Ch.7: "Hot Fuzz" / Hesperides

[Legendary Sidekick]

At the Performance...

You are led to a balcony which includes a small pool for mermaid seating. It turns out that Miss Wanda Wilhelmina, the half-octopus conductor, arranged some accommodations for aquatic creatures. Mayor Mink Haggar waves to Piggie from the opposite balcony. Beside the mayor is a clovenhoof harpy teenager who points your way with an amazed expression. She whispers something to her father, who shrugs, but gives an answer that seems to satisfy the girl.

Instruments are being tuned; people are arriving at the last minute. Flickering light spells signal that the show will soon begin...

 

[tbgg]

Kell winks at the Mayor's teenaged daughter and waves, wondering if the girl remembers her from the HearthVision.

She glances around for the stage, wondering if the performers will be half-beasts or not, and if so, which animals they will be.


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[Ireth]

Sigrlinn smiles when she and Daphne reach the balcony and meet up with Piggie and Kell again. She watches the mayor and his daughter curiously, wondering what the latter is asking about. Then again, it's probably none of her business.

She settles into a seat next to Daphne, her wings folded behind her, and leans forward to see the performance begin.

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

The curtains reveal a setting that reminds Sigrlinn of Barbieria—of the frozen north, though the company is from a land east of Barbieria, and possibly further north due to the apparent love of snow.

The ballet stars a dancing polar bear woman as the Ice Princess and a penguin as Prince Pengo. The story is that the Ice Princess is not royalty, but a girl who dreams of candy and castles and castles made of candy. Prince Pengo is a wino in a tuxedo who provides all he can for the girl by begging, reading poetry at tea parties and defeating the evil mouse king (played by a dancing tiger-man with a mouse-ear hat).

Act I ends with a piece known as The Waltz of the Snowflakes. The snowflakes are played by swan-women—white feathered creatures who look strikingly similar to Daphne, aside from the color of their feathers…

After the six-minute dance, the curtain closes. Wanda Wilhelmina announces that there will be a brief intermission.



If Kell would like to change into her chiton so she can mingle, there is a curtain that Piggie can draw so she can change without being seen by those in other balconies. If she would prefer to soak in the pool provided, Piggie will retain her mermaid form as well so Kell isn't on her own.

It seems Daphne is eager to go out into the crowd. "QVAKT?" she asks Sigrlinn, gesturing toward the private balcony's exit.

 

[tbgg]

Kell tells Piggie, "If this our time for speaking with the mayor, then I reckon I'd better change."

Taking advantage of the curtain provided by Piggie, she emerges a few moments later in her chiton, then asks Piggie, "Do you have any words of advice as to what might make the Mayor amenable to getting us on Hera's schedule."


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[Legendary Sidekick]

Just try, Piggie says. As soon as Kell changes, she and Piggie head into the crowd.

As for Daphne, she is already downstairs. There are several well-dressed men and women—all part animal. Sigrlinn catches a few curious stares, and a satyr boy touches her wing and says "woooowwww…" Aside from that, she is left alone.

Some of the people in the hall are performers, including the swans. Like Daphne, all have human-like flesh where feathers aren't. Almost all of the swan dancers have very light skin, except one whose complexion is as dark as Buck's. Daphne freeze when she sees her.

 

[tbgg]

Kell walks over to the Mayor's daughter, hoping the Mayor will come over while they are talking. Smiling, Kell says, "Hi, I'm Kell Silvertide. I couldn't help noticing you looking at me earlier like you'd seen me before. You are?"


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[Ireth]

The flurry of snow on the stage, fake though it is, sends Sigrlinn into another memory. This one is shorter, more sound and feeling than sight; all she can see is whiteness anyway.

She's in a blizzard, making her way homeward -- probably the same blizzard she escaped from in her previous flashback. The cold air stings her face and numbs her hands and feet. One hand is clenched around someone else's.

Her companion leans close, lips brushing her ear as he speaks. He has to get close to be heard above the wind. "I think I can see the village ahead. Do you see it!"

Her friend Hrafn's voice is familiar and soothing. She looks, squinting through the snow. A faint yellow glow pierces the storm somewhere to her right. She raises her free hand to point, though she suspects it's useless. "Over there!"

They trudge onward through the snow together, and Sigrlinn holds tightly to Hrafn's hand. If she has to be out here in a blizzard, at least she's not here alone.

A "Qvakt?" from Daphne brings her back to the present. Sigrlinn blinks, realizing she's holding onto the hand of the person on her other side. She quickly lets go, blushing as she apologizes, and hurries downstairs after Daphne. She stays quiet as they mingle with the crowd, smiling at a goat-legged boy who admires her wings. But Daphne freezes as she watches one of the swan performers.

Sigrlinn frowns and brushes Daphne's wing. "What's the matter?"

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

Kell
"Oh, yes… you do look familiar. The funny part is I don't really know any mermaids." Seeing how you're up and walking, she adds, "Or maybe I know a lot of mermaids, if you can just trade your mermaid half for human legs. Does it hurt when you do that?

"Oh, shoot! My manners… uh? Heh. My name's Jessibelle Haggar, by the way."

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

Sigrlinn
Daphne blushes. She makes a subtle gesture toward the swan dancers.

"Qvakavakakt," she says softly.

She takes one step closer to the dark-skinned dancer—the only swan who isn't locked in conversation with anyone.

