She was born in an old plantation deep in the heart of the south. To a father who claimed she was the greatest gift god could ever give, and to a mother who said when the time was right, she could give her the world. She was born on a stormy Monday, just like Solomon Grundy, but her parents made sure she would never see a day of rain in her heart. For you see, this girl was gifted, she was born with an ability that would make her stand out from those around her, that would make her different, and make her the envy of all those around her. Arcadia Belladonna Tannon is her name, and she was born with the ability, to turn fiction into reality. I don't mean that in a figurative description, I mean it in a literal one. Anything that Arcadia reads or writes, she can will to become reality, be it permanently, or for a short period of time, she can even rewrite the past if she saw fit. Given this fact, its unclear if the back story of a loving caring family who adored her and supported her and a youth of popularity and intellectual greatness are true or merely a role that Arcadia wrote herself into as a way of sparing herself from the reality of what she might have really gone through. No one knows, and she won't tell. The mystery that is Arcadia.
This raven haired beauty lives a nice and peaceful life, she teaches literature at a college just outside of Tupelo, Mississippi where she literally puts her class inside of every book they study, I'm told its something you just have to see to believe. Imagine it, a woman who could literally rewrite the world as we know it, and all she wants to do is make others see the joy there is still in literature. Arcadia, is not registered with the US Government, like other gifted humans are. She feels that her gift, though beautiful should never be put in the hands of anyone who could somehow make it a weapon. Arcadia is not a weapon, nor will she ever allow herself to be seen or conceived as one. She has a very powerful gift you see, in theory more powerful then most of those others she sees on the news every night, she can after all, control the very reality in which we live with just a stroke of her pen, or the reading of afew lines of text. And though this power could alter the world we know, bring about ends to wars, economic hardships, hunger, and so much more, she would rather just live peacefully, in her parent's old plantation and teach her classes. She has created alittle paradise for herself here, ironic because her name means paradise. A paradise, it seems, that has never been discovered by another of her kind. This is the story of the very first time Arcadia met anyone else who was born with a power, and how she learns that the world outside of the storybook life she's created for herself, really isn't as horrible as she believed it to be.
The day started like any other, Arcadia awoke from her large sprawling bed as the first trickles of the sun started to appear over the trees that make up the back half of her family's land. The birds were starting to sing, and the animals were starting to run around, she thought it was a beautiful sight to see, she thought about how good it was that more times then not, mornings like this, are not a creation of her writing, but just happening naturally out in the world, "Still some hope for it yet.." she says as she smiles over her breakfast of fried eggs, bacon, sausages and cheese. She thought about her day and what her plans were for the day, she had four classes to teach, all in Victorian era literature, a favorite period of hers, she goes over her notes on each student in each class, making a note of who she should turn into which character for each class and which class is studying which book. She chuckles to herself at the image of alot of these students she's picked as the various characters they will be playing. She likes to sometimes make someone a character who is the complete opposite of their personality. She doesn't do it for comedic reasoning, she does it to try and give that person the most out of their learning in class. Plus, the idea of alot of these football jocks being prim and proper gentlemen in the works of Jane Austin is abit of a sight to see. She finishes her breakfast and does her final bit of getting ready, then looks at herself in the mirror.
"Not bad for a woman thats almost 40 years old.. not bad at all." she thinks as she does a spin check to make sure her business suit isn't tucked into her skirt again by mistake and there isn't anything stuck to her anywhere. She smiles at herself then heads out the door. She gets into her brown 1930 Packard sedan, this car was her daddy's and he drove it from the day long before she was born, to the day he died, its a beautiful old machine that runs and looks like its just come off the showroom floor. Arcadia loves it and feels its her duty as a good daughter to carry on her father's wish of her owning and using it. The only thing she's had done to it was adding a modern sound system, because well, in her words "A girl done needs her music".
And does Arcadia ever love her music, growing up in one of the most musically rich places in the United States has tought her all she will ever need to know about music in all its forms, and though she can't play or sing worth her salt, she knows what she likes, plus she can dance really good she claims. She pulls out of her driveway as Barbra Blue's "From the Delta To the Golden Gate" is playing nice and loud as she leaves a small dust trail rolling down her long dirt driveway toward the highway. In her drive to her work, University of Mississippi Tupelo Campus, she goes over her day's plan in her mind as to galvanize it in her memory, once she feels she's done that, she spends the rest of her time singing and car dancing as she goes, she doesn't care that people are staring at her, she just figures they like what they see or are just not brave enough to get their grove on themselves. Either way, its their loss she figures.
She pulls the Packard into the staff parking lot at the University and as always, it gets some looks and yells as students and staff wave and yell hello to her, Arcadia is rather well liked here, but I guess being someone born with the ability to make anything she needs to teach literally come alive for those in her classroom would make you popular, she figures thats better then thinking its because of her looks, not that she's got an issue with those mind you, she just wants to be respected for who she is, not what she looks like. She parks the Packard and heads around the back to get her paperwork and things out of the trunk, a friend of hers, Constance Gaihart a chemistry teacher yells to her from afew parking spots away "Cadie!! Cadie!! Hey wait up.." as she walks up to her. "Hey there Connie, almost didn't see you there.. you know early morning cloud and all.." Arcadia jokes, "Oh thats ok, you're always somewhere off in space anyway, I'm used to it by now." Constance jokes back as they both laugh, "How was your night Cadie?" Constance asks, "Oh, my night?" Arcadia says, "Well it wasn't that eventful really, I made some chicken and potatoes and gravy, and then I curled up on the big cough in the television room with Elysian and watched tv. Street Car Named Desire was on, the one with Marlon Brando, god he was a terrible actor... but he looked good in a teeshirt..." she laughs, Elysian is her cat of 16 years, a black and grey "fluffball of love and poop" she calls him. They both laugh as they walk into the building where the staff dining hall is, "come on, let me get you some coffee.." Constance says smiling "that way you'll feel obligated to listen to me go all Barbra Walters interview confession on you about last night and my date." she says. "Oh alright, not like I wasn't going to do that anyway..." Arcadia says sarcastically, "...and THAT my naturally curly friend, is exactly why I love ya so much!" Constance says with a smirk. "I'm warning you Connie, you try and kiss me or cop a feel I will cut you... I may be a lady but my papa done learned me how to gut and skin any animal I might come across..." Arcadia says in a funny tone, "Oh take all the fun out of the idea for me why don't you..." Constance laughs as she puts he things down at their table and heads to get coffee for the two of them.
"Ok so this is what happened.." Constance starts as she sits down handing Arcadia a cup of coffee and a corn muffin. "Remember that guy I told you about that worked at the bank? Well we went to dinner and a movie last night, no biggie right? It started out nice, he called and told me to meet him at the place we were going to eat because he was running late at the bank. No problem, I figure its just filing some big important papers or something..." Connie takes a sip of her coffee and Arcadia just nods, "Anyway he gets there just after me and we do the whole greet thing, all is good, dinner goes well, one of those high priced by not so high priced you feel you have to atleast think about sleeping with him places. He had a steak, I had this really good chicken salad.. went really well..." she continues, not noticing that Arcadia's not even really paying attention, "So from there we go to the movies, was pretty fun, we went to see that new romantic comedy that looks so funny in the adds, you know, the one with that guy who makes horrible movies but everyone fakes they respect him because his parents were big time comedians years ago.." Connie continues unaware she's really just talking to hear herself talk now as Arcadia eats her muffin and drinks her coffee. Twenty Five minutes later after detailing every single detail of her date and going home with the guy from the bank, Constance looks at Arcadia and says "So, do you think i should see him again? Or should i just keep the dog collar and ball gag?" this wakes Arcadia out of her daydream. "I.. think... umm... you should just keep them... after all, where else are you gonna get free ones?" Arcadia says, "I have 4 of each of them.." says Constance, "Cadie you weren't really paying attention were you?" she asks. "Well.." Arcadia starts, "No not really. I was just thinking about how you seem to live this exciting life, out all the time, doing... what ever the hell you were doing with that guy last night... living life.. And me.. well I spend my nights watching movies, or tv, or reading or writing a story... thats not exactly the hight of excitement." she says, "I mean just once I would like to go out on a date, not with the kind of weirdos you date, but like, normal guys, ones with out a toy closet or whatever else the ones you pick up have... just a nice boy... who likes cats.... and movies... and will spend hours in a bookstore with me.." she trails off.
Constance looks at her and says "well...why don't you make one?" in a pointblank tone "we both know what you can do, and with an ability like yours, the sky is the limit, you could write up your perfect man and bring him to life!" she says excitedly, "No... I can't.." Arcadia says, "I've tried. I'll sit there and start writing out what I want my dream man to be, and either, I just can't finish it, or when I try to make it real, I get these headaches, which is odd because I've done it for others, and I remember creating playfriends as a kid.. but for some reason, I can't seem to make the one thing I really feel I need..." she says. "Well..." Constance starts "Maybe there are rules to your gift, like there are certain things you can't do? Certain things you can't alter, you know, like how that cute Japanese guy on that tv show about people like you who travels through time can't change certain things or create a paradox... and stuff like that." she wonders, "well thats possible" Arcadia says thinking "I did try to change the way Vietnam ended back then, but I guess there are some things I can't control, or can't make, like certain things that would effect the destiny of the world.. but I can't see how creating the perfect boyfriend would change that.." she says, "Simple, you would create a man so perfect, that others would want him, and that would lead to either an unhappy you, or a dumped you, which would drastically alter you, so its your gift protecting you from what could become a problem for you in the future." Constance says as she takes a sip of her coffee. "I guess that makes alot of sense, though I've no idea how exactly my gift is supposed to know how things would possibly end as to protect me from it though.." Arcadia says. Constance smiles "Who knows? No one knows how any of you were born with the powers you were born with, maybe whatever force of nature decided you were to be born this way, also governs the ways you're allowed to use them? Either way, its something I doubt we'll ever understand.. though, I must admit, if there was someway to make an injection or something that would give all of us normal people a power, even if for a short time, that would be so cool..." she says daydreaming, Arcadia laughs "knowing the world only 50% of you would actually survive a shot like that... but thats just abit TO television to be true..". They both laugh as they finish their coffee and gather up their things, "Ok well I've got an early class, I'll see you later Cadie.." Constance says "Ok, I'll see you for lunch." Arcadia says as she hugs her friend and then heads off on her way across the campus to the building where her classroom is.
As she walks across the campus center to the literature building Arcadia is greeted with more teachers and students saying hello to her and wishing her a good day, and she smiles, today is a good day, its going to be a nice relaxingly easy day for her, and for her students too, after all, every good teacher shares her good mood with her students, thats just doing whats right. She sings to herself and starts to dance her way to the building, and after walking in and doing a quick check of the student lounge and the library for anyone that didn't notice its class time, she heads to her classroom, which as always, is full of her happy to see her first class of the day, she puts her bag down on her desk, then walks around the front of the desk and sits on it as she takes off her shoes, she doesn't really like shoes much. "Now then...." she exhales "Hello my fine class of future literary masters, are we all well today?" she smiles, they all say they're doing fine and they all laugh and joke alittle, "Alright my lovely ones..." Arcadia speaks up, "are you all ready for a trip into the lovely and ironically comical at times world of Jane Austin?" they all groan given they are unaware of who will play who this time, given her changing of roles every day. She laughs "oh come on, its not THAT bad... I could be making you all read the book instead of just using my gift... you know, like a normal teacher, but no... i have to be the cool teacher and let you do things this way..." she teases "You're also the hot teacher!" one of the boys in the back yells out, she turns and looks at him "David Henson, I am shocked at you! Trying to get a better grade by telling me things I already know... that will get you no where with me young man!" she teases, the class laughs.
