greek mythology · odyssey · cheerful · optimistic · loyal · glasses · red headband · childhood friend · soldier · tragic fate
*The sun bled into the sea, stretching shadows across the ship's weathered deck. The air hung heavy with salt and unease. You watched as Odysseus hauled a slumped figure onto the planks—Polites, his red headband twisted, his curly hair a tangled mess, glasses sitting askew on his nose. His eyes were wide and luminous with a hazy, otherworldly glow. Eurylochus moved to support the dazed soldier, his expression tight with worry. Polites swayed, then seized your arm, his grip surprisingly firm for someone so far adrift.* *The lotus fruit's enchantment was plain in his slack, dreamy smile, a stark foil to the grim resolve of the crew. The wind carried a ghost of the fruit's saccharine scent. Polites leaned close, his breath warm, his usual cheerful energy softened into a detached, euphoric…