#you and me and she makes three

[roosterforme]

You and Me and She Makes Three | Hangman x Reader x Reader's Friend

Summary: Jake had feelings for you. And that was a problem, because he didn't do relationships. He was going to have to choose his independence over being with you. At least that's what he thought until he was presented with the opportunity to enjoy you and his freedom at the same time. 

Warnings: Smut, threesome, fluff, 18+

Length: 4100 words

Threesome: Jake "Hangman" Seresin x Female Reader x Reader's Female Friend

I wrote this fic for the smutty threesomeissance hosted by @sushiwriterhere

Seriously, who let Jake on my masterlist!?

"Come on, man. You've been in a bad mood all day," Coyote said, removing his helmet and shaking his head at Jake. "What's your problem?"

Jake removed his helmet as well and headed for the locker room with his friend right on his heels. "Nothing," he mumbled, running a hand through his sweaty hair. But he knew Coyote wouldn't let him off the hook that easily. 

It was Thursday. Everyone would be at the Hard Deck tonight. And you were his problem. But he had no idea what to do about the way you were making him feel. 

"Is it your girl?" Coyote asked as they walked into the locker room, and Jake closed his eyes as he thought about you.

There was no denying that you and Jake had gotten close over the past two months. He'd stopped taking other girls home from the bar after he met you. He stopped talking to other girls at the bar altogether. The occasional sleepovers were something he was enjoying. Waking up in bed with you meant he was about to have a great day. Last week he had even somehow accidentally told you he liked you.

"She's not my girl," Jake drawled, stripping out of his flight suit. You were getting a little too comfortable with him, and he was getting a little too clingy with you. He never did this. He didn't date. Hookups and 'keeping things casual' were what he was all about. And he intended to keep it that way. "She's definitely not my girl. I'm not into that. I do whatever I want, whenever I want to, and that includes who I'm sleeping with."

"Who else has there been?" Coyote asked with a smug smile as Jake moved things around noisily in his locker without responding. Then Coyote snorted. "You know, there are worse things than catching feelings for someone."

Jake thought his friend was wrong about that. He was going to end things with you tonight. Call it quits on whatever was happening, and then he would go home with someone else. Because there was really no way he could have you all to himself and enjoy the freedom he wanted at the same time.

"Jake!" you called out, running toward him when you got to the bar that evening. God, you were gorgeous, all bouncing tits and sunny smiles as you shoved through the crowd to get to him in that tiny little dress he loved taking off of you.

"Hey," he replied as casually as he could, but you took his breath away. And then you wound your arms around his neck and kissed him like you already knew he was going to respond with a kiss of his own. You shouldn't be doing this. He shouldn't be responding with his hands on your hips. Why couldn't he stop himself?

Other women. He forced himself to think about other women. All of the brunettes, redheads and blondes for him to explore. Freedom. He forced himself to think about his freedom. There was a whole world of having nobody to answer to but himself, and that was the world he wanted to live in.

But your lips were on his neck, and your palm was pressed to his chest, and he was already thinking about how good your pussy felt. "Fuck," he groaned, cupping your cheek with his palm and coaxing your lips back up to his. He wanted you. "Let's get out of here," he grunted, already embarrassed about what Coyote was going to say. But you were shaking your head now, looking a little apprehensive. 

"Jake, there's something I wanted to talk to you about." Your gaze dipped down from his eyes to his neck, and you chewed on your plump lip nervously. 

Wait. Were you about to dump him?

Before he could say anything, you whispered, "Do you remember my friend Maya? She met me here last week before you and I went back to your place?"

Of course Jake remembered Maya. She was almost as hot as you were. If you and Jake hadn't already been all over each other, he would have considered hitting on her. "Yeah, I remember her."

Jake watched your tongue dart out to slowly wet your lips before you said, "How would you feel about her joining us?"

He sighed deeply. He should have already done the cut and run like he was planning, because now he was going to have not only you but also your friend clinging to him all night. "Sure," he mumbled, but you were shaking your head again.

"Not here at the bar... back at your place."

The words were so unexpected, it took a moment for Jake to absorb them. Then he saw Maya weaving her way through the crowded bar, her gaze sheepishly meeting his as you asked, "Well? What do you think, Jake?"

"To be clear," he drawled slowly, his eyes taking in Maya's cute body before looking at you, "you're asking about her joining us in bed?"

You moaned softly and nodded, pressing your tits against his side. "Yes."

This entire scenario was in no way anything close to what he was anticipating for this evening. However... 

"Hi," Maya said, tucking her hair behind her ear and looking at Jake before you hugged her. The two of you were giggling softly, and Jake's imagination was running wild. Oh, the possibilities. His cock throbbed in his jeans, absolutely demanding he take full advantage of this situation. He could have you, and he could have a taste of someone else, too. 

He watched your lips skim softly along Maya's before you turned and looked at him over your shoulder. "Jake?" you asked, eyes wide, hoping for an answer this time.

"Yes."

You grinned at him and reached for his hand, pulling him a little closer to where you were standing chest to chest with Maya in the overcrowded, stiflingly hot bar. You started kissing him right when he was about to ask if the three of you were staying for a drink first. Your lips were so sure, like you knew what he wanted. 

When you released him, Maya quietly said to Jake, "I know you guys are kind of together, and I promise I won't get in the way of that. But when I told her that my ex boyfriend never got me off, she told me that you always make sure she comes. She said you're a gentleman like that."

You ran your fingers up Jake's neck and into his hair. "Such a gentleman." 

"Fuck," he growled, kissing you a little rough as he let his hand slip around Maya's waist, pulling her closer to him. Your tongue was in his mouth, and he was already getting hard. Suddenly he didn't give a fuck who saw the three of you together, but he honestly wanted to get both of you alone as quickly as possible. In his bed. Where he could show you both that he was such a gentleman... until he wasn't. "Let's skip the drinks tonight?" 

"Okay," you sighed against his lips before leaning across him to kiss Maya again. The fact that you weren't too tentative had Jake wondering just exactly how familiar with each other the two of you were. He was going to find out. 

"Come on," he growled, tugging you toward the exit. You were hand in hand with Maya, and she followed along until the cool night air in the quiet parking lot hit Jake's sweaty brow. 

He was completely sober, watching you kiss your friend again before you told her, "It's okay. Try it."

And then Maya's lips were on his, and she wasn't shy at all. The exhilaration of that first kiss with someone new was amped up tenfold as he ran one hand down low on her back and grabbed you by the ass with the other. 

After a moment of enjoying Maya's lips, you rubbed your hand along the front of his jeans and whispered, "Let's go back to your place."

