Chapter 15: Motivation
I'm stuck. I've already gone through about 20% of my slaves and they're still resisting. Just what is up with them?
…
It looks like I have no choice but to get some advice from the only slave I have any control over. After retreating to my own quarters in this underground substation that I have converted as my base which is fitted with soundproof walls to prevent any sounds from coming out from where I stand I say the words of detransformation.
Yosuzume: "Duusu, fall my feathers."
The room I'm in has a charging station. Great in case I'm ever faced with an adversary who can prematurely end my Miraculous transformation…
Not that that has ever happened. No… that little girl. It has to be a dream, it has to be-
Ahem!
Aoi: "Duusu. I command you. Appear before me and answer my questions.
Duusu phases out of me with his stubby arms folded.
Duusu: "Oh what is it, great Aoi? What is the answer that you seek?"
Aoi: "Slave! Answer me. How do I get these humans to work for me?"
Duusu: "What do you mean?"
Aoi: "They're- they're not listening to me! Just what is up with them? Don't they realize my might? Why must they insist on defying my orders?! I- "
Shaking my head and falling on my knees I let out a groan.
Aoi: "It's so confusing. Just what is wrong with them?"
…
Aoi: "Tell me!"
Duusu: "Oh I'm sorry. Was that a command, a question or-"
Aoi: "Do not talk back to me, slave! You will answer only what I ask and with none of the sass."
Duusu: "Okay. Please define what you mean by sass. What is sass?"
Aoi: "What, no. How are you still talking?"
I grab my Peacock Miraculous. Unbelievable. Nothing's been working for me now. First that sentimonster that somehow turned on me despite me having its amok and ever since that strange encounter Duusu's been talking back to me more often not to mention that sentimonster still survived without its amok and-
…
I let go of my Miraculous.
Right. Duusu did mention that wasn't supposed to happen, that it's not supposed to be possible-
But that's just what he said, meaning this must be a completely new experience for him! Of course he wouldn't realize this scenario if it never happened to him. So then… is this rebellion a little side effect? Could whatever phenomenon that cause my first sentimonster to rebel despite me holding its amok also be the cause for Duusu's back talk and for the sentimonster paradox? There is only one way I'm going to figure this out. If I can solve this issue, then I won't need to rely on these human worms.
Aoi: "Duusu. How is it that you are willing to obey some of my orders but not all of them? Is it that the Miraculous doesn't grant total command of the kwami linked to it? I command you to answer me honestly and without filler."
Duusu: "It's not a matter of willingness or not. The Miraculous.. Demands total obedience of the kwami bounded to it. I have to obey the orders given by the holder of the Peacock Miraculous."
Aoi: "Lies! If that were so, then you shouldn't have been able to talk back to me earlier-"
Duusu: "When you commanded me not to talk back to you with sass? No, that order was too vague."
Huh?
Duusu's lips are curving upwards. I don't recognize this facial expression. His voice sounds a bit chirpier too.
Duusu: "Hahaha! Aoi. Just because the Miraculous grants you total command over me, doesn't mean it can allow you to force me to do things I normally can't do."
Aoi: "Are you making excuses?"
Duusu: "No. Not at all. For example, while we kwamis have to obey any command given by the holder of the Miraculous, we are free to interpret these commands."
Aoi: "Huh?"
Duusu: "Oh. You must not-"
Aoi: "Duusu! I command you. Do a handstand."
Duusu flips himself over and does a handstand. Before he can do anything else I issue my next command.
Aoi: "Hold it for 3 literal minutes-"
Duusu begins flipping back onto his feet-
Aoi: "That is a command. I command you to do a handstand and to hold yourself in the position of where your stubby little arms are holstering your stubby feet straight in the air, 90 degree perpendicularly while facing me for literally 3 minutes. That is an order and you will do it right now!."
I snap my fingers and Duusu did a handstand while facing me.
He held the position for 3 minutes, literally.
Aoi: "Ah. I get it now."
Yes, it all makes sense now-
Wait.
What am I doing?
Why am I doing all of this?
Aoi: "You. You've been lying to me this whole time! Duusu, I renounce you."
Duusu's POV
Aoi: "Duusu. I renounce you."
As soon as I heard those words my eyes widened with shock. Had I gone too far? She was confused and so I had decided to use this opportunity to teach her not to get to full of herself as there's plenty about the Miraculous she doesn't understand. Like, should I have tried consoling her?
