"No man is an island, Chancellor. We've tried the ritual, the result is mostly screams."–Dread Emperor Malignant III
I don't get this quote.

Was it a ritual about social isolation where the island part was mostly metaphorical or was it a ritual about literally turning a man into an island?
 
I don't get this quote.

Was it a ritual about social isolation where the island part was mostly metaphorical or was it a ritual about literally turning a man into an island?
I only thought the second one because that type of over the top pointless cruelty is so on brand. That said, the first one is also super interesting and totally believable.
 
I don't get this quote.

Was it a ritual about social isolation where the island part was mostly metaphorical or was it a ritual about literally turning a man into an island?
I interpreted it as there being a ritual that called for an island in it and they tried to substitute the island with a person, possibly multiple times.

But the social isolation angle does fit well with the chapter.
She was explicitly told that none of the Wards were still there by the VP.
If you think about it, it makes sense to always tell that the Wards aren't there (or are, during school hours) regardless of whether they actually are. So VP's statement shouldn't be relied on.

Nevermind that it was said after Taylor having already come to Arcadia.
 
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…I swore, if the fucking story that my life had become was trying to set me up with some spoiled rich brat–

Please don't try to flirt. I am so not in the mood right now.

~ ~ ~​
Dean Stansfield stared at the familiar streamers of gold rising from an unfamiliar face and kept all his whimpering firmly on the inside. How was this his life?
Ah, here we go. The beginning of a classic comedic storyline, where both players stumble into a relationship based entirely on misreading's of the other. She thinks he is trying to date her, he thinks she is a supervillain/mind-control victim.
 
So Taylor not wanting to wear "good guy" colors leads to her dressing like a dark magical girl just in time to run into Gallant. She's already met her magical girl counterpart on her first night out, too. Roma really doesn't have to do much, huh?

Even with the wards, Arcadia is still a prime choice for kids trying to work as capes. The option to take half days at school in order to work at a related vocation must be doable if it counts for a wards cover, though I dunno how you actually pull that off. Maybe getting Danny to set her up with some internship at the DWU?
 
This story was so great it made me read APGTE itself, and I am super grateful for that because it's freaking amazing. I'm finishing book 2 so please no spoilers, but is Roma an original character or is she in the books? And if she's in the books is she an actual character or one of the dread empresses mentioned in history?
 
This story was so great it made me read APGTE itself, and I am super grateful for that because it's freaking amazing. I'm finishing book 2 so please no spoilers, but is Roma an original character or is she in the books? And if she's in the books is she an actual character or one of the dread empresses mentioned in history?

Not a character per say, but she did appear in quotes. She was long dead during the book's events
 
This story was so great it made me read APGTE itself, and I am super grateful for that because it's freaking amazing. I'm finishing book 2 so please no spoilers, but is Roma an original character or is she in the books? And if she's in the books is she an actual character or one of the dread empresses mentioned in history?
Maleficent III, an OC Dread Empress, but somewhat supposed to be a, I hate to say generic, fairly standard? Dread Empress
What @mgmtheo said. We get quotes from Maleficent I and Maleficent II, but Roma over here just had to go and play around with an Absence demon. :V

Relevant quote from back when I was also posting this on SB (no more!):
Alivaril said:
Maleficent III is firmly in the category of those who pushed Praes toward being the laughingstock of the continent even as the area burned. For all their impressive and grand designs, nearly every Dread Emperor and Dread Empress prior to Practical Guide to Evil's prologue failed at conquering Callow.
She's original—there were a lot of Dread Emperors and Empresses, and plenty of room to squeeze in another one or two or twenty[.]
 
You know, im still not sure the story is even a thing here. (Like the in universe force) Like, Roma definitely thinks it is, but reality often feels like a story if you look for it.
 
You know, im still not sure the story is even a thing here. (Like the in universe force) Like, Roma definitely thinks it is, but reality often feels like a story if you look for it.
Thing is, Taylor does have a Name, which implies at least a certain level of extant Fate. On the other hand, we have not seen any other Named in the story, which has the potential to slot this story into the category of "Out-of-Context Alt-Power that needs more crossover to be believably extant in the setting." Least it's better than Quintessence, still.
 
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