Getting Mongo settled in proved even easier than expected once Valmont and his group returned to his base in San Fransisco, funneled in via the fish cannery at the Bay (which now doubled as their 'sea dock' when travelling via Bai's powers). Once he was dressed in normal clothes and shaved, he hardly resembled himself from before. Even arranging the meeting between him and his son - DJ Fist - proved to be less a drain on resources than Valmont expected. He had been fully prepared to arrange to incorporate the young man and his 'buds' into the Dark Hand despite their less than subtle approach to criminal activities, but both Mongo and DJ Fist seemed to be of independent natures. The meeting had involved exchanged glances, a single fist bump, and then parting ways. Apparently, the desired meeting was more of a 'reconnect/ensure living' than the emotional sort Valmont had expected.
Getting Xiao Fung settled in also proved rather simple. The look he'd chosen for his human form blended surprisingly well with the Dark Hand as well. He was tall without being gigantic and broad shouldered without being bulky. He was well muscled like a linebacker, and had gray hair slicked back in a pointed pompadour, giving him a very punkish overall look complemented by a green shirt, blue slacks, a purple jacket, and dark blue shoes. The only point that might make him stand out was his pale purple eyes, but that was difficult to spot at a distance and easily shrugged off given how magic - now world known - could affect a person's appearance. The slight stubble between his lower lip and chin made him look that extra bit scruffy that made sure anyone who looked at him decide to look away before he noticed. He seemed equal parts dangerous and disinterested...and thus blended perfectly with those members of Valmont's organization that were 'the muscle'.
Presently, Xiao Fung was enjoying a rather lavish feast Valmont had ordered prepared to welcome him to safety in his base, prepared to Xiao Fung's requests prior to the operation. Much to the demon's surprise, Valmont shied away from none of the dishes. "I'm honestly surprised you have the stomach for some of these," Xiao Fung observed as he picked up a bowl of roasted locusts and maggots in sauce and poured the contents into his mouth, slurping it up.
Valmont, by contrast, was taking each individual meat morsel - whether insect or otherwise - into his mouth with chopsticks. "These are considered delicacies in many countries, especially in Africa," he observed calmly. "My business takes me all over the world, especially where 'World Law' is weakest. It isn't good business to refuse the local delicacy...or to throw up when you try to eat it. While not the sort of thing I seek out for pleasurable dining, I have...built up enough of a tolerance that I can enjoy such a repast, or at least appear to."
"Though you seem to have eschewed these," Xiao observed as he grasped a large, wriggling green grub off a platter and stuffed it into his mouth. "Not that I blame you. Though delicacies for demons, I doubt they'd even be digestible for humans, let alone palatable."
Valmont chuckled softly. "Actually, Daolong Wong provided me with these...and a method of preparing the meat so that a human could consume them." He gently lifted a circle of meat from a sauce platter. "Not only do we share the same dishes, as is only polite, but the recipe is even palatable." Placing it into his mouth, he chewed...then swallowed, looking somewhat pale. "Though barely..."
Xiao chuckled softly. "Too much for you?"
"Just more...piquant than I am used to," Valmont assured, plainly struggling to maintain his composure.
Bai Tza chuckled softly as she waved her hand over his water glass, making the liquid sparkle. "Just drink before your pride damages your tongue," she instructed him.
Gratefully, Valmont chugged the glass, looking much better afterwards. "My thanks, milady. I suppose even now, I feel I have something to prove."
"Not with us," Xiao Fung offered. "I must admit, I am impressed. I had forgotten that humans could be so interesting. You do realize of course that once we are all free, it is our intention to conquer the world and bind it to demon rule."
"I will not fight you if you do," Valmont pointed out. "If you fail, the damage you'll do will make it that much easier for a criminal empire to seize immense resources. If you succeed, there will be a rebellion if not several, and a General who knows how humans think will be quite useful to you all in suppressing said rebellions." He gently patted his lips with his napkin. "Speaking of, we should free whichever of your brothers is the flashiest next. At the moment, the Chans are still in a reactive position, waiting for us to take action and moving to stop us. But if the balance of power in this world sways too much towards you from too many of you being free, someone somewhere will notice, the Chans will be informed, and they'll become more proactive on the assumption we're being sneaky in freeing you all, and try to hunt down your hiding spots. We need another confrontation so they stay reactive, too concerned about missing one of you being freed to hunt for those already free."
