Charm Learning Shard (Worm/Exalted) (COMPLETED)

[omni001]

What is the terrible thought that occurs to Taylor? Have we found out yet?

Click to shrink...

 

[Akuma-Heika]

He must be talking about himself, because your power reaches out and latches on when he says it. But it can't find anything to do - apparently 'emotions' do not qualify as an ability, or even an attribute - and retreats in confusion.

"'fraid not. Why?"

"Just an idle thought."

Click to shrink...

So all she needs to get his loyalty (or at least some of it) is the expansion Charm Scoured Perfection of Form to undo his mutation (there are other ways in pretty much everyone's charm/path sets [not positive about ghosts or dragon kings though, but since he asked about her using Verdant Empowerment, SPoF came to mind )

 

[Whitesnake Pelinal]

Forget having to abandon Loki (I still think insisting on the space made for a stupid name), is she gonna have to abandon her Taylor identity? With her new dots of Resources and Shaping the Ideal Form, unless they connect the dots between Taylor being Low Key, and Emma seeing Sophia and Taylor being buddy buddy, with SS taking orders from Poltergeist who was very upset about SS's crimes against Taylor (Why do I hear the sound of a gun cocking?), the only real fallout from her doxxing will be the fallout from a confrontation with her father being very disappointed in her.

That's the one you pick, now that Shadow Stalker has been thoroughly resolved? Not that weird foe yay sexual tension you have with Clockblocker where you destroyed his dick and then flirted with him? You were even flirting over the notes you passed each other.

Gallant isn't even threatening her secret ID anymore at Arcadia since her only target left is Glory Girl, who she's absolutely allowed to stare at and doesn't have a secret ID.

Click to shrink...

Yeah, but from Taylor's perspective she spent a bunch of time every day angsting about Gallant for weeks (months?). Clockblocker wasn't a part of her life the way Gallant was. That time didn't get much text on our screens because it was mostly down time during which nothing notable happened, but I think it shaped her thinking.

Edit: also it's funny because apparently Dean-bashing is the new Akane-bashing.

I don't know if the doxxing is guaranteed, there have been some real changes to events and Coil's thinking could be different.

It doesn't seem to me Taylor cares about people skin colour.
She doesn't care about others at all, much less about theirs insignificant details.

Click to shrink...

Twenty or thirty chapters ago that might have been true, when she was in the worst throes of manipulation-five-itis, but Taylor has ties now. Lisa succeeded in keeping her around albeit at a distance, Taylor looks to be choosing to hang out with Rune instead of pursue another power, she enjoys shooting the shit with the Empire bar crew, and then there's Aisha, Fenrir... heck, even hints of rapprochement with her father a few chapters back.

Speaking of whom, Danny should really be told that he has a master effect hanging over him, one that could do dreadful things to him if he rejects a particularly heart-felt request from Taylor for her own good (or the greater good).

 

[bornagainpenguin]

And I read yours as "Birdsage", which brings its own kinds of potential for fun.
I suppose as reclusive remote hermit locations go, orbit counts.
Next time Taylor goes on a vision quest or needs a master sensei to tutor her in esoteric techniques, Ziz will be happy to oblige.
Same deal if the Bauman Parahuman Containment Facility Barbershop Quartet needs someone to pad their numbers. Those endbringer super thinker and tinker powers mean she's gotta be a great roadie with that ability to throw together complex tech from a bunch of scraps high above the city, and at least passable at playing most instruments.

Click to shrink...

I was tempted to edit it and fix that but what the hell. If I did it would make this less funny..and I see your point too.

 

[ses]

Speaking of whom, Danny should really be told that he has a master effect hanging over him, one that could do dreadful things to him if he rejects a particularly heart-felt request from Taylor for her own good (or the greater good).

Click to shrink...

In fairness, VEE does that for you. It informs the victim that DOOM will befall them if they disobey when the infernal calls in the favor.

So all she needs to get his loyalty (or at least some of it) is the expansion Charm Scoured Perfection of Form to undo his mutation (there are other ways in pretty much everyone's charm/path sets [not positive about ghosts or dragon kings though, but since he asked about her using Verdant Empowerment, SPoF came to mind )

Click to shrink...

I think Alec needs a derangement fixer, not a mutation fixer. Taylor could always just steal that stone of comfort back from Faultline.

 

[Whitesnake Pelinal]

In fairness, VEE does that for you. It informs the victim that DOOM will befall them if they disobey when the infernal calls in the favor.

