[MV] The Super Wizard From Space #33: To Hell And Hell And Hell And Hell And Hell And Back Again, Part 9

[Andrew Perron]

On Wed, 20 Jun 2012 15:35:29 +0000 (UTC), Wil Alambre wrote:

You know, I'm not sure which of these characters is supposed to be
parodying Martin `.` Weird

> The charcoal shape of the Living Language crossed its arms, the
> serpentine tendrils piled around mimicking her actions.

That actually sounds adorable. I... I'm not sure why.

> He raised his arms to the sun. The others could see his spinal cord
> overfill with a liquid gold that dripped out between the vertebrae. It
> clung to him, pouring upwards along his arms, becoming interwoven with
> his nerves; by the time it reached his hands, it was impossible to tell
> the difference between the golden power and the wizard's being.

Aaaaaaaaugh I can't hold all this delicious description <3

> The Super Wizard From Space was on his hands and knees. The crown rose,
> its golden strings trying to pull him up. He didn't have the strength.
> There wasn't enough left of him here. He crumpled onto his side.

Man.

> The Devil ignored the outburst. "I've drawn up a contract that will
> satisfy the Challenge, giving the Super Wizard From Space his victory by
> way of the cosmic crown. Sign this, the whole mess gets untangled. Bob's
> your uncle, we all go home."

Oh man, what's gonna happen...

> It just passed through, clattered against the stone. "Hm. Thought this
> might be a problem. A fanciful material thing like you isn't even real
> enough to even grasp a simple idea like a pen. Well, no matter," he
> picked up the pen himself, and held it at the bottom of the contract.
> "You can whisper me your name and I'll write it down for you. It'll hold
> up, don't worry."
> 
> The wizard tilted up his head, staring at the Devil. The dawning
> realization could actually be seen. "This was it. This was the point,"
> he said.

Ooooooooooooh

> "What do you mean?" the Devil asked. He was angrier than he meant to be.
> But it felt good. "Do you mean me helping a friend? A friend that turned
> around and *killed* me when he found out about a past I was trying to
> account for? Executed and banished for Double-Hell. Without even asking
> a question. Without any regard for everything we did together. All the
> good we did.
> 
> "Or do you mean putting you in a spot where you *have* to tell me your
> name? Your secret name, where me knowing it makes me invulnerable to all
> your damn power?
> 
> "And the worst thing, the thing that just *gets* to me? It wasn't you
> killing me or all the time I spent under the thumb of my cousin. It was
> that you *never* felt regret over it. Not once. I think that must screw
> a person up, not being able to feel sorry about anything. I'm the Devil,
> for crying out loud, and even *I* feel sorry about... um, *some* of the
> things I've done."

Siiiiiiigh. <3 <3 <3 I love you, Devil.

> The Super Wizard From Space didn't have an expression. He didn't have a
> face. The Devil couldn't tell what he was thinking. But he was pretty
> sure what the choice would be. He could see right through him.

*cackle*

> "Well... yeah. Yes, of course I did," the Devil said. He took the
> contract and folded it along the worn lines. Rather than the original
> square shape, it bent and clipped wrong. It was origami that didn't
> change the parchment so much as it changed the world around it.  When he
> was done, it was in three pointed forms and was violently pregnant with
> incredible power. "Voila!" the Devil said proudly, presenting the result
> to the wizard. "The folded triangles. The Secret Living Language's
> cosmic crown."
> 
> "You tricked it," the wizard said in realization.
> 
> "I beat it with small print," the Devil agreed.

<3

> The Devil clapped his hands and from sky fell his iron pitchfork. He
> caught it nonchalantly, twirled it like a cane, and jabbed it into empty
> air. A simple crackling came from the weapon. and a pentagram-shaped
> hole tore open. On the other side lay the cobblestone road that led to
> the ruined university.
> 
> "Goodbye, old friend. You many not survive you coming trials, but 
> you'll be better for it either way."
> 
> The Super Wizard From Space nodded and returned to his own universe.

<3 <3 <3

> This arc allowed me to examine the Super Wizard character. I've been
> getting by, up until now, by focusing more on the rest of the cast than
> on the title character. Though I may continue to do so, I realize the
> Super Wizard himself is going to have to gain some depth if I want to
> continue writing his adventures past the cosmic-crown challenges. I'm
> laying down some groundwork for an evolution; I'll see if I can find
> enough of interest there, or if I'll move onto something else.

Makes sense to me!

> The Secret Living Language was a neat idea that I felt wasn't executed
> as well as it could be. It turned out more as a generic monster than an
> insidious menace. The Devil doesn't believe it has any staying power as
> a character, anywhere it manages to get to. I'll let someone else find
> out...

Oho.

> NAME: The Secret Living Language

Mmmmm yas. <3

> DESCRIPTION: Crafted by bio-philosophers in a far-off galaxy, it was an
> self-describing concept that gained a hungry sentience. It has no
> physical form or shape, being a living idea, though some types sensitive
> can make out an abstraction.

Is it still wrapped in stony Medusabits?

Andrew "NO .SIG MAN" "Juan" Perron, purr.