• The site has now migrated to Xenforo 2. If you see any issues with the forum operation, please post them in the feedback thread.
  • Due to issues with external spam filters, QQ is currently unable to send any mail to Microsoft E-mail addresses. This includes any account at live.com, hotmail.com or msn.com. Signing up to the forum with one of these addresses will result in your verification E-mail never arriving. For best results, please use a different E-mail provider for your QQ address.
  • For prospective new members, a word of warning: don't use common names like Dennis, Simon, or Kenny if you decide to create an account. Spammers have used them all before you and gotten those names flagged in the anti-spam databases. Your account registration will be rejected because of it.
  • Since it has happened MULTIPLE times now, I want to be very clear about this. You do not get to abandon an account and create a new one. You do not get to pass an account to someone else and create a new one. If you do so anyway, you will be banned for creating sockpuppets.
  • Due to the actions of particularly persistent spammers and trolls, we will be banning disposable email addresses from today onward.
  • The rules regarding NSFW links have been updated. See here for details.

Charm Learning Shard (Worm/Exalted) (COMPLETED)

Reader mode
They probably enjoy seeing how many people they can trigger and cause to chase their own tails. I would probably keep going if it was me at this point just for the lulz.

My soul cannot know peace until the mystery of the maybe racist author is solved!!!! :p
 
Ruy said:
Daniel Snuts

I know I already said it, but putting a warning stating that you don't share these views would really reassure a lot of people. It costs nothing more than a line of text.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

It wouldn't make any difference. There's a certain kind of person who can't stand to see characters in a story express forbidden thoughts (racism, for example) unless the story goes out of its way to condemn them and paint them as evil in every single scene where the issue arises. People like that will come out of the woodwork to complain no matter what disclaimers you put up, because their problem isn't just that they don't like the content. They don't think anyone should be allowed to write stories that make them uncomfortable, and their actual objective is to bully authors who dare to transgress into shutting up.
 
ShaperV said:
It wouldn't make any difference. There's a certain kind of person who can't stand to see characters in a story express forbidden thoughts (racism, for example) unless the story goes out of its way to condemn them and paint them as evil in every single scene where the issue arises. People like that will come out of the woodwork to complain no matter what disclaimers you put up, because their problem isn't just that they don't like the content. They don't think anyone should be allowed to write stories that make them uncomfortable, and their actual objective is to bully authors who dare to transgress into shutting up.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

You're not wrong, but there's a vast gulf between "condemning and painting them as evil in every single scene" and "never showing them as wrong or evil in even a single scene and also warping the world so that even their offscreen activities are excused". The latter takes at least as much deliberation as the former, so it's certainly not an accident.
 
I remember following this on space battles before it got deleted there. The actual story is pretty so-so at best and I mostly skim through it, the real treat is just seeing the comments that inevitably follow each chapter, posted by the tsunderes hungry for Daniel-Snuts sama. This story would no doubt have died out 7-8 chapters ago , but you all keep feeding it with your tears.
 
ShaperV said:
It wouldn't make any difference. There's a certain kind of person who can't stand to see characters in a story express forbidden thoughts (racism, for example) unless the story goes out of its way to condemn them and paint them as evil in every single scene where the issue arises. People like that will come out of the woodwork to complain no matter what disclaimers you put up, because their problem isn't just that they don't like the content. They don't think anyone should be allowed to write stories that make them uncomfortable, and their actual objective is to bully authors who dare to transgress into shutting up.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...

This Nazi plotline started in chapter 8, so it's been 31 chapters at this point. No one's asking for universal condemnation in every scene(that I've seen, I skimmed, may have missed some hystrionics) they're mostly expressing worry or distaste about the content on the assumption that the author doesn't have white supremacist views even if the characters do. I for one am definitely asking for some clear sign that an otherwise entertaining fic isn't discretely in favor of tiny moustaches and gas chambers. Alternatively, I'd appreciate a clear indicator that this is in fact Goose Stepping Taylor so I know to leave. Either or.

