence/evolution under their belt to feel it. And that is longer than he himself has actually existed. At the moment, as far as he is concerned, he is still representative of that concept. He can, and will, continue to put fear into those who prove to be receptive enough. But concepts--ideas--do not die. They cannot simply be killed. And therein lies the problem when an individual so closely involved with a concept that will always exist... turns out to be very, very mortal. This newfound mortality--while really rather interesting--comes with limitations and a certain finality that people seem to assume applies to him. When it can't. Because Fear is eternal. Even if one of it's personifications is mortal. The argument is both circular and pointless, and would usually be rather indicative of certain delusions of immortality (that are fairly understandable given he has never had an expiry date before) were it not for the fact Phobos is acutely aware that he can die. But Fear cannot die, thus neither can he because he is a personification of--can you see where this is going? TL;DR -- don't bring up the Death of Fear in conversation. His logic may be questionable, but it may as well be made of adamantium.
His own fear -- Is none existant. Whether the problem is neurological or simply a reflection of his place in mythology, Phobos feels no fear. That is to say, his mind will recognise that, rationally, he should be afraid (or at least a little startled), and he will probably act accordingly, but the chain reaction that certain stimulus would usually set off stops there. The fact that, not only does he not fear, but he doesn't startle either, would suggest there is actually something genuinely wrong with his nervous system. And yet he functions. Somewhere in his brain, there are wires that should connect, but don't. And probably refuse to. Because what in the name of Khaos would Fear have to fear? Unfortunately, this does mean that Phobos will push that giant red button--after having thought about it for a moment and realising that he probably won't care about the outcome. He knows that button said DO NOT PRESS for a reason. He just wants to know what that reason is and why he should be so concerned about avoiding it. Because 90% of the time, these alleged dangers aren't in the least bit dangerous and only mildly interesting. He is far more interested in the other 10% and is willing to put his own health on the line in the pursuit of entertainment--and, obviously, everyone else's health too. If Phobos cannot fear for himself, he cannot fear for anyone else either. Nor does he want to. And no, he won't feel bad if something happens to you because that button opened up a trapdoor beneath your feet, promptly turning you into gator-fodder. It was your own fault for being anywhere near him to begin with.
Everyone else's fear -- It is his brand of heroin and he can never quite get enough of it. In actuality, he is just an adrenaline junkie. As someone else's heart thunders through their own case of Fight or Flight Syndrome, Phobos follows them. As their adrenaline fires up, numbing some senses and heightening others, the same happens to him. The difference being that he does not feel the need to run or attack the source. He would rather invade their personal space to add to their discomfort and give his own high that extra edge. However, adrenaline rushes to not last as long as he would have them last, and the next fix can never come fast enough. This leads him to create "uncomfortable" situations himself (which he is inclined to do regardless), manipulating conversations with carefully chosen wording and a slight change in tone. Just enough to cause a steady throb of anxiety that will keep him occupied until he has the opportunity to do something a little more drastic. Like incite mass hysteria on the tube until they have to stop at the next station and evacuate the passengers. The more Phobos needs his fix--because make no mistake, his need to experience the fear of others really is an addiction he will never be able to drop--the more and more absurd his "situations" will become. Absurd and destructive. When it comes to Fear, he is extremely driven and horribly focussed, and, as a child of War, he does not know how to take baby steps with his actions. He has no qualms with letting people die in his quest to remain in genuinely good spirits. There is little reason he should, since he was most commonly sighted on battlegrounds where people were dying regardless. Needless to say, there are some areas of humanity where Phobos is decidedly lacking.
