Lady of the Lake: A Worm Fanfic Inspired by Tinker of Fiction
- Thread starter ChrysalismPancak
- Start date
-
- Tags
- worm oc main character case53
- Location
- Earth. I hope.
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Right? Their pitch was basically 'Join us, we'll give you cookies' to the traumatized one-day-old.
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Meh, personally I dislike the Protectorate, and them recruiting an amensiac child to just go out and fight crime gives me goosebumps. Also, by the way, Vista's name is Missy, not Misty.
- Location
- Earth. I hope.
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Thank you! It should have been Vista there, anyway. Willow doesn't know her identity yet. I think my brain decided that Vista + Missy = Misty lol
verycoolname
Not actually cool
I imagine that the average joe on Earth Bet would use the wrong term for Willow as well. In a sort of 'monster capes are monster capes, right?' way.
- Location
- Earth. I hope.
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Also, the Protectorate sees it as for Willow's protection. There are a lot out there who would exploit Willow. And the fact that they get a new
- Location
- va
You don't need to pressgang someone to put them in protective custody.
1.4 Dawn
- Location
- Earth. I hope.
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Healing my tail took an hour. An HOUR. Which wasn't helped by Dr. Barb occasionally interrupting my concentration with questions.
"When you touch someone, do you get a sense of their biology?"
No.
"How would you say your power works? Are you just speeding up natural regeneration?"
I overlay an image, and the closer to reality that image is, the more efficient the healing. (At least that's how it worked for Elaine, but I don't tell her that part)
"How do you prevent healing things wrong For example, healing a bone crooked."
This is literally my first time healing anyone ever but my power seems to know what it's doing, even if I don't. Eventually, I ask as politely as possible for her to let me concentrate. It was hard enough to keep my attention from wandering.
After an hour of healing, she examined my tail again.
"No inflammation or swelling. I'll need to get you under an x-ray but that can wait till morning. I assume it doesn't hurt anymore?"
I shook my head.
"Good. I'll see you tomorrow, then. And." She paused by the door. "Don't worry about Clockblocker. He is a foolish young man, but he means well."
With that, she was out the door. She pulled the door almost closed, and I was glad. I wasn't sure if I was ready to see the other people outside yet. Vista was nice, but both of the other two kind of scared me.
I sat down on the bed. My bed. This room was mine. Huh. My bed was surprisingly nice to sit on. I mean, my current experiences of sleeping places were a) gravel-covered pavement, which rated a 0.5 due to the pointy gravel, b) the corpse of my maybe-mother, don't think about her eyes, and c) the bed in the huh that was a cell, wasn't it. Option d was definitely the nicest so far. I wanted to see what it would feel like to lie on it. Just for a bit. Just to delay talking with the others for a bit.
I tried to lie back and my tail got in the way. I tried to lie on my belly, but my chest hurt. I tried my side, and my tail naturally curled into the most huggable position. It was still a little wet, but it was the best thing to hug, because I could feel the hug and give the hug!
I wondered how others managed sleeping without tails...
My life so far could be viewed as a series of awakenings. An awakening in the collapsed room, my 'birth'. An awakening with the dawn of my amulet. Elaine's amulet? She was the Dawn Sentinel, so what about the Dawn Amulet? An awakening in Glory Girl's arms. I blushed at the thought, but it was more reflex at this point. She didn't have such a big presence in my thoughts. And finally, an awakening here, freezing, in my bed.
The bed was soft, but it was cold! I was shivering. My feet and front were fine, but the rest of me was freezing. My front was warmed up by my tail, but my feet-
I looked down, and saw that there was a blanket covering my feet. Maybe someone came in and put it on me? And then I thrashed it off? Do people move when they sleep?
I pulled the blanket up and around my shoulders. It left just my face exposed to the cold of my room. What next? I had no clothes but the borrowed dress I was wearing. I stood and the room spun. Why was- Oh. I hadn't eaten since I was… born? Triggered? I had never eaten, at least not that I remembered.
