The Color Of Taylor (Original/Worm Alt power quest)

Something Broke.

Twice.

And the world was awash in GOLD.

Reality fell away, as the mind and the soul and all that was Taylor, all that was you, fell from one world and into the next.

The lights dimmed and the peaks receded, as the dark blue sky and the clouds and the horizon were swallowed up by ever hungering COLOR.

You watched as trails of tears were carved into the flesh of imagination and reality by the minds of a million grieving mourners. And how in the next second they were paved over by the burning lights of billions of celebrators. The lives and feelings of all made manifest and sketched onto the tablet of non-existence to be recorded until the end of the sun and the birth of the stars.
He was once a man, much like you.
Deeper.

In your fall you screamed past the Valleys and the Dredges. Past beasts beautiful and obscene. You were offered many offerings and gifted many things, but the offerings were traps and temporary. And the things rotted, withered, and rusted. Besides, you had somewhere to be, you couldn't be caught up in all the foolishness and the games the beasts played.

You had a better offering.
He saw power, and he took it too.
Deeper.

You crawled through deep trenches and ravines on your journey. Scaled down cliff walls and jumped from the height of mountains, heading ever deeper into the depths. The Abyss called out to you, it offered many promises and would grant many wishes. All you could want, you could have. But you saw the Abysses bargains for what they were, pleas. Begging's for you to stay, to grace its dark water with your radiant GOLDEN glow.

But you had other places to be, so you continued.

You passed the darkness of the Abyss. Deeper than the deepest trenches and tunnels. Into the heart of a realm with no center, no beginning or end. You moved in a direction that did not exists in a realm where existence was a fairytale. You trudged past pillars of pure COLOR and 𝓢𝓞𝓤𝓝𝓓 and continued to make your way ever deeper into the heart that was not a heart. You marched. You swam. You swung. You dived. All to reach you goal.

All to reach Them.
He climbed his tower, and he would not fall.
Deeper.

You struck something, and broke through.

The shattering of something that could not shatter. The opening of a door that was never locked, for it did not exist. The breaching of a sanctum most divine and foul and bright and ruined and-

So many COLORS.

They swam, they swarmed, they merged and split.

It was a place of both pure order, and pure madness. An existence that could not be, never was, and yet always is. It is a place more fake than reality, and more real than imagination.

It is the heart of a beast that has no heart.

IT IS.

And once more, your vision was awash in ever resplendent GOLD.

A hand reached out.

You reached back.
For he saw power, and he had it all.
And all. Burned. GOLD.
-- -- --

Choose Your Purpose:

[] Life - You remember a time when your life was better. When you had your mom around, when dad was still a dad, when your sister in all but name hadn't betrayed you. Those days are past now, and they still hurt, they still burn, but you want to move on. You want to, when you eventually escape this hellscape know as Winslow, begin your own life. You want to love and be loved, you want to have friends once more, you want to have a job that you and both your parents could have been proud of you having. You want to experience everything else life has to offer, you want to Live.

[] Remembrance - You remember a time when your life was better. When you had your mom around, when dad was still a dad, when your sister in all but name hadn't betrayed you. Those days are past now, and they still hurt, they still burn, and you don't think that burn will ever fade. You cant help but always think about how your mother smiled, how your friend laughed, how you dad would grumble but never mean it. And though those days are gone, never to return, they should not be forgotten. You will remember them, for your sake and the sake of others, you will Remember it all.

[] Survival - If theses past few years have shown you anything, its that life is cruel, and almost a constant fight for survival. It doesn't matter who you are, it doesn't matter what you do, life can and will screw you over at every opportunity, just for kicks. Someone you know and despise already figured this out a while ago, but she also twisted this truth to her own vision, predator and prey, hunter and hunted. Screw that, life sucks and then you die, but you don't have to be an asshole about it! No, your gonna survive, and your going to bring everyone you know and love with you, just because you can. Life gave you lemons, you're gonna make it fucking take them back. You will Survive.

[] Betterment - Life sucks, and then you die. Umm, how about No? Sure, life sucks right now, but it doesn't have to. Life is what you make of it, and unfortunately its currently circling the drain on this particular world. But you can do something about that, many people could, they just cant break past the apathy long enough to even try. Their all too busy playing cops and robber, building up their ivory towers, absolutely convinced their tower wont fall. Yeah no, screw that. The world sucks, but it can get better, and you going to have to be the one start that betterment. Your saving the world whether it wants you to or not. No, in fact, your not saving it. Your going to make it Better.

[] Write-in

You wake once more. Apparently having passed out in your metal tomb a second time.

It's still dark out. And it's only gotten colder. And yet, despite that, and all the trash and blood and bugs you're currently covered in. You can't help but feel warm. It like there is a fire burning in your chest. A fire of pure, shining, warm, gold.

And it doesn't feel like it will burn out anytime soon.

Was... Was that real? Was that descent into a never ending ocean of color real? Was it a hallucination brought about by being on the edge of death? Was it made by desperation and pain? Did it actually happen?

The fire in your chest still burns.

You try and shake your head, but you cant. You're still in the locker, still surrounded by what could at best be described as a biohazard.

You need to get out.

And somehow, you know how to.

You lift your leg as much as you are able to in the confines of the locker, and place your foot against where the lockers latch would be.

You pull your leg back slightly.

You kick.

There is a metallic Snap!

And you fall backwards onto the floor as the locker door swings open.

You land in a pile of trash and garbage as the contents of the locker fall out with you, and you try to stumble to your feet as fast as you can. The hallway itself is deserted, and you can see the moon outside through a window.

Its still cold, and yet you couldn't have felt warmer.

You stumble out of the pile of refuse you had been standing in, and look down at yourself. You're absolutely filthy, covered in blood, vomit, trash, unknown substances, and even some bugs still clinging to your clothes.

You want it all gone.

And with a faint golden flash, it is.

All the refuse and filth burned away by golden light. Disintegrated.

The fire in your chest burns even hotter.

You look up from yourself, taking in the detritus still filling the hallway and the remains of your locker. The moonlight casting an eerie glow over everything. With the silence permeating the school, its all granted an unearned sense of tranquility which has no place in this situation.

What the hell do you do now?


[] Write-In
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(A.N. About votes: there will be sometimes when I give more options, and sometimes when I don't. This is one where I don't. Write-ins will always be an option.)