The Morgendorffer Code
?004 The Angst Guy
(theangstguy@yahoo.com)
Daria and associated
characters are ?004 MTV Networks
Feedback (good, bad, indifferent,
just want to bother me, whatever) is appreciated. Please write to:
theangstguy@yahoo.com
Synopsis: Imagine a 揇aria?crossover
involving Dan Brown抯 The Da Vinci Code. Now imagine you抮e about to
read it.
Author抯
Notes:
Brooklyn33 posted a PPMB Iron Chef challenge at the end of May 2004, asking for
the strangest, most impossible-sounding crossovers in 揇aria?fanfiction. And
so was born this tale, which probably should have never been written.
Acknowledgements: Thank you, Brooklyn33!
*
牋牋牋牋牋?The truth serum that Daria
Morgendorffer put into her mother抯 coffee that morning was tasteless, odorless,
and colorless, and it would be eliminated from Helen抯 system in only a day抯
time. Best of all, it induced amnesia in its victims after putting them to
sleep for an hour or two, caffeine notwithstanding. Helen would remember
nothing of what Daria had asked her, or what Daria抯 reactions had been upon
learning the mind-blasting secret that Helen had kept hidden all these years.
牋牋牋牋牋?Daria imagined her mother would also
appreciate that the truth serum was nonfattening, but that was a moot point
next to the reality that had been brought to light. Unable to stay a moment
longer in her home and listen to her mother snore, head down on the kitchen
table, Daria fled outside into the pouring rain for the only source of comfort
she knew.
牋牋牋牋牋?揂ll right, all right!?Jane Lane shouted, opening the front door of Casa Lane. 揑 hear you! What the hell is梠h, hi, amiga.?o:p>
牋牋牋牋牋?Her rain-soaked condition forgotten, Daria stepped back and eyed her best friend, who was clothed only in a bathrobe. 揝orry,?she said. 揇idn抰 know you were in the shower.?o:p>
牋牋牋牋牋?揕ooks like you抮e still in the shower,?said Jane, pulling Daria inside and shutting the door. She continued to rub her hair with a bath towel. 揟hought you were Trent. He抯 supposed to get back from a tour with Mystik Spiral sometime within the next few days. Want a towel of your own? No? Okay, so what brings you over in a downpour, amiga? You look like hell. If you don抰 mind my saying so.?o:p>
牋牋牋牋牋?Daria didn抰 mind. She began her
tale of revelation and horror on the spot, the words spilling out in a torrent.
Mesmerized, Jane forgot to finish drying her hair and finally sat on the couch
in the living room, her mouth open and eyes glazed with shock.
牋牋牋牋牋?揥ell,?said Jane when Daria
finished, then said nothing else for a long moment. 揥ell,?she repeated.
牋牋牋牋牋?揧eah,?said Daria, pulling at her
wet clothing.
牋牋牋牋牋?揝o, let me get this straight, even though I抦 sure I never will. Quinn is really your half-sister, not your full sister.?o:p>
牋牋牋牋牋?揜ight.?o:p>
牋牋牋牋牋?揧ou drugged your mom this morning梒ongratulations on that, by the way, and remind me to never take an open bottle or drinking glass from you梱ou drugged your mother, and she confessed that, nine months before Quinn抯 birth, she had an affair with a visiting French professor while at a legal seminar at a university in Austin, Texas, and Quinn was the result of that affair.?o:p>
牋牋牋牋牋?Daria nodded violently. 揜ight, right, right.?o:p>
牋牋牋牋牋?揂nd this professor claimed to be a
descendant of the family that founded Paris, the Mero-something棓
牋牋牋牋牋?揗erovingian dynasty.?o:p>
牋牋牋牋牋?揜ight, the Mero-somethings, and your mom said he had red hair and a red beard, hence the red-haired half-sister, and lately you抳e been reading this book that revealed a lot of other things about the Mero-somethings, and suddenly a bunch of stuff fell into place in your mind, and it was so exciting that it made you dope up your mom and forget to take your antipsychotic medication this morning.?o:p>
牋牋牋牋牋?揓ane, I swear to you that I抳e
researched this as thoroughly as any human could possibly棓
牋牋牋牋牋?揧ou say 慼uman?as if you were excluding Quinn from that category.?o:p>
牋牋牋牋牋?Daria raised her hands in the air in
exasperation.
