Isiri Pudireach
Predictive text can go duck itself
Probably the living Jack the Ripper.
Hereafter [Worm x Fate/Grand Order]
- Thread starter James D. Fawkes
- Start date
- Crossover
-Bonesaw Intensifies!-
I don't need to be a child behavior specialist or social worker to tell you that this is one of the most horrific things a child can ever tell a parental figure. Jackie is, as always, a god damn tragedy. At least she's not as fucked up as Lookout was/still pretty much is.
On the otherhand, time to fix the feral child! Taylor has quite a bit more experience doing that than she really credits herself for between Bitch and her orphans. It's just a shame that no matter how much work goes into it, just like EMIYA, Jackie can never be truly saved because her fate is already history, already chiselled into the stone called Humanity.
Last edited:
- Location
- Texas
I wonder if Romani and Marie are going to explode? I mean... probably?
I mean, Jalter is one thing, it was a different version that tried to kill them. But then, Jackie never had a role model or guardian who told her not to kill people...
I think it's going to highlight just how different Taylor's thought process is compared to... you know... sane people.
I mean, Jalter is one thing, it was a different version that tried to kill them. But then, Jackie never had a role model or guardian who told her not to kill people...
I think it's going to highlight just how different Taylor's thought process is compared to... you know... sane people.
floppy_seal99
D-O-G-A-R-S DOGARS!
- Location
- snooping as usual
Looks like Taylor found herself the perfect adoptive daughteru.
- Location
- Quebec
Tiny One get! Also RIP Robin Hood(William Tell wouldn't have missed.) we hardly knew ye.
Taylor is such a mom. She just needs to learn to accept it… also get Olga to be second Mom because of her hair color of course. Jackie will need her own swimsuit to join the swimming lessons.
Taylor is such a mom. She just needs to learn to accept it… also get Olga to be second Mom because of her hair color of course. Jackie will need her own swimsuit to join the swimming lessons.
Summer Bones
Just here for Godzilla.
- Location
- Usa
Some part of Taylor will always be the girl so afraid she could and would do anything, even kill a God. But she can be more. That part doesn't have to be her everything.
floppy_seal99
D-O-G-A-R-S DOGARS!
- Location
- snooping as usual
So when does Jackie ask Caster Cu when he's going to become her Daddy?
>Taylor styling her hair into the anime mom braid
Rika: "DEATH FLAG FOR SEMPAI DEATH FLAG FOR SEMPAI EVERYBODY OUT OF THE UNIVERSE CHALDEA IS DOOMED"
Emiya: "Rika, just because Taylor wanted her hair a different style today doesn't mean she's doomed."
Rika: "Emiya, project a coin please. It's gonna be cancer or a random car accident."
Emiya: "Oh please, who is going to be driving a car in the streets of Chaldea?"
Waver: "There are two possible scenarios here, you brainless ganguro playboy: first that Blackbeard wills an isekai truck into existence, which, he may very well do for the tropes despite the fact that he would miss Taylor's legs very much. The second is that we summon a servant whose Noble Phantasm literally gives everybody around them cancer."
Rika: "So we're summoning Logan Paul?"
Waver: "He's eligible now, since I sent whatever was living inside of Flat to eat the entire Paul family live on national television, yes."
Jackie: "Who is mister flag and how do i stab him?"
Alternatively, since Taylor is now a mom, we can fire up the old Ronnie MacDowell standby:
>Taylor returns to Gimel after the events of Ordeal Call(?)
Danny: "Oh, Taylor, who's the kid?"
Jackie: "Hi, Grandpa!"
Danny: passes out
Lisa: "What the fuck, that's Jack the Ripper, Taylor, why did you give birth to Jack the Ripper?"
Jackie: "Language, auntie Lisa."
Lisa: "i have only had a niece for fifteen minutes but if anything happened to her i would kill everybody in this room and then myself."
Zedman7054
Eternally 3rd
- Location
- United States
How did I know this was going to happen? How? I never even said it out loud, but I just knew that Taylor and Jackie would be such a good master-servant pair, or at the very least their interactions would be so good that it would be inevitable that she got summoned. I just wasn't expecting this.
James D. Fawkes
Court Scribe
- Location
- Avalon (Isle of Mists)
I'm glad everyone is enjoying this version. The other version, needless to say, involved Taylor actually going through with killing Jackie, and although the chapter would have ended before I could get into it very much, it would definitely have screwed her up inside in later parts.
