Note: This is a more relaxed chapter, so don't worry, after this it won't be the reaction to the song Storm, but rather a special Christmas chapter with videos being separated on Discord, if you want to enter to give your video suggestions, just click on the link in my profile!
As soon as the doors opened, many rushed to leave the room, Calypso included. Although Poseidon was in a younger form, no one wanted to risk discovering if he was calmer or more understanding than his older version.
Odysseus could understand the sentiment. He remained in his place, observing the god sitting on an improvised marine throne. Poseidon seemed lost in thought, one hand resting on the head of Aeolus, who was sitting beside him. The goddess of the winds had emerged from her trance but now cast discreet glances at everyone who crossed her field of vision, as if silently pleading for help. Drops of sweat glistened on her forehead, but, curiously, she made no visible effort to pull away. On the contrary, she seemed, without realizing it, to be leaning slightly closer to Poseidon, like a child who, after so long, finally experiences paternal affection – albeit, in this case, in a strange and uncomfortable way.
"Well…" Hermes broke the silence with a drawn-out voice, choosing his words carefully. "That was… certainly something." He seemed to have finally processed the recent events. His posture appeared relaxed, but Odysseus, always observant, noticed the subtle signs of tension in the messenger god. Between Athena's piercing gaze moments earlier and Poseidon's intense presence, Hermes seemed to be on edge.
In fact, he was so distracted that he didn't notice one of Scylla's heads stuck in his bag of popcorn. The creature was devouring the snack voraciously and didn't seem inclined to stop anytime soon.
Odysseus let out a small sigh, torn between the tension of the situation and the urge to laugh at the surreal scene before him. The duality of moments like these seemed to be a constant in his life, even now, in a magical theater between mortals and gods.
Athena nodded solemnly at her half-brother's statement, but her mind was distant, analyzing the implications of this Poseidon's arrival. It was evident that this theater gathered people from different moments in time, but no one until now had come from as far back as her uncle.
She chose to ignore what was happening beside her: Hermes finally noticed Scylla's head devouring his popcorn and immediately tried to pull the bag away. The scene quickly turned into an improvised tug-of-war, more like an owner fighting with a dog over something it shouldn't be chewing.
"Let go of it, vile creature! If you want to eat, get your own!" Hermes exclaimed, trying to maintain his dignity while wrestling with one of Scylla's heads, which let out only stubborn grunts in response.
Circe, on the other hand, seemed amused by the sight, her eyes shining with barely contained laughter. Meanwhile, Jorge pointed his mysterious glowing rectangle toward the conflict, recording the moment. Athena, who still didn't understand the purpose of that device, made a mental note to investigate it later.
As time passed, the number of people in the room diminished. Now, only Odysseus and his family, Polites and the Lotus Eater, Eurylochus, Athena, Hermes, Circe, Scylla, Jorge, Poseidon, and Aeolus remained in an awkward silence.
"Okay… maybe I should say something to lighten this tense mood," Jorge thought, but he had no idea how to do it. He felt completely out of place among those mythical figures, especially considering he came from a completely different era.
As he pondered, he felt an unexpected weight in his pocket. Surprised, he pulled out the object and found a package accompanied by a note.
"Don't know what to do? Then why not play a game?" Two eyes drawn beside the message, one winking, seemed playful.
Jorge opened the package and smiled as he recognized the contents – a familiar game from his time. Another note was attached to the deck:
"Once you start playing, the deck won't run out, so don't worry."
He looked up and realized that several people were watching him with curiosity.
"So… who here wants to play a game from my era?" he asked, trying to sound casual.
Telemachus, Hermes, Polites, and Aeolus immediately perked up, while the rest showed interest more in the idea of experiencing something from the future than the game itself.
A large circular table appeared in the center of the room, surrounded by several chairs that were quickly occupied. Aeolus hesitated, looking to Poseidon for permission. The god nodded with a small gesture of his head, and she smiled, sitting in one of the chairs. Poseidon, without realizing it, let out a faint smile.
