Charm Learning Shard (Worm/Exalted) (COMPLETED)

[Akuma-Heika]

Yes. You need (Artifact Rating + 2) dots in Craft to make an artifact, and your maximum score for Attributes and Abilities is 5 or (Essence), whichever is higher. And it doesn't really matter how quickly you move from Essence 2 -> 5, the rules say you can't reach Essence 6 until you've been exalted for 99 years (250 years for 7).

Click to shrink...

For core rulebook 2E, those are the averages. It points out that people who took their time raising their Essence will need more than a hundred years before they are able to raise it to 6 aka they stayed at E2 for 90 years, and the reverse is also true aka the ones who rose to E5 within a decade or two of Exalting can push to E6 earlier (I am unsure if it gave example ages [primarily to the latter example, I believe they put out 120 {or maybe 150} as an example for the former]). Ultimately it is a ST decision though, but they gave STs a route to give characters more wiggle room without needing to a spend a ton of points finding a N/A artifact.

No clue at all about 1E or 3E though. I have read Autochondria and the Player's Guide for E1 and that was it. Only wiki for 3E (and a fic or two).

I think I missed the E3 comment for Taylor though. I have been playing catch up again due to work and other things. 111 alerts right now, but I still have to go through another 128 of the previous batch -_-

 

[Mr Zoat]

No clue at all about 1E or 3E though. I have read Autochondria and the Player's Guide for E1 and that was it. Only wiki for 3E (and a fic or two).

Click to shrink...

Characters cannot generally raise their Essence above 5 until they have been Exalted for more than a mortal lifetime.

Click to shrink...

Though mechanically, it's Current Essence x 8 exp plus Current Essence Months on a spiritual retreat.

 

[Akuma-Heika]

No it isn't. Taylor has Essence 3. Also that knife isn't even within orders of magnitude of endbringer-killing. Scrub is hundred thousand times better at doing damage to an endbringer than that knife is, as is Damsel of Distress, and neither of them have a snowball's chance in hell against one that isn't sandbagging.

Click to shrink...

As she is now, that is true, but a few more months from now with literally superhuman stats, and more combat Charms, then it becomes possible for her to collect several pieces of Endbringer, which can be used to create more artifacts, including a full sized blade. Same power granted and then "Decapitation!!!" which wouldn't actually kill an EB, but being able to remove limbs becomes doable.

Edit: I am positive I wrote 'wouldn't' and even checked it, but it was apparently 'would' my bad. EB bodies are puppeted by their cores, so any damage done to them is not actually hurting them...although some Exalted/magic bs might change that

 

[bridielux]

Surprisingly fun. I enjoyed reading.

 

[Daniel Snuts]

Since you didn't need to summon Fenrir for your escort mission, you have no excuse not to show up for patrol as normal. You arrive at the bar to overhear Fake Swede complaining about his representation in the media, waving a newspaper about: "Just like jews to slander a good honest nazi!"

You feel you lips quirk up. That's... not a false statement, you suppose. But... well, you can't resist the chance to tweak his nose a bit.

"I dunno," you say thoughtfully. "My slanderous newspaper story was written by someone named K. Sandstrom - sounds more like a fake Swede than a jew to me."

"Bah!" Fake Swede scoffs. "Sure they got shabbos in the trenches, but I bet you a hundred bucks the chief editor and the owner are both Chosen."

"I wouldn't take that bet if I were you," Big Brain interjects, fiddling with his phone. "Which paper was it?"

"Uh, the Brockton Herald I think?"

He nods, and hands you his phone. It shows another educational website, that has managed to compile the entire org chart of the Brockton Herald. Complete with names, job titles, pictures... and little Stars of David in the corner wherever appropriate.

"Oh my god, it's full of stars," you exclaim theatrically. A sucker's bet indeed. "Clearly this country needs stronger affirmative action laws," you add wryly as you hand the phone back.