牋牋牋牋牋?揙kay, okay!?Jane shot back. 揑 get the point! But honestly, aren抰 you really just trying out a weird alternate-history story plot to see what my reaction is? Please say yes.?o:p>
牋牋牋牋牋?Daria jumped to her feet and began to pace the living room. 揕ook at the evidence!?she said, her normally deadpan expression mixed with agitation. 揙ne: Quinn抯 true paternal parentage, and thus her ancestry棓
牋牋牋牋牋?揑f any of that stuff is true,?Jane
interrupted.
牋牋牋牋牋?揑t抯 true! She has the same red hair as her distant maternal ancestor!?o:p>
牋牋牋牋牋?揂ssuming Leonardo da Vinci got it right when he painted The Last Supper, per your comments earlier.?o:p>
牋牋牋牋牋?揟wo,?Daria went on, 揾er name, Quinn, has five letters, five being the key number for the female principle, but one syllable, indicating unity, the One. And that pink tee she always wears with the yellow smiley face梡ink, the basic feminine color, on which is printed a benevolent pagan sun symbol!?o:p>
牋牋牋牋牋?揇aria,?said Jane, looking
disturbed, 搚ou need to try decaf once in a whi棓
牋牋牋牋牋?揟hree: her fixation on angels. She still thinks she has a guardian angel following her around, and she probably does! Nothing bad ever happens to her, unless it also brings her growth and maturity, so even then nothing bad has happened to her! Don抰 you get it? She抯 really and truly blessed!?o:p>
牋牋牋牋牋?揝ure,?said Jane in a calming tone. 揑 get it. Of course I get it. Put down the letter opener.?o:p>
牋牋牋牋牋?揗om couldn抰 possibly have known about that professor抯 full ancestry, yet she gives my half-sister the name Quinn, which is similar to the Latin word for five, just like the letters in the name itself! The female principle!?o:p>
牋牋牋牋牋?揓ust like Ms. Li!?said Jane brightly. 揙r did you mean some other high-school principal??o:p>
牋牋牋牋牋??i>Jane!?o:p>
牋牋牋牋牋?揂ll right, all right! Go ahead, toss some more word salad for me.?o:p>
牋牋牋牋牋?揂nd then there抯 the Q document that the Vatican won抰 discuss! Do you get it??o:p>
牋牋牋牋牋?揥ith a Q, like Quinn. Right.?Jane thought for a moment. 揧ou told me once how unfair it was that Quinn抯 name actually meant 憌ise?in Gaelic.?o:p>
牋牋牋牋牋?Daria exhaled heavily and took off her glasses. 揃oy, that kills me. Quinn the wise. The hell of it is, she抯 getting wiser. She抯 not the airhead she once was. It抯 like she抯 evolving, changing, growing.?o:p>
牋牋牋牋牋?揝ort of what teenagers are supposed to do, right??o:p>
牋牋牋牋牋?揘ot like this one,?muttered Daria,
pacing again.
牋牋牋牋牋?揟hat抯 sort of funny,?Jane went on, 揵ecause you can rearrange the letters of 慟uinn?to make 慖Q nun.?It抯 sort of like she抯 spiritual and smart at the same time. Funny, right??o:p>
牋牋牋牋牋?Stopping dead in her tracks, Daria slapped a hand over her eyes and swayed. 揙h, my God, you抮e right! It does!?o:p>
牋牋牋牋牋?揇aria, that was a joke! Heck, I could have said that Joey, Jeffy, and Jamie have been following her around since forever because her name means 憌ise?and that makes them the Three Wi棓
牋牋牋牋牋??i>Don抰 say it! Don抰 you dare say it!?o:p>
牋牋牋牋牋?摋uh, er, wasn抰 going to. Wasn抰 going to say a thing. Nope, not me. Although their names do begin with J and have two syllables, just like棓 Jane caught Daria抯 glare 摋just like no one I can think of right now.?o:p>
牋牋牋牋牋?揂nd there抯 her first serious
crush,?Daria said in a low voice, beginning to pace again. She put her glasses
back on.
