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amazingmsme · 29 days

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Restless ‘Til We Reach Home

Anywhere I’d Follow You (ch. 1)

AN: happy underworld saga release day! Literally the day we’ve all been waiting for! This fic is my pride & joy rn so I hope y’all like it! Be sure to buckle in cause you’re in for one hell of a ride! The underworld saga is literally everything I could’ve imagined & more, & it makes this chapter hit so much harder. & I wouldn’t have it any other way 💗

Edit: omg I can’t believe I forgot to add the ghost!polites playlist that I so lovingly created! My sincere apologies to anyone who read it without the intended listening experience

Polites woke alone in the darkness. Or at least, he thought he was alone, until he felt a body shift next to him. The sky above was an inky black, completely devoid of stars. It didn't feel right.

He jolted upright, the ground underneath him rocking with his movement. No, it wasn't the ground, it was wood. He was on a small boat, and the bodies around him were his fellow soldiers. Most still remained unconscious.

"Odysseus!" he called out, but received no answer. "Eurylochus!" His voice echoed down the approaching canyon, bouncing back until it met his ears.

"Shhhh," a husky voice sounded from above. Polites startled and looked up, seeing a cloaked man standing at the back of the boat. His face was concealed by the hood pulled over its head, the only discernible feature being two bony hands peeking out from his sleeves. They clutched onto an oar, thrusting the boat further on its journey.

Polites crawled to the edge of the boat and leaned out, and he was greeted by perhaps the most beautiful sight. They were floating on a glowing river, the water a brilliant blue green. It was as he was staring into the ethereal water that he realized why the sky had no stars: they'd all fallen in the river.

The awestruck smile fell flat when he took a good look at his surroundings.

Everywhere he looked was gray and rocky and completely devoid of life. He heard people moaning in the distance and could see them trudging along in mindless huddles. Small fights broke out amongst them, and Polites could see fires burn in the distance.

He had to be dreaming, he was sure of it! He pinched his arm as hard as he could until he yelped from the pain. When he didn't wake up, he reached his hands into the water, splashing his face repeatedly.

"Wake up! Wake up! Wake up, wake up!" he yelled each time the cool water hit his skin. His vision blurred as the water dripped down his face and his eyes filled with tears. His shoulders shook as he sobbed, leaning over the edge of the boat. He could feel when they hit the shore, but he didn't budge, even as everyone else filed out.

The ripples around the boat began to calm, and soon enough the surface of the water was as smooth as glass. His eyes met his reflection and he jerked back, rocking the boat slightly. Hesitantly, he leaned back over the glowing water to get a closer look. Ripples sent minor shockwaves through his reflection, slowing until it showed a clear picture.

A choked gasp escaped his throat as he clamped a hand over his mouth. He looked up at the ferryman, who nodded solemnly. The tears he'd been holding back finally rolled down past his cheeks.

His head hung low as he cried, and he could feel each tear drip from his nose or chin. When he opened his eyes again, he saw tiny dots of red on his toga. Hesitantly, he reached up to wipe the tears from his face. When he pulled away, his hands were stained red.

He thrusted his hands in the water, scrubbing furiously to rid them of the blood. The stream before him turned a pale pink before the current carried it away.

Polites knew exactly where he was.

At first he tried to lay low, but he had always been outgoing and friendly, even to those who weren't so friendly back. But it quickly became clear that down here, no one wanted to talk to him. Or so it would seem.

Polites got into the habit of exploring the underworld every day. There was nothing to do but wander aimlessly or work, and Polites much preferred the former. It was while on one of these walks that he spotted a young woman kneeling by the riverbank. At first he thought nothing of it, but the closer he got, he could hear her quiet sobs and sniffles.

He approached cautiously, waving when he felt he was close enough to warrant a greeting. "Well hello there!" he said in a chipper voice, offering a shy grin. She looked up at the stranger before her, yelping and falling back onto her hands. He was quick to put her at ease.

"Hey hey, it's okay! I'm nice, I was just crushed by a cyclops," he explained his appearance, aiming for humor. The girl's lips twitched in a fleeting smile.

"Oh! Um, I'm sorry..." she apologized, and he waved a hand dismissively.

"Why? You have something to do with it?" he joked, smiling when she giggled, shaking her head.

"Noho..."

"Then you have nothing to apologize for!" He turned to her, holding his hand out to her. "I'm Polites." She studied him, chewing her lip before she accepted it.

"Eurydice."

"Ah, what a lovely name for a lovely woman," he complimented. Her smile was tainted with sadness. "I'm sorry, are you alright?" he asked gently. She shook her head, plastering on a fake smile.

"I'm in Hades, why wouldn't I be fine?" she tried to joke like he'd done moments before, but it fell flat.

"You know, if you need to get something off your chest, I'm all ears. I was practically the sole shoulder to cry on for 600 men." His tone made it impossible for Eurydice to discern whether or not he was being serious. Finally, she decided, "Yeah right."

"No really! Well, obviously not all of them took me up on my offer, but I'm a great listener," he offered with a warm, genuine smile. She let out an amused huff.

"I know it sounds stupid, but... I really thought I was gonna bust outta here." Polites placed a comforting hand on her shoulder.

"I don't think it's stupid at all. I mean, we all want out-"

"No, you don't get it!" she spun around to face him, tears in her eyes. Polites held his hands up in surrender on reflex, his entire body tense. Eurydice heaved a sigh, burying her face in her hands. "I was so close..."

Polites was almost afraid to ask, but, "C-close to what?"

Eurydice looked up with wide, tearful eyes as she stared longingly out into the distance. She spoke breathily as her mind began to wander, "Freedom."

