~ two

The gunshop door locks, the window shutters drop.

Mary - "Don't fuck with me Sam."

Samael - (at the counter) "I'm just saying it's conspicuous.  And if you get caught and talk a lot about it, things might happen."

 

Mary - "I don't know ... they've got those prisons pretty well locked down after that one incident ... "

Samael - "Wouldn't stop me."

Mary - "Why ?  What would be the most efficient way to handle that ?"

... fingers tapping ...

Mary - "I mean I'm 'considered' antisocial like a potential outbreak of evil and solitary confinement is like right there on the outer wall of the building. 

"You would just need to do it in some way So Absurd No One would Ever think it would've been a two bit trigger like you or me so ... what would you use ?"

Samael - "Fine !  Shut up !  Yes it's a great plan.  Just ... have you ever heard of quiet ?"

Mary - "Pretty sure I fucked quiet in the ass while it was screaming my name at the mall once."

Samael - "Got any pictures ?"

 

Mary - Bursts out laughing, "You win this round, mister Sam I-Am ... "

Parasol playing Mario ...

The house now devoid of all anything, white walls, blank sheets.

Mary comes home with a baseball bag (they're duffel bags long enough to hold bats with a gear extensions on both sides for gloves and balls making them yet longer but still clearly for sports and by the way I don't play fucking sports).

Parasol - "There's no light gun, but you have a copy of Duck Hunt.  Explain yourself."

Mary - Reacting with near suspicion to the fact she's still there ... "Um.  Hi !  You ... cleaned the house !" ... works the gunsafe ... tosses the gun.  Suspiciously, "Is ... "

Parasol - "Excellent.  And how was murder ... ?"

Mary - "No technical murder just yet ... just setting us up for life.  An old mining family.  How's your blood-lust ?"

Parasol - (still playing) "I et all zee eggs ... "

Mary - "Ready for the real thing ?"

Parasol - "Hang on I'm using my horrible powers to beat the world record speed run."

Mary - "Did you literally just sideline me for a video game ?"

Parasol - "Like five minutes.  Less than."

...

Mary - "This could actually work.  Drinks ?"

Parasol - "After.  I mean after I celebrate my soon to come world renown by fucking your brains out.  Then we get drunk.  Hang on."

...

Mary - "Huh."

~ onscreen, 'upload complete'.  A selfie snapped with Parasol licking her confused face.  Mary's head kicks back in bed, eyes wide, blood pool forming in the sheets, "... oh ... my ... god ... "

Mary asleep with her tongue hanging out amid the drool, Parasol closes her eyes.

The view from the soldier fields and up the dangling roots over the factory, over the great tree, a green woman working around a seer pool in a limb-woven tree-house which appears purposely grown as such.

Down the other side where waterfalls pour over a massive goddess carved in like a seated Venus of Willendorf, blood pouring into the rivers from the cave between the legs.

This monument surrounded by temples and walkways where a populace gathers and the young go to school.  And to the open mountain ring around a crater's valley.

Castles of various cultures circle the ring slowly like sailing through stone, marking their diplomatic maneuvers like a clock.

At the far side of the ring from the great tree, a gate the size of the mountain it marks, closes with a deep crashing sound.  A castle's hidden legs extend spider like from into one welcoming cliff to the next over its gap.

The valley is kept simple but tree hidden signs of settlement and herd and a yurt like structure at the center where 'Parasol' appears in smoke, geared as she was in the view of such worlds.

She bangs on the door annoyed.  An old man answers after some struggle with a robe.  His eyes go wide with a smile.  

nameless - "Oh !  The prodigal one returns ... and what was the last thing you said to me ?  Can't seem to recall ..."  Looks her over.  "Kept the armor though.  Nice."

Parasol - "Yes.  Hi dad.  Why are your soldiers attacking my girlfriend ?"

nameless - "Girlfriend ?"

...

nameless - "God I hate boys your age.  I accept this.  So you're a vampire now."

Parasol - "Yes I'm a vampire now.  Why are your soldiers attacking my girlfriend ?"

nameless - "I don't know ... why are my soldiers attacking your girlfriend ?  Nice job by the way, we all watched the helmet feeds.  But we're marking slaver's and their circles.  So you tell me."

...

Parasol - "So she just has to do this one job.  And it's not for a technical slaver, it's actually just killing some !"  Smiles wide ...

nameless - "Uh huh."

Parasol - "Don't do that.  Which will be good for you too and then we'll be set for this life.  She and I."

nameless - "Mm."

Parasol - "Please stop.  And please let us do this one thing.  Please.  I'll ... what.  What's a recovering warlord of a fucking father want from a daughter that isn't like ... 'shattering realms' or what-not."

nameless - A laugh and a smile ... catches himself and return serious.  "Uuummm ... wow !  I'm really very proud of you."  Clears his throat, "Wanna ... play chess sometime ?"

Parasol - "Deal."  She disappears in smoke and wakes up in bed with a smile, looks over at Mary and curls up aside.

And back to that world, the castles crawling through the mountainside and credits while the armors work their way through the world, targets marked.

Back to the cultural castles, mirroring the ties through modern diplomacy as the soldiers pass those regions and into the darkness of the goddess womb set into the mountainside.