At least the vore people label their shit.
 
ShaperV said:
It wouldn't make any difference. There's a certain kind of person who can't stand to see characters in a story express forbidden thoughts (racism, for example) unless the story goes out of its way to condemn them and paint them as evil in every single scene where the issue arises. People like that will come out of the woodwork to complain no matter what disclaimers you put up, because their problem isn't just that they don't like the content. They don't think anyone should be allowed to write stories that make them uncomfortable, and their actual objective is to bully authors who dare to transgress into shutting up.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
But this isn't that. this isnt people going, you shouldn't be allowed to write nazi's as more then just evil carticures without condeming naziem left and right.

This is people going, your driving this point too far and for too long, all the while going out of your way to make it seem as if the the nazis are right.

I mean the first time we see the ABB in this fic we immediately see how bad they are. we see the forced prostitutes, the fear, the infighting and we see it all in about under three chapters.

Meanwhile, so far we spent a good part of the fic with the nazi's and we dont see any sign of the gang they actualy are in canon. we see nothing of the initiations, of the robing, of the hate crimes, of the killing or any other thing bad they do.

Now I could believe that they are deliberately keeping taylor away from that stuff because they dont know how she trully alignes… if not for the fact that we see no hint to their true nature with any of the other taylor personalities or more importantly, when she went and resecred the newspapers and her findings seem to confirm the nazis naritive.

Not to mention, that somehow most of the crimes we saw were committed by black people to white people in the middle of empire territory, which is .

to be honest I just think it's shoddy writing. Instead of having taylor slowly fall into naziem herself despite all their bad sides because she is starved for friends and human contact, the narrative goes out of its way to have her ratinaly reach the conclusion that the lie nazizem espouses is true.

TL,DR: this is less bad author you potrey the nazies as real humens but bad author you force the neritive to make the nazis seem right.
 
Rule 1 warning. This kind of insult is uncalled for.
ShaperV said:
It wouldn't make any difference. There's a certain kind of person who can't stand to see characters in a story express forbidden thoughts (racism, for example) unless the story goes out of its way to condemn them and paint them as evil in every single scene where the issue arises. People like that will come out of the woodwork to complain no matter what disclaimers you put up, because their problem isn't just that they don't like the content. They don't think anyone should be allowed to write stories that make them uncomfortable, and their actual objective is to bully authors who dare to transgress into shutting up.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
The dense and intricate retardation in this comment should be preserved so that the scientists and anthropologists of future generations can marvel at your accomplishment and hopefully some day prevent this kind of stupidity from destroying the gene pool.

Also as Warganzala said.
wargonzola said:
You've got, uh, some strawman argument caught in your teeth there.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
 
There is a significantly higher amount of 'Taylor doesn't give a flying fuck about (virtually) anyone, and is willing to do (virtually) anything to get more power' than a 'Taylor has slowly become an actual nazi'.

Whether the author feels one way or another can't really be properly argued until this is all concluded because then you can actually see what the buildup/climax/resolution to this whole situation is. Because until you reach that point, you can't know if it's just poorly written in that regard or something of that nature instead of intentional nazi-ism.

Like, you pick up habits and sayings and whatnot from those around you. Due to the aforementioned willingness to do quite a bit for more power, she hangs out with nazis. Thus, she picks up their sayings and uses her rather poor social skills with the addition of her power to blend in and 'remain' so she can get the powers.

Which, from the outside, ignoring everything else, makes it look like she's becoming a nazi including her anecdotes and thoughts about their arguments and the 'for' and 'against' of those.

'But she shouldn't agree with that! Its wrong and bad!'

That is correct. She also doesn't give a shit watching most people get hurt, die, or otherwise suffer in front of her, and in fact is willing to subvert their free will and freedom and manipulate them ruthlessly to get what she wants.

As someone said, sociopathy or psychopathy is a significantly better analysis than 'she's become a nazi' in her ascent towards 'very not mortal'.