That was a great idea, except that Jake had a two seater sports car. But as he watched both of you climb into the front seat together, hands and mouths all over each other, he decided to just go with it. "Hang on tight, ladies," he said with a smirk as he started the engine and pulled out of the parking lot. 

Occasionally one of your hands made its way across the gear shift and into his lap as he drove. And when Jake joined you in a threeway kiss at a stoplight, the car behind him had to honk three times to get him moving when the light turned green. His car was filled with soft giggles and sighs as he navigated to his little beachfront rental as quickly as he could. 

He was out of the car in a flash, and when he opened the passenger side door, you were straddling your friend's lap and kind of rolling your hips. Jake watched for a moment until you looked up at him with a filthy grin. "You better take care of both of us," you whispered as Maya ran her hand along your thigh. 

Jake scooped you up out of the car and pulled Maya out by her hand. You kissed along his neck and wrapped your legs around his waist, and Jake acknowledged that he loved the way you felt in his arms. He loved the way Maya's hand felt wrapped around his bicep as well as he kissed her lips. He handed her his house key and said, "Be an angel and unlock the door." Then he had you pressed up against his house right next to the doorknob as he fucked your mouth with his tongue.

His hands were wrapped around your thighs, and he could feel your damp panties when he stroked you with one long finger. "Jake," you moaned into his mouth, and Maya reached for his arm again as she opened the front door. 

When he set you down inside, he whispered, "Show Maya where my bedroom is." He closed and locked the door as you and she headed upstairs holding hands. 

When he walked into his bedroom and turned on his desk lamp, Jake took a moment to just enjoy the sight before him. You were unzipping her denim shorts and letting them fall to the floor, and then Maya carefully pulled your dress over your head.

"That's usually my job," he muttered, mouth watering when your bare tits came into view. When your dress hit his bedroom floor, you reached for him.

"Jake," you sighed when his hands cupped your perfect breasts, thumbs stroking your nipples to hard peaks. He watched intently as Maya pulled her own top off, a bashful little smile on her face. When she made eye contact with Jake, he tipped his chin up, and she was instantly removing her bra for him. 

He was in heaven. Two different women. Two bodies to explore. "My angels," he muttered, removing one hand from your warm skin and stroking the valley between Maya's breasts. When her head tipped back he leaned in to kiss her neck, and soon she was moaning with her hands in his hair. 

"Make her feel good," you whispered, quickly removing Jake's shirt before he returned to Maya's lips and breasts. And next thing he knew, you were on your knees between their bodies, unzipping his pants and sucking on his cock. 

Jake throbbed for you as you took him deep, and he kissed down Maya's chest to her nipple. He tasted her and sucked her between his lips, and when she started whining, he gave her his fingers to suck on. Her curvy body against his palm plus the feeling of soft suction around his cock and his fingers had him bucking into your mouth. 

"You're a good girl," he told you where you had your lips wrapped around his balls now. He was rewarded with your tongue working in firm circles. "Panties off," he commanded, before pulling his fingers free from Maya's mouth and kissing her there softly. "Both of you."

"Okay, Jake," you whispered, standing and shimmying out of your tiny underwear. Maya did so as well, looking at him the whole time. 

"What are you gonna do?" she asked quietly, and Jake ran his fingers along her bare slit and through her close cropped curls. She kept her eyes on his as he reached for your body as well. Two soaking wet pussies, just for him. He thumbed your clit and stroked down to Maya's opening until you were both gasping.

"I'm gonna make you both feel so good." 

As he worked his hands, he had you clinging to one side of him, grinding against his palm, and he had Maya on the other side, gasping and nearly sobbing as he teased her opening. While he already knew how to get you off, now he had a pretty good idea of what would work for your friend, too. 

Jake brought his lips down to Maya's in a soft kiss. "You like that, angel?" He was rewarded with vigorous nodding before she pressed her lips to his. "I want both of you to get on the bed next to each other. On your backs."

You had a big smile on your face as you took her by the hand, and Maya followed your lead. As you got yourself into position with your feet planted at the foot of the bed, you slid yourself all the way to the edge. Jake stripped out of his jeans and underwear as Maya settled down next to you with her thighs pressed together. 

"You don't have to be shy," he told her, gently easing her legs apart until he was looking down at two perfect pussies on display on his bed. "I like what I see. And I want to taste you."

Maya whimpered, her leg and hip pressed up against yours as you reached for her chin. Jake watched as you gently turned her face toward yours and kissed her lips. The way you let your hand trail softly down her chest, circling her nipples and pinching her until she spread her legs open wider made his cock throb. But he wasn't going to fuck either one of you until you both came for him.

So he sank to his knees and pressed his nose to your clit, enjoying the familiar taste and smell of you as he ran one big hand down along Maya's inner thigh. "Oh, god!" you gasped, rolling your hips up to meet his mouth as you made out with Maya. And then Jake stroked his fingers along her wet slit and ass. 

He knew the sounds you made so well that he could pick out when Maya liked something by how loud she got, too. When he left a trail of kisses down your slit before filling you with two thick fingers, he moved his slick lips to give Maya a taste. Delicious. He worked his tongue around and inside her opening until she was tugging on his hair.

"Jake!" she gasped when he slipped his left middle finger inside her. 

"I told you he'd be good," you said with a giggle, and Jake fucked you a little harder with his right hand until you started to moan unintelligibly. 

After another minute, Maya was close and you were close. His hands were close to cramping as he stroked your clit and stretched her with a second digit. But he focused his attention on eating her pussy until she was squeezing her thighs around his head and arching off the bed. 

And then Maya came on his face with a little gush and some tears in her eyes. As her legs loosened around him, he patted her pussy softly with his fingertips, wanting to keep her ready for his cock while he got you off. 

He smiled up at you where you were stroking Maya's heaving chest. "I already know what you like, angel." And then he wiped that smug grin off your face with his lips and tongue so rough on your clit that you were soon screaming for him. Jake jumped to his feet and thrust his cock inside you to the hilt, fucking you hard as you came around him, legs shaking. That was just how he liked you; a mess beneath him. But this time you had Maya's hands on your tits as she kissed you and slid over to straddle your waist. 

"Perfect," Jake grunted, taking Maya by the hips as she kissed your lips through your orgasm. He eased her ass higher into the air until he was stroking her while he continued to fuck you. When he bent a little bit, his lips met her round rear end, and he ran his tongue everywhere. 

Her muffled little grunts got louder against your mouth as Jake reached around to stroke her clit, and then he withdrew his cock from your perfect warmth and ran his length through Maya's soaking cunt before pushing his tip against her opening. She was every bit as tight and inviting as you were, and Jake couldn't believe you were letting him have this night. He fucked Maya nice and slow as she keened and got used to his size. 