Human behaviour -- His emotional responses to any given situation involving any given individual are shallow at best. Phobos' behaviour is, for the most part, learned. Self-taught through watching others interact and, now that he is mortal, monitoring their reactions to him. If someone smiles amiably at him, he will mirror it. Typically positive reactions will almost always be reciprocated. He recognises humour (but doesn't often find it amusing) and knows when to laugh. Beyond what can be seen on the surface there is (besides a constant longing for totally devastating fear) a perfectly calm centre. The eye of the storm, as it were, though this storm is not as chaotic as the metaphor would lead you to believe. Still, it is a tranquil environment that allows Phobos to think, manipulate, calculate, analyse and understand--while on the outside, he can maintain the front required to suit the person he is talking to. Of course, Phobos doesn't quite view this as a "front". It is merely a device with which to successfully communicate/interact with others when he needs/wants to. Entirely self-serving and false, but it serves its purpose. On the flipside, typically negative reactions towards Phobos elicit a whole new array of responses and none of them are really that predictable. He may mirror someone else's anger/distress or he may laugh--it depends on the first reaction that springs to mind and how well he understands the reasons behind this negative outburst. If he is fully aware of the whys and wherefores, his reaction can be tailored accordingly (he has no real natural reaction to offer, besides amusement, since he sees it as unnatural for anyone to reaction to Fear in any manner other than the obvious). If not, there is every chance that he will pat you on the back with a friendly smile after having been informed you intend to pull out his teeth with pliers. But it must be noted that shortly after patting you on the back, it is likely he would commit one of many acts of violence that would render you unable to remove his teeth. That is, of course, the sensible thing to do. [As an after-thought, the mun would like to point out that that is merely an extreme example--not something likely to happen on a regular basis.]
Lack of empathy/sympathy/affection -- He is seriously lacking in all three areas, though perhaps the latter is less noticeable. When it comes to empathy, Phobos cannot relate to the thoughts, emotions or experiences of the person/people in question. When it comes to sympathy, he cannot offer the support needed because he does not have the necessary compassion and sensitivity. By all means, attempt to cry on his shoulder, but his reaction will be one of vague confusion or perhaps a blank expression. He does not understand why certain events (losses, etc.) would cause such distress in a person because it is likely he would never consider it a great loss if he were in their place. He finds it very difficult to form genuine bonds with others--if you think he is your friend, he probably isn't. It is more than likely you just had a very nice chat. As a result, he does not have the emotional investment in relationships that everyone else seems to have. He is, however, very good at creating the illusion of such investments when necessary. Like with family members. He cares because he knows he is expected to--not because he actually cares. His apparent--and rather inconsistent--affection for his family is simply the appreciation he has for them as deities and forces of nature... but forcibly pushed to the next step. It looks like he loves them, when really, he just really likes the work they do. They're like his own personal celebrities.
Bad impulse control -- When not in the process of terrorising those around him, Phobos finds it incredibly difficult to resist real temptation. That is not to say he quickly falls victim to someone else's attempts at tempting him away from anything in particular. If he has really set his mind on something, it will be hard to pull his attention elsewhere unless the intended object of temptation is of equal value to him. Given that his value system in no way resembles that of anyone else, it may be hard to meet his standards. And yet he is more than capable of creating his own distractions and temptations, and he will flutter between every whim, occasionally skipping back to one he had not explored thoroughly enough... just because the thought occurred to him. He will never think twice before tucking in the label of your shirt. Where most people might spend a while agonising over whether or not they should even mention it, never mind invade your personal space to fix that little irritation, Phobos will just go ahead and fix it. He will also count on the fact the invasion of your personal space will leave you at least a little unsettled. But regardless of how many times he may derail himself from his rather singular trail of thought, he will always work his way back again. Phobos' world is flat and he enjoys pushing people over the edge.
T.R.A.U.M.A. is just another word I'll never learn to pronounce -- He could write whole books on fear, as a philosophy, a science, as a flavour of ice-cream. He knows the practical theory behind every nuance of his specialisation, as it were. He would kick the ass of any academic who also specialised in that area. What Phobos really is missing is the understanding of the more long term effects it has on the human mind. He can recognise a mind that had been ripped to shreds by fear, but when in the process of inflicting the fear himself, he has no grasp on where the borders of "just enough", "about to lose all rationality" and "wants to tear out own eyes" are. As previously mentioned, he does not know how to take baby steps and, if given free rein, does not know when to stop (with the exception of "before they die"; the dead aren't much fun).