牋牋牋牋牋?揟hat was her tutor last year, right? David梠h, crap.?o:p>
牋牋牋牋牋?揇avid Sorenson. A Jewish guy
finally brought her into a glimmering of romantic maturity. A Jewish guy named
David! Like King David! Like her most distant棓
牋牋牋牋牋?揙kay, I get it! Okay!?o:p>
牋牋牋牋牋?Daria collapsed exhausted into a nearby chair. 揂ll my life, the person who has been the biggest thorn in my side, my own sister, has also been . . . she抯 the . . .?o:p>
牋牋牋牋牋?Jane nodded, trying to be helpful. 揟he, uh, direct descendant of, uh . . .?o:p>
牋牋牋牋牋?揧eah, that one, and her, the, uh, other one.?o:p>
牋牋牋牋牋?揟he one that was supposed to be a hooker.?o:p>
牋牋牋牋牋?揃ut wasn抰, according to my research.?o:p>
牋牋牋牋牋?揥hat book did you get this from? And what fumes were you inhaling when you read it??o:p>
牋牋牋牋牋?A sour look crossed Daria抯 face. 揋o ahead. Play devil抯 advocate.?o:p>
牋牋牋牋牋?揙h, you are the witty one, aren抰 you??Jane slumped back against the sofa. 揥hat about your last name??o:p>
牋牋牋牋牋?揗orgendorffer? It抯 German for
something like 憁orning villages.挃
牋牋牋牋牋?揟hat抯 a sun reference梱ou抮e aware of that, right??o:p>
牋牋牋牋牋?Daria groaned. 揑 am now. 慚orning villages.?That抯 almost like saying, 憈he community of the sun.?And one day she抣l lead it. She抯 got the charisma part down cold. Every boy in school is wrapped around her finger, and every girl wants to be her best friend. Except Sandi Griffin. Got to have Judas in there somewhere. Quinn will lead the world, and I抣l be a footnote in the lost apocrypha for the next Bible.?o:p>
牋牋牋牋牋?揇aria! Listen to what you抮e saying! You抮e talking about Quinn as if she was about to become the next messiah, and桪aria, Quinn抯 your sister! She抯 family! Well, sort of. I mean, think about it!?o:p>
牋牋牋牋牋?揑 could start a satanic cult,?Daria said, looking glum.
牋牋牋牋牋?揧ou could, but if you really believe all this, you could also write her life history and become rich. Didn抰 you once tell me that 慏aria?meant 憌ealthy? And you could be canonized as a saint one day, like Saint Leibowitz in that whatever book.?o:p>
牋牋牋牋牋?揟hat was science fiction. And he was martyred first.?o:p>
牋牋牋牋牋?揥hich is pretty much what you抮e
doing to yourself.?Jane sighed and stood. 揕ook, this has gone far棓
牋牋牋牋牋?Someone else knocked at the front door. Jane tightened her bathrobe around her and went to open it. 揝peak of the devil,?she said as she looked outside, then winked at Daria. 揑 see the rain抯 finally over. Come in, Quinn.?/p>
牋牋牋牋牋?揘o, thanks, just here for a moment,?said Quinn, wearing her usual pink tee and jeans. 揑s Daria around? I wanted to let her know I抦 going to the mall and she should go home and watch Mom because she seems to have tied one on this morning before she went to work, instead of having a Slimfast breakfast.?o:p>
牋牋牋牋牋?揥ise of you to tell us,?said Jane
with a grin. Daria joined her at the door.
牋牋牋牋牋?揑抣l be home in a minute, Quinn,?said Daria. She looked past her younger sister and noticed a waiting car by the curb with three teenage boys in it, all watching Quinn with awestruck eyes.
牋牋牋牋牋?揋reat,?said Quinn, 揵ecause there抯 a sale on seamless robes at Cashman抯. Jeffy, Joey, and Joshua are driving me over.?With a toss of her bright red hair, she waved good-bye and walked down the puddle-filled sidewalk to the street?o:p>
牋牋牋牋牋?梑ut not once did her feet make a
splash. Quinn抯 shoes never sank below the surface of any puddle. She got into
the waiting car and was driven away.
牋牋牋牋牋?Daria let out her breath in a long sigh and glanced at the pale, shaken face of her best friend. 揧ou know,?she said, her old demeanor returning, 搃f you paint her pictures and I write her life story, we could use the money to fund our satanic pizza cult.?o:p>
牋牋牋牋牋?Jane recovered and licked her lips.
揥hy would pizza be satanic??she asked faintly.
牋牋牋牋牋?揅heese is fattening.?o:p>
牋牋牋牋牋?揙h. Yeah.?Jane shook her head.
揅an抰 have a heresy without a 慼er.挃
牋牋牋牋牋?揥hat抯 that supposed to mean??o:p>
牋牋牋牋牋?揑t just sounded good. I guess I抎 better go find out how icons are made.?o:p>
牋牋牋牋牋?揂nd I抎 better get a stack of vellum and a calligraphy pen. We抳e got work to do, Saint Jane.?o:p>
牋牋牋牋牋?Jane nodded. 揂s do you, Saint
Daria.?And they went back in the house to prepare for the future.
Original:
07/06/04, modified 11/19/04
FINIS