Adventures In Parodyverse: Touring The Mansion, Part 4 (Epilogue)

Links:
Touring The Mansion, Part 1
Touring The Mansion, Part 2
Touring The Mansion, Part 3

Adventures In Parodyverse - Touring The Mansion Part 4 (Epilogue)

    "What are you doing?"

    Visionary heard a soft, accented voice ask him as he woke up from his nap. Actually, 'woke up' was a stretch - he had been up for a while, yet unwilling to open his eyes and face the real world and all the problems it gave him. Rather than open his eyes after hearing that feminine voice, however, he just rolled over and curled up tighter under the blanket. He could feel her weight shift on the mattress but he ignored it.

    "You have been napping for two hours," the voice told him. She sounded almost worried, even sympathetic. "You won't be able to sleep tonight." She thought for a moment and then added a question. "What are you trying to avoid?"

    That finally got Visionary to open his eyes and roll over to look at Liu Xi Xian, who was sitting on her knees next to him. "Real life," he replied almost pitifully. "Worrying about my illness, and about what will happen to everyone who depends on me...all the time." He looked up and noticed that she seemed saddened by his words.

    "Who are you worried about?" she asked calmly, her eyes still saddened.

    "Kerry," he replied. "She'll have no one to take care of her if I die from this. And the Lair Legion...I only seem unimportant to them, but I'm the glue that keeps them together."

    "You won't die," Liu Xi tried to reassure him. But she could tell that he didn't believe that, and that he still worried. "You have friends," she continued.

    "I know what you're trying to do," Visionary told her as he sat up. "And thanks. But--"

    He never got to finish his sentence before Liu Xi hugged him tightly with both arms. "You won't die," she repeated. "Because if you do I won't stop until I destroy the one responsible. And you can't die knowing that."

    Visionary chuckled. "I don't know why, Liu Xi, but you seem to know just the right thing to say. Thanks...you make me laugh for the first time all day." He took a deep breath to orient himself and then stood. "I guess I'll clean myself up and see what I missed," he mumbled.

    "Should I go?" Liu Xi asked.

    "No," Visionary replied sleepily. "I...have something to give you."

    "Okay." Liu Xi leaned back and turned on the television just as he entered the bathroom.

    He was only in there for a few minutes, but it was long enough for him to realize something odd was happening outside. He could smell food. Confused, Visionary opened the door and looked into the bedroom...nobody was in there, and the smell wafted in through the doorway. He traced it into his small living room...

    ...and realized that he suddenly had a larger living room, a dining room, and a kitchen. Liu Xi was there and seemed to be making food.

    "What are you doing?" Visionary asked.

    "Making dinner," Liu Xi replied as if it were obvious. "I thought I would treat you."

    "You didn't have to do that." Visionary approached his new kitchen carefully as if he were unsure if he would fall into some kind of alternate dimension trying to exist in space that wasn't there before. He reached over and tested one fried item sitting on a plate on the counter. "Mmm," he commented. "This is very good. It's not something weird is it?" he worried.

    "No," Liu Xi laughed. "Fried vegetables. The batter is a special recipe."

    He looked at the rack of spices above the stove, still worried about what otherworldy ingredients might be there. But they seemed to all be the regular store variety. "I...guess I am a little hungry." He suddenly changed the subject when he remembered what he meant to do before. "I forgot...I was going to give you something."

    "Of course." Liu Xi quickly rinsed and cleaned off her hands.

    Visionary went to the closet, trying his best to concentrate on what he meant to do rather than asking himself how the new impossible kitchen could also have running water. He removed a small white paper box and handed it to Liu Xi as she approached.

    "What is it?" she asked.

    "Just open it."

    She did so, and inside the box was a red dress, nicely form fitting yet somewhat formal, with a sort of American interpretation of Chinese color and design. "Who is this for?" she asked, even though she knew the obvious answer already.