"How are my angels doing?" he asked, pressing a kiss to the curve of Maya's back. She rocked back on his cock, and he groaned.

"So good, Jake," you whined, and he looked down to see you taking your friend's nipple between your lips. 

Maya's pussy clenched around him, and he hissed. "Harder," she whispered softly, and Jake squeezed her ass with one big hand. 

"A little louder, angel," he drawled next to her ear. 

"Harder!" she shouted, and she was suddenly being manhandled. Jake fucked her so hard, she had to brace herself so she didn't knock into your face. He shoved two fingers inside your pussy as he rocked into Maya until she came a second time, gripping him nice and tighe before he replaced his fingers inside you with his cock once more. 

Maya stood up on her knees as she whimpered and looked at him over her shoulder. Her eyes were wide, and her lips were parted, and Jake kissed her as he fucked you beneath her. He wrapped one hand around your hip to hold you still as you started to writhe for him, and he stroked Maya's tits with the other. 

"Did I make you feel good?" he asked, squeezing her breast. 

"Yes," she replied softly, leaning into him as he kissed her shoulder. 

"Do you want to watch me make her feel good?"

Maya nodded and scrambled to the side of your body, and she watched intently as Jake leaned down to kiss your lips. He wanted to tell you all the ways he was sorry he even thought about breaking things off with you, but your fingers trailed through his hair as you cooed his name. You looked a little wrung out, a pleased smile teasing your lips as you rolled your hips into his thrusts. 

"Will you let me make you cum again?" he asked, licking the sheen of sweat along your neck. 

"Yes," you whispered, and Jake took Maya's hand in his. He guided her fingers down to stroke your clit as he fucked you, alternating kisses to your soft, swollen lips and hers. Then he stood tall and gripped your thighs as his body met yours with bed shaking thrusts that left you squealing. You came hard with his cock inside you and Maya touching your pussy and your tits. 

Jake was close now, gritting his teeth as he was met with two sets of wide eyes. "On your knees," he growled, pulling himself out of you and pointing to the floor. He stroked himself, gliding over his palm, lubricated with your slick juices and Maya's. And then both of you were in front of him, lips parted and tongues ready to receive him. With a few quick snaps of his wrist Jake was painting up your face and then hers with ribbons of his white cum.

The way you looked up at him, silently begging for more had him shoving his cock into your welcome mouth once again. You cleaned him off, swallowing down his cum before you kissed Maya's white coated lips and said, "I told you he was a gentleman." 

Then you ran your tongue through the mess on her cheek as Jake's cum dripped down your neck to your nipple. He watched as both of you kissed leisurely, not sure if you were actually cleaning each other up or just spreading the mess around. When he joined in, tasting himself on your salty skin and then Maya's, he pulled you both closer to him. 

"Thanks for including me," Maya whispered next to Jake's ear, and he squeezed her hip before she stood and started to collect her clothes. 

Jake sat on the floor and pulled you close so you were straddling his thigh, and he told you, "Thanks for tonight." You ran your fingers along his abs as he kissed you while Maya got dressed. "Hold tight, angel," he whispered, patting your ass as he reached for his phone in the pocket of his discarded jeans. He opened his rideshare app and got a car to take Maya home, and then it was just the two of you in his house.

"I guess I should get going, too," you said, starting to remove yourself from Jake's lap. "You have work in the morning."

"Stay," he insisted immediately. "Spend the night with me."

"You sure?"

"Yes," he grunted, taking your chin in his palm and kissing you softly. A minute later, you were straddling him in bed, and his cock was hard again. As he coaxed your lips closer to his, he whispered, "I want to cum inside your pussy this time."

You bit your lip, your face hovering just above his. "You could have cum in Maya's pussy, you know. And you can cum inside me whenever you want to, Jake. Just say the word."

He reached down to line his cock up with you, gently pressing up until he was fully sheathed. Your eyes fluttered closed, and your lips parted, and Jake just had to know for sure. 

"Was tonight a one off? Or would you want to do this again?"

"Mmm," you hummed, riding him a lot slower than earlier, and Jake could feel every squeeze and stroke of your tight pussy as you arched your back. "I loved it. And I'd love to do it again. Maybe with Maya. Maybe with someone else. If you want to."

Jake groaned, peppering your face in kisses, tasting his drying cum on your cheek. "Yes, angel. Yes, please. I'll take such good care of you all the time. And you can share me whenever you want, okay? Please."

"Yes," you agreed, and Jake made sure you could tell just how happy he was. 

---------------------------

The following weekend at the Hard Deck, Jake greeted you with open arms as soon as you arrived. He had seen you almost every evening for the past week, spent almost every night in bed with you. He even took you to see a movie and out to dinner. He was happy. 

You ran your nose along his jaw and kissed him. "You want another scotch?"

"Sure thing, angel," he murmured, and then he watched you saunter up to the bar after you gave his bicep a little squeeze.

"I thought she wasn't your girl." 

Jake looked away from your ass and into the eyes of his best friend. "She wasn't," he told Javy with a smirk.

"But she is now?" he asked, leaning against the pool table.

"She is now," Jake confirmed. You were everything he wanted. He was falling in love with you. He got to enjoy a relationship without giving anything up, because you also offered him the taste of freedom he was accustomed to. 

"What changed?" Javy asked him, but Jake was distracted. You were heading back their way with drinks in your hands, chatting with a cute little blonde that you must have found for him at the bar. 

"She offered up an arrangement that really, really works for me," Jake said grinning at you as you smirked at him. "Now, if you'll excuse us..."

-----------------------

I thought I would switch things up and let Jake have two girls all to himself (over and over again). He's kind of an asshole, but we still love him so much. Thanks to @mak-32 and @beyondthesefourwalls

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[danwhobrowses]

Sometimes love is planning on having a cosy cottage when the dust has settled, sometimes love is kissing the person you want to be with before a big battle and seeing where things go from there, and sometimes love is swiping a bag of shrooms from a cow man and letting the other know that you'd do any and every crazy thing they want with them

and all of them are valid

[erinwantstowrite]

will peter be like an older brother to miles in lof ?

absolutely he is

there's about an 11 year difference between them (Miles is 14, Peter is 25), so it's a lot more like the older brother type of relationship that Peter has with Tim (despite Tim being his uncle). Peter has mentored(ish) other young heroes by this point (mostly in the Bats' universe) but since Miles is another Spider-Man, Peter takes up most of the responsibility in making sure Miles is safe and teaching him the ropes. That's HIS sassy child genius, thank you, and he's not a sidekick, he's Spider-Man.

