Chapter 24 of 99 · Book 8, A Parade of Horribles

Chapter 24 — Akuma's note; half a prayer, half a song; the sock

Book: A Parade of Horribles · Part: Horrible One · Previous: Chapter 23 — Plenty of Plenty; Zev reads the script; a note from C&W&U · Next: Chapter 25 — Fursona; Mario Kart; the hotlist · Floor: Floor 10 — Don't Come in Last · Series: the series

Opening

Akuma. The leader of the War Mage Rebellion from Faction Wars.

Summary

Akuma: the war-mage leader who killed Stalwart, stole the Gate, disappeared with the castle and set Carl on Agatha. Samantha, her sand-ooze daughter hidden in that castle, the Scavenger, Emberus, Geyrun's murder, the memorial crystal Prepotente carries — 'It was all connected somehow, and I had no idea what the fuck any of it meant.' The Pineapple Cabaret: named once before, when the AI in Growler Gary offered Formidable 'Backstage at the Pineapple Cabaret' among her banishment options, all of them bad. He will not kill two teams without knowing why. On the Dominators' driveway Dong is down with a hidden ailment Bucket Boy's level-5 Triage cannot read; 'Go away, you freak!' and 'he says he hates you now' from inside, then a slap and 'Shut up!' Quest Complete ('close enough'), no reward yet, and part two, Half a prayer, half a song: Corky is on another team and will be dead before the tenth floor ends, 'Or you, Carl and Donut, will be dead […] you gotta be realistic about these things'; Corky and Dong were lovers ('It’s almost like you’re afraid people are going to get mad if you say it out loud'); Split Personality made two halves with one memory and diverging natures — Corky the dancer close to Dong, Porky who dislikes Dong and went to be a singer; a fleshmancer's recombination frees Corcunda from the Dominators, but which personality remains is a question 'even I want to know the answer to. It’s not like the entire fate of all biological life in the universe hinges on what happens or anything […] It’s not even the same thing'; the quest fails if Dong dies; the stand-ins 'can be anyone within my sphere of influence'. Splash Zone: Porky works a performance singing guild, hidden, not in the Desperado Club or Vanquisher. The split: a crawler brawl spilled into the Penis Parade seasons ago; the Pony Boy Guild suited both halves; Porky left when Corky and Dong grew close; Corky went to find his other half and did not return — 'He asked me to go with him. I didn’t. It is my greatest shame.' Imani's wings find nothing wrong with him now, and read the truth: it was never a spell — it is the sock, healing him by proximity and sustaining him; Rosetta and Mordecai distrust sapient weapons; 'We don’t want the sock to panic.' Mongo, Rend and Bigs come back Inebriated. Carl, sick of the suffering, feels an idea forming; Dong stays off the races.

Characters

• Carl — Will not kill two teams without knowing why; feels an idea forming.
• Princess Donut — With Carl on the Dominators' driveway.
• Dong Quixote — Down with a hidden ailment that is the sock; 'It is my greatest shame'; off the races.
• Corcunda (Corky and Porky) — The lovers split by Split Personality: Corky the dancer, Porky the singer who disliked Dong.
• Genesis and Rapture (the Lady Dominators) — 'Go away, you freak!' and a slap from inside.
• Bucket Boy — Level-5 Triage reads nothing.
• Splash Zone — Porky works a hidden performance guild; the Pony Boy Guild history.
• Imani — Her wings find nothing wrong and read the truth: the sock sustains him.
• Akuma — Killed Stalwart, stole the Gate, set Carl on Agatha.
• Samantha — Her sand-ooze daughter hidden in the vanished castle.
• Princess Formidable — Once offered 'Backstage at the Pineapple Cabaret' as a banishment.
• Emberus — Geyrun's murder, connected somehow.
• Prepotente — Carries the memorial crystal.

Locations

• The garage and the cul-de-sac — The Dominators' driveway.
• The Penis Parade — Where a brawl split Corcunda seasons ago.

Motifs

• Quests — Part two, Half a prayer, half a song; fails if Dong dies; 'you gotta be realistic'.
• The war mages — Akuma's history.
• The Scavenger's Daughter — 'It was all connected somehow.'
• The Pineapple Cabaret — Named once before, among Formidable's banishments.
• Plan Carl — The idea forming.
• The arena vote and the stand-ins — Stand-ins 'can be anyone within my sphere of influence'.