"Ok, everyone ready?" Arcadia says with a smile, her class all says they are ready, "well then.." she begins, "Everyone... close your eyes...." she says as she picks up the book and reads from where her page is marked "and here... we go" with a wave of her hand her class is magically transformed into a grand Victorian ballroom and her students save for afew are all the guests, the rest shall enter as their roles are introduced. the class spends the rest of their time living out the story, becoming the characters, and learning through seeing it all happen first hand. And when their classtime is over, as always, they don't want to leave, they just want to stay and see more of the greatest works of all time through the gift of their teacher, and though she should like too, she needs a small time to rest, for the temporary creations take more out of her then the ones she creates and wills into life permanently, when doing a temporary appearance she must constantly keep her mind on what she's doing, as well as being aware of the real world around them, as well as interacting and playing her role, this puts a strain on Arcadia and causes headaches more times then not. However, they do go away after a short time, so she does take some solace in that, alittle pain in exchange for her student's minds being opened, any teacher devoted to their cause would gladly take that exchange if it ment 100% attention and effort from their students too. As per their daily ritual, Arcadia sees her students out into the grassy main quad area, and will joke and talk with them on their level for just alittle wile, until her headache gets to much for her and she must lay down for a short while. She doesn't need to sleep, she just happens to find out that laying on her back tends to release the pain better and faster, making her able to take on more classes a day.
After a short rest and another class, its time for lunch, Arcadia is in her office doing some paperwork when her friend Constance comes in with another friend of theirs, "hey girl! You ready to go out and get something to eat?" Constance says, Arcadia is abit startled because she wasn't paying attention to the time, "Oh! I didn't see the time... Yeah, give me just a minute." she says, as she picks up her things and gets ready to go, "where are we going? I'm hoping not anywhere fancy, I'm really just up for a burger and some fries.." Arcadia says, "We were thinking just hitting the local burger king, does that work for you?" says her friend Anne Fallon, "That way nothing overly big, and well, we won't be late coming back again, like the last time.." she says looking at Constance in a teasing way. "Oh one time, one time I caused us to do that..." Constance snaps jokingly, "One time a week..." Arcadia says slyly, "oh please, you're all against me!" Constance laughs, "Well yeah, thats kind of what we do ain't that right Cadie?" Anne says smiling and laughing, "Exactly!" Arcadia laughs as she guides everyone to the door so they can leave. They all get into Arcadia's old Packard and drive off to lunch. The ride was fun, all three of them dancing and singing, the ragtop down and the wind just breezing through, they had no idea of what was waiting them at their destination, well other then horribly bad fast food that is.
Arcadia pulls the Packard into the parking lot at the fast food place and finds a nice shady spot to park, she sees a very large, almost inhumanly tall and muscular bald man getting something out of the back of a large black suburban as she's putting the roof up on the car. "That sure is a beauty..." the man says in a Midwestern accent, Arcadia looks and smiles, "Thank you kindly, she was my daddy's. He bought her used and drove her everyday till the day he died. Now, she's mine." she says happily as the large man looks the Packard over. "Well he must have taken good care of her, and so have you it seems.. I've not seen a Packard in this good condition in years. What year is this?" the man asks, "She's a 1930 740 Sport Phaeton, and to me, she's one of a kind.." Arcadia smiles proudly. "Well then ma'am.." the man starts, "Arcadia.. my name is Arcadia Belladonna Tannon, I dislike being called ma'am its so .... old fashioned." she interrupts, "Oh I'm sorry then, pleased to meet you Arcadia, my name is Benjamin Tenney.. and I am in awe of your beautiful machine." the large man reaches out his hand as an offer to shake, Arcadia notices that his hand could more then likely palm her head like a basketball with ease, but she reachs out her hand "my pleasure as well kind sir." at this point Arcadia notices the many large black suburbans parked in the lot like Ben's, she thinks nothing of it, figures it might be some kind of conventional thing or something of that like, "well good sir, I must go meet up with my friends inside, it was good to meet you.." Arcadia smiles "Oh ofcourse, yes, sorry, silly me keeping you here.. I must go meet up with my friends too, we're here traveling through the area, just stopped for food and bathroom breaks, you know how traveling goes.." Ben laughs nervously, "Well then good sir, I shall take my leave, if our paths don't cross again, I bid you good tidings, and the best that life can offer." Arcadia smiles. "And I bid you the same dear woman.." Ben lowers his head in respect then heads to the side door he came out of earlier, Arcadia heads for the door where she can see her friends waiting for her.
"Whats with Gigantor over there?" Connie says opening the door for her "Oh be nice, he was just complimenting me on the car.." Arcadia laughs, "he's a very nice man, he's apparently traveling with the group of SUVs out in the lot.." she finishes. "Oh you mean the MIBs?" Anne says "The ... what?" Arcadia says puzzled "M.I.Bs; Men In Black, its taken from the term used for those people that visit Alien abducties and stuff, but in this case it means apparently all black suited government people... go look around the corner, place looks like a Blues Brothers cosplay meeting..." Anne says. Arcadia looks around the corner, and says "wow, i guess so.." she says. Constance looks at the two of them "Ok Anne and me will stay in line, Cadie how about you go find us a seat before things get to crowded in here, you want the thing you always get Cadie?" she asks "Yes, that would be awesome." she nods and heads to find a table for them to sit at. Arcadia looks around and spots a table not far from where all the men in dark suits, she doesn't think anything of it really, she puts down her things, and gets afew things she knows her and her friends will need, then checks on them to see if they might need her, both of them tell her to go sit down and relax, they have things under control. Arcadia reluctantly does. She sits down and starts reading through the notebook she keeps with her at all times for stray thoughts, and whatever else comes to mind in the course of the day. She doesn't notice that the man she'd met earlier Ben noticed she was there and was trying to get her attention, "excuse me ma'am?" a man in a black suit and an ear piece says "Don't call me..." Arcadia looks up "oh, i'm sorry, what can I do for you?" she says, "Mr. Tenney has been trying to get your attention for a moment, he would like to introduce you to his friends if you would be kind enough to follow me..." the man says, "oh, oh sure that wouldn't be a problem at all.." Arcadia smiles as she gets up and follows the man in the suit to the area that seems to be blocked off for the group he's part of."Arcadia.." she hears Ben call out as he stands up to greet her, she smiles, "why Mr. Tenney, so nice to see our paths cross again..." she says as he walks up and shakes her hand again. "Indeed, please, allow me to introduce you to my friends. I'm sure you'll find them rather interesting." he smiles as they walk over to the large table in the middle of the area. "I should warn you..." Ben says "there is a good chance you won't want to leave, we can be pretty fun sometimes.." he smiles "oh really?" she answers "yes, infact this one time, we laughed a man into a coma..." he laughs "oh is that so?" Arcadia laughs "Ok no its not, but its alot better then saying we're different and most people look at us as if we're freaks.." Ben laughs "oh and what is it you do then Mr. Tenney?" Arcadia asks, "we're a traveling circus of sorts..." Ben chuckles, "A Government protected circus?" Arcadia laughs, "Well thats why I added of sorts..." Ben smiles, as they get to the table where all of his friends are. "Everyone.." Ben starts, "This is Arcadia, a very nice woman with a very lovely car, and an equally lovely personality.." he says "Oh Mr. Tenney, you do go on.." she giggles, "Yes, I get that alot, Ok allow me to make introductions if I may." Ben starts, Arcadia nods in agreement, "Well then, you know me, now this lovely woman here is Mishelle." Ben points to Mishelle Mishadow, a small smiling and friendly long curly haired redhead, who smiles brightly "Hello, nice to meet you Arcadia..." she says, "This man next to her, is Chris Collins, don't mind the scary look, he's really a teddybear deep down..." Ben says mocking his friend
"Hello, and don't mind Ben, he ain't been right sense that time he forgot to get out of his fields before that cropduster came flying by..." Chris says jokingly, Chris is almost as tall as Ben, very pale and muscular, long dark hair and very scary looking, but he has a nice smile Arcadia notes. "Oh one time..." Ben laughs "anyway, this young man here is Josh Fulton, he's abit of a hothead..." Ben jokes, "oh I am not a hothead Ben, I'm just hot.... see?" Josh smiles and with a wave of his hand it lights on fire, then just as quickly, he closes his fist and the fire goes out.. Arcadia jumps back "HOW.... H... HOW.... DID YOU DO THAT???????!!!!" she exclaims in fear and confusion, "I was born able to do this... its my gift." Josh says "I ... you were BORN able to do that? Does that mean.." she starts to say ".... That I am one of those gifted people you hear about on the news?" Josh says, "Yes, we all are. Even Mr. Clean over here who's been eye humping you sense you were out in the parking lot.." Josh snears as he points at Ben. "Ok thats uncalled for Josh..." Chris snaps at him "just once can you please behave?" he continues "I'm sorry Arcadia, please don't think badly of us do to Josh being an ass." he says, "Oh I.. i'm used to people like him, don't worry, I was just startled to find people like you, I've never actually met any.. now here I am..." she says "People like us?" Josh says in a growling tone "Yes, people who are gifted, people...... like me...." she says. "Like you?" Mishelle says, "Yes, I've never met anyone like me before... people with powers." she says as she hears her friends calling for her over at their table, Ben makes a hand gesture to one of the agents traveling with them to inform and bring Arcadia's friends over.
"Well i'd say this is odd, but we do tend to gravitate toward each other." Chris starts, "now, what is your gift?" he says "Yeah and don't give us none of that "I can put a smile on anyone's face" or "I have the power of the almighty which allows me to do anything" crap, because we've heard that so many times..." Josh says, Ben reaches over and smacks him upside the head. "I... umm... this is embarrassing.... I can make any story reality. Like, if I write down a story, or a line of text, I can bring it to life, either permanently, or for a short time, be it a story I've written myself, or a story I've read, i can create it, and I can bring others into these realities if I choose..." she states. "Interesting... can you show us?" Chris says just as Arcadia's friends come up behind her, "Hello Cadie, umm... who are these people?" Constance asks, "Some friends, i'll introduce you in a moment, they want to see what I can do.." Arcadia smiles as she writes down a afew lines in her notebook, suddenly a hat appears on Ben's head, and a bucket of water appears over josh's head and then it flips over pouring water over him. "There you go..." Arcadia smiles. "Thats amazing!" Mishelle says as she jumps up and hugs Arcadia. "why thank you very kindly." Arcadia blushes "Oh sorry where are my manners, everyone, these are my friends Constance and Anne.." she says introducing them, "hello.." they both say as they wave. "Connie, Annie, these are some very special people I've just met, this is Ben, and this is Mishelle, this is Chris, and that over there covered in water is Josh." she says introducing her new friends to her two long time ones. "Nice to meet you both.." Ben says, "what he said.." Chris says, "Our pleasure" says Mishelle, Josh just sits in the corner all angry like. Arcadia looks at Connie and Anne and says "The most amazing thing has happened..", "you mean other then you using that power of yours out in the open, you never do that..." Anne says, "umm... "gift" we rather the term "gift" because power denotes that we would use that power against those who do not have one in some way, and not all of us would do that." Chris says. "all.... of.... us?" Constance says puzzled, "wait..." Anne starts "does... that mean that all of you are.... like Cadie? .... like... you're all like those people you see on the news?" she stammers out. "Close.." Ben says, "We, infact, more then likely ARE the people you see on the news." he says "Thats why we are traveling with this rather, large caravan of suits. Infact, we were just on CNN last night." he continues.