I stood up more slowly, and shuffled to the door. My ears were cold so I pulled the blanket up over my head, too. The blanket pulled down on them, painfully, so I resigned myself to cold ears.
The common room's lights flicked on when I left my room. It was empty of people, and I liked the quiet. I had liked talking to Vista and Gallant and… Armsmaster and Miss Militia, too I guessed. They were nice! But it was also nice to be in a quiet place where I knew what was going on. Even if this was a new place to me, I knew all of the things around me. I'd seen them the night before.
I knew it was the night before because the sun was peeking out from between clouds across the bay. It was beautiful! I wanted to watch the sun rise as soon as I had food. Maybe at the same time? I shuffled over to where I had almost eaten last night. At the same place in the table, there was the bowl full of cereal, just where I'd left it. Someone had sealed the bowl with a plastic film and left a post-it on top reading 'Will-o-the-Wisp'. Next to the bowl was a spoon.
I smiled. It was nice that they had been thinking of me. I found a trash can for the plastic but kept the note on impulse. It was silly, but it was an act of kindness and I wanted a reminder of it.
I tried the cereal. It was sweet, but very dry. After a moment, I smacked myself on the forehead with the hand holding my spoon.
Duh.
Vista left the gallon of milk by my bowl when I was supposed to eat this the first time.
After hunting down a glass, I sat in one of the chairs by the window. The glass went onto a low table, and I balanced the bowl on my lap. After spilling a few pieces of cereal, I reluctantly opened my blanket cocoon and ate.
The cereal was much better with occasional sips of milk to wash it down. I wondered why milk and not water, but maybe Vista wanted to show me her favourite food combination?
In any case, it was tasty. The sunrise was beautiful, too. I could barely see the sun but it dyed the clouds red and gold and pink and purple. On a whim I pulled on the amulet around my neck and made my little orb of light appear. My own small dawn.
Dawn.
I had the powers of Sentinel Dawn. Well, a really really weak version of that power. So far I had tried light and healing. She also had… an effect that let her step on sunlight, and a weak privacy shield that actually stopped things. What else?
I remembered the basic gist of the story but had the full text too. Later, I would go through the text. Maybe it could help if I was bored! I always had something to read.
For now, though, time to see if the other powers worked as well as my light and healing. I thought for half a second before discarding the idea of trying flight. With how weak my other powers were…? Not happening. I pulled on the Dawn Amulet and willed a barrier in front of me.
A distortion appeared in the air in front of me. It was a little hazy. I reached out to touch it, and it vanished. At the same time, my necklace went cold as it lost a significant part of its power. I knew from experience that it would warm again, but…
That was a disappointment. I felt my eyes burn. I had been kidding myself. Greatest healer in the world? I was with my world's equivalent of the Sentinels. I had seen Vista cross a room in a single step. My powers were worthless. I felt my breathing speed up, coming quick and shallow. My spoon chimed rhythmically against my bowl as my hands shook.
They said that the Wards were a team for kids with powers. What if I was too weak for them? Was there a place on the team for a girl who didn't need a flashlight? For a girl who tried to sit in a chair and broke her bones? Was there a place in the family?
My mind spun and spiraled down until I cried myself out. I knew this feeling. Cold and clean and empty. I wiped my face on my blanket and picked up my bowl again. Whatever happened, whatever happened after they tested my powers and I was found wanting, I would need to have eaten. Already my body felt better than it ever had. I realized I had spent my entire existence hungry and so had not even recognized the sensation until it was gone.
No matter what happened, I was me. I had myself, I had my powers, and I had my name.
And I wouldn't let anyone take any of that from me.
"When you touch someone, do you get a sense of their biology?"
No.
"How would you say your power works? Are you just speeding up natural regeneration?"
I overlay an image, and the closer to reality that image is, the more efficient the healing. (At least that's how it worked for Elaine, but I don't tell her that part)
"How do you prevent healing things wrong For example, healing a bone crooked."
This is literally my first time healing anyone ever but my power seems to know what it's doing, even if I don't. Eventually, I ask as politely as possible for her to let me concentrate. It was hard enough to keep my attention from wandering.