Click to shrink...

I'm imagining Danny feeling a terrible sense of impending doom before sending Taylor to the Racial Extremism Deprogramming camps as part of an on-boarding program for the Wards. He'd know he was doomed but do it anyway.

I think Alec needs a derangement fixer, not a mutation fixer. Taylor could always just steal that stone of comfort back from Faultline.

Click to shrink...

If he just wants to feel something, would a supernaturally imposed intimacy do the trick? It'd double as another form of control for Taylor, too.

 

[omni001]

I think Alec needs a derangement fixer, not a mutation fixer. Taylor could always just steal that stone of comfort back from Faultline.

Click to shrink...

Actually does anyone know if the demesne is still producing hearthstone's or was that a one time thing?

 

[Daniel Snuts]

Poltergeist who was very upset about SS's crimes against Taylor

Click to shrink...

Poltergeist wasn't upset, though. Taylor's purpose was to paint SS as a psychotic villain (where's the lie?), but Poltergeist was bragging about her pet monster.

Gallant isn't even threatening her secret ID anymore at Arcadia since her only target left is Glory Girl, who she's absolutely allowed to stare at and doesn't have a secret ID.

Click to shrink...

Gallant has been consistently threatening - as Taylor put it, if her emotions ever changed from 'oh no I must avoid you' to 'haha I'm fooling you', the jig would be up. And now he's super threatening and must never be allowed to encounter Ghost for even a moment.

not positive about ghosts or dragon kings

Click to shrink...

Ghosts and dragon kings don't even have charms, they have 'arcanoi' and 'paths' respectively - I don't think eclipse castes can even learn those. Not that it's much of a loss in the case of ghosts, as their powerset is specialized to the point where it's completely useless for people who aren't dead/immaterial/living in the underworld/receiving ancestor worship/haunting something.

Taylor could always just steal that stone of comfort back from Faultline.

Click to shrink...

Accomplishing it through non-VEE means wouldn't Master him, though.

Speaking of whom, Danny should really be told that he has a master effect hanging over him, one that could do dreadful things to him if he rejects a particularly heart-felt request from Taylor for her own good (or the greater good).

Click to shrink...

As mentioned, VEE comes with a with a complimentary realization that dreadful things will happen should you disobey.

But also note that while it obviously doesn't apply now, Danny's was one of the very first soul prices Taylor got, yet it was never mentioned again. Because the perspective is second person limited, and Taylor's brain very carefully never thought about whether she was happy enough to have Mastered her dad.

Actually does anyone know if the demesne is still producing hearthstone's or was that a one time thing?

Click to shrink...

It's neither a one time event, nor a continuous production. Rather, it continuously maintains the hearthstone it produced. If the manse/demesne is damaged/altered the existing hearthstone breaks, and a new one doesn't form until it's fixed.

 

[omni001]

It's neither a one time event, nor a continuous production. Rather, it continuously maintains the hearthstone it produced. If the manse/demesne is damaged/altered the existing hearthstone breaks, and a new one doesn't form until it's fixed.

Click to shrink...

Huh, that's weirdly like how Shards/Corona Pollentia's work, a small but obvious focal point secretly acting as an inconspicuous conduit for a source of power the size of a location.

Is that why the hearhstone appeared as a third type of power to sorcerer's sight?

 

[Daniel Snuts]

Huh, that's weirdly like how Shards/Corona Pollentia's work, a small but obvious focal point secretly acting as an inconspicuous conduit for a source of power the size of a location.

Is that why the hearhstone appeared as a third type of power to sorcerer's sight?

Click to shrink...

The similarities are pretty funny/uncanny, but not really relevant - if hearthstones were instead tiny magical reactors with no connection to their source, she'd still have arrived at the same conclusion regarding their use. But hm, yes, if it was more similar to tinkertech in nature, perhaps her phrasing wouldn't have set off Faultline quite like that.

 

[Daniel Snuts]

For the second day in a row, Lisa sends you a message during school hours. Your math teacher is unamused, but you're not going to ignore something your Thinker friend thinks you need to know. Her message consists of two words, and a link:

< GET OUT postbin.com/fRjQpf

You click the link, of course, but you're on your feet and grabbing your bag before it even loads. "Sorry, it's an emergency," you tell the teacher as you hurriedly walk towards the door. 'Get out' doesn't leave much to the imagination.

The link loads to a page titled 'Empire 88 unmasked'. Well, shit.