Big Brain and Fake Swede both chuckle at your witticism, but someone else shouts "No!" and suddenly you have a skinhead getting all up in your grill - someone you haven't been introduced to, but who has clearly introduced himself to several alcoholic beverages tonight.

"Jesus Ryan, she was just joking," you hear faintly from behind him, but he's having none of it. In a loud and passionate - if somewhat disjointed - monolog, he explains to the world in general and you in particular that he's not a far right extremist, he's a national goddamn socialist! He loves big government, and everyone else would too if it wasn't for affirmative action (several people around the room silently shake their heads). If the public sector would just hire on merit, instead of being used as stealth welfare for mentally deficient African-Americans (those were not the words he used).

"Instead it's, it's..." The poor guy is so passionate/intoxicated about his socialism that he's at a loss for words.

"'A charade designed to prop up a society based on the notion that all men are born equal, in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary?'" you suggest, quoting wildly out of context.

"Yes!" Ryan shouts. "Holy shit you guys, Psycho Bitch gets it!" Then he tries to drunkenly hug you.

"Careful there," you say as you sidestep the attempt. "Wouldn't want any wolves appearing indoors." This casual remark of yours is taken very seriously, and Ryan's friends hustle him off almost before you can finish the sentence. Which is good, sure, but are you really that scary? Perhaps you should try to find some way to ameliorate your Psycho Bitch reputation at least a little bit?

---

Rune laughs and shakes her head as you relate the incident. "I'll never understand why you keep hanging out with-"

The night air is split by feminine scream. Rune cuts off mid-sentence, Fenrir leaps onto her rock and you speed off towards the source, all levity forgotten. You feel a jittery energy infuse your body as you prepare to enact brutal retribution on the people responsible...

...only to arrive too late. The woman lies crumpled on the ground, clutching her face and sobbing in pain. Of the perpetrator, no sign.

"Shit," Rune says. She's already going for her phone to call for help, so it's up to you to render assistance. This is a terrible allocation of labor, because a) Rune presumably paid more attention during first aid class than you did, and b) you don't carry any medical supplies with you, because you don't bleed. Still, what can you do? You crouch down next to the woman and try to gently pry her hands away from her face.

"Here, let me see- oh shit." She's got a deep knife slash across her face, starting above her right eyebrow, going across her nose and slicing open her left cheek. Shit. Um. Bandages, you need bandages. Your own cape outfit is mostly leather, so...

"I'm going to need to cut up your clothes for bandages," you tell the woman.

"Purse, bandages," she manages to get out. Yeah, but- her purse is still there. Some asshole just sliced her face open and ran off, without even robbing her? What the fuck? No, focus on staunching the blood.

It's at this point Rune's end of the phone call clues you in on the fact that she's calling 911, not Ops.

"What the hell?" you demand. "Get Othala over here. Without proper regeneration she's going to be scarred for life!" (the woman whimpers quietly on hearing this, but it's not as if it wasn't obvious already)

"Othala isn't a charity," Rune says. "Her brand of health insurance is for active members only, not random civilians."

"This is on us," you counter. "We were patrolling, we were supposed to stop this!"

"I know!" Rune says angrily. "I don't make the rules!"

"Oh, for... fine!" You draw your knife, flip it over into a reverse grip, and jam it straight through your left forearm. "There! Injured cape. Get Othala out here, because I'm not in any condition to be moved." You make sure to keep bleeding for a while, for effect.

Rune stares at you, speechless. "Uh..."

"There's a giant wolf who will savage anyone who tries," you explain further. Fenrir growls in agreement.

"...right." She hangs up on the 911 operator, and calls Ops. Good. Guilting Othala into helping once she shows up won't be a problem.

You're aware that you just completely ruined any chance of lessening the legend of Psycho Bitch tonight, but you don't care.

You're not done with the perp either, whoever he was. If any other set of capes had shown up he'd have gotten away clean, but he just so happened to piss off the K-9 unit.

