SaberFail
All Ideas. No Skills. a bit hungry
- Pronouns
- He/Him
There a no Dead Apostles on Earth Bet, if those spots exist they are all up for grabs.
Fate/In Glory Of (Worm)
- Thread starter Jefardi
- Start date
- Crossover Modern Superhero
There a no Dead Apostles on Earth Bet, if those spots exist they are all up for grabs.
Deadweight Hero
I can't beat the demon lord help-
[X] ...the protectorate exists for a reason, maybe they could give her a new life?
Hookay, Nikki didn't die. That's great. Also that got dark real fast holy shit.
Calm tf down Nikki lol
Hookay, Nikki didn't die. That's great. Also that got dark real fast holy shit.
Calm tf down Nikki lol
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Dark in what way?
KindredVoid
Shard Whisperer
- Pronouns
- He
It's a Worm and Nasuverse crossover?
It was always going to get dark.
- Location
- Oklahoma
[X] ...and said nothing but instead stare at Nikki.
Deadweight Hero
I can't beat the demon lord help-
The cape got murdered and have to keep burning stuff to keep herself alive otherwise she'll rot. And that she's constantly in pain because her body's actively rotting.
It's dark and I like it very much.
InfinitusAnimous
The indomitable will of man and Software Developer
- Location
- The Core
[X] ...the protectorate exists for a reason, maybe they could give her a new life?
- Pronouns
- He/Him
I'm going to have to say no to that
Parodos 04.07.05
[X] ...the protectorate exists for a reason, maybe they could give her a new life?
The girl was quiet, letting the question roll into silence.
"What about the Protectorate?"
"What's that?" The corpse asked, head falling to the side as if it's muscles had been cut.
The girl blinked. "Its-it's the government heroes. If you have powers and want to be a hero, you go to them. They'd… be able to figure out who you were."
"Oh." The corpse paused, the false-flames eating at the long metallic husks having followed their nourishment into the murky water. "Yeah. I think… I liked heroes once." A breeze came in, now unimpeded by the absent rotted ships.
"A hero." The corpse repeated.
"Don't wanna be a hero?" The girl seemed to be intentionally phrasing it without a tone. Neutrally. Forcefully neutral.
The shadow was about to be called upon to inflict a final death on the moving corpse.
The corpse remained similar to its own nature, seemingly enjoying the ocean breeze. "Could I even become one? My flames are not… gentle."
The girl glanced at the false-fires and shivered. Repulsion or fear, the shadow knew neither.
"Maybe? I… what do you want to do?"
"I suppose I don't much know what else to do. Hide in the woods until I rot enough to need to burn things?" A humourless snort escaped the corpse.
"They will always accept parahumans." Birdgirl spoke up. "Your flames could be useful in clearing out trash, or corralling villains."
For a breath, the corpse was still as it was it's nature before giving a very uncorpse-like sigh. "Very well. I'll join this 'Protectorate'." A smile pulled at her lips, most likely hidden to the girl from the darkness of the evening but apparent to the shadow. "I wish I could do more than just thank you for the help tonight, but I have nothing else to offer."
The girl shrugged in forced nonchalance. "Be a hero. The city is kind of a shithole and needs more of them."
A wiry smile came across the corpse's face at those words. "If that is how I can give you thanks, then maybe that's what I'll do."
"I think we need to contact the PRT ourselves." Birdgirl noted. "I doubt she would have much luck walking to the building, or into it."
The corpse looked curiously at the birdgirl as the girl sighed.
The girl pulled out the rectangular device that occasionally made her laugh and started poking at it. She then mushed it against the right side of her face.
A dim ringing came from it.
The girl stared at the dark sky in askance as it rang like a quiet gong.
A voice emanated from the rectangle.
The shadow knew it was a normal occurrence- this had happened before and the girl didn't regard it with surprise. Neither did the bird like one. The corpse did give it a cursory glance.
The girl pulled it away from her face, poked it once more, and placed it back against her face.
"No, this is not an emergency."
"No, I'm not reporting a crime."
"Yeah, I can hold."
What may have stylistically be called music then gently came forth from the device, butchered so badly that the shadow would have given its architect respect as a fellow destroyer.
Time passed.
"I met a… uh, parahuman who wants to join the Protectorate? But um… she's having memory issues?"
Over the course of those two sentences, the shadow could hear through the rectangle something clamour and then cease.
"Uh-" the girl didn't get a chance to respond before the birdgirl wrenched the device from her hands.
Something dark flared within the shadow at the girl's rectangle being taken.
"Yes, the parahuman is having trouble remembering things… Yes she looks to be physically altered by her power." The birdgirl's expression morphed, eyes narrowing, nostrils flaring and lips forming a stressed crease, "No, I will not inspect her body for tattoos. You should be ashamed to suggest such a thing to a young girl like I."
The one who acted like a bird paused. "Yes, she wishes to become a hero. We found her in a state of confusion and injury, but her power has since healed her." The words came from her more rote than actually answering whatever query was being wielded at her.
Birdgirl straightened up. "Yes, the boatyard was her doing. No she was not targeting anyone. Yes we are safe. We are on the beach. No, we will not be staying. Yes, the parahuman will remain here. Do not be stupid and act aggressively please and thank you." The other side of the conversation ceased, her fingers dancing across the device before prying the back open and yanking out two smaller shapes.
Birdgirl swivelled towards the corpse. "Please do not inform them of us, and burn this."
Said corpse held her rotting/dying/decaying hands out, and the birdgirl dropped the rectangle into the palms. A moment later and it was being eaten by false-fire.
