Dear Diary,

I do not know where Poseidon is, but that doesn't mean I can't start working on how to deal with his deeply disturbing ass.

Okay, I guess he's not so much 'disturbing' as 'an entitled Deity who enjoys torture, rape, and casual atrocity with few peers who can hold him accountable for his actions'. Which ought to be disturbing, really, but honestly it's just not. Like, the first Deity I met here and now murdered a baby because I chose not to follow her. Yeah, the second one was Loki, who is just baller, but the third was Aphrodite, for whom 'casual rape' was apparently a typical Friday night.

From what I've seen of her Temples in Europa, she's famous for causally using any Worshippers in her Temples on Revel nights.

That doesn't really make it better.

Dad sucked his teeth the tiniest bit. I said famous and I meant it. To the degree that one could consider entering her Temple on such a night a passive form of Consent. Much like volunteering at your Temple and showing up on Revel night might also be considered a form of Consent.

Yeah, I... Well, fuck, I only do things my Worshippers want. You telling me that she actually cares about hers?

Hardly, but at the same time I do not know that she doesn't. She is corrupt, true, but there is at least some question as to whether she is corrupt on the irredeemable level of Poseidon, or closer to Artemis, or even Dionysus.

That gave me pause. Yeah, Artemis was an absolute bitch when I got here, but some consequences applied got her head out of her ass, and now Diana was fully on board with holding herself accountable. Same went for Dionysus, really, even if his worst offenses were things he did creating the Maenads. Even there, he armed them and made them virtually indestructible, which is a step up from using people like tissues.

Wait, why are you Scrying on Aphrodite's Europan Temples again?

Not just hers. And not just Scrying. Also spying, and using other divinations. I used to do it more often when I had little else to pass the time. It's how I found you, after all.

That's what and who, not why.

Dad chuckled in my ear. Clever girl. I'm attempting to find clues as to the location of your target.

Oh! Thanks, Dad. You're the best.

I know.

So yeah, Poseidon ought to disturb me more than he does. I hope, when my kits are old enough to read about this kind of thing in history books, they'll be as disturbed by it as I ought to be. Because I know my older girls likely won't be. Ria's old enough to have seen some shit at her mom's court, Maze grew up on a mercenary camp, the other four are orphans, and Menace got murdered before her first birthday and remembers being Revived. Fuck, I wish I could make that better, reach back and make that shit un-happen. But then they wouldn't be who they are. All I can do is love and support them and hope that by the time they're adults, they remember that love and support more than they remember what came before.

So yesterday after arranging for today's meet and greet with three of our nominal allies in Boltophsberg, I went back to my daily duties. I had some ideas on what I wanted to do other than that, but I kinda figured I'd wind up distracted and miss my meeting, so instead I just did dishes and laundry and made paninis and fried rice. I sauteed some veggies in garlic butter too, hoping the kids would like it.

Weird response, the older girls generally liked them, but Menace and the kits did not. I mean, they didn't throw them up or spit them out, but none of them went back for seconds, and I saw them surreptitiously sliding slices of stuff to sisters' plates when said sisters didn't see. They liked the tuna paninis, though, and ate the veggies in the fried rice, so what with the older girls eating the veggies with no complaints I decided not to intervene. So long as everybody's getting balanced nutrition and nobody's mad about shit, I'm not gonna worry about it.

Sadly, while Hailee has managed to keep our Darling feeling a lot better than she had for most of her pregnancy, none of us really think it would be appropriate for Ice Pop to carry her into the Bedroom. So while the rest of us cuddled up and went to sleep, Marie spirited Siobhan off to spend some quality quiet time, but about half an hour in the ick returned. Saffron stirred to Assess her again when Marie brought her back to the bed and Hailee's panacea cuddling, just to make sure nothing new had gone wrong. No joy, just more of the same.

She pouted so hard that all my other ladies clustered around her and coddled and cuddled her as they floated in my Maw. She kept pouting until they cuddled her right under the surface, then did it again every time she pouted.

So I kept one of me with her and Hailee while going about everything else this morning. Unfortunately, with my noon time meet with Baba Yaga and the sisters, I also had my work cut out for me bringing some basic visiting gifts. Yeah, I've grown and matured enough as a person that I realize my presence alone isn't enough of a gift. I stole a thermos from the Black Dragon, and with Marie's help made some nice pumpernickel tea sandwiches, fudgy chocolate brownies, and filled the stolen thermos with Rich Mans' Port style hot chocolate.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

After giving everyone except my two heads of state hugs and kisses, and slipping each of them a quick surreptitious tentacle squeeze, I collapsed to one of me and stepped to Baba's front door. Said front door wasn't in the Palace any more; it looked more like one of the alleys V led me through. I knocked, and the door opened a few moments later.

"Come in, Tabitha Diaz."

I stepped inside carrying the picnic basket I'd brought my offerings in. I hefted the basket and said, "thanks for having me. Where should I put this?"

The faintest smile crinkled her eyes. "What would that be now?"

I stepped over close to the table, but didn't sit in the open chair quite yet. Ilmatar sat in the third chair, and she did not look anything like happy. "Some tea sandwiches, some brownies, and some Rich Man's Port hot chocolate."

I almost thought I heard her hiss before she said, "you bring Fae here?"