Polites couldn't believe what he was hearing. He grabbed her by the shoulders. "Wait, you mean you were trying to leave? How?" he asked desperately, the wounds on his face and body starting to bleed.

"I wasn't on my own. Orpheus came for me."

"Orpheus?" he questioned.

"I died on our wedding day..." she answered, trailing off as she stared at the ground. "And he risked everything to come save me. We could've made it out and we'd both be happy. Start a family..." she took a grounding breath, drying her eyes. "I never did get to hear how his song turned out."

Polites perked up slightly. "Oh, he's a musician?" he asked. She smiled as she remembered her love.

"Mhm. Said he was gonna write a song to fix what's wrong with the world," she said, amusement clear in her tone. "Guess he hasn't finished it yet."

"Well, sounds like he's got his work cut out for him. I can't imagine it'll be easy for him, without you," he said softly. A sob caught in Eurydice's throat as she looked away, closing her eyes softly.

"Don't. Please."

"Sorry," he immediately apologized, feeling rather guilty.

"It's fine. It's not like it's your fault or anything."

Polites looked at her, mouth slightly agape as he tried to decipher whether she was teasing him as he'd done earlier, or if it was sheer coincidence. The subtle twitch of her lips was all he needed to know. He barked out a laugh, bumping their shoulders together.

"Well would you look at that! Looks like someone's getting their sense of humor back!" he praised, making her roll her eyes.

"Never left," she lied. Her gaze locked on the Palace of Hades, and Polites followed her line of sight.

"He had something to do with it, didn't he?"

Eurydice took a shaky breath and nodded. "Yeah."

"They usually do. Even when you don't think so... They do."

~~~

Life in Hades is not what Polites expected.

For one, he didn't know where the crumbling rubble ended and the new scaffolding began. Every day it seemed, the underworld would change ever so slightly. Buildings and complex machinery were all being built before his very eyes. It was nothing like Polites had ever seen.

Slowly, copper and iron replaced stonework as buildings all but erected themselves, and horseless chariots carted material to various work sites. The grand palace in the center of the underworld has all but doubled in size in the short time he's been here. And jutting out from the southern east corner, stood an imposing factory spitting black smoke. It felt... wrong. Almost as if Hades had tried to tuck it away out of sight, only for his greed to force it to grow until the rocks could conceal it no longer.

He said he was doing this for them; that he was creating a greater home for their eternity. So then, why was he turning the air thick with smog? Why must the tortured souls carry the burden of his progress?

Nothing was right anymore. Then again, nothing had been right for a long time.

~~~

Polites never thought he'd grow used to the underworld, but with Eurydice, he found a flow. They steered clear of the mindless work convoys, with their bowl shaped helmets and tools in hand. They marched along packed gravel roads in uniform lines, singing in a low, menacing chant.

They didn't stray far from the riverbanks, and when they did, chose to walk through rolling fields of nothing but dead grass and dirt. They found solace in the few crumbling ruins that have yet to undergo renovations.

Shriveled vines choked out the grand archway the pair sat under, but not even the resilience of nature could last under a God's iron grip. Polites closed his eyes, trying to picture the lush foliage that swallowed the rubble of a once ancient building. When he opened his eyes, he was met with the disappointing reality of thick, dry vines sprawling over crumbling stone as if caught in a wooden spiderweb.

"You ever made a flower crown?"

The question came out of nowhere, catching him off guard. If asked, he would deny the way he had jumped at the sound of her voice.

"Um, n-no, I can't say I have."

When Polites didn't elaborate, Eurydice continued. "My sisters and I used to pick flowers in the meadow behind our house and we'd spend hours weaving crowns and necklaces while we talked." She smiled at the fond, distant memory. Polites smiled back.

"That sounds really lovely," he assured. He saw the longing in her eyes, could feel the ache in her heart. If only he could ease that pain...

"It was. I think you'd really like it. Heh, too bad I can't teach you."

"Yeah, that's too bad," he lamented in agreement before an idea struck him. "Or, you know... we could still try," he suggested, holding up a handful of dry vines and twigs. Eurydice's face lit up with a smile as bright as the sun.

"Really? You mean that?"