Red inched forwards into the shadow's mind, fingers of it covering it's sight at destruction of the girl's rectangle. That was not the false-bird's right to do.
"We must go." Birdgirl informed the girl before grabbing her arm and pulling her away, eliciting a surprised squawk from the girl at the suddenness of it.
The shadow, ever faithful, followed it's mistress.
After all, the girl was about to enter a fight- the birdgirl had been preparing since the moment she had come into view.
The corpse had only ever been a secondary concern for the bird-like-one.
It had always been the girl.
The shadow would protect the girl, as always.
The car's rumble came to a stop.
It had been nearly twenty minutes since they had left the beach.
Nikki had not said a single word during that time.
Taylor hadn't known what to say.
Thus silence ensued.
"Why." Nikki started, but didn't continue. Her knuckles were white as she gripped the steering wheel.
Why?
That was an excellent question.
She had been considering it ever since they had left the parahuman at the beach.
The problem was that Taylor didn't have a good reason she could actually say; sorry but when I go out heroing, I only have two options- beat something up or walk away?
Except she hadn't done either. Rather, she had walked up to an unknown parahuman and started talking. So even her own logic couldn't make sense of what she had just done. Doubly great.
Plus, she wasn't going to tell Nikki that she had powers… if she didn't know, then it would be more unlikely that something could come back to bite either Taylor or Nikki.
Still, Taylor knew that this question would come up and had decided on an answer in advance.
"Because it was the right thing to do."
Nikki's hands tightened on the steering wheel, the leather cover on it creaking under her grip. "Why...WHY ARE YOU IN EMPIRE TERRITORY LATE IN THE DAY?!" Nikki whipped around in her seat, staring at Taylor, two trails on her face glinting in the car's interior lights. "DO YOU NOT KNOW HOW DANGEROUS IT IS?!"
"I…"
She didn't know what to even say to that. She thought Nikki would ask about the parahuman.
Her stomach felt like it's bottom had opened up into an endless pit.
Her lips felt dry as she licked them and stared into the accusation in those grey eyes.
"...how would they know?" Taylor quite lamely retorted.
"It's a gang Taylor! if there are any sympathizers in our school they would speak about us! It is not SAFE!" Nikki glared at Taylor as fresh tears slid down her face. "And the parahuman, what possessed you to walk up to that?! Did you see what that parahuman did to the buildings? The BOATS!? What if that was you!? Would there be anything left to bury!? Would you just- go missing one day and your father and I would never know what happened- OUTSIDE OF THE TWO GANGS THAT WOULD PREY ON YOU!"
Seeing Nikki crying felt bad.
Like, really, really bad.
Nikki had consistently been one of the happiest people that Taylor had met and it wasn't fake in a way that she had seen Emma's friends be like. Seeing her cry, seeing the look on her face just felt… wrong.
But knowing that Taylor was the cause of it?
Way worse.
Like kicking a puppy in the face.
Nikki grabbed at her head, pulling her dirty blonde hair. "I got the call, and the parahuman- I kept thinking of the Butcher, and that cashiers head just- all over the wall! Would there have even been that!?"
Taylor didn't think giving the truthful answer of 'probably not even ash' would help the situation.
The problem was that she didn't have exactly an answer to this other than. "...no." It felt like soured milk on her mouth, the aftertaste as she watched Nikki's face was just as bad.
"You can't keep doing this Taylor. You're not a cape, you don't have powers! You keep putting yourself in the way of the gangs and their parahumans!" Nikki wiped her face. "Please, please stop doing this! I have lost so much, I do not want to lose you too!" She pleaded.
Taylor wanted to point out that she had tried to avoid Kage but that didn't seem like… a good idea.
It was hard to look Nikki in the face, her eyes breaking away. "I'm not trying to die…" Taylor muttered rather mulishly.
Nikki pulled herself up, and over the console, practically falling atop Taylor to hug her. "Please don't leave me like this." She begged, grey eyes shining with tears.
The arms around her were shaking.
Taylor hugged back, engulfed.
Mostly, she just felt bad.
Taylor knew she was going to go out again and much like the collapse that happened, it would somehow invariably find its way back to Nikki.
It was just going to happen.
Not unless she decided to stop sending the giant out.
She couldn't.
She was making a difference.
At least she hoped she was.
It gave her validation that her short, worthless life was worth something, somewhere.
She didn't even understand why Nikki saw worth in her.
Eventually Nikki would come to her senses and move onto someone better and more worthy of her worries.
Which is why Taylor could only hug back, her mouth moving as she tried to work out what to say.
"I won't," she lied.
The next day was… awkward.
How does one act around their girlfriend after making them cry their eyes out?
Taylor didn't know.
She definitely didn't arrive late so she could avoid Nikki before classes. Nor dragged her feet to the cafeteria to make sure Joanna was there first. No siree!
Speaking of…
"Hey, my mom wants to go on a drinking bender, can we please hang out? I hate being in the house when she does. It gets awkward with my uncle there."
[] Hang out with birds. Introduce Joanna to Nikki's friends!
[] Become a Mallrat.
[] Hang out at Taylor's house.
[] Acquire cheap food. Consume a hideous bob. From Fugly's.
[] Go to the boardwalk and window shop. Be a poor tourist.
[] Be a sad sack loser and hang out with the giant at home, alone.
Author's Note: Yay, finally got this out.
I… don't know what you were expecting when everyone voted for Nikki but this is what you get. Congrats, I guess?
To be fair, the random encounter roll kind of screwed you.
Please vote and discuss as always!