» Personality:
From an outsider's perspective (that is to say, someone not from the complex/mythology), Phobos would appear no different from anyone else. He certainly would not be taken for the Face of Fear, as it were. Perhaps it is because his reaction to those around him tends to be relatively relaxed in nature, which makes it easy for those who don't know him to get on with him. Perhaps it is because the gifts his mother gave him snapped him out of the stereotypically "gothic" view of a personified Fear. He is not the pale creature with dark hair and an oddly polished veneer that makes him easily mistakeable for Dracula. His smiles are warm regardless of the motivation behind them and he tends to give the impression that he would welcome you with open arms--because he would. And promptly try to induce a heart attack. Come into my parlour, said the spider to the fly... Something of a life philosophy, really, since once you've taken the time to look (or accidentally notice), there's a certain something that lies beneath that amiable surface. It is dark and unsettling and, if you're unfortunate enough to be receptive to it, gives the distinct impression you're being watched in a room with no windows and doors while the lights are turned off. You'll notice that, while he was apparently friendly enough to sit beside you on your lonely bus-ride home, he is sitting just that little bit too close. When his gaze lingers, he is not checking you out. When his hand accidentally brushes against yours as he hands you whatever it was you just dropped, it wasn't an accident. And he isn't doing it deliberately; it is merely his nature to behave in manner that makes you feel claustrophobic in an open space. When he starts talking and you realise that, not only is he right behind you and looking over your shoulder, but he is close enough for you to hear his breathing more clearly that you would ever wish to... he is not purposefully trying to make you uncomfortable. That is just how he is. Phobos conducts one-on-one conversations from within the other person's personal space. He does not break eye contact when others would consider normal to do so--he is just looking at you. Certain nuances of human behaviour, methods of intimidation, etc. are lost on him, though he uses them frequently without thinking. He can use other people's behaviour and apply it to his own actions, but not the other way round.
As noted above, Phobos can be perfectly (but entirely superficially) friendly enough when it suits him. When he doesn't feel quite so inclined to play nice, he is equally as capable of being a snide bastard. While he isn't a malicious person, fear was never intended to be pleasant and his sense of humour tends to be both sarcastic and at the expense of others. Just as he has no issues with using other people to get his next high (although that can't really be avoided), when it comes to mere entertainment or even trying to avoid puddles he will walk over people without giving it a second thought. He does not, and will probably never, see Right and Wrong. He sees Scared and Not Scared, which is where his concept of black versus white ends. Fear is neither Good nor Evil, it just Is--he applies the same philosophy to everything else. But since his Nice Guy side is a facade, he can and does switch it on and off at will--a transition that can prove to be quite jarring to those around him, especially if it occurs mid-conversation. Though he will neither care (or even notice, really), since if it proves to draw a displeasing reaction from his companion, Phobos will just move onto the next person. As a personification of a human emotion, he is most at home around people, making him quite a social creature. But then one cannot achieve collective hysteria in isolation.
In his rewired state, he can still give Jack Nicholson and Vincent Price a run for their money when it comes to their laugh. Though his natural laugh is as 'normal' as anyone else's, Phobos knows the value of a well-gauged increase in the degree of maniacality/morbidity/[insert appropriate adjective here] when it comes to unnerving his audience. He has a tendency to romanticise the concept of fear, not recognising--and sometimes almost refusing to--the true effect it has on the people he plays with. He views his victims en masse--as an orchestra--with each person given their own instrument. All they need is a little fine tuning and then they can begin. There is no torture, no torment in this act; which is only one of the reasons he will never see what he does to be in any way morally or ethically wrong. It is all perfectly natural. What art could be as pure as raw human emotion? He just wants to strip it bare.
» Name: Pippa
» Journal: shotgundivorce
» Contact: AIM: pseudologosx /shotgundivorcex / charybdissleeps
» God(dess): Phobos
» Reference: @ Wiki and @ Theoi.
» Family: {mother & father} Ares & Aphrodite; {spouse} N/A
» Played By: Heath Ledger
» Human Alias: Tobin Raith
» Human Age: 27
» God of...: Panic-fear & "battle rout" (retreat from the battlefield).
» Flair:
1. He can tell when people are scared/anxious. This can actually be quite confusing because people these days are unsettled by a lot of things. Like mortgages. And no, he can’t actually tell what they are scared of, but he can make an educated guess. [CONTINUOUS]
2. Should he wish to, he can, on contact, induce a fleeting moment of sheer panic. Nothing more than the kind that causes you to launch out of your seat in surprise during a horror movie, but hey, he can work with that. [ACTIVATED]
» Flair Type: See above.
» Fitting in: He runs a tourist attraction (LED -- "laboriosus exitus domus"), not dissimilar to the London Dungeon. It is an actor-led, interactive recreation of various gory and macabre events that have taken place throughout history. And he loves it. Because the ‘audience’ practically become members of the cast, they end up so involved in what is going on around them that they emerge at the end thoroughly horrified. Every now and then, they use the premises to host the rather more gory stage productions (such as Sweeney Todd: the Demon Barber of Fleet Street) and they pull out all the stops with the special effects; again, trying to involve the audience in the horror. Good times. He also occasionally gives seminars on the "Psychology of Fear". He doesn't take it very seriously.
