This is a funny but intriguing reimagining of the Role Swap AU. Spartan Princess turned Ithacan Queen Penelope, both seeing how uncomfortable Odysseus was about leaving Telemachus (because she knows how soft, kind, and gentle her husband is) and very concerned for the safety of her cousin Helen, tells Odysseus to stay home. At the same time, she disguises herself as a man and goes to war in his place. At the same time, he rules the Kingdom and raises Telemachus, the only person in Ithaca besides the loyal palace staff who knows (not even Odysseus' mother can be in on the ruse because as much as he loves her, he knows she'll accidentally spill the beans with how doting of a mom she is). To sell the ruse better, Odysseus shaves his beard and cross-dresses as his wife, pretending to be the queen while the real queen fights in Troy. The Achean heroes and Ithacan soldiers realize she’s replaced her husband after a while, but don’t either make any moves on her or go back for Odysseus because Penelope proves just as legendary of a tactician as her husband and is just as faithful in this canon as Odysseus is in the Epic musical. So they let Penelope be their CO because the woman is taking care of business. Penelope wins the war while Odysseus continues the ruse, but because so many people believe the ruse, the 108 suitors vying for “Penelope’s” hand believing “Odysseus” died either in the war or when the fleet got blown away. At the same time, the real queen gets roped into fighting Poseidon (probably because Poseidon's a better dad here and Penelope killed Polyphemus or because Penelope made the same mistakes Odysseus did and spared Polyphemus but let him know who took his eye). Worse, Odysseus couldn’t break character for even his mother, who died believing he died when the ships got blown away. When the Suitors came for “Penelope’s” hand, Odysseus couldn’t risk breaking character because there were 108 noblemen who could and would talk. While Odysseus could, in theory, deal with them just as easily as he does in canon by breaking character and hunting them down as an archer, he would be seen as an oath-breaker if word got out, especially since some of the suitors are canonically foreign nobility. And with the Suitors refusing to leave, he has to spend every single day disguising himself as a woman getting catcalled and all sorts of sexually harassed by these assholes as they bully his son. He can’t risk retaliating Papa Wolf style in this AU without ruining both his and his wife’s reputations, while only the gods, the Achean heroes, and the Ithacans who went with Penelope to war know the truth. So when he senses Penelope has defeated Poseidon and ended the storms that separated him from his wife for twenty years, Odysseus, one final time, adopts his wife's persona and then presents a challenge only HE (or Penelope, not that any of them could have known) could do: string his old hunting bow and shoot through twelve axes cleanly. A final stall tactic that would give Penelope just enough time to slip in, and the two of them could make a proper switch so Odysseus could win the challenge and kick the 108 suitors out himself peacefully so Telemachus, on a mission to Sparta, wouldn't have to worry. However, Odysseus couldn't predict Antinous would run out of patience and prepare to enact a final, gruesome plan to assassinate Telemachus the moment he returns from Sparta and then have their way with "Penelope." Unfortunately for Antinous, the REAL Penelope heard EVERYTHING, and she's had a very bad twenty years and just hid all of the Suitors' weapons. It's sad, but at least we get the possibility of Penelope herself butchering her 108 would-be rapists as an Amazonian queen as they're confusedly flailing about.
I absolutely adore your breakdown on my AU. It’s beautiful, cleanly written and overall just amazing! You can easily understand the sentences and why things happened the way they did. I just- ARGH *munch*
I like the subtle change of going from Jorge’s vocals to Anna’s. While it’s possible Jay never sang that part of the challenge, it also shows how well Odysseus has imitated his wife even to the point of nailing her voice. Just an interesting detail I thought was fun! :D
Words can’t explain how much I love this AU Agghh!, the way Odysseus voice changes to Penelope’s voice, showing how well he’s gotten to imitate his wife to the point where his voice can get to a certain point to sound exactly like hers, it’s a subtle thing but in this AU can show a big difference
Agghhhh I’m so excited, this looks soooo good!!!!!! I really want them to meet cause I wonder how that would go!!! Ohhhh and then the song ODYSSEUS!!! I love this au 💞
This is a funny but intriguing reimagining of the Role Swap AU. Spartan Princess turned Ithacan Queen Penelope, both seeing how uncomfortable Odysseus was about leaving Telemachus (because she knows how soft, kind, and gentle her husband is) and very concerned for the safety of her cousin Helen, tells Odysseus to stay home. At the same time, she disguises herself as a man and goes to war in his place. At the same time, he rules the Kingdom and raises Telemachus, the only person in Ithaca besides the loyal palace staff who knows (not even Odysseus' mother can be in on the ruse because as much as he loves her, he knows she'll accidentally spill the beans with how doting of a mom she is). To sell the ruse better, Odysseus shaves his beard and cross-dresses as his wife, pretending to be the queen while the real queen fights in Troy. The Achean heroes and Ithacan soldiers realize she’s replaced her husband after a while, but don’t either make any moves on her or go back for Odysseus because Penelope proves just as legendary of a tactician as her husband and is just as faithful in this canon as Odysseus is in the Epic musical. So they let Penelope be their CO because the woman is taking care of business.
