Ch.2: "Trouble in Paradise" / Volcanic Paradise Island Arcadia

[Ireth]

Leto

Leto looks curiously at the hand cannons, then back at Wilbur. "I've never used one before, but I'm willing to try." They seem similar to a bow and arrow, and the little cannonballs might well be better at piercing flesh.

When someone calls out Kell's name, she looks over at the painted pair. Her eyes narrow in suspicion. How do they know Kell's name?

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

"Oh!" The woman seems surprised by Kell's reaction. "We asked the lady that was dancing next to you. Uh... but I didn't get her name." She points out Sonja.

The man says, "We just wanted you two to light the Wicker Bros. Is that okay?"

 

[tbgg]

Kelleia

Kell glances at Vin to see if the situation made him as uptight as it did her.

Looking at Koko, she gives a sigh of relief, then a rueful chuckle and relaxes. "We would be delighted to do that. You might notice that Vin here has a rather large scar across his neck. That happened earlier today, and it was only by some really good fortune that my friends and I were able to save his life. We have reason to believe that the man who slashed Vin's neck and left him to die might be sending some of his goons to the place we were planning to stay tonight, so we decided to make sure they find no one home. When you knew our names unexpectedly, it was a little alarming. I guess I'm just feeling a little paranoid."

She thinks to Helix, False alarm. They just want us to light the Wicker Bros.

She asks Koko with a smile, "What do we do to shed some light around here?"

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

Koko and Nana both look a little uneasy until Vin says of Kell's words, "It's how we met."

Nana says, "Dude, that tops all but five of my how-we-met stories!"

Koko ignores Nana's remark and says to Kell, "So... he almost died, and now you're dancing. Okay then." Koko places the tiara on Kell's head. "For busting moves that none of us can match, I crown you Dancing Queen. You have the honor of lighting up Warri Wicker!" She hands Kell a red and yellow tiki torch.

Nana says to Vin. "You're the eighth best dancer, and that's only 'cause I'm only comparing you to seven dudes. The crown's for showing up every man on the planet. I crown you King Awesome. Light up Walu Wicker." Nana hands Vin a green and purple torch.

Everyone sits in front of the Wicker Bros and waits for Kell and Vin to do the honors.

Helix senses Kell is more relaxed. Glad you're feeling a little safe, but keep your guard up. This Vin guy seems like the genuine article, but don't go anywhere with him alone. You know the effect you'll have on him, and I hate to tell this, but I can't help but notice he's affecting you!

Well go on with the silly ceremony. Have fun. If weird shit happens, I'm your secret weapon.

 

[Ireth]

Leto

Leto smiles and applauds as Kell and Vin are crowned, and watches curiously as they receive their torches. Is that all they have to do, just light up the statues?

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

Wilbur holds off on the firearm lesson and sits beside Leto. He decides to close the case, rather than display his weapons in front of a beach party crowd.

He says to Leto, "I've never actually been to one of these burning man things. I'm not surprised to see a nymph get crowned, but Vin... just when I thought I had that shy guy figured out!"

Desma and Hess sit side by side near Leto, with Phoebe in Hess' lap. Ben, Jerry and the van Donks sit at Wilbur's side.

Vin says to Kell, "After you."

 

[tbgg]

Kelleia

Kell curtsies to the crowd and smiles delightedly, playfully winking at Vin. If she were competing against other nymphs, she knows she wouldn't even place in a competition, because she always slacked off in the 'gracefulness practice' exercises that were taught at Aphrodite's villa, finding the idea of using her gracefulness to get others to do what she wanted to be manipulative and therefore distasteful. But it's fun to win a competition that's more low-key like this one.

When she finishes lighting Warri Wicker, she hands her torch back to Koko. When Vin finishes lighting Walu Wicker, she gives him a side hug and tells him, "Thank you for asking me to dance. It was more fun than dancing by myself, and I really enjoyed it. And thank you for being respectful. In my world, that's pretty rare." She feels a tear start to rise over what that means to her, but she quickly blinks it back. She tells herself, This is not the time to turn into a blubbering female, Kell. You still have a rescue to mount!