After an hour of healing, she examined my tail again.
"No inflammation or swelling. I'll need to get you under an x-ray but that can wait till morning. I assume it doesn't hurt anymore?"
I shook my head.
"Good. I'll see you tomorrow, then. And." She paused by the door. "Don't worry about Clockblocker. He is a foolish young man, but he means well."
With that, she was out the door. She pulled the door almost closed, and I was glad. I wasn't sure if I was ready to see the other people outside yet. Vista was nice, but both of the other two kind of scared me.
I sat down on the bed. My bed. This room was mine. Huh. My bed was surprisingly nice to sit on. I mean, my current experiences of sleeping places were a) gravel-covered pavement, which rated a 0.5 due to the pointy gravel, b) the corpse of my maybe-mother, don't think about her eyes, and c) the bed in the huh that was a cell, wasn't it. Option d was definitely the nicest so far. I wanted to see what it would feel like to lie on it. Just for a bit. Just to delay talking with the others for a bit.
I tried to lie back and my tail got in the way. I tried to lie on my belly, but my chest hurt. I tried my side, and my tail naturally curled into the most huggable position. It was still a little wet, but it was the best thing to hug, because I could feel the hug and give the hug!
I wondered how others managed sleeping without tails...
My life so far could be viewed as a series of awakenings. An awakening in the collapsed room, my 'birth'. An awakening with the dawn of my amulet. Elaine's amulet? She was the Dawn Sentinel, so what about the Dawn Amulet? An awakening in Glory Girl's arms. I blushed at the thought, but it was more reflex at this point. She didn't have such a big presence in my thoughts. And finally, an awakening here, freezing, in my bed.
The bed was soft, but it was cold! I was shivering. My feet and front were fine, but the rest of me was freezing. My front was warmed up by my tail, but my feet-
I looked down, and saw that there was a blanket covering my feet. Maybe someone came in and put it on me? And then I thrashed it off? Do people move when they sleep?
I pulled the blanket up and around my shoulders. It left just my face exposed to the cold of my room. What next? I had no clothes but the borrowed dress I was wearing. I stood and the room spun. Why was- Oh. I hadn't eaten since I was… born? Triggered? I had never eaten, at least not that I remembered.
I stood up more slowly, and shuffled to the door. My ears were cold so I pulled the blanket up over my head, too. The blanket pulled down on them, painfully, so I resigned myself to cold ears.
The common room's lights flicked on when I left my room. It was empty of people, and I liked the quiet. I had liked talking to Vista and Gallant and… Armsmaster and Miss Militia, too I guessed. They were nice! But it was also nice to be in a quiet place where I knew what was going on. Even if this was a new place to me, I knew all of the things around me. I'd seen them the night before.
I knew it was the night before because the sun was peeking out from between clouds across the bay. It was beautiful! I wanted to watch the sun rise as soon as I had food. Maybe at the same time? I shuffled over to where I had almost eaten last night. At the same place in the table, there was the bowl full of cereal, just where I'd left it. Someone had sealed the bowl with a plastic film and left a post-it on top reading 'Will-o-the-Wisp'. Next to the bowl was a spoon.
I smiled. It was nice that they had been thinking of me. I found a trash can for the plastic but kept the note on impulse. It was silly, but it was an act of kindness and I wanted a reminder of it.
I tried the cereal. It was sweet, but very dry. After a moment, I smacked myself on the forehead with the hand holding my spoon.
Duh.
Vista left the gallon of milk by my bowl when I was supposed to eat this the first time.
After hunting down a glass, I sat in one of the chairs by the window. The glass went onto a low table, and I balanced the bowl on my lap. After spilling a few pieces of cereal, I reluctantly opened my blanket cocoon and ate.
The cereal was much better with occasional sips of milk to wash it down. I wondered why milk and not water, but maybe Vista wanted to show me her favourite food combination?
In any case, it was tasty. The sunrise was beautiful, too. I could barely see the sun but it dyed the clouds red and gold and pink and purple. On a whim I pulled on the amulet around my neck and made my little orb of light appear. My own small dawn.