Penelope wins the war while Odysseus continues the ruse, but because so many people believe the ruse, the 108 suitors vying for “Penelope’s” hand believing “Odysseus” died either in the war or when the fleet got blown away. At the same time, the real queen gets roped into fighting Poseidon (probably because Poseidon's a better dad here and Penelope killed Polyphemus or because Penelope made the same mistakes Odysseus did and spared Polyphemus but let him know who took his eye). Worse, Odysseus couldn’t break character for even his mother, who died believing he died when the ships got blown away.
When the Suitors came for “Penelope’s” hand, Odysseus couldn’t risk breaking character because there were 108 noblemen who could and would talk. While Odysseus could, in theory, deal with them just as easily as he does in canon by breaking character and hunting them down as an archer, he would be seen as an oath-breaker if word got out, especially since some of the suitors are canonically foreign nobility. And with the Suitors refusing to leave, he has to spend every single day disguising himself as a woman getting catcalled and all sorts of sexually harassed by these assholes as they bully his son. He can’t risk retaliating Papa Wolf style in this AU without ruining both his and his wife’s reputations, while only the gods, the Achean heroes, and the Ithacans who went with Penelope to war know the truth.
So when he senses Penelope has defeated Poseidon and ended the storms that separated him from his wife for twenty years, Odysseus, one final time, adopts his wife's persona and then presents a challenge only HE (or Penelope, not that any of them could have known) could do: string his old hunting bow and shoot through twelve axes cleanly. A final stall tactic that would give Penelope just enough time to slip in, and the two of them could make a proper switch so Odysseus could win the challenge and kick the 108 suitors out himself peacefully so Telemachus, on a mission to Sparta, wouldn't have to worry.
However, Odysseus couldn't predict Antinous would run out of patience and prepare to enact a final, gruesome plan to assassinate Telemachus the moment he returns from Sparta and then have their way with "Penelope." Unfortunately for Antinous, the REAL Penelope heard EVERYTHING, and she's had a very bad twenty years and just hid all of the Suitors' weapons.
It's sad, but at least we get the possibility of Penelope herself butchering her 108 would-be rapists as an Amazonian queen as they're confusedly flailing about.
I absolutely adore your breakdown on my AU. It’s beautiful, cleanly written and overall just amazing! You can easily understand the sentences and why things happened the way they did. I just- ARGH
*munch*
I like the subtle change of going from Jorge’s vocals to Anna’s. While it’s possible Jay never sang that part of the challenge, it also shows how well Odysseus has imitated his wife even to the point of nailing her voice. Just an interesting detail I thought was fun! :D
🤭🤭
Words can’t explain how much I love this AU Agghh!, the way Odysseus voice changes to Penelope’s voice, showing how well he’s gotten to imitate his wife to the point where his voice can get to a certain point to sound exactly like hers, it’s a subtle thing but in this AU can show a big difference
Now i need a version of this for “would you fall in love with me again”..it’s such a good song, i love it sm huhu🥹🥲
I’m making that :D
I love how it switched vocals from Jay to Anna's, such a clever detail.
Agghhhh I’m so excited, this looks soooo good!!!!!! I really want them to meet cause I wonder how that would go!!! Ohhhh and then the song ODYSSEUS!!! I love this au 💞
WONDERFUL!!
Amazing and Penelope and Ody got this lets go!!!
You should have Penelope and teleachus react to this
I love this au
WOWW❤
Love it!