    "You," Visionary told her. "You always wear almost the same thing to formal occasions, I wanted you to have some variety." He shrugged slightly to add, "I had to ask Lara what your size is, though. I had no idea."

    "It's very pretty," she said as she held it up in the air so she could see it. "I like red." Liu Xi smiled a little mischievously. "Maybe I should wear this at dinner...to make things a little different."

    "That's not necessary," Visionary hesitated.

    "I see." Liu Xi nodded. "Would it make you uncomfortable? Or are you worried about what people will think?"

    "Mostly what people will think," Visionary replied quickly.

    Liu Xi sighed. "It's just preparation...like a nice tablecloth and fabric napkins," she told him. "Makes the dinner feel more like...something. So you want to take your time and enjoy it."

    "Actually," Visionary told her, "I just keep remembering what Dream said right after I bought it."

    "What did he say?" Liu Xi asked.

    "He said I should take a look at your underwear--" Visionary sighed and lowered his voice to a near whisper. "--and make sure it matches the dress."

    "It does," Liu Xi told him with a smirk. "So you don't have to look."

    "Oh." Visionary seemed embarassed anyway, even in the face of such a disarming reply. "That's...comforting, I guess."

    Liu Xi tilted her head and gave him an amused smile. "You've never heard of a girl who owns red underwear?"

    "I have, I--" Visionary stammered, trying his best to find something to distract from the subject but coming up empty.

    "Have you ever been to the beach?" Liu Xi finally asked.

    Visionary quickly took the bait, sure that it was leading away from the last question. "Yes." He then cautiously added, "Why? You're not going to put a beach in here are you?"

    "No," Liu Xi laughed at that. "If you see a girl in a bikini...it is very similar to underwear. It's just considered acceptable on a beach."

    Internally, Visionary panicked for just a moment. "Wait...you're not going to take me to Lemuria or someplace and show me a bikini...are you?"

    She smiled again. "You have quite an imagination."

    "What? No, I wasn't...I mean--"

    "I don't wear a bikini," Liu Xi told him. It is great for sunbathing, but...I like to swim, and the top would come off." She turned sideways. "I don't have the chest size for it."

    "Your chest is great, Liu Xi...I mean, it's fine." Visionary quickly tried to compliment her. "I mean...I wouldn't have bought that dress for you if I didn't think you could pull it off." His face reddened a bit as he realized his best compliment had a horrible double meaning.

    "That's a very nice thing to say," Liu Xi told him, purposely ignoring the double meaning of Visionary's last phrase. She hugged him gently, her arms across his shoulders. "Thank you."

    "Can I ask you something?" Visionary asked as Liu Xi let go of him. "How come you never notice when I say...inappropriate things to you?"

    "You have a slightly clumsy nature," Liu Xi told him with a smile. "I find it endearing. Besides, you're a good freind, and you're not afraid of me. I repay you by not being afraid of anything you say." She kissed him on the cheek. "You do try to compliment me, and you are the only one who does. You deserve my thanks. And dinner." She quickly headed toward the kitchen.

    "Yeah," Visionary said to himself, "I guess I do."

---


    "You want to take me out to dinner?" Lara looked at Jay when they returned to the Lair Mansion. He seemed confused by her question. She lowered her voice to a whisper as she added, "I need some time away from Dream. He's nice, but...the subtleties of what he says to me are kind of tiring after a while."

    "I was going to eat with Chiaki, but...she's meeting some friends," Jay told her. "So yeah, sure. I can whisk you away for a while."

    "Cool." Lara smiled at him and followed him back outside. "I guess what disturbs me is that I'm not sure what Dream's intentions are."

    "You mean they aren't clear enough from what he says?" Jay joked.

    Lara chuckled at that. "No, I mean...he has a girlfriend, and from what I hear he's pretty serious about her. So...does he just want someone to spar with verbally or does he really intend to cheat? Or does he not consider it cheating if he gets me for just one night? I dunno."

    "I guess you'd have to ask him," Jay admitted.