The scroll bar keeps shrinking as you watch, so there must be all sorts of pictorial evidence loading in to back up their claims. But you only need to look at the hyperlinks at the top to confirm your fears, because one of them reads 'Low Key - Taylor Anne Hebert - 06/11/1995'. You break into a run.

Suddenly plotting your way into the school full of Wards and New Wave seems like a less than brilliant idea. Yes, going after capes in their civilian identities is supposed to be a big no-no, but these are heroes you're dealing with. No sense of right and wrong.

Case in point: You've barely cleared the doors of the math building when you run straight into Kid Win. Such collisions are a lot more amusing for cartoons than for real people, because real people clonk their heads together and bite their tongues and scrape themselves on the concrete when they fall over. The sensation is unpleasant even when your Brute rating prevents bleeding.

You both roll/scramble to your feet in short order, despite a certain disorientation. The good news is that sorcerer's sight shows him to be unarmed, and therefore completely useless in a fight. Well, he did invent the technique for storing weapons Elsewhere that you've made such good use of, but the way he isn't pulling a gun from nowhere and shooting you indicates that he isn't armed in that way either. He must have been headed for his locker to remedy that.

What was his name, though? Richard? No. "Chris, wasn't it?" you say, and he nods. "Wanna pretend neither of us know why the other is in such a hurry?"

He just nods again, sensibly not trying to engage the Master-sub-rating-Brute 4 in hand-to-hand.

"Cool," you say. "Come forth!" Fenrir materializes in front of you. It's not as if you have anything to hide at this point, and you need to get out before the non-Tinker Wards show up. And since it's Friday, you're not even leaking information by summoning him more often than you 'ought' to.

"How did you know?" Kid Win asks as you mount up, still making no move to stop you. He doesn't specify what you know, on the off chance you don't and are guessing wrong.

"Maybe don't doodle such detailed laser guns during English class," you suggest.

"Oh." His shoulders slump on learning that you know everything.

"See you around, kid." You kick Fenrir into a gallop.

"Stop!" someone cries. You look back to see Gallant running up, masked but otherwise dressed in school clothes. He gestures towards you, and you duck down and cling on tight. As a result you're not thrown off your mount by the blast, though it sends Fenrir stumbling sideways a few steps.

You're around the corner before he can fire again, and you shake your head in resignation. So much for unwritten rules, eh? Just assume the worst, and you'll be proven right every time. Wait, why aren't you angrier about that? That fucker must have blasted you with apathy in an attempt to get you to turn yourself in, and it's not pissing you off nearly as much as it should!

A few blocks later, your Empire phone rings.

"Way ahead of you," you answer it.

"Your identity has been- oh. Don't go to a safehouse."

Because who knows if they have been compromised as well, you mentally fill in. "Got it."

"We'll get back to you," he says curtly, and hangs up on you. You don't take offense. You imagine they are quite busy at the moment.

You appreciate the warning, even if their timing could use some work. If Lisa hadn't been on the ball... but no, you shouldn't be too hard on them. You doubt any other Empire cape was in half as precarious a position as you, because what sane villain would go to Arcadia?

Come to think of it, this cloud may have some silver lining. You never forget a soul price, and one in particular springs to mind here.

Kaiser wants his son to become a worthy heir.

At least now you can find out who his son is. You switch phones, moving carefully so as not to drop anything (at no point did Fenrir stop running). The page is still loaded, and Kaiser, unsurprisingly, is at the very top of the list.

Max Anders. CEO of Medhall. Ex-husband of Heith Anders and Kayden Anders (Purity), father of - god fucking damn it! - Theodore and Aster Anders.

You scroll back up in disgust, and click on the link to your own entry next. It's fairly short, and the evidence isn't what you'd call ironclad - but it doesn't need to be, given the company it keeps. It compares the dates Taylor definitely wasn't at school with the dates Low Key probably wasn't on patrol. There are also pictures of you in and out of costume. You agree with the arrows saying 'same hair', but find the ones saying 'padded costume' quite rude.

Spoiler: PH-O-vision

► long_distance_chef
Replied on May 6, 2011:
Midna's tits were fake? :(((((((

► Answer42
Replied on May 6, 2011:
@long_distance_chef
My world is ashes.
​

There are no hints whatsoever of you being a shapeshifting Trump, which is the important part.