And in regards to what the author actually thinks, you really have to wait (unless something really egregious and OOC occurs for this Taylor) for the Nazi portion to conclude and see how that happens.

Because so far everything that Taylor thinks falls under the umbrella of 'virtually everyone else is below her and not worth consideration'.

Or the 'Mortals' as it were.



TL;DR Taylor doesn't give a shit about (nearly) everyone (whites, nazis, blacks, everyone), and the author's true thoughts for the most part should be analyzed at the end of this section rather than halfway through. Might turn out they are a raging nazi, who knows, might not.

At least, that's my opinion, 2 cents, or steaming heap of shit, whatever you'd like to call it. Enjoy it or hate it as you please.
 
Wondering when she's going to use exalted magic to turn people white and escalate to mind control when that doesn't fix what's wrong with humanity :V
 
People's reactions to this seem very bizarre to me. Nothing in this story would even come close to making Nazis 'right'. The material claims of Nazis(while mostly untrue) are really not relevant compared to the fundamental, axiomatic moral differences between them and most ideologies.

Even if there was, for the sake of argument, a secret Jewish cabal attempting to replace white people by promoting immigration and black people were just genetically predisposed to crime, the Nazi prescription of ethnic cleansing would still be unacceptable. The fact people are like 'this story is making nazism right' upon reacting to random minor things is actually kind of worrying.

Not to mention, even if Taylor became an actual nazi, which is unlikely given it's obvious in the story she is a sociopath who only really cares about getting more power, not a 'true believer', that still wouldn't mean the author believes those thing irl. It' narrative trope called the unreliable narrator. If I really believed everything any main character of mine thought, I would probably deserve the death penalty. Could the author be an actual racist, sure, but I feel like they should just be given the benefit of the doubt.
 
I was more offended by Taylor dating dudes to get shit from them than goose stepping Taylor. Don't pander to the misogyny Taylor!!!
 
Rule 1 warning. Please do not call others nazis seriously.
Honestly, the author is most likely a Nazi, but Idc I'm not paying for this, he's not making money from this. All that's happening is a racist author spending time selling thinly veiled propaganda to lefties. It's dumb, and there have been many points already where I've thought the author has a perfect moment for the 'leave the Empire' scene. But tbh, im more annoyed at the slow AF pacing than the shitty attempt at moralizing neonazis. I live on the internet, I'm used to Nazis, lol. What I'm not happy about is how long is taking Taylor to power up in any meaningful way at all. Why tf doesn't she call up dragon and make fucking Kilos of her metal, then just pay some hand picked capes for a free powers demo like she did with faultline. Her Nazi:cape interaction ratio with the empire is abysmal. If she wanted runes power instead of socializing with neo Nazis, she'd have it by now.
 
Addendum, she could have fought the Nazis as a way to get powers faster. Like.... This is a shard not actually exalted. So wouldn't it make sense that she'd start fights not "debates" like whatever, the author is clearly nazi, but he's also kind of a s*** storyboarder and planner. would have made a much better story imo of she made rune some kind of nemesis. Fucking ... She could do both! Fight Rune in another personality!
 
Okay so there's a lot of debate going on here, just going to drop my two cents then leave.

I really love this fic. A power copier fic which is an actual slow burn and where the MC not only doesn't feel overpowered but feels like an underdog. And while this chapter definitely felt like a lot too much, I honestly like the non-pc humor. Then again I've always been the sort of person that can easily separate fiction from things I would hate to see in real life. Also Taylor's speech does make sense in character even if I don't agree or like it, she's had nothing but bad experiences with people of minorities both in her civilian life and while working for the E88, and the E88 as monstrous as they are have been a mostly positive and supportive force in Taylor's life, one which she receives from no one else including the authorities that are supposed to protect her.

Evil would be easy to ignore if it was always unpleasant.
 
ShaperV said:
It wouldn't make any difference.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
And I reiterate that it does make a difference. Not for everyone but for some. Most importantly for mods.

