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

[Legendary Sidekick]

Sonja becomes uncomfortable for a moment. She then says, "I missed my one shot then."

Hanna says, "You don't like guys anyway."

"I know." Sonja sighs and says, "After my first period, that was it. There wasn't a second. It took months to get everyone to believe I wasn't pregnant, even though I had a flat chest, flat stomach, and the only thing I'd done with a boy was play vikings. We'd use sticks like they were swords, and sit on a log like it was our ship… but then I ended up getting a reputation that I didn't want and didn't earn. That was the end of my childhood."

She stares at the water for a moment, then shrugs. When she looks up at Kell, she's smiling as if suddenly unburdened.

"I guess I came to the right person for answers. And I can get more answers from Aphrodite… who knew my mother? Thank you for that. Yes, I'll gladly meet her if she's willing to see me."

 

[tbgg]

Kelleia

Kell places a reassuring hand on Sonja's shoulder and says, "I'm sorry, Sonja. That sounds awful. But I think you're drawing conclusions based on information you don't actually have yet. What I learned from Kell-Pi about having only one shot at having a baby may only be true for full nymphs. If you're part human and part nymph, then it makes sense to me that if you can reproduce, some things would be like a human and some things would be like a nymph. For instance, you might produce more eggs than a full nymph does, but at a much slower rate than a human female would. We full nymphs don't bleed every month like human women do. So you might have had a first period like a human, but now you've got an egg like a nymph but aren't bleeding. That's something we could ask Kell-Pi about, though I don't know how much she knows about half-nymphs. But if nothing else, she might be able to tell us who would know for sure."

She tells her, "Kell-Pi is my namesake. She was activated on my hatching day and was named after me. If you'd like, I'll go with you and we can ask her together. I told her about you having some of the qualities of a nymph, and she was interested in meeting you."

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

Sonja seems satisfied with that explanation, though for her the worst of it was the accusations. Boys started noticing her around that time, and Bridgette had to break a few noses in her sister's defense. "Or maybe I didn't have to. But it felt good."

The brides are provided with robes, and Sonja and Hanna each take one of the gowns that Leto didn't choose. Sonja decides on the chiton. When it's time for Sonja and Kell to exchange clothes, Kell notices that none of the van Donks are affected. Nissa and Bridgette are still unclothed by the time the others are dressed. Leto notices that none of Sonja's sisters affect her.

Condi returns with a two-foot-tall bronze doll. She is walking. "This is D0L-L1," she says to Nissa.

The bronze maiden looks like a baby. She was built that way. It seems she is unable to talk, but she understands everyone. She is wearing a fancy gown that is similar to Leto's, but copper and tan. Dolli removes her outfit. Underneath her clothing is a bronze body with a human body's shape. There is a panel over the belly that appears to be glass, but is soft and flexible. Wires, gears and magenta lights can be seen under this skin. Other parts of the body (such as shoulders and knees) also have Flexiglass panels, Condi explains.

Condi points out some Flexiglass strips along her neck. Anyone looking can see flowing light underneath, only the lights are orange like Condi's eyes. (Dolli has magenta eyes.) Occasionally, the metal maidens' hands flicker due to very small Flexiglass strips along the finger joints.

The women are encouraged to remain downstairs while preparations are made. Some rest; others chat.

...

Once the women are upstairs, Vin greets Kell with a hug. Fabian gives Leto a warm welcome. It seems he has given Vin a more masculine tie. The fashionista is wearing the ascot that Vin and Sonja wore earlier.

Helix calls out to Kell, I'm on my way back with Desma. You might be wondering how I was able to get her, so I better tell you. My boss is with me. She is Heph's wife, after all, so she's coming to the wedding. She was gonna surprise you, but I convinced her to let me warn you ahead of time. Also, I didn't mention... well, I gotta watch what thoughts I project. Point is, I want you to be the one to tell her about... y'know.

 

[tbgg]

Kelleia

Kell glances at her gown in satisfaction, which she imagined as a slinky sundress of a filmy material having wide shoulder straps, a modest sweetheart neckline, and enough material to flare out in a circle if she were to twirl. She also imagines silver high-heeled sandals that show off her calves and a silvery shift underneath the dress for modesty. She decides to do something different with her hair, and puts it in a herringbone French (whatever that is) braid down her back tied with turquoise and silver ribbons. She pulls a few tendrils loose to softly frame her face.

