#can fire 'em off but not every shot's loaded y'know? don't have to blame zeus for it

[ilions-end]

as much as i appreciate the way the "only one son per generation" curse underlines how vulnerable odysseus' family is, i'm increasingly enjoying the idea that telemachus just made that up on the spot

like he COULD have answered "well stranger, the reason i have no siblings is that my father went to war while i was still an infant and he hasn't returned" and left it at that, but i like to imagine telemachus pausing for a second like hmmm now what would be the wildest reason to be an only child... "oh, you haven't heard about our 𝕔𝕦𝕣𝕤𝕖𝕕 𝕓𝕝𝕠𝕠𝕕𝕝𝕚𝕟𝕖?"

and odysseus in disguise has to blink back tears like "incredible lie. that's my boy"