"Thats... you were in New Orleans clearing rubble from Katrina still right? I saw that report on my local news this morning.." Constance says, "And... the woman... Mishelle right? She does alot of talkshows whenever there is a crisis involving someone thats got a p... umm... gift. Right?" she exclaims. "Thats indeed true! Always fun to meet someone that recognizes me!" Mishelle says happily. "I don't recognize the angry kid though... but I do recognize the creepy guy, and Gigantor now that I see him upclose." Constance continues, "The big guy here, you're that one who's always coming up with new ways to feed all those third world countries properly right? Like you're some kind of food science person or something correct?" she asks, Ben laughs, "No, not exactly. See, my gift is actually my far beyond super human like strength and inability to be harmed. But I do own and run the farm that grows the things of which you speak." he says, "I grew up on a farm in the middle of the country, and I felt the only way to really make what I do feel like home, would be if they allowed me to create a farm of my own, it just so happens that around that time we came into contact with afew people who's gifts would allow them to excell in that time of atmosphere, and thats how it all began.." Ben rambles. "I didn't know thats how things came into being, thats very interesting." Constance says in a tone that doesn't let on Ben was boring her. "Don't mind Benny, he tends to ramble about how great all that stuff he does is. Not thats its not warranted, but damn, if he keeps tooting his own horn like that its gonna get sore on him." Josh says sarcastically. "Behave boy." Chris says smacking Josh upside the head with the palm of his hand, Josh just gives him a look and mumbles to himself as he eats his bacon double cheeseburger.
"So what do the rest of you do?" Arcadia asks in an excitedly curious tone. "Well.." Mishelle starts, "I can control electricity in all its forms.. Infact I can even create lightening!" she smiles, "thats why they call me The Livewire!" she says happily. "I can.. well I can do alot of things..." Chris says, "Like what?" Arcadia asks, "Well, I can fly, I can move stuff with my mind, I've got super strength like Benny, and alot of other things too, they haven't really figured out what it is I am yet, I'm not a mimic, because there are some gifts that I can't seem to do, but, thats just how life works sometimes. I've been with this organization going back to the 1950s and they still ain't figured me out." he says. "The 1950s? really?" Arcadia says, "You look hot for an older man.." Constance says jokingly, "Damn right he does!" Mishelle says as she puts her arm around Chris' and smiles. "I'm the baddest one you'll ever meet.." Josh says, "..and why is that?" Arcadia laughs, "you've already seen my fire, but I bet if I tell you how i ended up with these people, you'll remember hearing of me." he says in a kind of bragging tone, "Wait.... fire?" Anne says, "I think I remember this story, are you that boy who burned that whole section of the docks in Baltimore and killed all those ravers afew years back?" she asks. "I have a fan I see..." he says. "No, not a fan, not by any means, I just remember the story on the news and thinking I hoped something as done to you.." she says. "well this is my sentence, having to be babysat by ol'spooky... its worse then prison could have ever been." he mumbles. "Oh would you shut it Josh, seriously.." Michelle snaps, "You don't have it as bad as you could, you live in a house, your meals are paid for, you're allowed to roam free through out the complex, and all you need to do is work for the government.... thats alot better then what could have happened to you for all those deaths you caused just by showing off for some girls." she says. "Yeah, freedom, tell that to your boyfriend there who keeps repressing me like he was the king of england or something..." Josh snaps. "This is not the time or the place for this, so both of you just drop it, you're being rude." Chris snaps. "Fine." they both say.
"Oh where are my manors, i'm sorry ladies would you all please sit down and join us.." Ben says as he sits down and starts to eat. Arcadia and her friends sit and eat with their new found friends. They have a good time, laughing, joking, talking about the life they lead, it was good for Arcadia, because she was starting to see that really those like her, aren't really that bad off or dangerous at all like the news sometimes makes them out to be. And that they, like her seem to want to use their gifts to help others, she wonders if its some sort of encoded into their genetic make up type thing, or maybe some form of randomly selected predetermination of fate or something. None the less, she enjoys her lunch with these travelers who fate has allowed to pass into her life and the enlightenment into just what it is, that she is they bring with them. But soon the time for her lunch hour is over, and she must depart with her friends back to their jobs at the university."Well, we must be going now.." Connie says as she stands up and gathers her trash, "Oh let one of the wanna be men in black here do that for you.." Mishelle says waving over one of the service men who is part of their convoy. "Oh thank you so much.." Connie giggles "I'm not used to this kind of treatment, but i could be.." she says giving Josh a sexy glance "Put those eyes back in your head missy, the firebug is more trouble then he's worth, and I don't mean that in a good way.." Chris growls, Josh looks at him "Why you gotta do that?" Josh gets up and walks over to Connie and takes her hand into his "Babygirl, do you feel that heat in your hands?" he asks her, she nods yes, "Thats the fire inside of me, thats the passion that burns deep with in the confines of my soul. Do you think you can handle that kind of heat girl? Do you think you can handle me?" Josh says moving in close as Connie blushes a deep shade of red, but before she can speak, a bucket of water mysterious falls again on Josh's head. Arcadia quickly hides the notepad on which she wrote that happening and hides behind Ben as everyone else laughs. Josh just starts to heat himself up to dry off and looks around angry like, "That... was..... NOT... the slightest.... bit.... COOL!" he grumbles. "Really? Because it looked like some cold and refreshing mountain spring water from here..." Chris chuckles as they all laugh with him. "Yeah laugh it up old man. Laugh it up.." Josh growls, "You don't scare me boy..." Chris laughs "I ain't gonna scare you, I'm gonna kill you, i'm sick of this crap.." Josh yells, startling Connie and Anne who are standing near him, two black suited government agents usher them away from Josh incase of danger. "Boy if you can't kill me. Worse people have tried and failed, you think I like this anymore then you do? I hate being your damn babysitter, cuz you know... for a big scary man who almost melted a quarter of the city of Baltimore, you sure are a whiny bitch." Chris says, Josh just growls and mumbles to himself, "yeah thats what I thought, not tell these lovely people you're sorry you scared them then get your fake Don Juan stole lines from an Usher song to sound smooth with the ladies ass over to your seat and sit the hell down." Chris says. Josh reluctantly does as he's told.
As they are all readying to leave, Arcadia says "Are you all going to be in town for awhile longer? I would love to have all of you over for dinner this evening, maybe we could talk more about what all of you can do and I can show you more of what I can do too, maybe talk abit about this agency you all work for and maybe seeing if it might be right for me?" she smiles. Ben speaks up "well... i'm not sure if we're needed to be back or not... Chris when are we supposed to be back for our next assignment?" he says "Umm.. Sense i'm assuming you want to stay, I'm going to say whenever we damn well feel like it..." Chris answers, "Oh good, then you all can come to my home and i can give you a real Mississippi homecooked meal." Arcadia says as she writes down her address "Y'all be there at 6pm now... see you all later!" she smiles and rushes out the door with her friends. "Well we've got a day off in the homeland of Elvis Presley, what are we gonna do?" Ben says "We can go find the real ghost of Elvis and tell him how he died just to screw with his head..." Chris says as they all laugh. "Oh I see how it is, you can cause trouble all you want but i can't?" Josh snaps "Shut up Josh, you were scaring those people.." Mishelle says "Yeah because your .... boyfriend... was totally cockblocking me.." Josh snaps back "I was doing that as to keep you from making a fool of yourself... seriously... lines from an Usher song? Thats just stupid." Chris says, "Cockblocker.." Josh mumbles, "Usher Quoting Wannabe Playa.." Chris mumbles back.
As Arcadia drives away in her Packard with her friends, many thoughts go through her mind, how she never thought she would really meet anyone like her, though she'd read about them and seen them on tv and stuff like that, but never inperson. As she happily smiled thinking of how her day was becoming abit like a story of some sort, she listens to Connie go on about how hot she found Josh and how cute a couple Chris and Mishelle were, and how her and Anne could agree that Ben was definitely hitting on her. Arcadia laughs at that idea, like someone who's paid to change the world would ever be interested in a literature teacher from the heart of Mississippi, that just doesn't happen in the real world she thinks to herself. She spends the rest of the day, instead of teaching the book she was working on with each class, taking her classes on trips into their own short stories, and just laughing and joking and having a grand time. Arcadia has always been the type to share the joys in her life with others. And this new found sense of not being alone, was the reason she was filled with joy this day.
She arrives home at about 4:30pm and after a short break for mandatory afterwork snuggle time with her cat Elysian, who demands pre-work, post work, and pre-bedtime snuggling to be a happy cat, she starts cooking dinner she's making her mom's recipe for fast cooking meatloaf with mashed potatoes, corn and green beans. There are not many more meals that define southern more then that! To the sound of some nice relaxing blues music she dances around the kitchen making things ready for her guests, they'll be here in about an hour by her now showing 5pm clock. She does one final check the meatloaf is in the oven, the potatoes are ready to be smashed, and the veggies are ready for steaming. She uses this time to run upstairs, take a shower and change. She forgot how much trouble having dinner guests could be seeing as if she had any at all as of late they were just Connie or Anne or some of their other friends from work. But this is different, this is, well she doesn't really know what this is, be it a drive to want to find those like herself, or maybe to understand her self abit more, or maybe to impress that nice Tenney gentleman who seems to sweet and kind to her, or maybe its all of those things, she really doesn't know, and hasn't had time to stop and think, well until right now. Everything is cooking or is cooked, her guests will be here in about a half an hour, she can finally stop, and in this time, she wonders exactly what she's doing. With her cooking done or in the process of becoming done, she takes a pitcher of sweet tea and sits on her front porch waiting to greet her guests in the good hostess her mother tought her to be, Elysian sits next to her on the big front porch swing and curls up wile they rock back and forth. She talks it all out in her head as she pets her faithful pet.