But Taylor is healing, and trying to be a better person. She might not realize it, but as much as she's been rubbing off on the twins, the twins have been rubbing off on her, too. This version felt better for her character than the one where she did the Emiya thing and "hardened her heart."
But Taylor is healing, and trying to be a better person. She might not realize it, but as much as she's been rubbing off on the twins, the twins have been rubbing off on her, too. This version felt better for her character than the one where she did the Emiya thing and "hardened her heart."
Arash: "Oh, no, I'm Dark type because my signature move is Suicide Missile."
Stahor
BookWorm
- Location
- Russia, Moscow
"Masters really don't like Arash express."
Clearly, it's gonna be Waver.
Also, would she be calling Aife - "grandma"?
- Location
- Colombia
Gotta say, much prefer the version we got!
- Location
- At Home
She'd call her that... once
- Location
- SoCal
This should have been the sneak peak line at the end of the previous chapter.
- Location
- Some City
YYYEEEEESSSSS!!!!
That was everything I was hoping for!
which is especially impressive because you fooled me three separate times over the course of this run- when Jackie took an interest in Taylor and seemed to be going off the canon rails, when Jackie appeared to be attacking Scotland Yard and thus seemed to be back on that path, and then when she appeared at the apartment in such fashion i was dead sure they were going to have to kill her!
Oh, that was a roller coaster
which is probably why i've read it like, four times already!
okay, i apologize but i've got a lot of quotes and a lot of thoughts. bear with me
there is so much done well in this chapter, but if i had to point to one in particular it's that this is why Taylor is such an integral part of this team- her well-founded paranoia leading to a high level of situational awareness, a cool head under pressure, a good head for tactics and traps, an air of confidence, and an absolute affinity for risky longshots.
and this vibe suffuses the entire chapter.
Taylor may be feel twitchy and useless, but this right here shows that she still has plenty to contribute
(also, congratulations on making me eat my words. i didn't think Taylor being stuck in the apartment could be made exciting and dramatic, but you have very much proven me wrong!)
I had been wondering that
and i'm still wondering when it's going to come to the fore
but perfectly sensible that Taylor of all people would keep those cards close to her chest when she's still suspicious of Caster AND Tohsaka
oh dear me, what is that?
could it possibly be FORESHADOWING?!?!
that moment when you realize that while his head may not be working on quite as many plans, Tohsaka has probably been having similar suspicions through this entire scene
also, it's not really mentioned, but i also appreciate the way Taylor very much gave the away team all the straightforward, heavy combat power, but all the people she kept with her are people who do better from a prepared position and with support. we'll get back to Caster later, but he would not have done so well if this was not a prepared position, Arash works best when his Master has other defenses and he can engage freely, Nursery Rhyme would be well-served by the Ley Line feeding her power, if Fran had had to step in she would have had plenty of support. Hell, even Renee is here to help assist if things go way south.
Taylor is right to be paranoid, but for a snap decision her team comps were perfect for the situation even without any tricks up her sleeve
getting him out of the way in case he's also a spy, keeping him safe from an ensuing fight if he's not, and letting them keep tabs on the away team's fight
all in one reasonable suggestion
perfect handling of that situation
it's why you're here, Taylor
and i'm really loving how she IS getting attached to Fran, and is so immediately protective of her in the upcoming fight, that even if she suspects battle to break out between herself and Caster, she is perfectly willing to use Tohsaka as a shield but Fran? Taylor puts herself in that firing line.
i've got nothing here; i just love this line
it's so very Taylor
...actually, i do have something
da Vinci mentioned all the way back during the Caster excercise that Taylor was sneakier about trapping her territory than da Vinci herself...and near as we can tell not a single soul noticed Taylor setting all of this up. all of this, and she's still barely even a magus. Can you imagine what she'll be able to do once she's a proper Heroic Spirit? both in terms of stealth and effect?
the mechanisms are different, but I'm really digging at just how close this lines up with the way Aisha's power works, that level of separation and disconnect, and that kind of looming dread whenever you realize something is very wrong
as some others have mentioned, curious who this would be
nothing new here, but the only canon Servants who use crossbows are Hood and Tell, and i don't really see it being either one.
