Labrys’s Egg: An Electrical Fairy Tale Under Ground

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Labrys’s Egg: An Electrical Fairy Tale Under Ground

Founded Upon The Mastery Of Electricity And The Optimism Of Its Devotees. It Was Written For Adults, But Others May Read It

⚤⚢

On the morning of the second day after his sixteenth birthday, the ruby red-headed, red-bearded, and red-irised Ash Anderson lay in bed in his white pajamas with red threaded runes of cleansing throughout, like he was doing just 26 hours ago. But instead of thinking about what he was going to do now, he was now thinking on what had just happened over the last day. After his wish on the longest night hadn’t been answered for so long, he didn’t expect that using his birthday wish to wish for it to be answered would work. But work it did, and that was just the kind of thing that happened to people with as much luck as he had.

Then again, a lot of it was due to his aunt Mirai, the Witch of Fate and Fortune. Inciter of his whole life, from his parents’ meeting, his name, and now this, his first job out of school.

And it's not like he coasted, he stood on the shoulders of the scouts that came before him, letting him know that his Gal Pals were strong enough to protect him from everything. Ibby could run and drill through the first boss just as easily as Fiona could bolt through the second.

Ash had been told what to expect, but nothing but the real deal would've prepared him for the enormity and enormousness of the dragon he faced. Where the dragon’s sister on the surface was just a huge tree that communicated with soothing illusory sights and sounds, her brother was a being engineered to be intimidating. Ash mainly just remembered the black maw barely visible in the dim red light, sized to fit the largest of men, speaking at him in a voice that shook the ground. Ash only remained standing due to the shortness of the single word of agreement necessary to seal the contract that had been negotiated between them. What happened after that was a blur of sweet cake and strong drink, but the dragon stayed in Ash’s dreams, not letting him forget the deal.

But he trusted his aunt, so he soon put it all behind him so he could focus on his new job. Defending his boss from intruders, and protecting the wish-seekers from getting their wishes granted.

And the first step of his new job would be doing an inventory of his current supplies, starting with the biggest new thing he apparently owned: the strange heat-emitting device that looked way too over-engineered and large to be just for the clock its digital display was showing.

> Matrixtech UltraLove 26A2 (Modified) <
> Initially a piece of technology from #####. This technological wonder of a device was designed by M@7R!xTe©4 to take in genetic samples from 2 donors to start the process of fetal development. This multi-use device has been modified with an Ether Crystal, a piece of CasΤϱ @NⲀ£ytic5 Android technology, and the Gamemon System, to guarantee an uninterrupted power supply and to be consumed for the FULL TERM incubation of a BadGal EggPal formed from the genes of an iBLUAPK and an Isarnom Banda Homo Cuniculus. <
> [Reveal original description?] <
> [Go to Ether Crystal description?] <
> [Go to Gamemon System description?] <
> [Go to Bad Egg description?] <
> [Go to Gal Pal description?] <
> [Go to iBLUAPK description?] <
> [Go to Isarnom Banda Homo Cuniculus description?] <
> 4823 void-credits <

Suddenly, the display stopped showing that the time was 8:15AM, being pushed off the screen by the ellipses coming from the right, then slowly, words wrote themselves on the screen, one character at a time.

“Good Morning, Master.”

It stayed still just long enough for it to be recognized, then moved off faster than before, to make way for:

“Would you like to review the logs? ((d[-_-]b))”

And this time it stayed around. Taking the hint, Ash said “Yes.” aloud.

Electromaster
Has a 100% chance of granting Mastery over Electronics on contact.

Judging from the logs, it seemed like Fiona and Ibby got what they wanted too, and she’s named ラビリス.

What she is, wasn’t clear at all, despite the complete visual transparency and LED backlighting. She was just too small. And yet she spoke. Well, texted.

After reading through the logs, Ash found himself feeling hungry.

“Rabirisu, how do I get something to eat?”

“Put your watch on, and I’ll guide you.”

And so Ash was guided through the dank and dimly lit carved stone hallways between the rooms of his new workplace. Navigating mainly by the light and voice of his watch and its newborn AI respectively. And not stopping every so often like he did when walking the same sort of caves less than a day ago, protected from the monsters he had encountered previously, by being on the same side.

> Infinite Energizer (Electricity) <

> Modifying an Energizer with an Ether Crystal in the correct way has turned the previously single-use item into one with unlimited uses.

Energizer (Electricity)

Energizes user with Electric Element.


[Go to Ether Crystal description?] <
> 218 void-credits <

Now that he had left his newest abode, his old AI finished what she was doing and made her way to the room her master had just vacated, accompanied by her bosom friend and coworker, Ibby, since it took both of them to move the UltraLove last time, and it wouldn’t do for any of them to stay in a spare room now that they had their own freshly drilled-out rooms.

And to pass the time while doing physical labor, the horned girl asked her bluestocking-ed friend about her plans while carrying their daughter for the first time ever.

“So, how are we going to be protected?”