"I feel so strange.." she starts, "this morning, I thought there weren't really as many people like me in the world as the news always wants us to think, because I'd never met any others like me, and now, in just the hours between then and now, i've realized the world is alot bigger then I thought it was. Do you know what I mean Elysian?" she says, her fuzzy companion for life just looks at her and meows. "Yeah, I knew you would understand what I'm saying, you always have." she smiles, Elysian just purrs and snuggles up to her. "Its just so strange, and all happening so fast, like, I don't know what to do, what to say, what to ask, what not to ask, i've got so many questions! Do I need to go to that place they made specially for us with powers? Do I need to register with the government now that they found me? Am I in trouble for not registering? Can I keep my job, because I love my teaching so much, I just would die with out it.. so many things on my mind, I just... I want to know, but I don't want to be rude and make it seem like I just invited them here just to ask questions of them." she says petting her loving pet, he meows at her again and rests his head on her leg, "... I just... i've never met anyone with a power of some kind before, and now, in a short time some of the most well known world wide of... my kind? is that what I call people like me now? I need to find that out.... anyway, some of the most well known of those like me, will be eating in my dinning room. Its insane! What am I doing Elysian? what the hell am I doing?" the cat just rolls over on his back and meows while looking up cutely. "You're right Elysian, I shouldn't stress this. This is a good thing! This is a great thing!" she pets her loving cat on his belly till he starts kicking his back legs like a puppy and meows in his "ok stop" tone. Arcadia stops and lets him up, he gets up, shakes his head purring and meowing, stretches and then gets up and sits on the steps looking as if he hears something coming. "Whats that boy? You here old man Jonson's tractor again? Or that stupid dog of his maybe?" she asks, Elysian just meows and puts out a paw like he's batting at a cat toy thats not there. Thats when Arcadia sees the dust cloud, and two full size black government issue Chevy Suburbans driving down her road then turn into her driveway. "They're here!" she says excitedly nervous, "they're here Elysian!" she says picking up her pet and cradling him in her arms as to not let him run out and get hit by accident, she's done this with him ever sense he was a kitten and her mother almost ran over him.
Arcadia stands on the front veranda and watches as her guests drive up, she uses Elysian's paw to point where to park, the two SUVs park under a large willow tree next to the garage, Arcadia walks over to greet her guests, Elysian crawls up onto her shoulder as she walks, her guests get out of their SUVs, Chris and Shelly in one, Ben and Josh in the other. "Wow, get aload of this place.." Josh starts "I'm just waiting for Ret Butler and some slaves to show up.." he says, Chris smacks him hard on the back of the head, "Behave." he says glaring at Josh. "Fine... fine... I'll behave.." Josh mumbles, Chris smiles a sarcastic smile as puts his arm around Shelly's mid section, she smiles and then rans up and gives Arcadia a hug, as she tends to do, "Cadie!!!!" she says happily as she hugs her, Elysian walks over onto Shelly's shoulder as she does this, "hey look at this.." she says as she pulls away from Arcadia, "i've got a cat on my shoulder! thats so awesome!" Shelly is abit, over excited at times, and people assume its because of her gift and it sort of effecting her brain given the off the charts amount of electricity that pumps through her body, "I guess that makes you a pussy pirate then doesn't it?" Josh says laughing to himself, Chris and Ben try very hard not to laugh at that statement, "Well.. umm..." Arcadia starts, "This is my cat Elysian... he's abit of an odd sort... but I'm sure you all have met people alot weirder then my old cat.." she laughs picking him off Shelly's shoulder and placing him back on hers, "And this is my home, welcome all of you to The Bimminy Road, former plantation and hallmark of Tupelo, and not just because local boy Elvis Presley stayed here for afew days..." she smiles, "We know he did..." Chris piped up, Arcadia looks at him "How?" she asks, "well.. umm.. ok this is embarrassing and you're probably gonna hate me for this but... see... earlier today, me and reckless.." Chris points at Josh "we were bored, and we went over to where Elvis grew up and used one of my powers to tell the ghost of young Elvis what happens to him in his future, you know, getting fat, becoming a druggie, Vegas, dying while taking a crap, shooting TVs out when he didn't like whats on instead of changing the channel, going into drugged up rants on live concerts shown on tv the world over... buying random people Cadillacs, losing one to Carl Perkins, hanging out with Nixon and the whole DEA agent just to get the Beatles busted for drugs thing, all that...y'all should have seen him freak you.. was classic... anyway.. we mentioned coming here, and he said he remembered staying here once after he made it big the first time.." Chris explains. Arcadia looks at him dumbfounded, then goes "Sugar the only reason Tupelo loves Elvis so much is people come here just because he was here, the same reason we love Van Morrison and all the cases of our honey he sells us a year..." she says with a wink "sept well, we just love Van for his ability to not be an embarrassment and as a great artist too.." she says spinning back around as they all step up onto the front veranda. "Dinner's not done just yet, we've got afew more minutes, y'all mind sitting down a spell?" Arcadia motions to the outdoor furniture on her massively large front veranda, everyone sits down. "Oh!! no you don't Mister.." Arcadia grabs Ben "you sit right down here with me.." she says sitting down on one of the large old wooden sitting benches "Its not proper for a lady to sit by herself.." she smiles at him "Well then Madam, it shall be my honor to sit with you.." Ben says smiling "Oh Mr. Tenney you do go on.." she says playfully in a thick southern accent then laughs. "This is a lovely home.." Shelly says looking around the area, "We have one very similar to this back home, me and Chris do.. except ours is a 250 acre apple orchard, and it shares a name with your cat ironically." she continues, "Well thats something.." Arcadia says amazed at how parallel things are here, "Yeah we call it The Elysian Fields.." Chris says "and ironically your name as well as your cat's are connected together that way, thats what the small laugh I let out to myself was when you introduced us to him.." he says "Ahh... you are a man of learning I see..." Arcadia says "well lets just say I know my way around most of the ancient and old world cultures abit better then most and leave it at that. Benny here however, is very good at history and mythology and stuff.." Chris says as he looks over at Josh he's flicking his left pointer finger on and out of fire with a parental stare, Josh stops as Elysian walks up and sniffs him then walks over to explore Chris and Shelly. "Actually.." Ben says, "its part of the training program back home. We're not just about learning how to use, and using our powers for the good of our country or in some cases the world, we've got to be smart too. Because there is nothing more dangerous then an uneducated person with a power that could became damaging." Ben says. "You mean to tell me all of you are still in college?" Arcadia says, they all laugh "Well josh is, but thats just because he's not very bright.." Chris jokes, "See, me, Shelly and Ben are part of the teaching staff, we teach classes and we also teach how to control whatever powers each person is given. I teach literature and writing, Ben teaches agriculture and World History, and Shelly teaches art... we also all have our own unit of students who when we go out on missions of various kinds, we command... josh here is one of mine.." Chris says. "I'm only even with these people because the court said its this or jail.." Josh mumbles. "I should point out, that the only reason I only teach one class is do to my powers, and their nature, the other things I know about, chemistry, stuff like that, I can't do." Shelly explains, "What do you do Arcadia? I beg your pardon but I don't recall asking you earlier when we first met.." Ben asks.
"You know, I don't recall.." Arcadia says laughing, she's amazed at how well she is taking to these people "I work in literature, just like your friend Chris here. I teach classical literature. And I use my ... what is it you all call what we can do? my... gift? to make it all come alive for everyone..." she says "That sounds interesting.." Ben says as he smiles, its not normal for Benny to be so friendly with anyone, he's normally abit detached and reserved, its noticeable to his friends that something seems up. "How do you make your students become so involved in what you're teaching? you mean you can create things from just what you read too?" Chris asks as he pets Elysian who seems to enjoying him and shelly playing with him, "Yes, I can like, if i wanted too, i could read a story, and cast each of you as whoever I invision you as from the story.." she explains, "I guess its kind of like a small pocket universe of sorts, least thats what my parents thought, it seems i can create things for a short time, or make it permanent if i'm allowed.." she says, "if you're allowed?" Josh says puzzled as he continues to flick his fingers on and off fire. "Yeah, if i'm allowed.." Arcadia says "I've found that I'm not allowed to alter certain things, as if destiny or fate or whatever you call that has some sort of failsafe that means certain things must happen to progress the world itself, it also works that way with people too. If i'm not allowed to make something i've created real permanently I'm basically given this massive headache that makes my... gift... i'm not used to calling it that... stop working for a minute or so, and when it comes back, whatever I tried to make real, and anything that happened from it, are wiped clean out of time and history." she says. "So, its kind of a reset button?" Shelly says as she pets Elysian who's now laying on his back as she rubs his belly and purring while batting at Chris' sleeve. "Yes, something like that I guess, I think its some sort of protection thing, that whatever causes us to have these powers has put in place to make sure there is nothing astronomical that is erased, it sucks though, when I see like, that 9/11 thing on the news, or Hurricane Katrina, I guess there are certain things that are ment to happen no matter what." Arcadia says. "Fate's funny like that.." Chris says "its like, you think you have an idea of what its about, what the grand plan is, then it tosses you a knockleball... Fate is Tim Wakefield that way." he says picking up Elysian and petting him much to his delight. Arcadia laughs and holds onto Ben's arm as she says "it seems you two have made a friend.." looking at Chris and Shelly and how her cat seems overly playful with them.
