#he stabbed poseidon and that was that

[rin-solo]

This came to me earlier, and now I am utterly obsessed: While it was clear to me that Odysseus stabbing Poseidon wasn't any kind of Vengeance, there was one act of Vengeance after all, even if inadvertent—it was Odysseus disproving Poseidon's "Ruthlessness is mercy upon ourselves" belief right in front of his very eyes. With him as the subject, even.

Think about it—the fact that Poseidon remained ruthless and insisted on punishing Odysseus was the only reason he got stabbed repeatedly. If Poseidon had been merciful, if he had accepted Odysseus' offer of forgiveness, he would've been fine. His own ruthlessness backfired so hard on him this time that I am sincerely hoping it haunts him forever.

I am actually utterly obsessed with Poseidon thinking back to Odysseus "Maybe you could learn to forgive?" on a daily, no an hourly basis. I cannot and will not lie to you that is unironically my favorite moment in the whole Vengeance saga just because of what it says about both the characters—about Odysseus for offering and Poseidon for declining (and also because Odysseus sings it in Poseidon's own motif which is just absolutely brilliant.) And this makes me love it even more.

Poseidon was going to decline, we all know that. I don't think anyone watching—even Odysseus, probably—expected him to accept. But then I'm picturing him lying there, bleeding into the stone, and, against his will, wondering whether maybe he should have. Maybe if he had, he wouldn't be in pain. Maybe if he had not killed Odysseus' fleet ten years ago, he wouldn't be in pain either. Maybe this one time ruthlessness wasn't mercy upon himself—maybe this time, his one grand belief was wrong. Maybe ... it was always wrong.

Obviously, he would never admit to these thoughts, he would slap himself for having them one second later. But I simply need this self-proclaimed god of ruthlessness to be utterly haunted by that and question whether he made the right choice or no—whether he's even lived by the correct philosophy all his immortal life—and no matter what, be too stubborn to admit he was wrong.

He's trying to pretend like nothing changed, but the thoughts still remain. They pester him. They won't leave him alone. Especially every time someone—anyone—is kind to him for whatever reason, they come crashing back into him and they won't leave.

"What if my own ruthlessness hurt me that time?"

"What if ruthlessness isn't mercy upon ourselves after all?"

"What if I'm wrong?"

"What if I have always been wrong?"

The most dreadful thoughts imaginable to a god as proud and stubborn and old as Poseidon, but they're there now and he can't do anything about them. You all don't understand how much I NEED this god to jolt up in his bed at 3 am after having a dream or nightmare about something related to one of his many ruthless deeds (maybe even sinking Odysseus' fleet) and go "BUT WHAT IF I HAD LEARNED TO FORGIVE?? WHAT IF I STILL COULD??" only to immediately slap himself for it because that's absolutely ridiculous.

He is left to watch this belief shatter before his very eyes as he's clinging to the remains of it desperately, trying to keep it all from crumbling. Not because he genuinely believes he's right anymore, but because he simply cannot imagine ... does not know how to live by any other philosophy.

No matter whether it's objectively correct or not, it's the very thing that defines him. The thing he's known for. He has built his entire image around this, he cannot give it up no matter what ... at least not quickly or without help.

But as much he would seek to deny it, his core belief has now been proven wrong; he has actually lived through an instance where it was wrong, and he can do nothing to erase those memories or conclusions from his mind no matter how much he yearns to go back to simpler times.

And that was the real Vengeance, guys—possibly the biggest, most painful existential crisis of Poseidon's immortal life. I rest my case.

Although before I disappear back into the void I simply must give a shout out to @o3o-lapd-o3o (this came to me during a conversation in one of their comment sections for the glorious Friends In Higher Places AU, which is quite possibly my favorite piece of EPIC fan content that exists ...)