The girl was quiet, letting the question roll into silence.
"What about the Protectorate?"
"What's that?" The corpse asked, head falling to the side as if it's muscles had been cut.
The girl blinked. "Its-it's the government heroes. If you have powers and want to be a hero, you go to them. They'd… be able to figure out who you were."
"Oh." The corpse paused, the false-flames eating at the long metallic husks having followed their nourishment into the murky water. "Yeah. I think… I liked heroes once." A breeze came in, now unimpeded by the absent rotted ships.
"A hero." The corpse repeated.
"Don't wanna be a hero?" The girl seemed to be intentionally phrasing it without a tone. Neutrally. Forcefully neutral.
The shadow was about to be called upon to inflict a final death on the moving corpse.
The corpse remained similar to its own nature, seemingly enjoying the ocean breeze. "Could I even become one? My flames are not… gentle."
The girl glanced at the false-fires and shivered. Repulsion or fear, the shadow knew neither.
"Maybe? I… what do you want to do?"
"I suppose I don't much know what else to do. Hide in the woods until I rot enough to need to burn things?" A humourless snort escaped the corpse.
"They will always accept parahumans." Birdgirl spoke up. "Your flames could be useful in clearing out trash, or corralling villains."
For a breath, the corpse was still as it was it's nature before giving a very uncorpse-like sigh. "Very well. I'll join this 'Protectorate'." A smile pulled at her lips, most likely hidden to the girl from the darkness of the evening but apparent to the shadow. "I wish I could do more than just thank you for the help tonight, but I have nothing else to offer."
The girl shrugged in forced nonchalance. "Be a hero. The city is kind of a shithole and needs more of them."
A wiry smile came across the corpse's face at those words. "If that is how I can give you thanks, then maybe that's what I'll do."
"I think we need to contact the PRT ourselves." Birdgirl noted. "I doubt she would have much luck walking to the building, or into it."
The corpse looked curiously at the birdgirl as the girl sighed.
The girl pulled out the rectangular device that occasionally made her laugh and started poking at it. She then mushed it against the right side of her face.
A dim ringing came from it.
The girl stared at the dark sky in askance as it rang like a quiet gong.
A voice emanated from the rectangle.
The shadow knew it was a normal occurrence- this had happened before and the girl didn't regard it with surprise. Neither did the bird like one. The corpse did give it a cursory glance.
The girl pulled it away from her face, poked it once more, and placed it back against her face.
"No, this is not an emergency."
"No, I'm not reporting a crime."
"Yeah, I can hold."
What may have stylistically be called music then gently came forth from the device, butchered so badly that the shadow would have given its architect respect as a fellow destroyer.
Time passed.
"I met a… uh, parahuman who wants to join the Protectorate? But um… she's having memory issues?"
Over the course of those two sentences, the shadow could hear through the rectangle something clamour and then cease.
"Uh-" the girl didn't get a chance to respond before the birdgirl wrenched the device from her hands.
Something dark flared within the shadow at the girl's rectangle being taken.
"Yes, the parahuman is having trouble remembering things… Yes she looks to be physically altered by her power." The birdgirl's expression morphed, eyes narrowing, nostrils flaring and lips forming a stressed crease, "No, I will not inspect her body for tattoos. You should be ashamed to suggest such a thing to a young girl like I."
The one who acted like a bird paused. "Yes, she wishes to become a hero. We found her in a state of confusion and injury, but her power has since healed her." The words came from her more rote than actually answering whatever query was being wielded at her.
Birdgirl straightened up. "Yes, the boatyard was her doing. No she was not targeting anyone. Yes we are safe. We are on the beach. No, we will not be staying. Yes, the parahuman will remain here. Do not be stupid and act aggressively please and thank you." The other side of the conversation ceased, her fingers dancing across the device before prying the back open and yanking out two smaller shapes.
Birdgirl swivelled towards the corpse. "Please do not inform them of us, and burn this."
Said corpse held her rotting/dying/decaying hands out, and the birdgirl dropped the rectangle into the palms. A moment later and it was being eaten by false-fire.
Red inched forwards into the shadow's mind, fingers of it covering it's sight at destruction of the girl's rectangle. That was not the false-bird's right to do.
"We must go." Birdgirl informed the girl before grabbing her arm and pulling her away, eliciting a surprised squawk from the girl at the suddenness of it.
The shadow, ever faithful, followed it's mistress.
After all, the girl was about to enter a fight- the birdgirl had been preparing since the moment she had come into view.
The corpse had only ever been a secondary concern for the bird-like-one.
It had always been the girl.
The shadow would protect the girl, as always.
The car's rumble came to a stop.
It had been nearly twenty minutes since they had left the beach.
Nikki had not said a single word during that time.
Taylor hadn't known what to say.
Thus silence ensued.
"Why." Nikki started, but didn't continue. Her knuckles were white as she gripped the steering wheel.
Why?
That was an excellent question.
She had been considering it ever since they had left the parahuman at the beach.
The problem was that Taylor didn't have a good reason she could actually say; sorry but when I go out heroing, I only have two options- beat something up or walk away?
Except she hadn't done either. Rather, she had walked up to an unknown parahuman and started talking. So even her own logic couldn't make sense of what she had just done. Doubly great.
Plus, she wasn't going to tell Nikki that she had powers… if she didn't know, then it would be more unlikely that something could come back to bite either Taylor or Nikki.
Still, Taylor knew that this question would come up and had decided on an answer in advance.
"Because it was the right thing to do."