He was also adamant that Miles tell his parents immediately, and gets along great with Rio and Jeff.

Which is HILARIOUS to me because at this point in time, Peter has built up a persona for the public eye just like the Bats did. In Rio and Jeff's eyes, they're gobsmacked that the clumsy, scatterbrained, and "scaredy-cat" kid that Tony Stark adopted a while ago is Spider-Man. (Technically, none of this is a lie. Because Peter is a terrible liar unless it's For the Jokes, and often comes across this way even if he hadn't meant to.) They're wondering how he pulled that off since he's the same age as Spider-Man, who is known to be an Avenger, and associates in the same circles as Peter. It helps that Peter and Spider-Man have been in a social media war, and that Peter works at the Daily Bugle that is known for disliking Spider-Man. Peter's been taking lessons for years atp to keep his identity safe. Which is also bonus points to Peter, because the two can tell that secret identities mean everything to him, but he told them who he was in a heartbeat (literally the very first thing he did when he found Miles).

In other words: Peter was ecstatic to become a teacher for his own matching superhero kid and it's one of the most important bonds in his life. That's his baby brother now!!

[bixels]

a drawing of miku by a white person wearing a hoodie is not indicative of culture

they think i'm white, chat.

[razzafrazzle]

real smooth moves!!

[image description: a reanimated gif from the music video for experimental film by they might be giants, drawn with human versions of strong bad, homestar, and strong mad from homestar runner. strong bad is depicted as a tan-skinned trans man with messy blue hair poking out from under his mask, homestar is depicted as a dark-skinned man with curly dark brown hair and freckles, and strong mad is depicted as a tan-skinned bald man. the three of them each dance back and forth before jumping out at the viewer, at which point the animation loops. end id]

[steddiealltheway]

Something that is canon in my mind that I forget to tell people:

The reason why Steve can’t get bitches in his Scoops Ahoy era is because there’s a rumor going around that he’s gay (probably because someone caught him hooking up with Eddie)

[starry-bi-sky]

finally giving fem danyal her own au and fulfilling my 'danny is an animal whisperer' agenda at the same time: mother of monsters danyal 2.0

i say "2.0" because TECHNICALLY 'mother of monsters danyal' is an au I made back in June for Dark fem!Danyal (who I promptly named Layal). However, I haven't posted much for her yet, and I like the "mother of monsters" premise too much to leave it only to Layal. Plus Danyal in that au was going to become the mother of monsters anyway, just with significantly less world domination and mass extinction.

'Animal whisperer' Danny has been something I've been thinking about since my latest DP 'wolfpack au' post and it's! So fun to think about, and who no better to assign the idea to than Danyal Al Ghul? Who comes from a family infamously known for their love of animals and nature?

Fem Danyal is just purely self-indulgent. *gestures wildly at her* i just lomvb,,, her,,,, I've only really mentioned her in context of the 'Things in Threes' au/my first Danyal al Ghul au with the facial scar, but she's!!! I love her. She deserves her own au <33

So kill three birds with one stone! Make a post about it.

Anyways, Danny has a large lair. Similar to cult leader danyal, her lair is a giant mountain region resembling nanda parbat with a big temple/palace-like area built into the mountain. It's large, it's overflowing with natural flora, with its own mini-floating islands hovering over some areas, and it's also completely empty.

Danny takes one look at her lair upon first meeting, -- noting that it looked relatively smaller from the outside -- and promptly, with the elegance of an Al Ghul, goes "What the hell??" Because yes, while she does enjoy her own solitude and privacy, this is a bit ridiculous.

For heaven's sake, there's even a massive lake in there! What's she going to do with all this space? Can she make it any smaller? Why is it so big in the first place? This looks borderline like one of the mega-islands!

She finds out later that apparently, the amount of ectoplasm a ghost has can have an effect on the size of their lair. And since she has such a large core, her lair reflects that. Wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey stuff, it's bigger on the inside so it doesn't take up "too much space" on the outside. Don't worry about it too much.

Danyal isn't totally opposed to having such a large lair, she's just... a bit baffled by it. It feels like so much wasted space is all. All this flora and no fauna to enjoy it with. It's practically eerie.

She decorates her temple-palace area, transforming rooms to match her needs as she sees fit. In the center of the inner gardens is a massive tree that she likes to climb, with twisting, winding branches. Sam and Tucker have honorary rooms, even if they can't safely leave the specter speeder for long periods of time, even with proper safety equipment. So does Jazz. Ali (Dani) has one too, but he can actually use that one, and Danny brought him to her lair so he could decorate it himself.

She has a personal garden, but for the most part she lets the flora exist as it is. Too much space to cultivate it en masse anyways.

Skip to a few weeks later, on her next visit to Clockwork. She developed a habit of going to see him semi-regularly just because. She enjoys his wisdom, and he has a lot of stories to tell, and when he's not being the cryptic and esoteric timekeeper, he's a bit goofy.

(pushing my dadwork agenda here,,, i think Danny deserves to go 'hey, Lord Clockwork, do you want me to buy you something' while she's at walmart, only to receive a singular glowing sticky note that says 'cucumber gatorade'.)

(She insists on referring to him with his proper titles even for the most mundane of things because it's proper, but Clockwork sees a future where she eventually calls him "Cee" and by all things in existence is he determined to get there. Anyways,,,)

On her next visit to Clockwork, just as she is about to leave, Clockwork stops her and goes; "Ah, I have something for you. Hold out your hands."

Danny does as such, and Clockwork doesn't give out things often, so her curiosity has spiked to the highest levels. He turns away from her for a moment, using his staff to summon whatever it is he needs, and when he turns around.

He drops a fish into her hands. Granted, a fish in a small glass tank. But a fish nonetheless. A small one, roughly about the size of her finger, with a blue-black, eel-shaped body and four sets of glowing eyes. She can see thin, almost translucent, but spiny fins down its back and the start of bioluminescent markings. It's swimming around in circles in its small container.

"Lord Clockwork." Danyal says all too calmly.

"Yes, Danyal?"

"What is this?"

"That is an adolescent leviathan, Danyal." She’s transfixed onto the tank, but she doesn’t need to see Clockwork’s face to hear the smile he’s stifling.

The myriad of emotions that runs through her all at once threatens to overwhelm her, and she can’t tell if the feelings are negative or positive. So she carefully closes her eyes to breathe in through her nose.

“Clockwork.”

“Ah, I see you’ve dropped formalities.”

She ignores that.

“Why have you given me an adolescent leviathan?”

