new au idea 😭 long text warning?????
The AU begins with the windbag disaster near Ithaca. Odysseus got knocked overboard and got washed up to the shores of ithaca, but his crew got stirred somewhere. He made it home but HAS to go back to the sea to retrieve his men. Bonus new crew(including stowaway son, Telemachus and Young Antinous and Eurymachus :D)
Odysseus and his crew are very close to home
The ship is destroyed by the released winds
Ithaca witnesses the disaster from shore, making it public trauma
Telemachus is around 10 years old
Odysseus is war-worn but not yet shaped by later canonical trials
The crew is lost or missing at sea
Odysseus is the only survivor who returns to Ithaca
Odysseus refuses to accept the loss as final
He stays in Ithaca briefly but is consumed by survivor’s guilt
He believes his men may still be alive somewhere at sea
He decides he must return to search for them
Odysseus initially plans to go back to sea alone
This comes from guilt and refusal to risk more lives
Instead of Odysseus choosing a crew, fathers volunteer their sons
The boys join the voyage as a search and rescue cohort, not soldiers
The motivation is honor, duty, and proving themselves
The boys are enthusiastic about serving under Odysseus
Antinous is 14 and joins the cohort
Eurymachus is 16 and joins the cohort
Future suitor figures are included in this group
Penelope becomes the emotional anchor of Odysseus’ departure
Odysseus explains he must search for his lost crew
Penelope is devastated but understands
Odysseus gives Penelope a “permission clause” to remarry if he does not return by the time Telemachus has a beard
This creates emotional suspension once Telemachus later sneaks aboard
Penelope and Anticlea support each other in Ithaca
Anticlea is alive in this AU
Both are grieving mothers in different emotional directions
They stabilize Ithaca during uncertainty
Anticlea gives Penelope hope by saying Odysseus has survived the sea once before
She believes the sea has already failed to claim him
The departure voyage begins at dawn
Odysseus sails with the volunteer cohort of boys
Antinous and Eurymachus are part of the crew
The ship leaves Ithaca to search for the lost crew
Telemachus sneaks aboard the ship
He is about 10 and a half years old
He refuses to be left behind again
Antinous discovers Telemachus below deck
The crew realizes the prince is onboard
Odysseus is immediately informed
Odysseus reacts with tactical panic and emotional shock
He realizes the mission is no longer just a search operation
It is now a voyage with his son onboard
Odysseus confronts Telemachus
Telemachus says he refused to be left behind again
Odysseus warns him about the danger of the sea
Telemachus insists Odysseus is not invincible either
Odysseus orders that Telemachus stays within sight at all times
The crew reorganizes around his presence
Antinous adjusts into structured planning and watch systems
Eurymachus reacts with chaotic but functional energy
Odysseus becomes a father-figure to the crew of boys
Each boy takes on a role within the ship’s structure
Antinous becomes observant and strategic
Eurymachus is brash and unpredictable
Telemachus is emotionally driven and determined
Odysseus begins actively teaching Telemachus seafaring skills
He teaches knots, ropes, sails, navigation, and survival
Telemachus falls asleep mid-lesson
Odysseus carries him across the deck
The moment mirrors infancy memories
The ship becomes a symbolic cradle
Odysseus reflects on holding infant Telemachus years ago
He realizes he is finally acting like a father again during the voyage