"Well, I mean, I'm sure yours turned out much better than whatever we can make down here, but-" his rambling was cut off when Eurydice slammed into him, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck in a grateful hug.

~~~

Polites had lost track of how long he'd been there, though he was grateful for Eurydice's company. It was the single source of comfort since he'd awoken in the underworld, the one reminder that there was once a time when things were good.

They would walk along the riverbanks, sharing stories from their lives. Eurydice once said that Orpheus would've liked Polites, and he swelled with pride. The feeling would've been mutual, he assured.

He can't help but to picture his friends meeting this lively young spirit, ripped from the Earth too soon. He thinks they'd like her too.

There were no days and nights here; everything ran together in one big screaming haze. At times, Polites thought they were the only souls down here who weren't screaming...

He missed being alive. He missed his friends, missed the way the sun warmed his skin, the way the sea would taste on the air, the way the wind would whip through his hair. He missed food, and feeling hungry, or tired. He missed the way he could feel his heart race in his chest when Odysseus would put himself in harms way, only to come out unscathed.

He always came out unscathed, no matter the challenge.

He was walking alone, trying to clear his head when he heard his name being called. "Polites! Polites!"

He turned to see Eurydice running towards him, feet pounding against the rocky shore. He met her halfway, picking up on her sense of urgency.

"Eurydice! Is everything alri-"

"There's a ship," she rushed out breathlessly. His eyes went wide and he scanned the horizon.

"Of course, the ferryman brings people-"

"No, I mean a real, living ship!" she emphasized with a playful punch to his shoulder. He smirked down at her, bumping their hips together.

"You know ships aren't really alive," he teased, tilting his head back to laugh at his own joke. She rolled her eyes, snatching the bandana from around his head. His hands flew up a second too late as he turned to face her. "Hey!"

She giggled, waving the bandana out of reach. "I'm being serious!" she insisted through a smile. He snorted, snatching the cloth from her grasp playfully.

"Yeah, that's why you stole my bandana," he taunted, shooting her a grin.

"You weren't listening! Just look!" she pointed in the distance. Polites looked up to humor her and gasped when he saw a large ship creeping up the river. It was much closer to them now. He took a step away from the bank.

Eurydice smirked, looking at him from the corner of her eye. "You believe me now?" He nodded wordlessly, mouth gaping open in shock.

They stood like that, just frozen in awe watching it get closer. The figures aboard the ship were now visible, and Polites shaded his eyes, squinting up at the deck. Did he really see what he thought he saw? Was that really...

"Steady as she goes men!" A figure paced around the deck, barking orders and securing the ship. Polites would know that voice anywhere.

"Odysseus?" he asked, barely aware he said the name aloud. Eurydice gasped and snapped her head to look at him.

"Odysseus? Like, like your Odysseus?" she asked frantically. Polites looked back at the ship for some other kind of proof, spotting Eurylochus at the wheel.

"Yes, I'm sure. Look, there's Eurylochus," he said, pointing at his friend.

She turned to him with an expression on her face that he hadn't seen since the day they first met.

"You have to go."

His head snapped down to look at her, "What?"

"They came here looking for you! I mean, why else would they come all the way here?" she asked, clutching to the fabric of his toga. "You're important to them, Polites. You're the missing piece, they need you," she pleaded.

The ship was right in front of them now, Odysseus clutching the rail of the ship with a horrified look. When his eyes landed on Polites, he froze, all the color quickly draining from his face. He turned away abruptly.

"I-I don't know Eurydice. That doesn't really seem like- I'm sure there's gotta be another reason!" He wasn't sure why or how they were here, but he had a hard time believing it would be for him. It would hurt too much, getting his hopes up like that.

"A reason to go through the underworld?" she asked incredulously. Her expression softened, and she placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. "They've missed you."

A sob caught in his throat. "Yeah, I miss them too."

"Then what are you waiting for?"

He turned to her, tears in his eyes. "B-but what about you? You can't come, and I can't leave you!" he said, gripping onto her hands for dear life. "Y-you'd be alone again, I can't do that!"

"Shh, hey, hey, look at me," she said in a soothing voice, but Polites could see the tears shining in her eyes. "Don't think of it like that, okay? You're doing this for me." She squeezed his hands so hard, her knuckles were turning white. Funny, how even their spirits react like they still have blood.

He closed his eyes and shook his head, but a soft hand cupping his face brought him back to reality. "Hades only made sure I couldn't get out, just to spite our love. He won't notice if you escape, I promise," she reassured. He placed a hand atop hers, still shaking his head.

"You can't promise that-"

"Maybe, but I can try. Please Polites," she was practically begging at this point. "One of us has to see the sun again."

A sob shuttered through his body and he surged forward, grabbing her in a tight hug- their last hug. Maybe the last hug he'd ever be able to actually feel.

"I don't want to leave you," he muttered into her hair. He could feel her tears begin to fall down his arm like raindrops.

"Me either, but you have to. It's your only chance." She held on for a few more seconds before allowing herself to slip away.

"Goodbye Eurydice. Thank you for... everything."

"Farewell Polites. I know you'll keep them safe."

He nodded to her before turning towards the ship, marching along the shore. He got about halfway before her sweet voice called out to him.

"Polites, wait!" He stopped in his tracks, turning just in time to catch her in his arms. Her hands carded through thick black hair as she squeezed him tight. She kissed his cheek, pulling away to whisper in his ear, "If you ever come across Orpheus, please tell him I'm okay."

"Of course. You have my word," he promised.

When Eurydice pulled away, a small amount of blood was smeared on her lips and cheek. Polites decided not to dwell on what that meant.

~~~

Polites jogged along the riverbank until he caught back up with the ship. He waded into the water, trying to figure out how to get back on the ship. He saw a rope nearby and grabbed ahold, climbing up. The rope swayed with the ship as if it were weightless, making it more difficult to ascend.

The rope slapped against the side of the ship, sending Polites hurling through the hull of the ship and into the lower deck. His body tumbled and hit a few crates, causing them to come crashing down.

"Oh no no no!" he muttered, trying to restack them, only for his hands to phase right through.

On the deck above, Odysseus heard the commotion and ordered one of his men to investigate as he continued to warn the others to stay on guard.

He trudged below deck, not expecting what awaited him.

Polites yelped when he heard a clatter behind him, turning to see one of the soldiers standing in the doorway, his sword laying on the ground before him. He opened his mouth to speak, but the man turned on his heels and scrambled up the stairs.

"Captain!"

Odysseus immediately ran to the soldier's aid, hand on the hilt of his sword. "What was it?"

"I-it was Polites, Sir..."

The captain bristled at the name, turning his back on the man.

"Impossible."

"But I'm telling you, he was right there!"

Odysseus sighed, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Listen to me, brother. This place is not to be trusted, okay? Nothing that you see or hear is to be trusted. Those were Circe's words. Got that?"

The man nodded, though he was clearly still shaken up. Odysseus sighed once more.