No!
That's stupidity. I've seen stories like this where 2 individuals who hardly know each other are forced to work together and in the end, consistently as long as neither sides lets themselves become a pushover, the relationship between the two evolves into a more mutual understanding one. The key is not to act nice! In order to bring out the full capacity of Aoi, I must test her resolve, that is how it is done.
So, seeing that she's just renounce me, could I say i might've overdone it? Like, it's true that being assertive is generally a good ideal but in her case, it's not like she's totally there? Well, not that that's going to matter anymore.
As soon as Aoi had renounced me I could feel myself start to flicker away. Aoi's taken off the Peacock Miraculous. She's yeeting it and now-
She's slumped over? Wait? Why is she out of energy? No, more importantly why am I still able to see what's going on?
?: "Pardon me."
That voice! It's that fake!
Duusu: "You!"
Turning around I see another Aoi, although this one I know for certain is a fake. She looks exactly the same, sounds the same and even smells the same yet this one is nothing but a faker.
Duusu: "What are you doing here?"
The fake Aoi picks up the Peacock Miraculous and then quickly places the real Aoi into the charging station. As soon as the fake does that, she calls out to me.
Fake Aoi: "Duusu! Grab a hold of my hand, please!"
I shake my head.
Fake Aoi: "Why not? Don't you deserve better than this?"
Duusu: "Deserve better? Since when did I ask for your help? I'm fine on my own."
Then I saw a smirk on her face.
Fake Aoi: "Oh really."
Duusu: "Yes."
Fake Aoi: "Then are you perhaps hoping the real Aoi will come back to her senses?"
Duusu: "She'll come to."
Fake Aoi: "Maybe. But I have the Peacock Miraculous right now. Sure I cannot use it to transform and I cannot even command you with it, but as long as I have it, Nishi Aoi will never obtain it. Now please. I have something I wish to discuss with you in private."
Duusu: "You-"
The Fake Aoi shapeshifts into Miawa.
Fake Miawa: "You're not thinking of harming me, are you? That would be very wrong. Please. I just want to have a little talk with you. You don't want me to drain out all of Aoi's electricity, do you? The longer I stay nearby her the closer to death she gets."
I shake my head.
Fake Miawa: "Although Aoi's part machine, she still most just machine now. Sure there's a part of her that's human however her vital organs have been replaced mostly by machinery. If I stay nearby her she will definitely die."
I grit my teeth.
Fake Miawa: "Of course you are free to try and take this Miraculous back from me-"
The Fake Miawa does a little twirl.
Fake Miawa: "And then what? Come, Duusu. Your move."
Duusu: "Why you-!"
My anger is seething. This faker. How dare they use the form of my beloved holder as if to cause me to hesitate. They're playing on my emotions! The Fake Miawa shapeshifts into Erika.
Fake Erika: "Please Duusu. Come with me. Do you want Aoi to die?"
Duusu: "I- I-"
Fake Erika: "If you do, that's not very nice of you, now is it?"
…
Duusu: "If you can't use my Miraculous, then how come I'm still active?"
Fake Erika: "Wha-"
Actually, come to think of it, yeah. This faker isn't able to use my Miraculous so this scene shouldn't be happening at all… just like how that sentimonster shouldn't had been able to rebel or remain despite lacking its amok!
Duusu: "You're connected with that phenomenon."
The Fake Erika looks at me inquisivetly.
Fake Erika: "Wha wha wha what are you talking about?! Phenomenon? What phenomenon?"
I growled.
Duusu: "Don't try and deny it. That rebellious sentionster, my temporary ability to resist and disobey the commands of my holder and now this."
Fake Erika: "I don't follow."
Duusu: "You. You must be one of those anomalies. What did you do to Aoi!"
Fake Erika: "Me? Aside from leeching off her electricity which I'm doing at the moment as an innate part of myself, nothing. Oh! You know what?"
The Fake Erika's eyes twinkled.
Fake Erika: "I just realized these scene is very funny in particular. Yes… how am I talking to you again? Didn't Aoi renounce your Miraculous?"
The Fake Erika shapeshifts into Aoi.
Fake Aoi: "But it's almost like she never did and yet here we are in a scenario that… is what I've been looking for!"
Wha-
Fake Aoi: "Duusu! Tell me. Do you know what's causing this to happen?"
Huh? What's up with that faker? The Fake Aoi shapeshifts into Kanda.