Xiao Fung and Bai Tza exchanged startled glances, their eyes wide. Bai Tza then moved to Valmont's side and began probing gently at his temples with her fingertips.
"...as pleasant as that is, milady, why are you doing it?" Valmont asked curiously.
"You don't need to be magical to achieve the sort of apotheosis Bai Tza underwent," Shendu explained, "though it helps."
Valmont blinked. "You think I might..."
"It's unlikely," Bai Tza pointed out thoughtfully, "but not unheard of. And being Shendu's vessel could nudge things towards there. Despite his spirit presence, the place of Demon Sorcerer of Fire is presently vacant."
"And between your adaption to magic within you, your ready grasp of how our own powers can work, and your almost demonic cunning and forethought, you would make an excellent Demon Sorcerer," Xaio Fung added. He then smirked wickedly. "Though I think it is more wishful thinking on dear sister's part."
Valmont raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Why would it be wishful..." His voice trailed off as his eyes locked on Bai Tza's face. As her human form was based so closely on her original body, certain physical reactions couldn't be hidden...in this case, the slight embarrassed flush of her cheeks. "...oh..."
"I'm honestly not surprised," Xiao offered with a chuckle. "You're brilliant. You're chivalrous. You're cunning. You're ruthless. You meet us on our own terms and prove yourself an equal player at our games. You're ready to trade your own species away so you and yours can have a place at our table should we win, or the chance to make it your table should we lose. And you're able to keep up with her, if just barely. And despite eons of being a Demon, her Siren nature still shines true...making her emotions far more intense than for one born a Demon." Setting down his empty dishes, he stood up. "If flashy is what you want, Tchang Zu should be next. His Trigram is thunder...appropriate, as he is the Demon Sorcerer of Thunder." As he turned to go, he paused by Valmont's side. "...though none of us were born to the same parents, our Brotherhood has endured long enough that our bonds of family are far stronger, far more intense than what humans can experience in their comparatively short lives. And Bai was the last to join us, the youngest of us." He leaned in close. "Think about what that means...when our little sister feels this way about you."
"I imagine it means that if I hurt her, or she comes to harm because of me, what the rest of you will do to me will make Shendu's punishment - should we fail to release all of you as promised - look tame by comparison?" Valmont asked carefully, still not taking his eyes from Bai's gaze.
"I knew you were clever," Xiao chuckled before heading off to look for something fun to do. Valmont had mentioned something about a service he could avail himself of, something called a 'nuru massage'...
Valmont stared up into the eyes of the Demoness before him. In thoughts guarded so deep in his mind Shendu could not see them - and truthfully, even Valmont was not entirely aware of them - he wondered if any punishment even eon old demons could come up with would manage to equal not having this amazing, fascinating, frustrating woman at his side. Somehow...he doubted it.
Jackie sighed as he hung up the phone. "Girls, don't bother packing!" he called out, sitting back.
"What do you mean?" Jade asked. "What about the jungle trip?"
"Didn' ya say some rich guy hired ya ta help him find the Lost City o' the Muntabs or somethin'?" Apple Bloom demanded.
"We were really looking forward to it!" Sweetie Belle added.
"Yeah!" Scootaloo confirmed. "A trip into uncharted jungle, back to archaeology as we search for ancient ruins and secrets, where the fate of the world isn't on the line!"
"I know girls," Jackie replied. "I was looking forward to it to give us all a break, too. But apparently there are some new things we need to get used to, considering magic is now a 'norm' in this world."
"How so?" Tohru inquired as he poured tea, his tone between confusion and curiosity.
"Trip's cancelled," Jackie explained, jerking his thumb at the phone. "That was the Muntabs. They don't want to be found."