Dawn.
I had the powers of Sentinel Dawn. Well, a really really weak version of that power. So far I had tried light and healing. She also had… an effect that let her step on sunlight, and a weak privacy shield that actually stopped things. What else?
I remembered the basic gist of the story but had the full text too. Later, I would go through the text. Maybe it could help if I was bored! I always had something to read.
For now, though, time to see if the other powers worked as well as my light and healing. I thought for half a second before discarding the idea of trying flight. With how weak my other powers were…? Not happening. I pulled on the Dawn Amulet and willed a barrier in front of me.
A distortion appeared in the air in front of me. It was a little hazy. I reached out to touch it, and it vanished. At the same time, my necklace went cold as it lost a significant part of its power. I knew from experience that it would warm again, but…
That was a disappointment. I felt my eyes burn. I had been kidding myself. Greatest healer in the world? I was with my world's equivalent of the Sentinels. I had seen Vista cross a room in a single step. My powers were worthless. I felt my breathing speed up, coming quick and shallow. My spoon chimed rhythmically against my bowl as my hands shook.
They said that the Wards were a team for kids with powers. What if I was too weak for them? Was there a place on the team for a girl who didn't need a flashlight? For a girl who tried to sit in a chair and broke her bones? Was there a place in the family?
My mind spun and spiraled down until I cried myself out. I knew this feeling. Cold and clean and empty. I wiped my face on my blanket and picked up my bowl again. Whatever happened, whatever happened after they tested my powers and I was found wanting, I would need to have eaten. Already my body felt better than it ever had. I realized I had spent my entire existence hungry and so had not even recognized the sensation until it was gone.
No matter what happened, I was me. I had myself, I had my powers, and I had my name.
And I wouldn't let anyone take any of that from me.
Clockblockers' gonna be punished right? They aren't just going to gloss over the fact that he broke her bone yeah?
Edit: also, will, like, the 6th person she met pretty brutally wounding her affect her thought processes at all? Cause I mean, like, I'd trust people less if one of the only ones I knew attacked me, and the one they got to "heal" me (she actually just sat there? That's not a proper protocal) basically brushed it off with a "Hey I know he broke your tail, but that guy's pretty cool."
Edit: also, will, like, the 6th person she met pretty brutally wounding her affect her thought processes at all? Cause I mean, like, I'd trust people less if one of the only ones I knew attacked me, and the one they got to "heal" me (she actually just sat there? That's not a proper protocal) basically brushed it off with a "Hey I know he broke your tail, but that guy's pretty cool."
Last edited:
- Location
- Earth. I hope.
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Oh yeah. Piggot's gonna be pissed. Granted, that annoyance will be diminished somewhat when she realizes that Willow is effectively useless to her as anything but a minor PR bump. Consciously or not, some of that irritation will be translated to Willow as 'making trouble'.
Also, yes. Willow spent last night avoiding the Wards and won't let anyone new touch her until she knows them. Right now, she trusts Gallant, Vista, and Glory Girl, (although Glory Girl is mostly due to the artificial crush which is fading) Clock apologizing will help, but. Yeah.
I'm also trying to de-flanderize clock a bit. He tried his prank, sure, but when it hurt Willow he was and is repentant. He's going to do his best to make it up to her.
- Location
- Earth. I hope.
- Pronouns
- She/Her
It's either late december or early January. I haven't quite nailed things down. Taylor hasn't triggered yet. I don't want to spoil plot things but she'll show up soon.
1.5 Testing
- Location
- Earth. I hope.
- Pronouns
- She/Her
(A/N Shorter update today as I am sleeepy. Please let me know if my half-slumbering brain just filled the update with gibberish or plant facts)
After breakfast, I figured out how to clean up after myself. Eventually, Armsmaster came to collect me for the first of my meetings. He brought me a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt with a shield and the word 'Protectorate.' I eventually gave up on getting them to fit and ripped a hole beneath the waistband and awkwardly threaded my tail through it.
