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Joan “Siobhan” Atreides

Born in Manhattan as Joan Aileen Trey, the perky redhead was raised in a semi-Bohemian lifestyle by a crystal-waving “freelance artist” Swedish mother and a professional masseuse/sex-therapist Irish father. At 18, Joan married her high school sweetheart, a 24-year-old martial artist (assistant) instructor named Jonathan Dees. Choosing the path of hyphenation, she started signing her name as Joan A. Trey-Dees.

Joan's life was mostly aimless but happy, as she floated from one minimum wage job to another, never particularly content with being settled for too long. Her closest, and most consistent, group of friends were undiscovered semi-professional stage theatre hopefuls who loved dragging the outgoing Joan into bit parts in their productions. She did love the creativity and diversity of that lifestyle, but never felt as if she were gifted enough to pursue it. An unexpected encounter with a talent scout proved otherwise, and before she knew it Joan had an agent who recommended she come up with a snazzy stage name. Taking a more Irish form of her first name and blending the rest of her name into a portmanteau (with a nod to one of her favorite books), the actress “Siobhan Atriedes” went professional.

Her enthusiasm for picking up new skills served her well, and quickly the young woman became a triple-threat on the stage: she could act, she could sing, and she could dance. Thanks to her husband's help, she also became adept at stage combat. Siobhan might have had a fantastic career and migrated to on-screen roles if she had actually pursued that path; instead, she stayed in it for the sheer fun. She never wanted it to become a job… at that point it wouldn't be a party!

The “Jon and Joan” couple considered the next life step of having children. To Jon, it would mean a transition into a life of greater responsibility and a steadier income. To Joan, it meant a new exciting pursuit to add to her growing list of enjoyable challenges. Jon ended up completing his bachelor's degree in Health Science via correspondence while working at his father-in-law's massage clinic, and enrolled in a doctorate program. The idea was that his income would provide financial security that the couple had never before experienced, allowing them to raise a child in the hectic and expensive Manhattan.

One October evening, after Siobhan's starring performance in a risky musical sequel to Annie (“Annie 2: The Sun Came Out”), Jon was escorting her home through back alleyways when the couple was mugged. Jon, still an extremely proficient martial artist, was shot while defending his wife. The mugger fled the scene immediately and empty-handed, leaving Joan crying over the unconscious bleeding body of her heroic husband.

An ambulance was called, and Jon lived through the trip to the hospital but never regained consciousness. Joan never found that out, however.

The attending physician happened to be the Greek god Hermes, in one of his many disguises. Originally he had shown up to escort Jon's soul to the afterlife, but upon realizing the extended circumstances he took pity upon the new widow. After turning Jon over to Charon's tender graces, Hermes assumed the form of the fallen husband and played out the ruse of a quick and full recovery. His intention was to still have “Jon” depart from Joan's life, only under less traumatic circumstances. However upon directly experiencing the unconditional and unfettered love that the youthful and bright redhead had for her man, Hermes too became smitten with her.

Easily adopting the role of a medical student, the faux husband spent all of his time in the mortal world with Joan. So much so that Zeus himself became concerned that his normally flighty son had become far too enamored of just one woman. Warning Hermes of the ramifications of tempting Fate for too long, Zeus decreed that Hermes should end his sweet-yet-selfish deceit within a fortnight, or suffer the consequences. Hermes, of course, immediately and dutifully obeyed his father.

When Hermes openly obeys an order, it usually means he's also covertly disobeying it in some way as well. Knowing that the mortal couple had begun to prepare for a child, Hermes allowed his divine seed to take root within Joan. After taking steps to insure that “Siobhan Atriedes” would be financially secure for the rest of her life (due to some strategically-constructed life insurance policies which would be funneled into a well-handled trust fund), Hermes staged Jon's second, significantly less violent, death.

This time, it was revealed that “Jon” had a hidden but painless brain tumor, which gave him only a week to live after it was “discovered.” Rather than allowing the unknowingly-pregnant wife to dispair, crafty Hermes played at Jon's contentment with his life. He put forth a supportive and brave front, assuring Joan that having not even thirty years of life was worth it only a few of those were spent with her. With an exuberant smile upon his false face, Hermes swore that if anything this motivated him even more to go out and live every day of his life as if it were his last.

During that week, the pretender husband took Joan along with him to surf the shores of Hawaii, to hike the slopes of Mount Everest, to camp in the Grand Canyon, to explore the Alaskan wilderness, to visit the pyramids at Giza, and finally to kiss the Blarney Stone in Ireland. It was then that “Jon” died peacefully in his sleep at a charming Dublin bed and breakfast. Joan did not grieve; she was content. She was happy to have known her husband and happy to have shared a life with him, no matter how short.

“Fortune favors the bold,” Hermes-Jon always assured her, right before running off and doing something adventurous. Joan, upon discovering she was with child, swore that she would teach their baby that philosophy in honor of the departed father.

Zeus ended up rather upset at Hermes for obeying his order to the letter yet managing to leave a Scion in his wake, but with an impish grin Hermes pointed out that he was only following his honored father's example. Zeus really didn't have a reply to that.