Calling it now, either Valmont and Bai Tza reform and get together, or Valmont ends up leader of the demons... before losing to the Chans of course.
Seems DJ Fist bumped into the right person at the right time.
Good thing Valmont isn't bugging out on certain etiquette.
Guess Jade and the others found out the disappointing way that some things are better left lost.
The Muntabs thing at the end made me giggle, I don't usually giggle. Something about your writing style, despite how brief the stories are, never fails to hit the fun bone. That is not a skill easily learned.
8060829 My money is on that somehow Shendu and Valmont end up permanently stuck in each others shoes with Shendu as a human and Valmont as a Demon sorcerer.
We do know what demon chi can do to humans from the season 5 arc. With Shendu's spirit posessing him, it's not impossible for Valmont to get in on the demon action.
complEmented.
Adaptation.
Actually... Hold that thought....
Never mind. Carry on.
Wow, they have not been found yet... but they already have phone? Not to mention having Jackie's number too.
8060976
More along the line of having Uncle's number.
...that bit with the Muntabs makes a lot of sense. Also, continued good planning on the part of the antagonists, though as much as I'm enjoying it, I do hope that the good guys get to put a mark into their 'win' column soon.
A villain winning every once in a while is refreshing, but a villain winning all the time is boring. And far too realistic.
8060885
Yeah but how, we know that Demon Chi is a thing as in Season 5, but we never actually saw Shendu's chi ever being extracted, except for Drago. Maybe that's what needs to happen, Demons need to find Drago and suck the Fire Demon Chi from him and give it to Valmont.
You could not have gotten me to laugh any harder with that last bit if you TRIED!
8060838 Either you have it or you don't. While some can learn to if they try, it isn't a natural off the cuff thing like it is for our wonderful author.
Never thought about it but the part of a possible ascension on the part of Valmont WOULD be a twist our WONDERFUL author would throw at us. I look forward to what happens, no matter what happens. Though no matter I do hope the little love sub continues and doesn't get wrecked
Well the J-Team is progressively getting into a worse situation becuase Uncle refused to acknowledge that Shendu could possibly be possessing Velmont. Hopefully they can accidentally stop one of the demon summonings and find out what is going on.
8061084 at this point uncle needs to consider gaining his own demonic/godly/draconic/whatever help. a thief and a luchador aren't going to be much help in this case, Jackie needs help the demons well fear.
The Chans need help. If you've ever read Magic Incorporated (Heinlein), The Hollows series (Harrison) or The Case of the Toxic Spell Dump (Turtledove) (favorites among a horde of others), you can probably HIRE help. Look in the phone book under "Exorcisms". Who knows , in this AU Dex could be a real spirit.
One thing about the government -it has money. Although, getting it to turn loose can be a hassle
That was fun, may I have another? Looking forward to more.
Keep up the great work. Deus tecum.
8061227 Or princesses.
Okay we need art of Valmont and Bai Tza. Demon and/or human form.
8061084
Uncle was running off an assumption that would make sense since he is still thinking as Uncle before the Veil would. Uncle is not grasping that magic is somewhat 'open' now, and thus he (and others of magical nature/bend) can move a bit less secretively. It's due to this that he is trying to get used to the new world, which is what is keeping the Chans 'reactive'. Valmont playing the sneaky game, and now getting ready to cause a confrontation to keep the Chans reactive and playing the "guessing" game is really biting Jackie and crew in the keister.
Valmont, on the other hand, acted in a manner to check his own payroll and contacts to re-familiarize himself with his own staff looking for 'discrepancies' from his own memories. As he found that in a magic-aware world Daolong Wong was on his payroll as a contractor ... that in and of itself showed that Valmont is more apt to adapt to this world.
Potential demonic ascension for my favorite villain of the series? That would be a plot twist most enjoyable to witness, should it ever truly come to pass. It's definitely some interesting food for thought, at least.
Is it bad if I'm starting to actually want Valmont and the Demon Sorcerers to win this?