» History:
Born to Ares and Aphrodite, Phobos is one of twins who took after their father rather more than their mother. Of the twin Fear Gods, he was the one generals prayed to for victory in battle; quite literally so that he may scare the opposition so much they fled from the battlefield ("We must put up a good defense against the assault of such a man, for already Phobos is boasting of victory at the gate." -- Aeschylus' Seven Against Thebes). Warriors wore depictions of the twins and their father (and other related gods) on their armour to makes themselves more fearsome and to keep the gods on their side ("On the shield of Agamemnon is [depicted] Phobos, whose head is a lion’s... The inscription on the shield of Agamemnon runs: This is the Phobos of mortals: he who holds him is Agamemnon." -- Pausanias). But apart from fighting alongside his brother and father during wars, Phobos did nothing remarkable--with the exception of joining in with more godly wars whenever the bigger names disagreed with each other. Tales involving him are all rather repetitive. Although one of his brothers (half-brother? We're not certain) is reported to have taken to beheading those who passed him so he could make a temple to Phobos from their skulls. Such a loving family.
For the sake of gameplay, Phobos has been taken from as recent a time as possible.
» Weakness:
Mortality -- Phobos is having trouble reconciling What Is with What Was And Always Will Be. Or rather, he would insist it is not he who has that problem, but everyone else. Fear is a fundamental concept that has been around since there existed creatures with enough intelligence/evolution under their belt to feel it. And that is longer than he himself has actually existed. At the moment, as far as he is concerned, he is still representative of that concept. He can, and will, continue to put fear into those who prove to be receptive enough. But concepts--ideas--do not die. They cannot simply be killed. And therein lies the problem when an individual so closely involved with a concept that will always exist... turns out to be very, very mortal. This newfound mortality--while really rather interesting--comes with limitations and a certain finality that people seem to assume applies to him. When it can't. Because Fear is eternal. Even if one of it's personifications is mortal. The argument is both circular and pointless, and would usually be rather indicative of certain delusions of immortality (that are fairly understandable given he has never had an expiry date before) were it not for the fact Phobos is acutely aware that he can die. But Fear cannot die, thus neither can he because he is a personification of--can you see where this is going? TL;DR -- don't bring up the Death of Fear in conversation. His logic may be questionable, but it may as well be made of adamantium.
His own fear -- Is none existant. Whether the problem is neurological or simply a reflection of his place in mythology, Phobos feels no fear. That is to say, his mind will recognise that, rationally, he should be afraid (or at least a little startled), and he will probably act accordingly, but the chain reaction that certain stimulus would usually set off stops there. The fact that, not only does he not fear, but he doesn't startle either, would suggest there is actually something genuinely wrong with his nervous system. And yet he functions. Somewhere in his brain, there are wires that should connect, but don't. And probably refuse to. Because what in the name of Khaos would Fear have to fear? Unfortunately, this does mean that Phobos will push that giant red button--after having thought about it for a moment and realising that he probably won't care about the outcome. He knows that button said DO NOT PRESS for a reason. He just wants to know what that reason is and why he should be so concerned about avoiding it. Because 90% of the time, these alleged dangers aren't in the least bit dangerous and only mildly interesting. He is far more interested in the other 10% and is willing to put his own health on the line in the pursuit of entertainment--and, obviously, everyone else's health too. If Phobos cannot fear for himself, he cannot fear for anyone else either. Nor does he want to. And no, he won't feel bad if something happens to you because that button opened up a trapdoor beneath your feet, promptly turning you into gator-fodder. It was your own fault for being anywhere near him to begin with.
Everyone else's fear -- It is his brand of heroin and he can never quite get enough of it. In actuality, he is just an adrenaline junkie. As someone else's heart thunders through their own case of Fight or Flight Syndrome, Phobos follows them. As their adrenaline fires up, numbing some senses and heightening others, the same happens to him. The difference being that he does not feel the need to run or attack the source. He would rather invade their personal space to add to their discomfort and give his own high that extra edge. However, adrenaline rushes to not last as long as he would have them last, and the next fix can never come fast enough. This leads him to create "uncomfortable" situations himself (which he is inclined to do regardless), manipulating conversations with carefully chosen wording and a slight change in tone. Just enough to cause a steady throb of anxiety that will keep him occupied until he has the opportunity to do something a little more drastic. Like incite mass hysteria on the tube until they have to stop at the next station and evacuate the passengers. The more Phobos needs his fix--because make no mistake, his need to experience the fear of others really is an addiction he will never be able to drop--the more and more absurd his "situations" will become. Absurd and destructive. When it comes to Fear, he is extremely driven and horribly focussed, and, as a child of War, he does not know how to take baby steps with his actions. He has no qualms with letting people die in his quest to remain in genuinely good spirits. There is little reason he should, since he was most commonly sighted on battlegrounds where people were dying regardless. Needless to say, there are some areas of humanity where Phobos is decidedly lacking.