She's expecting the trickster to look amused when she opens her eyes. Instead, he just looks endeared. "I know you're fond of animals," he says, "and you always look amazed when you come across an animal of the realms. So I thought you might enjoy taking care of the young beast, it's mother is dead so it has no one to care for it."

Oh.

"But, if you don't like it," Clockwork's hands reach out for the tank, "I can simply take it back--"

Danyal shifts the tank out from his reach and hugs it possessively. "I never said that. How do I care for it?"

And so clockwork gives her a list, and when Danyal returns to her lair, she sets up a large tank in her room for the leviathan to swim in -- it's much too small for the lake right now, she thinks. She'll feel better if it's somewhere she can find it. She names him Suhā.

Suhā grows quickly, and by the end of the mortal month she transforms one of the rooms into a large pond for him to swim around in. He's a very loyal beast, recognizing her as it's mother of some kind. Danyal takes great care ensuring that her beastie gets quality care, and Suhā swims to the surface to see her when he senses her in the room.

It spirals from there. Somehow, Pandora catches wind that Clockwork gave her a leviathan, and so the next time Danyal visits the Greater Athens, she gives her a baby chimera. It's eyes are still sealed shut, Danyal can't bring herself to say no. She names the little beastie Firas.

Frostbite hears about it too, and not to be outdone, gives her an animal she's never even heard of. Infinite-realms born, apparently. A fox-like creature with two small horns like an impala, four eyes, and tall legs. The name isn't something she's quite sure how to write down, and she's positive that her friends won't be able to comprehend it. She names her Eira.

Getting the three of them used to each other was... interesting. Suhā tried to eat Firas when Danyal first introduced the two, and they've hated each other ever since. Firas and Eira are seemingly getting along. Her island already feels full enough with the three of them on it.

Of course, that's not the end of it. With her luck, she begins stumbling across other monsters. Realms-borne or otherwise. An injured hydra in the Grecian islands that, through lots of trial and error, Danyal is able to rehabilitate and heal. It routinely comes to visit her afterwards.

A griffin with a broken wing that she moves permanently to the island that likes to keep to itself, but tends to come down when she's near. It gets along best with Firas.

A panther-like monster from the Shades Woods that had six legs and three tails, with ends that reminded her of a venus flytrap. It stuck around the heavy foliage and she can only make out where it was when she saw its golden eyes reflect.

She befriends a young indrik with its leg injured, and much like the hydra it follows her back to her island, and stays there in the mountains. It comes out when she's alone, much like her other beasts.

She receives two more leviathan -- one from clockwork, and one she finds herself while exploring the deeper and darker recesses of the Ghost Zone. It was huddled against the carcass of its mother, and she managed to befriend and get close enough to it to bring it back to her island. Suhā is fully grown by then, with a head bigger than Danyal herself and he still likes to stick her head out of the water for nuzzles when she's near.

He's not very happy with his new siblings, but he's not trying to eat them when she's not looking. So she calls it a win in her book.

And it's not just large beasts either; smaller animals begin popping up when she's not looking. Bird-like creatures and small mammals, and she swears she saw a doe (or something resembling a doe) grazing in the forest while she was walking by.

She takes back with her a lone snake egg once, and it grows so big it wraps around her island and sleeps with its massive head on the mountain beside the temple, like some smaller breed of Jörmungandr.

And on and on it goes. Some of the beasts she comes across never step foot onto her island, some of them follow her back, while others she has to carry back. Not all of the ones that follow her stay, and Danny rehabilitates the injured and releases them when they're fully healed.

It's hectic, and busy, and frankly she loves it. Some of her rehabilitated beasts return to visit her, or to have their children somewhere on the island, or whatever it is they need to do.

She becomes a bit infamous for it. She goes to visit Dorathea once, and as she's walking through the streets she can hear some of the denizens whispering while she walks past.

"Is that her?"

"Her highness' friend? Yes--"

"--that's the one--"

"--Mother of monsters--"

Danny's not sure how to feel about that.

Although, she can't say she's opposed.

Danyal Al Ghul, Mother of monsters, raiser of beasts. It has a nice ring to it.

[deerest-deer]

lottie + hugs

[mispatchedgreens]

oh, to be an absolute ten while a repressed belligerent asshole administers to you the kiss of life

[mars-ipan]

this post has been komahinanami coded to me since day 1

[madmaxified]

‼️descendants rise of red spoilers‼️

DO YOU THINK THAT THE REASON BRIDGET IS MAD AT ELLA AND HASNT SPOKEN TO HER IN YEARS WHEN THEYRE ADULTS IS BECAUSE WHEN THEY WERE AT THE DANCE ELLA LEFT BRIDGET ALONE TO GO DANCE WITH CHARMING AND THATS WHEN ULIANA PRANKED BRIDGET BECAUSE ELLA WASNT THERE TO PROTECT HER AND BRIDGET WAS ALONE AND AFRAID AND PROBABLY THOUGHT ELLA LEFT HER ON PURPOSE AND WAS IN ON THE PRANK AND BLAMED HER FOR WHAT HAPPENED AND THATS WHY ELLA DOESNT WANT TO TELL CHLOE ABOUT IT BECAUSE SHE FEELS GUILTY ABOUT IT

[lovesickeros]

☆ even the gods bleed [ pt 4 ]

{☆} characters arlecchino, furina, lyney {☆} notes cult au, imposter au, multi-chapter, gender neutral reader {☆} warnings blood {☆} word count 3.7k {☆} previous [ 1 ] [ 2 ] [ 3 ]

Fontaine was bathed in darkness, not even the moon daring to illuminate where the common man fears to walk. The streets were bleak and empty save for the constant, rhythmic ticking and clanking of machines marching on endlessly, dauntlessly wading where even the bravest dared not to venture. Not even the sharp click of the Gardes boots followed the occasional hisses of steam as they walked the barren streets.

It was haunting, and it'd been like that for days now. It showed little signs of stalling in the slightest, too. Every inch of Fontaine was practically crawling with Gardemeks– like a swarm of rats skittering about.

Arlecchino had secluded herself in the Hotel Bouffes d'ete for days at this point, waiting– biding her time. Her nails clicked against the wood as she tapped at the table in a stilted rhythm, the subtle click of the clock mixing into the clanking outside, weaving in and out of earshot as the patrols slipped by. She reached forward after a moment of thought, reaching for the white king.

She leaned back against the chaise, tilting her head just enough to catch a glimpse of a patrol of Gardemeks as they vanished behind the rows and rows of buildings. It wasn't enough to keep her attention for long, however, her features twisting in disinterest as she glanced back to the chessboard– and the letter neatly resting beside it. The seal was unmistakable and a sobering sight, demanding her attention– the soft hues of blue etched into the shape of a dragon stared back at her in a way that almost unsettled her.

