Telegony - Tumblr Posts
Hahahaha, then go ahead and make it canon, angst is something so magnificent when correctly built.
Hope you have fun, but please make it better, the bar is low
waiting.
odysseus gets sent to the underworld after his death, only telemachus and penelope were both made immortal in the telegony so now HE'S the one waiting for them.
he's eternally looking to the edges of elysium, just waiting for their figures to come across the horizon and being able to hold them in his arms again.
Also as you stated she let him go without manipulation, at the end is was more consensual than Calypso´s, she really liked him and when he supplicated to her hugging her legs, she not only freed them, no, she gave him instructions of where to go, what to do and also resupplied them with more that they carried when they washed ashore in Aiaia, she really cared about him and her love was genuine, but Odysseus heart was bound to Penelope, his only true goddess.
if it wasn´t for his love of Penelope and Telemachus, I think that Odysseus would have stayed with her as she was more or less like a Penelope and him, yes I SHIP them but in concrete alts, not cannon, my Odyssey OTP is Odypen, not Odysseus x Circe.
But yes their relations and dynamics in Epic! are way different that the one in Homer´s, and is a shame as it would have been an interesting take in ancient relations and our view of relations as well, he was a victim of s.a and don´t get me wrong, SHE raped him, she did it, it was needed for their security but she really started to sincerely love him, but He only played as long as it was necessary.
When everyone was fine, healed and resupplied, he told her to release him, He wanted to go back to Ithaca
Epic the Musical:
Circe: Oh my! He cannot be transformed by my powers! What do I do?! What do I do?! Think think I need to protect my nymphs! Oh I know! He's a man after all! I'll seduce the hell out of him to get my power over him back! He clearly can defeat my entourage of wolves and lions all by himself! I mean he's damn immune to my magic! I am sure he can do anything with his sword!
Circe: *aggressive flirting*
Odysseus: Oh my gods oh my gods she is hot...what the hell?! Oh I am just a man! Forgive me... No! Wait! J can't! I love My wife way too much! Please let us go home! I miss my wife!
Circe: Awww that is so sweet! Of course darling. I was always a sucker for a good soap opera. Of course I'll help you free of charge and here's some useful tips for your trip! Drive home safely!
The Odyssey:
Circe: Oh my! This man actually had the AUDACITY to come in my home and threaten me! And he took all precautions (a God helped him no doubt). Finally a man I can consider worthy of standing by my side and not bad looking either!
Circe: Come on, darling. Remove your clothes and let's get down on it! Let's see what you've got!
Odysseus: (oh my! Forgive me Penelope that is the only way to save my men! Hermes told me not to refuse her a thing! She is a freaking goddess that commands all these wild beasts! Power over me or not she's a force to be reconed with!) F-Fine but I cannot do what you ask before I ensure my men are safe. Please release them first and then I will (gods gotta buy myself time! Ain't prepared!)
Circe: *does that*
Odysseus: *sighs* I guess we're doing this...
*A year later*
Odysseus: Okay men you had your fun but I can't keep entertaining her forever! We must go home!
Odysseus: Please Circe let me and my people go! We have to go back
Circe: Oh but can't you stay a bit more?
Odysseus: No...I miss my wife and son
Circe: Fine, my dear, if that's what you want... Your happiness is more important than my satisfaction and I love you so I shall let you go. You paid your price fully. Here are some useful tips for you, some provisions and good luck...
That might have been a cool way to solve it, but Circe´s role in that might be so messy...(I´m letting imagination run free cause it´s way worse than you might think).
Also it makes Odysseus "children" Telemachus children, and I prefer this over that, but yeah....thematically, character development and so on..The Telegony is awful in all senses. It only creates new character for foundational purposes and does 180º in all preexisting ones, Circe, Odysseus( from faithfull husband to rampant cheater and worse), Penelope(from a wife that was hoping to see her husband to apathetic and marrying a literal child), like, nonono...
Also for better fluff, let Odysseus be with Penelope!! (or the two both die in their loving arms as cute old grandparents or make them inmortal, the two must be united!!!) and when the two goes away; then Telemachus can embark in his journey (Telemachy, it´s also the name of the five books of the Odyssey, hahaha).
It not only avoids the icky parts of the Telegony but get´s a better plot, and maybe if you really want to make Telegonus a thing, make it Circe and Telemachus son, not Odysseus...
Crack Idea where the Telegony is actually about Oddyseus giving Telemachus an adventure of his own to be recognized and remembered as a cool hero or smth, while he enjoys the rest of his years with Penelope ruling Ithica. Telemachus goes on to finish the tasks Odysseus was asked for in book 11.