this is perfectly fine- i'm all for adding more original Servants- but does beg the question of who. crossbows were certainly prevalent and effective, but there don't seem to be many prominent figures who notably used them
i love how this keeps getting called back.
very much the 'don't fight a Tinker in their lab' type of quote, as it should be
And i have to say, you already sold me on it but you are really hammering home just how much Arash is a good compatability match for Taylor.
the dodge using spirit form?
using his body as a shield with zero hesitation, caring absolutely NOTHING for the injuries sustained in doing so
enemy turned me into a pincushion? Nah, they just gave me ammunition! which i'm going to use for counterbattery!
zero hesitation, no questions. Master says she's good and to engage the other Servant? He trusts her judgement completely
and the fact he's so competent that not only does Taylor trust him to fight another (unknown) enemy Servant completely unsupported, but even when there is a battle raging within mere feet of her Taylor has such complete confidence in Arash's skill that she doesn't even move
Arash really is the MVP here
although credit where credit's due, Caster is no slouch in this fight.
and honestly? You have done a fantastic job of not only setting a tone for how dangerous Casters are supposed to be, but especially here you've shown just what they can DO, and why they are so dangerous.
and also, you've done a great job in general of giving all your characters different voices, but it for such a quiet and generally unobtrusive figure as he's cut out to be, you've really given Caster a certain texture to his voice. his concern, his compassion, his confusion, his resolve. can't quite articulate it the way i want to but for an OC we didn't know existed until a few chapters ago he really is establishing himself AS himself
Renee is such a deadpan little shit! I love her!
we probably won't see her beyond this Singularity, but i love Renee so much!
once again, props to Taylor for not only being able to see all this happening but being able to tell Caster isn't using full force and picking out a couple possible reasons why just from context clues
EDIT BECAUSE I WAS NOT DONE!!!
Taylor being able to take information from an enemy and extrapolate. doesn't seem like a huge deal, but shows the train of thought on how she can get from point A to point F and dismiss incorrect directions along the way.
her being able to pick up on Jackie being a Stray Servant that got picked up by the enemy, and figuring out ways to use that knowledge (and potential) to turn the tables is, once again, a prime example of the strengths she brings to this team
...i mean, yes, you stand tolose quite a lot in fact, Taylor!
you just think the risk is worth the price
(and considering her luck is always good where it's important, she's probably right)
i really want to highlight this bit because until now Taylor...has not actually had eyes on what's been happening. at all.
Arash is not in the room. she is not linked to Caster, Alice, or Fran. Hugin and Muninn are not active. her insect swarm is described as being 'anemic', and considering nobody else comments on it i feel that's probably accurate; and even if that were not the case, insect senses are not that great.
and despite all of that, she still knew exactly what the situation looked like, how people were moving, what people were saying, and what expressions they were wearing.
...Taylor, i know you don't feel like you're contributing if you're not fighting but girl trust me, YOU ARE PLENTY CAPABLE
...yeah, that would look a lot like Golem's handiwork, wouldn't it?
that really is a specific kind of sad
okay, i really love this, because it actually does something really important by filling in the endless blank canvas that was her Wards career by showing the kind of training and hands-on experience she would have gotten as a member of the Wards
it's such a small and seemingly insignificant detail, but it does a lot to expand and show off more of who she is and the kind of training and professional/life experience she has, without needing to expand many words to say it
plus it's just, y'know, actually really good practice. this whole scene is
the level of preparation in case something goes south.
it looks crazy and stupid to someone on the outside, but Taylor knows what she's doing and is taking plenty of precautions before she even steps in the room.
now that is curious
thought she was talking about angra mainyu for a second, but even if i assume she's misinterpreting what was said i don't think Jackie would be quite that off the mark.
Angroboda, maybe? loki's wife, mother of monsters? seems unlikely without a local connection, but i've seen weirder.
