Yes, I am legitimately making comparisons between Worm and My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic.

Deal with it. :p

“They told me I should pick someone.  Someone they can test.  I read about you, I heard about you.  I want you on our team.”

Recruitment it is. At least partially.

So, in this scene involving a psychotic naked mass murderer and a socially stunted dog girl with a penchant for brutality, let’s talk about ponies.

Earlier in the chapter, I was talking about Rachel being analogous to Rainbow Dash as the Element of Loyalty in MLP:FiM terms. Here we have her facing a challenge of loyalty, which is pretty much half the reason the Elements of Harmony are a thing in MLP:FiM – each Element’s episodes tend to have them facing lessons involving the side of friendship they represent.

Hell, the whole situation is similar to the very first scene that showcases Rainbow Dash’s loyalty, in which the villain for the initial two-parter tried to tempt her into abandoning her friends to join a dark version of the flight team she aspired to become part of. Granted, it’s a little different in that Siberian inviting Bitch to the Slaughterhouse Nine isn’t meant for the specific purpose of fucking over the Undersiders (probably), but it’s still the same basic problem.

Will Rachel be like Rainbow Dash and pick her existing team – which she believes doesn’t want her – over the chance to join a more brutal team with a member she might actually be able to relate to, or will she give in to temptation?

I don’t know. Either would make for some interesting stories – setting aside the possibility of this being a trap, either a) Rachel becomes a Slaughterhouse Nine member and the remaining Undersiders potentially end up fighting her along with the rest of the Fellowship later, or b) she doesn’t, and Siberian potentially calls in the rest of the Fellowship to get rid of the reason Bitch wouldn’t join them – the other Undersiders.

It’s also worth noting that if she does take this offer, she’ll be disqualifying herself from Coil’s help securing this territory. Not that it seems like she really wants his help.

And yes, that realization was partially brought on by the MLP:FiM joke I made in the post before it. So if the Undersiders were all to represent the Elements of Harmony, who would be what?

I doubt this is going to fit all that well, but I’m going to try. 😛

• Loyalty: Rachel
• Generosity: Lisa
• Honesty: Brian
• Laughter: Alec
• Kindness: Taylor
• Magic: Aisha?

Then Taylor had made overtures at friendship.  Taylor had invited herself into that place, that void, and had stayed when Bitch fucked up.

…oh yeah, I suppose she did.

Despite the last we saw of the two together (though we know more meetings between them have happened since) being Taylor chewing out Rachel for betrayal, Taylor was still pretty clear about wanting to stay as friendly as was possible between them, and I suppose she does remain the closest thing Rachel actually has to a human friend.

Taylor’s efforts are starting to pay off.

The scrawny kid had stood her ground instead of running when Bitch called her out on something.

And she called Rachel out on something herself and still indicated wanting to stay.

And maybe, just a little, in some small way, Bitch had gotten a glimpse at what she’d been missing out on.

…in a sense.

Their relationship isn’t exactly something to write home to Princess Celestia about just yet, but it’s more than Rachel has had with anyone in a long, long time. If ever.

Only to find out it was a ploy.  An act, so that Taylor could get the group’s confidence.

Oh for f–

…oh.

Ohhh.

So that’s why she was so much more pissed about the whole thing than anyone else.

Why, Bitch wondered, are they happier than me?

…did I speak too soon?

Maybe it’s just because I’ve been getting more and more into MLP:FiM fandom stuff recently, but it seems to me that if this is actually the case, the answer may be friendship. Human friendship.

But with the way Rachel’s brain works, shouldn’t dog friendship be about as good, if not better?

Unbidden, the answers came to mind.

She remembered living with her mother.  She couldn’t even remember the woman’s face, but that was little surprise.

Ouch.

Mom had worked anywhere from three jobs to none, but she spent little time in the apartment.  When she was home, she was either drinking in her room or partying with friends.

Ahhh.

I guess Rachel had to largely take care of herself even before she became homeless, then.

Little Rachel’s questions or attempts to get attention were met with anger, rejection.  She would be pushed away or locked in her room.

Ew. This is the kind of parent whose face doesn’t deserve to be remembered.

Better to stay quiet, watch for an opportunity.  If her mother passed out drunk, bills could be taken from her wallet, secreted away for later purchases of bread, peanut butter and jam, milk and cereal or orange juice at the corner store.

…not a bad idea, honestly, when it’s like that. Until it gets noticed, of course.

Then it becomes trouble.

If there was a party, and if she was successful in keeping from getting underfoot, she could often snatch a bag of chips, a box of ribs or chicken wings, to eat under her bed or on the roof.

I like the mental image of rooftop Rachel, even though the circumstances prompting it are unfortunate.