Adventures in Parodyverse:  Choices Part 3


    Ã¢â‚¬Å“What do you want?”  Faite demanded as she appeared from a dark mist at Herringcarp Asylum.  This time, she wore her usual charcoal robes.

    The Hooded Hood had a quite interesting way of summoning her.  It was almost as if they two played a constant game - he would make a change to the Parodyverse that would bring its near immediate doom, and Faite would no doubt make a counter-correction.  Then she would visit him to scold him personally.

    Or at least that’s how it went the first few times, until it became obvious to Faite who was doing it and why.  Now she simply dropped by the Hooded Hood and asked him what he wanted.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Are you curious about the choice I offered Hatman?”  Faite asked.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“No,”  the Hooded Hood replied.  “I understand that much.  I’m curious why you didn’t give the Chinese elementalist a similar offer.”

    Faite frowned, and crossed her arms.  “Because I don’t play petty soap opera games, Ioldabaoth.”  

    He chuckled ironically.  “I’m not the one playing games, Faite.  Remember, I know everything you do.  Liu Xi Xian is gaining power rapidly.”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Yes.”  Faite replied quietly.  “You sound like you’re proud of her.”

    The Hooded Hood raised an eyebrow.  “Indeed.  She was brought up fearful, and submissive.  There were certain highly unlikely circumstances which had to occur to bring her to this current point in time.  There were certain trials she had to endure.”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“But her trials are over now, aren’t they?”  Faite asked.  “She has control over all six elements now.”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“No.”  The Hooded Hood corrected her.  His eyes glowed threateningly green.  “They’re just beginning.”

    The Portal of Pretentiousness began to glow, and then it faded into view of a neat row of robed and hooded men and women marching slowly across a windy desert.  They carried banners...and each one displayed a crude drawing of a featureless girl in a red silk dress, with jet black hair.

    They marched straight from the desert to the ocean, and the water solidified to carry them.  They were on a journey, and nothing could stand in their way.

    
---


    Anna pulled a cord out of the back of her neck, and sat on top of the counter inside Hallie’s control center.  She plugged directly into one of the server data ports.  It was the best way she knew to have a private conversation with the complex A.I. - and she provided a benefit for Hallie in exchange, allowing the Lair Mansion’s guardian to sample some of her complex sensory data.

    Ã¢â‚¬ËœYou’re curious about whether there’s another like you?’  Hallie figured out from Anna’s most prominent memories.

    Ã¢â‚¬ËœCurious.  Perhaps afraid.’  Anna replied internally.

    Hallie paused for a few milliseconds, but for her that was an eternity.  ‘Can we do this in person?  I like to practice talking to people.’

    Ã¢â‚¬ËœOkay.’  Anna unceremoniously pulled the cord free, and waited for Hallie’s hologram to appear.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“It’s going to be tough breaking into SPUD’s secret files.”  Hallie told her.  “Really tough.”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“I thought you were the best.”  Anna protested.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“I am.”  Hallie smirked pridefully.  “But...they’re waiting for me to try, so they can have an excuse.  One slip-up, and they send armed troops into the mansion to seize me under the guise of protecting national security.  They set up bait files almost identical to real ones just for the purpose of trapping me like that, only missing critical data.  If they know I’ve been in there, we’re all in trouble.”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Ironically,”  Hallie sighed, “the best way to find out if there’s another like you is to have SPUD try to kill the Lair Legion.  Obviously that’s extremely risky.”

    Anna sat up when she heard that.  “They do simulations!  I remember them!  They did simulations with me to figure out how to best use me to neutralize the most dangerous Legionnaires.  Maybe they have new ones of those.”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Simulations, eh?”  Hallie thought about that for a moment.  Then she said, “I’ll do my best, Anna, but no promises.  Be prepared for disappointment.”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“I understand.”  she replied with a nod.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“And you know,”  Hallie added quickly, “You really should at least tell Hatman you’re doing this.  If it all blows up, he’s going to find out anyway.”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“I’ll tell him.”  Anna promised.  

    She slid off the counter and headed back into the hallway.  The Control Center door slid shut and locked behind her - it was the most secure room in the whole Lair Mansion, to protect Hallie.

    Anna headed upstairs quickly, on her way to locate Hatman and meet with him to keep her promise to Hallie, and tell him what she was up to.  She froze when she reached the top of the staircase, and could see out of a tall window at the beginning of the hallway.

    Off in the edge of the property was the silhouette of a man.  Unlike Liu Xi, who dismissed seeing something similar, Anna had the tools to examine the situation more closely, even as the shape moved away quickly.

    She managed to only get fuzzy images, but she also captured infrared.  And it disturbed her greatly.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Hallie?”  she called out, her voice echoing in the hallway.