Nikki's hands tightened on the steering wheel, the leather cover on it creaking under her grip. "Why...WHY ARE YOU IN EMPIRE TERRITORY LATE IN THE DAY?!" Nikki whipped around in her seat, staring at Taylor, two trails on her face glinting in the car's interior lights. "DO YOU NOT KNOW HOW DANGEROUS IT IS?!"
"I…"
She didn't know what to even say to that. She thought Nikki would ask about the parahuman.
Her stomach felt like it's bottom had opened up into an endless pit.
Her lips felt dry as she licked them and stared into the accusation in those grey eyes.
"...how would they know?" Taylor quite lamely retorted.
"It's a gang Taylor! if there are any sympathizers in our school they would speak about us! It is not SAFE!" Nikki glared at Taylor as fresh tears slid down her face. "And the parahuman, what possessed you to walk up to that?! Did you see what that parahuman did to the buildings? The BOATS!? What if that was you!? Would there be anything left to bury!? Would you just- go missing one day and your father and I would never know what happened- OUTSIDE OF THE TWO GANGS THAT WOULD PREY ON YOU!"
Seeing Nikki crying felt bad.
Like, really, really bad.
Nikki had consistently been one of the happiest people that Taylor had met and it wasn't fake in a way that she had seen Emma's friends be like. Seeing her cry, seeing the look on her face just felt… wrong.
But knowing that Taylor was the cause of it?
Way worse.
Like kicking a puppy in the face.
Nikki grabbed at her head, pulling her dirty blonde hair. "I got the call, and the parahuman- I kept thinking of the Butcher, and that cashiers head just- all over the wall! Would there have even been that!?"
Taylor didn't think giving the truthful answer of 'probably not even ash' would help the situation.
The problem was that she didn't have exactly an answer to this other than. "...no." It felt like soured milk on her mouth, the aftertaste as she watched Nikki's face was just as bad.
"You can't keep doing this Taylor. You're not a cape, you don't have powers! You keep putting yourself in the way of the gangs and their parahumans!" Nikki wiped her face. "Please, please stop doing this! I have lost so much, I do not want to lose you too!" She pleaded.
Taylor wanted to point out that she had tried to avoid Kage but that didn't seem like… a good idea.
It was hard to look Nikki in the face, her eyes breaking away. "I'm not trying to die…" Taylor muttered rather mulishly.
Nikki pulled herself up, and over the console, practically falling atop Taylor to hug her. "Please don't leave me like this." She begged, grey eyes shining with tears.
The arms around her were shaking.
Taylor hugged back, engulfed.
Mostly, she just felt bad.
Taylor knew she was going to go out again and much like the collapse that happened, it would somehow invariably find its way back to Nikki.
It was just going to happen.
Not unless she decided to stop sending the giant out.
She couldn't.
She was making a difference.
At least she hoped she was.
It gave her validation that her short, worthless life was worth something, somewhere.
She didn't even understand why Nikki saw worth in her.
Eventually Nikki would come to her senses and move onto someone better and more worthy of her worries.
Which is why Taylor could only hug back, her mouth moving as she tried to work out what to say.
"I won't," she lied.
The next day was… awkward.
How does one act around their girlfriend after making them cry their eyes out?
Taylor didn't know.
She definitely didn't arrive late so she could avoid Nikki before classes. Nor dragged her feet to the cafeteria to make sure Joanna was there first. No siree!
Speaking of…
"Hey, my mom wants to go on a drinking bender, can we please hang out? I hate being in the house when she does. It gets awkward with my uncle there."
[] Hang out with birds. Introduce Joanna to Nikki's friends!
[] Become a Mallrat.
[] Hang out at Taylor's house.
[] Acquire cheap food. Consume a hideous bob. From Fugly's.
[] Go to the boardwalk and window shop. Be a poor tourist.
[] Be a sad sack loser and hang out with the giant at home, alone.
Author's Note: Yay, finally got this out.
I… don't know what you were expecting when everyone voted for Nikki but this is what you get. Congrats, I guess?
To be fair, the random encounter roll kind of screwed you.
Please vote and discuss as always!
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KindredVoid
Shard Whisperer
[SB] Become a Mallrat.
Wonderful.
We've been firmly reminded that Nikki might not be a parahuman but she's just as traumatized. Doubly so considering she fled a city after witnessing the Butcher randomly murder someone right in front of her.
And we trampled on that.
Could've just picked Joanna, instead we had to go and strain Taylor's relationship with her girlfriend.
Worse we made Nikki cry.
That's straight evil.
Let's just hang out with Joanna, keep Taylor from spiraling, and hopefully Joanna can put some sense into Taylor or help her friends not break up.
Wonderful.
We've been firmly reminded that Nikki might not be a parahuman but she's just as traumatized. Doubly so considering she fled a city after witnessing the Butcher randomly murder someone right in front of her.
And we trampled on that.
Could've just picked Joanna, instead we had to go and strain Taylor's relationship with her girlfriend.
Worse we made Nikki cry.
That's straight evil.
Let's just hang out with Joanna, keep Taylor from spiraling, and hopefully Joanna can put some sense into Taylor or help her friends not break up.
Iris-Iven-Ibis
Interested-Idiot-Immortal
- Location
- You know
[X] Hang out with birds. Introduce Joanna to Nikki's friends!
[X] Become a Mallrat.
I see. Instead of physical injury, the true risk all along was the trauma trigger and Taylor having to work through her own feelings of worthlessness! Truly devious. Also
I see. Instead of physical injury, the true risk all along was the trauma trigger and Taylor having to work through her own feelings of worthlessness! Truly devious. Also
Incredible, Heracles. No notes.