It looks like you've gotten away clean, with no heroes pursuing you from school. Since you are a shapeshifting Trump could just find a secluded spot, turn into someone else and go about your business. But that would require dismissing Fenrir. And while Low Key's weaknesses are grossly exaggerated, it's true that if Fenrir dematerialized right now, he wouldn't be able to rematerialize for several hours. And you have a feeling that Ops will want you in the field before too long. You need somewhere inconspicuous to park a wolf for a bit. Which is why you're headed for Empire territory. If they want you combat ready, they can find you a parking spot.

Someone else is calling you. You answer it- no, that was Quicksilver's phone you grabbed. You grope around in your bag until you find Poltergeist's phone, which is the one that's actually ringing.

"I didn't do it!" Aisha blurts out before you can say anything.

"I know." You don't actually know that - but you'll be able to tell instantly the next time you see her in person, from the state of her Loyalty. Until then, you've either demonstrated trust towards a loyal minion, or lulled a traitor into a false sense of security. You believe her, for what it's worth - you'd be extremely surprised if it turned out she betrayed you.

"Good, that's good. Uh, I'm still at school, but if you need anything..."

Well, if the Empire safehouses are compromised... Next follows an interlude that would have been less comical if you'd thrown caution to the wind and given Aisha a second boop of smarts yesterday - or at least worked out a code beforehand. Because there are certain keywords that must never be said over the phone. But eventually you're able to explain to her that she should be careful about going home, because you might have company over. And that she's still expected to water the plants, but that she should do so quietly. And that she should tell your mutual friend to stay away entirely for the time being, as he doesn't have her talent for being quiet.

As soon as this is over you're going to invest in redundant lairs, so this doesn't happen again.

Once you enter Empire territory, you start to encounter a lot of mortals with openly carried firearms and masked faces. Ah, of course. You've been living in a spy thriller for too long, that you were thinking 'inconspicuous'. The Empire is undeniably under attack. Why would they wait quietly for the other shoe to drop, when they could be mobilizing? This is a war movie now.

They're just standing around and talking to each other, not marching anywhere. Guarding things, you suppose. For now. Several of them greet and/or cheer you as you ride by. There's a certain tension in the air, but no fear. And why would there be, when the Empire outnumbers and outguns any other faction in the city?

Well, you come across one guy who's pretty worried, because he's the only guy on his street who showed up. You decide to take pity on him, and guide Fenrir up next to him before dismounting.

"Low Key," he greets you with a slight bow, trying to hide his nerves. "Are you, ah, here to help?"

"Something like that. I need to run an errand first." You turn to Fenrir. "Guard. Bite anyone who doesn't belong."

The lone soldier perks up at hearing that. "If you need to hide your face..." He offers you his scarf and hat, but you turn him down.

"Got that covered," you say, patting your bag. Then you find a secluded spot, turn into someone else and get on a bus like nothing happened.

You stop by your lair only long enough to drop off your school bag and pick up your Low Key costume - your identity is forfeit, but that was an awful lot of guns back there, and your costume is bulletproof. You also make sure the secret door to Ghost's room is properly shut, in case you need to share your uncompromised safehouse with imperial capes. They'd be the least likely to judge you for imprisoning and torturing Shadow Stalker, but you'd prefer to avoid the questions it would raise.

When you get back you discover that Nervous Guy has gotten reinforcements, that the rank and file quite like wolves, and that Fenrir considers belly rubs and snacks to be entirely compatible with guard duty.

"Quite the party you got going without me," you say dryly.

"We just, uh-" You wave away the stammered apologies, and join in on the belly rub action (giving, not receiving!).

It's been quite a while since the news broke, and you expect to hear from Ops at any time. But it's Lisa who calls you first. On your empire phone, which is all kinds of suggestive. How did she get that number? How did she know to warn you so quickly? Just who compiled that information?

"Taylor! I need-"

"Did you fuck me?" you ask softly.

"-your help. What?"

"Did you fuck me?" She's a Thinker, she'll figure it out.

"...it's complicated."

"Doesn't sound complicated to me, friend. Did you fuck me, yes or no? Here's a hint: How many people knew my identity, who were not loyal to me?"

"It's complicated, but the answer is functionally identical to no. Okay?" Or, translated from Traitor Bitch into English, 'yes, but I want to talk my way out of it.' "Seriously, I'm going to fucking die unless you help me out."

"I'm sure the many people who you did not fuck over just now would be sorry to hear that."

"This isn't funny, Taylor!"

"Do I sound amused?"