(semi-related note, but while i know Tiamat is out there and the team is going to meet her, i REALLY want to see Echidna as well, just to see what, if anything, the interaction between Taylor and the actual Echidna might be
as i said earlier, Arash MVP
taylor trusted him with taking out another enemy servant by himself, and that was completely justified because he took him down with such little fanfare it wasn't even worth announcing
and again, his Master is putting herself in harm's way, but instead of just letting him take the shot he trusts that his Master has a plan and reasonable odds of success
de-escalation
from Taylor Hebert
never thought i'd see the day
(that's a joke, she's been trying that since forever. most people just don't want to take her up on it)
i hate to give Andersen credit, but yeah he's got a point
sure, i know NR can be better depending on her Master, but you hear this and you feel how little empathy/sympathy is behind those eyes and you Do start to wonder
...god, my fucking heart
this
this is exactly how i was hoping this would go
it's awkward and it's stilted and it's tense and both sides are simultaneously hideously vulnerable and fully prepared to both figuratively and literally stab the other in the back
but you've been building up Taylor changing- trying to not only be the person she needs to be, but also be better- this entire story
and it might just be me
but i think you landed it
and sure, i'm biased. there's a reason i've been hoping for this, because i think Taylor and Jackie's stories go hand in hand like this, but...it really does come out just how much warring there is going on between their instincts, their natures...and their desires to be something else
just...holy fuck
i love this entire sequence
because sometimes that's all it takes. sometimes, that's all someone wants
(also, i enjoy how it pokes ever-more holes in Chaldea/The Mage's Association's theories on how the system works. they keep trying to construct rules and parameters and write treatises on the way the world operates and the ways in which everything under the stars has to operate
and then you get stuff like this, where nothing else needs to be said. no oaths pledged, no contracts signed, just open arms and an honest, genuine desire to belong
and the World itself recognizes bond as much as any magic, oath, or curse)
couple others have mentioned, but Taylor out of everyone else is probably uniquely suited to this.
Sure, Rika/Ritsuka are open and accepting, but learning people's quirks and working around them is kind of Taylor's entire thing. she's got a head for these kinds of puzzles, and the charisma to work with them
and as terrifying as this sounds...Taylor has worked with far worse than Jack the Ripper
i do have to wonder: Was Taylor actually that sneaky about it, or was Jackie herself also willing to take that risk?
also, bets on what's going to happen when Jackie gets that knife (c'mon, you know it's gonna happen)?
...hmm
i kind of doubt it at this point, but would Taylor be able to operate in the mist freely, now that she's got Jackie on her side?
almost feels like that would be cheating, given all the labor that's gone into getting Taylor out of her old habits, but i could see it
and for like the third time, Arash really IS Taylor's proper Servant, isn't he?
oh, we were just fighting. you were just trying to kill my Master. she made a contract with you and we're working together? Cool, no worries, water under the bridge, happy to have you aboard.
just...that's great. his easy-going and accepting nature is such a good match for someone like Taylor who throughout her entire career has been perfectly happy to work with her enemies if it means winning.
i had my doubts early on when he was first introduced, but...no, he is exactly the kind of Servant Taylor would end up paired with.
'...so I owe you an apology, Abraham'
of course she will be!
a Servant with a strong bond to her ace Master? With such a high Presence Concealment? and a practically-guaranteed kill against certain types of enemy Servants!
She'll be ecstatic!
(Yeah, i expect lots of screaming in the near future.
and now. i'm fairly certain the control room in Chaldea is filled with very confused screaming right now)
as previously admitted, i know i have a bias here, but i really do think you made the right choice in where you took this. Taylor really has changed a lot since the Gold Morning. the Taylor of back then would have never even hesitated to make the choice in this scene...but it also would have been much more sad and wouldn't have really gained anything for it.
Taylor is getting better, and it brings a tear to my eye to see it
which is a fair concern
but since Taylor is herself trying to be a better person- and is used to wrangling odd personalities- it might get a bit awkward but i don't forsee many problems
'excuse me, mr technician, can i open you up and look at your insides?'
*terrified Chaldea employee looks from the eerie, murderous Servant to the looming Master.*
*Taylor calmly shakes her head*
'...n-no, i need those where they are right now'
'okay'
*Jackie walks away, licking a snowcone. Taylor gives the technician a thumbs-up as she follows*
*technician pulls out a bottle of whiskey*
no you don't and yes it is
i love Jackie conceptually and i have high hopes for her and Taylor's interactions, but hoooly fuck is that uncomfortable and depressing to think about
i mean, Romani has already pointed out at least once how whatever it was Taylor went through, she didn't really come through entirely in one piece
granted, taking in an enemy Servant like this is a giant step up from her being a drill sergeant on the twins, but i will repeat myself in saying that Taylor's warped perceptions and ability to seamlessly work with people who have tried to kill her is in fact one of the strengths she brings to this team.
