Artemis wandered quite aimlessly: unsure of how to contact the Daughter of King Minos, as was her mission after leaving the Minotaur yammering aboot how his sister would have solution to her task. It was unorganized of her to go aboot a task without plans set beforehand, and to this issue Artemis got bored and chose a random tree to fall asleep under. In her dreams she occasionally found resolution to her mounting problems, and other times...she was plagued with echoing memories of the battles she had endured while in Hades. She remembered how they had called her troubled for being sleepy as a teenager, and how her lack of verbal skills kept her from correcting the strangers and their files. Artemis had no way of evaluating the situation as another growing teenager: suffering from environmentally induced chemical changes. They had locked her away from society because they feared the crimes she had yet committed, and her misfortune...of being gold in hue. Artemis would always be punished double: forever in a daydream or subconsciously thinking aboot a nice nap. Artemis sat in the forest with her Golden Fleece and began to pull at the intertwined webs that lay within her weapons of silver and gold: calling for her guards and voices to ease her worries...mumbling in her genius rage: her endless wishes of slumber. She called forth assistance by the Kind-Hearted Hunters that had once stepped-in, raising her as their own responsibility. Artemis would always find life in their good company: silently enjoying their presence and allowing herself to breathe without guilt.  She’d never tired of growing animated whenever she’d hear their soft voices. They encouraged her with normalcy and persistence: bringing her mind great ease.

The Kind-Hearted Hunters were always around when Artemis needed them the most, accrediting their absence with worry and kindness. Artemis often avoided telling them details of her looming sadness because of this. These Kind-Hearted Hunters were already known worldwide: for they had traveled far and wide: casting magic spells over the masses with their hit single. The pair had famously danced and sang for the world, and selling out stages and arenas. Notorious for a single wondrous song...written long before Artemis had been born. They had experienced the world and its profound beauty, and settled down in the lush forests, as retired musicians. That had been where they had found the woeful girl in a brick tower: crying. She were trapped under a White-Shield: where they didn’t even allow her to open the windows, surrounded by criminals: charged guilty...for being an orphan teenager in Hades. The Kind-Hearted Hunters had no children of their own, but took personal interest in her journey. The couple continued to open their home for Artemis: to come and go as she pleased. They had no implications to the fact that Artemis had been homeless on more than one occasion...and her dignity kept her from such conversations. Her ability to make people uncomfortable had always been the reason why she’d be asked to leave, and she’d rather avoid the chances that the couple would look at her differently over things that had already transpired. Artemis had no issue with stating she strived for normalcy, and optimistically presented a character that brought them excusable reason to overlook her despair with ease.  

 One day Artemis had informed them that Golden Fleece she had was defaulting in power, and that she had hoped to create one from scratch. The Kind-Hearted Hunter known as Marv: openly admired her ambitiousness and took her to observe a laboratory that offered the parts she needed since she was preparing for University. As they wandered around the shop it had came to Marvs attention how meticulous the labor was, and he insisted that Artemis hadn’t the time for such a hobby, as she was currently advancing her studies. He then took her to a shop that bore crest of a cursed fruit, and he politely ordered her to pick out whatever materials she needed. Artemis had grown up a peasant and this suggestion bothered her deeply, as she was accustomed to surviving with very limited resources and wasn’t sure what that meant. He saw her avoiding to touch all the beautiful magic books lined with gold, and assured her that she deserved the best. Artemis had often doubted herself as she avoided the curses cast by Hera in her youth, but in this moment she felt safe to agree that she deserved such a prized book lined with gold. They left with her new magic book lined with gold in hand, and Artemis was at a loss for words on how to ever thank them. She held guilt for their many gifts of luxury, but it seemed the gift were meant only to encourage her to move forward with her studies and not one of pity. This notion became clearly defined as truth as they always proudly stayed by her side: having successfully finished her studies with ease.

Artemis would complain to her family: of the disapproval she held for the University system: appalled they had been infiltrated by a few creatures that called themselves Sirens. They had taken over outlets of entertainment and fashion alike, and used their fortune to bribe University officials into admitting their below-average children in exchange. They removed the heads of other people, and replaced their faces...with the faces of their young daughters as they pretended to take part in athletic events. Slicing away the humanity of real athletes that worked their entire youths...pretending their physical abilities could present them with equal opportunity in the lecture halls. Artemis had been that guille-filled athlete...pressing the limits each day, and daydreaming of commentators yelling her last name as she destroyed wooden courts. Artemis now expressed her disgust...on the cheapening and authenticity of her University experience with the Kind-Hearted Hunters with inconsolable distrust and vulgar language. Artemis often stood conversation adjacent to conversations on privilege, and so the open public outrage to the sentencing of the Sirens united them with hopelessness and brought them silent ease. 