"Purity is trying to kill me!" Oh, that's what's causing the rumbling sounds in the background. Collapsing buildings. "She thinks I did this-"

"Because you did."

"Shut up! They took her children!"

That little bombshell completely blows away your calm, friendly persona. "Who did what?"

"Joint PRT/CPS taskforce, almost as soon as the news hit."

"That's-"

"Illegal and against the unwritten rules? Since when has that stopped anyone?"

Ah. Of course. Just hero things. You find your calm reasserting itself. "Not seeing how that makes it my problem, friend."

There's an unusually loud rumble in the background, and Lisa completely loses her cool. "Here's a hint, you dumb bitch! Would she sell her soul to get them back!?"

Oh. Oooh. Yes. "You know where they took them?"

"I could find out, if she'd stop trying to kill me for five minutes!"

"On it."

You end the call, dial Ops. They are a bit slow to pick up. Gee, you wonder why.

"You said you were safe," is how they greet you. Implication: Why the fuck are you jogging our elbow?

"I need to talk to Purity."

"You and everyone else! She's not picking up."

"Who's with her? Have them take a message."

"Look-"

"I know where her kids are."

"Fuck! Stay on the line!"

---

"Where is Aster?" Purity demands as soon as she catches sight of you. Heh, ouch. No one loves Theo. But you get no feeling of recognition from her, no 'I'm standing next to someone whose soul price I know', which means that her soul price has changed just as Lisa suggested it would have.

"One hundred and twenty," you reply.

"Do I look like an imposter?" the glowing silhouette demands of the wolf rider.

Not really, no. But you need to extract the soul price before granting it, and it takes at least some conversation to do that. Exchanging passcodes will do. "Protocol is protocol, lady."

She growls at you at that, and is sufficiently worked up that it takes her a while to calculate the countersign. "One hundred and one. Where is she?"

"Lose the glow and hop on," you say. "They'd see you coming a mile away."

Purity wants to save her kids.

Aw, look at that. Kids, plural. At least her soul cares, a little.

---

You park Fenrir outside a nondescript apartment building, indistinguishable from any other on the block. PRT safehouse, according to Lisa.

"Third floor, apartment 17," you say. Purity rekindles her glow and blasts the door open. With the ability to fly, she pulls ahead of you on the stairs. You reach the third floor just in time to see her blast her way through the door of apartment 17. There's a shout of alarm from inside, interrupted by a flash of light and a loud crash. Arriving at the door, you spot Theo on the floor, Aster on the couch, a hole in the wall, Purity hovering in the middle of the room, and a PRT agent stumbling backwards. Then Purity fires a beam at the PRT agent. The world turns white.

When your vision returns, the PRT agent is gone, and there's a hole in the wall behind where he stood. And in the wall behind that. And the wall behind that, and the exterior wall of the building. And the wall of the building across the street. Yeah, he's super dead. The hole in the wall(s) on the other side of the room presumably indicates a colleague who met the same fate. You find that you don't have all that much sympathy for people who helped kidnap a toddler.

Purity has stopped glowing, and is cradling a crying Aster in her arms. You watch the Loyalty bloom. Then Fenrir starts howling outside, clearly audible through the holes in the wall.

"It's a trap!" you shout. There's a thump, and the howling takes on a distinctly muffled character. Foam grenade.

Purity is looking between you and Theo, indecision on her face. "I can't carry all three of you," she says.

Yeah, no, you're not losing her brand new Loyalty by leaving the loser behind. "Take the kids and go. I'll distract them." You step up close to her and hand her your ring of keys.

"Empire safehouses might be compromised," you whisper in her ear. You point to one of the keys. "I have a private one at 67 Marten street. Don't touch my books."

She nods, and starts glowing again. With Aster in her arms and Theo clinging to her back, she makes for the nearest hole in the wall. Unfortunately Dauntless shows up outside said hole before she can leave, spear and shield at the ready. He hesistates to attack, though. What, he's fine with kidnapping little babies, but not quite ready to stab/electrocute them? Purity, taking advantage of his hesitation, manages to get an arm free to blast him. The world goes white again.

"Other way!" you shout, running past her before your vision even clears. But sorcerer's sight does not rely on your retinas being functional, and you can still make out both capes perfectly fine, if not the walls or floor. Dauntless managed to absorb the blast without moving an inch, though it did knock his shield out of commission. It's recharging quickly, but not quickly enough.