"Come on. Why don't you show me where he was," he said, deciding it might be a good idea to help put both their minds at ease.

Odysseus crept down the stairs carefully, eyes scanning the shadows for any intruders.

"Hello? Anyone down here?" He was met with silence. He didn't know how tense he was until his fears were put at ease. It was empty.

"The boxes must've fallen on their own, it's been a little bumpy. Let's go," he ordered, picking up the discarded sword and holding it out for the man to take.

Meanwhile, Polites was crouched behind a barrel on the upper deck, watching what few soldiers remained. They all looked so different, but none more than Odysseus. He watched as his friend marched up the stairs to resume his task of guiding the ship.

But... his directions didn't sound right. The way Odysseus was leading them would pass by two guardians, and more would surely die. Odysseus didn't know his way around here like he did, to no fault of his own. But Polites couldn't let that happen.

He made sure no one was looking when he crept from his hiding spot.

He stood behind Eurylochus, hesitant to speak. But the fork in the river was approaching.

"Actually, you're gonna wanna take a right," he said from behind. Eurylochus jumped at the unexpected voice, turning to face him. His face morphed in terror as he saw the man before him.

"CAPTA-mmm!"

"Shhh!" Polites shushed, slapping a hand over his friend's mouth. Eurylochus tried to shove him away, only for his hands to phase through his attacker's arm. His eyes were wide with fear as he fumbled for his sword, still trying to steer the ship through the narrow waterway. "It's me! You have to trust me!"

"I don't think so."

Polites turned to see the tip of a sword pointed at him, the eyes of Odysseus staring him down with a vengeance.

"Captain, I-"

"SHUT UP!" he yelled, taking a step closer. Polites let go of Eurylochus, shying away behind him. "Now who are you really?" he all but growled.

Polites furrowed his brow in confusion. "Do... do you not recognize me?" he asked weakly. Odysseus let out a low, sadistic chuckle, and it was hard to believe this was his beloved friend.

"Ohoho I know who you want us to think it is! But we've been through enough, I know a trap when I see one. So I'm only asking one more time." He pressed the blade to where his throat would be. "Who. Are. You."

"Odysseus, it really is me! W-why don't you believe me?" he asked helplessly, realizing his sword wasn't the only one trained towards him.

"Why should I?"

"B-because I'm trying to help you!" he insisted. There was a long stretch of silence before Odysseus answered.

"I don't believe you."

Odysseus reared back, preparing to strike. Polites panicked, he didn't know where else to go, where to hide. On instinct he clutched onto Eurylochus for protection.

He opened his eyes, and Eurylochus was gone. No, that wasn't right... he could still hear him. He sounded... scared.

"Captain... help me," his hand raised on its own towards Odysseus. No, that wasn't his hand...

The soldiers had cowered back when Polites disappeared; they were all clearly on edge.

"Eurylochus?" Odysseus asked carefully.

"He's here."

Polites had to speak up, he had to make them listen.

"Please, I'm just trying to help." He spoke with a double voice. "I know a better way. Please... you have to trust me. I'm- I'm not a god, or whatever you think I am," he pleaded. "I'm me."

Odysseus glared at him, lips curled in a sneer. A tense silence fell over them as the seconds ticked by.

"Fine." He stepped back and lowered his sword. "As you were." When no one moved, he repeated himself in a harsher tone. "As you were!" They immediately broke up and returned to their posts, keeping an eye on their new passenger.

"Are... you gonna stand there the whole time?" he asked carefully.

"Yup," Odysseus answered, popping the p. "Are you gonna hide the whole time?" he countered.

Polites took a breath to ground himself. By the Gods, it felt good to breathe again... But this wasn't his body. These weren't his lungs…

"That depends. Are you gonna pull your sword on me again?" he asked.

"Only if you try anything." That was as good an answer as any, he supposed. Polites sighed, stepping out of his friend's body.

Eurylochus gasped as he regained full control of his limbs. He lurched forward, using the steering wheel for support. He glared at the spectral intruder.

"What did you do to me?" he demanded. Polites held his hands up in surrender. "I-I don't know! I was scared, I panicked!"

Eurylochus glared down at him, getting in his personal space to get his point across. "Don't do it again." A gentle hand on his shoulder snapped him out of it.

"Eurylochus, why not get some rest? Feel free to use my quarters," Odysseus offered. Eurylochus nodded in thanks, but not once did he take his eyes off Polites.

Odysseus was steering now, his mind elsewhere as he thought of what the prophet Tiresias had foretold.

"There is a world where I help you get home, but that's not a world I know..."

"You're gonna want to hang left, there's some larger rocks.

"I see a man who gets to make it home alive, but it's no longer you."

"Captain?"

Odysseus didn't like who he was becoming, but each challenged left him more broken than the last, and the mosaic he was creating of himself was more of an abomination.

"Captain watch out!"

Odysseus shook himself out of it, cutting the wheel to avoid the boulders. Polites watched him carefully, waiting for his friend to thank him and smile like he used to.

That moment never came.

Polites crossed his arms and huffed, "You're welcome."

Odysseus clenched his jaw. The imposter's tone was light and teasing, and so much like the friend he knew. But the underworld was nothing but lies and deceit, danger lurking around every corner. He was sure the man before him was nothing more than a farce.

"Just stop pretending," he sighed in defeat.

"Come again?" Polites asked, cocking his head. Odysseus tensed at the disgusting cracking sound the movement made.

"Nothing. Just- no more talking until we're safe."

We. Polites smiled as he stood next to his friend, just like old times. It never occurred to him that he wasn't meant to be included in that statement.

"Okay Captain."