When she hears Helix's news, a big grin comes over her face. She tells Sonja, "Well, I guess you're going to be getting that audience a lot sooner than expected. Aphrodite's coming to this wedding."


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[Ireth]

Leto

Leto smiles when she sees Fabian. "Hello! I meant to come see you in the village, but I guess this saves us the trip. How are you?"

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

Fabian says, "I am doing quite well, Leto. Your gown is exquisite! But then, I knew you already had good taste. The problem is if you skin a beast, what to wear with it? The answer: anything you can imagine!"

Fabian gives Leto a FASHIONISTA BADGE. When he explains what the badge is, it becomes apparent that Kell's Aqua Scrunchy already has a Fashionista Badge included. Now both Kell and Leto will be able to imagine any accessory with their outfits, as long as the badge is pinned to the outfit.

Fabian also gives Leto a BADGE REMOVER, which can safely remove a badge so it can be pinned to another outfit. The badge remover slides into a narrow compartment in the Orange Phoenix purse. Since Kell has a purse like Leto's Fabian says, "You can have mine."

((Kell and Leto can now add/remove badges!))

Fabian explains that Fashionista badges only work with "outfits." There are other badges that work with armor or both armor and outfits. "For the daring, there are badges you can clip to your hair if you're wearing nothing else!"

Fabian excuses himself to prepare three wedding dresses on short notice. At a snap of his fingers, the doctor is with him. He is carrying a suitcase so big that a person could fit inside.

"Ready to work another miracle?" Doc asks.

"More like three," Fabian replies with a serpentine lisp.

Next to arrive is Desma, and she's not alone. Aphrodite is guiding her in with her arm around the baker's back. Evidence of recent tears can be seen on Desma's face. Aphrodite gives her a pat on the shoulder, a gesture which apparently permits Desma to run to Kell. She embraces Kell and whispers, "She apologized!"

Aphrodite and Heph hold hands. Kell-Pi is standing by, eyes locked on the Olympian couple.

 

[Ireth]

Leto

Leto smiles at the compliment, and happily accepts the Fashionista badge and remover. When Desma and Aphrodite arrive, she looks on curiously, trying to recall anything about the need for an apology. So much has happened in the past few days it's getting hard to keep track of it all.

 

[tbgg]

Kelleia

Kell hugs Desma and whispers back, "I'm so glad! I'm sure you've a lot to do, but trust your instincts about this cake and knock 'em dead! And after you're done with the cake, I want a report on how things are going with Buck.'

Steeling herself, she then walks up to Aphrodite and curtsies to her, but doesn't hug the goddess. "I'm sure the brides and grooms will be honored to have the goddess of love and beauty gracing their wedding. I have a favor to ask of you. The daughters of the late nymph Melisande helped Leto and me to slay the lava demon and they are here all the way from Barbieria in search of information about their mother. Through a complete coincidence, Kell-Pi mentioned to me that you knew Melisande, and I was wondering if I might impose on you to share some of your memories of their mother with them at some point today? I have a couple of things I would like to speak to you about before you leave as well, but they can wait until after the wedding ceremony."

Kell glances around, as though looking for a place to flee to, but waits on the goddess' response. For the sake of the van Donks as well as the brides and grooms, she will do her best to not be overtly rude to Aphrodite, though she figures the strain in their relationship probably shows.

When Fabian gives her the badge remover, she manages a more genuine smile for him. "Thank you! I adore my Aqua Scrunchy, and I'm thrilled to be able to use its power with other outfits!"


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[Legendary Sidekick]

"Certainly," Aphrodite replies to Kell, "since you asked so nicely."

Air in the conversation allows the goddess' venomous tone to echo in the nymph's mind.

Heph clears his throat. "It's cold in here. My fault for turning the air conditioner up too high." He heads to the basement rather hastily, muttering, "I can't wait for a mortal to invent this thing so someone besides me can fix it."