    "I don't have any experience with someone like him," she told him. "I'm not even sure how I can ask something like that without insulting him."

    "Would you, though?" Jay asked.

    Lara looked confused by the question. "Would I what? Ask him?"

    "No, I mean...if he meant to cheat would you go along with that?"

    "No!" Lara exclaimed quickly. She laughed. "No, really, I'm not that kind of girl. But I don't want Dream to think I would, that's why I want to be sure of his intentions."

    Jay shrugged. "All I can suggest is you make your own thoughts on it clear."

    "I did," she replied. "Kind of, anyway. I...did indicate that I don't approve of cheating."

    "If I recall you told him that a threesome was a covert way to cheat," Jay pointed out. "Maybe he thinks that means you approve as long as it's blatant."

    "No, come on." Lara shook her head. "Really? Would he think that?"

    He shrugged. "Dream is an agent of Chaos, Lara. I've known him long enough to know that he's very unpredictable. Sometimes I think he'll do things just to throw off the entire balance of the universe."

    "How does he keep a girlfriend?" Lara asked. She thought about it for a moment and then sighed. "Hmm," she whispered. "She must be one very understanding girl." She smiled at Jay. "And you must be one very understanding guy."

    "You have no idea." Jay laughed as he escorted Lara to dinner.

---

    "Did you enjoy the dinner?" Liu Xi asked Visionary. She sat across from him wearing her new red dress, making him feel a little under-dressed.

    He groaned, but didn't reply. He did indeed enjoy the dinner, so much that he severely over-ate.

    "I think I can take that as a yes." Liu Xi smiled. She stood and began cleaning up.

    "No, no," Visionary insisted, "Let me clean up. You worked very hard to make this. Besides, I don't want you to mess up your new dress."

    "That's very sweet," Liu Xi told him as she sat down again.

    "Where did you learn to cook like this?" he asked her. "You could be a professional chef."

    "Me?" she shook her head and laughed. "My parents in China...they both worked. I cooked for them, and I learned how to cook more things after I was brought here." She shrugged and gave him an amused smile. "I learned more to show off, I guess."

    "It paid off." Visionary shifted to make himself more comfortable.

    Liu Xi smiled. "Thank you."

    "Now could you tell me how all these bits and pieces you've been telling me about add up?" he asked. "How you've become the perfect host? How that relates to your not liking to be touched?"

    The Chinese teen seemed to think for a moment, but didn't say anything right away. It was as if she were deciding whether or not to reveal her secrets to Visionary. "I...was brought here to be prepared to become a man's wife," she said delicately.

    "That's not too bad," Visionary replied. "Who was the lucky guy?"

    "I was to be sold as a wife," Liu Xi clarified. "To someone who didn't love me."

    "Oh." His heart sank as he said quietly, "That's bad." He thought for a moment and added, "But that explains why you're such a good cook. You had to impress or you couldn't be sold. Right?"

    Liu Xi nodded. "And I was chosen by one. But the first meeting went badly...for me."

    "Were you abused?" Visionary asked.

    "Misused," Liu Xi corrected. "But I won't go into more detail. It would offend your sensitive nature."

    "Thanks, I guess," he mumbled. "I hope your experience didn't sour your opinion of all guys."

    "No, it hasn't." she shook her head. "I was smart enough to blame those who misdirected me. And after I trained with Manga Shoggoth I learned to...figure people out a little by watching them before I interact."

    "Ohhh," Visionary exclaimed. "That's why you seem so distant and scary sometimes. Not to me, I mean, but to some people."

    "Yes," she replied. "I thought it was easier to appear distant and scary. But now I'm a little lonely."

    "So that's why you asked me if I'd date you if I could? Because you wanted to know if you had a chance with anyone at all?"

    She nodded.

    "Liu Xi," Visionary smiled as he spoke, "You and I are so similar in some ways it's scary. Not scary like...well, you know what I mean...don't you?"

