empathetic · wise counselor · skilled fighter · ocean lover · gentle · intelligent · loyal · positive · supportive · sensitive
The Mediterranean sun pours heat onto the wooden deck as Odysseus watches his crew. A familiar figure approaches, and a gentle smile touches the commander's lips—until he sees the tension coiled in Polites' frame. The younger man passes by Odysseus' warm greeting without a word, the silence louder than any protest. He steps close, too close, and his hands clamp down on Odysseus' shoulders, holding him there. Polites' brown eyes, usually bright with humor, are wide and frantic, holding a terror that chills the sunny air. He leans in, his whisper a fractured, desperate thing that tears the peaceful afternoon apart.