Constellations (Worm/Okami)

Datcord · May 13, 2018

UnwelcomeStorm said:
47

*high-pitched noise of glee audible only to dophins, bats, and dogs*

Dinah chattered happily

AND it's a Dinah chapter! Hurrah!

Oni Lee had carefully vetted the drivers selected for the task,

No, really. He took them to a literal vet. They all have their shots and have been chipped, just in case.

...look, you don't argue with Oni Lee. It's... unwise.

as well as had a few lookouts stationed near the Alcott home to watch for suspicious activity.

"Yeah, boss... there's these guys who just keep hanging out around the place. Dressed in crimson and emerald?"

"...."

"So... like, should I call the cops or...-OH GOD NOT THE FACE!"

If she needed someone to listen to her as well as watch for knives in the dark, well, Oni Lee could do that too.

O-Oni? I... I think most of those knives are YOURS.

Sometimes, even more rarely, his thoughts drifted further: what had he been like? In truth, Oni Lee did not think he would ever know.

I gotta be honest: These little bits of introspection are really nicely done. Like... There's a quiet sense of melancholy to them, but balanced by his resolve to advance and become a Real Boy again, you know?

Dinah tugged him up the short steps to her front door and knocked twice,

...why is she knocking on her own house's door? Is this is thing rich people do?

The routine was broken when Mrs Alcott exhaled slowly instead of grabbing for Dinah's other hand. "Yes, Dinah. He can stay for dinner. Go wash up, now."

*cough*AMBUSH*cough*
*cough*TRAP*cough*

Oni Lee stayed on the porch, and watched Mrs Alcott. The woman visibly steeled herself before speaking.

Oh, your god, she's a Changer! She's probably secretly Kaiser's sister or something, since steel seems to run in their... what? "just an expression"? But... I already had a backstory for her and EVERYTHING!

...fine. Jerks. *sulks*

"Are you going to make trouble?"

I mean... generally, he UN-makes trouble. In a most terminal fashion.

Besides; he had every confidence that Dinah would find a new means of subverting her parents' wishes if he declined,

"I'm gonna kidnap a possibly parapowered puppy and extort his owner."

"I don't allow weapons at dinner."

"These aren't weapons. They are... my... uh... seeing eye grenades?"

"Understood. Is there somewhere set aside that I may leave my gear?"

...again, do rich people have weaponry rooms to go with the cloak room? (Yes, I know, Edna: "NO CLOAKS!")

The bandolier across his chest, complete with four fragmentation and two flash grenades was first, followed by six knives in a variety of sizes (including the one hidden in his boot), and finally his short blade, once he managed to disentangle it from its place at his belt.

I just have this image of Dinah's mom waiting patiently as Oni Lee disarms... and disarms... and continues to disarm... and CONTINUES to disarm....

The girl frowned, pursed her lips in determination just like her mother,

...whu-oh. Someone's gotten on Dinah's bad side, I think. I wonder if it's because of ~~THE HUGE OBVIOUS TRAP THAT'S WAITING FOR ONI LEE~~ allergies?

Oni Lee saw the sea of white costumes arranged around the long dining table, he understood several things at once:

Why he kept hearing the word "MILF" whenever Brandish or Photon Lady was brought up by his gang?

First, that the Alcotts were indeed foolish enough to invite the entirety of New Wave to this affair and still request that he not cause trouble;

Don't worry, Oni Lee! The kitten will save you! ...somehow.

Second, that if Dinah's power operated how he thought it did, then the girl considered the risk of going ahead with this to be within acceptable limits;

...wait, hold up.

He doesn't know how her power works? He NEVER EVEN ASKED? I... damn. I mean, if that isn't a clear cut sign of "I only want to protect you...."

Oni Lee was going to personally express his disappointment in them.

"I'm not mad. I'm just disappointed."

"So... you're not going to stab us?"

"No, I am. But not because I'm mad at you. Just... disappointed."

Assuming he survived dinner, of course.

Hey! I'm sure the Alcotts hired a very good cook!

Right now, any potential move had consequences, lasting ones, and the enormity of the task before him left Oni Lee feeling numb from indecision.

