This choice: Acquire a psychology to go with "Rosalie" • Go Back...Chapter #83The Bucket List by: Seuzz   After the easy way you had with acquiring a new face, you're not pleased with either of Andrea's suggestions, for they will both mean merging other minds with your own. But it's that or--
"Who would have a good personality to match my new look?" you ask, your eyes still locked on your reflection.
Andrea looks back blankly; Joe says, "Chelsea would know best, wouldn't she?"
So you call Kim Walsh's number.
* * * * *
She looks very puckish when she arrives. "Poor Will," she giggles. "Finding out how the other half lives."
"Cut the teasing," you retort. "If I'm going to be a girl, I need a--"
"I know, I know," she says. "I think Andrea would be a good match for who we had in mind for you. But she's all mixed up with Aparijita now." She nibbles thoughtfully on a thumbnail. "A little editing might be in order, in that case."
"I've still got Andrea's original imago inside a mask," you say. "But I don't want a straight copy of a classmate. I'm supposed to be someone new, not just Andrea or someone else inside a different body."
"So we get a couple of people, and you edit them together into someone new," Chelsea says briskly. "Gillian Kiefer was one I mentioned."
"Some of my friends too, if that's what you're aiming for," Andrea says. "Fatima. Sienna."
"Some of them might be good extras for you, too," Chelsea says. "Golems for you, like Kim is for me. I was going to start moving tomorrow, and if we get mind bands of these girls, we might as well put golems in for them as long as we have them."
"I want to be more careful about who we take," you say. "Think about each one, keep an eye on the future. I don't want you just grabbing people."
"Maybe we should make a list," Joe suggests. "See where we stand, and where we might expand."
So Chelsea takes Kim's laptop out of her bag, and the bunch of you squat down around it as she opens up a word processor. "So, we can each have six, including the people we are now," she says. "So, there's me--Chelsea Cooper--" She types rapidly, and adds "Kim Walsh" after a comma. "I was thinking of Kelsey Blankenship, too. She's the kind of girl who's going to run a sorority when she goes to college, then marry a politician or lobbyist or someone like that. Be one of those queen bee types in Washington or Manhattan--"
"Or maybe just the state capital," Andrea adds skeptically. "Amanda Ferguson is someone else like that."
"Right." Chelsea pairs Kelsey's and Amanda's names in brackets. She hesitates, then inserts a line break. "Let's just think of two more people for each of us, for right now."
"Jordan is also easy," she says, putting his name down. "We'll probably fill him up with lacrosse players from the college, but we should give him a lacrosse player here at the school." She hesitates, then puts down Mr. Hagerman's name. "I think I mentioned Danny Russo to you, Joe. What do you think of making him one of your golems?"
"That goofball? I've got him in a remedial class." He chuckles. "Yeah, he could work for me. You're thinking of connecting him to whoever you get for Frank?"
"Exactly. I don't really know the LAX team that well. You could scope them out from inside Danny."
"Put him down then. Also, Dane Matthias. And I want a girl."
"Maria," Chelsea says brusquely, and types "Maria Vasquez." "She's a dingbat, and I'll say that even though she's my best friend. We could give her a boyfriend," she adds thoughtfully. "Someone I could play. What?" she demands, raising her head, for her three companions have all exchanged startled glances. "If Joe can have a girl, I can have a guy in my set."
"Does Kim get to have a boyfriend?" Joe asks. "Maybe Dane? Maybe Danny?"
"We should mix and match," Chelsea sniffs. "One connection between you and me is enough. Kim will have to hook up with-- I'll have to think about it."
"Does someone take Gordon as a golem?" you ask. "Oh yeah, don't forget to put him down on the list of golems you've already got."
Chelsea quickly adds his name, and also adds Straussler's dad to Frank's list, and Straussler and his mom to Joe's. "You're already filled up, if you take Danny and Dane and Maria," she tells the latter. Joe curses softly, but Chelsea turns to you. "What about that girl who's dating Jonathan. Monique? Is she--?"
"She's only got a remote sigil in her," you say. "No essentia. She doesn't count."
"She could become one of your golems," Joe says. "If we're each going to have one, uh, 'romantic connection' to each other, that's a natural place for you and me to hook up."
"I'll think about it," you mutter.
But Chelsea puts Monique's name down in brackets next to Rosalie's, and adds your own as well. "You've still got your own golem under your control," she points out.
