#epic angst

[oatmealdoodles]

sometimes when I close my eyes, I can feel you there The warmth of your hand, your heart beating in my ear, but then I open them and you’re gone.

inspired by @viria ‘s beautiful Zelda art

[theproverbialpen]

Do the Benefits Outweigh the Cost?

Summary: Zeus refuses to wrestle with his emotions as he listens in on the conversation between not one but two Poseidons. Inspired by @neal-illustrator's "Phantom Pains" comic.

Word Count: 1477

Warnings: Discussions of childhood trauma

Notes: After a month of not writing anything, Neal Illustrator posted this comic in her discord (you should subscribe to her Patreon if you're able btw it's such a lovely community) and I was struck with inspiration like one of Zeus' very own bolts. As soon as I got the notification that Neal posted this on her tumblr I got so excited, finally getting some time to post. Hope y'all enjoy this little angst piece I cooked up:

Time was a strange thing—boundless, all encompassing, and utterly inescapable. All were subject to the ceaseless passage of the seasons—neither mortals nor gods were free from its linear march. Linear, that was to say, in most cases.

Ever since Zeus and his siblings banded together all those millennia ago to defeat the Titan who had once reigned supreme over Time, they had enjoyed relative stability and peace (disregarding that one little uprising incident but, well, Zeus had dealt with that handedly). However, there were a few occasions on which Cronus would rouse ever so slightly from his imposed slumber down in the depths of Tarturus. Those were occasions when time got…weird.

Hence, the scene currently playing out before Zeus. He had felt a ripple in the fabric of reality—that telltale sign that his bastard of a father was acting up again—and had travelled to Aegae to alert his brother. He had planned for them to go down to see Hades together so that the three of them could ensure the seal was holding fast and thus found himself marching through the halls of his middle brother's underwater palace. It was in a central chamber, at the foot of a grand marble statue depicting the Ruler of the Tides, where he had come across Poseidon. Correction—where he had found two Poseidons.

The younger Poseidon was just as Zeus had remembered him, as much as a child his age could have recalled. His hair was a short bob, well on its way to becoming the long, rippling mane that defined his brother in the present day. The edges of his jaw were still soft, marked by a faint peach fuzz that would eventually grow into a well-groomed, tri-pointed beard. He wore a blue ribbon around his neck from which a gold medallion was hung, etched with his emblematic trident—the same medallion he would eventually incorporate into his belt. He still had that youthful sparkle in his eyes, eyes set upon a face that could not hide a single emotion that passed through the young god’s heart; after all, Poseidon had always had one of the biggest hearts of them all, second only to Hestia. And of course:

This Poseidon still had his right arm.

The young God of the Sea, with all his limbs and his animated personality still intact, was a far cry from the deity sitting next to him. Zeus could hardly believe he was watching the same people converse with each other. Zeus’ brother, as he knew him, was a ruthless being. He had his moments when he got flustered, sure, but Poseidon Agolotraina was defined by a coldness as sharp and piercing as the three pronged weapon he wielded. Zeus would often make light of Poseidon’s dour demeanor—as was his right as both his youngest sibling and his king—but the Thunder Bringer was no fool. Zeus was well acquainted with the rage that constantly simmered beneath Poseidon’s surface and he knew better than to underestimate the danger his brother could pose. It was a rage and a danger that were notably absent from the teenage version of Poseidon sitting on those steps, and that thought alone made Zeus’ chest tighten with a sadness he did not care to address.

Typically, Zeus would have sauntered over to the pair, offered some sort of witty one-liner, and generally just have inserted himself into the situation unbidden. However, defying all of his usual desire to command whatever room he was in, Zeus found himself quietly stepping behind one of the pillars and concealing himself from view (as best someone with a form as imposing as his could). His breathing grew shallower as he strained to listen in on his brothers’ conversation, leaving him just about able to make out their exchange.

“Staring is rude,” present-Poseidon chided in his deeper, baritone voice. Zeus snuck a glance around the marble column and spotted past-Poseidon’s fallen face, embarrassment washing over his features like the tide dragging along the shore. The young god quickly averted his eyes and Zeus ducked back into his hiding place, cursing to himself when he noticed his untamed curls peeking out past the edge of the pillar. Thankfully, it became apparent that he had remained undetected when present-Poseidon spoke again. “I can’t tell you how it happened.”