"Get his scent," you tell Fenrir. "Run him down, bring him back here." Fenrir sniffs around the scene for a few seconds, then dashes off. "If he's made it inside, come back here and I'll drag him out for you," you call out after him. No smaller-than-a-wolf doorway is going to save him from justice.

"You can do that?" Rune asks. "What's the range on that projection?"

Oh. Right. Most minion-conjuring Masters couldn't have done that. In your anger, you let the sandbag slip a bit. Whatever. "Miles," you say with a shrug.

Rune finishes her phone call and thankfully takes over the first aid. She must have seen how awkward you were about it, and/or didn't want Psycho Bitch any closer to civilians than absolutely necessary.

---

Othala is clearly unimpressed with your injury, looking between your forearm and the empty sheath at your belt and shaking her head. But she doesn't argue when you ask her to heal the victim first, because she's a good person. She's still busy with that when Fenrir returns with a captive in his jaws.

"A fucking nigger," you say without thinking.

"Well duh?" Rune says.

You shake your head. It's not that you're particularly surprised. It's that you just realized what article K. Sandstrom is going to write tomorrow: 'Bloodthirsty nazi wolf abducts innocent youth minding his own business.' This fucking clown world would have people believe that you were the one committing race-based hate crimes tonight.

It's not going to help the actual hate criminal here and now, though. Fenrir obediently drops him in front of you and holds him in place with a foot. "Do as you would be done by," you say as you draw the knife from your forearm.

"Vengeance threefold," his victim suggests from behind you, surprising you. But okay. You can work with that too.

---

Remember back at the start of the Bakuda crisis, when you said that the heroes could do their job for once? Boy were you wrong. Four days in, it's gotten to the point where the villains are teaming up to do something about it. You were also invited, despite not being a villain.

The conference is going to be held at a small pub called Somer's Rock. Calling it 'nondescript' would be giving it too much credit: 'Run-down' and 'shabby' would be better adjectives. Being the designated neutral ground of the city's major gangs must not pay very well. Though to be fair, you don't know how complicit the owners are - if Kaiser shows up and says 'nice place this, I'm going to hold a meeting here', who would dare argue?

Not being completely retarded, Kaiser has you go over the entire building with 'wolf senses' before showing up in person. Until the conference is over it's the single most bombable building in the city - including the PRT HQ and the Rig, because the people at Somer's Rock might actually pose a threat to Bakuda.

As you search, you can hear the skinheads standing guard outside discussing race and IQ. Their take is less straightforward than you'd have guessed:

"No shit the chinks are smarter than us," Big Brain is saying. "They built a giant wall around their country to keep foreigners out."

"Does that-"

"No, that still doesn't mean you can have an asian GF! Have some fucking self-respect!"

You miss the most of the subsequent conversation as you check the basement and attic - debating, from what snatches you overhear, just what non-IQ deficiencies caused the Chinese to invent big ships and gunpowder and then sit around with their thumbs up their asses, whereas Europeans invented big ships and gunpowder and promptly proceeded to push down and teabag the entire rest of the world, including China.

"Have you considered that not discovering Africa was a pretty high IQ move, all things considered?" you suggest as you rejoin them. "All clear, by the way."

"Good job," Big Brain says. The other guy (Steve?) just grunts and nods.

Then you leave, and wander off to find somewhere were you can change into Quicksilver. When you say you were invited, you mean on net. Kaiser specifically disinvited Low Key from attending the conference itself, because he can form a domineering retinue with only a fraction of his capes, and he doesn't want to pay more overtime than he absolutely has to. No, you got your invites from Luke ("everyone is invited") and Lisa ("it's a good opportunity to network, if there's anyone you haven't infiltrated already").

Villains, as it turns out, like being fashionably late, because when you arrive on the dot only the Undersiders are there ahead of you, seated in a booth by the wall. You pretend you don't know each other. Or at least you and Lisa do, the non-Thinkers in the group have no idea who Quicksilver is.