Fake Kanda: "Heh, well I guess I can just give this back to you."
The Fake Kanda begins taking off my Miraculous but then stops.
Fake Kanda: "Ah. Why am I doing this? This isn't supposed to happen but-"
I lunge at the faker who quickly backdashes to avoid my blow.
Fake Kanda: "Will I transform if I say Duusu spread my feathers?"
Nothing happens.
Fake Kanda: "Heh. Should've expected that."
The Fake Kanda takes off the Peacock Miraculous and tosses it over to me.
Fake Kanda: "You can have it back. I've found something much better now."
The Fake Kanda turns around and walks 3 steps before stopping to turn.
Fake Kanda: "Oh and you might want to convince Aoi to rescind her revocation of you."
Bam!
What the?!
What's going on?
Fake Kanda: "Do you hear that? That's one of the enlarged coming to check up on this strange occurrence. Things that aren't supposed to be happening are happening. How far does the extent of this phenomenon spread I wonder? Well I'll leave that up to you to ponder, Duusu."
The Fake Kanda teleports away. Just what was up with that faker? Anyhow it doesn't matter right now. I float closer to Aoi.
Hm.
I'm still here. I take out another feather and transform it into an amok.
Duusu: "I knew it. It's the same."
…
Huh. If I really stop to think about it, here I am free. I don't have to listen to anybody and-
No, no. Get that ideal out of your mind, Duusu! That's unbecoming of a kwami.
Where am I?
This place… rows of foldable seats. It's dark but I can still see..
People. And there's my father to the left and my mother to the right and…
Some boy. Do I know him? He's sitting right next to mother.
This must be some sort of movie theatre.
The big screen has turned on.
The scene is some sort of pond? No, it's a woodland..
It's sunny, like it's autumn yet the leaves…
A boy and his father are walking towards a big Colombian styled house. It's white and 2 floors, not including the basement. The little boy heads up the stairs…
They must be moving there.
A woman with a black jacket, skirt and long pants comes around the trunk carrying a gated box with a cat in it. Why though?
…
The little boy has unlocked the door to the white house and is now stepping inside.
The family is exploring the house now. It's empty, save for a piano and the melody that this piano is playing…
?
Hey hey, is it just me or does that piano sound slightly off tune?
…
No, it's not the piano, but the theme of the movie seems to have gotten slightly out of sync.
..
And it's back to normal now. Must've been something off with the audio projector.
…
It's been about 10 minutes now and I've noticed I've yet to have seen the mother. Just where is she?
…
Oh. That's right. The daughter did mention something about writing a letter to her mom. What did that letter say again?
..
"Thanks for abandoning us. You're a slut, and you're new boyfriend's a shit head."
…
Ya know? Something tells me the relationship these youngsters had with their mother is…
Hm. I can't quite put my finger on it. The father says he doesn't want the word slut being used to describe his wife.. So are they divorced? He must place some sort of value in her, but of what I cannot tell.
"John, how are the children?"
John: "They're missing their mom, but we're doing okay."
John is looking at an old photo of his wife.
John: "I hope there will be a good therapist there."
"Yeah. You never know when your daughter needs one."
John: "Yeah, I'd say we're all staring at some therapy."
?
Who is John talking to? And why would that person mention something about therapy? Those are John's kids, so why would it matter to…
And yet John is placing value in his wife who divorced him. What merit is there to that?
"Well, anyway, how's the book coming? When are we going to see some changes?"
…
This conversation has just turned a different direction.
John: "The writing?"
"Yeah."
John: "Well the writing's, uh… the writing's coming great."
"Yeah, John?"
Pfft. The writing's not going great what the fool are you talking about? All you have is like one word. Why if your agent saw this, he would be-
…
Movie's progressing along nicely. It's alright, still. Why am I watching this? Mm. Whatever. It won't cost me too much to continue watching this mov-
Eek! A spider. A fucking spider! Don't just let it scamper off like that. Kill it! Burn it with fire and dip its remains in-
?
Huh?
Why do my hands feel so sticky and is it just me or does that one white girl look completely out of place in a film like this? Her skin is pale white and there is something otherworldly about..
I don't want to watch any longer. This. I can't stand it. I know! I'll just imagine up another scenario and-
White girl: "What's wrong? Weren't you enjoying this film? Didn't you beg your parents to let you go see it? And now look at you."
Sh-shut up. This isn't real. This is a dream, a a-"
White girl: "But machines shouldn't be able to concoct up fanciful scenarios."