8061227
That would be exactly the kind of move that would justify Valmont's directives to the Demon Sorcerers. But, save for extreme emergencies (such as the Demon Sorcerers nearly winning) it may happen, but only if it threatens all realms at once.
Here's why:
Celestials, by nature, despise duplicity and thus do not engage in it. If they cannot act in the open, they will not - and that's just the ones that you could convince to act at all. Most Celestials do not involve themselves in the "lower world".
Asiatic Dragons are somewhat Celestials, thus fall into the same or similar categories. A dragon whose home is disturbed by one of the demons might ally with humans trying to fight said demon, or might accept their help in return for a boon, but that's basically it.
Uncle, no matter how desperate, would not summon demons ... he is a Good Chi wizard - not a Dark Chi wizard like Daolong Wong.
Now, Fey or other Wild magic creatures would have a stake in preventing the Demon Sorcerers from being freed, but are flighty and best used for information and sabotage, i.e. how Valmont would play it on the Chans' side.
If AB were smart, she'd be talking to Tohru about how Valmont would approach this situation and then, armed with that intel - her, Sweetie, and Scoots might contact some Fey allies to 'start gathering information on' and 'stymie' the Dark Hand's clandestine efforts.
That's just how this kitsune would approach things if in AB's horseshoes.
At first I was amused, but now I'm worried. Valmont and the demons' plans are going way too smoothly. I'm seriously having doubts about the Chan's ability to stop them.
Somehow I have a tought... Valmont could very well contract Jackie, send him to the other side of the world in a archeology mission, and as he is there, free the demons.
Also, it's a surprise that Shendu say nothing about the offer. Mainly because it smells to trap. But well, if it was a trap and he was cunning, he could also protest. That he did not say anything, make it suspicious, as we think that Velmont is still mortal, his only magic come from Shendu that is inside him, so he don't know any magic.
YEAH! GIVE V-DOG SOME WINGS! Maybe a horn or two as well.
But, see, would he be one of the demon brotherhood at that point? Because then Bae would be his "sister". I guess since they're not related it will be okay.
I sincerely hope that you add "this chapter brought to you by M. A. Larson" to the end of whatever chapter he ascends.
8061413
Your analysis is fair, if we were dealing with the normal versions of the supernatural beings in question. In this case, they really ought to just put out a "help wanted to stop end of world" ad and see who shows up. Or check into recent potential apocalypse situation and ask for help from whoever stopped them. In a world populated by anime and cartoon characters, finding some fairly strong help shouldn't be too difficult. I mean, Vdog found Mongo. He probably won't be all that helpful, but it is precedent for bringing in outside help. Maybe add a "Free melon bread" or "free hot springs vacations" addendum. They tend to like those.
8061339
Nah, he clearly needs to look up one H. Dresden, Wizard in the Chicago phone book.
8060829
I see the later happening very much.
Real nice image of Xiao Fung's human form. Now I can definitely imagine Valmont becoming the next Demon Sorceror. It'll be a better fate than him becoming a washed up has-been trying to bid for a demonic mask and later getting bundled up after trying to make off with a crate of diamonds
8061008 The last part's funny cuz it's true.
Oooh my boy Valmonte going up in the demon world, me likey!
8061516
Yes, the Chans can hire help as well, but that's just it - that's not Jackie or Uncle's "bag". That distinction lays with a man that has been notoriously silent in several chapters, probably due to him having to "relearn" rules, regulations, and make requests for clearance, cite reasons WHY he needs the clearance, provide proof of the situations warranting clearance access, etc. - Captain Augustus Black. He's already had contact with Negi Springfield (of Mahō Sensei Negima!), Sakura Kinomoto (Card Captor Sakura, apparently dating Li Syaoran), Jake Long (American Dragon), and Lucoa (of Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid) ... who allowed all this to go down without Veil oversight because ponies - "Code Shining Faust". Captain Black needs to make with the red-tape cutting so that Valmont and his shenanigans are stymied toot-sweet.
Chapter One Hundred One
"Aiyah!"