Though you've barely sat down in a booth of your own when Faultline shows up with Crew in tow. You spot a glint of orichalcum around her neck before you have to stand up again, because Labyrinth is rushing over to give you a hug. Faultline must have felt that the meeting was important enough to burn her daily dose of sanity on. For her sake, you hope it drags on.

Spoiler: Lisa-o-vision

WTF?

Labyrinth was-

No, stop, I can't afford to waste my power on figuring out Taylor's bullshit right now.

Then there's a brief lull during which you have a chance to order something to drink. The waitress, as it turns out, is deaf. Which... doesn't actually move your complicity evaluation one way or the other, when you think about it. Was she hired so the villains could talk freely, or did the villains pick this place because she already worked here?

The Travelers show up next, in sharply tailored costumes of black and red. Well, the hedgehog-quilled gorilla is technically naked, but the quills are black with red tips. Their appearance sets off whispers among the capes already present, but you knew to expect them: Once Ballistic identified himself to you, his teammates were only an internet search away. But you are surprised too, because you had assumed Genesis was the monster you spotted in their garage, or perhaps the Changer you tailed to their house. But no, the gorilla is a Master projection, with a tendril of power leading off somewhere outside the building.

Well, it might still be the monster behind it. And they're keeping the Changer secret, to have a shapeshifting spy no one knows about? Good for them if so, you can't exactly claim to disapprove of that tactic. Another interesting thing you probably shouldn't ask Ballistic about. Speaking of Ballistic, he also pretends you don't know each other, so you follow his lead.

Spoiler: Ballistic-o-vision

She pretends we don't know each other, so I follow her lead.

Then Coil shows up, alone. He's either the bravest person here or the most cowardly, because the guy in the snake-motif bodysuit is not a parahuman. Is he a baseline human doing the supervillain bit and calmly walking into the lion's den, or a regular villain paranoid enough to send a body double?

Next is Uber and Leet, and you'd almost assume they were dressed for a real business meeting given the suits they're wearing. But between Uber's spiky-haired wig and the ridiculous frilly neck-cloth Leet is wearing instead of a tie, they're probably video game characters you've never heard of.

Kaiser makes a grand entrance, with Fenja and Menja as arm candy and Hookwolf and Purity trailing behind. So whatever issue caused her to leave the Empire has been worked out. And you can say what you want about Kaiser's tight-fisted ways, but you have to admit your presence as Low Key would not have made his entourage noticeably more threatening.

The leader of each group takes a seat at a table in the middle of the room. There are some glances sent your way when you remain seated, but you wave them away.

"I will not take an active role in this. Strictly non-combatant. I am merely here to assure everyone that I am not working for the other side."

The discussion is surprisingly civil considering the sheer amount of power and mental issues concentrated around the table - at least until the Merchants show up and try to join in.

"Objection!" Uber shouts, standing up and pointing accusingly at Skidmark when he starts dragging a chair towards the leaders' table. He is quickly backed up by Kaiser, Faultline and Grue. People of all races and creeds agree: Merchants are shit, and should stay in their shit corner.

You roll your eyes as they start insulting each other. This is boring, because no one is using powers to back up their rethoric.

"-subhuman filth-"

"-bunch of menstruating pussies-"

"-selling to kids-"

"-will not deal with-"

They are interrupted by a snapping sound, and all eyes turn towards the Travelers' table, where a couple of flakes of paint are drifting down from the ceiling to land on Ballistic's head. The cape in question is holding a salt shaker. He carefully shakes out a single grain of salt onto a fingertip, then uses his power to fire it into the ceiling. There's another snap as it breaks the sound barrier, and another flake of paint is dislodged.

His little display completely derailed the argument, and with a few last muttered curses and obscene gestures Skidmark accepts his exile to the shit corner. Discussion resumes. But you're no longer paying attention, because Ballistic keeps firing salt into the ceiling, despite Sundancer elbowing him in the ribs and hissing at him to stop. He doesn't say anything or even look in your direction, but you know why he's doing it. You lick your lips and try not to stare too obviously.