- Location
- Oklahoma
[X] Become a Mallrat.
Deadweight Hero
I can't beat the demon lord help-
[X] Hang out with birds. Introduce Joanna to Nikki's friends!
Idk what the heck a mallrat is so I'm going with the birds option lol
Also we made Nikki cry. That's like, one of the biggest sin of all. If there's ever an option to tell Nikki about the giant I'm taking it.
Idk what the heck a mallrat is so I'm going with the birds option lol
Also we made Nikki cry. That's like, one of the biggest sin of all. If there's ever an option to tell Nikki about the giant I'm taking it.
Voting for 04.08 deadline and current tally
Parodos 04.Interlude-01
Alyssa watched the junker of a car pull out of the driveway from the window of her office. Once it turned the corner and went out of sight, Alyssa continued to stare, a soft sigh escaping her as she pulled the blinds shut.
What a miserable day, one that was preceded by several other shitty ones. The Simurgh attack, the rising tensions in the city, the deaths and some nut throwing a fucking Simurgh wing into the city. Brad was pissed and mourning the only way he knew how- she liked the man. He fucked like an animal, and he cuddled! That was rare in fighting men! But when he got angry it reminded her a bit too much of her father.
The skin around her mouth drew taut at the memories that brought up. A shiver ran down her spine.
Dammit.
She grabbed a plain phone off of her office desk, hit redial, and waited for it to be picked up. It only took four rings- must not be busy.
"Alyssa." Her brother's smooth voice sounded tinny over the cheap phone.
It suited him.
"House is empty. Bring your favourites if you want." Alyssa offered. "Shitty as it was for me, I know the last two weeks haven't been fun for you."
There was a long pause, silence as Max either tried a power play, or was mulishly thinking it over. It was a coin toss with him.
Always had been, always will be.
"Very well. I'll be there in thirty minutes. I'll bring mine as well as your own." Oh, he must be having quite the rancid day. Well, that was fine by her. Just meant she got to enjoy the coming hours that much more.
It took a bit longer than thirty minutes, but Max arrived all the same. The black SUV pulled out of the driveway after he spoke with his driver. "You brought them?" Alyssa asked after opening the door. Max merely motioned to his thick briefcase with his freehand.
"Wipe your feet Maxie, lock the door, you know where my office is." The way his face twisted at her nickname for him made Alyssa smirk. She was already feeling better, even if she knew the next hour and a half was going to be somewhat unpleasant.
The briefcase clinked as Maxie set it down on her second office's desk. The office that she had remodeled and Joanna wasn't allowed into. Alyssa plopped herself into the plush office chair just as Maxie did the same, much to his irritation.
She reached over the table and cracked the briefcase open, grin slipping off her face as her brother started cackling like a hyena. "You're a cunt, Maxie." She grunted, standing and making her way over to her own booze cabinet.
Bait and switching free good booze was just like him.
Alyssa set down the shot glasses as Maxie loosened his tie and undid his cuff-links. She also set her own bottle of whiskey down as he poured his shot of vodka and slammed it back without even waiting on her to sit down.
Competitive ass.
She poured her first shot of the day; it burned quite nicely going down. "So." She started. "How are the Twins?"
Maxie's head hitting the table was like music to her ears. "I can't get them to dress decently."
"Who was it this time?" Alyssa asked as she poured her next shot.
"The mayor." Maxie answered as he removed his head from her century old pink ivory countertop. Ugh, he left a mark. "He remarked how I was lucky to have the company of such 'fine lovely young women.' Christ."
"No surprise considering how Heath dressed." Alyssa remarked as she sipped at her whiskey, avoiding the ugly look he was likely giving her.
"On the topic of daughters." Maxie started in a perfectly placid conversational tone. Which meant he was about to be a shit. "Is yours still with those undesirables?"
"Yep." Alyssa replied, "I'd be more upset about it if they weren't good for her."
"Oh? Everyone!" Maxie raised his shot glass of vodka, "Everyone did you hear that? Alyssa says the gays are good for her daughter!" He drained his glass. "Dear old dad would have had a heart attack."
"I'll drink to that." Alyssa agreed readily, and did just that. "Unfortunately, I mean it. All her friends up and abandoned her barely a week after the wheelchair. So of course some jewish lookalike and her russian dyke girlfriend act more loyal than the good upstanding aryans." She nearly spat on the floor, but she'd have to clean that up.
"Jew look-a-like?" Maxie asked as he refilled his glass.
"Her last name is Hebert for god's sake." Alyssa gently palmed her forehead. "It's almost comical."
"Hebert? In this city?" He snorted.
"Right?!" Alyssa asked, pausing to drink from her glass.
"Hebert....Hebert." Maxie muttered, rubbing his chin. "Mm. I know a Herbert, some paper pusher in the dock worker union. Supposed to be a hiring manager but he practically runs the place."
"Herbert? What does he look like?" Alyssa asked, swirling her glass. Fuck, she forgot the ice. Eh, guess it was all natural from now on.
"Tall, black hair, balding, weak chin, and glasses that make him look like a surprised owl. He's always begging the city for work." Maxie snorted in disdain. "Blue collar as you can get without doing the dredge work yourself."
Shit, that sounded like Joanna's stringbean friend's dad. Oh well, Maxie can survive being wrong this one time.
"How's Br-"
"Ah! Ah! None of that stuff! Not during happy hour!" Alyssa interrupted, getting a flat stare in return.
"I know the rules well enough Ally. I was simply asking how he's handling Tammi's death." Maxie grunted.
