Chapter Text
In the dead of night, everyone gathers around in a small circle, the atmosphere apprehensive and uncanny. I sit quietly in the middle, adrenaline rushing through my veins as I lick my lips and begin.
“Ladies and gentlemen, gods and heroes, we are here tonight for one key reason,” I announce, smiling as everyone turns to look at me, their eyes glimmering in the dark.
I fiddle with the flashlight in my hand, searching for the ‘on’ switch.
Instead of light, the stupid thing makes mooing and oinking sounds.
“WHO TAMPERED WITH MY FLASHLIGHT?!” Glaring at no one and everyone at the same time, I hit the flashlight with my palm until the cacophony of farm animals finally stops. After several violent slaps, the flashlight gives up resisting and an eerie silver glow illuminates our little group.
Clearing my throat, my cool, mysterious hostess tone returns as I ask, “Anyone wants to guess why I’ve gone to such lengths to find everyone?”
My question is met with awkward silence.
Sighing theatrically, I give up on suspense. “We’re here to play Werewolf, okay? Did none of you geniuses notice the deck of—”
The pack of role cards I put next to my flashlight at the beginning has disappeared.
At this exact moment, a loud “COCKADOODLEDOOO” comes from the flashlight.
“AHAHAHAHHAHAHA~” Loud, hysterical laughter reverberates through the room as I glower at the lunatic across from me.
“Hermes, no.” Athena speaks before I can, her voice low and warning.
I don’t think Hermes understands what ‘warning’ means.
“Hermes,” I say slowly, death threats and promises of punishment lingering under my words, “return. The. Cards.”
Hermes just leans back on his beanbag chair.
“What cards?” His eyes suddenly become unnaturally large and round, the image of innocence. When it comes to Hermes, we all know that expression means he’s certainly, one-hundred percent guilty.
Athena pinches the bridge of her nose and grumbles about a headache.
Across the circle, Odysseus has already started scanning the room, like a man planning thirteen different contingencies.
From his expression, he’s probably come up with a fourteenth.
“If there are no role cards,” he says carefully, “then technically none of us have roles.”
Hermes grins.
“Exactly.”
As infuriating as Hermes is, I can’t think of a solution to steal the cards back from the god of thieves and liars.
But the game must go on.
“Never mind, we don’t need the cards to play the game,” I smirk at Hermes as his grin drops.
I look around the circle, at the players. In the small, dark room sits heroes, monsters, and several individuals who should absolutely not be trusted with a party game, me included.
Odysseus, Telemachus, Penelope, Eurylochus, Polites, Athena, Hermes, Aeolus, Circe, Tiresias, Calypso, Antinous, Eurymachus and Amphinomus stare at me expectantly I take a deep breath.
“Players, close your eyes,” I announce grandly.
I nudge Hermes with my foot until he stops rebelling and closes his eyes.
“Tonight, fate will choose the Werewolves,” my voice echoes as I pace slowly around the circle, silently fumbling around my bag.
Hermes opens one eye.
“Is fate an iPad?”
I drop my iPad into my bag, scowling. “Hermes. Just close your damn eyes.”
The second his eyelids droop back down, I pull my iPad back out and type as quickly and quietly as possible.
The Wheel of Names glows on my screen.
I spin it.
Its colours blur together like the threads of fate, faster and faster.
“IS THAT THE WHEE—” Aeolus peeks over my shoulder and squeals excitedly.
I slam my iPad shut. “THE WHEEL OF FATE, yes.”
Shifting my body so I obscure Aeolus’s view of the screen, I watch the wheel slow to a stop.
I stare at the result.
It is possible I'm making a big mistake.
But it’s alright, I have another chance, another Werewolf who will hopefully make up for this blunder. After I spin the wheel another time, I gaze forlornly at the screen.
It is possible I'm making an even bigger mistake.
Nevertheless, fate has chosen. I walk towards the two Werewolves and tap them on the shoulder.
Calypso and Eurylochus open their eyes and I wince. But I go along with it.
“Next, I will choose the Body Guard,” I say as the wheel spins once more.
Ah, finally, a reasonable choice. I tap Polites on the shoulder and he looks kindly up at me. It’s the sort of look that tells me he is definitely not going to survive what he’ll get into. I resist the urge to sigh and continue assigning roles.
“Now I will choose the Seer.”
Remember when I said the wheel had made a reasonable choice? I regret saying that. I take it back. I reluctantly tap Aeolus and she springs up to grin at me even before my finger can leave her shoulder.
“Now, the Jester.” Of course it’s Hermes. Who else can it be?
“Now, the Wild Child.” This one is interesting. I watch the wheel spin and spin, until it lands on… Telemachus. I have nothing much to say, so I move on.
“Now, the Little Girl.”
I cannot help but giggle when the wheel stops.
The Little Girl, the only role who can peek when the werewolves discuss, is the blind prophet. The BLIND prophet. Irony much? I tap his shoulder anyway and try to keep a straight face as I announce the next role.
“Now, the Piper.” It’s Circe. I watch her eyes glitter gold as she lifts her head, then closes her eyes once again. A fitting role for the charming sorceress.
“Last but not least, the Wolf Cub.” Athena? I question my life decisions as I tap on Athena’s shoulder, but fate is fate.
“And before the game starts, I will choose a pair of Lovers.” Apparently the wheel is a Herce shipper, so I tap both Circe and Hermes’s shoulders and wait till they stop glaring at each other.
With everyone’s roles assigned, the set-up is complete.
I pace slowly around the circle.
“The games… begin.”