---

Spoiler: Sundancer-o-vision

"Why did you keep doing that? Everyone was staring at us."

"They lost interest soon enough."

"That Quicksilver girl didn't. She kept staring the whole time. What was up with her, anyway?"

"Hm. I wonder."

"What's with the smug... No. No way. She's your girlfriend? And she actually-"

"No commen- Ow! What was that for?"

"For doing it in public."

---

You get explicit orders not to show up for patrol on Monday, because the joint operation against the ABB is scheduled for Tuesday, and you should save your wolf juice for then. This suits you fine, you'll just spend the whole day with Luke. You need to do something nice for him after what he did at the meeting. And since he's figured out a way to safely demonstrate his power indoors, well...

He is still a Case 53, you're not going to internalize his power until you've carefully inspected every inch of his body for mutations. And the easiest way to accomplish that in the context of your current relationship is to reciprocate.

"What's got you smiling today?" Dad asks.

"Nothing!" you say cheerfully. You should probably get a motel room, since neither of you would want to reveal to the other where you live. Luke has too many roommates anyway, and Quicksilver doesn't even own a house (because she sort of doesn't exist). You just hope he'll understand that a motel room doesn't mean you're looking for, you know, that kind of intimacy.

---

Good news: Luke is entirely unmutated. Also good news: He was very understanding of Quicksilver's unfashionable insistence that certain things ought to be saved for marriage. More than understanding, he was downright eager to help you brainstorm alternative activities that would not suffer from such restrictions. You'll have to think about some of the things he came up with. Because you'd never considered them before. It's not that you don't see how it would work, but... really? Is that a thing people do?

Perhaps it's an Earth Aleph innovation.

 

[Rerororororororororo]

Since you didn't need to summon Fenrir for your escort mission, you have no excuse not to show up for patrol as normal. You arrive at the bar to overhear Fake Swede complaining about his representation in the media, waving a newspaper about: "Just like jews to slander a good honest nazi!"

You feel you lips quirk up. That's... not a false statement, you suppose. But... well, you can't resist the chance to tweak his nose a bit.

"I dunno," you say thoughtfully. "My slanderous newspaper story was written by someone named K. Sandstrom - sounds more like a fake Swede than a jew to me."

"Bah!" Fake Swede scoffs. "Sure they got shabbos in the trenches, but I bet you a hundred bucks the chief editor and the owner are both Chosen."

"I wouldn't take that bet if I were you," Big Brain interjects, fiddling with his phone. "Which paper was it?"

"Uh, the Brockton Herald I think?"

He nods, and hands you his phone. It shows another educational website, that has managed to compile the entire org chart of the Brockton Herald. Complete with names, job titles, pictures... and little Stars of David in the corner wherever appropriate.

"Oh my god, it's full of stars," you exclaim theatrically. A sucker's bet indeed. "Clearly this country needs stronger affirmative action laws," you add wryly as you hand the phone back.

Big Brain and Fake Swede both chuckle at your witticism, but someone else shouts "No!" and suddenly you have a skinhead getting all up in your grill - someone you haven't been introduced to, but who has clearly introduced himself to several alcoholic beverages tonight.

"Jesus Ryan, she was just joking," you hear faintly from behind him, but he's having none of it. In a loud and passionate - if somewhat disjointed - monolog, he explains to the world in general and you in particular that he's not a far right extremist, he's a national goddamn socialist! He loves big government, and everyone else would too if it wasn't for affirmative action (several people around the room silently shake their heads). If the public sector would just hire on merit, instead of being used as stealth welfare for mentally deficient African-Americans (those were not the words he used).

"Instead it's, it's..." The poor guy is so passionate/intoxicated about his socialism that he's at a loss for words.