Edit: The post below makes me think it is necessary to point out that I do not wish to "borrow the powers of the mods to force the author to genuflect". This story is no longer in SB for a reason, and putting a disclaimer here is a suggestion.
 
Last edited:
Alathon said:
Ooh, trying to borrow the mods authority to bully the author into genuflecting. Neat!
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
I'm just suggesting. This has already been banned from SB why risk it?

I think (but might be wrong) that a disclaimer makes it less likely to be banned.
 
Ruy said:
I'm just suggesting. This has already been banned from SB why risk it?

I think (but might be wrong) that a disclaimer makes it less likely to be banned.
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
Well, in that case, the very best thing we can all do is stick to talking about the fic, not the author or his politics.
 
Ne, author-san, we never got soul prices for U&L. That's pretty out of the ordinary since Taylor usually uses it reflexively on all parahumans she interacts with. I assume Leet was just to stop being such a shit-tier tinker, but what was Uber's?
 
This fic is interesting. Not so much the content which I am enjoying but the response to it. As much as I enjoy the fic I find that I am enjoying the wailing and moaning of the commentators double if not triple the amount of enjoyment I am getting from the story itself.

People are genuinely uncomfortable that the author has characters who are by definition politically incorrect and uncouth, not fit for modern society, don't know which fork to use, probably have no idea how to use the three sea shells saying politically incorrect statements. The cringe is felt on an intergalactic level. They literally can't stand to have someone saying these things. It bothers them on a level well beneath the skin. They just want the author to shut up!

Which as I said, I find it interesting, this reaction.

These readers continue to read that which disturbs them and then whine about the author continuing to write that which they are reading. Why? It's like they're shocked, just shocked to see nazis being nazis. How bizarre.

Only that's interesting too in itself. Because these nazis aren't nazi-ing. They're not actually pushing to execute everyone not considered to be white by their creed. They act more like separatists. You leave us alone and we leave you alone. The nazis were infamous not by their beliefs but because they took their beliefs to the ultimate conclusion. They labeled a problem and devised a solution. Their solution was monstrous and that is why they continue to be remembered through history. Because people infected by Enlightenment theology thought that man had risen above genocide in the modern age and this was evidence that could not be refuted that man had most certainly not done so.

So since there aren't any solutions being pursued in the story, what do you get? A bunch of people making off-color jokes. People ragging on the guy who wants an Asian girlfriend. Jokes about who qualifies for white or not. And a bunch of historical references and pointers to actual events that have happened, statements and principles that are based on what is held by that segment of society and a whole lot of conspiracy theories.

Do people look up any of this and refute it? Do they even try? I mean no one wants a derail (and how our regular wailing and moaning each chapter posted is not considered one I'll never know) but I could easily see a companion thread somewhere being allowed and people who simply must respond being able to refute the offending statements. It would be easy to do in many cases. The arguments are not new by any means. Some of the descriptions of events are fifty, sixty or more years old. We have the advantage of time to give us a perspective on things. We can with the magic of the internet refer to primary sources.

But no. Instead all we get are people screeching for the author to shutupshutupshutupshutupshutupshutup!!11oneone

Like I said...it's interesting this reaction. It's like watching a sincere believer in their religion being confronted by heresy for the first time. Or a sincere acolyte of Communism being exposed to samizdat that contradicts the party's version of history.

I sincerely hope that Daniel Snuts is getting some enjoyment out of these people losing their minds and not being dismayed at the way they overshadow the text of the story itself. There is a plot at work in the text for those of us who are reading and not skimming. We were given another major hint towards why things are the way they are in this story with the conversation with Ballistic, such a shame we're allowing a bunch of mindless shrieking to overshadow that. I sincerely hope our author here doesn't cut the slow burn and just eliminate the Empire section of the story to try to move on and end up unintentionally committing a creative abortion and sending his muse packing.

PS: Now that blockbusting is in play does this mean Steve might get a shot at that Asian girlfriend after all? :D
 
L.40
  • Threadmarks
    • At last you understand, and you can't help but laugh as a truth sears itself into your soul.

