Differing Paths

Author's Note: I love jarring shifts in tone.

—Chapter Three sums it up perfectly.

Differing Paths is a Dark Fic, based around the characters of Azumanga Daioh, taking place five years after the end of the series, long since any of them have seen each other. The plot begins with Tomo working for Tokyo police against a cat burglar. Said burglar is revealed to be Sakaki, who was trained from an early age by her father and Kimura, members of a clan of thieves. Due to an injury and being accused of manslaughter, she is removed from the force, and most of the story follows her Roaring Rampage of Revenge against Sakaki. Notable is the constant Mood Whiplash, Shout Outs, Lampshade Hanging, and the exaggeration of the main characters' personality traits. Can be viewed in its (currently in-progress) entirety here.

Tropes used in Differing Paths include:

• A Date with Rosie Palms: Kaorin, naturally.
• Accidental Innuendo: "Tomo literally felt her mind being blown."
• Anti-Hero: Tomo, who definitely fits into the Type V, almost to the point of being a Villain Protagonist.
  • Chiyo could be argued as a Type II.
• Anti-Villain: Sakaki, who could easily be interpreted as the moral superior to Tomo, having been forced into the whole robbing-and-murdering thing.
• Beyond the Impossible:
  • In chapter ten, Tomo returning to health after being crushed by a boat... In only eight hours.
• Black and Grey Morality: Pretty much everyone in the story has their Kick the Dog moments.
• Bloodier and Gorier: Well, it is a Dark Fic...
• Break the Cutie: Sakaki's training. Later on, the death of Chiyo's parents and her entry to the police force.
• Cerebus Rollercoaster: Pretty much all the way through. The largely content-free chapter one is followed by chapter two's Downer Ending, which is followed by the third and fourth chapters, which are entirely Played for Laughs. Chapters five, six, the second half of chapter seven, and chapter eight go back to the bleak tone, which are then followed by chapter nine and ten, where it takes a turn into hilariously over-the-top action.
• Chunky Salsa Rule: Tomo takes advantage of this in the fight with Kimura, though she does take the time to Double Tap just in case.
• Determinator: Tomo.
• Eye Scream: Tomo, in chapter two.
• Fingore: Tomo's method of interrogation/revenge on Kaorin.
• First Episode Spoiler: Tomo's eye getting sliced open, and her subsequent removal from the force. Also, The Reveal of Sakaki in chapter five is about midway through, but it just as important to talk about the later chapters.
• Guns Akimbo and Gun Fu: Tomo's fighting style.
• Iron Woobie: Sakaki and Chiyo. Though Sakaki is somewhat affected by the series' Black and Grey Morality.
• Kick the Dog: Tomo torturing Kaorin.
• Leaning On The Fou Arth Wall: Konata mentions that it seems like she's seen Tomo on TV before.
• Made of Iron: Tomo, Up to Eleven.
• Memetic Mutation: "Goodnight, sweet prince. Y'know, I almost feel bad for you."
• Meta Guy: Konata, of all people.
• One of Us: Hi there.
  • TV Tropes is actually referenced in one of the author's notes, as a distraction to their writing.
• Pet the Dog:
  • A minor one in chapter ten, when when Tomo spares Chiyo.
• Self-Deprecation

Konata: This is like something out of a piece of pulp trash. Well, I suppose it sort of is.

Konata (again): Contrivances are for hack writers!

• Shout-Out: Tomo listening to God Save the Queen on her her way to Miyama's office.
  • Tomo referring to her revolvers as "Liz and Patty" in chapter one.
  • Tomo is defended in court by Griffin Left.
  • Osaka is a college dropout, and has been living for almost four years as a hikikomori, in an apartment next door to a bishoujo-obsessed otaku, who "would later make what would be considered to be one of the greatest H-games of all time.".
  • Konata's repeated appearances.
  • "Tomo had brought that along just in case she wanted to do some Audition stuff on them."
  • L (or at least an Expy of him) is briefly mentioned in chapter one, and plays a major role in Chapter Eight.
  • "If you strike me down, I will become more powerful than you can possibly imagine."
• Troperiffic