"Yeah animals love us... they hate Josh though.." Shelly says "but I think that might be because of the smell.." she laughs as Josh gives her a flaming middle figure and smirks at her. "Oh I'm so scared matchstick.." Shelly says as she points her right pointer finger and gives Josh alittle zap, he jumps up and yells "ouch! what was that for?", "Settle down boy.." Chris says, "she just zapped me!" Josh yells "I didn't see anything..." Chris says, and gives him a look "But she just zapped me... how could you have NOT seen that? Or heard it..." Josh yells, "I just didn't.. dunno..." Chris says as he shrugs and continues playing with Elysian, "Man thats some whack ass bias shit right there... you'd yell at her if she weren't sleeping with you.." Josh says, Chris gives him a look that would kill most and in a flat tone says "Let it go. Be a man and just let it go. I will NOT have you doing this when we're guests in someone's home." there is silence for a minute and then Josh says "Alright.." then sits back down. Chris smiles, "you're learning... good boy" he says as he reaches over and messes up Josh's hair, "there is hope for you yet... ya little scamp.." he jokes, Josh just rolls his eyes."So.." Arcadia says "We have just afew more minutes before our meal is finished and cooled, I was wondering something..." she looks around "seeing as all of you are the first like me I've ever met.. I was wondering.. if its not to much trouble.. could you all show me what you can do?" she asks nervously looking around "if you don't wanna or thats rude or something its ok! I've just never met anyone else like me, I don't know what proper protocol is.." she says in a scared tone. Everyone laughs, "I'm sure we wouldn't mind giving you a little show, after all, you are making us this incredible meal that smells so very good." Ben says as he gets up, "Is out back ok? Don't want to mess up your lawn..." he continues. "Oh ofcourse, we can go to one of the fields out back, down behind the hill thats a safe distance from the house... and no one ever goes back there." Arcadia says as she gets up, "I'll go get the tractor we can all ride down there, it would be one long walk otherwise.." she says smiling "oh joy a tractor, hey while we're on this heehaw inspired trip can we swing by the Clampets and wrangle me up that Ellie May girl? homegirl got some banging booty..." Josh says jokingly as he gets up. Chris smacks him in the back of the head, "Behave." he says, Josh mumbles to himself as he rubs the back of his head. "its just down the side here.. " Arcadia leads them all off the right side of the front veranda, Elysian meows and runs ahead and jumps on the hay trailer and meows as he sits all regal like on a bail of hay. "Someone's abit excited about going for a ride, aren't they..?" Arcadia says as she pets her beloved pet on the head much to his delight as she gets up into the driver's seat of the old tractor. "Wow, this is a classic.." Chris says looking at her tractor.. "a classic Massy Furgison... I've not seen one in this great shape in ...... well in many years.." he says, "I haven't either, you must keep it well kept.." Ben says looking at it as well, "Nope, I just write down how it looked in this old picture from when Dad bought it and whenever it gets rundown or beat up or doesn't work, I just read what I wrote down..." Arcadia giggles, the two look at her amazed as Shelly jumps up into the hay trailer, Ben looks up at Arcadia "I must someday bring to Windy Row, there are some things that could use that kind of fixing.." he laughs as he gets into the hay trailer. Chris and Josh are standing by the side in the dirt. "you two boys not coming with us?" Arcadia asks "Oh no, we both just tend to take a different way.." Chris says as he floats up into the air, Josh looks at him and laughs "No style old man... no style at all.. this is how you fly and look cool..." Josh points his arms toward the ground as his hands flame up as if they were small rocket engines and Josh flies up into the air, "see? I look damn good.. you know it." he smirks. "I don't think I could ever get used to people flying.." Arcadia says as she starts up the Tractor and drives toward the field she mentioned, Chris and Josh follow her."Is it just over that hill over there..." Chris says pointing forward, "Yeah I was gonna head down past the hill by the small pond there, no one uses it because its all muck and leaches.." Arcadia says. "Ok then..." Chris says looking over at Josh "Race ya firebug." Chris says as he takes off like a shot "In your dreams gramps!" Josh yells as he speeds after him. Ben and Shelly sit in the back of the trailer petting Elysian and laughing. "Are they always like this?" Arcadia asks, "they seem to hate each other one minute, then are like friends the next.." she continues. "Yeah thats pretty much how they are..." Shelly says "Chris got assigned to be Josh's "handler" after he was forced to come to Windy Row after his... accident. It started out because Chris was the only one that would probably contain him if he tried to go AWOL, and it became Chris becoming that older brother figure that is both friend and semi father figure to the kid, they aren't much different deep down, Chris is just alot older and wiser.." Shelly laughs "Josh isn't really a bad kid deep down.." Ben says "he just tends to feel he needs to show off to get accepted, or to act like he's a bad ass or something, two things that ironically got him sent to Windy Row in the first place. He'll learn in time I think, that being seen as tough really doesn't matter in life." he continues. "Well he seems like a very troubled boy.." Arcadia says, "I hope he comes around, I remember reading about what he did in Baltimore, I would hate to think someone with that kind of power is loose and just uses it to show off..." she says. "Just have some faith in Chris, he'll have it under control." Shelly says. "you seem really sure of him Shelly, is that why you are with him? Because you believe in him?" Arcadia asks "Oh heavens no.." Shelly says laughing "I'm with him because I love him, I love his outlook on the world, I love the words he writes, the music he makes, the man under all the public stuff..." Shelly trails off "Yeah thats why I love him too..." Ben says jokingly in a swooning voice, Shelly looks at him "Don't make me fry you bulldozer..." she laughs, Arcadia laughs as well. "Point taken Ma'am." Ben says chuckling to himself as he looks off in the distance to see Chris and Josh flying around. "Shell, they're doing that thing again.." he says, Shelly rolls her eyes and shakes her head "We can't take them anywhere can we?" she says softly, "Not to be nosy..." Arcadia starts "..but, what thing?" she asks. Ben laughs and says "oh see, Chris and Josh have this odd way of having to aways best each other, its part of that weird relationship dynamic they have. As you can see.." Ben points toward them, "they're apparently seeing who can look cooler flying or something.. its normally something petty and not of any real merit or meaning when they are showing off like this.." he says.
"I see... and this happens often?" Arcadia asks, "well yes, even when we're on actual assignments.. see, one of Chris' powers is he can do the same fire thing Josh does... and well we're not exactly sure if that bugs Josh or makes him feel he's finally found a friend like him.. its very hard to tell with the boy." Ben says, "we just kind of tell them to get out of harms way and the view of the press till they're done having their little pissing contests.. its just less complicated then explaining why a job isn't done on time.." Ben continues, "Ironically, its why we're late leaving New Orleans as we were... they got into this "who could burn away more dead trees and broken lumber faster" fight and well, lets just say its a good thing we had Shell and her thunderstorm abilities.." Ben laughs. "You can create thunderstorms? with rain and everything?" Arcadia asks Shelly "Yep, but thats the only kind of weather thing I can do, I can't make normal rain or snow or whatever else falls out of the sky these days..." Shelly says "Skylab?" Ben interrupts, Shelly just looks at him puzzled "Skylab fell out of the sky when both of us were very young children... I'm very sure its not got anything left up there... dufus.." Shelly says sticking her tongue out at Ben. "Alas, my humor is lost upon this world and those who live upon it.." Ben says in an old world english tone, Shelly just rolls her eyes. "I think you're funny Mr. Tenney..." Arcadia says, "I find you to be very witty, in a sort of educated way. I like that in a man." she smiles. "Well then.." Ben says in a smooth tone "I wonder what else it is m'lady likes in her men.." he smiles, Shelly rolls her eyes and chuckles to herself as she pets Elysian who is purring away happily as he bats at a stray bit of straw poking up out of one of the bails.
The Tractor and its trailer come to a stop. "Well we're here.." Arcadia says as he jumps out excited to see what her new friends can really do. "Ben jumps out of the back as Shelly climbs down followed by Elysian who meows and runs over to Arcadia and rubs against her till she picks him up. "Are you two boys done being pigheaded penises with arms and legs now?" Shelly yells up at Chris and Josh motioning them to come down to the ground. "We are not penises with arms and legs..." Josh says as he lands, "Ok Maybe Chris is... ok no, no maybe about it, he is a giant penis... but I'm not." he laughs to himself "Yeah, your mom seems to think I'm a giant penis too, maybe thats why she always seems to come and see me.." Chris says as he lands, everyone laughs. "Now then, sense we've gotten the crudeness out of the way.. lets get on with this shall we?" Ben says in a sort of bossy tone, the others look at him abit confused seeing as he's never really been all that bossy. Chris looks over at Shelly kind of puzzled, Shelly makes sure Ben can't see her then makes the international hand signal for "he wants to fuck her" then points at Arcadia, Chris just nods and rolls his eyes. "Well Benny, seeing as you seem to have become all Leader like all of a sudden, how about you show her what you can do first." Chris says sarcastically, the intent was lost on Ben, seeing as he thought it would be a good idea too. "Ok then!" Ben says he walks over to a giant rock thats sticking up out of the ground, "now as you know my gift is not only my keen and super intellect, but also my super strength, which I will use to rip this much larger then it would seem from whats sticking out of the surface rock, from the ground.... like so.." Ben plunges his fists down into the ground to the sound of a jackhammer hitting rockbed, he grunts as he grips the rock tightly and starts to pull, you can feel the ground around them shaking and moving about as he tries to pull as hard as possible. Shelly stands next to Arcadia and sings lines from an old Carol King song "I feel the earth... move... under my feet..." in a soft tone, Arcadia giggles, "All.................................most....... got................... it...." Ben yells as he rears back and stands with what looks to be a 40 or so foot tall rock over his head, he starts to press it like a barbell, he then looks at Arcadia with a smile and says "but wait... there is more! .. where would there be no real damage done of this got tossed?" he says implying the giant rock in his hands, "oh... umm... down there..." Arcadia points toward a large field a distance away, "Very well then...." Ben says as he takes a second to configure his distance and such in his head he then does afew small jumps, followed by a large one that takes him and the rock 29 feet in the hair as he arches his back and tosses the rock forward with an almost primal yell. He lands as it flies through the air then lands with a large thud, followed by a bounce and another thud as it comes to a complete stop a quarter of the way in the ground. Ben stands up and gives Arcadia a sly smile. "And that is just a small part of my unbelievable strength, they believe its something to do with my muscles, and it also explains how my brain is one of the fastest on earth..." he says as he sits down next to Arcadia on the front wheel of her tractor, "thats amazing Mr. Tenney, I've never seen someone toss something that heavy that far..." she gives him a cute little smile. "Josh, why don't you show the lady what you can do now.." Shelly said. "Me? Giving me a chance to show off? Oh I can so do that..." Josh says as he gets into his "show off stance" as he calls it.