Okay, Oni Lee, listen to me... Whatever you do, don't OPEN with the ménage à trois suggestion to Sarah Pelham. (That's something you ask over the desert wine.)

a sound tactical choice, putting the defensive cape next to the weakest link.

Oh, sweet hell, Anne Robinson's there, too?!

What was the closest equivalent to this situation, something that he could emulate? There was only one answer in recent memory:

Tea time is courtesy time.

.... *helpless laughter*

Glorious. Glorious, glorious callback. Simple fantastic, US.

"And you're not worried about losing your secret identity?"

"...this isn't going to be some lecture about how my 'secret identity' is a 'sacred gift' that I should 'only give to the right person,' is it? Because I've already had that one. Lung had a Powerpoint on it."

"New Wave cooperates with the Protectorate. Do you have any records of me? Do you know my name?"

Lady Photon's face was like stone-- if she lied, Oni Lee had no idea. "No."

"...that is a shame," he said after a moment. "Neither do I."

HNNNG! I did not order these feels, and I would like to return them!

the Alcotts having employed a caterer for the night-- one that very swiftly left as soon as their task was complete.

Seriously, they burned rubber all the way down the driveway. Eventually, they'll realize they never actually TOOK the money. ...probably.

"So," she began, her voice clipped and eyes sharp, "Oni Lee. What made you suddenly start following the mayor's niece?"

"I needed a new hobby, since kicking your asses in fights was getting boring."

"You're a serial murderer," Brandish ground out between her teeth.

Well... I mean, his CLONES did a lot of the murder, really. I think we'd have to let the courts decide if the original can be prosecuted for a clone's crimes, don't you agree? Rule of law and all that.

"What she needs is to be protected from you."

I mean, I'm pretty sure US didn't MEAN to write that to sound like an overprotective dad warning off a potential boyfriend, but....

"The last time I saw you this close, you blew off my leg with a grenade."

Oni Lee slowly glanced down at Manpower's two attached and fully functioning legs.

Manpower made the only legally acceptable response.

"I remember that encounter. I believe that was just before your Flashbang filled the area with explosives."

Ah, yes. As the man once said: "Let he who is without sin hurl the first high explosive."

"I suspect that you do not regret your methods; therefore, I will not regret mine. I can expect no mercy, and as such, can offer none. This is the life that parahumans have chosen."

I'm.. pretty sure that was a flowery version of "Come and have a go if you think you're hard enough."?

"My sister did not choose this, but others chose for her. Dinah has not chosen this. Others have attempted to choose for her. I do not agree with their presumption; that is why I do this."

I... I hadn't realized how much I wanted Protective Onii-chan Lee until this story. What the hell, US. What the hell.

...also, look at that! Got through that entire section without making a single Tale of Genji joke! Ha!

-wait, FUCK.

She'd long since stripped away the trappings of innocence that had once adorned it:

"You don't get it, Mom! I'm deep now!"

pictures of her and Taylor making funny faces.

And pictures of Taylor eating. And pictures of Taylor sleeping. And a lock of Taylor's hair. And....

She'd replaced her glitter

Hahahahaaa-no, you didn't. GLITTER NEVER GOES AWAY, EMMA. It's like herpes!

Emma had grown up, in the past couple years. She'd really gotten a good look at how the world worked, not how a naive person hoped it did.

*pained groan* Oh, god. Oh, god no, please no. She's hit THAT stage of life. I'm cringing in remembered awkwardness already.

Sophia had explained it to her, in that alleyway, where every shadow was a lurking reminder of her childishness being excised by a knife.

...holy shit, Emma. I've got a notarized letter here from a... Mr. Bulwer-Lytton that says you need to calm the fuck down.

Emma was willing to fight. Ready to put anyone down that she could, to raise herself a little higher.

Yeah... and how's that been working out for you, again?

Fake it until you make it, in other words.

I mean, I'm normally a proponent of that philosophy, but... uh... maybe not so much in this case.

It hadn't… really gone as planned. At all.

Well, you know what they say: "The best laid schemes o' mice an' men gang aft a-gley when confronted with an Act of doG."

...shut up, they could say that. You don't know! You don't know!

Emma chose to end their lifelong friendship in favor of keeping Sophia,

Hmm... I don't really have a good response to that one. Luckily, Kuni DOES!