First, there was the meeting with the Youth Guard representative, a lady named Pig-oh, and me. Armsmaster or Miss Militia was supposed to sit in on the meeting, but were called away to deal with a problem with somebody's lungs. Director Piggot was about to talk with me about something, when someone barged in. The Youth Guard representative was a middle-aged blonde woman named Michelle Bronte, and she spent the whole meeting puffed up with self-importance. She talked a lot about 'The good of the child' and argued about passages in a document that I didn't understand. Whenever I asked for clarification, she shot me a look so full of pity and 'understanding' that my skin crawled, patted me on the knee, and then started back up as if I had said nothing at all. At one point, she called me Wendy.
Director Piggot was quiet when she wasn't being loud. She spent most of the meeting in surly, simmering silence, listening to 'Miss Bronte, not Mrs Harrison anymore.'. Every so often, her temper would visibly get the better of her waning patience, and she would snap. Mostly, it would be at Ms. Bronte, but sometimes she would demand my opinion in a way that made it clear she was asking to make a point. Then, either she or Ms. Bronte would steamroll over whatever I tried to say, and it would start all over again.
I spent most of the meeting hugging my tail to my chest and hoping for the meeting to be over quickly. When they finally stopped arguing with each other, I was desperately holding back tears. Director Piggot was radiating displeasure, though I couldn't really tell why. Ms. Bronte was puffed up even more, and I was sure she would explode if she took another sip of air.
I wasn't sure if I could heal that before she died, so I'm glad it was a metaphor. Probably.
I was told that the contract would be ready when I finished power testing. The meeting, having taken three hours of the expected thirty minutes, had pushed everyone's schedules by a ridiculous amount. Director Piggot looked like she was trying not to glower at me when she sent me off to be tested.
Power testing was a strange experience. Because of my 'case 53' status, there was a physical exam, as well as lots of x-rays and MRIs and other jumbles of words that I agreed to with numb nods. One or two researchers seemed interested in my bone structure and musculature, but most of the team wanted to move on to the power testing. The physical was clinical but somewhat embarrassing. At least it was a familiar face doing the physical examinations. I still wasn't entirely sure if I liked Doctor Barb. Maybe that's how most people were. Not close friends, not bitter enemies. Just… people that knew each other and shared a glance or a word or two whenever their lives made their paths crossed.
Any residual embarrassment from the exam was obliterated by the utter humiliation that was power testing. After I listed my known powers, they wanted me to start out with the barrier. They had me try different variations but couldn't figure out a way to make it more resilient than a soap bubble. Worse, each attempt pulled large chunks of power from my amulet.
Finally, they let me move on to the light. This, I was more confident in. I could create it, make it fly around just as I liked, but as soon as it came into contact with anything, it popped. Its brightness seemed fixed, too. I could make it about as bright as a 40 watt lightbulb, but could not get any brighter or larger. No matter what I tried or how they urged, that seemed to be the limit. The worst part was when I felt the last dregs of warmth wisp from my amulet and my orb disappeared in the middle of a test. It became the end of the testing when I explained that I could do no more until my power regenerated. The researchers said nothing, but I could see the pity in their eyes.
The comparison to the other Wards hurt. Shadow Stalker could become immaterial. Aegis had mastery over his body and was very hard to kill. Clockblocker and Vista had mastery over time and space! I? I had a flashlight. At one point, the researchers had even brought out a flashlight to see if I could direct the light of my orb, and the answer was no. The flashlight was even brighter than my orb, which added insult to injury. The head researcher told me that he would coordinate with someone named Panacea to test my healing abilities another day. They at least had the data points from me healing my tail.
The researchers' pity filled me with an emotion I had yet to experience. It was hot and jumbled up with my shame and embarrassment, but I knew fury when I felt it. I screamed at them in my head. Yes, my power was weak and practically useless. I built it out of a little wire and some hair. That was damned impressive to me, no matter what they thought.
I tried to imagine recreating the Dawn Amulet correctly this time, and my power was silent. Once I made an amulet, that was it. I only got one shot, and I was about to scream into my pillow with my frustration, but an impulse made me stop cold. I could not create another Dawn Amulet, but when I thought about creating one for Alexis, Elaine's first mentor? I got a flurry of images of electricity and stone, of influences of prideful teachers and playful power. Of determination and trauma and quick, deadly reflexes.
