[INTRO MUSIC PLAYING]
It’s time to put your headphones on, sit back and enjoy the divine drama of season 2 episode 5, Spring Cleaning at Olympus Records. Welcome to Echobox.
[ECHO’S THEME PLAYING TO END]
SCENE 1 – INT. ZEUS’ OFFICE AT OLYMPUS RECORDS
[OFFICE AMBIENCE]
[CALM MUSIC PLAYING]
[FOOTSTEPS]
[DOOR OPENING]
[CALM MUSIC STOPS]
ALEX: Hm, hi.
HECATE: Hey, hm, can I ask you for a favor?
ALEX: It depends.
HECATE: My sister is coming over— she’s a new sign.
ALEX: Another one? What is Hades doing?
HECATE: I have to go run some errands for Hades so I can’t greet her. Can you?
ALEX: I guess so… Why don’t you ask Hermes?
HECATE: I don’t want him near my sister.
ALEX: If you’re trying to keep Olympians far from your baby sister, you shouldn’t bring her to L.A.
HECATE (slightly annoyed): That’s not what I asked. Plus… she’s older than me.
ALEX: Pf… Alright, alright. I’ll show her around.
HECATE: Good.
[FOOTSTEPS, HECATE WALKING AWAY]
ALEX: What’s her name?!
ALEX: Fine, whatever! Not like I need full info to do my job. Just drop stuff on my lap and I’ll fix it, won’t you?
[CHAIR SQUEAKING]
[FOOTSTEPS AS ALEX GOES TO THE MAIN FLOOR]
SCENE 2 – INT. OLYMPUS RECORDS MAIN FLOOR
HERMES: Hi, Alex! How are you? It must be lonely in dad’s office. You never thought of getting a desk here on the main floor?
ALEX: Not really. I like the quiet.
HERMES: Ouch.
ALEX: Listen, do you know anything about Hecate’s sister?
HERMES: Only that she’s coming from Texas. And oh, that I’m not supposed to talk to her.
ALEX: Hecate’s from Texas?
[HERMES CHUCKLING]
HERMES: Yeah. Their mother is some sort of farmer tycoon. Hecate came to L.A. because they thrive on desperate dreams, I guess, and now their sister is coming here to make it big. She does covers online.
ALEX: And Olympus Records is taking interest in her because…
HERMES: Mm, uncle Hades doesn’t tell me everything, you know.
[CHAIR ROLLING AWAY]
ALEX: Hecate truly has him by the balls.
HERMES: Uh— Alex, I know they’re both not here right now but I don’t think you should be saying this kind of stuff.
ALEX: They don’t have bugs on us, Hermes.
HERMES: That you know of!
[DOOR ALARM BUZZING]
HERMES: oH, that’s her!
[ALEX SIGHING]
[FOOTSTEPS, ALEX WALKING AWAY]
[DOOR OPENING]
[FOOTSTEPS, ALEX WALKING TO THE FRONT DOOR]
[DOOR CARD SWIPING AND BEEPING]
ALEX: Welcome to Olympus Records, how can I help you?
[ANOTHER BEEP]
PERSEPHONE: Hi! You should be expecting me? I’m Persephone. Hecate’s sister.
[ANOTHER BEEP]
ALEX: Oh, come in.
[ANOTHER BEEP]
[DOOR SLIDING OPEN]
[FOOTSTEPS, PERSEPHONE WALKING IN]
PERSEPHONE: Where is Hecate?
ALEX: Terrifying people at crossroads, more likely.
[PERSEPHONE LAUGHING]
PERSEPHONE: I’m glad to see L.A. hasn’t changed them.
ALEX: [SOFT CHUCKLE] I’m Alex. Your official guide to the office. Hecate wanted to be here but they’re off running errands to the temporary big boss.
PERSEPHONE: Temporary big boss?
[FOOTSTEPS]
ALEX: That one is the official big boss, who— after a little divorce scandal— decided to disappear from the face of the Earth for a few weeks.
PERSEPHONE: Oh, I heard all about that. In the podcast.
ALEX: You listen to Echobox?
PERSEPHONE: I lived on a farm in the middle of nowhere Texas. There wasn’t a lot of entertainment back there. Echobox was the highest point of my week.