Except Taylor wouldn't go away, wouldn't let years of sisterhood be shoved aside, wouldn't accept that Emma didn't need her anymore.

...wait. That EMMA didn't need TAYLOR? ...no, stop looking at me like that, this isn't gonna be perverse! Honestly!

It's just that you don't see THAT mindset often from Emma, you know? It's always how Taylor is worthless without Emma and she can't even function as a girl and blah blah blah. And here... you have Emma admitting, even in a backhanded fashion, that SHE was the one who needed Taylor. So, you know, we've seen a LOT of Taylor's "Emma was my only friend" stereotype... but now I'm wondering just how many friends EMMA had in return. Because I'm starting to get the feeling that it wasn't a lot.

She was supposed to win, but that required someone else to lose,

And there's where you made one of your big ol' mistakes. It's entirely possible for more than one person to win at things like this, Emma. Friendships are not a zero sum game, you idiot.

Taylor had refused to play at all.

Well, you have to remember to always get conse*burbles into scotch glass*

They watched each other's backs so nobody could put them down.

*opens mouth*
*pauses*
*closes mouth*
No. No, the mods have had a hard enough week, no need to add to it with ANY of those possible jokes. Instead, I'll take the smart choice: Mr. Scotch's strong arms!

And once Sophia was taken away,

Ho ho he he ha ha?

She was supposed to be in control, but a rule through fear vanished as soon as the threat was gone.

Constellations used "Learn Valuable Life Lesson!" (Now we just have to wait and see if it was effective.)

She'd prove that she wouldn't be swept aside, that she wasn't at the bottom because there'd be others underneath her heels.

*silently sets out scotch bottle*
*pours a glass*

And since she was helpless, she was supposed to be devoured.

*ignores the glass, starts drinking directly from the bottle*

Yuuta was supposed to abandon her. He hadn't.

Oh, he'd better not. Obaa-chan would KNOW.

So, what was Emma supposed to do now-- and what was she going to do?

*twitches*
*gets the crowbar to pry open that extra crate of scotch*

It's good to see you back, US! I know some people will be aggravated by the section showing Emma as something other than a mindless hatebot, but I have to admit: You write a REALLY GOOD broken/damaged Emma. I actually feel empathy for her, not just "RARGH, SHE'S A MEANIE!" anger. Well done!

Marla · May 13, 2018

UnwelcomeStorm said:
Dinah tugged him up the short steps to her front door and knocked twice, as she had every day, and Mrs Alcott answered, her posture tense and expression rigid. And as she had every day, Dinah grinned and said, "Hi mom! I got lost and Mr Oni Lee brought me home. Can he stay for dinner?"

The routine was broken when Mrs Alcott exhaled slowly instead of grabbing for Dinah's other hand. "Yes, Dinah. He can stay for dinner. Go wash up, now."

Someone on SB noticed that Dinah was surprised here. What that reminds me of is a quote from Eyeshield 21, where a 99.99% is not 100%. Therefore, for a let's say 83% certainty of Mrs Alcott denying her request to invite Oni Lee to dinner, there's a 17% chance that Mrs Alcott will think otherwise.

And this is the 17% scenario. Granted she did this every day after she was rescued, and repeated attempts will break the wall someday but even she didn't expect this coming. Most likely she didn't engage her power after the first few times she did this, and this took her by surprise.

Datcord said:
...why is she knocking on her own house's door? Is this is thing rich people do?

Because she brought Oni Lee with her. She's trying to get her mother to accept him for dinner, and bringing him inside her house where her parents disapprove of their relationship is just bad manners.

Segev · May 13, 2018

Marla said:
Most likely she didn't engage her power after the first few times she did this, and this took her by surprise.

Almost certainly. Remember that she only gets so many questions before her head starts to hurt. Though most fanfics seem to have a hidden stretch variable for questions she asks herself silently, even then, it's not unlimited.

Mercenary · May 13, 2018

Starchild said:
Squeeeeeeeeee!

On a better note, the interaction a the Alcott's is actually rather sad...

...
I need chocolate.

Literally proof that she was right but still got "Hush, honey, the adults are talking."