Human behaviour -- His emotional responses to any given situation involving any given individual are shallow at best. Phobos' behaviour is, for the most part, learned. Self-taught through watching others interact and, now that he is mortal, monitoring their reactions to him. If someone smiles amiably at him, he will mirror it. Typically positive reactions will almost always be reciprocated. He recognises humour (but doesn't often find it amusing) and knows when to laugh. Beyond what can be seen on the surface there is (besides a constant longing for totally devastating fear) a perfectly calm centre. The eye of the storm, as it were, though this storm is not as chaotic as the metaphor would lead you to believe. Still, it is a tranquil environment that allows Phobos to think, manipulate, calculate, analyse and understand--while on the outside, he can maintain the front required to suit the person he is talking to. Of course, Phobos doesn't quite view this as a "front". It is merely a device with which to successfully communicate/interact with others when he needs/wants to. Entirely self-serving and false, but it serves its purpose. On the flipside, typically negative reactions towards Phobos elicit a whole new array of responses and none of them are really that predictable. He may mirror someone else's anger/distress or he may laugh--it depends on the first reaction that springs to mind and how well he understands the reasons behind this negative outburst. If he is fully aware of the whys and wherefores, his reaction can be tailored accordingly (he has no real natural reaction to offer, besides amusement, since he sees it as unnatural for anyone to reaction to Fear in any manner other than the obvious). If not, there is every chance that he will pat you on the back with a friendly smile after having been informed you intend to pull out his teeth with pliers. But it must be noted that shortly after patting you on the back, it is likely he would commit one of many acts of violence that would render you unable to remove his teeth. That is, of course, the sensible thing to do. [As an after-thought, the mun would like to point out that that is merely an extreme example--not something likely to happen on a regular basis.]
Lack of empathy/sympathy/affection -- He is seriously lacking in all three areas, though perhaps the latter is less noticeable. When it comes to empathy, Phobos cannot relate to the thoughts, emotions or experiences of the person/people in question. When it comes to sympathy, he cannot offer the support needed because he does not have the necessary compassion and sensitivity. By all means, attempt to cry on his shoulder, but his reaction will be one of vague confusion or perhaps a blank expression. He does not understand why certain events (losses, etc.) would cause such distress in a person because it is likely he would never consider it a great loss if he were in their place. He finds it very difficult to form genuine bonds with others--if you think he is your friend, he probably isn't. It is more than likely you just had a very nice chat. As a result, he does not have the emotional investment in relationships that everyone else seems to have. He is, however, very good at creating the illusion of such investments when necessary. Like with family members. He cares because he knows he is expected to--not because he actually cares. His apparent--and rather inconsistent--affection for his family is simply the appreciation he has for them as deities and forces of nature... but forcibly pushed to the next step. It looks like he loves them, when really, he just really likes the work they do. They're like his own personal celebrities.
Bad impulse control -- When not in the process of terrorising those around him, Phobos finds it incredibly difficult to resist real temptation. That is not to say he quickly falls victim to someone else's attempts at tempting him away from anything in particular. If he has really set his mind on something, it will be hard to pull his attention elsewhere unless the intended object of temptation is of equal value to him. Given that his value system in no way resembles that of anyone else, it may be hard to meet his standards. And yet he is more than capable of creating his own distractions and temptations, and he will flutter between every whim, occasionally skipping back to one he had not explored thoroughly enough... just because the thought occurred to him. He will never think twice before tucking in the label of your shirt. Where most people might spend a while agonising over whether or not they should even mention it, never mind invade your personal space to fix that little irritation, Phobos will just go ahead and fix it. He will also count on the fact the invasion of your personal space will leave you at least a little unsettled. But regardless of how many times he may derail himself from his rather singular trail of thought, he will always work his way back again. Phobos' world is flat and he enjoys pushing people over the edge.