[FOOTSTEPS, BOTH WALKING TOWARDS THE INNER OFFICE]
[CARD SWIPING AND BEEPING]
[DOOR SLIDING]
ALEX: Don’t call Echobox entertaining while you’re in this building.
[FOOTSTEPS]
ALEX: The Olympians are still kinda pressed about that.
HERMES: Hey, I’m not pressed!
ALEX: That’s Hermes. He’s an Olympus, but one of the most acceptable ones, I guess.
PERSEPHONE: Hey, Hermes!
[CHAIR SQUEAKING]
HERMES: Alex, you were supposed to give her a tour—
ALEX: Don’t make me regret complimenting you.
HERMES: That was a compliment?
PERSEPHONE: C’mon. Most acceptable? That’s what I crave to be in life.
[FOOTSTEPS, BOTH WALKING TOWARDS THE KITCHEN]
[INDISTINCT CHATTER]
ALEX: She gets it. Anyway, here’s the kitchen.
PERSEPHONE: Oh, it’s—
ALEX: Small? Terrible? Smelly?
PERSEPHONE: I was going to say… cozy.
ALEX: Well, yeah, that’s a nice way to put it. The coffee is terrible and if you’re going to hang out around here, be sure to post-it your stuff because people will eat it if you don’t. L.A. freaks are lawless.
PERSEPHONE: If I hang around here?
ALEX: You’re one of the signs. Just do some crazy stuff and I’m sure they’ll give you an Olympus Records card to have breakfast, lunch and dinner at the fancy restaurants around here.
HERMES: Please, don’t do any crazy stuff. We have enough at our plate as it is.
ALEX: Hermes, I actually don’t have enough on my plate. My plate is empty.
PERSEPHONE: What do you two do here?
HERMES: You’re asking for the official job position?
[HERMES CHUCKLING]
HERMES: Uh, what don’t I do?
ALEX: Chill.
HERMES: That sums it up, yes. But the official name is a “Project Manager.”
ALEX: Oh, so that’s your job description. I never knew. I’m Zeus’ personal assistant.
PERSEPHONE: But… Zeus isn’t here.
ALEX: Well, yeah. That’s what I’ve been telling everyone who calls his office.
[FOOTSTEPS]
ALEX: It’s thrilling work, I’ll tell you. Now, c’mon. There, where the sun doesn’t touch, it’s the goth kids place.
[PERSEPHONE GIGGLING]
PERSEPHONE: Why do I have a feeling Hecate is there?
ALEX: Ding ding ding, we got a winner! But really. Those desks right there is where your sibling hangs out, with the other paralegals. And through the door is Hades’ office. It probably has skulls hanging on the wall or something like that.
HERMES (stepping in): Uncle Hades is the head of our legal department here, but he has taken over other duties while dad is away.
[ALEX SNORTS]
[HERMES CLEARING THROAT]
HERMES: Anyway, next room!
[FOOTSTEPS, THE TRIO WALKING TO THE ARTIST LOUNGE]
[INDISTINCT CHATTER]
ALEX: This is the artists lounge, where you starlets can hang out while mere mortals like me slave away at our desks.
PERSEPHONE: Seems nice.
ALEX: The coffee here is actually good, or so I heard. Again, mere mortal.
PERSEPHONE: Who’s that sleeping on the couch? Is she okay?
ALEX: Is anyone okay around here?
HERMES: That’s Eurydice.
[HERMES CHUCKLING]
HERMES: She’s fine. Totally fine. Just tired.
HERMES (strained smile): We shouldn’t let uncle Hades find her dozing off here.
ALEX: C’mon.
[FOOTSTEPS, THE TRIO WALKING THROUGH THE HALLS]
ALEX: Bathrooms are over there, and that’s Zeus’ office, which is empty except for yours truly. Stop by anytime. I’m mostly catching up on shows these past few weeks— Hermes, you didn’t hear that. And this is it.
[FOOTSTEPS GETTING CLOSER]
ALEX: Welcome to Olympus Records.
HADES: Thank you for giving Persephone such a warm welcome, Alexandra.
ALEX: It’s no problem
HADES: Now, leave us alone, yes?