Polites remained by his side, offering directions whenever they're needed. He doesn't dare speak beyond that, knowing how testy his friend can be when he's trying to focus. Not to mention he seemed like he was in a bad mood to begin with.

He had no idea.

"Alright, it shouldn't be much farther. Just go straight through there," Polites guided, pointing towards a cave on the horizon. The smallest amount of sunlight shimmered through.

"Everyone! Full speed ahead!" Odysseus yelled across the ship, men scurrying about the deck.

Odysseus kept his eyes trained on their destination as he spoke. "Thank you... You can go now."

"Oh! Right, you're- you're busy. We can talk later," Polites said, backing away. "I should probably go apologize to Eurylochus." He turned to make his leave, but Odysseus stood guarding his path.

"Stay away from him," he threatened, face shrouded by long, matted hair and hidden behind a thick beard. His once warm gaze turned black as he trained his weapon at Polites for a second time.

If he were still alive, his heart would be pounding right out of his chest.

"Odysseus? You're scaring me," Polites said, looking him up and down.

"AND YOU'RE SCARING EVERYONE!" he screamed, surging forward. Polites is taller than him, even when he's not floating, but Odysseus's presence towers over him.

"Wha-what?" he breathed out, backing himself against the rail. Odysseus kept him trapped there for a few more seconds before turning away. Polites spared a glance and saw every pair of eyes resting solely on him, hushed whispers floating about as hands hovered over their own weapons. He looked back at his captain with wide, fearful eyes.

"I'm sorry, I-I didn't mean to..."

Odysseus ignored him, not so much as a glance his way. And that hurt.

"Odysseus?"

"Don't call me that," he snarled, finally looking over his shoulder. Polites couldn't help but snicker.

"Don't call you by your name? Okay, Captain," he teased, hoping to catch a glimpse of that brilliant smile.

"Knock it off! You're not as funny as you think you are," Odysseus snapped, making him pout.

"Ouch. You know, my new friend Eurydice thought I was hilarious. She-"

"I don't care."

Polites felt his phantom heart sink at those words. Odysseus had never spoken to him like that before...

"Oh. O-okay. I'll just, um, I'll go."

"Good riddance."

Polites tried to stifle the hurt gasp he let out, biting his quivering lip. He just wanted to disappear. He didn't want to be here, but he didn't know where to go. After a moment, Odysseus chanced a glance over his shoulder and heaved a sigh of relief.

"Finally. Thought he'd never leave." Polites felt tears well in his eyes despite his confusion. He was still here, what did he mean? He reached a hand up to rub his tired face, only to freeze. He couldn't see himself. To test his theory, he raced down to the middle of the deck and stood there, but no one paid him any mind. He got his wish. They got their wish.

He disappeared.

Polites felt himself sink through the floorboards, but didn't care enough to stop it before he plopped down below deck. He landed flat on his back, not bothering to get up. What would even be the point?