Zeus heard a deep sigh before a higher-pitched voice rang out through the chamber. “I figured as much,” past-Poseidon lamented. His statement was accompanied by a subtle crack, his timbre oscillating between rich fullness and pitchy squeaking in the way that only an adolescent’s could. Fully into his own adulthood, Zeus could not help but find the sound amusing. And yet, it also caused a part of him to ache with a potent nostalgia. It was as if past-Poseidon’s four words alone had transported Zeus back to a simpler time, a time when that very voice was a grounding source of comfort. It was a time when that voice—pitchiness and all—belonged to the man whom Zeus admired the most in the world.

Being the closest in age, Zeus had spent the most time with Poseidon before the domestic embrace of family was so cruelly ripped from him. To be fair, it wasn't as if the rest of his siblings weren’t involved in his rearing. Hades was a stoic yet kind eldest brother and while the girls weren’t technically his sisters, the bonds they all shared gave Zeus a feeling of safety and serenity that ran far deeper than blood. But when Zeus wanted someone to play with, Poseidon had always been the first to volunteer. When he needed a shoulder to cry on, Poseidon’s was the first one he had found. And when their lives were at stake, Poseidon had been the one to tuck him into that secluded corner while maintaining a brave face, ensuring that young Zeus had no idea anything was wrong until it was far too late.

Zeus could still recall the feeling of being tucked securely in the crook of his older brother’s arms as Poseidon’s footsteps echoed through the eerie, empty halls of Olympus. He could still recall the warmth of his older brother’s hands wrapped protectively around him. Young Zeus had no idea it would be the last time he’d ever feel the comfort of Poseidon's right palm splayed across his back again.

“Can I ask you a question?” past-Poseidon continued, breaking Zeus from his increasingly disconcerting recollection. 

“Of course,” present-Poseidon responded.

The room fell quiet for a moment, so quiet that Zeus had to hold his breath lest he disturb the pensive stillness of the air. Then, he heard that familiar, cracking voice again.

“Does it still hurt?”

The ichor froze in Zeus’ veins as every muscle in his body went taut all at once. He imagined present-Poseidon was experiencing the same paralyzing, stomach-dropping sensation if the prolonged silence was anything to go by. Zeus could picture the Sea God's facade cracking in his mind’s eye, could almost see the surprised look that must have overtaken Poseidon's impartial expression as his older brother sharply inhaled. 

“Don’t fear the pain,” Poseidon finally answered after what felt like a millennia had passed. “The benefits far outweigh the cost.”

Zeus barely managed to hold back his snort. ‘Don’t fear the pain,’ Poseidon said, as if he had not let out a scream for their mother so blood curdling that it still haunted Zeus to this day. ‘The benefits outweigh the cost,’ Poseidon assured, as if he had not tried to overthrow the very same brother for whom he had lost that arm protecting. Through his deflective platitudes, Poseidon had left the heart of the question unanswered. Perhaps he could spare his younger self from the truth, but Zeus had seen Poseidon flinch at nothing more than enough times to know the real answer which his brother had left unspoken.

As Zeus stood in the shadow of that pillar, one hand clenched tightly into a fist at his side, he could not help but wonder—was there any truth to Poseidon’s words? Did he really not regret his decision all those years ago? Was it worth it, losing both a part of himself and the years of his youth trapped in darkness and acid, all to protect his younger brother? Was Zeus one of those ‘benefits’ that outweighed the cost of Poseidon’s choice to face their father head on?

Or were these all just hollow words meant to assuage the fears of a young god not yet marred by the trauma of their youth and the strain in their brotherhood?

Worrying about such things was beneath Zeus. With a gruff exhale, he pushed himself off of the sandstone pillar and stalked back down the halls toward Aegae’s front entrance. Clearly Poseidon was busy—Zeus would just consult Hades on his own. Staying any longer would just be a waste of time. That was why Zeus was leaving without a word.

It was most certainly not because he feared learning the answers to his own questions left unasked.

[alariez143]

For you ♡

༊*· Paring- Telemachus x gn!Reader (Fluff!)

༊*· Note- This might be ooc! The fighting scenes might be bad? I asked a friend of mine for ideas on how I should made them fight! The ending was rushed since I just need this done 😭 So this is NOT proofread!

Thanks for all the support on the first post about this work. It means so much to me guys! <3 If you liked this, please read my work about Hermes!

“Bite little wolf, bite!” Antinous and the other suitors yelled as he continued hitting the prince’s bloodied and bruised body. Telemachus felt weak, unable to defend himself, no one could defend him now. “Strike little wolf, strike!” They continued to yell as Telemachus continued to get harmed, unable to blow back on Antinous… Until the room echoed, a loud hit, straight to Antinous’ face. Telemachus flinched, his eyes flickering open. The figure in front of him… Their hair was all to familiar.. Y/N..?