"Fuck youuuuuu!" you shout as you launch yourself at him. Encumbered as she is, Purity would have no chance of outrunning him without you evening the odds. And you're not losing that Loyalty. You cling on tightly with one arm - falling three stories without a wolf to catch you would suck - and repeatedly stab him with the other.

"Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!" you swear with each thrust, but your entirely non-magical knife does not penetrate his mildly magical armor. No, you don't use your extremely magical knife, which would cut through his armor like tissue paper. See above re: falling three stories. Right now you just need to encumber and distract him.

Just as planned, your weight and violent stabbing motions seem to mess with his flying boots, as he's listing to one side and wobbling in the air. You start kicking at his legs to further aggravate the issue. If you could force him to land, or at least lose altitude...

"Dammit. Stop that, kid. It won't work." You ignore him and keep stabbing ineffectually. You're being a distraction. He sighs, then grabs you with his shield hand and brings his spear around to tap you on the shoulder. Lightning courses through your body, causing you to spasm and drop your knife. His armor protects him completely, the bastard.

Well, that sucks. If he can just keep tasing you without tasing himself- wait. There, on his belt. A tinkertech glow, distinct from his self-empowered equipment. Is that- yes! Not expecting you to recover so quickly, he does not react in time to prevent you from grabbing the grey cylinder, twisting it to arm it, and shoving it in his face.

"Shit," Dauntless says. Then the foam grenade explodes, engulfing you both. The foam must interfere with his flying boots somehow, because you proceed to drop the aforementioned three stories. But the landing is soft. What was it you said about containment foam? '10/10, would be encased in while falling out of the sky again?' Looks like you got your wish.

"Begone," you mumble through the foam. The muffled howling finally cuts out. You relax and wait to be formally arrested. Once it was revealed to be a trap you pretty much knew it would end up like this, and considered it a better outcome than revealing your true nature.

But if Purity didn't make it away after all that, you're going to ruin everyone's day.

---

Spoiler: Danny-o-vision

Oh. Everything makes sense now. That's what she's been doing at night.

Spoiler: Glory-Girl-o-vision

Oh. Everything makes sense now. That's why she's so deep in the closet.

Spoiler: Browbeat-o-vision

Oh.

Wait, no. Things make less sense now.

 

[Prognostic Hannya]

I'm surprised Danny doesn't have stronger feelings on his daughter joining a gang of neonazis

 

[Fernando]

This is it. This arc is gonna show whether E88 loyalty/affiliation means something or nothing to the not!Exalted

Also, ouch on the Lisa thing. Here's to best Thinker being able to strongarm Taylor into recognizing Coil shenanigans.

oh but who am I kidding, burnt bridges are practically her MO by now

 

[Anonymous Brainwash]

I'm surprised Danny doesn't have stronger feelings on his daughter joining a gang of neonazis

Click to shrink...

Exalted minion master effects remember?

 

[ses]

I'm surprised Danny doesn't have stronger feelings on his daughter joining a gang of neonazis

Click to shrink...

I imagine that's being saved for the face to face confrontation rather than the footnote to an action-packed chapter. Second verse same as the first vis a vis "Why isn't Taylor acting traumatized within the same to next update?"




Here's to Chapter 69 everyone! It's a doozy! Nice.

Also I saw the Danny reaction coming but I did not see that fucking Glory Girl-o-vision connecting 2 and 2 to get 5, that's absolutely amazing and was a great laugh to cap off the action. Surprised she didn't mention the pepper spray incident. I definitely forgot about Browbeat. Story of his life.
Here's hoping we get to see Victoria and Hookwolf swapping stories about how Low Key is totally a raging lesbian and is not at all capable of hiding it.

Incidentally it's always hilarious when she has to drag on a conversation to let a Solar Investigation charm catch up to the blatantly obvious everyone already knows. Or in this case, she was explicitly saying out loud.

 

[Disminded]

I loved this chapter, if only because it took a hammer to the fic's status quo.

I also like that Lisa can still play Taylor like a violin by appealing to her obsession, even when Taylor knows Lisa burned her life down and pissed on the ashes. Very nice.

 

[ses]

< GET OUT postbin.com/fRjQpf

Click to shrink...

It tickles me a little that GET OUT is culturally married in my mind to the movie about a black guy running away from white racists.

What was his name, though? Richard? No. "Chris, wasn't it?" you say, and he nods. "Wanna pretend neither of us know why the other is in such a hurry?"

Click to shrink...