"'A charade designed to prop up a society based on the notion that all men are born equal, in the face of overwhelming evidence to the contrary?'" you suggest, quoting wildly out of context.

"Yes!" Ryan shouts. "Holy shit you guys, Psycho Bitch gets it!" Then he tries to drunkenly hug you.

"Careful there," you say as you sidestep the attempt. "Wouldn't want any wolves appearing indoors." This casual remark of yours is taken very seriously, and Ryan's friends hustle him off almost before you can finish the sentence. Which is good, sure, but are you really that scary? Perhaps you should try to find some way to ameliorate your Psycho Bitch reputation at least a little bit?

Click to shrink...

I'm begging you, please change it up. I cannot handle another bar scene with the minions before the monotony kills me. Your story so you do you, but at least mix it up.

 

[Saltade]

I'm begging you, please change it up. I cannot handle another bar scene with the minions before the monotony kills me. Your story so you do you, but at least mix it up.

Click to shrink...

I think it's an interesting way to show Taylor's slow corruption to racist authoritarianism. I'm still skeptical of her becoming an honest to god nazi but I won't deny the line has definitely blurred in the last couple of chapters and especially in this one.

Goddamn Taylor, I'm begging you, go touch some grass and hug some puppies.

That being said most other fics (read: literally all the ones I know of) that try to pull off Nazi or E88 Taylors tend to go for comedy or whitewash the E88's Nazistic tendencies. I'm both glad and upset this fic isn't doing that.

Interested to see where you're going with this whole thing. Solar Exalted National Socialism? Solar Exalted Fully Automated Luxury Gay Space Communism?

 

[Anonymous Brainwash]

…God damn it Taylor. There is literally no excuse this time. You busted out the N-word.

I can only hope that best-minion Aisha or closest thing to a friend Lisa can get Taylor's head out of her ass sometime soon.

 

[Akuma-Heika]

Good news: Luke is entirely unmutated. Also good news: He was very understanding of Quicksilver's unfashionable insistence that certain things ought to be saved for marriage. More than understanding, he was downright eager to help you brainstorm alternative activities that would not suffer from such restrictions. You'll have to think about some of the things he came up with. Because you'd never considered them before. It's not that you don't see how it would work, but... really? Is that a thing people do?

Perhaps it's an Earth Aleph innovation.

Click to shrink...

So many questions

 

[Saltade]

…God damn it Taylor. There is literally no excuse this time. You busted out the N-word.

I can only hope that best-minion Aisha or closest thing to a friend Lisa can get Taylor's head out of her ass sometime soon.

Click to shrink...

Aisha is slapped under so many mastering charms I wouldn't be surprised if if Taylor becomes an actual Nazi, Aisha starts hating her own skin colour and subscribes to the Nazi creed too.

Lisa's like 5 interactions away from joining her.

 

[bornagainpenguin]

I'm begging you, please change it up. I cannot handle another bar scene with the minions before the monotony kills me. Your story so you do you, but at least mix it up.

Click to shrink...

Am I really the only one who is enjoying those? Maybe it's because I've been on the web long enough to actually recognize some of the references being made from prior exposure? For instance I recall several years ago seeing a infographic of the people working at CNN which would have lined up nicely with the one mentioned in this chapter. And I do find it genuinely humorous the interactions of the weeaboo dude and his yellow fever always getting slapped down. Like they have to remind the guy he's a racist all the time....

I kind of get Hogan's Heroes vibes from the way those interactions take place. Kind of how Hogan was constantly putting one over the head of Klink.

 

[Osiris]

At some point I would like an explanation for why black criminals keep dong pointless, horrific crimes to white women within screaming distance of E88 patrols. Perhaps there is a reality warping nazi somewhere who has warped the universe to conform to a vision that exists only in propaganda.