I almost sobbed with relief. I wasn't going to be the useless one forever. No, as soon as I could get the right materials and time, I could make myself a better set of powers.
One thing nagged at me, though.
On the way back from power testing, I was escorted by Doctor Barb and I asked her about switching out powers.
She told me that our powers were our powers, and we had to learn how to use them best. She talked about second trigger events but told me that they were so rare that they might have been a myth. I think his mind was wandering at that point because she kept trailing off.
Back in my room, for a moment, I felt the diamond-shaped pendant around my neck. I was pretty sure I could take my necklace off and replace it with another amulet. If the powers worked well together, I might even be able to wear more than one amulet at a time or give amulets to other people.
What made me different?
After breakfast, I figured out how to clean up after myself. Eventually, Armsmaster came to collect me for the first of my meetings. He brought me a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt with a shield and the word 'Protectorate.' I eventually gave up on getting them to fit and ripped a hole beneath the waistband and awkwardly threaded my tail through it.
First, there was the meeting with the Youth Guard representative, a lady named Pig-oh, and me. Armsmaster or Miss Militia was supposed to sit in on the meeting, but were called away to deal with a problem with somebody's lungs. Director Piggot was about to talk with me about something, when someone barged in. The Youth Guard representative was a middle-aged blonde woman named Michelle Bronte, and she spent the whole meeting puffed up with self-importance. She talked a lot about 'The good of the child' and argued about passages in a document that I didn't understand. Whenever I asked for clarification, she shot me a look so full of pity and 'understanding' that my skin crawled, patted me on the knee, and then started back up as if I had said nothing at all. At one point, she called me Wendy.
Director Piggot was quiet when she wasn't being loud. She spent most of the meeting in surly, simmering silence, listening to 'Miss Bronte, not Mrs Harrison anymore.'. Every so often, her temper would visibly get the better of her waning patience, and she would snap. Mostly, it would be at Ms. Bronte, but sometimes she would demand my opinion in a way that made it clear she was asking to make a point. Then, either she or Ms. Bronte would steamroll over whatever I tried to say, and it would start all over again.
I spent most of the meeting hugging my tail to my chest and hoping for the meeting to be over quickly. When they finally stopped arguing with each other, I was desperately holding back tears. Director Piggot was radiating displeasure, though I couldn't really tell why. Ms. Bronte was puffed up even more, and I was sure she would explode if she took another sip of air.
I wasn't sure if I could heal that before she died, so I'm glad it was a metaphor. Probably.
I was told that the contract would be ready when I finished power testing. The meeting, having taken three hours of the expected thirty minutes, had pushed everyone's schedules by a ridiculous amount. Director Piggot looked like she was trying not to glower at me when she sent me off to be tested.
Power testing was a strange experience. Because of my 'case 53' status, there was a physical exam, as well as lots of x-rays and MRIs and other jumbles of words that I agreed to with numb nods. One or two researchers seemed interested in my bone structure and musculature, but most of the team wanted to move on to the power testing. The physical was clinical but somewhat embarrassing. At least it was a familiar face doing the physical examinations. I still wasn't entirely sure if I liked Doctor Barb. Maybe that's how most people were. Not close friends, not bitter enemies. Just… people that knew each other and shared a glance or a word or two whenever their lives made their paths crossed.
Any residual embarrassment from the exam was obliterated by the utter humiliation that was power testing. After I listed my known powers, they wanted me to start out with the barrier. They had me try different variations but couldn't figure out a way to make it more resilient than a soap bubble. Worse, each attempt pulled large chunks of power from my amulet.
Finally, they let me move on to the light. This, I was more confident in. I could create it, make it fly around just as I liked, but as soon as it came into contact with anything, it popped. Its brightness seemed fixed, too. I could make it about as bright as a 40 watt lightbulb, but could not get any brighter or larger. No matter what I tried or how they urged, that seemed to be the limit. The worst part was when I felt the last dregs of warmth wisp from my amulet and my orb disappeared in the middle of a test. It became the end of the testing when I explained that I could do no more until my power regenerated. The researchers said nothing, but I could see the pity in their eyes.