“You’re so strong until someone ACTUALLY strikes back, aren’t you!” They shout, in between gritted teeth and clenched fists. Athena was slightly taken aback, she had wanted to help the boy… But it seems as if she wasn’t quick enough. Who is this..? “And who do you think you are hm? You’re probably weaker than him, what can you do to 108 men, let alone me. Huh?” Antinous growls, wiping off the slight blood that dripped from his nose. Their figure was small, who were they to be against what he was doing? Don’t they know who he is? Antinous carefully observes the scowl growing larger on their face. “Go on? Or do I have to hit the words out of you like him too?” Telemachus’ eyes widen, he couldn’t let Antinous hit you? Your parents would kill you if they see bruises on your face.

They exhaled the breath they were holding, staring at Antinous back, harder. “I’d like to see you try hit me! Because you can’t..!” A nervous chuckle, they were too confident. This won’t end well for them… But they have to, so they could finally leave Telemachus alone. Another second with silence from both sides, before Antinous’ fist met their chest. So we are doing this then! Great…

“Y/N? Are you okay? I-“ Telemachus placed a shaky hand on their shoulder, why couldn’t they just stay out of this? He could handle himself! “Telemachus, let me go.” Their eyes met with Telemachus, Antinous can’t get away with this now, but they can’t either.. His shaky hand reluctantly left their shoulder, holding his other arm out of worry now.

Antinous took another jab at them, only for them to duck under and swing back at his nose. Oh gods.. They’re really doing this! A sharp pain struck Antinous from the behind, again and again. Antinous’ teeth were practically cracking from how much he was gritting them, why couldn’t he turn around? He wasn’t going to let a measly weakling embarrass him to all the suitors. Antinous finally found the chance, to turn around and strike them now that their fists are tired. The suitor began to pummel them, his blood mixing into theirs.

Oh gods… They need my help! Athena transformed into an owl, instantly pecking at his legs, kicking him with her small feet, if she wasn’t a god this wouldn’t have done much… But.

Antinous fell over.. W-what? Y/N glanced over to Telemachus, who was just as clueless as them. However, the two knew it was their chance to run before he got up. Both of them ended up hiding in Telemachus’ room, entering through a passage underneath a statue of Athena by his mother’s room.

Shaky breaths echoed throughout his room, as if it were the only sound in all of Greece. Telemachus looked at them with frustrated eyes, “are you insane?!” He yells, they were seriously bloodied, for a fight they didn’t need to be apart of! “Maybe, maybe I am..! But you don’t think you are either for just letting him hit you? Telemachus he-“ The prince cut them off, “no Y/N. Listen! You’re seriously hurt, but for what reason? You could’ve just walked past!” Tension between the two quickly began to rise, the air was getting thicker.

“You- I-“ Y/N couldn’t even muster up a proper answer, things were going too quickly, and blood was still running down their face, and his too! The soft noise of Telemachus sighing ringed in her ears, like a reminder he was disappointed. “You’re so stupid..” Telemachus exhales whilst pulling them into a tight embrace, their blood staining his chiton. “Let me deal with Antinous myself next time..”

They clenched their fists, next time..? “No! I- I can’t let a ‘next time’ happen…” The prince pulled away, their reluctance was slowly getting to him. But he needed to fix things first before they could argue.

“Stay there..” Telemachus sighs again, walking towards his bathroom in hopes of finding bandages somewhere..? All Y/N could do was stand there, shoulders slumped as they stared down at the woven carpet. Minutes slowly passed, Telemachus was taking his sweet time. Y/N’s blood had by now made a small puddle in his carpet, staining it garnet.Telemachus shortly returned, his own bruises now concealed by bandages. A small first aid kit gently clenched in his hands, the prince looked down at his carpet and only sighed. “Sit on the bed before my entire carpet goes red…” They complied, doing as he said. The two still stayed silent, only hisses and slight seethes that came from Y/N as he cleaned their wounds. “Why’d you even do it..?” He whispers, looking up at their figure before continuing to bandage their hands.

“I know you.. Antinous is a bully, and he’s not a kind man. He needed to be humbled!” The boy let go of their now bandaged hand, slightly crouching to now work on their face whilst he listened. “You shouldn’t tolerate his behavio- Ow.. Easy on my nose..! That hurts like hell..” The more Telemachus pressed the cloth down onto their nose, the more they winced. “You’re not telling me the full truth, come on Y/N. Why did you do it.” Pressure on their nose only intensified as he spoke, “answer me… Please..?” Telemachus looked up, their faces were slightly close, only his hand in between them.

