Myth Into History, Week 12: Yes, Virginia, There Is A . . . [Thurs/1st Period, Danger Shop]

[drjcovington.livejournal.com]

Today the Danger Shop was programmed to look like a forest. A very creepy, overgrown, foggy forest to be sure, but a forest nonetheless. Well. Except for the gravestones.

Standing behind one particularly decrepit stone was Janice, leafing through a well-worn copy of Bulfinch's Mythology and looking a bit more smug than usual. As soon as everyone arrived, she tossed the book over her shoulder and clapped her hands together.

"Got your notebooks ready?" she asked. "I guarantee you, you're not gonna find this story in Bulfinch's. One of the earliest Xena Scrolls we found tells an interesting little story about the god Bacchus and his followers. You've probably heard of Orpheus, whose musical skill was more than a match for most of the dangers of the ancient times. He outsang the Sirens and tamed the Underworld in his quest to get his wife, Eurydice, back from death. And he almost succeeded -- but not quite."

". . . pay attention, that's actually relevant here. See, the music of Orpheus was the one thing capable of keeping the shape-shifting, soulless, bloodsucking Bacchae at bay." She looked briefly disgusted with herself for the alliteration, then grinned evilly as she pulled a pale-skinned, decapitated head from a bag she'd been hiding behind the stone. "Which was why Bacchus stole his body. Kind of hard to play the lyre without limbs, isn't it?"

Still grinning, Janice put the head down -- face up, at least -- in a small nest of dried twigs, where it proceeded to glare at her balefully. "Well, even though he blamed Xena for his wife's death, Orpheus enlisted her help -- her, Gabrielle, and some bumbling klutz named Joxer. I mean the real Joxer, not this imposter here," she added, with a oh-so-ironic dismissive gesture toward Joxer. "And since the only thing capable of killing a Bacchae -- or Bacchus himself -- was a fragment of Dryad bone through the heart, they had to come here, to a Dryad graveyard, to get a hold of some weapons. But there was a catch: Bacchus could only be slain by one of his own followers. When Gabrielle" -- she rolled her eyes disgustedly -- "went and got herself turned into a Bacchae, Xena let herself succumb to the turning bite of the Bacchae at her own companion's hands, but held onto her own will long enough to take the Dryad bone to the god, stop him, and end the threat to the local townsfolk. Oh, and Orpheus here even got his body back. Don't you love a happy ending?"

She picked up a fragment of Dryad bone, tossed it casually into the air, and jumped back as it thudded, sharp point first, straight into the ground just inches away from Orpheus's head. Said musician let out a choked yelp of indignation, to which Janice quickly replied, "I meant to do that. Really. Okay, we've only got one class left before finals, so I hope you all have been studying. Being in good physical condition for the final would be a good idea too. In the meantime? Talk to Orpheus here, if you feel like it. Don't worry. He won't bite."

[OOC: Class Info Post. Expect some SP from me during the workday tomorrow as usual, but hopefully it shouldn't be too busy. (Yeah, you know I just jinxed it. Gah.) OCD is up!]

Comments

Sign In [MiH, Week 12]

[drjcovington.livejournal.com]

The Dryad hip bone's connected to the Dryad leg bone -- and they'll all collapse spectacularly if you hit 'em hard enough.

Which is what you should make this thread do.

Hopefully without the hitting.

Re: Sign In [MiH, Week 12]

[twohalvesofaphd.livejournal.com]

Zack Addy

Re: Sign In [MiH, Week 12]

[sensethevisions]

Phoebe Halliwell

Re: Sign In [MiH, Week 12]

[janet_fraiser]

Janet Fraiser

Re: Sign In [MiH, Week 12]

[joxertehmighty.livejournal.com]

Joxer

During the Lecture [MiH, Week 12]

[drjcovington.livejournal.com]

Otherwise known as "this is your chance to go WTF."

Re: During the Lecture [MiH, Week 12]

[sensethevisions]

Phoebe would have been going WTF if she wasn't continuing to look at her watch. She didn't want to leave Cole alone too long. She did manage to take some notes, though.