"Bad. She was useful, and he was even fond of the little shit, liked her silly magic tricks too. Worse that they found her without a head." The glass was refilled and went by just as quickly. She'd miss Tammi. The girl had been too young to have the life snuffed out of her like that. Not even an open casket funeral.
"Better than Nathan." Maxie rubbed his face. "No head and torn apart. James won't shut up about it. Not like he actually cares about any of us. The English prick."
"And you do?" Alyssa raised a brow. Maxie? Caring for others? Not that she cared all that much for Nathan himself, the man had been a sadist and weird about it. She was more shocked that he was actually dead.
"Care enough to not like Dorothy or her freakily boring husband." Maxie shook his head. "James thinks of them as 'model assets'. The English prick."
Another drink went down, damn she was feeling buzzed and going into tipsy already. Alyssa looked to her bottle, and it was half filled. She'd need to slow down, it hadn't even been twenty minutes.
"Wait," she started. "We skipped your son. How's Theo?"
"As spineless as ever." Maxie huffed, not looking any better in the drink department as he tried sipping at his shot glass. "I don't know why, Joanna came out practically perfect. I treat both of them better than how our Father treated us. Why didn't they turn out better?"
"Annerose still acting like trailer trash?" Alyssa asked, she winced as her brother's head hit the table again. He was going to leave another mark on her table, ugh.
A groan was his muffled reply.
Alyssa snorted.
Maxie pulled his head off the table, and he did leave a mark, before finishing off his drink and pouring another. "I don't beat them! I don't scream at them! I haven't hit them with anything, and I haven't used my power on them once! Why did they turn out like this!? Theo's as spineless as a block of jello! Annerose is just-" he cut himself off waving a hand angrily.
"Maxie, you have the emotional range of a cinderblock." Alyssa informed him "Yeah, you didn't give your kids scars but that's a bar so low our father tripped on it in the lowest level of hell. Have you even hugged them at all?"
"I don't need to hug them for them to know I care about them." Maxie replied defensively.
"Exhibit One through Four beg to differ. Annerose is so bad you're lucky she believes in not having tattoos, Theo is as tough as pudding, and the Twins are two pieces of clothing away from getting arrested for public indecency. How's the 'no hugs' thing turning out for you?"
Thump
God she was going to have to replace the damn desk at this point. "I mean aside from the paralysis, which isn't her fault, Joanna is a smart and put together girl. She's all my best and none of my worse. Couldn't make me prouder honestly." A smile had crept onto her face without her even noticing.
"I tried to be better." Maxie offered.
"You did, unfortunately they still got the worse of you." Alyssa informed him promptly.
For a while neither spoke, just nursing their drinks and pouring another when it was needed. Alyssa was, as always, the first to break that silence; "So, how's Kayden and the kid?"
Thump
Motherfucker! He had to be doing that on purpose at this point! He knew she liked the grain of this desk!
"So?" She pushed as he slammed back his shot, looking worse off than her. He could never hold his drink like she could. Ironic considering how Medhall sounded like 'Mead hall'.
Dad was not only a terrible father, he was also uncreative.
"Kayden won't return my calls and she's gallivanting around with that-" He sighed. "I haven't seen Aster since she was delivered." His eyes focused on Alyssa in a way she did not like.
"Speaking of my own children. What was the name of your eldest? I've forgotten." Maxie asked in a faux-innocence.
The pain in her chest wasn't a heart attack, but she would have gladly exchanged it for one. She couldn't help the soft whine that escaped her teeth.
Maxie said nothing, only sipping his cheap imported vodka.
"Dick move Max."
"Tell me you haven't forgotten dearest sister." he replied in the most sincere concern he could muster, the fucking cunt.
"I don't poke yours but you can't just leave well enough alone can you." She asked, slamming her whiskey back and practically crumpling onto her desk. She'd tried to find her girl, but nothing had ever come of it. No matter how much money she threw at it. No matter how far Jeffrey dug. Her father had moved away and she didn't even really know his real name.
She never wanted to give her baby away. Never wanted to feel the hurt she felt now. The time a one night stand turned into something that changed her life for the better. Max had helped her hide the pregnancy, the very same reason she wasn't stabbing him right now, and her first daughter until it became too difficult to do so.
Dad would have killed her sweet little girl – he was just that type of monster. So Alyssa gave the girl to the father and cut ties. It hurt, hurt more than anything else in her life. Or since.
It was a deep pain that never went away, never truly abated. One that still bled, even now. A wound that would never close.
"Amelia. Her name was Amelia, and she had the cutest freckles."
Queen Administrator has a question.
She has yet to give a 'side quest' as it were- nothing has interested her enough to warrant such a drain of resources that it will cause. But! She wants to know if it comes to it, would it be permissible to have multiple smaller ones going at the same time or just a singular big one?
The way she sees it, she has two ways to do things; either have a big 'side quest' that gives reward of one unit or many smaller ones that will add up to the one unit. A unit being the thing that allowed the projection to traverse to a different hemisphere. It's a lot of energy!
This boils down to would it be preferred to have a single large objective or many smaller ones that will take more time and effort but be less all-or-nothing of whether it succeeds.
Queen Administrator would like a 'vibe check' as it were on the topic.
[] Let's only have a single chonky 'side-quest' at a time for the moment.
[] Democracy can handle the weight of multiple 'side-quest'(s)!
Author's Note: Have the second interlude! Hi Alyssa!
Joanna had to stop by her house first before the social, which, is hanging out with Nikki's birds! As we shall see how that goes in the next chapter.