    The familiar green form of the Mansion’s A.I. appeared.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“There is a mechanical or cybernetic male stalking the Lair Mansion.”  Anna said.  “I can go outside and investigate if you want.”

    Hallie glanced out the window, in a more symbolic than useful gesture.  She could see out there more easily using external cameras.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“No, not just yet,”  the hologram replied, shaking her head.  “I’ve seen blurry images of him on the external cameras.  We don’t want him to know we’re watching until he does something.”

    While Hallie was speaking, Anna was still watching out the window.  “He’s doing something,”  Anna said.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Is he?”  Hallie asked casually.  She moved over to the window and looked out.  A human looking male face with glowing red eyes looked back, from just on the other side of the glass, dripping wet from the rain outside.

    Hallie gasped in surprise.


---


    Liu Xi Xian left the campus of the university, having attended her two scheduled classes of the day.  Her hair was a little wet from the downpour that hit her as she left the building.  She wanted to use Void to escape it, but not in view of every student on campus.

    She froze suddenly just as she was about to cross the center square of the campus, as she noticed a large mob of robed men and women sitting around like some sort of weird medieval convention.  At first she thought they might be students having some sort of demonstration - but then she noticed the banner they carried.  A crudely painted featureless girl with jet black hair and a red Asian styled dress.

    A dress that looked very much like one she owned.

    Liu Xi turned and tried to head for the building, but she had been spotted.  There were surprised gasps and chattering from the crowd, and then one man in a particularly colorful robe, who was also carrying the banner, approached her.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“You’re Gaia!  The Goddess of Elements!”  the robed man insisted.  He kneeled very low, bowing his head almost to the ground.  “Teach us the way!”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Teach us the way!” the other robed people echoed, as they bowed just like their leader did.


---


    Ã¢â‚¬Å“I panicked.”  Liu Xi whispered to Yuki Shiro.  “I came directly here, and you’re the first one I found.”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Hmm.”  Yuki pondered quietly.

    The two of them were in Hatman’s office.  Hatman wasn’t there at the moment - he was handling a crisis with an intruder elsewhere in the mansion.

    Yuki answered, “Let’s talk to the Shoggoth.  He likes playing with cults.”

    The purple-haired Legionnaire led Liu Xi to a room she disliked going to, but the Chinese girl didn’t seem to mind.

    Deep in the bowels of the Lair Mansion was the Manga Shoggoth’s quarters.  The room was only occasionally rectangular, sometimes with multiple angles, some of them impossible.  Fortunately, the Shoggoth had the good manners to switch off the light when people dropped by.

    In spite of Yuki’s warning, Liu Xi entered the Shoggoth’s room as soon as the door was open.  Yuki knew well to stay out of there.  Fortunately, for her, Liu Xi urged the Manga Shoggoth to come outside to the hall to talk to her.

    Yuki quickly briefed the blasphemous elder being about the cult Liu Xi ran into at the University.  Though she doubted they’d still be there, she was sure either the Shoggoth could track them down, or at the very least, they they were in the process of tracking Liu Xi.  Either way, they were destined to meet the Manga Shoggoth.

    After her briefing, the Manga Shoggoth rose into the air, and then shrunk until it disappeared in a point with an audible and sloppy ‘pop’ sound.  Yuki shuddered when she heard it.

    She then turned her attention to the Chinese girl.  “Liu Xi, how is it the Manga Shoggoth’s insane room doesn’t bother you?”

    Liu Xi shrugged.  “How would you handle it if you discovered everything solid, like a wall, can fit a whole universe inside?  You just learn to accept it, and not really think about it.  Like when you watch a movie that’s not very good.”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Oh.  That makes pretty good sense.”  Yuki admitted.  “I guess it bothers me so much because I’m so analytical.”

    She turned quickly when she heard an explosion from outside the mansion.  “That can’t be good.”


---


    Anna had just opened the window and blasted the mechanical stranger with relatively low-power lasers from her eyes.  She meant to blast him away from the mansion without creating a big enough superheated air detonation to shatter the windows.

    She then leapt out after him and blasted him again, before he managed to get up, knocking him even farther away.  She was a little shocked that he wasn’t damaged by either shot - not even his clothing.

    Ã¢â‚¬ËœHallie...find Hatman.’  she radioed to Hallie on an encrypted Lair Legion frequency.  ‘I think we have a problem.’

    Hallie watched out the window as Anna moved in close to the intruder.  She scanned and realized that he had lasers too, and she didn’t want to find out what kind of damage they would do to her.  So she counted on the skills it took her to learn, in close combat.

    Anna hit the mechanical intruder three times, rapidly, before realizing that he was stronger and faster.  He literally reached over, grabbed her, and hurled her across the lawn before she could react.  She bounced twice, painfully.

    Ã¢â‚¬ËœHang on, I’m getting help.’  Hallie told her.

