fandomtownies | The Park; Saturday Afternoon.

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The Park; Saturday Afternoon.

Already, it had been a very odd day for Hermaphroditus Sparkles, and that was saying a lot, living the life he did. He knew it would be better come this evening, when he would go out and shine in his element, but, for now, there was drifting in the park, contemplating the letter in his hand that was addressed to his birth name, that lost little girl Calliope Stephanides.

Finally, though, a bit away from the duck pond, where the careless fowl went about their careless lives, he took a seat at the bench and pulled out the letter, which he'd already read countless times:

Honey mou,

I do not know how to tell you this, but, as I lay here on my deathbed, I know that I must. You must know the truth. Do you remember when your brother built that time machine and you and him and your other brother, your twin brother, who you never saw after that again, came with you? And you all went to the old country, and you met a round faced, big bosomed girl who you fell in love with and your twin brother got eaten by that bear, and then you had to go back?

How did I know about that?

Well, honey mou, that girl was me! And that one night of bliss we had was the conception of your father. And that twin brother you thought was eaten was not really eaten, but left behind, and he stood in to be Lefty, your papou, but the truth of the matter is that you, Calliope, you are your own papou, your own grandfather! I wish I could have told you sooner, but it was so complicated, and it worked so well to believe that your twin brother was your grandfather instead all those years.

I am sorry, honey mou!
--Desdemona Stephanides. S.W.A.K.

P.S. Make sure you are eating your vegetables.

Reading through it again, Hermaphroditus still felt a catch in his throat; he let out a gasp of a sob and held the letter tightly to his tissue-enhanced breast. Oh, yia yia! But somehow...somehow...it was like he'd known all along.

[[ yeeeeaaaaah, i don't know. OPEN, though! ]]

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Momoko somehow made it to the park. Not that she knew this, of course, since she had somehow suddenly become blind.

Her face a mess, she held tightly to a tree, gulping back sobs before she once again began to fumble and stagger her way through her own personal darkness towards what she hoped was the school dorm. The school dorm that she was sure housed someone who could help her.

Hermaphroditus Sparkles glanced up from his bench at the sight of activity in the corner of his eye, and tilted his head at the redheaded girl clinging to a tree. Carefully, as he noticed her tears, he dabbed away his own with a lacy handkerchief, careful not to smudge his mascara. Yes, the tube had said waterproof, but one could never tell such things.

Taking a deep breath to chase away those silly tears, he stood up, smoothed out his skirt, and drifted over to her, trying to seem kind and concerned, which he was. "Excuse me," he said, quietly so not to alarm her, "do you need help?"

A voice. Momoko didn't recognize the voice, but it sounded friendly. She blinked back tears and turned to try to find the person, even just a hint of a shadow. A subtle change in the darkness, of any kind?

Nothing. All was still empty. "Where am I? Please? Tell me? I can't see!"

Oh, dear! The poor girl was blind! "You're in the park, sweetie," Hermaphroditus informed her softly. He wasn't sure if he should reach out to her to show her where he was or something like that.

"The park? Then... Am I close to the school, to Fandom High?" Momoko's arm lifted haltingly towards the voice that had reached through her darkness. "I don't know what happened to me, you see, and I just want to go home. The dorm. Can you tell me if I am close? Am I going in the right direction?"

Hermaphroditus Sparkles went ahead and held out his arm for the girl's arm to touch so that she knew where he was. "You're...not too far, but I wouldn't say very close. Did you want me to help you get back?"

Momoko clasped the arm as soon as she found it. "You're so kind! Oh my goodness, thank you for being kind." She sobbed and squeezed his arm gently. "I really do appreciate it, but please. If you could just direct me? I can't get you involved; I don't know what would happen. Just... just to the edge of the park. Can you get me to the street? I can make it from there. I can get home following the streets."

"Are you sure, sweetie?" Hermaphroditus asked, already starting to gently goad the lightly clinging girl in the right direction. The poor thing! He hated to think of her roaming blindly through the streets, especially after seeing what else roamed these streets around here. "It's no trouble, I assure you."

Momoko moved easily with the guidance of the generous stranger, but she continued to protest. "It'll be okay, I know the streets of Fandom. I know the shops. I really don't know what happened to make me blind and you shouldn't be involved if there's danger."

She was calmer now that she'd had a moment to meet and talk to someone so caring; the tears slowed and she used her free hand to wipe at her face. She probably looked a wreck but it wasn't like she could use a mirror to check. "I just... I just need to get back. I can follow the streets to the school gates. Really."

"Well, if you're sure," Hermaphroditus consented, although reluctantly. "You just be careful, okay, sweetie?"