That leftover Loyalty coming in clutch

You're around the corner before he can fire again, and you shake your head in resignation. So much for unwritten rules, eh? Just assume the worst, and you'll be proven right every time. Wait, why aren't you angrier about that? That fucker must have blasted you with apathy in an attempt to get you to turn yourself in, and it's not pissing you off nearly as much as it should!

Click to shrink...

Negative intimacies coming in clutch against Unnatural Mental Influence!

You also make sure the secret door to Ghost's room is properly shut, in case you need to share your uncompromised safehouse with imperial capes. They'd be the least likely to judge you for imprisoning and torturing Shadow Stalker, but you'd prefer to avoid the questions it would raise.

Click to shrink...

Having conversation pieces in the house is an important part of offering hospitality to guests

Or, translated from Traitor Bitch into English, 'yes, but I want to talk my way out of it.'

Click to shrink...

More limit for her.

That little bombshell completely blows away your calm, friendly persona. "Who did what?"

Click to shrink...

Calm? Friendly?

I'm shocked at her discipline and not just using Bloodless Murk Evasion to avoid fall damage or escape the foam.

 

[Whitesnake Pelinal]

What was his name, though? Richard? No. "Chris, wasn't it?" you say, and he nods. "Wanna pretend neither of us know why the other is in such a hurry?"

He just nods again, sensibly not trying to engage the Master-sub-rating-Brute 4 in hand-to-hand.

"Cool," you say. "Come forth!" Fenrir materializes in front of you. It's not as if you have anything to hide at this point, and you need to get out before the non-Tinker Wards show up. And since it's Friday, you're not even leaking information by summoning him more often than you 'ought' to.

"How did you know?" Kid Win asks as you mount up, still making no move to stop you. He doesn't specify what you know, on the off chance you don't and are guessing wrong.

"Maybe don't doodle such detailed laser guns during English class," you suggest.

Click to shrink...

Awww!

"Stop!" someone cries. You look back to see Gallant running up, masked but otherwise dressed in school clothes. He gestures towards you, and you duck down and cling on tight. As a result you're not thrown off your mount by the blast, though it sends Fenrir stumbling sideways a few steps.

You're around the corner before he can fire again, and you shake your head in resignation. So much for unwritten rules, eh? Just assume the worst, and you'll be proven right every time. Wait, why aren't you angrier about that? That fucker must have blasted you with apathy in an attempt to get you to turn yourself in, and it's not pissing you off nearly as much as it should!

Click to shrink...

The worst thing is how that apathy must have robbed her of a perfect chance to shit talk her newly decided nemesis.

"Doesn't sound complicated to me, friend. Did you fuck me, yes or no? Here's a hint: How many people knew my identity, who were not loyal to me?"

"It's complicated, but the answer is functionally identical to no. Okay?" Or, translated from Traitor Bitch into English, 'yes, but I want to talk my way out of it.' "Seriously, I'm going to fucking die unless you help me out."

Click to shrink...

Later, on the phone:
"I am calling to negotiate the surrender of Old Town."
"... are you calling me a-"
"Shut your whore mouth and listen. Pancakes is on the menu, breakfast lunch and dinner. That's happening. What you need to decide, Lisa, is if you want your pancakes with whipped cream and raspberry jam, or scraped off the floor."

"Fuck youuuuuu!" you shout as you launch yourself at him. Encumbered as she is, Purity would have no chance of outrunning him without you evening the odds. And you're not losing that Loyalty. You cling on tightly with one arm - falling three stories without a wolf to catch you would suck - and repeatedly stab him with the other.

Click to shrink...

That's right Taylor, stunt on every attack!

"Begone," you mumble through the foam. The muffled howling finally cuts out. You relax and wait to be formally arrested. Once it was revealed to be a trap you pretty much knew it would end up like this, and considered it a better outcome than revealing your true nature.

Click to shrink...

Oh noes, doxxed and captured by the biggest gang in town. Rare Danny jail scene get? Hard to worry for her when there are so many different reasons she could be released... or put in a gag prison montage.

Now... if the doxxing is done and the fundraiser is crashed, Leviathan must be chomping at the bit. But will it be Leviathan literally, or will it be the figurative Leviathan of the people rising up and drowning their 'elites' in their fury?

Oh. Everything makes sense now. That's why she's so deep in the closet.

Click to shrink...

Spoiler

 

[AppleGrowth]

Lisa probably wants to kill coil herself. This must be the plan for it. She knows that Taylor, will want to kill Coil regardless of whether or not it gets her loyalty.