i mean, Siegfried is also standing right there, also singularly bonded to Taylor
i'm not saying you're wrong, but given her current team comp Jackie is definitely the odd one out
reminds me of a comic:
it's the twenty-first century. you can have two moms. it's fine
oh very much so
The twins needed her...but in a very real way i think Taylor needed them too.
and yeah, for the angle you've said you're going for i think this direction fits much better.
sliding back into her old habits might have made sense, but it would have done horrible things for her personally
So glad you chose to go this direction. Excited to see what's up next!
alright, got a bit screwed up in the middle there, but here we go
now i have spent entirely too long on this and i have errands to run (and another reread to do)
hope everyone has a good night, and i'll hear from you all later!
That was everything I was hoping for!
which is especially impressive because you fooled me three separate times over the course of this run- when Jackie took an interest in Taylor and seemed to be going off the canon rails, when Jackie appeared to be attacking Scotland Yard and thus seemed to be back on that path, and then when she appeared at the apartment in such fashion i was dead sure they were going to have to kill her!
Oh, that was a roller coaster
which is probably why i've read it like, four times already!
okay, i apologize but i've got a lot of quotes and a lot of thoughts. bear with me
there is so much done well in this chapter, but if i had to point to one in particular it's that this is why Taylor is such an integral part of this team- her well-founded paranoia leading to a high level of situational awareness, a cool head under pressure, a good head for tactics and traps, an air of confidence, and an absolute affinity for risky longshots.
and this vibe suffuses the entire chapter.
Taylor may be feel twitchy and useless, but this right here shows that she still has plenty to contribute
(also, congratulations on making me eat my words. i didn't think Taylor being stuck in the apartment could be made exciting and dramatic, but you have very much proven me wrong!)
I had been wondering that
and i'm still wondering when it's going to come to the fore
but perfectly sensible that Taylor of all people would keep those cards close to her chest when she's still suspicious of Caster AND Tohsaka
oh dear me, what is that?
could it possibly be FORESHADOWING?!?!
that moment when you realize that while his head may not be working on quite as many plans, Tohsaka has probably been having similar suspicions through this entire scene
also, it's not really mentioned, but i also appreciate the way Taylor very much gave the away team all the straightforward, heavy combat power, but all the people she kept with her are people who do better from a prepared position and with support. we'll get back to Caster later, but he would not have done so well if this was not a prepared position, Arash works best when his Master has other defenses and he can engage freely, Nursery Rhyme would be well-served by the Ley Line feeding her power, if Fran had had to step in she would have had plenty of support. Hell, even Renee is here to help assist if things go way south.
Taylor is right to be paranoid, but for a snap decision her team comps were perfect for the situation even without any tricks up her sleeve
getting him out of the way in case he's also a spy, keeping him safe from an ensuing fight if he's not, and letting them keep tabs on the away team's fight
all in one reasonable suggestion
perfect handling of that situation
it's why you're here, Taylor
and i'm really loving how she IS getting attached to Fran, and is so immediately protective of her in the upcoming fight, that even if she suspects battle to break out between herself and Caster, she is perfectly willing to use Tohsaka as a shield but Fran? Taylor puts herself in that firing line.
i've got nothing here; i just love this line
it's so very Taylor
...actually, i do have something
da Vinci mentioned all the way back during the Caster excercise that Taylor was sneakier about trapping her territory than da Vinci herself...and near as we can tell not a single soul noticed Taylor setting all of this up. all of this, and she's still barely even a magus. Can you imagine what she'll be able to do once she's a proper Heroic Spirit? both in terms of stealth and effect?
the mechanisms are different, but I'm really digging at just how close this lines up with the way Aisha's power works, that level of separation and disconnect, and that kind of looming dread whenever you realize something is very wrong
as some others have mentioned, curious who this would be
nothing new here, but the only canon Servants who use crossbows are Hood and Tell, and i don't really see it being either one.
this is perfectly fine- i'm all for adding more original Servants- but does beg the question of who. crossbows were certainly prevalent and effective, but there don't seem to be many prominent figures who notably used them
i love how this keeps getting called back.