You snap your fingers. "Also, Melody Weiss at the university, and Will Shabbleman back in Cuthbert. Shit, I haven't heard from him in a week. Someone from the Stellae should have--" But you dismiss the thought.
"And Andrea is all by herself," she observes. She sits back, and you all look at the screen:
* Chelsea Cooper, Kim Walsh, (Kelsey Blankenship/Amanda Ferguson), Gordon Black
* Jordan Cooper, (Keyserling LAX), (Westside LAX), Mr. Straussler
* Mr. Hagerman, (Danny Russo), (Dane Matthias), (Maria Vasquez), Jonathan Straussler, Mrs. Straussler
* Rosalie, (Monique), Will Prescott, Melody Weiss, Will Shabbleman
* Andrea Varnsworth
"We're already more filled up than I thought we'd be," Joe says, making a face.
Chelsea nibbles harder on her thumbnail. "I'm going to keep Gordon for myself," she says. "He runs the guys' sports team side of things. And if he turns out like his dad, he'll keep pushing guys around after school, too. Through Chelsea I'm connected to Jordan. Kelsey-- I'll take Kelsey. How about Jonathan dumping Monique and hooking up with Kelsey?" she asks Joe. "His money and industry connections, her social skills--"
"Wait until after they graduate," Joe says. "But cut Danny from my list. The Strausslers are enough of a connection for me and Frank."
Chelsea obliges. "In the meantime," she observes, "you and I are connected via Maria. That leaves me needing a close connection with Will and Andrea."
"You're supposed to be friends with me after I join the school," you say.
"So that leaves me and Andrea needing to forge a connection," Chelsea says.
Andrea closes her eyes and sighs deeply. "I guess Kim could get a boyfriend," she says. "Someone sensible, okay?"
"Boring, you mean?" Chelsea asks waspishly. "We'll think about it, if it's something we have to set up. Now, we still have to connect Frank to you too, Andrea sweetheart. And to Will."
"Weren't we trying to figure out possible golems for me?" you ask, and don't hide your irritation. Chelsea is clearly having fun laying out possibilities, but you're getting a headache.
"That's what we're doing," she says soothingly. "We're narrowing the possibilities by figuring out who has a good connection to people that we've already got or are going to get."
"But they're also supposed to be people who match our personalities or prodigies," Joe says. He looks at you thoughtfully. "Sulva and Kenandandra. Hate to say it, little buddy, but I think that means nerds, computer geeks, and other invisible types for you."
You groan. "And I need a girl's psychology to go with my new look. Not a lot of girls answer to that description."
"Gillian Kiefer," Chelsea says sympathetically. "She's dating Braydon Delp, and always hanging out with--"
"No, not them!" you gasp.
Joe sucks on his cheek. "You could stand to have a computer genius in your arsenal," he says. "It's a good match with your sigil mastery."
"The kind of model you're making," Andrea says, "would fit with my group. Fatima and Sienna and Jelena."
"She could fit with anyone," Chelsea says. "She'll fit with my group, I'll see to that. Gillian's a natural. Add Sienna or Jelena, and you could play an instrument, which would be cool. A little bit of Kelsey, since we're getting her anyway. Do you want some athletic ability? Play basketball or baseball or soccer?"
"Or swimming?" Andrea asks.
Chelsea snaps her fingers. "Rachel Burton. Swim team and she's part of Kelsey's group."
Now it's your head that's swimming. All you wanted was to get a look so you could start going to school again. Now they're pressing all these choices on you. You grab your temples and writhe. "Stop it! Just get me some mind bands, for all these people, so I make myself a new personality. I'll worry about golems later!"
Chelsea's expression grows pinched. "But as long as we've got these girls unconscious--"
"I can't turn all of them into golems!"
Chelsea spreads her hands. "Alright," she says quietly. "We'll get an assload of mind bands for you, and worry about replacements later." She goes to the supply cabinet and pulls out a bunch of blank metal strips and some tools. "Three for each of us," she says as she passes them out. "I'll take three extra for Jordan to work on. Put the runes on, then get them onto some girls. Attractive girls, the kind that Will might like to be. Since we all know what he likes--" Her face crinkles up adorably. "It should be easy."
* * * * *
She volunteers to give you a ride back to the Strausslers', and on the way you apologize for losing your temper. "It wasn't fair to put you on the spot like that," she says. "I'm sorry too. But you know--" She reaches up to tweak your ear. "Joe's right. We can make you popular and visible. But your golems should probably be more underground."  You have the following choice: 1. Continue |
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