 

[Ireth]

Sigrlinn smiles, taking a guess at what's going on. "Is she a friend of yours?" Or, more likely, a crush. She gives Daphne a little nudge. "You should go say hi."

 

[tbgg]

Kell smiles at Jessibelle and says, "For me, it just tingles a bit during the transformation, and for a short time after, but I'm not actually sure how many mermaids can grow legs. I've never been to any underwater colonies or anything." She isn't sure she should be making it known her ability is magical, so she doesn't mention that.

"What's it like being the Mayor's daughter? Do you get stuck attending a lot of events like this? I attended Aphrodite's villa for nymphs and she liked to throw parties. And of course all of us at the villa got drafted into playing hostess a lot. I didn't mind the smaller parties too much, but I hated the big festivals in her honor. They tended to be so crowded one could hardly move."


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[Legendary Sidekick]

Kell
Jessibelle laughs, "Don't get me started on festivals. It's amazing how many excuses there are for a bunch of stuffed shirts to try and impress me with the same story they told the festival before. If they could keep their eyes out of my cleavage, that might impress me."

The mayor clears his throat, and is about to say more, but a slow clopping catches his attention—and yours…



Sigrlinn
Daphne quacks bashfully, then approaches the dancer. Both seem equally shy and awkward, but they also seem to speak the same language… if the quacking is a language.

You watch the pair (or maybe you avert your eyes), but soon your eyes are focused on exchanged glares from two very large men. One is the handsome moustached minotaur, Mayor Mink Haggar. The other is a bespectacled lynel (lion-headed centaur) in a dark suit. The lynel is mounted by an orangutan in samurai armor.



Both of You

"Mr. Haggar," says the orangutan, "so pleased to make your acquaintance. I believe you know who I am."

The lynel says, "We have a little business proposition for you…"

"I'm not interested," says the mayor.

The orangutan says, "We'll throw in the regular monthly salary we offered before."

"Listen to reason, man," says the lynel.

"Why make your job difficult?"

"Just let us do as we please like the mayor before you did."

The mayor eyes begin to glow red.

The lynel laughs, but before it can come to blows you hear a familiar voice.

Master Kikuchiyo arrives with with six samurai man-bunnies. He calls out to the orangutan.

"Master Clyde," he says. "Have you come to enjoy the show, or put on one of your own?"

"I am simply mixing business with pleasure," he says. Then to the lynel, he gives a command, "To the nosebleed seats, Dail. Seems the law-dogs do not intend to enjoy their work."

Dail replies, "I'll enjoy mine, once opportunity knocks."

"Who said anything about knocking?" Clyde asks.

Dail laughs as he trots away with his master.

 

[tbgg]

Kell glances at Jessibelle. "Who were those two and what did they want from your father?" she asks softly.


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[Ireth]

Sigrlinn smiles as Daphne and the swan dancer get acquainted, then watches the rest of the crowd for a little while before the conversation between the mayor, the orangutan and the lion-headed centaur catches her attention. She decides it's better not to speak up until Clyde and Dail have gone; then she approaches the mayor cautiously.

"Is everything okay? What was that about?"

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

Jessibelle says, "Well... they kept their eyes out of my cleavage." Despite her words, she's quite shaken.

"Those men are nothing," says Haggar. "The lowest on the totem pole."

Master Kikuchiyo isn't nearly as dismissive. "The Monkey's Claw is nothing to sneeze at. They've been involved in catnip smuggling, harpy trafficking, had some dogs running poker games and underground cage matches... and if you're mayor, you either play ball or they put you to sleep. But not Haggar. Three assassins tried taking him out. He sent them back in boxes, then he gored Grandmaster Silverback.

"The old ape's been diplomatic ever since. He's seen threats don't work on an honest mayor. I don't know what makes him think any approach would."

 

[tbgg]

Overhearing the Mayor's words, Kell speaks up. "I hate to be the one to mention this, but what if that little visit was a ruse? An excuse to show up here for some other nefarious purpose?"

Then she introduces herself. "I'm Kell Silvertide and it's a pleasure to meet you in person, Mayor Haggar. I saw the segment where you appeared in Bob Oracle's show on the HearthVision. And I was just speaking with your daughter."


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[Ireth]

Sigrlinn frowns as the mayor speaks. "I thought Hera was the highest authority around here. Isn't she interested in doing anything about that? If she made this place as a safe haven, you'd think she'd want to protect people. Even from each other."

She glances over as Kell introduces herself. "Uh. I'm Sigrlinn Tofisdottir, by the way."

 

[Legendary Sidekick]

Mayor Haggar rolls his eyes at the mention of Oracle's show. "Ah... that Hearthvision is a lot more popular than I thought." Regarding the serious matter, he replies, "Hera once spoke of a movement to keep the Olympians from intervening. She admits to being rather heavy handed herself, particularly when her husband gets involved with mortals. But I support her overall vision of a world where we mortals turn to the gods for guidance, not outright smiling."

Master Kikuchiyo adds, "All due respect to Hera, she's not a smiter. She has that ability to change people into monstresses and beastmen, but... her magic wouldn't do much to a gang of beastmen."

Jessibelle agrees with your assessment of the danger. "Those goons are never up to any good."

"That's why none of my men have the night off," Kikuchiyo says. "We leave nothing to chance."

 

[Ireth]

Sigrlinn nods. "That makes sense. I'd prefer a lot less of the gods messing around with mortals, myself." She thinks of Loki and scowls.