This chapter was written by my Beta/Editor, KindredVoid! Big round of applause! I did, like, at most, maybe 10% of it. Probably closer to 5%. Outside of the vote that is.
I hope the chapter shows that even though Taylor is the main character, stuff will happen regardless of her involvement.
I'm interested in seeing what people think of this interlude as this does several things. Also KindredVoid is about bouncing off the walls wanting this to get posted as quickly as possible and would love reactions. Please.
Please vote and discuss as always!
What a miserable day, one that was preceded by several other shitty ones. The Simurgh attack, the rising tensions in the city, the deaths and some nut throwing a fucking Simurgh wing into the city. Brad was pissed and mourning the only way he knew how- she liked the man. He fucked like an animal, and he cuddled! That was rare in fighting men! But when he got angry it reminded her a bit too much of her father.
The skin around her mouth drew taut at the memories that brought up. A shiver ran down her spine.
Dammit.
She grabbed a plain phone off of her office desk, hit redial, and waited for it to be picked up. It only took four rings- must not be busy.
"Alyssa." Her brother's smooth voice sounded tinny over the cheap phone.
It suited him.
"House is empty. Bring your favourites if you want." Alyssa offered. "Shitty as it was for me, I know the last two weeks haven't been fun for you."
There was a long pause, silence as Max either tried a power play, or was mulishly thinking it over. It was a coin toss with him.
Always had been, always will be.
"Very well. I'll be there in thirty minutes. I'll bring mine as well as your own." Oh, he must be having quite the rancid day. Well, that was fine by her. Just meant she got to enjoy the coming hours that much more.
It took a bit longer than thirty minutes, but Max arrived all the same. The black SUV pulled out of the driveway after he spoke with his driver. "You brought them?" Alyssa asked after opening the door. Max merely motioned to his thick briefcase with his freehand.
"Wipe your feet Maxie, lock the door, you know where my office is." The way his face twisted at her nickname for him made Alyssa smirk. She was already feeling better, even if she knew the next hour and a half was going to be somewhat unpleasant.
The briefcase clinked as Maxie set it down on her second office's desk. The office that she had remodeled and Joanna wasn't allowed into. Alyssa plopped herself into the plush office chair just as Maxie did the same, much to his irritation.
She reached over the table and cracked the briefcase open, grin slipping off her face as her brother started cackling like a hyena. "You're a cunt, Maxie." She grunted, standing and making her way over to her own booze cabinet.
Bait and switching free good booze was just like him.
Alyssa set down the shot glasses as Maxie loosened his tie and undid his cuff-links. She also set her own bottle of whiskey down as he poured his shot of vodka and slammed it back without even waiting on her to sit down.
Competitive ass.
She poured her first shot of the day; it burned quite nicely going down. "So." She started. "How are the Twins?"
Maxie's head hitting the table was like music to her ears. "I can't get them to dress decently."
"Who was it this time?" Alyssa asked as she poured her next shot.
"The mayor." Maxie answered as he removed his head from her century old pink ivory countertop. Ugh, he left a mark. "He remarked how I was lucky to have the company of such 'fine lovely young women.' Christ."
"No surprise considering how Heath dressed." Alyssa remarked as she sipped at her whiskey, avoiding the ugly look he was likely giving her.
"On the topic of daughters." Maxie started in a perfectly placid conversational tone. Which meant he was about to be a shit. "Is yours still with those undesirables?"
"Yep." Alyssa replied, "I'd be more upset about it if they weren't good for her."
"Oh? Everyone!" Maxie raised his shot glass of vodka, "Everyone did you hear that? Alyssa says the gays are good for her daughter!" He drained his glass. "Dear old dad would have had a heart attack."
"I'll drink to that." Alyssa agreed readily, and did just that. "Unfortunately, I mean it. All her friends up and abandoned her barely a week after the wheelchair. So of course some jewish lookalike and her russian dyke girlfriend act more loyal than the good upstanding aryans." She nearly spat on the floor, but she'd have to clean that up.
"Jew look-a-like?" Maxie asked as he refilled his glass.
"Her last name is Hebert for god's sake." Alyssa gently palmed her forehead. "It's almost comical."
"Hebert? In this city?" He snorted.
"Right?!" Alyssa asked, pausing to drink from her glass.
"Hebert....Hebert." Maxie muttered, rubbing his chin. "Mm. I know a Herbert, some paper pusher in the dock worker union. Supposed to be a hiring manager but he practically runs the place."
"Herbert? What does he look like?" Alyssa asked, swirling her glass. Fuck, she forgot the ice. Eh, guess it was all natural from now on.
"Tall, black hair, balding, weak chin, and glasses that make him look like a surprised owl. He's always begging the city for work." Maxie snorted in disdain. "Blue collar as you can get without doing the dredge work yourself."
Shit, that sounded like Joanna's stringbean friend's dad. Oh well, Maxie can survive being wrong this one time.
"How's Br-"
"Ah! Ah! None of that stuff! Not during happy hour!" Alyssa interrupted, getting a flat stare in return.
"I know the rules well enough Ally. I was simply asking how he's handling Tammi's death." Maxie grunted.
"Bad. She was useful, and he was even fond of the little shit, liked her silly magic tricks too. Worse that they found her without a head." The glass was refilled and went by just as quickly. She'd miss Tammi. The girl had been too young to have the life snuffed out of her like that. Not even an open casket funeral.
"Better than Nathan." Maxie rubbed his face. "No head and torn apart. James won't shut up about it. Not like he actually cares about any of us. The English prick."