“Electric Gels.”

“Mmm? What are they like?”

Electric Gels: An lucky search result has netted you something that's ordinarily an easy monster, but this species has been blessed with an extraordinary evolutionary history, making it deviate from multiple trends, it's to slimes like humanoids are to simians. Developing and making the most of combinations of rare features. It's not like the more common mainly magivorous mage slimes, Electric Gels are omnivores. Strong magic users rarely engage in physical combat, but Electric Slimes aren't afraid to slug it out, and they're good at it. It's rare for beings that can shapeshift between big and small to be predatory even when undisguised, but these ones are.

The only non-standard downsides are that like all monsters from the Epik System, they lay eggs yearly, so getting more is tough, and they only come in female forms.

After Ibby placed the UltraLove on a nice clean piece of flooring in her room, she noticed a surprising lack of hunger even though her previous meal was a cake, more than 8 hours of constant physical activity ago.

Her master didn't need her to check his food, and she didn't feel tired right now.

Fairy Horny: All Horn techniques are 50% more effective, and will be treated as being Fairy type, in addition to their original type, when advantageous. Horn purifies.

[Reveal lengthy non-combat info?]
[Go to Horn description?]
[Go to Fairy description?]

While Ash had breakfast, Rabirisu tried to learn as much about the world she was going to hatch into as she could with the brain power she inherited, even as she was stuck observing from his wrist, she was still a skillful AI.

Looker: See and be seen, as well, and good. Prevents sight-obscuring status effects from working. You are incredibly good-looking. On a scale of one to ten, you are a perfect ten. You look as good as it is possible to look and you stay that way no matter what your condition or the circumstances might be. Requires visual perception.

But looking outward was boring, since she already saw everything in the dungeon. What was really interesting was the contents of her current container.

And one specific document in particular, the summary of her Master’s work contract, since it governed how much money she was going to get.

Contract.txt

Earnings defined as a percentage of sales on materials from your dungeon area, dependent on type of goods sold.

Commission per successful battle dependent on opponent’s total power and cash on hand.

50% Discount on in-Dungeon medical services and food.

No overtime pay, but has lunch breaks every day.

They were currently at a slight net gain in funds compared to where they were at when they entered the dungeon, but if Ash’s lunch was like his breakfast, they would have already been better off financially if Ash hadn’t taken the job.

Not that finances were a big concern at the moment, given all the Ether Crystal that was available.

Its ability to make something from nothing was an easy money maker, if you didn’t mind that your cash had a tendency to try and eat you or be in the form of radioactive particles.

Outside the dungeon, that would have been an issue, but inside, where sales to the void are easy and all kinds of shielding materials are plentiful, it’s basically free money over time.

Well, as long as it got working fast enough. Thankfully, Ash’s education at Shujin Academy was helping more than it usually would.

The Odds Are In Your Favor: Welcome, 主人, to the Eater’s Dungeon! For being the first graduate to enter this place, you have the increased support of the Fabulous Fate System.

[Go to Eater’s Dungeon description?]
[Go to Fabulous Fate System description?]

But, it seems just the odds being in his favor wasn’t good enough for the wish magic to be satisfied.

Wishice Cube: A crystal cube of potential made small enough to swallow. Ingestion grants the Wishing status.

Wishing status

You have wished, and something is making it happen, as best as it can.

But once Rabirisu wrote up a financial plan and eventually got Ash to understand and believe in it, his Wishing status reflected the change and faded away, turning its remaining energies into improving Ash’s situation in general.

And so with the power of financial planning, Ash achieved his goal of financial stability and lived happily ever after.

Four Lucky Feet: Makes you very, very, very, very lucky.

[Reveal longer description?]
[Return to Two Lucky Feet description?]

And due to their fates being so intertwined, those who served him had happily ever afters as well, even though their home had hidden dangers inside.

Etherwind: Particles of possibility, pneuma-propelled pathogens, penetrating past protections.

Ether

Potential. Poisonous particles of possibility. Produces Phantastic Phenomena.

The only one who wouldn’t like what eventually happened, was The Eater, Evil Incarnate, and as everyone knows, Fabulous Fate would eventually lead Good to triumph over Evil. Eventually.
The world would also eventually adjust to the loss of rare and unique objects that were supplied by his deals with other universes.
And that worldly influence was why Mirai had sent her nephew into the dragon’s den. He would help save the world from it, even as he worked in the service of that great evil. Although it wasn’t really anything he did, but the slow and steady purification from Ibby and her descendants being positioned right at the source, would stem the tide just a little, and every little bit helped.
Mirai was the Sage of Earth, attractor of unicorns, and as the Fabulous Fate System had ordained with her name, predictor of the future. For some reason, it also ordained that some people just couldn’t say it right, and kept calling her Miranda. She would bear her burdens and revel in her successes, taking some pleasure in using her Ether Crystal Ball to work against the person it had come from.

Like her sister, brother-in-law, nephew, and all the others, she would live happily ever after as well, due to plans of her own devising.