Momoko gulped. She kept her head in the direction of the voice and nodded. "Thank you, I will. Having you help me and be so nice, it's calmed me down. I'm still scared and I still can't see, but..." She took a deep breath and tried to smile. "Thank you! If I meet you again, will you let me know? You're very nice. I hope nothing happens to you for helping me even this much. Please be careful?"

"You certainly are brave," Hermaphroditus mused in admiration, shaking his head. "I'd be delighted to run into you again, dear. Not literally, of course."

A moment for a hysterical giggle, please. "You may not have a choice; I can't see where I'm going, remember?"

The giggle only made Hermaphroditus laugh, and admire the girl's bravery even more. To laugh in the darkness of her distress! It was heartwarming, even if it was hysterical. "But I can, so I don't have much of an excuse."

Edited 2008-10-12 02:34 (UTC)

Parker was gathering supplies. She had Plans for tonight.

Also, she was taking photos, looking for the right place for the festivities.

Plotty Music followed her wherever she went. Sneaky strings and smirky drums were waiting for her to do something Evil.

Edited 2008-10-11 23:01 (UTC)

Almost as if some distant music had alerted him to some sort of activity, Hermaphroditus lifted his head and then tilted it, with a dull sort of curiosity, at the woman taking the photographs. He tried to pinpoint exactly what it was she was photographing, and to what purpose. She didn't exactly look official, but perhaps she was just an artist of sorts. He sniffed, dabbed carefully at his eyes again, and watched quietly, since it got his mind off of his tortured dilemma.

Parker took a picture of the sad Harlequin-doll of a tourist, then smiled evilly. "Hello. I'm taking photos, in a totally innocent fashion as an alumni who has every reason to be here. Would you be a sweetheart, and tell me where you think the best spot for a big party would be?"

Hermaphroditus forced a smile through his personal turmoil. "Oh, honey," he said, "I can tell you right now that no place on this island is a good place for any party worth its salt."

Parker pouted at him, giving him big woebegone eyes. "But I have rum! And cigars! And a personal mission. What's your name, honey? You can come to the party too, of course."

The background music hinted that might not be a good idea.

Despite this, what kind of high class socialite could he claim to be if he refused? He gave the woman a sweet smile, offering out an effeminate. "Hermaphroditus Sparkles, charmed," he informed her, "and you can expect exactly what the name suggests, honey." He threw in a bit of a wink, the grin sharpening. "And you?"

Parker gleamed back at him toothily, amused, and said, "M. Parker-Nolan, celebrating my 100th day of my third marriage." She showed off her ring, and sighed happily. "Thus, party. To give thanks to the orishas and loas and oh, anyone who wants to attend, of course. I adore sparkles. My husband rubs them all over himself before we hit the sack."

Wow, overshare much?

Oh, Hermaphroditus always did enjoy a flash of an impressive rock, and drank M. Parker-Nolan's in with clear, impressed excitement. And the overshare did rather give him an excellent idea for his debut return back to San Fran. "Perhaps I will have to attend, then; I'm not sure I could pass this up now, although I have to admit, I'm not much of a rum and cigar type of girl."

"Well, there'll be coffee too. The more the merrier." And the easier to appease the gods. "Keep it in mind, honey. I'm sure you'd have a blast with us. Dress for the occasion, if you've got feathers!"

If you've got feathers! Did Hermaphroditus look like the type to go about without feathers? I think not!

"Of course, darling." Although he still wasn't too sure if coffee was as powerful a lure as M. Parker-Nolan seemed to think it was. "When did you say it was, again?"

"Tonight, after sundown, here in the park. Look for the huge bonfire and the dancing people." Parker winked at Hermaphroditus. "You'll fit right in!"

POssibly a good thing. Possibly a bad, bad thing.

Hermaphroditus let out a small laugh, pushed a hand under his hair a little. "Oh, sweetie, I doubt that. I'm one of a kind."

"Then all the better," Parker said, patting him on the shoulder, then flipping her hair back. "Right, I have to go buy more party supplies!" she reached out to squeeze his hand. "Don't be a stranger, okay?"

Hermaphroditus returned the squeeze with a cold grip that undermined his feminine features. "Wouldn't dream of it, darling."

Lana and Shawn were wandering through the park, enjoying the opportunity to be together, but always wary lest someone see them together. Which is why when Lana saw Parker, she immediately stepped away from him and tried to look as innocent as possible.

"Hello, Parker."

Yes, there was probably some bitterness there.

"Hello, Lana," Parker sneered back. "Amazing to see you. Really. I mean that."

Noticing someone male in the vicinity, Parker immediately batted her eyes at him. "Hellooooo, Shawn, isn't it? How are you, you gorgeous thing?"