Blissfully oblivious to the tension in the room is Sonja, who practically skips toward Aphrodite. "Melisandre?" the goddess' voice cracks as she speaks. Kell had never seen Aphrodite let even a hint of emotion show. Maybe an emotion unaccompanied by lust or wrath—otherwise, the goddess wore her overconfident, arrogant expression like a crown. Now she looked ready to melt into a puddle of tears.

"That's my mother's name." Sonja speaks like an innocent child. "I'm Sonja."

"You're the splitting image of your mother. I warned her she would bear more children than her body could handle. She avoided men until she met your father. She was 104. I warned her she was still fertile, but she wanted children." She looks at the van Donk quadruplets one by one. "I thought it was a mistake to bless her marriage, but all my nymphs are free to make their mistakes. The four of you are not mistakes. I didn't see it that way twenty years ago, but I see that now."

She needs a moment to compose herself, then in her usual goddess-of-beauty-like tone, the invites the sisters to come to Nyse. She will give them an entire day where she'll drop her plans and give her full attention to them. This actually is a very big deal, but of course Aphrodite uses definite terms. You will come to Nyse. No one will interrupt us. Etc.

She turns to Kell and kisses her forehead. If Kell wants to duck, she finds she is unable to move. Aphrodite has spent over a million years perfecting her "nymph effect." She never forces anyone to lust for her, but she does have a way of paralyzing a person just so she can give a simple hug or kiss without being refused publicly. She doesn't release Kell right away, just to make sure an outburst will not embarrass her.

"Thank you, Kelleia Silvertide. We will talk when you are ready, whether that is after the wedding or in Nyse."

She smiles at Kell, and Kell suddenly notices a scent that she associates with happiness. Aphrodite excuses herself and follows her husband. Anyone in her path is greeted with a kiss to the hand and a genuine compliment on the most beautiful quality the goddess sees in that person.

((PM's))

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

Aphrodite kisses Leto's hand. "The second most beautiful thing about you is your humility, Huntress. I say second most because I think you should boast about your freckles. I'm feeling a little envious right now." The goddess caresses Leto's cheek, which compels the Huntress to smile. "Perfection. Your freckles look especially beautiful when you smile just like that."

As she walks on she says, "Practice in front of a mirror. That goes for all of you ladies. You too, men." She turns to Ben, who has a big grin on his face. "Except you. You're a natural." With that, she disappears into the basement.

 

[tbgg]

Kelleia

The smell of Niobe's house! Oh, how I wish she were here right now so I could ask her for a hug. Trust Aphrodite to use something like that to paralyze me and get her own way. Though I suppose as getting her own way goes, that could have been worse. I wish she would be vulnerable like that more often. It's the first suggestion of someone I could like that I've ever seen in Aphrodite.

Kell feels her own eyes welling up at the loss of her teacher and friend, and she goes to find Kell-Pi. Wiping her eyes, she asks the silver maiden, "Do you by chance know anything about half-nymph reproduction? Sonja is in fact one of the daughters of Melisandre, and says she hasn't bled monthly since the very first time, and after I shared with her what you told me last night, she immediately assumed she would not be able to have children. I feel like her assumption needs to be verified, but I know nothing about half-nymphs except what I've observed from watching her. Her sisters seem to be immune to her nymph effect, but as far as I can tell, they all bleed like a human female every month."

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

Hanna hears Kell and says, "I know I shouldn't have gone in the pool."

To Hanna's relief, Bridgette assures her the bleeding comment was due to Sonja's experience.

Kell-Pi says that Sonja's assumption is most likely, but Sonja mentions Kell's thought on her having an unnaging egg like a nymph.

"It is possible," Kell-Pi replies. "The bleeding is caused by the death of the egg, but Milesandre gave birth to four nonidentical quadruplets. She had four eggs. Perhaps Sonja had produced multiple eggs, and some do not age as nymph eggs do not." She tells Sonja, "You will need to mate with a human male to find out."

"Aw, I don't wanna," says Sonja.