The Sirens had gotten away their crimes...almost unscathed, but the scheme left many of them to be plagued in reputation, and bruised upon their wrists from fifteen stern lashings. They had been forced to publicly denounce their own children, and received less than two weeks incarcerated by the swift hand of justice. Artemis would roll her eyes in belief of their light sentencing, and knew the Sirens had no understanding of reality and privilege. She had personally known...women that had stabbed people for stealing their shoes and lesser offenses in her time as a teenager criminal, and it made her giggle thinking of how her old inmates would respond...had they felt these Sirens had stolen hundreds of thousands of opportunistic services from their them or their children. These Sirens would get a reality check soon enough...as their endless squawking and shrinking would serve them no good in the incarceration system. Artemis had lost faith in their justice system many moons ago...but she took twitterpated joy in the idea of these celebrities wearing matching robes of shame, and that brought her mild amusement and ease. 

Her family enjoyed such heated conversations, and particularly enjoyed...situations that brought forth the anger that Artemis often suppressed. Artemis could always be herself in violent tone, and never worry about her words brought them reason to concern for their safety. They never allowed her to forget they had found her fighting alone in an urban jungle, and her passion always assumable to be containable and warranted. The Kind-Hearted Hunters had taught Artemis how to use her voice with eloquence in her youth, and they knew her well enough to anticipate potential situations that encouraged her to throw a tantrum and act with little precautions to her surrounding company. They never judged Artemis for her thug ways and this understanding was something that would later prove to further her academic success. Artemis found her sarcasm and snark was often appreciated by the Kind-Hearted Hunters: it seemed that the dead-eyed savages often treated the pair with false smiles...no matter how true their appraisals were. Artemis took breaths of disapproval, as she told them of her travels and injuries brought by her endless battles and invisible scars...that seemed to have become infected.  Her life-threatening battle with depression being a footnote she never encouraged them to read, and their frantic lifestyle masquerading the issue in a way that brought them all ease. 

Artemis sat impatiently whenever they ended their conversations: annoyed with herself for taking up the time of the Kind-Hearted Hunters once more. Impressed by their tenacity, and sincere company. Their conversations were often cute, or informative and depending on the day. They made her smile, as they explained their busy schedule of making fresh canned jam and catering to the wild animal that reigned free through the house. They prepared for the year with this tradition of novel upkeep, and wore socks with sandals: in their laid-back retirement...both were things that Artemis found to be delightful and charming, as she always hyped up “jam-day” in cheerful yelling. Artemis secretly worried aboot the familial ties that now held her responsible to tend to the burden of expectations: knowing she’d never reach such acclaimed stardom. They had found their fortunes in life by singing sweet melody of encouragement, the remedy to heartbreak... as it presented the listener the option to harden their heart to suit the cold and rigid environments found only with love. The couple had no idea that Artemis had felt her heart weighed down with the world, and her heart...hardened with bitterness and swirling chaos. Artemis hadn’t felt the annoyance of parental pressure, as she told the Kind-Hearted Hunters of her goal to operate the false star that orbited the Earth. Being exception was the norm in her new family, and Artemis loved it. The topic was never questioned as her resume’ expanded,  but she recollected dreams of being on stage alone, and they admired her ability to have a show tune in the back of her mind. Artemis would be fine in their background as their biggest fan, but basked in the memory of her short lived career as an actress. The couple rarely bombarded her with questions as to her romantic status or sexuality, and that alone...brought Artemis ease.

The couple were hopeless romantics, and they inspired others: having met and wed soon after their teen years, and reaching ultimate stardom together. This brought expectations of romance to Artemis that seemed almost impossible to fulfill, so Artemis would tend to other situations as she avoided commitment for decades. She would use this time to plan her next move...always drifting from place to place: homeless and confused by her situation. She’d reflect on the voices of the Kind-Hearted Hunters, as they routinely left her with words of uplift and empowerment. They always insisted that they knew Artemis would be great at anything she did…and stood at the edge of wooden courts, as her biggest fans. They called her kiddo and restored her faith in herself.

Next Chapter: [ X ] Artemis and the daughter of King Minos