very much the 'don't fight a Tinker in their lab' type of quote, as it should be
And i have to say, you already sold me on it but you are really hammering home just how much Arash is a good compatability match for Taylor.
the dodge using spirit form?
using his body as a shield with zero hesitation, caring absolutely NOTHING for the injuries sustained in doing so
enemy turned me into a pincushion? Nah, they just gave me ammunition! which i'm going to use for counterbattery!
zero hesitation, no questions. Master says she's good and to engage the other Servant? He trusts her judgement completely
and the fact he's so competent that not only does Taylor trust him to fight another (unknown) enemy Servant completely unsupported, but even when there is a battle raging within mere feet of her Taylor has such complete confidence in Arash's skill that she doesn't even move
Arash really is the MVP here
although credit where credit's due, Caster is no slouch in this fight.
and honestly? You have done a fantastic job of not only setting a tone for how dangerous Casters are supposed to be, but especially here you've shown just what they can DO, and why they are so dangerous.
and also, you've done a great job in general of giving all your characters different voices, but it for such a quiet and generally unobtrusive figure as he's cut out to be, you've really given Caster a certain texture to his voice. his concern, his compassion, his confusion, his resolve. can't quite articulate it the way i want to but for an OC we didn't know existed until a few chapters ago he really is establishing himself AS himself
and much like everyone else I'm dead certain he's Nicholas Flamel
makes perfect sense as to why he wouldn't want anyone to know that, even more than some of the others because people have done some whacky and unethical shit for extended life spans/eternal youth/immortality
am a little surprised that Taylor hasn't thought of him yet, but i'm also fairly certain she's probably the last person Flamel would have to worry about, since eternal life is not something Taylor would care about
makes perfect sense as to why he wouldn't want anyone to know that, even more than some of the others because people have done some whacky and unethical shit for extended life spans/eternal youth/immortality
am a little surprised that Taylor hasn't thought of him yet, but i'm also fairly certain she's probably the last person Flamel would have to worry about, since eternal life is not something Taylor would care about
Renee is such a deadpan little shit! I love her!
we probably won't see her beyond this Singularity, but i love Renee so much!
once again, props to Taylor for not only being able to see all this happening but being able to tell Caster isn't using full force and picking out a couple possible reasons why just from context clues
EDIT BECAUSE I WAS NOT DONE!!!
Taylor being able to take information from an enemy and extrapolate. doesn't seem like a huge deal, but shows the train of thought on how she can get from point A to point F and dismiss incorrect directions along the way.
her being able to pick up on Jackie being a Stray Servant that got picked up by the enemy, and figuring out ways to use that knowledge (and potential) to turn the tables is, once again, a prime example of the strengths she brings to this team
...i mean, yes, you stand tolose quite a lot in fact, Taylor!
you just think the risk is worth the price
(and considering her luck is always good where it's important, she's probably right)
i really want to highlight this bit because until now Taylor...has not actually had eyes on what's been happening. at all.
Arash is not in the room. she is not linked to Caster, Alice, or Fran. Hugin and Muninn are not active. her insect swarm is described as being 'anemic', and considering nobody else comments on it i feel that's probably accurate; and even if that were not the case, insect senses are not that great.
and despite all of that, she still knew exactly what the situation looked like, how people were moving, what people were saying, and what expressions they were wearing.
...Taylor, i know you don't feel like you're contributing if you're not fighting but girl trust me, YOU ARE PLENTY CAPABLE
...yeah, that would look a lot like Golem's handiwork, wouldn't it?
that really is a specific kind of sad
okay, i really love this, because it actually does something really important by filling in the endless blank canvas that was her Wards career by showing the kind of training and hands-on experience she would have gotten as a member of the Wards
it's such a small and seemingly insignificant detail, but it does a lot to expand and show off more of who she is and the kind of training and professional/life experience she has, without needing to expand many words to say it
plus it's just, y'know, actually really good practice. this whole scene is
the level of preparation in case something goes south.
it looks crazy and stupid to someone on the outside, but Taylor knows what she's doing and is taking plenty of precautions before she even steps in the room.
now that is curious
thought she was talking about angra mainyu for a second, but even if i assume she's misinterpreting what was said i don't think Jackie would be quite that off the mark.
Angroboda, maybe? loki's wife, mother of monsters? seems unlikely without a local connection, but i've seen weirder.