She thinks to Helix, Just because I'm reacting physically to Vin doesn't mean I've become brainless. Right now my life is such that getting involved with anyone doesn't really make sense, and I have no intention of losing sight of that fact. I like Vin, but that doesn't mean I don't realize that he can't either be acting under orders from the man in white, or that he's not somehow being used without his knowledge for some nefarious purpose by the man in white. For now, having you as my secret weapon is a GOOD thing.

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

Helix replies, I don't think you're brainless. And it ain't the physical reaction I noticed. It's the emotional reaction. You feel for this guy, and that's a good thing. A very good thing.

Now that you're letting him get close, I can sense if he's trying to get you in bed and more... is he gonna rob you, kill you, is he not trying to jump you 'cause he's gay or impotent? Thanks to Aphrodite, I'd be getting a bad vibe if you were in need of protection. I ain't getting a bad vibe.

Either he's falling for you or he's just being friendly. At the very least, he's not hiding anything sinister from you.

If you like him, don't turn him away. Only one rule: keep your virginity. Aphrodite sent me to prevent you from being knocked up, not prevent you from being happy. If you don't know what to do, just be a friend to the guy for now.

 

[tbgg]

Kelleia

Kell stands near enough to Vin to make it clear she's with him, but not so near that she invades his personal space.

While they're waiting for whatever comes next, she asks him, "How long have you lived here in Arcadia? I'm just visiting, myself. I grew up in Nyse, but don't have a home town at the moment."

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

As the wicker men ignite, Vin's eyes meet Kell's. He could care less about the bonfire.

"I never ventured outside of Arcadia. Mostly, I walked the caves and stayed in the farms. People skinny-dipped on this beach when I was little. It was never seen as a big deal until the tourists came. I was maybe three or four when they started calling this whole island a 'tourist trap.' I guess you could say my parents kept me away from some of the craziness that went on. All they wanted for me was the small town kind of life."

He extends a trembling hand as he asks, "What's it like in Nyse? I'll bet you were raised by a wonderful family."

Helix thinks, Take his hand! Take his--er... sorry. I'll shut up.

Suddenly, the bonfire glows white hot! A wall of fire stretches from Warri to Walu. The Wicker Bros remain upright and unburnt!

The flames form shapes in white, red and gold. Our heroines recognize the form of a bald, bearded man. Hess stands close to Warri--practically in the flame and clearly unharmed by it! She speaks in a familiar male voice.

BOB ORACLE: "Ladies and gentlemen, regular viewers and new, it's time for Late, Late Nite with Bob Oracle! I am your host, Bob Oracle, on location here in the small town of Hesperides. Let's have a round of applause for my first guest, Mayor Mink Haggar!"

Koko and Nana exchange uneasy looks then reluctantly clap. Others join in, clapping nervously. There is a gasp as the mayor appears in the thirty-foot-tall fiery image.

Mayor Haggar is a minotaur. He looks to be seven feet tall, muscular, and very particular about his hair. The hair on his head seems to be oiled in place, and he has a thick but neatly trimmed mustache. Holding up his pants is a thick leather strap worn over his shirtless torso. The bull-headed mayor is cloven hoofed, but otherwise human from the neck down.

MINK HAGGAR: "Thank you for having me on the show, citizen."

ORACLE: "It's a pleasure to have you, Mr. Mayor. I think the people out in HV-Land should know that you've done quite a bit to clean up your town."

HAGGAR: "Yes, we had a problem with a wolfgang known as Feral Gear. Though the gang leader, Big Bad, kept blowing down the walls to his prison cell, we found our new prison built out of bricks is holding the criminal mastermind."

ORACLE: "So… no more problems."

HAGGAR: "If you believed that, you wouldn't have me on your show. My concern is for my daughter. There are very few female role models in Hesperides. How is Jessibelle supposed to follow the example of her late mother when every adult woman in town has been with the Olympian King?"

ORACLE: "All of them?"

HAGGAR: "There are exceptions, such as the offspring of harpies and such. But most of the women were changed by Hera after she learned they had been with her husband."