Shawn smiled smoothly. One of the most integral parts of making this work, was learning to seem like there was absolutely nothing unusual going on. That was exactly what he was doing.

"Doing very well," he replied. "Just... out enjoying the afternoon. That's all." Yup, that's all.

"We had some business matters to attend to," Lana added, practiced in this deception. "But it was such a nice day we decided to take the long way back."

No, nothing going on here.

"That's lovely and I'm glad to hear it. I'm planning a little party tonight for here at the park, you'll come along, Shawn, won't you?"

Extra smirk at Lana at this point. Poor thing. Not invited. Nyaaaaah!

"I--" Shawn took a second to glance at Lana. "I'll try and be there for you." Well, at least he was attempting to walk the line between not pissing off one or other of the women.

Oh, he had better not be serious! Lana shot him a look, then turned back to Parker. "I'll check his appointment book when we get back and see if he can schedule you in. Mr. Farrell is quite a busy man."

She was deliberately ignoring the enormous rock, Parker was waving around, knowing that would annoy her.

"It's such a shame you're not qualified to be anything but a girl Friday, Lana. Instead of already being in the running to front a corporate empire." Like me didn't really have to be said, did it? "And you didn't manage to get married yet, did you? Awwww."

She turned back to Shawn, purring, "How open is your schedule, Mr. Farrell? I'd loooove to consult with you."

"Well, it's packed pretty tight," Shawn told her. "We're only in town a couple of days. Lot of things to fit in."

"I can have Lana see what she can arrange, though," he added with a little smile.

Oh, how she wanted to tell Parker just what she could do with her snide insinuations, about the plans she and Shawn had, but for the moment she just had to grit her teeth and take it.

"So what number is this one?" she asked, nodding at the ring. "Sad, really, that you always seem unable to find lasting happiness. I guess it's true what they say about poor little rich girls."

"What, that we have more fun than just poor little orphan girls?" Parker snarked back. "And I'm sure my third husband Ronan Parker-Nolan and I will be as happy as possible for as long as possible. He's hot and Irish and very, very understanding."

Until his untimely demise, just like husbands 1 and 2, sure.

"I don't want to keep you from working Lana to death. Or whatever," Parker said airily to Shawn. "But you know you can find me at the Arms if you need to relax from working so, so, hard."

"What can I say, I run a very effective operation," Shawn said with a smug smile. "That hard work is the cornerstone to keeping it that way."

"But, if I find myself at a loose end, I'll let you know."

"Don't hold your breath," Lana murmured under hers.

"So, Parker, I'm sure you must have much more important things to do than stand here chatting. Or was there something you wanted? Some of us have quite full lives."

"People who aren't clingy secretaries? Yes, we do." Parker smirked again. "Just remember that invitation, Shawn. Byeeeee, Lana. Oh, wait. One more thing? Come over here."

Parker walked off a little ways, then crooked her finger elaborately at Lana, keeping her voice to a perfectly audible whisper. "I do so hope you can keep this one alive, honey. Can I make a suggestion?" She smirked a little. "Dump him before the curse on you strangles him in his sleep."

Musical Sting! Da-Naaaaah!

Lana gasped and her face went dead white. "How dare you!"

Her hand was flying up to slap at Parker's face before she even knew what she was doing. "You bitch!"

Whap! Parker's eyes nearly went red with rage! The music vamped up!

"Slut!" she snarled back, swinging her own palm at Lana's face.

Lana staggered backward and nearly went down at the force of Parker's slap. "One day you'll get what you deserve," she hissed. "And I'll be there laughing."

"I'm sooooo scared. If you live that long, I'll laugh hysterically and make sure you can't ever do anything else! Ever again!" Parker growled back, holding her cheek. Still showing off that ring, too. "Run back to your next corpse, Lana!"

Shawn was at Lana's side, helping to steady her, and she leaned into him for a moment, needing that comfort even though she knew she shouldn't show their connection in public.

She straightened up and gave Parker a Look. "Somebody will stop you one day, Parker. You won't get away with this forever."

"Mr. Farrell, I think it's time we headed back." She needed his arms around her, needed her lover to soothe her, and that couldn't happen until they were in private.

Before they left she gave Parker one last glance. "I'm afraid Mr. Farrell will be unable to attend your party this evening. He prefers not to traffic with whores."

Edited 2008-10-12 00:36 (UTC)

"Then it's a shame he's forced to work with such a cheap one, isn't it?" Parker zapped back. "Byeeee Shawn. Find me when you ditch the clinging vine, won't you?"

She turned on her heel and stalked off, plotting the fate of the little doll who looked like Lana. Wasn't pretty, nooooo.

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The Park; Saturday Afternoon.

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