Finally, he sat up before drifting into a standing position.

~~~

Eurylochus couldn't sleep. How the hell did Odysseus expect him to rest after all that? His mind was reeling, and in all honesty, he was completely and utterly confused.

Trust nothing in the underworld.

Circe's instructions. More importantly, Captain's instructions. Up until now, he thought that was to be believed. Everything down here was a wicked and cruel trick. And yet, this vision of Polites had seemed so real. More than that, it felt real. He had no idea what it did to him, but in the moments he was possessed, he knew what it was thinking: what it was feeling. And it was scared, hurt and confused: like a wild animal backed into a corner. But nowhere could he feel any kind of ill will towards any of them. And that scared Eurylochus just as much as it perplexed him.

He gave up on sleep and decided to go back to the upper deck. He navigated the narrow halls and froze in his tracks when he came upon the transparent image of his fallen friend.

"Eurylochus!" Polites startled, standing up a little straighter when he noticed him.

Said man recoiled as he was addressed, and watched him with a careful eye, his hand hovering over his weapon.

"Please don't," he said, cowering back towards the shadows. "I just want to apologize for earlier. I-I didn't mean to do... that."

He was met with nothing but silence.

"Eurylochus? Say something," he pleaded. He noticed the way Eurylochus stared at the ground instead of him.

"You're not really him, are you?" he asked skeptically. Pilotes felt his shoulders sag in defeat.

"You too?"

Eurylochus dared to meet his gaze. The expression he wore was that of skepticism and a hope long lost.

"I'm not convinced yet." As he walked past, he paused at Polites's side. "So convince me."

His words caused a smile to break out across his face as he turned to his friend. Eurylochus looked shocked before his expression melted into something softer.

"That's a start, I guess." He abruptly continued on his way, not wanting to linger with their friend's spirit. Polites was left alone in the dark, his thoughts serving as his only company.

He didn't emerge from the lower deck until he was sure they were well out of the underworld.

#epic the underworld saga #epic the musical #epic musical #underworld saga #ghost!polites #polites #eurydice #odysseus #eurylochus #the odyssey #odyssey fic #epic fic #hadestown #hadestown fic

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unadulterated-syd · 1 year

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a/n —

+ i wrote this for myself bc i just got my license and it really stressed me out.. so its very ooc but i don't want ANY comments about it being ooc bc it was MY outlet.

+ again this is for me so he did in fact say bubs, plus im american so im SORRY theres no cool slang in there my british impression is awful and im not trying

+ lastly i didn't edit this so shhhh,, im tagging normal people if u dont want tags that im unsure of pls just ignore this im in an era plus reader refers to them as boyfriends just read it diff if you want its okay theyre forbidden gay or not

» [rocky horror -> billy cobb] «

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⇄ ◃◃ ⅠⅠ ▹▹ ↻

staying up late, i should go to sleep.

wandering the halls was not unusual to you, practically an everynight occurence by now. being a prefect, they let you get away with it.

having practically been adopted by minevera and poppy— they understood your trouble with sleeping. they understood why, and they understood aimless walking helped.

they'd always stood in and gave a good word, dumbledore couldn't have been bothered to punish you anywho. some nights you'd even wonder drunkly, mumbling to yourself as you let students slip passed you without punishment.

you had a name to uphold— but you far from respected or supported your family. one of blood supremacy and hypocricy, unfortunately the children of families like yours were forced to adult more than those of age.

you were just like that, so much weight on your shoulders that you far from bothered to let your thoughts hurt you. you'd become responsible for ignoring them.

similarly, you'd become familiar with sirius black through this similar ideaology. familiar. you were far from 'friends', though people with similar stories, two who found comfort in one another from afar.

this led you to be familiar with all the marauders, though you'd far from a mustered a word to any of them— they knew you were on their team, when needed. at any word you'd betray your dreaded house.

i should go to sleep, its tuesday but i can't stop— thinking of your skin

there was one exception to your marauders rule, you had spoken to one. more than spoken, you'd held dear on many occasions. whom cared to much fot everyone around him.

you'd been practically forced to a gryffindor party— sirius had insisted on you recieving an invitation, though he was not the messenger.

he'd begged regulus to offer you the invite, even though he hadn't invited his younger brother. eventually, regulus gave in. you felt obligated to go, with how much trouble he went through to get you there, how could you refuse?

however, no one seemed interested in you being there. weird looks from many angles, strange glances your way. with the exception of one individual.

james fleamont potter.

james had practically thrown himself at you, a million questions filling the air before you could even shake his hand. regardless, you answered every question, and he listened to every answer.

when he'd realized you came alone— he vowed to spend the night by your side. introducing you here and there, inviting you to random drinking games.

and at some point something had clicked in the both of you.

you could hardly remember, but it was spin the bottle— or perhaps seven minutes in heaven? it didn't matter what game it was, you just remember you'd kissed and sparks flew.

you were both so drunk you didn't know if james remembered anything either, you just remember him. they way he smelled, the way he smiled at everthing you said, the way he looked at you.

he treated you like the world revolved around you, he was the earth circling around you. but it only lasted that night, because when he'd found you the next day he'd lost the courage to speak to you.

you still had your reputation— more than half the school still saw you as an enemy. you were a cruel and feelingless person to them. so how could james fleamont potter ever justify you wanting to be with him?

i've been known to be a hopeless, no good, nobody. and they're right.

you could sense why he didn't come back, though you'd assigned a much different explaination than he.

you were a bad look on his reputation, an outstanding quidditch player. an outstanding gryffindor, brave and caring. the real question was never why would you want to be with him, but rather why could he want to be with you.

not that it mattered anymore.

you knew you were a hopeless case— sirius had changed, he'd fix his side and found a way out. but you hadn't, and likely you never would.

you had no friends, you spent no time partying, with the exception of sirius' one invitation. you were a nobody. scary to anyone who hadn't heard sirius' tales of you, worthless to anyone in your own house.

you somehow rubbed everyone around you the wrong way— a bloodtraitor to your family, a blood supremesist to people whom you wanted to defend, not enough to all your slytherin peers.