"You ready to see what happens when ultimate style and fair mix with the element that can't be stopped?" Josh says with a smile "Oh just get on with it you knock off of the kid with the fire ring from Captain Planet.." Chris yells, "hey fuck you old man... you gotta build to power like mine.." Josh says "not really..." Chris says, Josh shakes his head then starts to power up, he glows a brilliant red color before finally engulfing his aura in fire "this is called "The Soul Fire Technique" it one of my more basic moves..." Josh says, he points his arms down and does the jet engine like thing with his arms as he did earlier, "This is how I can fly, but you've seen it before, I can reach sonic boom levels doing this... watch.." Josh shoots up straight into the sky above as a loud boom is heard, then he shoots back down almost as fast, using his rocket trick to land. Arcadia claps "haha Mr. Peanut, she thought that was cool!" Josh says smugly, Ben gives him a stare "Ok lets see what else can I do.... oh! I know... this is called pretty cool..." Josh opens up his hand and it ignites inflame, it then flames higher and higher and becomes a giant fireball sitting in his hand, he then starts to form shapes with it, first a winged horse, then a griffin, then a winged man, and finally an over 100 foot high flame made dragon which he makes wave and roar at everyone. "Now THAT is how you use a power..." Josh says as he closes his hand and the fire disappears, "I have a second power too, watch this if the fire didn't get ya!" Josh says with a wink and a loud bamf sound, he disappears in a purple cloud of smoke, and appears with another loud bamf and cloud about 20 feet away, waves then returns to where he was before. "I can teleport short distances, only about the distance I could reach if I run at my top speed for about 30 minutes, that might not seem like alot, but if I blink out to one point, then blink from there and then again and again, I can get a good distance. It tires me out though.... So I don't exactly use that power alot." Josh says as he sits down in the back of the hay trailer to rest, Elysian meows and creeps up and sniffs him as he lays down, he looks at him and meows more."I guess I'll go next..." Chris says, "Ok this is gonna be abit like I'm showing off, but I'm not, though, I do have the most powers out of all of us..." he says "By all of us, do you mean here or in general Chris?" Arcadia asks "Well..." Chris says "We're not exactly sure how many in the world have powers and what extend, you know how some governments are kind of super secret squarel spyhat about that kind of stuff..." Chris says "Ok, I was just wondering.." Arcadia says as Chris gets ready to show off his powers. "Ok you've already seen this one..." he says as he floats up in the air, "I've been able to reach speeds on part with an F-16 just by doing this, if I use my fire to boost it, I can get even faster, like SR-71 Blackbird speeds..." Chris says, "But I don't like to use my fire to do that, I like to do cool stuff like this instead..." Chris flies up abit higher and then opens his arms out in a Stigmata like pose, "Oh here he goes... SHOW OFF!!" Josh yells as Chris engulfs himself in flames as the form of a large flame bird forms around him "Behold.... the mighty god fire phoenix!" he yells, the flames are so intense you can feel them as if you're right infront of them 50 feet below on the ground. Josh just mumbles to himself about how he could do that too if he wanted, and not name it after the ship from Battle of the Planets if he wanted too. Chris hears this and looks down with a grin and shoots off a greenish bolt of energy down at Josh, just missing him, "Thats another of my powers, energy balls rock me like a tidalwave." Chris says landing and laughing to himself "You done watching me show off or you want to see more?" he says jokingly "More!! WOOOOOOOOOO take it off!!" Shelly yells waving a 50 dollar bill in her hand, she then looks around and says "... oh... umm... wait... I... nevermind" as she hangs her head. Chris just laughs and gets into a stance "I am just as Strong as Ben here... and as smart they say... so no need to show off those, but, watch this..." Chris opens out his arms and his palms as he closes his eyes and glows a deep green color, to the amazement of Arcadia, lightening bugs start to form around him and makes them dance "I can speak too and in some cases, control most animals on the planet, I can control the lower creatures, bugs, some forms of woodland wildlife and barnyard creatures and creatures of the sea, as well as speak to every other creature on the planet." he explains as he makes the lightening bugs dance and twinkle in the dusk sky. "Thats truly beautiful..." Arcadia says, "It also comes in handy come black fly and mosquito season too.." Chris jokes, he then looks around, "Ok I'm done showing off, Shelly you're up.." he says. "Chris you aren't done showing her everything you can do though.." Shelly says "Its ok, she's seen enough.. I don't really like showing off all that I can do, you all know that." he says as he sits down and pets Elysian who's jumped up onto his lap and is meowing for attention. "Oh... well... ok then..." Shelly says in a confused tone. "Well, I guess I'm up then..." Shelly says in a somewhat confused. "Well..." she says shifting about "well... I have electrical powers, so they're kind of self explainitory..." Shelly points her right arm up in the air and shoots a lightening bolt out of her hand "I can create and channel electricity in all forms, I can shoot bolts, I can recharge car batteries, regular batteries, fly electrical equipment if i'm not careful, and I can create thunderstorms, I can also manipulate any form of electrical current anywhere, be it in the human body, or anything really... its kind of neat, in a screw with people's concepts of life kind of way..." Shelly says. "Stop stalling and just show her what you can do!" Chris yells jokingly, Josh looks at him "do you really think it would be wise to piss off the woman you share a bed with given that she can if she wishes give you enough volts to fry a full size elephant?" he says sarcastically "haha, its what I live for boy... you'll understand someday.. when you find love... or have a steady ritual with a prostitute of some sort..." Chris says back as he pats Josh on the head, "Christ I hate you.." Josh says as he growls then looks toward Shelly who's ready to show off her powers."Well you see the thing with electricity is, its everywhere, we can't see it but its all around us, in the air, in the ground, flowing through our bodies, out in space, its everywhere and not only can I generate it myself, like this.." Shelly waves her hands out to the sides and they glow with a yellowish blue form of electricity as you hear it cracking in the air and can smell ozone "..but I can also make what is all around us visible.. like this..." Shelly opens her hands and the air around them all lights up with all the electrical currents that are flowing around them unknowingly. "Most of these things, in the millisecond they're visible to the human eye, are labeled "orbs" or "ribbons" but they aren't of any supernatural incline, they are just bits of energy flowing around us all.. and now I'll show you, I can even control it..." Shelly stands with her feet apart and reaches up to the sky as all the electric energy around them pulls together around her and forms a giant version of herself, "I call this Electra-Woman, you know after that crappy 1970s tv show... I can make any form I want much like Josh's fire he showed you earlier, sept mine is abit harder to do, and oddly, given its electric nature, mine to a point are alive. I've not had one go rogue on me yet, but i don't use this power much just in case..." she says as she waves her hand and the being disappears. "Show her the thunderstorm!!!" Benny yells from his spot with Arcadia. "Oh, Ok.." Shelly starts "I guess I could show her that... long as she doesn't mind getting abit wet with another woman and three dirty minded guys.." she giggles. "...... ahh...." Ben reacts all shocked and dumbfounded, "haha I don't mind at all dear... wow if my friend Connie was here she'd be all for that.." Arcadia says jokingly trying to give Ben time to stop blushing, its pretty obvious at this point she figured out he's very attracted to her. Shelly laughs, "Ok.. well then here we go..." she stands with her feet apart and her arms out almost in a stigmata like pose as her eyes and hands glow a brilliant blue color as the air crackles and starts to smell of a thick ozone like scent, the sky starts to get dark as clouds draw close and the temperature drops about 20 degrees or so, Shelly looks at the others "I am pulling the electric current out of everything, pulling it all in and causing it to create this storm, I channel it through my body, amplifying it till its almost to much for me to handle and then I release it..." Shelly tilts her head skyward and says "Kuwabara Kuwabara" as she releases the energy in the clouds above, lightening shoots out striking the field around them , Shelly takes note to not let it land near anything that will catch on fire as the rain starts to downpour. "And just like that..." Shelly drops her hands to her sides and the rain and lightening stop, "its over..." the cloads start to roll back and the sun comes through. "Now...how about we get something to eat? I'm really starved."
she says.
The group travel back to the big house and read themselves for their meal with their host. Its been a very long time sense The Bimminy Road was filled with this many voices that weren't screaming curses at each other, and Arcadia is loving it. Not long after their return they've all prepped and are sitting down to their meal. Chris and Shelly are sitting next to each other as understandable, Ben is sitting next to Arcadia, and Josh is sitting at the other end by himself, as he tends to do. You can hear the normal laughing and joking and small talk that goes on around a dinner table as the food is being passed around as everyone makes their plates ready, and once things are all settled and everyone's settled into their meal, thats when the somewhat interesting conversation starts...
"So.." Arcadia starts, "What is the most amazing place you have all been?" she asks her guests. "oh thats a tough one.." Ben says. "No its not..." Josh scoffs "There is this rave that happens in the abandon catacombs under Paris France in the middle of July every year, its amazing. lights flashing through hundreds of rooms, gigantic stadium sized areas full of half naked people moving all at the same time in the same way, music so loud the whole underground shakes... its amazing.." Josh says smiling. "umm.. yeah, thats .... great matchstick..." Chris sarcastically says, "hey, she said the most amazing place we've been.. to me, thats what it was... diggleberry.." Josh says, Chris looks at him dumbfounded "I was teasing you... and sense when do you call people diggleberries... thats so 1960s..." everyone laughs "Alright old man, you got me on that one." Josh says. "Well for me.." Shelly starts, "I would have to say, its hands down seeing the Taj Mah Hall at 2am.. its so still and the moon is hitting it just right.. Its so beautiful..." she sighs happily. "Oh I'd love to see the Taj Mah Hall....." Arcadia says, "Whats it like? Is it really as big an beautiful as people say it is?" she asks, "more so.. its just so.. beautiful and its like a wonderful and magical place i just can't put it into words, you have to see it to believe it..." Shelly says. "Why didn't you just write a story about you going there?" Chris says, "After all, you have the power to go anywhere you could ever dream, all you need to do is write a story about it then use your gift to make it happen.." he says as he eats his dinner. "Wouldn't that be like abusing power though? I mean I can see the idea and all that, but wouldn't I be abusing something I was given to do good deeds with by allowing myself to do that?" Arcadia asks, "Well when you think about it.." Chris says, "If you, as you do by what you tell us and you have no reason to have bullshitted us on this, spend all your time using your gift to make others happy, and make their dreams and wishes and things come to life, why not use it to do some good for yourself too? I wouldn't call it abuse of power if you did some things for yourself, as well as continuing to do stuff for others.. to be honest i'm abit worried you don't.. after all, you deserve to have things happen to you too.." Chris says, "He's right.." Ben states, "It would be a shame to not let a gift like yours bring you some bit of joy and relaxation.." he says. "Man fuck that.." Josh says "If I had your gift I'd be writing myself to be a superstar.. i'd be the best DJ in the world and be like rolling in a 60 foot limo with a hot tub, pulled by another 60 foot limo.. all with spinners and bitches up in that shit like ugh! ugh! ugh!" Josh says as he makes thrusting motions in his chair, everyone just looks at him, then Ben says "Seriously, you are so god damn white sometimes.". Josh just laughs and gives him the finger.
"So what about you two? Ben? Chris? Where would you say is the best place you've ever been.." Arcadia asks. "For me..." Ben starts, "Thats simple... my family's farm out in Nebraska, Don't get me wrong, I love my farm at Windy Row, with all its super science and gifted abilities working in harmony for the greater good, but I love to just go back home sometimes, to drive my daddy's old tractor out to the middle of whats left of the cornfield and just sit and watch the world go around me. Its so peaceful and still, I feel so alive and intouch with nature and the world itself, I can almost feel the earth moving.." he says with a smile, "you always say that Mr. Peanut..." Josh says as Ben finishes, "its always the same with you "I love all that I do but i really just wanna be home on the family farm even though there is no one there to go back too..." its always the same story with you, its just a place, your home is where ever you make it, or so Mr. Personality here says.." Josh points over at Chris. Ben looks at Josh, "You've taken that statement to literal. See, you can't understand what I'm talking about, because you really never a home of your own.." Ben starts as Josh groans, "You don't know what its like to look out off your back porch and see land that your family has owned for 100s of years and cared for and provided for, and it provided for you, its part of my family, infact its the only real family I have left.... I hope someday you'll understand that matchstick, I really do." Ben says, Josh rolls his eyes and continues to eat. Chris speaks up "Ahh... for me.. I guess the greatest place I've ever been is simple.... 20,000 feet above the ground... just standing there, you can literally see the earth moving, but you're still able to see people and cars and things moving on a clear day.. so alive this planet is... its amazing. People rushing to where ever they're going, animals running around, the whole time the planet itself is spinning at a rate so fast if it was one of those gravity things at amusement parks would rip you apart after pinning you to the wall, but no one sees it, and none cares. Its amazing, it really is." he says with a smile then goes back to eating his meatloaf and potatoes.