She is fascinated by Nissa as well. After being introduced, Kell-Pi says, "Nissa's body matures normally, but like a nymph, she stopped growing after birth. Thus she remains the size of a newborn human." She finally says to Sonja, "Maybe Heph can find out if you do carry an egg that leaves you perpetually fertile like any maiden nymphs. Even if you are not interested in reproducing, is the knowledge not interesting?"

"I guess so." Sonja shrugs. "Yeah, if you wanna do some sort of study, okay."

While Kell-Pi discusses her theories with the van Donks, Vin stands at Kell's side. "I noticed a little tension between you and Aphrodite. Is everything alright between you two?"

 

[tbgg]

Kelleia

Kell feels tears welling again at Vin's question and she shakes her head to indicate 'no', sighing. "The details are a long story, but the gist is that I just always feel like she wants to control me. I can't remember if I already told you this or not, but I ran away from the villa about 6 months ago, halfway through my last year there, because I got to where I just couldn't take it anymore."

"Niobe, my only real source of support, had died and Aphrodite had been terrible to Desma over a mistake that Aphrodite was in my opinion more to blame for than Desma was, though Desma made mistakes, too. Desma ran away to Arcadia because she feared Aphrodite would ruin her reputation as a baker, and I was sending regular letters to Desma trying to help her put her shattered self-confidence back together."

"In the meantime, orgies at the villa seemed to pick up and I was approached by creeps at least a couple of times a week asking point blank if I'd strip on the spot for them. Despite how it may have seemed earlier today, the very idea of stripping for a stranger revolted me, so most of the time I'd ignore them or politely say 'No, thank you' and walk away, but one time the creep grabbed me and began ripping my clothes off. That happened while I was at the beach just behind the villa - fully dressed, I might add - and I only got away because I dove into the lagoon and outswam the guy. The salt water ruined one of my favorite outfits, and he swiped my beach bag in response to the rejection. I reported what happened to Aphrodite, and she seemed more concerned about whether I'd lost my virginity and getting me to sign up for the advanced sex moves class my final year than about my mental state or about taking steps to make sure that creeps like that leave the nymphs at the villa alone."

Kell finds herself crying now, this being the first time she's ever shared with anyone everything that happened in the days prior to her leaving the villa. She keeps trying to wipe the tears away, but it's as though finally accessing her feelings on this subject has released a fountain that she is, for the moment anyway, powerless to stop. She grasps hold of Vin, shuddering as sobs finally overtake her.

 

[Ireth]

Leto

Leto smiles at Aphrodite's compliment and kiss, and it lingers after the goddess leaves. Only to fade when Kell speaks to the van Donks, leaving Leto again feeling lie she's intruding on something. When Kell makes her tearful confession to Vin, Leto quietly comes up and rubs Kell's back to comfort her, not saying a word. She doesn't know what to say.

 

[tbgg]

Kelleia

Feeling the hand rubbing her back, Kell gets hold of herself well enough to ask, "That you, Leto?" Then, wanting to encourage her friend, she adds, "Niobe always said that giving comfort was more about the art of being present to a person's pain than it was about fixing things. You don't say much, but you have a comforting presence."

And she lets go of Vin long enough to give Leto a hug. "Thank you for caring," she tells her friend. And means it.

She's noticed that Leto seems a bit...held back...whenever Kell has talked to the van Donks about nymph reproduction. She would like to talk to her friend about that and find out more about what's behind the reserve, but there are so many conversations she wants to have before they leave Arcadia, and some of them are with people she may not see again for a while. Like Vin and whether he might be able to travel with them, at least for a time. But if Vin needs to stay in Arcadia, she wants to arrange with Buck permission to use The Hearthland as a rendezvous point with Vin whenever she's in a location where she can get back there. And then there is the talk she needs to have with Aphrodite about the getting an audience with Hera and the more unpleasant talk about the state of her and Aphrodite's relationship. And the seeking out of Artemis and Athena, which Kell has as yet to do. The talk with Leto will have to wait. Maybe she can talk to the Huntress on their way to their next destination.

Kell's head spins as she contemplates all of these conversations. I wish there were more hours in a day!

 

[Ireth]

Leto

Leto smiles as Kell acknowledges her, and returns the hug with a smile. "You're welcome. I know I can't always find the right things to say, but I do care about you."