[FOOTSTEPS, ALEX WALKING AWAY]
ALEX: Well, at least he said thank you.
HADES: It’s nice to meet you, Persephone.
PERSEPHONE: Nice to meet you, Mr. Olympus.
HADES: Please, call me Hades.
ALEX (to herself): Please?
PERSEPHONE: Alright. Nice to meet you, Hades.
HADES: Have you eaten anything yet?
HERMES (to himself): What?
PERSEPHONE: Not really. Airport food is terrible—
HADES: —terrible and expensive.
PERSEPHONE: Exactly!
ALEX (to herself): Expensive?
[HERMES SUSHING ALEX]
HADES: I know a place nearby who does a terrific brunch. Let me treat you to it.
PERSEPHONE: Show the way.
[FOOTSTEPS, THEY WALK AWAY, THEIR VOICES FADING]
ALEX (to herself): She’s treating her to it?
HERMES: Alex, shh…
HADES: Brunch is the perfect meal because, you know—
PERSEPHONE: Oh,because it’s food and alcohol?
HADES: Not just alcohol. Mimosas.
PERSEPHONE: Ah, I love L.A.
HADES: It’s the best.
ALEX: Mimosas? What… just happened?
HERMES: I, I think… Uncle Hades just found someone he liked for the first time in his life. Hm.
SCENE 3 – ECHOBOX SEGMENT
[ECHOBOX INTRO PLAYING]
ECHO: Hello, dear listeners. Week 3 of my comeback and Zeus still hasn’t shown up. But really, at this point? I’m getting used to it. And it’s not like Olympus Records has been radio silence either. It’s almost like we don’t need Zeus anymore. Not with Hades around, that’s for sure. I’ll let you guys guess what he did this week. Other than run poor Eurydice through the mill again, of course. Rumor has it he has been working her raggedy but hey. If you wanna be famous, that’s the price to pay. Or at least, that’s how it works in Olympus Records. You get signed, you work ‘til you drop and then you’re old news. It happened with Icarus. It happened with Perseus.
[RAIN IN THE BACKGROUND]
And now, it’s happening to Eurydice. I always thought it was Zeus’ fault, but Zeus is gone and the cycle is still going. Maybe Hades was really the mastermind behind all this, yeah? Which is why I’m concerned that Hades keeps making these new deals. He brought in a pretty, new girl less than a month ago, and now, he brought in Persephone. You might know her already. “Persephonekore” has a big following with her covers and original songs on YouTube. She’s funny, smart and can sing like a powerhouse. To sum it up, she’s ready to take L.A. by storm. And for sure doesn’t need a man like Hades to do that. Or, to guide her career. Really, Persephone. Just a heads up. A quick drive and you can find the Hunters headquarters. Blink twice if you need help. They got better cuts of profit, better work conditions and no creepy men around to bug you. It’s like— heaven. Really. Though I think anywhere is better than signing your name away in a contract under the devil, I mean— Hades. If you still didn’t do that, Perse — can I call you Perse? I’d consider re-evaluating your choices before you do. Just a friendly piece of advice.
ECHO: Now, to my listeners… I know Hades collecting women’s signatures and souls is getting repetitive, but what can I do? It’s all he does these days. I’ll keep an ear out for any updates. Until then, stay sharp, dear listeners.
[THUNDER RUMBLING]
[OUTRO MUSIC PLAYING]
This episode stars, in order of appearance, Isabella Sales as Alex/Echo, Lauren Tucker as Hecate, Ron Guan as Hermes, Lindsay Zana as Persephone and Frank Lopez as Hades. It was written by Isabella Sales and Corienne Swanson and produced by Corienne Swanson. The Echobox theme song was made by Meg McKellar. Dialogue cut by Marianna Marcon and audio and sound design by Meg Mckellar. Logo design by Lucas Eduardo Bueno and website by Andy Cerdan.
You can find the episode transcript at our website at echoboxpod dot com.
Echobox is created out of love for storytelling and provided at no profit to us but we deeply appreciate the hard work our cast and crew put into the show. If you want to help us pay them for their work, support us on our patreon at patreon dot com slash echoboxpod.
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Thank you for listening. Echobow will be back on February 6th of 2023.
[OUTRO MUSIC FADING OUT]