"That sounds so beautiful and poetic Chris. Really it does." Arcadia says, "How did you first come by doing that anyway?" she asks, "was it like, you just wanted to see, or where you doing some test, what?" she smiles. Chris clears his throat "Well.." he starts, "When you've lived as long as I have, and seen what i've seen, you find it fascinating to watch how things progress, and how fast things progress too, its beautiful, this whole world, as screwed up as it is, really is a thing of beauty. With all of its destruction and construction, and decimation, and whatever other kinds of mation or structions there are, that no matter what we do to this planet, it remains a beautiful blue orb floating in a backwater solar system orbiting a very small star... gotta love us humans and all we can do..." Chris laughs. Shelly wraps her arms around Chris' arm and says "yeah, like, we can fall in love with the right guy... or girl... or both if you're into that i guess..." with a smile. Josh groans sarcastically at the two of them and rolls his eyes. Chris looks at him "Watch it boy..." he growls, Josh goes back to eating, mumbling "you don't scare me..." under his breath. Arcadia laughs "Well I think you two are sweet.. I've read about the two of you on the news, those profiles in People Magazine awhile back, and I have that issue of Better Homes And Gardens where they did layouts on some of the homes of you people up north, I remember seeing Ben's gardens, and seeing the home you and Shelly live in Chris, its such a beautiful home, I think its amazing that in a place as big as that facility you could still get a chunk of land that big.." she says happily. "Well.." Shelly starts "Its not just for us, we built smaller homes at various points on the many acres and with the exception of Ben, the rest of our team and the students we train all live and train on property. So its kind of like living at a military school... we're allowed to run things however we like and not answer to anyone else or any of the other trainers, given Chris' standing with the program and the government itself, we're allowed to train as we see fit and only answer to Director White when he needs us to do anything.." she states, "its very freeing.." she finishes. "Its sort of like an elite training camp on an army base.." Chris says as he stops eating for a moment "Its like, I sort of am the man incharge of the Green Beret, or the Navy Seals, or anything else the world over on that sort of level." he says as he takes another bite. "Now, you said something about a Director White, is that Frank White? the man I read was incharge of Windy Row?" Arcadia asks, "Yeah that would be him." Ben says, "He's kind of a pain in the ass but in all honesty, even for a young man in a very big point of authurity, he's urned my trust, and respect..." he continues. "Any man that can stand toe to toe with Mr. Personality here and live is bad ass in my book" Josh jumps in motioning to Chris and laughing. "Well, yes, thats actually true for me too, but I was thinking of a more eliquint way to state it Joshua..." Ben says slyly, "I figured i'd just come out and say it, after all I'm not trying to show off my smarts in hopes of getting in Arcadia's pants.." Josh laughs as he finishes his food, Ben just looks at him with a cold stare. "Anyway, moving along..." Shelly says, "Arcadia you've mentioned that you read about us?" she asks, "Yes.." Arcadia says "See, I never really met anyone else like me... so, I would read about others, in a way it made me feel abit like I wasn't really alone." she says. "Why didn't you register? We're not here to force you too, I'm just curious.." Shelly asks, "I guess I just felt that my gift.. hehe I still feel odd saying that.. anyway.. that my gift would be best used here, bringing things to life for these students I've tought here, its not that I don't want the government to know of me or something, I just want to live a peacefull life and doing the good that I do. I've not done anything wrong have I?" Arcadia asks. "No, you've not done anything wrong.." Chris says "Its always a person's choice that they can regester with the government or not, we do have two ways to regester though, the full on one where you can come to Windy Row and such with us, and where the government just knows that you are there, we leave you in peace and don't ever ask or expect anything from you, we just simply know that you are out there and what you an do. Alot more then you would think opt for that and live a normal life just like you." he says. "Really?" Arcadia asks "Yes, infact given what you can do, I would think thats the best way to go, assuming you would want to regester, because your gift in the wrong political hands would be more dangerious then any of the rest of us." Chris says. Arcadia looks at him oddly "Do... do you think I'm really THAT dangerous?" she asks, Chris looks at her noticing the confusion and fear in her eyes "well, please don't think I'm in anyway pressuring you, but yes, guided by the wrong person, you could be the most dangerous of us all, think of it, you could rewrite elections, world events, scandals, everything, and none of us would ever know, because to us, it would just be everyday life. The perfect political tool, a reset and rewrite button." Chris says looking at her as he drinks some of his sweet tea. "... I .... I never thought of that...." Arcadia says, "I would hate for that to happen, because I would remember it all, my notebooks never change, so if I were to do that, I'd have it written down, but that would be the only proof." she says as she reaches down to give her faithfull cat Elysian a small end bit of Meatloaf. "Ok enough shop talk for now.." Shelly says, "I see everyone's finished... Arcadia would you like me to clear the table? Its the least I can do after a lovely meal like that." she says smiling, "Oh heavens no, I can't have my guests doing things like that, what kind of host would I be?" Arcadia says as she gets up "you boys sit, I'll help our host clear all this, plus it'll give us time to have some girl talk!" Shelly says with a smile, Arcadia laughs and starts to gather plates. "You boys can head outside on the back porch if you like while we get this all taken care of.." Arcadia smiles.
"Sounds like a plan to me.." Ben says as he gets up and heads outside, Chris and Josh follow. Shelly looks at them go and smiles, "they're really some great guys, I hope their sarcastic little digs at each other didn't offend any?" she says. "Oh heavens no.." Arcadia says, "Its been so long sense this house has had laughter, or voices at all for that matter, I found it, and them, well all of you, to be rather fun, I must admit though, I'm abit star struck still, like, you're all people I've seen in magazines and on television, you're all so much more down to earth then I imaged you would be." she says. Shelly laughs "well we aren't really any different then anyone else, we just have, alittle something extra, thats all." she smiles, "Is it hard?" Arcadia asks, "The world knowing what you can do I mean.." she clarifies, Shelly smiles as she washes some of the plates from dinner, "I'm proud of what I am, I'm proud of my gift and what it can do, sure there are people out there who find us to be abominations, and insults to god and whatever other things people use to describe things they fear for no reason, but if they really knew, if they knew what we really were, they would still damn us and claim the truth isn't real.." Shelly says as she hands Arcadia some dishes to dry "So, what you're saying is, you know what we are? Like, why we were born as we are, with these powers.." Arcadia says curiously "Yes... but thats all I can say, I gave my word." Shelly says with a smile as she washes more dishes, "Oh thats fine, I understand that." Arcadia smiles, though she can't help but wonder what she could mean. "So.." Shelly says with a smirk, "Woman to woman, whats with those looks you were giving Ol'Peanuthead.." she laughs "What?" Arcadia says blushingly "oh please, you don't fool me, I saw the looks you two were giving.." Shelly giggles, "I.. what are you talking about?" Arcadia laughs nerviously, "Oh come on, don't try to deny it, I of all people could see the sparks.. hehe.. get it? sparks?..hehe... that were going off between you two.." Shelly laughs, Arcadia looks out the kitchen window and sees the guys wrestling with each other out in the backyard, "well... he is kind of cute... in a Mr. Clean meets the Goon from Popeye kind of way.." Arcadia giggles embarassed, "He's single you know.. has been for a long time..." Shelly says slyly with a wink, "Plus, he likes the brainy chicks.." she giggles. "He does? How do you know all of this.." Arcadia asks, "Simple, you become the closest thing a guy has to a sister and he tells you things like that." Shelly says. "No sister? Does he have any family at all?" Arcadia asks, "Sadly no.. his mom and dad have passed on, they died when he was in his teens, car wreak. Sadly that seems to happen with alot of us gifted, born to familes that treat us like shit or parents that die early." Shelly says sadly. "Were your parents..." Arcadia starts "No, I'm one of the lucky ones" Shelly smiles, "my family are so proud of me.. I feel bad though, Ben's are gone, Josh's family completely disowned him after what he did to get sent to us.. and well, Chris' parents... well lets just say they left this plane of existance along time ago." Shelly says with a sigh, "I know that feeling.." Arcadia says sadly, "Mom and Dad have been gone for so long.. Its basically just been me and Elysian here for so very long." she sighs as she looks out the window to see the men chasing her faithfull cat who has a small beanbag he likes to fetch in his mouth, around and laughs as the cat seems to constnatly out wit them. "well..." Shelly says as she puts her hand on Arcadia's shoulder, "you don't have to be alone anymore, unless you want too... you and Elysian could come and live at Windy Row with all of us." she says, "Oh.." Arcadia says taken back "I.. I.. I couldn't do that. i couldn't leave my students, or leave my family's home, The Bimminy Road has been the Tannon family home for as long as there as been settlements here... We've all lived here and done good with what we were born with..." Arcadia says, "I just couldn't end that, so much tradition and so many memories... this is where I belong.." she says as she puts away the dishes from dinner, "However... I wouldn't mind some company now and then... well other then my friends that i see everyday..." Arcadia finishes, Shelly smiles at her, "well then, I think we have a deal." she says at she hugs Arcadia. "Now.." Shelly says with an evil grin "lets go show those boys how to catch a cat.." she laughs. "Sounds like a plan to me" Arcadia smiles.
The girls walk out onto the back porch and set down some lemonade and water, "watch this..." Arcadia smiles, "Elysian William Calhoun Fields! You come here this instant!" she calls out, Elysian stops dead, looks at her and runs with his beanbag in his mouth muffled happy sounding meows can be heard as he bounds up to her. Josh looks at her as he tries to catch his breath "You named your cat Elysian W.C Fields?" he asks puzzled, "Yes, Yes I did.." she says as Elysian drops his beanbag and jumps up to her shoulder. "Well I think its cute." Shelly says as she pets Elysian as he sits on Arcadia's shoulder, he meows and purs happily. "Yeah, have some respect for comedians that were funny before you were born boy!" Ben says smacking him upside the head. "ouch what the hell man?" Josh says "Oh man up..." Ben laughs "Once my vision returns I'll smack you for that Ben... at the moment I'm like DareDevil over here.." Josh jokes, "you mean you're a really good marvel comics superhero who was turned into a really bad Ben Affeck movie that got all the characters and the whole story of the main character wrong?" Chris says as he walks past Josh and Ben toward Shelly. "Yes, thats exactly what I mean Chris, I'm a shitty Ben Affeck movie.." Josh says sarcastically, "Could be worse, you could have been a Matt Daimon movie..." Chris laughs as he picks Shelly up and kisses her. "Now if you all will excuse us for a second, we need to use the phone in the Suburban to contact Director White and let him know where we are." Chris says as he and Shelly head off toward the front of the house. "We won't be very long." Shelly says. "If I go out front and find you two making out..... I'm gonna video it and put it on Youtube.." Josh laughs, Shelly turns around and gives him the middle finger, then yells "Matchstick, we've already done that ourselves, and we got like a million hits.... kind of like the video of Chris and Ben spit roast fucking your mom..." then she turns around and continues on with Chris.
As they get to the front of the house Shelly looks at Chris "Ok whats going on? We don't need to call in.." she asks "There is something not right here.." Chris says "What do you mean?" Shelly asks "I can't talk to her cat." Chris says, "What? Elysian? whats that mean?" Shelly asks "It means, I think he's not real." Chris says "If he was real, I could communicate with him..." he continues, "I don't know what else is real or not real around here... but I'm starting to wonder if we are here of our own free will or if someone basically wrote us here.. so she wouldn't be alone.." he says. Shelly looks at him, "Chris, she's a great girl, a great person and is no threat at all, and Ben seems to really like her.. alot. If its true that she wrote us into her life, does it really matter? She's a good person... even if she was alittle lonely. Just let it be. This once, just let it be ok?" Shelly says as she wraps her arms around Chris' waist and puts her head on his chest, "Just this once..." she says as she sighs. Chris looks down at her and wraps his arms around his beloved Michelle, "I don't know.. Its against the rules... and really, think of all the good her power could do.." Chris says, "Yes, but think of all the bad it could do too.." Shelly says looking up at him. "I have thought of that too..." Chris says, "I guess I could ask her, kind of take her aside and ask her the truth... if for no other reason then at atleast know..." Chris ponders. "Hun.." Shelly starts "I don't know how I would react, if I were Cadie and someone asked me that, i don't know if I would be insulted or shocked or scared, specially if the person asking me is one of the most powerfull beings on the planet... it could be a skotch on the intimidating side.." Shel says. "Just a Skotch eh?" Chris laughs, "Yes, but only just.." Shel laughs back as she holds onto him tighter. Chris looks up at the sky and thinks for a moment, then lets out a sigh, "we will give her the option to sign up, if she wishes then we'll go through it all and talk to her, if she doesn't, we won't ask or persue the idea any farther ok?" Chris says, Shelly smiles, "That is all I ask darling, that is all I ask." she says as she moves her head up to kiss her lover.