[o3o-lapd-o3o]

after six hundred strike

*odysseus and poseidon are both still on the rocks in the middle of the sea*

odysseus: ok, let's just agree to both say we're sorry

odysseus: on the count of three

odysseus: one..two..three

poseidon:

odysseus:

odysseus: see, now i'm just disappointed in the both of us

[jazzy-a]

After Ody gets home and, of course, slaughters all the suitors and reunites with his wife and son, that man absolutely sat down with a council and immediately pulled out schematics, like:

"Cool, cool. So, first things first: We're building new temples for Athena and Hermes. What? Placement? Oh, yeah... Just knock down the Poseidon one. It's fine. I stabbed that God, like, 20 times into submission. Pretty sure that means the ocean is my b*tch now....And f*ck that guy anyways, am I right? So, for Athena's temple, I'm definitely thinking blue✨-"

[spineless-lobster]

So when odysseus fights poseidon it’s “badass” and “an epic anime battle” but when I, caligula-

[ruthlesswaves]

...there are other ways of persuasion...

[isbergillustration]

[letsplaythermalnuclearwar]

hey do you ever think about how Ody stabbed Poseidon a bunch. because Poseidon was trapping him. and how Poseidon is immortal so it couldn't kill him but could hurt a lot. and the stabbing. to make Poseidon let him go. how Ody did that immediately after the windbag was open, no thinking time necessary. and how Ody was trapped on an island for seven years by an immortal

do you ever think about that

[duchess-doodles]

Have a poseidon wip because MAN am I cooking

[lyculuscaelus]

So in Epic Poseidon rlly did give an ultimatum like you either “get in the water” or face the fate of all of Ithaca drowning along with his wife and son…

And Odysseus rlly did get in the water. Satisfied?

I’d say so. I’d say Poseidon in Epic was pleased enough to see Odysseus drowning. I’d say this is the moment where Poseidon did decide to leave his kingdom and family alone, since he’s got what he wanted already—Odysseus in the water, struggling for breath, for his dear life. The rest of the thing is just between Odysseus and Poseidon, with no one else as a price.

[serenitywisp1217]

The ending of 600 Strike except instead of getting stabbed Poseidon is just getting kicked in the balls over and over again

[odysseus-crewmate-number38]

”How will you sleep at night?”

“Next to my wife.”

THAT WAS INSANE?!

ODYSSEUS OVERPOWERED ARC WTF?

POSEIDON WHEN LOVING MARRIAGE WINS AGAINST WAR AND BLOODSHED?

HERMES THROWING IT BACK?

CALYPSO MAKING ME CRY?

POLITES STILL HAUNTING THE NARRATIVE?

THE SOULS DRAGGING ODYSSEUS DOWN?

MY BRAIN IS TOO FRIED TO COMPUTE ALL OF THIS

DID HE JUST BEAT A GOD WITH THE POWER OF LOVING HIS WIFE AND CHILD? AND THEN LEAVE SAID GODS CORPSE AS HE TALKS ABT BEING ABLE TO SLEEP WITH HIS WIFE AGAIN?

JORGE

[rin-solo]

Pls tell me I'm not alone—

[o3o-lapd-o3o]

odysseus has two modes, bawling and brawling

he initially tried bawling to poseidon during get in the water, but that didn't work, so in six hundred strike he switched to brawling.

[brainrotcharacters]

"Look what you turned me into" and "You didn't stop when I begged you" while he's stabbing him again and again is so satisfying to me actually

[jennrypan]

I KNOOOW Zeus is losing his absolute mind, like imagine being absolute destroyed by a Mortal, WITH YOUR OWN WEAPON!!

Zeus and Hades will never let Posedion forget this.

"..You could've just let him g-"

"SHUT THE FUCK UP. YOU GOT HIM STRANDED ON THAT ISLAND."

"Yeah but I let him go after, you decided to fuck around..and then you got stabbed, repeatedly. How'd that feel?"

"WANNA FIND OUT!?!"

"Lol"

Like Posedions gonna go to Amphritrite mad as fuck cuz he's a sore loser 💀

[redrabbitguts]

Everyone says that Not Sorry For Loving You is sad, and yeah I see it, but personally I think Charydbis is sadder.

Just hearing Odysseus sing how he’s holding on, even years later. Twenty years later and he’s still holding on. Still waiting to get home to see his wife and son. And at the end when he finally sees Ithaca again he sounds so sad, but hopeful. He’s home finally and tells Penelope to hold on for him. He’s finally coming home. But then heartbreak again when Poseidon shows up.

The whole thing just makes me sad because all he’s wanted since the beginning was to go home. To see his wife and now it’s all for nothing when Poseidon comes again.

All in all though both songs are amazing. They all are.