 

[tbgg]

Kelleia

Kell tells Leto, "I know you do. And I care about you, too. Unfortunately, right now, I really need to talk to Vin for a bit. I feel terrible asking this, but could you give us a few minutes to talk?"

Signalling Vin to follow her, she leads him to a nearby unoccupied room, one that thankfully has a few chairs. She seats herself in one and tells him, "I was really hoping we'd get a date after defeating the demon, but it seems like we're going to have to get creative and use this wedding as our date. Why don't you tell me some more about yourself. Like, what do you do for a living?"

Hopefully I can get a sense of whether he can come with us or not by learning about his job!

 

[Ireth]

Leto

Leto lets Kell go, and stands somewhat awkwardly as she and Vin go into another room. As she looks over at the van Don sisters, it occurs to her that they might know something about where she came from... maybe even what her real name is. But is that a thing she wants to ask about right here, right now? It seems rude to question the sisters about herself when there are happier things to do and think about today. Maybe she'll get the chance later, if they rest in the Hearthlands before going to find Artemis' moon-boat.

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

In the time it takes to bake a fancy cake and throw together some fabric, Kell gets an opportunity to learn about Vin. She learns that he works at a ranch. While he can handle a lot of typical farmwork, his specialty is with horses. In addition to mundane tasks such as feeding and cleaning, he trains horses and loves to ride. Kell's of his ability with animals certainly piques his interest.

Bridgette and Hanna ask Leto how she feels about these Olympians walking among mortals. The Asgardians are never so present, as far as the van Donks know anyway. If Leto is interested in knowing where they're from, they talk about Mount Neverest as if its frigid three-mile-high peak is Winter Wonderland. Nissa thinks Leto is a Highlander, judging by the freckles. Time flies as our heroes converse—and late in the evening, sometime (barely) before midnight—the most unplanned triple wedding in the Western Edge of the World is ready to begin!

All three couples exchange vows before Heph and Aphrodite. Rather than the usual "until death do us part," the couples vow to be soulmates. Though the original ceremony would have ended with virgin sacrifice, the vows themselves are sweet in the current context.

After the vows comes cake and dancing. Buck, Hess and the fairies are all here, as are other fairies that the Torch knows. Debbie Downer provides music, playing the world's tiniest violin. Chatty Cathy plays a grand piano by literally dancing on the keys. They invited the honeymooning fairies, Steph and Shelly, as their guests.

The first dance is for the married couples, but after that, Heph and Aphrodite encourage others to join in. The female-male ratio is rather high, so Aphrodite starts dancing with women, starting with Sonja. Heph asks Hanna to dance. Buck is dancing with Bridgette, and almost all of the fairies are pairing up on the dance floor. Hess, Nissa, Desma, Leto and one of the healer fairies (Midori) are the only women not dancing at the moment.

Fabian bows to Leto. "May I have this dance?" He glances back at Doc. "I love him, but not enough to have him stomping all over my shoes." When Doc and Desma start dancing—very gracefully—Fabian explains, "She has small feet. Any clod can dance with her."

 

[Ireth]

Leto
Before the Wedding

Leto laughs when Hanna and Bridgette ask her opinion of the Olympians. "It's a bit overwhelming, honestly. But I guess it's the best learning tool I could have asked for!"

She drinks in the sisters' talk of Barbieria with rapt attention, especially when they tell her about Mount Neverest. She asks how long ago they left the north, and if they know anything about a little village in the mountains close to the southern border of the highlands, whose name she can't recall... "It was destroyed about three years ago. A widow named after Brynhild lives somewhere within a few miles of it, I think?" It's hard for Leto to reckon how far she wandered that night, in the dark by herself, injured and scared. She doesn't like thinking too hard about it, either.

During the Wedding

Leto greets Buck and his fairy healers warmly, and lets Buck know that both the volcano demon and Chief Bonobobobobo... whatever, and his masked associates, are dead.

She smiles and curtseys when Fabian asks her to dance. "I'd love to." She's not used to it, since the opportunity hasn't really come up during her time as a bounty hunter. But it looks easy enough, judging by what the others are doing. One hand on Fabian's shoulder, the other holding his, and one-two-three...