    "What's so funny?" Rune asks.

    Having finally acquired her power after months of intermittent effort, you're giddy enough to try to explain the truth that was given to you - without, of course, revealing what is actually going on.

    "Doesn't it ever strike you as weird?" you ask.

    "What?" In response, you just gesture around yourself, at the two of you and the world at large. "No..?"

    "Of course not! Because sometimes rocks fly!"

    Rune huffs with amusement. "Oh, that."

    "Sure, you're used to it. But imagine trying to explain it to a physicist from 50 years ago, who still believed in conservation of energy."

    She just grunts noncommittally, not sharing your wonder at the beauty of the (un)natural world. Man, if this power works the way you think it does, you can't wait to try it out.

    ---

    You're riding back towards the secluded spot where you hide your civilian clothes when something hits you in the shoulder. Ow, what- Turning your head to look makes you poke yourself in the face with the shaft of an arrow. Someone shot you with an arrow? From the rooftops, judging by the angle at which it's sticking out. They have must been- Crossbow bolt, not arrow. Shadow Stalker. Whose bolts... famously contain... tranquilizers...

    Damn. I hit the bitch all right, she's out like a light. But I kinda expected her Master projection to pop as a result. Instead it's standing over her with its hackles raised, growling threateningly. It's looking right at me, too. Not that it can reach me up here, but just seeing it again sends a twinge through my right hand. My hand that Panacea swears up and down is genetically and physically identical to the old one, but she's fucking lying. Something's wrong with it, I can tell. It-

    No, focus. How do I deal with this? I don't know what that thing is capable of (aside from- no, stop it). Without her to order it around, is it like a beast, or a robot? Or is her mind in there piloting it while her body sleeps?

    Well, there is one obvious thing to try: Shoot it. It's big, but my tranqs are rated for Brutes. What if it's a big Brute, though? Better shoot it twice. One. Two. Two crossbow bolts hit home, carefully phased to rematerialize partway inside the thing, in case it has Brute hide too. Like shooting fish in a barrel, with it shielding her like that.

    That's several months worth of creative accounting down the drain if it doesn't work - of course the fucking paper pushers demand to know where every single dose of tranq goes, and there's only so often I can write 'missed target, couldn't recover bolt' on a report before being assigned remedial training. Because this isn't an official bust, oh no. I know how the game is played, and there's no way I'm letting her get forced into the Wards. Not on my watch.

    Ah, it's starting to wobble. And it carefully lurches to the side to avoid falling on top of her. Good. Her being crushed to death under her own power would be... poetic or some shit like that, I guess. But not nearly what she deserves. It still doesn't pop, even with both of them unconscious. Huh. Well, whatever. I turn into shadow and glide down to the street before carefully approach- Fuck it, why am I being such a weak-ass bitch about this? They're unconscious. I won, dammit. I'm safe. And now this bitch is going to pay for what she-

    Fuck shittity fuck it was just playing dead I should have known! There's no time to dodge as it lunges at me shadow form won't save me I desperately bring the crossbow to bear I'm going to die here its jaws are practically closing around me as I pull the trigger and it... vanishes?

    She's shooting again, but this time I'm ready! Dematerialize! Ow!

    Ow?

    That was... supposed to... pass through...

    It finally popped? I just stand there for a while, trying to get my breathing under control as my blood pounds in my ears. Fuck, I pissed myself at the end there. I legit thought I was going to die. But I won?

    I look at the three bolts lying on the ground in front of me. No sign of the monster they were stuck to a moment ago. It's gone. I won.

    "I won."

    Saying it out loud somehow snaps me out of my funk. With renewed determination, I step over to where Low Key is lying. She's unconscious, but her mask is eternally smirking, as if mocking me for soiling myself. With a snarl, I tear it from her f-

    "No fucking way!"

    ---

    It's not a number I've ever seen before. But I won't discover anything by not answering. "Hello?"