Moments passed before they opened their mouth, only to close it again. Y/N sighs, “Telemachus I’m doing this for you… I couldn’t just let him hurt you!” His eyes softened, for him..? Really..? A faint red glow began to creep up onto face, unable to now focus on the cloth he was pressing on their nose. Telemachus’ eyes held contact with theirs as he slightly moved forward. “For me..? You didn’t have to, now look what you did..!” They shakes their head, “I did have to. Antinous was going to hurt you.. It didn’t matter if I was going to be hurt! I’m sorry…” Their eyes slightly glimmer, Telemachus continues to move his head forward. His face now just inches away. “I couldn’t just watch Antinous hurt you.. Even if you can handle yourse-“ The prince’s lips met theirs, his hand that was once on her bloodied nose now on their waist, pulling them closer. He pulled away, a slight pant, “I- I’m so sorry… I didn’t mean to do that!” Telemachus panicked, what if that just changed everything between them? Until, they pulled him closer again. “Gods…” The prince murmured, pulling away again, he felt hazy…

“You seriously need to stop cutting me off…” Y/N whispered, softly chuckling at his flustered face. Their nose had long been dry now, the warm hand that was once on it, now slightly squeezing their waist. “You’re insane.. Very stupid too…” Telemachus frowned, burying his face into their neck. “For you? Maybe I am.”

Thanks for reading! :D

[cosmipepper]

odypen angst headcanon (post ithaca)

odysseus has nightmares about the events of the odyssey where he thrashes and screams. penelope has to hold him for almost an hour to calm him down as he sobs into her arms because he feels useless. she admits that she has nightmares about the suitors and losing odysseus (albeit less often) and they paralyze her, and promises to wake odysseus up when she has a nightmare to make him feel better

penelope has a nightmare one time, and looks at her sleeping husband who looks peaceful for the first time in what feels like forever, so she silently cries instead cause she just can't bear to be so selfish as to wake him up

[frutigeraerouser]

Love’s Denotation

A/N: this is extremely rushed, my condolences! Don’t mind the layout I’m testing stuff out iykwim ;)

PAIRING: telemachus x GN reader

SUMMARY: You fall in love for the prince, but he has eyes for another. Once you get rid of her, you can’t escape the overwhelming guilt.

TW: mentions of sex, su!c!de, and a mess

You never knew what or how to define love. It all seemed like a topic you weren’t ready for yet. That is, until you met him.

Telemachus was the prince of Ithaca, and even if he probably has daddy issues, you never thought you would wind up in this position.

It was a normal day, the same aroma of rain and nature flooding the isolated yet busy palace. The only reason you even got a chance to sleep in a room or be there at all was because you were siblings with one of the suitors. He would usually play the lyre for you due to his admiration in Apollo. You would always listen and occasionally find yourself humming the songs throughout your days.

Your days were the same. You would get up, walk around the palace, serve the suitors, and spend the rest of the day doing whatever crap came to mind. Right now, you were serving the suitors, placing the large, marble plates steadily. You were dumbfounded at how they could eat so much food in one day. Not your brother though, he was skinny. After a while, you finished ignoring the suitor’s sexual remarks on you all while serving them.

Maybe it was because of how uncomfortable you felt, but you ran out of the grand hall the second you could. Next thing you knew, you were in the courtyard, panting, hair strands sticking to your face. Even with your heavy breathing, you suddenly heard a sharp chop into a plate of wood. You warily turned around only to find Telemachus practicing his archery. You never paid much mind to him, only hearing through him out of gossip in the pearly white halls.

With sore legs and racing mind, you leaned against the marble column, eyes gazing onto him. For a flickering second, he looked over to you. Looked over to you with those mesmerizing blue eyes. A blue sky with the softest caramel skin. You found yourself drawn to him from there on, always finding yourself in the same halls or gardens as him.

It was unhealthy. Your heart always ached and you wished to cry every time you heard a single word uttering about him with another woman or even, man.

But soon enough, it happened. You entered the grand hall and were immediately deafened by the constant chatter. Your brother sprinted to you, and exclaimed the words you most feared out of excitement: “Did you hear? Prince Telemachus is getting married!” You’d didn’t believe it, trying to push the allegations away just like your tears. Unfortunately, you couldn’t deny them anymore when you saw both him and a princess while in the market. They looked so happy. Both on the same horse and tangling their arms around each other.

Tears pricked in your eyes, the ability to hold a tomato getting harder with every tremble your hand made. When you were finally at the gardens back at the palace, you sobbed. A sharp, painful sob filled with agonizing tears. It wasn’t pretty. Despite the devastating atmosphere, you couldn’t help but come up with an idea. Pretty..