ORACLE: "Well, I let our audience decide whether Zeus' exes should be able to move on, find husbands and start families. Three of my guests tonight are women who were changed by Hera. Is your daughter watching?"

HAGGAR: "I imagine so. She's been talking about this show all day."

ORACLE: "In that case, Mr. Mayor, consider the possibility that, aside from sleeping with an immortal philanderer, these women may have some qualities that your Jessibelle can look up to."

Mink Haggar crosses his arms and nods. Hess makes the same gesture with her face contorted into a grumpy, incredulous expression. She grunts through her nostrils, making a sound that a large animal would make but any other little girl could not.

Nissa asks our heroines, "Should we be worried about this?"

 

[Ireth]

Leto

Leto gasps as the wall of flame appears, and raises her eyebrows in recognition of Bob Oracle's voice. What sort of news will he share from Hesperides?

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

ORACLE: "Let's start with Callisto. Callisto, come on down!"

A bear in a dress walks into the room. The Grææ eye pans and zooms back, revealing that Bob Oracle is at a desk, and Mink Haggar is seated beside him. There is a sofa which can likely accommodate three more guests. The bear-woman takes a seat on the sofa.

CALLISTO: "Thank you Mr. Oracle. Evening, Mr. Mayor."

HAGGAR: "Yes. Evening."

ORACLE: "Why don't you tell Mr Haggar why you have moved into his fair city."

Tears flow from Hess' eyes as Callisto becomes emotional. She dabs at her cheeks with her paws.

CALLISTO: "I don't know why Hera did this to me. What would she care about my relationship with her stepdaughter?"

ORACLE: "Artemis, you mean. She was your best friend, and you were hers."

CALLISTO: ​"So I once thought. We bathed in the springs. It was innocent. You know she only hunted with virgin nymphs. I learned this as a hatchling and I turned away so many men hoping one day, Artemis and I would hunt side by side. It got to a point that just the two of us would go together. She was very protective of me. Like this one time, a man peeks at us bathing together. She sent wolves to chase him off. She felt bad when we found the body, but she said she won't regret killing to protect me.

"The next night, we were bathing and we held hands. She was having trouble resisting me, and she turned her head just before our lips touched."

Nana says, "That's hot."

Koko slaps him.

CALLISTO: "Artemis apologized for what almost happened, and I simply accepted this. She is the Virgin Goddess of the Hunt. Who am I to change that? But I did on another night. This time, Artemis was passionate. We stood before each other in the baths—naked—there is no mistaking that Artemis is a woman. Yet as we kissed and her hands were all over me and my body tingled, there was some pain with the pleasure. I do not know how, but it was Artemis who gave me my son!"

A little boy bear in overalls and a propeller beanie walks onto the stage.

ORACLE: "Arcas, isn't it way past your bedtime?"

ARCAS: "I'm thwee!"

ORACLE: "Adorable. Well, Callisto, you're live on the Hearthvision™, so I'm gonna see if anyone is up this late and sober. If they are, maybe they'll have some questions for you.

"Ladies and Gentlemen of the audience, please direct all questions to Mayor Mink Haggar or Callisto."

ARCAS: "Me too!"

ORACLE: "If it's okay with your mother, I suppose so."

Callisto and Hess shrug in unison.

CALLISTO: "It depends on the question."

 

[Ireth]

Leto

Leto watches and listens in sympathy for Callisto and Arcas. "Does Hera do this sort of thing often?"

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

ORACLE: "Our first question is from a Huntress in Arcadia. Mink, Callisto? I think both of you can take this one."

HAGGAR: "Our town is made up of men and women who are all half animal. Some of us, like my dear Jessibelle, were born this way, as was my late wife Henrietta. Jessibelle is a cloven-hoofed harpy, with golden hair like her mother. I so adore her. But most of us are the way we are because Hera punished us."

CALLISTO: "And she thinks nothing of it. I am innocent of this accusation. I was with Artemis. I don't know how she impregnated me, but she's an Olympian and I loved her so much if she wanted to use magic to give us a child, I could not bring myself to refuse her. I thought she loved me too, yet she let Hera punish me and my son. And for what?"

