Chapter eight

[thebestseller]

Hey, my cutout's finally gone. I've looked around everywhere, but it disappeared. It was getting to be a nuisance, but now... you know how something's a tad bit annoying and intrusive but you get used to its presence anyway and then when it's gone you miss it a little? Yeah.

Not that this is an invitation to give me another one, Paradisa, just in case you're getting ideas.

Comments

[the_effect_she_has]

If wishes were loaves of bread, we would all eat like kings.

[thebestseller]

Ain't that the truth. Especially in the magic wishing castle.

[the_effect_she_has]

I try not to wish anything from the magical wishing castle. It's dangerous.

[thebestseller]

You know, I'm starting to agree. Of course, not that avoiding wishes stops things from happening anyway.

[the_effect_she_has]

[One corner of her mouth lifted up.] Yes, it's the kind of slippery slope that you're not really sure where you started, until you're all the way at the bottom.

[bro_codebreaker]

I've had girlfriends like that, yeah. [have the laugh of a man who's way too pleased with his own joke] Say whaaaaaat.

[rightchoices]

[ Lee will spend a solid moment attempting to puzzle out just what, exactly, he means. ]

Your cutout?

[thebestseller]

Yup. Had a cardboard cutout of myself following me around.

[thebestseller]

Ohhhh, SNAP.

[thebestseller]

What a life, huh?

[the_effect_she_has]

I've seen worse.

[thebestseller]

That I don't doubt. Considering how many people here could have walked straight out of the pages of fiction in my world...

[the_effect_she_has]

...You're a writer? [She pressed her lips together, biting her top lip.] What have you written?

[thebestseller]

Mysteries. Crime novels. I'm rather famous for it where I come from.

[rightchoices]

Been in the castle so long I can't tell if you're being literal here or not.

[the_effect_she_has]

So those are like ... fake murder stories, right? So you're a good writer? [She's quiet, for a moment.] I've thought about writing.

[thebestseller]

I am being literal. Actual piece of cardboard, like I've had at my book signings, with my handsome mug right on it.

[thebestseller]

Yeah, exactly. "Good" is something people will debate about, but I'm pretty popular, so at least I entertain folks, and that's what I aim for.

Well, that's a good thing to aspire to do. What do you want to write about?

[the_effect_she_has]

Entertaining people with stories is better than entertaining people with other things.

[She thought about it, for a long moment.] I ... haven't had the easiest of childhoods. And, if I ever have children? I wouldn't want them to go through the same things I did. I wouldn't want their generation to make my great-great-great grandparents mistakes. So maybe I'd write about what happened to me, to my home.

[rightchoices]

.. this place is really fucking stupid sometimes, isn't it.

[thebestseller]

Tell me about it. The novelty wore off pretty fast. Especially when it was still there when we got whisked off to play with dinosaurs.

[bro_codebreaker]

Come on, bro. Girls are crazy, don't tell me you can't say the same.

[hatedbyfanboys]

You could always make a new one.

[rightchoices]

Could always use it as a.. decoy, I guess.

[thebestseller]

Think I'll pass. It got to be pretty weird having myself watching me do everything.