Also not surprised by Danny's reaction. Everyone on PHO knows that Taylor's nazi persona is pretty chill, and hasn't killed anyone or committed nazi hate crimes. He will just assume that she wanted extra money, and protection from gangs.

 

[Zxzx24]

Hooray! The Status Quo has been shafted!

And unlike being raped Taylor wont be able to just ignore these consequences

Baby steps.

Also yeah those end gags were pretty funny.

 

[Whitesnake Pelinal]

Lisa probably wants to kill coil herself. This must be the plan for it. She knows that Taylor, will want to kill Coil regardless of whether or not it gets her loyalty.

Also not surprised by Danny's reaction. Everyone on PHO knows that Taylor's nazi persona is pretty chill, and hasn't killed anyone or committed nazi hate crimes. He will just assume that she wanted extra money, and protection from gangs.

Click to shrink...

It's also worth considering how divergent this fic is from worm (much less worm fanon). The Empire is unusually wholesome in many respects, to Taylor's frustration when she's fishing for new people to master. It would make sense that the people of Brockton know them for it.

 

[Zxzx24]

It's also worth considering how divergent this fic is from worm (much less worm fanon). The Empire is unusually wholesome in many respects, to Taylor's frustration when she's fishing for new people to master. It would make sense that the people of Brockton know them for it.

Click to shrink...

Pretty good point actually.

 

[ses]

It's also worth considering how divergent this fic is from worm (much less worm fanon). The Empire is unusually wholesome in many respects, to Taylor's frustration when she's fishing for new people to master. It would make sense that the people of Brockton know them for it.

Click to shrink...

Wholesome is a weird word to describe "Genuinely believes and is dedicated soul-deep to the fourteen words".

Also yes Taylor is wanted for the vigilantism-labeled-hate-crime, but let's not forget breaking Alabaster out of a Birdcage transport. Including destroying Clock's cock. And now we have accessory to murder of PRT agents with fighting back against the CPS/state kidnappers.

 

[NotaWriter]

Completely forgot this was coming.

 

[Whitesnake Pelinal]

For the second day in a row, Lisa sends you a message during school hours. Your math teacher is unamused, but you're not going to ignore something your Thinker friend thinks you need to know. Her message consists of two words, and a link:

< GET OUT postbin.com/fRjQpf

Click to shrink...

Didn't Arcadia have a Faraday cage? Did it get wrecked?

Wholesome is a weird word to describe "Genuinely believes and is dedicated soul-deep to the fourteen words".

Also yes Taylor is wanted for the vigilantism-labeled-hate-crime, but let's not forget breaking Alabaster out of a Birdcage transport. Including destroying Clock's cock. And now we have accessory to murder of PRT agents with fighting back against the CPS/state kidnappers.

Click to shrink...

Oh man, that rap sheet is gonna be a riot. Toss on Sophia's hand for aggravated assault with a parahuman power, resisting arrest for using Fenrir to run from Gallant, destruction of property for Fenrir's claw marks on the school grounds, and a federal hate crime charge for giving a black man a map showing where Empire territory was.

 

[AppleGrowth]

Yo are we just assuming she'll be caught? She still has the knife to break out of containment foam. She can also blind Gallant and use Bloodless murk or whatever and escape from a small hole.

 

[zapking5]

Yo are we just assuming she'll be caught? She still has the knife to break out of containment foam. She can also blind Gallant and use Bloodless murk or whatever and escape from a small hole.

Click to shrink...

I don't think that's how containment foam works. Also, if she were willing to expose that she has more powers then she wouldn't have been captured to begin with.

 

[Kennethil]

Letting herself get caught rather than revealing any other powers shouldn't really be a surprise, because what does she have to lose? Her identity is already public. She won't get the Birdcage, and the power she got from Sophia alone makes escape from prison or a transport trivial. Meanwhile time in holding cells and i terrogation rooms with parahuman guard rotations, provides her with the opportunity to collect Protectorate powers.

The chapter did derp on the Arcadia Faraday Cage though.

 

[Zxzx24]

She is (probably rightly) confident that the empire will just spring immediately and with no difficulty.

Which is more a less spot on?

Though Coils plan for taking advantage of the chaos remains to be seen, as well as how other factors might impact her fate here.

I dont see her leaving Brockton however.

 

[PlasticSoldier]

If this is following stations of canon, then is this the part where she kills Alexandria?