The comparison to the other Wards hurt. Shadow Stalker could become immaterial. Aegis had mastery over his body and was very hard to kill. Clockblocker and Vista had mastery over time and space! I? I had a flashlight. At one point, the researchers had even brought out a flashlight to see if I could direct the light of my orb, and the answer was no. The flashlight was even brighter than my orb, which added insult to injury. The head researcher told me that he would coordinate with someone named Panacea to test my healing abilities another day. They at least had the data points from me healing my tail.
The researchers' pity filled me with an emotion I had yet to experience. It was hot and jumbled up with my shame and embarrassment, but I knew fury when I felt it. I screamed at them in my head. Yes, my power was weak and practically useless. I built it out of a little wire and some hair. That was damned impressive to me, no matter what they thought.
I tried to imagine recreating the Dawn Amulet correctly this time, and my power was silent. Once I made an amulet, that was it. I only got one shot, and I was about to scream into my pillow with my frustration, but an impulse made me stop cold. I could not create another Dawn Amulet, but when I thought about creating one for Alexis, Elaine's first mentor? I got a flurry of images of electricity and stone, of influences of prideful teachers and playful power. Of determination and trauma and quick, deadly reflexes.
I almost sobbed with relief. I wasn't going to be the useless one forever. No, as soon as I could get the right materials and time, I could make myself a better set of powers.
One thing nagged at me, though.
On the way back from power testing, I was escorted by Doctor Barb and I asked her about switching out powers.
She told me that our powers were our powers, and we had to learn how to use them best. She talked about second trigger events but told me that they were so rare that they might have been a myth. I think his mind was wandering at that point because she kept trailing off.
Back in my room, for a moment, I felt the diamond-shaped pendant around my neck. I was pretty sure I could take my necklace off and replace it with another amulet. If the powers worked well together, I might even be able to wear more than one amulet at a time or give amulets to other people.
What made me different?
Last edited:
A bit too woobie-ish for me, not a fan of angsty stuff, but seeing the setting and characters through fresh eyes, a blank slate, is an interesting choice.
I just hope that she will develop more of a spine soon, and that she understands the value of discretion, not immediately spilling how her power is different, and presumably how she would be left powerless without her amulet on her person.
Hopefully she will also be able to carry all her items at the same time when she gets more, or there would be a risk of theft... unless one of her future powers give her a hammer space of course.
I just hope that she will develop more of a spine soon, and that she understands the value of discretion, not immediately spilling how her power is different, and presumably how she would be left powerless without her amulet on her person.
Hopefully she will also be able to carry all her items at the same time when she gets more, or there would be a risk of theft... unless one of her future powers give her a hammer space of course.
- Location
- Earth. I hope.
- Pronouns
- She/Her
A bit too woobie-ish for me, not a fan of angsty stuff, but seeing the setting and characters through fresh eyes, a blank slate, is an interesting choice.
I just hope that she will develop more of a spine soon, and that she understands the value of discretion, not immediately spilling how her power is different, and presumably how she would be left powerless without her amulet on her person.
Hopefully she will also be able to carry all her items at the same time when she gets more, or there would be a risk of theft... unless one of her future powers give her a hammer space of course.
Thanks! She does get more self-confident. Once, you know, she has something to build self-confidence on. She can absolutely carry multiple amulets, but there are issues with using more than about three at a time, depending. That's what friends are for! And totally not betraying you!
Thank you for the thoughts, though
Why didn't she tell them about the switching powers during the power testing? Seems like the sort of thing a kid would do, "My powers not trash I can just make another one!" Or other suitable nonsense.
Also did the doctor forget about Trumps? Because the kid asking about switching powers should send mad Trump bells ringing
Also did the doctor forget about Trumps? Because the kid asking about switching powers should send mad Trump bells ringing
- Location
- East TN
- Pronouns
- She/Her/Hers
Umm, that doesn't track that well with canon. Pre-Defiant Armsmaster is a major glory hound and definitely not a team player. his actions show him to have almost zero integrity.