    "Help."

    "Taylor? Are you-" I verbally stumble as several questions try to come out at the same time. Are you hurt? Are you in trouble? Are you thinking about suicide again? Yes, my power supplies, all of the above. "Where are you!?"

    "Don't know."

    I'm already halfway out the door. "Tell me what you see, I'll find you! I'm on my way!"

    ---

    It's easy enough to find the general area: "There's ABB people here." ABB territory is a lot smaller than it was only a few days ago, because between the loss of all their capes, and the heroes being eager to make up for the loss of face that was the Bakuda crisis, they've been losing manpower fast. Not just to arrests, but also to defections/resignations - the writing is on the wall, and the smarter ones can read it.

    But tracking down the specific place - "it's an alley" - takes some work, because Taylor says she can't leave said alley to look at other landmarks. But after making her describe the buildings on either side, and the fine details of the graffiti on their walls, and the god damn position of the moon in the sky, I finally find her in the third alley I check. And I find out why she said she couldn't leave.

    That would be because she's stark naked and covered in blood from head to toe, and - fairly irrelevant in the grand scheme of things, but someone also wrote 'NAZI' on her forehead with a marker pen. There are indeed ABB people here, three of them to be precise. But I don't need to worry about them, because they're where the blood came from. I quickly avert my eyes from the gruesome sight, but my power goes off regardless, telling me things I didn't need to-

    Marks around their throats - held down by telekinesis and repeatedly stabbed. Mixed stab wounds, both direct telekinesis and knife. Kept stabbing after they died.

    -things I probably did need to know, because they relate to Taylor's mental state. That would be the knife she is still clutching, unsurprisingly also covered in blood. Blood doesn't stick to the edge. Edge is not metal. Tinkertech. She drops the phone - taken from one of the corpses - when she sees me, but keeps hold of the knife. She doesn't say anything.

    "Hey," I say softly as I walk closer - but not too close, because the way she's more interested in holding on to that knife than covering herself up is concerning. "Let's get out of here, yeah? I've got a car."

    She nods, and starts walking towards the mouth of the alley - and I know she's got Brute powers and all, but she really ought to pay more attention to where she's putting her feet, barefoot as she is. Another bad sign.

    I dart in behind her and pick up the phone she dropped, because leaving fingerprints at a murder scene is just bad form. Is there anything else police forensics could pin on her?

    There are traces of her blood on their genitals.

    Fuck.

    I was really hoping that wasn't what happened here. How could regular thugs even-

    She was drugged. Brute powers let her regain consciousness earlier than expected, while they were still-

    Fuck. I don't know how to deal with this. But one step at a time. I hurry to catch up to Taylor and open the passenger door for her.

    "You stole a car for me," she says.

    "Yeah, I did." It's good that she's talking, right?

    She doesn't say anything else for the entire drive back.

    I somehow manage to get her out of the car, into the building, into the elevator and into my apartment without anyone seeing us. She doesn't put up any resistance as I guide her into the shower. I hate to leave her alone even for a moment, especially with a knife - but trying to pry it away from her would be an even worse idea, and I really, absolutely must do something about the trail of bloody footprints leading right to my door. I grab a mop and a bucket, and call for backup on the dead thug's phone while it's filling.

    "I'm really horny, babe. What are you wearing right now?" Alec answers. Doesn't know it's me, it's how he answers all suspected telemarketers.

    "It's me."

    "Oh. Well, what are you-"

    "Not now. Serious business. I need a favor."

    "Is the favor dick pics? Because-"

    "There's a stolen car with blood all over the seats that needs to be driven out to the boat graveyard and set on fire."

    "Man, I never get invited to the good parties anymore."

    "Look..."

    "Okay. I was just about to finish this level anyway."

    When I finally, finally get back Taylor is still in the shower, still - not fine, but, you know. She's just sitting there and letting the water run over her, but at least she's dropped the knife. Wait, where did it- extradimensional storage space. Ah. Not important right now.