(semi-related note, but while i know Tiamat is out there and the team is going to meet her, i REALLY want to see Echidna as well, just to see what, if anything, the interaction between Taylor and the actual Echidna might be
as i said earlier, Arash MVP
taylor trusted him with taking out another enemy servant by himself, and that was completely justified because he took him down with such little fanfare it wasn't even worth announcing
and again, his Master is putting herself in harm's way, but instead of just letting him take the shot he trusts that his Master has a plan and reasonable odds of success
de-escalation
from Taylor Hebert
never thought i'd see the day
(that's a joke, she's been trying that since forever. most people just don't want to take her up on it)
i hate to give Andersen credit, but yeah he's got a point
sure, i know NR can be better depending on her Master, but you hear this and you feel how little empathy/sympathy is behind those eyes and you Do start to wonder
...god, my fucking heart
this
this is exactly how i was hoping this would go
it's awkward and it's stilted and it's tense and both sides are simultaneously hideously vulnerable and fully prepared to both figuratively and literally stab the other in the back
but you've been building up Taylor changing- trying to not only be the person she needs to be, but also be better- this entire story
and it might just be me
but i think you landed it
and sure, i'm biased. there's a reason i've been hoping for this, because i think Taylor and Jackie's stories go hand in hand like this, but...it really does come out just how much warring there is going on between their instincts, their natures...and their desires to be something else
just...holy fuck
i love this entire sequence
because sometimes that's all it takes. sometimes, that's all someone wants
(also, i enjoy how it pokes ever-more holes in Chaldea/The Mage's Association's theories on how the system works. they keep trying to construct rules and parameters and write treatises on the way the world operates and the ways in which everything under the stars has to operate
and then you get stuff like this, where nothing else needs to be said. no oaths pledged, no contracts signed, just open arms and an honest, genuine desire to belong
and the World itself recognizes bond as much as any magic, oath, or curse)
couple others have mentioned, but Taylor out of everyone else is probably uniquely suited to this.
Sure, Rika/Ritsuka are open and accepting, but learning people's quirks and working around them is kind of Taylor's entire thing. she's got a head for these kinds of puzzles, and the charisma to work with them
and as terrifying as this sounds...Taylor has worked with far worse than Jack the Ripper
i do have to wonder: Was Taylor actually that sneaky about it, or was Jackie herself also willing to take that risk?
also, bets on what's going to happen when Jackie gets that knife (c'mon, you know it's gonna happen)?
...hmm
i kind of doubt it at this point, but would Taylor be able to operate in the mist freely, now that she's got Jackie on her side?
almost feels like that would be cheating, given all the labor that's gone into getting Taylor out of her old habits, but i could see it
and for like the third time, Arash really IS Taylor's proper Servant, isn't he?
oh, we were just fighting. you were just trying to kill my Master. she made a contract with you and we're working together? Cool, no worries, water under the bridge, happy to have you aboard.
just...that's great. his easy-going and accepting nature is such a good match for someone like Taylor who throughout her entire career has been perfectly happy to work with her enemies if it means winning.
i had my doubts early on when he was first introduced, but...no, he is exactly the kind of Servant Taylor would end up paired with.
'...so I owe you an apology, Abraham'
of course she will be!
a Servant with a strong bond to her ace Master? With such a high Presence Concealment? and a practically-guaranteed kill against certain types of enemy Servants!
She'll be ecstatic!
(Yeah, i expect lots of screaming in the near future.
and now. i'm fairly certain the control room in Chaldea is filled with very confused screaming right now)
as previously admitted, i know i have a bias here, but i really do think you made the right choice in where you took this. Taylor really has changed a lot since the Gold Morning. the Taylor of back then would have never even hesitated to make the choice in this scene...but it also would have been much more sad and wouldn't have really gained anything for it.
Taylor is getting better, and it brings a tear to my eye to see it
which is a fair concern
but since Taylor is herself trying to be a better person- and is used to wrangling odd personalities- it might get a bit awkward but i don't forsee many problems
'excuse me, mr technician, can i open you up and look at your insides?'