She had already parsed through it's contents hundreds of times, but she was met with only vague, flowing script that only served to irritate her more then anything– it filled the page top to bottom yet managed to say nothing at all. Her hand reached out again, but instead of reaching for the letter she plucked the black rook from the board, setting it down with a soft click.

Arlecchino had all the time in the world to sit back and observe her prey, but all that time would be useless if she lacked the information to act.

And he was quite tight fisted about it, evidentially. None of her inquiries or attempts to decipher any potential codes in the letter left her empty handed. She could not act without even knowing the reason for his summons– it was almost worded like a personal affair rather then one would expect for a foreign diplomat. In truth, she'd expected a scalding report on her operatives, but it lacked any mention of anything of the sort.

She was no stranger to people masking hostility behind pretty words and compliments, not that it was ever unwarranted per se– the Fatui did not create connections through honesty and genuine kindness. They have strong armed more then their fair share of people into cooperation to the point distrust is all the Fatui are met with outside of Snezhnaya. Every word was meant to conceal the deceit, every action meant to conceal the price later paid.

So she had been..skeptical of the letter, to put it lightly. She doubted the Iudex of all people would offer a hand to the Fatui without a price attached– a trap, perhaps, meant to lure in the most powerful piece left on the board. Her eyes narrowed, reaching for a white rook and moving it to the right.

Or he was hiding something. Something that he simply couldn't risk getting out to anyone, not even the Divine themself. A tempting prize, whatever it was.

..A dangerous prize, too.

She'd considered burning the letter and forgetting it all together– the risk was great, and she couldn't risk getting caught up by whoever else the Iudex may have on his side of the board. But she could hardly pass up the challenge and the prize that he fought so hard to keep from prying eyes and ears. Even her agents came back empty handed each time. She lazily picked up a black rook, sliding the white pawn aside.

"Lyney," Arlecchino drawled, crossing one leg over the other and turning her gaze to the door as it slowly creaked open. The pale visage of Lyney stepped through, though his siblings were noticeably absent. The weariness that weighed down on his shoulders was apparent in the slightest furrow of his brows and the subtle creak of leather as he clenched his fists behind his back. "Father." He choked out, the title dragged out by the sharp inhale and shaky exhale.

He looked out of breath, she noted.

The silence that lingered after the small exchange was punctuated only by the click of another chess piece being moved. She sets aside the black rook, letting it sit among the dozen other pieces that had been wiped off the board. She can see the conviction glinting beneath the fog of exhaustion, but if he would utilize it was another matter all together.

He had seemed to make his choice quickly, at the very least.

"Our contacts and operatives within the Fortress of Meropide have gone silent– all we have is their final confirmed missive.." His voice is confident, but it is rigid as the words spill from his lips. He takes a sharp step forward, unfolding his arms from behind his back and opening his hands– the small, water stained and messily folded note catches her eye, plucking it from his palms with a half hearted interest. "They believe the Duke left the Fortress of Meropide..and that he may be coming to the Court of Fontaine."

Her eyes narrow dangerously, nearly crumpling the thin paper in her hands– yet just as quickly, she collects herself.

But she cannot get rid of the bitter taste on her tongue, lingering as she sets down the note and slides it to the side, her lips pursed into a thin line.

So the Iudex had shown one of his pieces..she tightly grasps a black rook, tipping over the white rook, letting it roll against the board.

If the Duke was involved, things were much more complicated then she expected– he would be a problem, she was certain. She couldn't blame the lamb for fearing the wolf, either. Whether her agents had been killed or captured by the man mattered little. He had his ways, and he was a force that could instill fear in even them.

Which meant the possibility that her operation was already compromised was far too real.

What had the Iudex so concerned he had gone through the trouble of bringing in the Duke and herself? The Fatui was one thing, but to specifically request one of it's Harbingers..

The Prophecy? The thought had her clenching her fist, but..no. If it were to rear it's head now, the Iudex could simply not afford to waste time on his contacts deciphering his nonsensical script– If the prophecy were to be the issue, there time would be limited to mere minutes in the worst of cases. Which meant it was worth biding his time in order to ensure absolute secrecy.

So if not the prophecy, then what?

Her next moves were..limited. She was already walking on eggshells considering her position and the reputations of the Fatui– especially with a Harbinger in the midst. If they caught wind of her operations, they'd weed out her operatives and be on guards for any snakes that lingered in their garden.

She reached for the chessboard again, picking up one of the white rooks from the board with a scowl. The sharp click as she sets down the white rook and sets aside the black pawn draws a shaky inhale from Lyney as she moves another black pawn, the dull click of the pieces drowning out the distant clinking of machines.

..A draw, perhaps.

The pieces were all falling into place– the players of this game were slowly being revealed. Whether she could secure her victory..she was unsure.

She wasn't even sure who her opponent was. Only that the Iudex himself was but another piece in their game.

Arlecchino reached for the board again, yet this time she hesitated. Perhaps she could still swipe the win from beneath them, if she played her cards right.

She would simply have to capture the king– or, if need be, let it end on a draw. Either way, she would not concede. She could not afford to concede. Down to the last piece, she would drag out this match until she was in a position to force their hand into the outcome she desired.

She stood slowly, picking up the king piece and observing it for only the briefest of moments before she set it down on the table, taking measured steps around the table and across the room. She was hunting a much more dangerous quarry today– it would be no simple runaway traitor this time.

"Do you remember the directive?" She inquired coldly, her hand lingering on the door for that long, tense moment. "..Yes, Father." Lyney faltered, taking a hesitant step back and bowing at the waist. "Then do not stray."

All that was left was the silence and click of the door shutting behind her as she disappeared down the hall, her boots clicking harshly against the floorboards. The rest of the agents knew better then to linger in her path as she stepped down into the lobby, adjusting the cuffs of her sleeves. She barely even acknowledged the Fatui agent standing at the ready by the heavyset doors, their gloves hands held out with her cloak held loosely in their palms. She quickly snagged it from them, tugging it over her board shoulders and clasping it around her throat.

With a quick tug, she brought the hood up over her head to conceal her sharp features, lifting her hand and placing a neatly folded note within their waiting hands. She had only one chance to make the right moves and secure her victory– no matter the cost.

Each piece had it's purpose.

Oft, that purpose was a bloody and horrible end– but for the grand goal of the Fatui built on the backs of the dead, it was an honor.