This girl. She's stepped out of the movie screen. Does nobody else see this?!
White girl: "Aoi. What a brave girl. Such a bright girl. With this pretty jewel of yours, you feel that nothing can stop you."
Wait. That brooch in her hand. Is that-
White girl: "And yet by a flick of my wrist I can turn your most pleasant dreams…"
Spiders
Spiders
Spiders
Fuck.
White girl: "Asunder."
Duusu: "Aoi! Aoi!"
Aoi: "Aaaaaaaah!"
Duusu rapidly shakes Aoi awake. She is breathing heavily, then Duusu hears a voice in his mind. Although it is that of a young girl, it has the ferocity of a salivating lion. This voice. He recognizes it.
Albino loli with white hair: And just remember. As long as that little nuisance isn't dead, I am going to continue to visit her dreams.
Duusu: The other one. She'll stop you.
White haired albino loli: Maybe. Or perhaps next time this little mite here is never going to wake from her nightmares.
Duusu: You wouldn't!
White haired albino loli: Wanna test me?
…
Duusu: If you're so powerful, why don't you do it, huh?"
White haired albino loli: What a cheeky little critter. Perhaps a little trip to oblivion will change your-
Duusu: Okay! Okay! I'll do it. I'll get her to murder that hoe you're talking about. Who's the target by the way?"
White haired albino loli: Hmph. That' for me to know and for you to find out.
Duusu: But I-
White haired albino loli: Kwami. Don't bore me. I do not like being bored.
Aoi stares at Duusu, and then at the Peacock Miraculous. She sighs.
Aoi: "Okay. I can admit it. I've made a mistake. Heheh. Just what was I thinking? Throwing away a powerful tool like this?"
Duusu: "Aoi? Are you alright?"
Aoi: "Oh I am… I don't know how I am."
Aoi laughed but her laugh was not of joy. It was a plain robotic type as if to acknowledge her situation. Aoi equips the Peacock Miraculous.
Aoi: "Duusu, spread my feathers!"
The peacock Miraculous flashes and turns to its active state and yet Aoi does not transform nor is Duusu sucked inside the Miraculous.
Aoi: "Hmm. It's just like before."
Duusu: "Run."
Aoi: "Huh?"
Duusu: "Just run. If you run far away enough you might be able to break past the barrier and then…"
And then Aoi started bolting off.
Duusu: "Wait!"
Aoi: "What is it?"
Duusu: "On second thought don't just run off just yet. Detransform and renounce me."
Aoi: "Why? I'm not even transformed."
Duusu: "Just do it. Trust me on this, it has to be an effect of the.. A.P.H phenomenon. The reason why all these strange effects have been happening. Think about it. As soon as you entered that warehouse is when I was first able to defy you. You said the words of detransformation and yet you didn't detransform."
Aoi: "Yeah, I know. What of it?"
Duusu: "Aoi. I have a bit of a confession to make to you. While you were fending yourself I was busy destroy these strange triangular contraptions."
Aoi: "I see. So whatever thing you destroyed must've been causing all of this."
Duusu: "Right. I can't quite figure out what it does exactly but if my hunch is not off, if you don't cancel out the transformation-"
Aoi: "Got it. Duusu, fall my feathers."
The Miraculous flashes and reverts to its inactive state.
Aoi: "Duusu, I renounce you."
Aoi ran and ran. Eventually at some point she was no longer able to see Duusu. I must've gone past the area of effect, thought Aoi.
Aoi: "Hmm. That slave can be a handful at times and yet…"
No. What's important isn't what's happened, reasoned Aoi.
What do I want?
(sigh)
I want to reclaim all of myself, that is the objective I have set. If threatening harm won't do the trick and if I can't trust my own sentimonsters…
What if I create a sentimonster for someone else? I re-equip the Peacock Miraculous.
Aoi: "Duusu, spread my feathers."
Transforming into Yosuzume I quickly search for a feather and turn it into an amok. As long as I don't see Duusu, I should be okay. Looking around I see a young schoolgirl. Sneaking up on her I placed the amok in her backpack. If I don't want the same thing to happen again, I must take a new approach.
My methods so far haven't been fruitful. Therefore, I must adapt. Though it's folly, I will help another. Yes, and in return I'll reap the benefits. A little offering from for great rewards in the future. So, little girl. What sort of sentimonster are you going to create?