T.R.A.U.M.A. is just another word I'll never learn to pronounce -- He could write whole books on fear, as a philosophy, a science, as a flavour of ice-cream. He knows the practical theory behind every nuance of his specialisation, as it were. He would kick the ass of any academic who also specialised in that area. What Phobos really is missing is the understanding of the more long term effects it has on the human mind. He can recognise a mind that had been ripped to shreds by fear, but when in the process of inflicting the fear himself, he has no grasp on where the borders of "just enough", "about to lose all rationality" and "wants to tear out own eyes" are. As previously mentioned, he does not know how to take baby steps and, if given free rein, does not know when to stop (with the exception of "before they die"; the dead aren't much fun).
» Personality:
From an outsider's perspective (that is to say, someone not from the complex/mythology), Phobos would appear no different from anyone else. He certainly would not be taken for the Face of Fear, as it were. Perhaps it is because his reaction to those around him tends to be relatively relaxed in nature, which makes it easy for those who don't know him to get on with him. Perhaps it is because the gifts his mother gave him snapped him out of the stereotypically "gothic" view of a personified Fear. He is not the pale creature with dark hair and an oddly polished veneer that makes him easily mistakeable for Dracula. His smiles are warm regardless of the motivation behind them and he tends to give the impression that he would welcome you with open arms--because he would. And promptly try to induce a heart attack. Come into my parlour, said the spider to the fly... Something of a life philosophy, really, since once you've taken the time to look (or accidentally notice), there's a certain something that lies beneath that amiable surface. It is dark and unsettling and, if you're unfortunate enough to be receptive to it, gives the distinct impression you're being watched in a room with no windows and doors while the lights are turned off. You'll notice that, while he was apparently friendly enough to sit beside you on your lonely bus-ride home, he is sitting just that little bit too close. When his gaze lingers, he is not checking you out. When his hand accidentally brushes against yours as he hands you whatever it was you just dropped, it wasn't an accident. And he isn't doing it deliberately; it is merely his nature to behave in manner that makes you feel claustrophobic in an open space. When he starts talking and you realise that, not only is he right behind you and looking over your shoulder, but he is close enough for you to hear his breathing more clearly that you would ever wish to... he is not purposefully trying to make you uncomfortable. That is just how he is. Phobos conducts one-on-one conversations from within the other person's personal space. He does not break eye contact when others would consider normal to do so--he is just looking at you. Certain nuances of human behaviour, methods of intimidation, etc. are lost on him, though he uses them frequently without thinking. He can use other people's behaviour and apply it to his own actions, but not the other way round.
As noted above, Phobos can be perfectly (but entirely superficially) friendly enough when it suits him. When he doesn't feel quite so inclined to play nice, he is equally as capable of being a snide bastard. While he isn't a malicious person, fear was never intended to be pleasant and his sense of humour tends to be both sarcastic and at the expense of others. Just as he has no issues with using other people to get his next high (although that can't really be avoided), when it comes to mere entertainment or even trying to avoid puddles he will walk over people without giving it a second thought. He does not, and will probably never, see Right and Wrong. He sees Scared and Not Scared, which is where his concept of black versus white ends. Fear is neither Good nor Evil, it just Is--he applies the same philosophy to everything else. But since his Nice Guy side is a facade, he can and does switch it on and off at will--a transition that can prove to be quite jarring to those around him, especially if it occurs mid-conversation. Though he will neither care (or even notice, really), since if it proves to draw a displeasing reaction from his companion, Phobos will just move onto the next person. As a personification of a human emotion, he is most at home around people, making him quite a social creature. But then one cannot achieve collective hysteria in isolation.
In his rewired state, he can still give Jack Nicholson and Vincent Price a run for their money when it comes to their laugh. Though his natural laugh is as 'normal' as anyone else's, Phobos knows the value of a well-gauged increase in the degree of maniacality/morbidity/[insert appropriate adjective here] when it comes to unnerving his audience. He has a tendency to romanticise the concept of fear, not recognising--and sometimes almost refusing to--the true effect it has on the people he plays with. He views his victims en masse--as an orchestra--with each person given their own instrument. All they need is a little fine tuning and then they can begin. There is no torture, no torment in this act; which is only one of the reasons he will never see what he does to be in any way morally or ethically wrong. It is all perfectly natural. What art could be as pure as raw human emotion? He just wants to strip it bare.