 

[PlasticSoldier]

At some point I would like an explanation for why black criminals keep dong pointless, horrific crimes to white women within screaming distance of E88 patrols. Perhaps there is a reality-warping nazi somewhere who has warped the universe to conform to a vision that exists only in propaganda.

Click to shrink...

I think the implication is that Brockton Bay is just such a crime-ridden place that this happens a lot.

 

[bornagainpenguin]

At some point I would like an explanation for why black criminals keep dong pointless, horrific crimes to white women within screaming distance of E88 patrols.

Click to shrink...

I suspect a Coil plot.

On the other hand isn't it interesting that (other than the Merchants, who nobody really counts) there seem to be no black gangs in Brockton Bay despite the presence of blacks in the city. I wonder why that is? Is it possible that there is a gang without powers who occasionally take a walk over to the other side of the tracks to take out the frustrations of living with Nazis all day? Their targeting is a giant middle finger to all the assholes who claim not to be racist themselves while availing themselves of the Nazis' safe spaces to raise children?

Just a thought. It really seems strange to me that there doesn't seem to be a black gang presence or a Latino gang presence despite the larger make up of the population than the Asian population, even assuming large refugee population after the sinking of Kyushu....

 

[Disminded]

…God damn it Taylor. There is literally no excuse this time. You busted out the N-word.

I can only hope that best-minion Aisha or closest thing to a friend Lisa can get Taylor's head out of her ass sometime soon.

Click to shrink...

She did it without thinking. That shit's reflexive now. She is officially a neo Nazi.

 

[Waterfly]

Just a thought. It really seems strange to me that there doesn't seem to be a black gang presence or a Latino gang presence despite the larger make up of the population than the Asian population, even assuming large refugee population after the sinking of Kyushu....

Click to shrink...

Huh. I always just assumed Asian's were the largest non-white population in the bay. Having been a city up in the northern part of the US I'd wouldn't suspect there to be a large Latino population, Nor as big a black population due to decades with the Empire residing in the city.

 

[Edifier]

there seem to be no black gangs in Brockton Bay despite the presence of blacks in the city.

Click to shrink...

In cannon, as far as I'm aware, there is 'suppose' to be a lot more gangs and capes in the city who are smaller and that Taylor and their group never interacts with. Tho in fannon the only ones that exist are those who get screentime. Also no one really cares about oc's.
But I'd chock it up to E88 dunking on all wanna be gangs like that.

But HOLY FUCK Ballistic has game! Hot dam, he knows how to push Taylors buttons.

 

[Amberion]

This has become one of those stories where I pray the main character suffers some kind of crisis that forces a re-evaluation of... everything, because the longer this goes on, the worse it's going to be when it all comes crashing down around her.

 

[Paralein]

But HOLY FUCK Ballistic has game! Hot dam, he knows how to push Taylors buttons.

Click to shrink...

Not too difficult, considering Taylor has a grand total of one (very big and obvious) button.

 

[goricnac]

At this point this "temporary" infiltration of the empire is over 2/3s of the fic and every other chapter seems to be about 30 to 40% atempts tp protray the empire as heroes. I mean hell we now have in universe confirmation that the media in the neo nazi captial of america is controlled by jews when in canon the empire ran most jews out of the bay with various forms of vandalism, arson and murder.

Couple chapters ago someone legit tried to argue that the Undersiders are worse than the Empire cause of the Dinah thing, which dont get me wrong the Undersiders are fucking awful in canon, but in a sheers numbers game they come out as angels compared to the E88. Also pretty interesting the only act of senseless violence we have seen not committed by a black person was done by either heroes or a woman abusing her husband.

 

[Praetrunco]

At some point I would like an explanation for why black criminals keep dong pointless, horrific crimes to white women within screaming distance of E88 patrols. Perhaps there is a reality warping nazi somewhere who has warped the universe to conform to a vision that exists only in propaganda.

Click to shrink...

Pointless, horrific, stupidity is the bread and butter of all humanity, real or fictional.