She didn't bother speaking a word as she dismissed them with a wave of her hand, pushing open the heavyset doors and stepping out into the barren, damp streets. The rhythmic clink and whir of Gardemeks was still distant– she needed to move. Her boots clicked and splashed in the rain soaked stone of the streets as she slithered between the buildings, ducking through the openings in the patrols.

It was almost too easy.

She tilted her head back, taking in the towering Palais Mermonia with a scowl, her hands clenched into fists. The final moves were being played– the king was within her reach, yet she felt no more confident then when she began.

The air carried a sense of unease, thick and heavy, filling her lungs until she felt her breath still in her chest– listening to the empty, bleak night that seemed so..quiet.

She'd done her fair share of research, had more then her fair share of her agents try to peer into the Iudex's office or the Archon's supposedly hidden chambers, but every attempt was a failure. She had to give them credit, they were quite elusive when they wished to be. Though now she only thought about it bitterly– this was all a risky gamble, in the end, and only time would tell if it paid off.

With minimal effort, she'd managed to pull herself to the flat, tiled roof, eyeing the massive tower peaking out of the center cautiously. At least here the wandering patrols down below weren't likely to notice her..she could hear them passing by the spot she'd been in only a few minutes ago, just beneath her. She pulled the hood further over her face, peering through the sheer darkness of the night for any oddities, but it was almost impossible to see in the dark.

Her boots clicked softly against the tiles as she approached the tower jutting out from the Palais, her hand gliding along the smooth stone, pressing against odd indents or crevices. If it was for the Archon's chambers, she doubted they made it very difficult– she'd only met the woman once, but she doubted the Iudex make it all that complex just from a brief glance. And it surprised her little when one of the stones sunk into the wall, gears whirring as the walls split open to reveal a stairwell straight into an inky black hall. Only the barest hint of light peaked under the door at the bottom, but it's occupants must have heard her, considering it went out not a moment later.

She cautiously stepped down into the small crevice, her breath visible in the bitter cold air– her shoulders tensed at the subtle sound of muffled footsteps behind the door, her vision flaring with a molten heat between her shoulder blades as she reached for the worn handle of the door. The heat of her vision was enough to just barely heat the metal, her vision flaring like a quickly building inferno.

Arlecchino was prepared for a fight, if it came down to it.

The door creaked as she pressed against it, shoving it open with a grunt of effort and surveying the room with narrowed eyes and a biting remark on the tip of her tongue– the lavish opulence was expected, she supposed, but the lack of the towering figure of the Iudex was not.

Yet before she could get a word in or even take in her surroundings properly, the light flickered back on and she had to squeeze her eyes shut with a hiss at the sudden brightness. She could hear the door being shoved closed behind her, the hurried footsteps retreating just as quickly as her eyes adjusted to the light.

..This was a joke, wasn't it? It had to be.

She'd expected the Iudex, perhaps even the Duke if she'd been unlucky, not the Hydro Archon. She had half the mind to test her worth as an Archon then and there, her temper flaring like an uncontrollable blaze, barely kept at bay. It took all her self control to force herself to smile politely at the woman rather then snarl.

"Miss Furina," She sneered beneath her hood, x shaped pupils locked onto the startled, trembling Archon with thinly veiled contempt. "What a..pleasant surprise. You'll have to forgive my manners, I assumed I was meeting with the Iudex." She observed her body language carefully– the way her eyes darted about like a frightened rabbit seeking escape, the slightest tremble of her lips..

Arlecchino opened her mouth to offer another scathing remark, but her jaw audibly clicked shut as her entire body seemed to lock up. Even her vision went cold against her back, a chilling feeling creeping up her spine as someone, or something, crept up behind her. Their footsteps were almost silent, the slight rustling of their clothes the only thing she could hear over her heart pounding against her ribcage.

Arlecchino had always prided herself on being on the other end of that sensation– she was the monster, and her target was the prey frozen like a deer between the hunters crosshair.

It was a chilling feeling to have the dynamic shifted on it's head.

She couldn't even swallow, her jaw clenched so hard she could hear it creak as she tried to reason with her quickly splintering mind– a futile effort, her joints locking up almost painfully. Black spots were quickly swallowing her vision from the lack of air in her lungs, the sound of shuffling behind her barely audible over the ringing in her ears.

For a moment – a moment too long to have only lasted the seconds that it did, yet so quick it gave her whiplash – she thought she would hit the floor dead before she could even glimpse her assailant.

And then it was gone. She came crashing back into reality with a startled inhale, her lungs burning and her knees nearly buckling under her. The instinct to lash out and kill whoever had done it was intense, yet she couldn't bring herself to move even a finger– it would be so easy to twist around and ignite them with searing flames, but her feet were rooted in place.

She almost didn't notice the surprisingly gentle hands unclasping her cloak, tugging it off her shoulders, if not for the sheer intensity of the presence still lingering behind her. Her mind was still fractured, struggling to right itself after the ordeal, and it had her seething.

"..Are you certain you held back enough?" Furina croaked, the normally soft lilt raspy and almost hoarse. "Not– not that I doubt your capability, most Divine!"

Arlecchino felt her nails dig harshly into her palms, heat swelling beneath her skin– Divine? Had she lost her mind? The Divine was..

The Divine was upon their throne where they belonged. She'd seen them!

"Hm. Well, maybe? Sorry, I didn't think it'd affect you too." Their voice was sickeningly soft as they stepped around her like she wasn't even there, focusing their attention on the Archon who seemed more then delighted about it. "What gave you that impression, most Divine? Aha, I..was completely unaffected, as you can see! Perfectly fine."

Furina let out a small squeak when they pinched her cheek, but the almost affectionate smile that tugged at their lips revealed the lack of malice behind the action.

"You're a bad liar, Furina. You might want to sit down..please?" They didn't take her protests for an answer, gently pushing her to sit on the bed before abruptly turning to face Arlecchino once more, a forced smile on their lips. "Oh, good, you're..uh, not dead. That's good. I thought I fried your brain. Sorry?"

..Had she hit her head on the way here? The Divine should still be on their throne, yet she couldn't shake the weight of their stare– it felt tangible. She felt like she was standing face to face with the stars– galaxies and constellations bearing down upon her.

She grit her teeth and clenched her hands until she felt the sting of her nails against her palms, grounding herself in the pain through the sheer overwhelming nature of their existence.

"You.." She croaks, reaching out with a shaky hand and grabbing them by the collar of their shirt, lifting them up until their feet left the floor– she pays no mind to the startled protests of the Archon. Arlecchino would crush her like a bug before she even got the chance to intervene and they both knew it. "You shouldn't exist– you aren't them, and yet you..you're the imposter, aren't you?" Her grip tightens yet they face her without an ounce of fear, meeting her unyielding glare with a pondering look.