Chapter Count: 0
Total Count: 45
"One More Thing!"
Chapter Count: 0
Total Count: 80
Great chapter. Loved that ending very amusing.
8061676 I would guess that's blackie's deal, he's re checking everything to make sure how, when and why should he step in...
and sadly yes, uncle's still trapped by the Potterian views of magic before the Big Harmony tree sap incident with which he was trained...
Man I'm loving how your writing this story so far. After the first half of this story focused mostly on the development of the Chans, their allies, and the Cutie Mark Crusaders, it's great we finally get to see the the villains side of things. I've always loved the idea of the 'villain protagonist' and unlike the heroes at the moment, Valmont and the demon sorcerers are all undergoing their own character arcs.
It's surprising just how humbled and downplayed some of the villains are at this point. Sure, the demons still want to take over the world, but it's great to see that they find humans interesting, especially Valmont, who is simultaneously the best of humanity with the high level of respect he shows for the demons, yet also the worst since he IS a crime lord. I've especially noticed how Shendu and him are able to have normal conversations unlike in the show where they fought whenever they could.
I'm really hoping you do well with the future of this story, because I eagerly await every chapter that focuses on these villains development.
You know, in an early episodes discussing the Power Rangers, the Nostalgia Critic dubbed Rita Repulsa and Lord Zedd "The Lucy and Ricky Ricardo of evil"
I feel like this appellation is starting to apply to Valmont and Bai Tza
8061803
To quote a bit of Tokusatsu Japanese slang - Ping pong~! Uncle is still acclimating to magic being 'open', while Captain Black is having to take a 'refresher' course on his rules and regs to know what his limits are and how/when/why to call for Veil support. Tatsurou is probably having all that happen "off-camera" as red tape is boring as all Hell to READ ABOUT, much less write about.
But on that note, Uncle is probably researching and reconnecting with folks he may have known or met and is probably being shocked by some of these revelations. Thus my comment on their most useful avenue of seeking magical aid of their own to try and stymie the Demon Sorcerers, and how I'd go about it were I Apple Bloom.
Demon sorcerer Valmont? Interesting possibility.
I'd like to see a team up with Section 13 and the BPRD. Jackie and Hellboy teaming up would so cool.
Higher beings have already been put on alert - and then stood themselves down once they found out the Chans were on the case - so it seems unlikely that any help is going to be needed (nor that it wouldn't be forthcoming if it were to be necessary)
Is it so bad that I want Valmont to have a happy ending in all of this?
I just realized the guy that you have doing the human version of the Demons he actually has a story that he's doing on this website himself I believe it's called 'gems' (that one I'm following)
I just noticed this: the latest chapter, 'New World Order' has 1776 words in it. In 1776 the Declaration of Independence was signed formally granting Britains former colonies freedom from British rule.
8061413 there is always people like sun wukong
Nice look for the new demon. Was there one for Bai Tsu and I just missed it?
8062607
Was posted in a blog tagging this story.
8062516
Who could forget the "Great Sage Equal of Heaven", the legendary Monkey King. He might have an interest in the lower world, but he would not do things any way other than his, and I don't see Jackie or Uncle being a Sanzo to keep Sun Wukong in line with the 'headache sutra'.
Dammit, Tetsu, you keep making me root for the villains!
So does Xiao Fung use the same hair gel that Super Saiyans use???
I can see Valmont as the new Demon Sorcerer of Fire... so would any kids he and Bai have be the Demon Sorcerer of Steam???
With the next demon portal in Hollywood I am wondering how different the world of cinematography is with the inclusion of magic. Sure takes the saying 'Hollywood Magic' to a whole nother level.
bwahahahaha loved the ending for this chapter was just priceless
Hmmm... it's looking progressively less likely that the Chans will be capable of stopping this, and looking progressively more likely that any attempts at resealing will be in vain... wonder how your gonna pull off any kinda ending in this one tats...
8062611 It might be worth throwing into an author's note in the chapter she first took her human form so it's more available (assuming you haven't done that already).