 

[Ireth]

Leto

"I don't think you should be angry at Artemis for this unless you know her side of things. Maybe she tried to stop it or prevent it, and just wasn't capable. Have you spoken with or heard from Artemis at all lately?"

 

[tbgg]

Kelleia

Kell raises her eyes to Vin’s, and for a moment, she, too, is unaware of anything else. When he reaches his hands out to her, she reaches out to clasp them, thinking only that Vin’s hands shouldn’t be allowed to tremble, but when she has them, the touch is electric. She suddenly feels a deep longing for Vin’s lips on hers, and his hands touching her bare skin – all of it.

Never having experienced anything quite like this, and finding it rather unsettling, she nearly rips her hands away, but she doesn’t want Vin thinking she’s rejecting him, so she says softly, “No” and focuses her attention on the feel of the sand under her feet, the feel of the seashell circlet in her hair, the sound of the tide, the look of the moonlight on the water, ANYTHING to break this mood.
Kelleia:2D6+1 → 12(5 +6 + 1)#Willpower - focus on something else

The exercise seems to work, because she finds herself back in the present, and Vin’s hands are simply warm and comforting.

Realizing that Vin is waiting for her answer, she rapidly reviews the conversation, then says, “Oh. We nymphs are hatched from eggs, and as hatchlings, we look about like a 16-year-old human. To my knowledge, all of the nymphs in Nyse hatch at Aphrodite’s villa. Aphrodite takes in nymphs she finds exceptional to train them, and they live at the villa for about 6 years. There are about 60 nymphs who live at the villa at any given time, and I was one of those. But among nymphs, I’m a bit of a misfit because I don’t value physical beauty in the same way most of them do. There was a woman named Niobe who taught basic education to the poorer families in Nyse who found me when I snuck out of the villa during my first year and sort of adopted me. She was the closest thing I had to what you would call a mother. She died at the end of my 5th year at the villa, and I actually ran away from the villa before I completed my final year. But that’s a whole other story.”

About that time, the HearthVision forms. She glances at Vin to see if it seems to be familiar to him, then sets herself to listen.

When Callisto asks about what her punishment is for, Kell feels obliged to say something. She says, “Callisto, I’ve heard that Zeus often seduces people by taking the form of people who are familiar to the one being seduced, and if he took the form of Artemis, it would shed some light on Hera’s behavior as well as explain how you were able to become pregnant, don’t you think? Leto's question is a good one. Have you spoken with Artemis to be sure SHE remembers being with you?”

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

CALLISTO: "I don't know if angry is the word. I would say… broken. Hera said Artemis wants nothing to do with me or my son. Not our son. She doesn't accept Arcas as a product of our love."

HAGGAR: "No offense, ma'am, but you and Artemis are both female. The simplest explanation is that she thinks you stepped out on her with a man. If she has some sort of Olympian magic that…"

Mink and Hess scratch their heads.

HAGGAR: "I'm not saying a goddess can't be your son's father. I just don't know how, and I prefer to keep it that way."

Ignoring the mayor, Callisto turns her head so she's facing Leto.

CALLISTO: "Maybe there is a side Hera won't let me see, but I'll never know it unless Artemis comes to me. I would go to Sardis and see her if I could, but if I leave Hesperides, I will no longer be half nymph, half bear. I will just be a bear. Same with the mayor—leaving would make him a bull. That's the extent of mercy Hera gave us when she changed us. As long as we remain in her little zootopia,we keep some of our humanity."

Callisto then faces Kell, and her eyes fall to Kell's hand entwined with Vin's. She smiles at what she sees.

Her smile fades as Kell speaks of Zeus' habit. It is well known that Zeus seduces women in the guise of their men, but no one ever heard of Zeus taking the form of a woman. Even when he gave birth to Athena, he did this as a man!

CALLISTO: "You are saying Zeus tricked me into…"

She falls silent and embraces her son. Hess wraps her arms around empty air as if she's hugging an imaginary teddy bear. Hess' expression turns to anger as tears pour. Callisto's matching expression is intensified by the fiery colors of the Hearthvision™.

