there is something different about walking inside. usually, him and zeus were present first. the gods filtered in after, always - leaving them actual time to speak as it was happening. he wonders, now, what zeus thought when he had not been present. if his brother had any kind of inkling. it doesn't matter. not anymore. after he had pushed the doors open, he's now walking, step by step, towards the centre of the room. he doesn't pay much attention, not to anyone else aside from zeus. who, when poseidon finally came to a stop, only responded with a: "you're late." and a raise of an eyebrow.
"being late assumes i intended to arrive sooner than now. i didn't." his words are short, and a silence follows. it is only when zeus begins to speak again, that poseidon cuts in there first. "i'm not participating in this meeting, zeus. and i'm going to skip the formalities. i'm done here. done with olympus. i'm leaving." he lets the statement hang in the air for a moment - which quickly fills with murmurs and whispers from the other gods. but poseidon's gaze stays firmly on zeus. and zeus', on his. "you already know why. i'm not your slave, zeus. and i'm done pretending that i am." those words are lower. as if he's only talking to his brother.
and it is on those words, that zeus finally arises from his seat. "shut it." he orders to the gods around the room, and they quieten instantly. "what .." his attention shifts back to poseidon. "did you say?" his voice is low, too, but it's the kind of low that comes before an explosion. " .. you think you can just ... leave? walk in here, drop a bomb, and walk out? you don't get to decide that."
"i am." poseidon seems unphased. he had spent a long, long time hiding his true feelings towards zeus. it isn't difficult to hide the instinctual reaction that comes with the underlaying threat. because he's lived it. breathed it, for so, so long. "and i'm leaving with the ocean. my status and position remains intact, and i'm leaving with the ability to see sally, and my son, again. i'm keeping what's mine." he takes a step forward, despite himself. "i wish to keep friendship with olympus. this is not an act of war. please hear me on that. i simply wish to go my own way. to not-"
zeus interrupts him with a bark of a laugh, and he descends the stairs, finally, in order to meet poseidon at ground level. he's gotta give it to poseidon. he doesn't even flinch. "so let me get this straight. you want to leave olympus, keep your command of the ocean and raise the perfect little shit stain to bring all this down around us? you're a fucking traitor." and there's surprisingly no malice behind that last statement. instead, just clear observation and certainty. "i'm not letting this happen. not now, not ever. leaving? over my dead body."
"you are letting this happen, because otherwise-"
"what? because otherwise what, brother? you want to play by your own rules, fine. but then you'll find out exactly what it means to defy me in my own hall. reconsider. this is your only chance."
and the gods around them whisper again. poseidon can feel how tense they are, and he takes the opportunity to glance at them. more specifically, to athena. they hadn't a good past, but even he can see how she is silently watching - hanging on every action, every syllable, every word. their eyes meet for a moment, before poseidon looks back to zeus. "because otherwise, you will make enemies with one of the endless. a being outside of your influence and command. do you really want that, zeus? because i seem to remember the last tim-"
and for the third time, zeus cuts poseidon off. but it isn't by words. it is by zeus' thunderbolt, aiming directly at poseidon's chest.