"Uh, no? I mean, I got the chocolate recipe from a Fae, but she's not along today. You met her, I think? The Overlord, Tallulah Crow?"

Baba just frowned at me. "I meant the brownies."

That got me. i chuckled, shook my head, and reached into the basket. "Oh, no. Not that kind. The little chocolate cake kind."

I pulled the little covered plate out and set it on the table. When I pulled the cover off, Baba relaxed. She relaxed even more when I broke one in half and took a bite, because while I have some manners, I definitely have not yet collected the entire set. She got a curious look, broke off half of the brownie I'd taken my half from, and brought it to her nose to sniff. She took a tentative bite, at which point her eyes got real big and she nommed the rest of the brownie in one big bite.

"This is lovely."

"Thanks. I didn't think you'd have much trouble dealing with brownies, though? The Fae kind?"

She shrugged and snagged another brownie. I'd brought a dozen, and I could make more, so I decided to wait until Pyevatar got some before having more. "I have a history with them. The Fae in general, and brownies in specific."

I shrugged. "Welp, if you need them to stop bothering you, let me know. I'm pretty sure Tallulah or one of her daughters have some pull with any Fae in Atlantis by now."

"And you have influence over the Overlord Lady Tallulah Crow?"

"Yeah," my cheeks heated a little, because the title still felt weird. "She's my Concubine."

Baba Yaga laughed at that, that almost terrifying complete loss of cohesion laugh I'd seen before. Almost terrifying, because I'd seen some shit, and somebody being every old woman in the world while cackling her ass off didn't really compare to some of that. Shit, I was a continent spanning mass of tentacles in portion sizes from 'tickle nerve endings non-destructively' to 'category five tornado', so I couldn't exactly throw stones when it came to 'scary looking'.

Of course, with Oops Every Granny and Azathoth's understudy at the table, the one who tried to be intimidating had to be Ilmatar, who honestly registered somewhere around Sister Siobhan Darling on my own personal threat radar. Which, considering she's a Sky Goddess who could literally make it rain for days on end, probably says more about me than her.

"How dare you!"

I blinked. "Uh... What did I do this time?"

"You threatened Lemonkyenin!"

I sighed and slumped into my chair. "Yeah, look, I get that you're all gaga over that face." I paused, thinking about it my own self for a second. "But he was a couple different kinds of rude."

"You said you would kill him!"

I rolled my eyes. "Please. He told you that?" She nodded, spluttering something about threats still. "Yeah, did he tell you he was making eyes at my daughters?"

She sniffed. "Like they hadn't looked lustfully upon him first!"

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. Before I could say anything, Baba whispered, "not in my sitting room, if you please, Tabitha Diaz."

When I opened my eyes I realized that Ilmatar had a form fitting glove of tentacles wrapped around her. "Oh. Yeah. Sorry about that." I relaxed them just a little. Enough she could breathe and speak, although I lay one across her lips before she did. "Yeah, look, first of all, my daughters are only a couple months old."

"He would not..." I tapped her lips with my tentacle, and she shut up.

"He'd seen me, he'd seen their mother, and he was pretty clearly speculating on what they'd look like when they grew up. Which, let me be clear, I can almost understand, what with the entire 'everyone involved is immortal' thing. But I needed to make it abundantly clear to him that i did not want him hanging around them trying to pressure them."

"He wouldn't!"

I sighed. "No. He won't now. Because as I said to him, which I think is what got left out, that if they came on to him once they're of age, I'd be fine with it, but if I heard that he hurt them, I would kill him slowly, painfully, and above all in as embarrassing a fashion as I could."

Bitch just smirked at me. "You would not say such things if you knew how pleasurable an evening with him could be."

I know she meant to taunt me, to maybe get me riled up, but right then and there every bit of mad I had in me at the woman just drained out of me. I couldn't be mad at somebody whose side piece, whose whole connection to her was being her sexual release, who she'd just said was the greatest world rocking she'd had, was so... Mid. "Yeah, about that. You're not the jealous sort, are you?"

She frowned. "I cannot be, with my father forcing my sister and I to share my husband and Lemonkyenin both."

"Wait, your dad decided who your side piece was gonna be?"

"No, but with Vyenemoinen as husband, who else could compare?"

I sighed. Slipped into boy mode. Grinned at her. "Wanna find out?" Her jaw dropped as Baba cackled again. "Just so we're clear, it would absolutely be a pity fuck, not because you're not hot, but because anybody thinking Lemmy is hot shit in bed deserves at least one real, life-changing, multi-orgasmic night in her life."

She sniffed again. "I have had such a night. Recently, in fact. When Lemonkyenin came to me for comfort after you accosted him. He brought me to the heights of pleasure no less than three times!"

I looked at Baba. Baba looked back at me and shrugged. I looked back at Ilmatar, shaking my head. "Three. I mean, I guess I've heard some women have trouble with more than once." I sighed. "Look, the ladies and I observed when Marie took him for a test drive. I guess if he's your cup of tea," I slipped the thermos out of the basket and poured us each a cup while speaking. "But in terms of Bedroom Skills? He had a really pretty face. So, y'know, if he's your cup of tea, more power to you," I raised my teacup and took a sip.

Baba took a sip right after that, and sucked down the rest as quickly as she'd nommed the brownie. I waited until the chocolate hit Ilmatar's lips before I finished what I was saying.

"I kinda prefer hot chocolate to tea."

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