Then he felt something poke his arm. Looking down, he saw the small furry creature, the Lotus Eater, smiling at him with complicity.
"What is it now?" Poseidon asked, his voice a bit rough but without true hostility. "Don't you have an owner? Go back to him," he said, shooing with his hand.
The Lotus Eater hesitated for a moment, then turned, but not without casting one last mischievous glance at Poseidon. With a small leap, the creature returned to Polites' shoulder, who only then realized the little one had disappeared.
Poseidon snorted, crossing his arms, while the others began settling around the table. Jorge, excited, began explaining the rules of the game. Even with all the prior tension, the theater began to fill with a lighter atmosphere, though some concerns lingered in the minds of everyone present.
"So that's how you play? Interesting," Hermes commented, visibly intrigued by the game. His gaze, however, occasionally drifted toward one of Scylla's heads, which was still chewing on the empty popcorn bag.
"What's this called again?" he asked, distracted.
"Oh, this game is called UNO," Jorge replied with false innocence, earning a few suspicious glances. Deciding to join in only after the game had started, he offered to help those who still didn't understand the rules. Everyone agreed.
The order of the players was set: Hermes, Telemachus, Scylla, Polites, Aeolus, Lotus Eater, Scylla Head 2, and Scylla Head 3. To everyone's surprise, two of Scylla's heads insisted on participating. With the help of the others, which held the cards in their teeth, they managed to play in a surprisingly efficient – and chaotic – manner.
Jorge flipped the first card: Green. Hermes started by playing a Green 5, followed by Telemachus, who quickly discarded a Green 6. Scylla growled at one of her heads, which impulsively threw down a Green 9. Polites, calmly, played a Green 3.
Aeolus, smiling mischievously, blew a light breeze and played a Green Skip. "Sorry, little one, no turn for you!" she said, looking at the Lotus Eater, who was dozing off in his spot. Aeolus gently nudged him awake. Scylla's Head 2 played a Green 2, her tongue hanging out as if concentrating.
Head 3, taking its chance, growled and played a Wild Draw Four. Hermes groaned as he picked up four extra cards, cursing his fate and muttering quietly in ancient Greek.
"Gods, this feels like it's going to last a while…" Hermes murmured, immediately playing a Wild card and choosing blue. For a moment, he believed he had regained control of the situation, until Telemachus, with a mischievous glint in his eyes, played a Blue Reverse. "Your turn again, Hermes!" the boy said enthusiastically. Hermes let out a more audible curse this time, drawing amused looks from around the table.
Hermes played a Blue 7 with forced composure, but Head 3 struck again, playing another Wild Draw Four, this time aimed at Head 2, which responded with an indignant growl. Scylla, the main head, frowned, frustrated at the lack of coordination among her own heads.
The Lotus Eater, after some delay, finally understood the rules and played a Blue 2, looking almost proud. Polites, staying focused, played a Blue 8 with a confident smile.
As the rounds progressed, the game took on an unexpected dynamic. The deck seemed to conspire against Hermes, who now held an absurd pile of 20 cards. His expression was a mix of disbelief and resignation, which entertained the spectators. Scylla, surprisingly close to victory, held only one card, while Heads 2 and 3 bickered, each accumulating 5 cards.
Jorge, who had joined the game only recently, held 4 cards, sitting between the Lotus Eater and one of Scylla's heads, trying to ignore the occasional growls. The Lotus Eater, though still slow, seemed to enjoy himself, holding only 2 cards.
Telemachus and Aeolus wore playful, competitive smiles, each with 2 cards, clearly playing with the goal of sabotaging Hermes whenever possible. Polites maintained his strategic focus, now with only 3 cards, and the confident look of someone who believed he could turn the game around at any moment.
While the table buzzed with tension and occasional laughter, those watching also had their reactions. Odysseus and Penelope smiled softly as they watched Telemachus enjoy himself, relishing the rare moment of levity. Penelope, in particular, seemed pleased to see her son participating in something so simple and joyful.
Athena, on the other hand, had left the room to revisit the library, probably searching for something more productive. Eurylochus and Ctimene had left together some time ago, seeking a moment alone.