The following day, you went to the gardens again and found the princess just where you wanted her. She strolled into a willow tree, and you followed right behind her furtively. Once you were both inside you cleared your throat, and forced a tight smile. Once she turned around, she jumped slightly.

“M-May I help you?” She stammered. “Oh no! I just wanted to say, you’re so.. pretty. Prettier than Aphrodite.” Immediately, her face softened, lips curving into a tender beam. “Oh! Thank you!” Immediately, you left. Left swiftly.

Sure enough, few weeks later you heard that she had jumped off a cliff due to ‘the will of the gods’. While strolling through the halls later, you heard quiet sobs coming from the same courtyard that changed you. It was Telemachus. Hearing him, and even seeing him cry broke your heart. So naturally, you approached him. You let him cry into your shoulder and sob about how much he loved her. You comforted him as if he was a child and you were a mother, nodding sympathetically every once in a while.

Ever since then, you started talking more. And more, and more, to the point you even occasionally held hands or.. more. Nobody knew, but you couldn’t care less. You couldn’t care less that you had to hold back your sounds so nobody could hear. Because as long as you were with him, life was complete.

Once, you were lying in bed with him, panting, and face flushed. Your bodies were tangled together, both eyes gazing into each others. “Do you still miss her?” You queried. “Why would I, if I have you?” Telemachus retaliated. You couldn’t help but let out a small, fervent giggle. “Oh, Telemachus..” It was in those words when you felt it, for a flickering moment: guilt. You didn’t deserve this, the other woman did. But, you were the other woman. If it weren’t for your cruel words, she would be the one tangled. The one who got to touch his lips with hers.

It doesn’t matter.

As long as you were with him, you were complete.

Complete? What is complete? Com-plete. Adjective. Having all necessary/appropriate parts, making something whole or perfect.

Though you tried ignoring it every day, the feeling would always catch up to you. When you were kissing, touching, loving him. You were playing with his hair in the gardens when, suddenly, it was almost as if you felt.. something. Your mind flashed to a vague ‘memory’, one when you were flying through the sky, as if you had fallen off a cliff, and you were screaming.

F[]k. It wasn’t a memory. It was just a.. hypothetical. In desperation, you kept tangling your fingers in his hair and humming your brother’s melodies harder than you should’ve. The tension in your knuckles was unbearable, your breath fighting to keep their steady rhythm. “Y/N?..” Telemachus called. “I-I-Telemachus? Ye-s, what’s sit- it?” He didn’t respond, and you prayed he didn’t notice your tranquillity cracking through every breath.

How could you stoop so low? Of course, it got you what you wanted but couldn’t there have been another way? When your breath was too tight and your vision too blurry, you promptly ran out as fast as your feet could take you. You collapsed near a river, where time was slow and patient. After a while, your breathing matched the river’s waves. Calm.

You were at the beach now, sitting in the sand while the water splashed on your feet. Earlier today, you had asked your brother for music, which seemed to tame the thoughts of today. Though you still felt unimaginably guilty, it all disappeared when Telemachus sat next to you.

There, you both made small talk while you apologized for your exit earlier today. As the time flew, the sun began its descent, where Telemachus made a rather unexpected question: “Could you define love?” You stayed silent for a while, since you never knew how, but that was long ago, and times have changed. Steadily, you sighed.

“You.”

[noxtel]

love this hc

the winion is named Mr. Muffin cause i like muffins and Polites probably also does

also i take no responsibility for tears shed

[arlecchinasmainblog]

More Epic Angst

It’s the middle of the night and shouting can be heard from the king’s chambers.

“Get your wretched hands off of me! I am done enacting your vile fantasies!”

It’s happening again.

“Odysseus, my king, my love, it is I, Penelope.”

But he couldn’t recognize that. Not now anyway.

“You are not! You are not! Cease veiling yourself as my wife you evil witch!”

Despite his wife’s gentle words, he couldn’t see her as he rocked in the fetal position; squinting his eyes shut as if he were a child hiding from an imaginary monster.

“Why must you take joy in tormenting me! I just want to go home! I just want to be home!”

The poor man cried in vain. And all his wife could do was weep. For she could not help her husband escape the prison of his confabulated captor. She could not free him from the prison of his own mind.

[what-shitfuckery-is-this-ew]

The only thing I'm sad about is that Odysseus didn't have to talk to Ctimene cause its another level of angst with having to explain that her husband is dead (though i did expect it to happen cause she hasn't ever been mentioned or cast) but i get it. We need a happy slow song after the trauma that man created