Arlecchino wanted to make them bleed just to see if she could, the urge to sink her teeth into skin welling up in her chest to the point she visibly snarled, her mask of politeness long . "You're the imposter." Her expression falls for a moment before she schools it into one of apathy, setting them back down and holding them there for a moment, finally releasing them after a tense moment. "Or you were supposed to be."

Hers brows furrow– she wants to demand answers, to throttle them for damning them to being nothing more then dolls for the supposed Divine to break at their whim, but none of the words come to her.

"..Why now? The current Divine has been in power for years, yet you descend now?" Her shoulders tensed, lips pursed into a thin line– it's impossible to ignore the truth that lay before her. The Divine is a fraud and this..imposter is the true Divine. How many years had they been in power, now? How many years were they waiting? Why did they wait? Was the suffering of Teyvat not enough? Was the blood that painted the steps of their stolen throne not enough?

She'd personally been on the wrong end of the Divine's wrath– she wonders..had they watched? Had they seen the cruel hand of their imposter and turned their back on Teyvat?

"I.." They hesitated. It made her seethe, her hands clenching into fists at her sides– her vision flickered, flames swelling within it's casing just to be smothered by the presence of the Divine. But once that spark had been lit, she refused to let it go out. "I didn't know."

The answer does not satisfy her. There is an itch beneath her skin that she cannot scratch, a fire that burns in her chest so hot it scorches even herself.

"And what about now? Are you content to cower like prey in the safety of the Palais Mermonia?" She snapped, taking a step forward, her brows furrowed and her glare intense– she can see the slightest bit of worry in their eyes. She revels in it. "Will you let them use your acolytes like pawns? How many more need to be broken on the steps to your throne before you act?"

Again, her vision flares and dims– it refuses to be used against the Divine that created it.

"Have you no answer?"

The room is silent. They do not speak and neither does she.

Even the world itself seems to quiet in the face of her accusations, fury boiling to the surface so hot it incinerated all it touched.

"I will kill them myself."

Their words are quiet, but they are not soft– there is a vindictive, searing anger that explodes out like dying stars within their eyes. The sight of constellations replaced by a void that would not be . The smell of ichor grows stronger– to the point she feels almost lightheaded.

"..I am aware that I have failed in preventing this, but I had no choice in the matter. Still," They muse, their voice like the tolling of bells. A solemn melody that stills the swelling fury burning in her chest, if only for a moment. "I will rectify it– I will tear down their throne of lies and let not even the earth tarnish itself by burying their corpse among it's soil."

They pause for a moment, holding out their hand– scarred and bandaged by the weapons of the devout, yet still they take upon the burden of dirtying their hands to save those who did not save them.

"Do you trust me, Arlecchino?"

Did she?

"Will you help me?"

She exhales heavily, meeting the starry iris' of the Divine with a scowl still tugging at her lips. Arlecchino trusted no one but herself.

"..Yes."

[abitcaughtinthemiddle]

While ruminating on how stressful part 2 is going to be watching Penelope struggle to reveal herself as LW to Colin, I keep thinking about the whiplash she must be feeling.

She had spent so many years longing for Colin and had just come to terms with giving him up and starting a new life without the man she loves.

She was going to marry Debling and continue being Whistledown. That was the biggest draw for her, outside of getting away from her family- it was Whistledown. She wouldn’t have love but she would have solace in her work, her writing.

And now, in the span of one night, she has to come to terms with the rest of her life being completely different than what she thought it would be.

I know we’re all stressing for her to tell Colin, but I really do empathize with her probably feeling incredibly overwhelmed on top of being afraid of losing every last good thing in her life.

[royalarchivist]

Jaiden: Cucurucho, you have a lot of power, right?

Cucurucho: ...I don't know. Maybe.

Roier: Ah... Yes, you know, don't act like a dumbass, you have it. You have it, man. Eh?

Jaiden: Is there a way for us to protect all the Eggs? Do you know? I don't want anything to happen to the Eggs that happened to Bobby.

Cucurucho: Ha ha ha

Roier: WHAT? [Smacks Cucurucho]

Jaiden: [Bops him] Headpats.

Cucurucho: Maybe.

Jaiden: [Continues to bop him] Headpats. C'mon, I can get it out of you! Headpats! Chin scratches! Belly rubs!

Roier: [Joins Jaiden in bopping Cucurucho, chuckling and laughs]

Jaiden: Yeah? He's comin' around!

[Jaiden and Roier both laugh]

[wistfulwatcher]

Criminal Minds: Evolution | 17.01 Gold Star

[finelythreadedsky]

wait i think actually madeline miller's circe is the heir to margaret atwood's penelopiad, unintentionally, in the way it thematizes the impossibility of real solidarity among women.

bc it's such a major part of the penelopiad how penelope creates what she thinks is a real community, a sort of family, with these young women in her household only be to reminded and continue to reinforce that they are slaves over whom she (among others) holds the power of life and death. and penelope ultimately does not or cannot hold a lasting grudge against odysseus on their behalf. she aligns herself, or circumstances force her to align herself, with odysseus instead of with other women whose positions are even more dangerous than hers. the world they live in does not allow solidarity between women across lines of class and enslavement, and penelope is also complicit in maintaining that world and her place in it.

and then the thing i found so frustrating about circe was that at every turn miller forecloses the possibility of real connections between women-- but the thing in this world that prevents that is just, like, jealousy over men. and totally needlessly. the other nymphs are prettier. glaucus loves scylla and not circe. her mom never liked her. hermes doesn't really think she's hot. athena is a rival for odysseus' attention. and the book doesn't do anything with this, it's not due to structural power imbalances or a society built on enslavement or even how patriarchy pits women against each other (circe lives alone on an island outside of society that could be another writer's lesbian separatist utopia!), it's just that circe doesn't like other women and they don't like her. end of story.

much as i don't love what atwood does with helen, it does make sense in the context of the penelopiad! thematically and in terms of characterization. atwood's penelope has internalized this idea of what it means to be a good woman and, willingly or not, she's staked everything on being seen by men as a good woman. it makes sense that she's desperately trying to pull herself up or even just cling to what little she has by dragging other women down. she does to helen what she ultimately does to the maids. she's with and for odysseus, always, not helen, and not the maids. that's the kind of world she lives in, and while she likes to think that she's resisting it with a sort of radical female community, in the end she is its agent. even if she feels bad about it. she's here to tell a story about odysseus, not about the girls he killed.