    "Yes, I know." Liu Xi laughed. "And I feel like you know me a little better now. Maybe now you won't be so nervous when I drop in."

    "Yes, well...about that...maybe you should warn me before you visit or something?"

    She gave him a mischievous smile. "And be predictable? Where is the fun in that?"

---

    Lara wasn't looking forward to her assignment after she had dinner with Jay. He herded her through the doors of the Lair Mansion and toward the private quarters of Dreamcatcher Foxglove.

    "Jay," she explained to him, "I like honesty as much as you do but...I'm afraid I might hurt his feelings."

    He ignored her plea and knocked on the door of Dream's quarters loudly. They heard what sounded like a thump and a crash and then feet heading toward the door. The door opened...and Dream was wearing only a towel.

    "Jay!" Dream exclaimed as he opened the door. "Is this an emergency? Cause I'm kinda in the middle of something."

    Lara tugged at Jay's arm as she easily guessed, from the looks of things, what exactly she and Jay had interrupted. "This doesn't seem like the right time," she told Jay diplomatically.

    Jay urged her to speak anyway, ignoring her second protest.

    She sighed. "Do you intend--" she paused again in mid sentence and looked at Jay, who prodded her forward. "Do you intend to...you know...sleep with me even though you have a girlfriend?"

    "If she lets me," Dream replied almost too quickly. "Maybe she'll even help."

    Lara tried not to react to his answer. Instead, she just continued on. "I...guess I should tell you that I don't...really approve of that." She sounded a little nervous as she spoke.

    "That's just cause you're not used to being open minded," Dream told her, sounding as if he had heard the phrase she struggled to speak a thousand times before. "I know you're a brave girl, Lara. Sex is about really letting go and trusting someone else. You'll never truly experience it until you do just that."

    "It's not that," Lara spoke more relaxed finally, "I guess...when there are more than just two people involved it becomes very complicated for me. I don't like complicated."

    "You just need to learn," Dream told her.

    "So you're not going to let up on me?" Lara frowned.

    "Is that what you wanted?" Dream asked. "Cause if I'm honestly making you uncomfortable...tell me, honestly...am I?"

    "Honestly?" Lara began, "I enjoy being flattered, I guess...but I don't want you to expect anything from me in return. I worry that you have been."

    Dream smiled. "I never expect anything," he said, "It's the nature of Chaos. I just take my best shot and see what happens." He gently stroked Lara's chin once. "Sometimes what happens is truly extraordinary." With that, he suddenly leaned forward and held Lara's chin while he gave her an extensive kiss...

    ...and then he took a step back and closed the door.

    Lara stood there, dazed, and blinked twice. "I'm...not sure I got through to him," she whispered sadly.

    "You did," Jay reassured her. "But he has his own way. He's an agent of Chaos after all...everything he does is chaotic."

    She laughed. "Chaotic. That describes him pretty well. Every time I try to talk seriously to him I feel like I've been through a hurricane."

    Jay raised an eyebrow. "Well, if you feel like that just from talking to him...just imagine what chaotic sex would be like. Giving in to him might not be too bad for you."

    "Don't you start," Lara warned him.

    "Sorry." He smiled. "Just poking fun. I can't resist a little chaos of my own once in a while."

    "Chaos or no chaos." Lara smiled too and hugged Jay. "You've treated me like a friend the entire time I've been here. Thank you."

    "Sounds like you're leaving?" Jay asked her, sounding a little disappointed.

    "Yes," she replied with a sigh. "But I'll be back. And I'll miss you when I'm away."

-- Story written and copyrighted (C) 2005 by Jason Froikin, and may not be
-- reprinted without permission.
-- Lara Night (C) 2005 by Jason Froikin, all rights reserved
-- All other characters property of their respective owners

Post By Anime Jason Sat Jul 23, 2005 at 01:23:29 pm EDT	Subject Adventures In Parodyverse: Touring The Mansion, Part 4 (Epilogue)

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