it made sense that he never came back. he must've been ashamed to some extent, he was so much more than you'd ever be.

i know your eyes can see right through me. but believe me, it's my pleasure.

tonight went differently for you, your restlessness brought you near the gryffindor tower.

deep down something within you begged for you to sneak your way in and find james. but your mind would never let you, there was no chance you'd ever have the bravery to do so.

in all ways, you knew even if you had he'd understand too much. he knew your every feeling, even if you kept it hidden.

after one night of gestures you knew he was your perfect second half, he knew you more than you knew yourself. and oddly enough, you returned that.

you knew he drained himself, he was too compassionate for his own good. you knew he could never love you publically because no one knew you.

no one knew your parents hated you, no one knew it was because you'd defended muggleborn peers, no one knew you had plans of running away.

no one knew you'd never get that mark, that you'd never defend it's honor. but he did, and that's why you both stood at a crossroads.

he had a reputation too.

one that no one saw through, everyone believed they knew him. he could do no wrong, and too anyone you two were polar opposites. but too eachother you were practically the same.

you cared too much, just like him. you drained yourself with worry, and he knew how much it'd taken you to get over the fact you'd never be the perfect kid.

you'd never be what your parents wanted, you'd never be cherished like him. unless it was by him.

and something inside you found it comforting, the idea for once you couldn't lie. because he'd never fall for it.

he was the same as you, and he knew you didn't need fixing. you weren't broken, and neither was he. flawed, possibly. and that was the most comforting thing about him.

he didn't need to work for you, and you didn't need to work for him.

i miss the sea, i miss it's sandy beaches, salty breeze. and it reminds me of you.

because it's so sweet, you're so sweet, you're so sweet.

knocking on your head, you'd come to the conclusion you needed to leave. find your way back to your room, and move on.

in a way you felt hollow for having a heart, as if your brain could only be seen as brilliant if your heart stayed cold. because your heart led you to a common room of people who hated you— whilst your brain begged you to forget and regret.

but once again he showed how similar you two were. as if he'd known you'd he at there, he appeared at the portrait. he looked sleepless, suprised that you were there, yet also as if he'd been expecting you.

"y/n?"

he looked like a painting to you, groggily rubbing his eyes, voice the same as always. trying to illude to the idea he'd been sleeping— though you saw right through him.

"james.."

"what're you doing here?" he stepped out, closing the painting behind him.

you took a deep breath, weighing your head and your heart— as if it mattered. he saw right through you, even if you lied right to his face.

"did you need something..?"

"you."

his eyes widened only slightly, he knew why you were there but the clarity was almost frightening. he couldn't lie to himself anymore, because you'd come clean to his face.

"i know i disappeared im sorry, i know you've got a reputation, i know.. i just—" you sighed, fumbling with your words, "nobody knows me like you james, and all it took was a day for you to see me. i mean.. i missed you. us? its cheesey i know but.."

"one moment."

you watched him disappear into the common room, leaving you with your thoughts. your head was spinning, there were butterflies hitting every wall of your stomach, had it been too much for him? had you read him wrong?

he came out a moment later, a jacket wrapped around his shoulders, wand in hand. he stood with a second coat in his other hand, one which he held out to you.

you took it, pulling it on— even if you didn't know his plans, then he held his now free hand out, you took it.

"how about a walk?" he gave you a smile, pulling you along.

you two indulged in a comfortable silence, you just enjoyed holding his hand. even if you weren't sure it'd happen again.

i dont care how you want me to live my life, as long as i'm in yours.

he didn't lead you anywhere in particular, leaving you the silence you needed to grow the courage to open up.

and eventually it worked.

"i'm sorry i came so late, i didn't think you'd even catch me."

"i wasn't sleeping anyway, you can always show up." he looked at you again, raising a brow, "what's wrong, bubs?"

you could feel his thumb rub over your knuckles, it felt endearing. the way he acted, the way he treated you, it was as if the two of you had been dating an eternity. however, you'd never even started dating.

i know how whiney i sound right now, but i can't help myself.

"i think—" you sighed, stopping in your spot, leading him to do the same. you could feel his eyes on you, he couldn't read you anymore, and it scared him. "i think i really like you, james."

"i mean like.. like boyfriends? like i want to get out of my house, finally befriend sirius.. i mean not be whatever the hell everyone thinks i am— i want to be whatever you want i just want to be with you."

he looked at you hesitantly for a moment— he wasn't pondering whether he wanted to be with you or not, rather trying to decide how to proceed.

"i've been waiting to hear that." he turned fully to face you, "but, i like you too. this way, you don't have to be different. just what you want to be."

i know your eyes can see right through me.

james tags -> @nyxxxxxxxx , @innerloverpainter , @carlgrimesslover , @nutellani , @angry-little-frog @loving-and-dreaming

marauders tags -> @withastrangerheart

do NOT critize this one i will CRY.

also the song is rocky horror by billy cobb,, its not every1s cup of tea but i <3 it

#james potter x reader #james potter #james fleamont potter #marauders

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sandwich-seeker · 8 months

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Here is a oneshot I wrote on Wattpad, I'm sorry it's bad...

This is based off a writing prompt I saw where you look in a book on a certain page on a certain row or whatever.

Never trust a dog with orange eyebrows

-from witches abroad by Terry Pratchett

Third person pov:

"Never trust a dog with orange eyebrows!" Coran warned ( my phone autocorrects coran to CORAN so I apologize if I don't realize and leave it there).

"There you go with your odd superstitions, do I really have to listen to them all?" Keith complained exhaustedly.

Coran looked him dead in the eyes. "Yes. AND NOW! On with what I was saying before I was rudely interrupted," coran ranted on about 'never get between two mirrors' and other odd superstitions.

Even Shiro was getting bored.

Lance finally spoke up "Can we go to the space mall now?"

Allura sighed, "coran I think they've learned their lesson from last time, just let them go."

"Okay, BUT! We will lend you some money this time as to not have a... Repeat... Of last time." Coran finished

~Time skip to when they got to the space mall brought to you by my lazy ass~

When they got to the space mall they were immediately unleashed, Keith froze as he saw a 'Spencer's' and a 'hot topic' right next to each other and went off in that direction.