    And that help arrived, only not what Anna expected.  Yuki Shiro ambushed the intruder, slamming him downward hard.  It confused him, but he remained on his feet.

    Anna felt alarm at that, knowing that if he turned his attention on Yuki, she wouldn’t survive.  But she did know Yuki could survive a close encounter with her lasers at full power.

    There was a sudden high-pitched whine, as Anna redirected as much power through her laser eyes as she could, quickly enough so the intruder wouldn’t be able to figure out what she was doing and dodge it.  The explosion threw him airborne, though undamaged, and threw him against the short stone wall around the Mansion, shattering it.

    Yuki was lying on her stomach with her arms over the back of her head, and only had to weather some debris pelting her.

    Just as the stranger sat up and turned his laser eyes on Anna, Hatman slammed into him wearing a Steelers cap, smashing him through the wall, and tumbling into the bay.  Hatman switched to his Dolphins cap and escaped his grasp easily as he watched the rogue mechanical male sink like a stone toward the bottom.

    He then launched himself out of the water, removing his hat and transforming back to himself as he fell to shore.  

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“He’ll be back.”  he said as he tried to wring the water from his hair.  He looked at Anna briefly.  “Good work keeping him out of the mansion.”

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Thank you.”  Anna replied nervously.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“What the hell...?”  Yuki suddenly asked.  She wasn’t looking at Hatman or Anna - instead, she was focused on a parade of robed people walking across the bridge to the Lair Mansion.  The one in the lead held a banner that was difficult to see in the storm-filtered light.

    The Shoggoth appeared out of thin air with an audible and wet ‘pop’ sound that was rather sickening.  This must be the cult that’s following Liu Xi.  I’ll have a conversation with them.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“I hate when he does that.”  Yuki mumbled to herself.  She looked back toward the mansion, where she knew somewhere Liu Xi was watching and hiding.  She didn’t blame the young girl - Liu Xi had been captured so many times, she would do anything to avoid it happening again.

    There was a splashing from the edge of the bay, and the mechanical man began to emerge from the water.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Great.”  Yuki commented.  “Just what we needed, two problems at once.”

    She looked at the approaching cult in time to see them bind the Shoggoth in a swirling cage of yellow sparkling lights.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Three problems at once.”  she corrected.

    Liu Xi emerged from the open Lair Mansion window, her expression a mix of anger and fear.  She was angry at the way they treated the Manga Shoggoth, but afraid of what the cult would do when she confronted them.

    At the same time, Anna steadied herself, but only faintly masked the worry she felt if she were unable to help stop the mechanical man that apparently mirrored some of her own abilities, except that he was stronger and faster.

    Yuki cursed, unable to decide which enemy to take on first.

    Hatman took a deep breath, and stood tall.  He was the leader of the Lair Legion, and he had a plan.

    Ã¢â‚¬Å“Yuki, Liu Xi, Anna...let’s switch off.  We’re taking them both at once.”    


TO BE CONTINUED
    

-- Story written and copyrighted (C) 2009 by Jason Froikin, and may not be 
--    reprinted without permission.  
-- Yuki Shiro designed by Jason Froikin, based on designs by Masamune Shirow
--  Liu Xi Xian and the Psychic Samurai are original design by Jason Froikin
--  Lara Night is an original creation by Jason Froikin

It also occured to me as I read this how your style has evolved over time. Your prose has always been good but you're making more sophisticated use of description and reaction to move and pace your scenes than ever before and your dialogue is becoming more distinguished in its syntax and style for each character. The latter is especially helpful given that you have several female characters with fairly standard speech patterns; those linguistic nuances help to differentiate.

It's not a major change or anything, just a slow evolution that I happened to pick up on today (perhaps because of taking a short break from PV reading). It's more proof of the adage that the only way to become a writer is to write.

I've actually been trying to increase the amount of detail, or at least tactile information, gradually without making the stories so heavy with it that they're boring or painful to read.

The different speech patterns were done purposely to reflect the personalities and quirks of each character.

For instance, Liu Xi (who I use as an example because she's particularly complicated): Her speech reflects her quiet, easygoing, yet outspoken nature, and her phrases are tainted by that accent of hers. She chooses words and phrasing that she has the least difficulty pronouncing, which means I have to think about how they would sound.

Yuki talks the same way she behaves. She's impatient, but very careful, as well with her words. So she talks fast, but she chooses her words carefully. And every once in a while you see her more thoughtful side come out when she slows down a bit.

Anna speaks very purposefully and very formally, and watches every word carefully, because she's so aware of how delicate the relationships she has are. She's terrified she'll say something that will get her into trouble.

Lara has a free-spirited way of talking, with a hint of mischief, which suits her perfectly. She also has a highly empathetic twist to her speech sometimes, which makes her a good negotiator.

Looking forward to the action next chapter!