Circe, who had initially considered leaving, decided to stay just to watch Hermes systematically destroyed by the deck. The amused smile on her face made it clear that she was enjoying the situation more than she should.
Poseidon, however, caught Odysseus's attention. The young god, sitting quietly on his improvised throne, watched the game with analytical eyes and an indecipherable expression. No one knew what was going through his mind.
As the game continued, Jorge couldn't help but smile. Even among gods, monsters, and heroes from ancient times, something as simple as a game of UNO managed to bring everyone together in an almost familial atmosphere – a welcome pause before the next challenges.
The game dragged on for a few more minutes until, to everyone's surprise, the small Lotus Eater emerged victorious. He played a Blue Skip against Aeolus, raising his tiny hands in silent celebration, with a small, proud smile.
"Well," Jorge began, amused by the moment, "we can keep going until only one remains." The fiercely competitive glares sent his way were response enough.
Hermes, now holding an even larger pile of cards, groaned dramatically. "Why does the universe hate me so much?" he muttered, earning laughter from the others.
The next winner was Aeolus, who smiled triumphantly after forcing Jorge to draw 4 cards. She blew a light breeze as a sign of victory, while Jorge muttered something about "betrayal of the winds."
Odysseus and Penelope watched the general chaos with bewildered expressions, unaccustomed to seeing a wind god so lively. Poseidon, meanwhile, nodded discreetly with an almost imperceptibly satisfied expression. The Lotus Eater, now resting on his shoulder as if he belonged there, clapped his small arms quietly – something the god didn't seem to notice.
In the end, Hermes was left as the ultimate loser. After Scylla won her game with a surprisingly strategic move, Hermes seemed to have a real chance at victory. With a single card in hand and a renewed air of confidence, he was suddenly hit with a sequence of 16, the result of all the other players stacking 2s against him. Hermes collapsed in defeat in a corner of the room, muttering in ancient Greek while the others laughed at his expense.
More games were played over time, with players frequently joining and leaving the table. Odysseus and Penelope had to intervene to force Telemachus to take a break and eat something, much to the boy's dismay, as he had been about to win. Hermes, for his part, managed a single victory – against Eurylochus. The triumph was met with relief from Hermes and laughter from Ctimene, who didn't miss the chance to tease her husband, the only one less fortunate than the god of travelers.
As time passed, the room began to fill again. Aeolus, resigned, was already sitting beside Poseidon, though clearly uncomfortable. This time, she offered no resistance, opting to accept her fate with a dramatic sigh.
An interesting discovery was made during the games: the Lotus Eater seemed to understand Scylla's growls and grunts, translating them for the others with surprising accuracy. Now, he sat happily atop one of the creature's heads, serving as an interpreter.
Odysseus, however, still couldn't shake one question from his mind: "Why in Hades does the monster call me 'little brother'?" No matter how hard he tried to get an answer, Scylla refused to explain, emitting only sounds that the Lotus Eater interpreted as "You'll understand one day."
Ctimene was also caught off guard when Scylla, with her peculiar logic, apparently decided to adopt her as a sister. Both she and Odysseus refused to use that term, but the little Lotus Eater translated a promise from her: "One day, you'll call me that."
Both wanted to protest, but after exchanging tired glances, they decided to save their energy for the greater problems yet to come.
The silence was broken by Chaos, whose voice echoed through the theater. "Everyone ready?" Confirmation came with nods and murmurs as everyone settled back into their seats.
The room fell silent as the lights dimmed, and the screen began to glow again. Bright words appeared, foreshadowing the next chapter of the journey.
Some timeline context:
Odysseus is from the end of Charybdis.
Calypso is from the beginning of Love in Paradise.
Athena, Hermes, Circe, Penelope, Telemachus, and Ctimene are from the end of Thunder Bringer.
Scylla is from the end of God Games
The Lotus Eater is from before Polyphemus
Jorge is from after the Revenge Saga.
The rest are from the beginning of Full Speed Ahead.