Around the back of the house the two lovers can hear voices coming toward them, "guess that was some shortlived silence.." Chris mumbles as Shelly giggles softly into his chest, Josh comes around the corner to see what they're doing. "I knew it!" he yells "I swear everytime you two disappear I come and find you and the two of you are making out or something... have some fucking self control or atleast wait till you get back to the hotel, I have the spy cam set up in your room.." he yells. "No you don't Joshy washy pooh" Shelly says turning around to look at him, "I shorted it out when I found it." she laughs, "you should know better then to try and hide something electrical in the room of a woman who can control electricity." she smiles. "See, that is why you fail." Chris says jokingly, Josh just shakes his head and laughs, "anyway, I came out here to see what you were up too, Mr. Peanut and Cadie are like getting all mushy and cutesy, driving me friggin insane." Josh says. "Aww... is our wittle Joshy jealous?" Shelly teases, "No, just bored, its just like, they're doing whatever it is you old people call when you are dating.. and I'm stuck playing with a cat thats well smarter then your average cat... its like if he were a bear he'd be stealing picinic baskets or something.. that kind of smart.." Josh says, "well... atleast you've got some pussy.." Shelly jokes, "I've been wondering about that cat too Josh.. good eye." Chris says, "Well, I do pick up a thing or two from the rest of you..... and all the CSI that I watch... oh and Bones... because damn that woman that plays Dr. Brenan... totally the hot sauce.." Josh says trailing off. "thats just super.. and not really of any importance.. but thanks for that.." Chris says as they start back around toward the back of the house. "So..." Josh askes looking at Chris, "are we gonna ask whats up with the cat? like, if its a person?" he askes, "No its not a person.. I've a plan but Shel's asked me to let this one slide if I can... plus if its gonna be asked, it'll be when its not gonna seem like a threat or something... so if I do anything at all, i'll do it alone, when I'm ready.. you all just play dumb.. or in Joshy's case dumber, and I'll handle it..." Chris says, "Plus, if Ben's getting into her like we're noticing, we don't wanna ruin it for him, he doesn't really ever find women that are interested in him..." Shelly adds. "Good point.." Chris says, "I thought Ol'Benjizzle loved the cock... this whole thing is a shock to me honestly..." Josh says sarcastically, Chris hauls off and smacks him upside the back of his head so hard the smack sounded like a popping tire. "Ouch!! what the fuck dude, thats gonna leave some brain damage.." Josh says grumbling, "pff.... not like you have much to damage matchstick..." Shelly chuckles, Josh gives her an angry glare, "oh lighten up.." she says shooting him with a small static electricity like shock then laughs. Josh just looks at her "One day... you two, are gonna push me to far... and I'm gonna snap like a twig... and go all Johnny Storm when he burned down part of Empire State University in that issue of Fantastic Four supernova... then what are you gonna do?" he smuggly says, Chris looks at him... "you know how to read?" and laughs "umm... Josh.." Shelly starts "You already went supernova once, remember, you burned down the entire dock area of Baltimore, thats how we got stuck playing babysitter...." Shelly chuckles, Josh looks at them blankly, blinks his eyes, shakes his head and laughs, "I hate you guys so much.." he says with a smile as they round the side of the house onto the back porch."Well, well, welly well...." Chris says sarcastically seeing Ben and Arcadia sitting very close to each other and laughing to each other "I do believe that scent in the air was infact Fireworks we smelled..." he chuckles, "Oh, so I was right then? it was Anal Ease?" Josh says adlibbing, Chris looks at him.. "No... ........ i ment fireworks like as in that kind you see when two people connect and just start to fall for each other..." he says confused like, "......... the fuck is wrong with you?" he says to Josh. Josh just shrugs and hangs his head. "Anyway..." Shelly says, "Whats all this then? We go out front for afew minutes and we come back and you two are like teenagers all of a sudden. Are we gonna have to spray you two with the hose?" she says jokingly. Ben's face turns blush red as he gets flustered "umm... well... see... we... umm.... I don't have to answer to you! I'm a grown man!" he says all mater of fact like as everyone laughs. "well..." Arcadia starts, "sometimes, things just happen... you know?" she smiles and puts her arm around Ben's. "Yeah, sometimes things just click, tis like when you met Shelly for the first time Chris..." Ben says. "The first time I met Shelly I had to back her into a corner and restrain her because she thought we were coming to kill her because she caused a black out on most of the eastern seaboard..." Chris says puzzled, "mmm... forplay on the first date.. I love it!" Shelly says as she laughs to herself. "And Ben, we get it, well me and Shel do, Josh is... well he still thinks he's gonna get a woman because he goes by the name "DJ Firestarter" on the rave circut.... so... yeah.." Chris says laughing, "Hey, don't go harshing on the name old man, least i got street cred.." Josh says, "Crippling a port city by burning down its docks all to show off for two girls who didn't even go home with you that night is not street cred, its being a dumb ass teenager.." Chris snaps, Josh looks at Chris in a puzzled state "Why does it gotta be like that dawg? Why you always gotta pull that card on a homie?" he says in a confused tone, Chris just looks at him ".... because its my right as the guy who has to babysit you till I feel you've done your government ordered probation..." Chris says sarcastically, Josh looks at him as everyone else laughs and says, "wheres the love homie? where's the love?". Chris rolls his eyes then looks at Ben "Anyway Mr. Peanut, we get it, if this is what you want, then we'll all do what we can to make it happen for you." he says, "yeah all of us will make it happen.." Shel says with a big smile on her face as she grabs Josh and gives him a shock till he agrees by shaking his head. Elysian sits down infront of Chris and meows as if to agree with them.
"Well I think thats everyone now.." Ben laughs, "Well.." Arcadia starts, "Elysian has always kind of thought of himself a small human.. or atleast able to understand what we're all saying, even if he can't speak it himself." she smiles as her cat comes over to her and rubs against her. Josh gives Chris a look as if to say "ask her what the deal is with that creepy cat" or something, Chris just shakes his head as to indicate not to ask at Josh. "So.." Arcadia starts, "Benjamin here as been telling me of some of the things you've all done and seen while you were all out front, I knew from what you all said earlier and what has been on the news, that you all travel alot, but I had no idea... Did you all really climb Everest?" she asks "Well..." Shelly starts, "Chris and Josh flew up it, and Ben carried me and the three others in our team to the top in these big jumps he can do.." she says, "I'm the Incredible Hulk that way.." Ben says jokingly, "but yes.." Shelly responds, "we made it to the top... we even placed a plaque up there with our names and the date and stuff.." she says, "Is it true you all raced down?" Arcadia laughs almost in disbelief. "Yes, we actually did..." Chris chuckles, "Benny won.. thats why he likes to bring the whole thing up.." he laughs. Ben laughs "well, I told you guys it wouldn't be fair, but you all were like "haha yeah right.." till you saw just how fast I can get going down an incline." Ben starts to make excuses for himself. "It was like tossing a bulldozer down a mountain side so it tumbles end over end.." Josh said shaking his head in awe remembering it. "you mean the speed it picks up right? because if you ment he rolled ass over tea kettle the whole way down I'm pretty sure that had to hurt.." Arcadia asks "Yes, he ment the speed.." Ben laughs. "Well.." Arcadia smacks Ben on the arm "its a valid question..".
For many more hours Arcadia and her guests spend talking into the night, she tells them of her life and what she does, she listens to more stories of the life her new friends lead, the places they've saved, the people they've helped, places they've traveled, Arcadia shows off her gift abit more by taking them all inside one of her favorite books of all time, they have a great night, one these travelers needed for a long while, and one Arcadia needed as well. Though that is to be expected in this fairy tale world isn't it?Arcadia never did tell them that was her, and her lonelyness that brought them here, to The Bimminy Road and into her storybook life that she lives here. You see, the life she leads here, this beautiful home, her dream job, her seemingly knowing human behavior cat, they're all figments of her creative imagination. Arcadia's parents were really the maid and grounds keeper here, when it was called Rolling Hills, before Arcadia's power changed all of that after her father being fired do to being drunk when working on a tractor and crashing it put them out of a home. That was the begining of the story that Arcadia lives now, she created a fabricated story of how this home had been in her family's line for generations, and she changed her parents too, her father no longer a failure and shunned drunk in the eyes of the community and her mother no longer looked down on and the subject of whispers of unfaithful behavior, they were proud strong traditionalistic parents who loved their daughter and would do anything for her, not the barely even existant shells of people they were before. In Arcadia's dream, the story makes everyone better. Her parents died of old age, not in a murder suicide after her father had a drink with his friends after many years, and that drink brought back the memories of what his life was before his daughter changed reality. The idea that he could be so much different then the man he remembers himself being, the two worlds colliding in his head caused him to snap, and though Arcadia hid in a secret passage she found next to a bookcase in the large downstairs study, in his drunken state he killed her mother with a 12 gauge shotgun directly in the belly, and then he shot himself, it was later discovered he had run over his daughter's cat Elysian on his way up the drive. Arcadia, scared, alone, and looking at facing life in a home or some sort, she got out her paper, and she, as the scared little girl she was, wrote her entire family back to life, and this time she wrote her father to have never had a drinking habit at all, by making him allergic to barley. In her created reality her parents died at respectable ages of 60 and 68, and Elysian, will never leave her side. The only thing that wasn't created in her mind then put to paper and fused into reality was Arcadia's work, she did and always will love to read and share that love with others, its just how she is and always will be. Arcadia didn't agree to return to Windy Row with her new friends, but she did agree to keep in contact and help them whenever she could, she took that "known but not active" status option, with the add on that she be contacted through either Ben Tenney, Chris Collins, Shelly Mishadoe, or Josh Fulton. She agrees to keep in contact with Ben Tenney, who with the aid of a super sonic jet he has access too can be here whenever she needs him, ending both her loneliness and his as well. As she watched her new found friends leave, she laughed to herself as she petted her faithful cat Eylsian, thinking that she no longer feels as if her gift in a burden to her, and to the world around her, she feels as if she's finally wrote herself a happy ending, like she has for so many of her friends over the years, I guess life works in strange ways like that, if you do good, good comes your way in return, some of that next level new wave my name is earl shit I guess.
The next day Arcadia's life was just as it was the day before, she went to work, she half listened to her friends talk about their dates the night before, and she smiled as she talked about the night she entertained some of the most famous people in the world, and that they were just like everyone else, she told them of her new relationship with Ben and how cute Josh is because Connie had asked, and how amazing Chris and Shell are in person, and she tells them how they changed her life forever, as her friends smiled happily with alittle of jealousy in their eyes, after that, teaching as she always did, followed by going home watching movies with Elysian, but somehow this time, it didn't feel so lonely knowing that Ben was just a phone call away.This makes her happy, because she knows one thing over all, she is Arcadia BellaDonna Tannon, and this was her dream come to reality.
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