*terrified Chaldea employee looks from the eerie, murderous Servant to the looming Master.*
*Taylor calmly shakes her head*
'...n-no, i need those where they are right now'
'okay'
*Jackie walks away, licking a snowcone. Taylor gives the technician a thumbs-up as she follows*
*technician pulls out a bottle of whiskey*
no you don't and yes it is
i love Jackie conceptually and i have high hopes for her and Taylor's interactions, but hoooly fuck is that uncomfortable and depressing to think about
i mean, Romani has already pointed out at least once how whatever it was Taylor went through, she didn't really come through entirely in one piece
granted, taking in an enemy Servant like this is a giant step up from her being a drill sergeant on the twins, but i will repeat myself in saying that Taylor's warped perceptions and ability to seamlessly work with people who have tried to kill her is in fact one of the strengths she brings to this team.
i mean, Siegfried is also standing right there, also singularly bonded to Taylor
i'm not saying you're wrong, but given her current team comp Jackie is definitely the odd one out
reminds me of a comic:
it's the twenty-first century. you can have two moms. it's fine
oh very much so
The twins needed her...but in a very real way i think Taylor needed them too.
and yeah, for the angle you've said you're going for i think this direction fits much better.
sliding back into her old habits might have made sense, but it would have done horrible things for her personally
So glad you chose to go this direction. Excited to see what's up next!
alright, got a bit screwed up in the middle there, but here we go
now i have spent entirely too long on this and i have errands to run (and another reread to do)
hope everyone has a good night, and i'll hear from you all later!
I'd assume that is Jack Slash, give Taylor a heart attack at the idea he former nemesis is back or able to be summoned. She just may try it once just to be able to kill him again.
The Arash special comes to mind.
But yeah, he is the only sane moral person that Taylor summons
- Location
- Philippines
Personally I doubt Taylor would have hesitated.
Felt guilty and crappy afterwards? Sure. She's not that cold I guess.
But hesitated? Nah. Jackie isn't like the Undersiders where no matter their crimes and sins past and present that they don't regret or feel remorse for she'd excuse or rationalize.
This is an enemy. She takes down enemies with as much cold efficiency she can. So what if they're in the form of a kid? She was entirely willing to wrap a garotte in August Prince's neck and have Shuffle pull it.
Felt guilty and crappy afterwards? Sure. She's not that cold I guess.
But hesitated? Nah. Jackie isn't like the Undersiders where no matter their crimes and sins past and present that they don't regret or feel remorse for she'd excuse or rationalize.
This is an enemy. She takes down enemies with as much cold efficiency she can. So what if they're in the form of a kid? She was entirely willing to wrap a garotte in August Prince's neck and have Shuffle pull it.
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- Pronouns
- They/Them
What a lovely chapter! Taylor acquiring the Murder Daughter is exactly what I was hoping would happen. She should be excellent in the chance that the Wild Hunt still shows up. Here's hoping sh3 makes it back to Chaldea, though it might cause a few issues. Namely, Jack's problems with mages, and the fact that Chaldea is chock full of em, and has Marie to boot. I give it even odds that Jack either asks to knife her or accepts she has two moms now.
Indeed, from Worm canon, Taylor had to repress HARD when she killed a child out of perceived necessity and it turned out that it was wouldn't have made a difference except for one more dead kid. I don't think she ever got over that.
- Location
- Philippines
This is different though.
Jackie isn't some innocent toddler but a literal legendary serial killer out to kill them. Taylor doesn't let sentimentality or things like physical age affect her "take down the enemy with extreme prejudice" mode.
And unlike the Undersiders, she hasn't spent months with her to handwave and disregard any crimes and sins they've done as irrelevant (coughHijack being a serial rapist and Brian running a drug ringcough).
I do wonder what the point of adding in Ritsuka in the fic in general is. He's background dressing. Even his own arc was about Taylor's antsiness about not being able to do anything than him as a character.
If the author wanted a counter weight to Taylor's Taylorness, he seems to have focused 99% of it in Rika.
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Raiseth
I Find Your Lack of Memes Disturbing
- Location
- Russia
Man. The hug was viscerally uncomfortable to observe.
Let's hope Taylor manages… something. Anything. I'm not to picky, any progress with Jackie will be a miracle.
Also. I really hope they'll find some actual goddamn clothes for her.
Let's hope Taylor manages… something. Anything. I'm not to picky, any progress with Jackie will be a miracle.
Also. I really hope they'll find some actual goddamn clothes for her.