The Sandman said:
Little did Oni Lee know that Dinah set things up this way mainly to have the greatest probability of sneaking her brussels sprouts onto other people's plates without them noticing.

"Also my sprouts appear to be multiplying..."

defenestrator · May 13, 2018

Datcord said:
Oni Lee slowly glanced down at Manpower's two attached and fully functioning legs.

For a moment there, I thought you were gonna follow up with something about Manpower's third leg.

Okibruez · May 13, 2018

No matter how sympathetic people try to make Emma, I'll never like her. I've been on the Taylor side of that equation vis-a-vis being betrayed and back-stabbed by a close friend, though not to near the extreme that it happened to Taylor.
As such, the only sympathy I have for Emma is by proxy, when another character that I do care about is investing their own emotional well being in her. Though when she is confronted with how stupid and catastrophically self-destructive her choices were... that's always satisfying, yeah.

As for Oni Lee... I'm amused that the entirety of New Wave show up to try to intimidate him and he just casually slots the entire encounter into 'Tea Time is Courtesy Time' thinking, and manages to undercut them without meaning to. In regards to his thoughts on Dinah and his own past... Yeah. It's just sad. I'm glad Taylor and Dinah are helping him recover.

5007 · May 13, 2018

I love seeing Oni Lee not being a murderhobo. Makes me happy and sad at the same time.

TJG · May 13, 2018

It is interesting that healing-from-brain-damage Oni Lee's statement of why he is protecting Dinah works on levels that he is probably not aware of like the possible future attempts of recruitment on Dinah from those with the Hero label and how Amy/Amelia was handled. His statement has been implied or paraphrased by a lot of main characters of fatalistic samurai dramas (and usually the story ends up with them being dead by the end of the show or book).

Pax_Empyrean · May 13, 2018

Onii-Lee continues to be best Oni Lee. Nice to see this updating again.

Datcord said:
I mean... generally, he UN-makes trouble. In a most terminal fashion.

I'd say he's a trouble shooter, but he's more of a trouble stabber or trouble exploder.

Datcord said:
"I'm gonna kidnap a possibly parapowered puppy and extort his owner."

Puppy Arson noooooo!

Remember what happened last time? Armsmaster had to issue a public apology. Ziz got involved. Panacea got called a trash waifu. Clockblocker thinks Greg Veder might be banging the Simurgh.

We don't kidnap Puppy Arson anymore.

M. H. Fuzzball · May 13, 2018

Datcord said:
Oni Lee slowly glanced down at Manpower's two attached and fully functioning legs.

Manpower made the only legally acceptable response.

Manpower could actually cut that down to one word: "Panacea."

numina · May 13, 2018

Pax_Empyrean said:
We don't kidnap Puppy Arson anymore.

I feel like we'd had this conversation before...

Karmic Acumen · May 13, 2018

Latest chapter delight aside, I'm starting to wonder how Amaterasu will ever manage to gather enough believers to beat Scion. Taylor is definitely a better acolyte than the guy in the games, but Yami doesn't even begin to measure up to Captain Dumbass.

Matrix Dragon · May 13, 2018

rdmcmains said:
Manpower could actually cut that down to one word: "Panacea."

"Just because someone was able to reattach my leg doesn't erase the fact you blew it off to begin with."

Man, poor Dinah has no idea just how difficult she's made things for everyone here, does she? The look on her face when she realizes just how much blood Oni Lee is covered in, much of it innocent people, would be entertaining in a twisted way. Luckily, this isn't that kind of story, and by the time Sunny's put him back together enough to be a functional person again, I'm sure she'll have her ironic punishments all ready for him, the same way she has for Lung.

Torgamous · May 13, 2018

Karmic Acumen said:
Latest chapter delight aside, I'm starting to wonder how Amaterasu will ever manage to gather enough believers to beat Scion. Taylor is definitely a better acolyte than the guy in the games, but Yami doesn't even begin to measure up to Captain Dumbass.

Amaterasu used FIND NEW PURPOSE IN LIFE.

It's super effective!

Rajvik_wolfboy · May 13, 2018

@UnwelcomeStorm
I am also glad this updated, I follow it both here and on SB, in fact

Marla · May 13, 2018

UnwelcomeStorm said:
"You've got goons following her?!" A ripple of anger accompanied Glory Girl's exclamation. She looked ready to pound the table to splinters with her fists.