Re: During the Lecture [MiH, Week 12]

[dbiers.livejournal.com]

D'anna passed on the notes and went straight for gently tapping her forehead against the top of her desk, repeatedly.

Re: During the Lecture [MiH, Week 12]

[l1ttle-billy.livejournal.com]

Billy sighed with relief. "I thought for sure she was about to tell us that Xena actually wrote all of Orpheus' music for him.

Re: During the Lecture [MiH, Week 12]

[janet_fraiser]

Janet leaned over and offered D'anna a bottle of ibuprofen. "You know, I think Xena also invented the wheel, writing, and limericks too," she whispered.

Re: During the Lecture [MiH, Week 12]

[dbiers.livejournal.com]

"Thank you." D took the bottle, grateful. "If she also invented cheerleading? I'm going to cry."

Re: During the Lecture [MiH, Week 12]

[janet_fraiser]

"If she invented cheerleading, I might get homicidal," muttered Janet. "I think Janice has a massive crush on Xena."

Re: During the Lecture [MiH, Week 12]

[notawitch.livejournal.com]

Will tried to take through notes during the lecture, but kept getting distracted by Orpheus. Seeing a pale, decapitated head staring up at you will do that to a person.

Talk to Orpheus [MiH, Week 12]

[drjcovington.livejournal.com]

He's a pale, decapitated head, but he won't bite.

Unless you really get that close, but honestly. Pale, decapitated head.

Re: Talk to Orpheus [MiH, Week 12]

[twohalvesofaphd.livejournal.com]

Zack stared intently at Orpheus's head, frowning.

Re: Talk to Orpheus [MiH, Week 12]

[drjcovington.livejournal.com]

Orpheus's eyes darted from side to side, then swiveled up to look at Zack.

"What? Never seen a bodiless musician before?"

Re: Talk to Orpheus [MiH, Week 12]

[twohalvesofaphd.livejournal.com]

"Technically, yes, we call them radios," Zack replied. "I'm actually more concerned with how you're able to talk without lungs."

Re: Talk to Orpheus [MiH, Week 12]

[joxertehmighty.livejournal.com]

Joxer sat down next to Orpheus.

Then, by strange compulsion, he picked up Orpheus' head and put it in his lap (http://mikes-images.co.uk/eps/girls/pages/gjwhf_mq_049sd.htm)

"You know, I'm a musician too."

Re: Talk to Orpheus [MiH, Week 12]

[drjcovington.livejournal.com]

"You and that other guy," Orpheus said. "This feels kind of familiar -- hey, you know, you look just like him! You don't play the lyre, do you?"

Re: Talk to Orpheus [MiH, Week 12]

[joxertehmighty.livejournal.com]

"My mom made me take lessons," Joxer begrudgingly admitted.

Re: Talk to Orpheus [MiH, Week 12]

[bookyeve.livejournal.com]

Evie stared.

And stared.

And stared.

Eep!

Re: Talk to Orpheus [MiH, Week 12]

[drjcovington.livejournal.com]

Orpheus opened his eyes to look at her.

"Hello!"

It was supposed to be a friendly smile, really. Not his fault it came out slightly grotesque . . . blame the lack of coloring.

Re: Talk to Orpheus [MiH, Week 12]

[bookyeve.livejournal.com]

"Hello." Evie swallowed, hard. She'd seen trolls up close. And there was the zombie band. Really, this wasn't... okay, it was quite disturbing. No getting around that. "Doesn't being decapitated hurt?"

Talk to Janice [MiH, Week 12]

[drjcovington.livejournal.com]

She's available. Still looking a little bit smug after the past weekend's events, but around.

OOC [MiH, Week 12]

[drjcovington.livejournal.com]

"Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" is such freakish, motion-sickness-inducing crack.

Which was, amusingly enough, written by Adam Armus and Nora Kay Foster -- now supervising producers on Heroes.

MMMMMMMMMM, META.