CALLISTO: "We nymphs are just things to Zeus, aren't we? He couldn't just let his daughter and I have our friendship or love or whatever it was to become. I'm sure Artemis was told I wanted her father to use me as another of his playthings."

She gets up and her image on the screen becomes larger as Hess walks up to Kell and Vin. She takes their hands. Both Hess and Callisto fix their fiery eyes on Kell's.

CALLISTO: "You two are very sweet together. Be careful. All I saw was Artemis, and even when I felt something that Artemis should not have made me feel, it was Artemis. If this man you love ever comes on too strong, ever becomes much more passionate then you've ever seen him…"

Hess and Callisto seem to be at a loss for words. The Grææ eye pans until Callisto is off-screen, and Hess dashes back to the flames, now mimicking Mink Haggar's empathetic posture.

HAGGAR: "It isn't your fault, Callisto."

 

[Ireth]

Leto

Leto moves over and puts a hand on Kell's shoulder, looking at the fire sadly. "Someone should tell Artemis the truth. And I want to know, why does Hera punish the victims and not Zeus himself? It makes no sense that the innocent should suffer in the place of the guilty."

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

HAGGAR: "You're damn right, Huntress!"

Mink pounds his fist on Bob's desk. Hess punches the wicker man.

ORACLE: "Try not to break my desk, Mr. Mayor."

HAGGAR: "Sorry."

Facing Leto, the mayor goes on:

HAGGAR: "If you're ever in Hesperides, Huntress, report to my office immediately. You seem like the type who has zero tolerance for injustice. A role model for my daughter, as are you, Callisto."

ORACLE: "Then perhaps our next guest is also a role model."

A ram-horned satyr in a short sweater dress and smooth, muscular legs clops onscreen. She and Callisto sit together on the sofa.

ORACLE: "They call you the Ramazon. Why is that?"

RAMAZON: "I was an Amazon until Hera accused me of having a threesome with her husband. It really isn't fair. I was just at my friend's house using her bath tub and I overheard her and Wil. Things were getting intense, and I was getting wrinkled just sitting in water for several hours. I finally walked in on them naked. All I said was that I needed my clothes and I would dress in another room and leave. The boy tried grabbing my butt, but I slapped him. He cast some sort of lightning spell on me, and it hurt me, but I just ran off naked and my hair was all frizzy from the shock.

"Then Hera said it was her husband, which explains the lightning. Maybe Zeus' magic is wimpy if he's in the form of a teenager. Still, Hera didn't believe my story. I'm still a maiden. I know I sound like a jailbird saying 'I didn't do it.' But I didn't do anything or anyone!"

ORACLE: "Well, I believe you. Your friend the Moomaid tells the same story. Since you were changed at the same time, let's hold questions for the time being and get your friend up here. Come on over, Miss, uh… Ten?"

GRÆÆ: "You meathead! Those are letters. Her name is Io!"

A female minotaur walks onscreen. She is wearing a half shirt as it seems clothing cannot accommodate her udder. The upper (and clothed) portion of her chest is flat, and likely without nipples like the pectoral muscles on the shirtless minotaur mayor.

IO: "What my Ramazon friend says is true. She is a maiden, and I thought I was having a passionate experience with my boyfriend. The first time, he only lasted a minute, almost. But our second time together was seven hours of unbridled ecstasy! From what your Arcadian viewers are saying, I now realize I too was tricked by Zeus. But at the time, I really did believe it was…"

Her eyes meet Wilbur's.

IO: "Wilbur?"

Wilbur looks at Io, at Hess, at Ben and Jerry, then back at Io. "Uh… I really didn't think there was any truth to you being a cow! Well, uh, you look good. You too, Amy. Love the sweater dress."

RAMAZON: "Thanks. I knitted this after shearing my legs."

Wilbur and Io stare at each other in silence.

ORACLE: "We're getting a little dead air here, which potentially leads to a dead show. If any of our viewers has a question for any of our guests, ask away."

 

[tbgg]

Kelleia

Kell asks, "Is there anything that could be done to end the enchantment of all of you in the Hesperides? Or short of that, is there anything else you would like from the outside world, since you can't leave?"