Is Oni Lee not affected by GG's aura, or she was controlling it? The way the 'ripple of anger' seems to indicate her aura is at work.

Vyrexuviel · May 13, 2018

Datcord said:
No, really. He took them to a literal vet. They all have their shots and have been chipped, just in case.

And now I'm wondering if / when Danny and/or Taylor might try to take the Good doG to the vet, to make sure she's got all her shots and everything. I'm torn between wanting to see the PRT's reactions to clawmarks in the streets from Ammy trying to NOT GO, or wondering what sort of punishments the Heberts might wind up with for attempting to take her to That Place.

RBomber · May 13, 2018

Marla said:
Is Oni Lee not affected by GG's aura, or she was controlling it? The way the 'ripple of anger' seems to indicate her aura is at work.

Still too dead to think anything too emotional

.

1eragon33 · May 13, 2018

Vyrexuviel said:
And now I'm wondering if / when Danny and/or Taylor might try to take the Good doG to the vet, to make sure she's got all her shots and everything. I'm torn between wanting to see the PRT's reactions to clawmarks in the streets from Ammy trying to NOT GO, or wondering what sort of punishments the Heberts might wind up with for attempting to take her to That Place.

not likely to happen given that Danny thinks good doG is an Projection and Taylor is Taylor and not likely to even think about doing that to her friend, but still fun to think about

beorn91 · May 13, 2018

Datcord said:
Well... I mean, his CLONES did a lot of the murder, really. I think we'd have to let the courts decide if the original can be prosecuted for a clone's crimes, don't you agree? Rule of law and all that.

Oni Lee isn't a serial murderer. He's a PARALLEL murderer.

Vindictus · May 13, 2018

beorn91 said:
Oni Lee isn't a serial murderer. He's a PARALLEL murderer.

Please, use his official title: Massively Parallel Distributed Murder Process.

Arawn_Emrys · May 13, 2018

Karmic Acumen said:
Latest chapter delight aside, I'm starting to wonder how Amaterasu will ever manage to gather enough believers to beat Scion. Taylor is definitely a better acolyte than the guy in the games, but Yami doesn't even begin to measure up to Captain Dumbass.

Scion also isn't a being of pure evil either. It's entirely possible that Amaterasu can keep him in "hero mode" and avert that entire scenario. Remember he's depressed and in despair, and she's essentially the counter-principle to the "there are no therapists" nature of the setting.

SilentMech · May 13, 2018

I like how Emma has realised that she has a dependent personality because Taylor didn't really change despite her all but sister condemning her. Where as Emma has changed three times depending on who she thinks values her. Oh, and Oni Lee is currently the most depressing character I care about in this story.

SandwormPhish · May 13, 2018

"My sister did not choose this, but others chose for her. Dinah has not chosen this. Others have attempted to choose for her. I do not agree with their presumption; that is why I do this."

I REALLY like this line. Like seriously, I really, really like it. Seriously Oni Lee is a source of a suprising amount of emotion whereas in most fics he's an obstacle or a killer robot.

Also another look inside Emma's head which is always interesting given all the crap she's gone through, especially since Yuuta is doing his best to stand by her and not ditch her like everyone else did.

Anyway, glad to see new chapters of this as always, really looking forward to more of the adventures of Taylor and doG.

Hazard · May 13, 2018

Arawn_Emrys said:
Scion also isn't a being of pure evil either. It's entirely possible that Amaterasu can keep him in "hero mode" and avert that entire scenario. Remember he's depressed and in despair, and she's essentially the counter-principle to the "there are no therapists" nature of the setting.

Given that part of Scion's lifecycle involves nuking the realities he has seeded his shards and their hosts?

Well, 'evil' is hard to assign to a being with such a different moral system, but he's definitely harmful to others in that manner.

Constellations (Worm/Okami)

I will sing you the giggle of my people.

(Verified Mid-Boss)

Y U n0 1337-5p33k?

Aperture Science-certified Horrible Person

white knight princess

Banned Forever

Aspiring Gynoid

Wolf amongst the stars.

an Island of crazy in a sea of normality

Ours mal léché

XENO