"And you do?" Alyssa raised a brow. Maxie? Caring for others? Not that she cared all that much for Nathan himself, the man had been a sadist and weird about it. She was more shocked that he was actually dead.
"Care enough to not like Dorothy or her freakily boring husband." Maxie shook his head. "James thinks of them as 'model assets'. The English prick."
Another drink went down, damn she was feeling buzzed and going into tipsy already. Alyssa looked to her bottle, and it was half filled. She'd need to slow down, it hadn't even been twenty minutes.
"Wait," she started. "We skipped your son. How's Theo?"
"As spineless as ever." Maxie huffed, not looking any better in the drink department as he tried sipping at his shot glass. "I don't know why, Joanna came out practically perfect. I treat both of them better than how our Father treated us. Why didn't they turn out better?"
"Annerose still acting like trailer trash?" Alyssa asked, she winced as her brother's head hit the table again. He was going to leave another mark on her table, ugh.
A groan was his muffled reply.
Alyssa snorted.
Maxie pulled his head off the table, and he did leave a mark, before finishing off his drink and pouring another. "I don't beat them! I don't scream at them! I haven't hit them with anything, and I haven't used my power on them once! Why did they turn out like this!? Theo's as spineless as a block of jello! Annerose is just-" he cut himself off waving a hand angrily.
"Maxie, you have the emotional range of a cinderblock." Alyssa informed him "Yeah, you didn't give your kids scars but that's a bar so low our father tripped on it in the lowest level of hell. Have you even hugged them at all?"
"I don't need to hug them for them to know I care about them." Maxie replied defensively.
"Exhibit One through Four beg to differ. Annerose is so bad you're lucky she believes in not having tattoos, Theo is as tough as pudding, and the Twins are two pieces of clothing away from getting arrested for public indecency. How's the 'no hugs' thing turning out for you?"
Thump
God she was going to have to replace the damn desk at this point. "I mean aside from the paralysis, which isn't her fault, Joanna is a smart and put together girl. She's all my best and none of my worse. Couldn't make me prouder honestly." A smile had crept onto her face without her even noticing.
"I tried to be better." Maxie offered.
"You did, unfortunately they still got the worse of you." Alyssa informed him promptly.
For a while neither spoke, just nursing their drinks and pouring another when it was needed. Alyssa was, as always, the first to break that silence; "So, how's Kayden and the kid?"
Thump
Motherfucker! He had to be doing that on purpose at this point! He knew she liked the grain of this desk!
"So?" She pushed as he slammed back his shot, looking worse off than her. He could never hold his drink like she could. Ironic considering how Medhall sounded like 'Mead hall'.
Dad was not only a terrible father, he was also uncreative.
"Kayden won't return my calls and she's gallivanting around with that-" He sighed. "I haven't seen Aster since she was delivered." His eyes focused on Alyssa in a way she did not like.
"Speaking of my own children. What was the name of your eldest? I've forgotten." Maxie asked in a faux-innocence.
The pain in her chest wasn't a heart attack, but she would have gladly exchanged it for one. She couldn't help the soft whine that escaped her teeth.
Maxie said nothing, only sipping his cheap imported vodka.
"Dick move Max."
"Tell me you haven't forgotten dearest sister." he replied in the most sincere concern he could muster, the fucking cunt.
"I don't poke yours but you can't just leave well enough alone can you." She asked, slamming her whiskey back and practically crumpling onto her desk. She'd tried to find her girl, but nothing had ever come of it. No matter how much money she threw at it. No matter how far Jeffrey dug. Her father had moved away and she didn't even really know his real name.
She never wanted to give her baby away. Never wanted to feel the hurt she felt now. The time a one night stand turned into something that changed her life for the better. Max had helped her hide the pregnancy, the very same reason she wasn't stabbing him right now, and her first daughter until it became too difficult to do so.
Dad would have killed her sweet little girl – he was just that type of monster. So Alyssa gave the girl to the father and cut ties. It hurt, hurt more than anything else in her life. Or since.
It was a deep pain that never went away, never truly abated. One that still bled, even now. A wound that would never close.
"Amelia. Her name was Amelia, and she had the cutest freckles."
[Curiosity-Question]
Queen Administrator has a question.
She has yet to give a 'side quest' as it were- nothing has interested her enough to warrant such a drain of resources that it will cause. But! She wants to know if it comes to it, would it be permissible to have multiple smaller ones going at the same time or just a singular big one?
The way she sees it, she has two ways to do things; either have a big 'side quest' that gives reward of one unit or many smaller ones that will add up to the one unit. A unit being the thing that allowed the projection to traverse to a different hemisphere. It's a lot of energy!
This boils down to would it be preferred to have a single large objective or many smaller ones that will take more time and effort but be less all-or-nothing of whether it succeeds.
Queen Administrator would like a 'vibe check' as it were on the topic.
[] Let's only have a single chonky 'side-quest' at a time for the moment.
[] Democracy can handle the weight of multiple 'side-quest'(s)!
Author's Note: Have the second interlude! Hi Alyssa!
Joanna had to stop by her house first before the social, which, is hanging out with Nikki's birds! As we shall see how that goes in the next chapter.
This chapter was written by my Beta/Editor, KindredVoid! Big round of applause! I did, like, at most, maybe 10% of it. Probably closer to 5%. Outside of the vote that is.
I hope the chapter shows that even though Taylor is the main character, stuff will happen regardless of her involvement.
I'm interested in seeing what people think of this interlude as this does several things. Also KindredVoid is about bouncing off the walls wanting this to get posted as quickly as possible and would love reactions. Please.
Please vote and discuss as always!
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