⚪︎

Ether Disease: You have been in contact with Ether overlong and your path hasn’t been corrected. Its winds have blown your self off the expected course.

[Reveal corruptions?]

Now that their son had left the nest and took his bodyguards with him, Wes and Mirei could now have the house to themselves for more than a few days if the lingering Soulheat didn’t fade too quickly. But a few monsters weren’t too bad after years of having to watch out for magical accidents and so forth even as Mirai had tried to alleviate the side-effects of her manipulations.

> The Key of Scarlet (eBook) <
> A digitization of the direct descendant of the Key of Solomon, this ἱστορία was written to be usable with minimal preparation, describing basic steps for refinement and regeneration of energies, the uses of such materials, and calculating magical laws from first principles. <
Change name?

The Key of Scarlet

Kitab Al’Izarin

Bobbi Citab

3 other names available

Child’s Book

Demonology Of Red

A Budding Scientist’s Pentamorphic Guide To Surviving

[Write new name?]

⚪︎

A week after Ash’s birthday, Mirai had sent her sister a great gift to help them adjust to the change in living situation:

Herself.

She would take up the vacated room, to ensure their house was as protected from monsters as it was before Ash and his protectors had left.

Her old mansion had been sold for a tidy sum, since she had her golems to keep the place in great shape even as she was living alone, and so a young family got a great house for their soon-to-be growing household.

Isarnom Banda Homo Cuniculus: An upgraded Isarnom Banda resulting from the use of a Humanizer, producing a form that’s almost a perfect Homo Cuniculus. Taller than before and having hands, they can now throw hands.

[Go to Isarnom Banda description?]
[Go to Humanizer description?]
[Go to Homo Cuniculus description?]

The first boss of Eater’s Dungeon, Beater, was happy even though he lost because Fiona could reduce the costs of medical services in the dungeon.

iBLUAPK: This unique species of Electronic Fairy was created by the Gamemon System when it generated a monster from the Blupple AI, Fiona. The AI is now able to take a physical, partially-biological form that’s defined by its own properties instead of that of its container, and can jump to a new, suitably large, container at will.

The second boss of Eater’s Dungeon, Chalice, was happy even though she had lost her first battle because in exchange, she could now get AI assistance on her science experiments and research, which were soon projected to rapidly recoup her loses.

The Mother that lived above the Eater’s Dungeon soon noticed that the newest adventurer had not returned, and knew what that meant, so she trained her scouts to expect an increase in difficulty. She would soon know what upgrades had occurred to her brother’s domain and then increase her own capabilities to match.

♀︎

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Comments

I think I need a translator

the story is in English, but as I know almost nothing about Pokémon, there is a lot going on here I'm probably missing.

DogSig.png

A lot is built on the references, but it's not important stuff.

The main couple in the narrative's focus is supposed to be Fiona x Ibby. I just haven't found tags for homosexual reproduction or ex vivo.

I think I tried to make it comprehensible even without Pokemon knowledge, because it's *not* Pokemon fanfic (for Pokemon fans)!

Hope you got something out of it, in any case!

Thanks for the comment!

This was simply amazing!

Sunflowerchan's picture

Okay, maybe it's because we talk a lot on Discord, but your sense of humor really shines through here. This was, this was beyond words! Some part's had me scratching my head, others had me confused, others caused me to stop and think. All told, knowning you, knowning your sense of humor, knowning what you write, I can honestly say this is an excellent example of what I will call "Gonzo Writing" think "Fear and Loathing in Los Vegas" with an LGBTQ+ twist! Thank you for sharing this wonderful, highly amusing tale with us! You are a treasure too!

Gonzo does sound like the right word!

I was just smashing together ideas to get it long enough! That I had enough premade worldbuilding to do so in time even without constant focus, means something...

Thanks so much!

Laugh well!

Thanks for inviting me to the contest and thereby made me stretch my mind to for deadline-based writing!

Sunflowerchan's comment right above yours, about Gonzo! It really does fit now that I think about it again, given what is commonly said, and is likely true about its origins! Yay for willingly accepted deadlines!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Kentucky_Derby_Is_Decadent...

"Faced with a deadline and without any coherent story for his editors, Thompson began tearing pages from his notebook, numbering them, and sending them to the magazine."

Thankfully I wasn't quite that bad, but then again, I had 2 months of prep time for this rush! Wooooo! YEAH! This was fun!

Whoosh

Podracer's picture

Malady, that didn't exactly all go over my head, lots of it just breezed past through my eyes and ran, cackling, out my ears.. Still glad you posted it though, it made sort of a literary pinball read.

Teri Ann
"Reach for the sun."

Boktai!

Thanks for commenting! Yay for laughter!

Glad to know you got some enjoyment out of it! Whatever I post next should be much more digestible! Probably. hehe.

You're like, the first commenter that I didn't know beforehand! So, congratulations, and nice to know that this story is so evocative that new people are commenting! :)