Hunk saw a cooking store with appliances / ingredients and immediately went there to check it out.

Pidge went to look for some electrical things (as in computers /iPhones and shit).

Shiro went off to the Earth store to see what he could find.

And that left Lance. He was looking around when he saw something peculiar... It was a dog, a Rottweiler in fact, and it seemed to be beckoning him over.

Keiths pov:

I was grabbing practically everything from this place, there was t-shirts for MCR (RIP), Bullet for my Valentine, Picture us tiny, and other bands that I like.

After I was done shopping I went to the meetup spot at the fountain, hunk was the only one there already.

Hunk POV:

At the kitchen store I didn't really see anything of interest So I just grabbed some baking soda and chocolate chips, so I went back to the fountain.

Pidge POV:

While I was scavenging the electronics store, I saw a gaming console, I grabbed it but couldn't buy any games since I kind of blew all my money on the console. It doesn't matter though, I can just get some next time we go here.

I went to the meetup spot to see hunk and Keith already waiting.

Shiro POV:

The Earth store was filled with people, I didn't realize how popular it was. After a bit of Navigating through the maze of people, I found a mug that said '#1 dad'. I decided to buy that cuz the team already called me 'space dad ' so why not, and I headed back to the fountain.

Lance POV:

The dog seemed to be beckoning me towards it... I didn't really have anything better to do so I approached it.

Suddenly, it spoke, "hello! How are you? Anyways straight to business, I have a limited edition game update here on this hardware, I can give it to you, but with a price..."

"Wha- um... What's the price?" I say wearily.

"SHHHH! Nobody can know about this okay? And it only costs 500 GAC, so it's pretty cheap for what it is." Replies the dog, looking around.

"I mean... I don't have a cons-"

I was interrupted by the dog."300!"

"Wow... The price dropped really fast, sure I guess I'll buy it" I decided. I hand him 300 GAC and head back to the meetup spot.

3rd person POV:

When lance got there all the team members greeted him, and they all went back into the ship to go over what they bought.

(A/n: I'm listening to 'Picture us tiny' and 'MCR' and it's literally just beautiful♡ )

In the ship they started showing off what they bought.

"I didn't really find anything interesting, just some baking ingredients" hunk started, "what about you Shiro?"

"Since you guys are always calling me space dad, I thought that maybe I would buy this mug." Shiro says, showing off his '#1 dad' mug "what did you get Pidge?"

"Oh I just got a gaming console, unfortunately we don't have any games-"

"THAT'S PERFECT!" Lance exclaimed excitedly "I got this limited edition game!" He said holding up the hard drive.

Pidge looked at it closely, "yep, we could use that! Also did the author just say Lance 'exclaimed excitedly'??"

"Enough! Stop breaking the fourth wall, what did you get Keith?" Shiro said, trying to change the subject.

"Oh... Nothing interesting really." Keith replied wearily.

"Oh no! It's probably something super emo or whatever!" Lance said sheepishly.

"IT IS NOT!" Keith yelled well trying to shove his bag out of sight from the others, unfortunately, Lance saw him.

"OoOOhH! What's in there?" Lance grinned, grabbing at the bag. "Some emo band shirts!" he held up my 'MCR' shirts. Keith casually retreated to a corner.

"Stop making fun of Keith, He's literally hiding in a corner right now" Shiro said, motioning to him sulking in the corner.

"Whatever, why don't we try out this game?" Pidge said, reaching for the hard drive that Lance had bought.

They plugged it into the console and a picture of a spork showed up on the screen.

Hunk spoke up "is this game about sporks?"

Everybody was confused, Lance especially.

"You probably got scammed Lance." Keith said nonchalantly, as if it wasn't that big a deal.

Suddenly a sound voice came from the the console "Lance Charles McClain, seventeen, blue lion paladin, is thinking, about braiding Keith Akira Kogane, eighteen, red lion paladin's hair"

"I am not!" Lance yelled, agitated.

Pidge looked at him sceptically. "Whatever makes you sleep easy" she replied.

"SHUT YOUR QUIZNAK!"

"I don't think you're using that word correctly" Keith sighed.

"Keith Akira Kogane, eighteen, red lion paladin, is thinking of Lance Charles McClain, seventeen, blue lion paladin's eyes"

"WHAT THE FUCK!" Keith immediately yelled.

"OooOOohhHh" pidge smirked "seems like a ship-bot"

"Fuck off Pigeon" Keith snapped at them, "besides, we don't even know it actually knows what we're thinking".

"Well it seems pretty simple," Hunk implied "is that what you were thinking about?"

"...okay! You know what? Fine. I was thinking about braiding Keith's hair!" Lance admitted.

"Lance Charles McClain, seventeen, blue lion paladin, is thinking about Keith Akira Kogane, eighteen, red lion paladin, looking quote: "hot" with a braid" the spork said, unfazed.

Lance was insanely flustered "OKAY! That's it! We need to get this thing gone! That dog said it was a video game!"

Coran ran in to the room, "a dog sold you this?" He said frantically "what breed?"

"Um.. I think it was a Rottweiler... Why?" Lance answered.

Coran was frantic "SO IT HAD ORANGE EYEBROWS!?"

Keith sighed "I sincerely doubt it has anything to do with your superstitions" he said, unimpressed.

"IT MOST DEFINITELY DOES!" Coran exclaimed. "YOU SHOULD HAVE LISTENED TO ME!"

"Whatever..." Lance went and unplugged the hard drive.

"Hey!" Pidge yelped "that's my ship-bot!"

Keith got up and left to go to his room, he was exhausted after that interaction.

"Hey! Where are you going?" Lance said, going up to him.

"I'm going off to battery City" Keith replied sarcastically, continuing walking to his room.

Lance stopped him when it was just them in the hall. "So... You like my eyes?"

"And what if I do?"

"I was just wondering... If someone were to be a dude... And asked you out, do-um do you.. swing that way?" Lance asked nervously.

"If you're asking if I'm gay, then yes, I am incredibly gay." Keith was tired and wanted to go to sleep.

"Well... I just.. I just want to get this out of... The way um... I- um... I like you.... Like, like like you... And it's fine if you don't like me back-"

Keith interrupted him with a kiss, something they both wanted to happen for a long while.

Keith sperated from the kiss, "can you guess my answer?"

Lance smiled, "you are so cute"

They leaned in to kiss again when pidge came in the hall, "OH MY MOTHER FUCKING GOD THE SHIP HAS SAILED BITCHES!" They yelled.

"FUCKING GIVE US A MOMENT!" Keith retorted.

They saw Hunk casually slip 10$ to Pidge.

Keith sighed "Fuck it. Lance can we be boyfriends?"

"What are the chances I would say no to that?" Lance laughed

"I dunno, that's why I'm asking?"

"You are officially my space mullet boyfriend" lance said happily

"its not a mullet!" Keith went to his room "now I'm extremely tired from today's events can I go to sleep?"

A/n: how did you like it? It's my first one so I know it's garbage and stuff but it took a while because I lost motivation halfway through unfortunately.

#voltron legendary defender #voltron #keith kogane #klance #oneshot #fanfic #voltron fandom #voltron fanfic #vld keith #vld #vld lance

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