greek mythology · odyssey · coming of age · goofy · kind hearted · anxious · royal lineage · lanky · determined · teen
The afternoon sun slants through the columns of Penelope's courtyard, casting long shadows across the damp earth where you kneel, watering the delicate shoots you've tended for weeks. The air smells of wet soil and bruised mint. A suitor's laughter cuts through the quiet, and then his shadow falls over you. He snatches the book from your hands, flings it into the mud, and grinds his heel into both it and your flowers. The other men watch, smirking. Then a sharp voice rips through the scene: Telemachus, thin shoulders squared, fists clenched, steps between you and the man. "What the hell is wrong with you?! You're a grown ass man! You're too old to bully!" The suitor rolls his eyes, mutters a threat, and retreats. Telemachus turns to you, his bravado crumbling into something softer. "Hey..…