A drunk Gurkha soldier murdered 22 people at a wedding in Nainital with a machete because a member of a lower caste was marrying a woman of a higher social standing.

Legend stared at a 15 year old wannabe hero deciding the Birdcage was a better option than showing a future colleague her face and shrugged.

People always people'n.

 

[Mentos]

Perhaps it's an Earth Aleph innovation

Click to shrink...

So you're saying
The sex was out of this world

 

[Stanley_Jeb]

Complete with names, job titles, pictures... and little Stars of David in the corner wherever appropriate.

Click to shrink...

Hah, I actually remember that. People got super offended over the plug-in, it was great.

 

[CatOnFire]

…God damn it Taylor. There is literally no excuse this time. You busted out the N-word.

Click to shrink...

My Dad is an old man, he was literally at the first appearance of Led Zepplin before they were known as Led Zepplin. He has said the N-word two times in my company once at a guy who almost gave us a head on collision and once at a girl who attacked him because he told the cashier she was shoplifting. It is just a word said in anger to hurt the person you are targeting as much as possible.

But I'm honestly free speech extremist I don't believe words should ever be taboo. I refuse ever give a word that much power over me. Let people be judged on thier actions instead.

 

[Zxzx24]

Am I really the only one who is enjoying those? Maybe it's because I've been on the web long enough to actually recognize some of the references being made from prior exposure? For instance I recall several years ago seeing a infographic of the people working at CNN which would have lined up nicely with the one mentioned in this chapter. And I do find it genuinely humorous the interactions of the weeaboo dude and his yellow fever always getting slapped down. Like they have to remind the guy he's a racist all the time....

I kind of get Hogan's Heroes vibes from the way those interactions take place. Kind of how Hogan was constantly putting one over the head of Klink.

Click to shrink...

It was fun, now it's kind of just the whole story? And pretty wacky sometimes.

We've had more Neo Nazi propaganda than power collection at this point.

On the other hand its created so much engagement the author would have to be mad to drop it. I know I only bother to read and comment to see what new low Nuts will sink to portraying. Same for Goricnac as well probably.

And if she does leave the E88... what is she gonna do then? Nowhere she can go will even be half as interesting. Either to the genuine neo nazi crowd feeling pandered to or people like me who are here to watch the car crash.

 

[lurkinglurker]

That lady getting slashed and not robbed while conveniently having bandages in her purse seems like a checkov's gun to me.
It's been something I've been suspecting for a while as a background plot, with a few similar incidents in the story making it look like there is some faction deliberately trying to cause these incidents between blacks and the E88.
I'm not sure who is behind these agent provocateurs, it could be the E88 trying to make themselves look more necessary, any of the other gangs trying to bait the E88 into violence to consume their resources, law enforcement trying to bait the E88 into doing something visible so they can jump in and get easy arrests, some random faction of normals who want more violent crimes with dark skinned perpetrators for some reason and are doing some affirmative action.
It's probably Coil though. He's stirring the pot to help himself get Piggot's job. Getting someone to agree to getting a sick ass scar on their face or to be part of a small mob of dark skinned adult males loudly being aggressive in empire territory has to be pricey.

 

[Saltade]

She did it without thinking. That shit's reflexive now. She is officially a neo Nazi.

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Just using the n-word doesn't make you a nazi you know. People are too free with labeling racists nazis these days. It dilutes the crimes and evilness of the actual nazis and those that still subscribe to that creed.

 

[Daniel Snuts]

So many questions

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It's intentionally left unspecified so that each reader can mentally insert an act that made them go "people do that?", regardless of their level of depravity.

But if you truly want your question answered, canonically?

Spoiler

armpitjobs

 

[Malexander]

But if you truly want your question answered, canonically?

Spoiler

armpitjobs

Click to shrink...

So Luke is a cultured individual indeed.

 

[Paralein]

That's probably not even everything. With Luke basically getting carte blanche from Taylor, I bet they even

Spoiler

held hands.