    Now that neither of us are in imminent danger of being arrested, let's take a moment to think about things more carefully. First order of business: Most of the blood has washed off her skin by now, but her hair is going to need more active intervention. Dear power, how do I apply shampoo without being held down by telekinesis and stabbed to death?

    ---

    Blatant abuse of my power lets me clean her up, and dry off all the bits that won't provoke a violent reaction. Just like the last time I found her naked in an alley - god, I wish this was more like last time - she gets the bed while I take the couch.

    I wake up to a loud crash and a scream from the bedroom. Dammit, where did I put the gun? Who saw us? Why did they wait until now to attack? How-

    There is no danger.

    Huh? I walk over to the bedroom door and carefully peek inside. Oh. Bubbles decided to materialize atop my bed, something its legs were not rated for. But Taylor is hugging him and crying, so I elect not to complain about it and instead sneak back to the couch.

    ---

    Lisa is waiting for you on the couch as you walk out of her bedroom, dressed in borrowed clothes. She gestures towards a glass of water and a carton of pills on the coffee table.

    "You're going to want to take one of those," she says.

    You glance at the label. Yeah, you are. The nice thing about a Thinker friend is that you don't have to say anything out loud.

    "On a scale from one to negative ten, how are you feeling?" Lisa asks once you've taken your medicine.

    "I'll live," you say simply. You will. "Shadow Stalker, on the other hand..."

    Lisa's power lights up at that. Oh, did it not deduce the heroic involvement until now? Apparently not. You politely wait for it to finish, having nothing to add to the conversation.

    "You could go to the police," she says eventually. "Her tranquilizers will show up on a tox screen, she'd be completely fucked."

    Hah, yeah. Because the heroes definitely wouldn't just grab you from right under the cops' noses and stick you in an M/S cell to keep you away from journalists and cover the whole thing up and then press-gang you into working for them too, just to rub salt in the wound. But it would take a lot of words to convey that to someone so naive. "She wouldn't get the death penalty," you say instead, because that is also a sufficient reason not to do it.

    Lisa sighs. "I don't suppose there's any way I could talk you into a course of action that won't immediately land you in the Birdcage?"

    "I don't know, Thinker. Is there?"

    ===

    Charms:
    Taylor: All-Encompassing Sorcerer's Sight, ???
    Tattletale: Know the Soul's Price
    Bitch: Spirit-Tied Pet
    Aegis: Ox-Body Technique
    Browbeat: Shaping the Ideal Form
    Dragon: Implicit Construction Methodology
    Kid Win: Industry and Forge Wisdom
    Lung: By Rage Recast
    Vista: Mind-Hand Manipulation
    Cricket: Mantis Form
    Faultline: Charm of Lesser Unmaking
    Labyrinth: Hell-Walker Technique
    Othala: Verdant Emptiness Endowment
    Rune: Sometimes Horses Fly Approach

    "We sell condoms too, you know," the cashier says with a disapproving frown.

    "It's not for me," I reply through gritted teeth. "It's for a friend." Dammit Lisa, when you asked me for an emergency favor I expected to have to get rid of a stolen car or something, not buy you Plan B. This is not workplace appropriate sharing!

    "A 'girl'... friend?" he suggests.

    "Yes, a friend who is a girl. Who I did not sleep with, but who is a bit of an idiot sometimes!"

    "Bruh!" the guy behind me in line exclaims, butting into the conversation. "She's making you run her errands and you're not even sleeping with her? You gotta respect yourself more, man!"

    "Just. Ring up. My goddamn. Purchase."
     
  • Threadmarks
    • ...does Brian know Lisa's friend is a Nazi? I feel like that's something he should know.

    Also, I continue to be unable to tell if the author is actually a nazi, or just really bad at understanding how to write a villainous protagonist (hint: it's not to constantly prove them right in their views)
     
    Reader mode
    You must log in or register to reply here.

    Users who are viewing this thread

    Total: 3 (members: 0, guests: 3)
    Back
    Top