- Stealing credit for Lung capture, his excuse is absolute garbage. Lang and the ABB would know it was her if only a single one escaped, or even if someone was a watching nearby. It's actually very likely that at least one ABB thug fled and wasn't captured at all so the gang would know.
- The whole endbringer truce fiasco. This counts for like a dozen points alone.
- Reveling Taylor was a spy to distract from his problems.
- Outing Taylor In the middle of a high school while children present. Dragon had the excuse she literally could not refuse orders, but Armsmaster had to realize how bad those orders were. Just following orders was debunked as a valid defense long before Scion appeared so is in their history too.
Can you provide any reference that shows him as a nice and charming person in actual canon?
Yeah, when he first meets her. How does he get the credit? He charms her that's how. Yeah he's a major dickhead who wants all the glory, but like I said, he's also got a lot of PR training
- Location
- Earth. I hope.
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Huh. I actually forgot to write that in lol. I'll fix it soon. During the Cereal Debacle, she asks Vista about where powers come from and is basically given the 'don't talk about where powers come from' speech.
She didn't forget about trumps, but she just watched the kid spend three hours struggling to beat a lightbulb and almost crying because her powers were so weak. In that situation, with an amnesiac, her first thought is 'She wants better powers' not 'she's a trump'. It might occur to her later, though.
Don't worry! Now that they know she's useless to him, well. His interest in her just dropped to -0.5. He won't particularly care when the obvious happens with Sophia.
So, can Willow only make amulets that grant people powers? Or can she make other things, like swords, or rings, for example? And she can only use three different powersets at a time regardless of what type of objects they are?
Also, other than that, just wanted to say that the story looks good! Pretty interesting premise, and I'd like to see your interpretation of the different characters in Worm.
Finally, welcome to the fandom! It is a dark and insidious place, full of Escalation and Woobieness. Beware!
Also, other than that, just wanted to say that the story looks good! Pretty interesting premise, and I'd like to see your interpretation of the different characters in Worm.
Finally, welcome to the fandom! It is a dark and insidious place, full of Escalation and Woobieness. Beware!
- Location
- Earth. I hope.
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Thanks for the welcome! 💜
The item all depends on the character she's pulling from. Elaine had a necklace from her mother that she carried as a good luck charm, and it was the only object that Elaine had any real attachment to.
If Willow got She-Ra, Princess of Power, she could make the Sword of Protection. It wouldn't be the actual Sword of Protection, but it would hold She-Ra's powers.
It isn't a hard limit, for the number of powers. There's no magic number. The problem is that the amulets come with a fragment of the character's personality. The stronger the power, the stronger the personality, and it restricts what you can do with the power. For example, trying to wear a Skitter amulet (or other talisman, I'm not sure yet what shape that would take) and a Shadow Stalker Crossbow would end badly.
- Location
- The Pasta Kingdom
Mhh, i think the power testers would have noticed that something was weird when she mentioned her power was somewhat tied to the necklace. They even have a comparison with Dauntless, who can empower items he wields. In any case, i think they would have her try and make another item imbued with her pwoers to see what would happened.
Anyway, this story is really interesting! I'll be waiting for the next chapter of Fluffy's adventures :3
Anyway, this story is really interesting! I'll be waiting for the next chapter of Fluffy's adventures :3
1.6 A Proper Meeting
- Location
- Earth. I hope.
- Pronouns
- She/Her
(A/N): Hey y'all! It's been a minute, my internship was kicking my butt. It's so great to hear all the thoughts on this and see the discussion. I can't wait to hear more from you.
In my room, I took another shower and changed to make a good impression when I met the rest of the Wards.
The PRT gave me a few sets of the sweats and t-shirts for clothing, with assurances that I'd be getting more later. I wasn't sure how that would work. They hadn't had any clothes on hand that I could wear (beyond Vista's borrowed dress, and my tail pulled the back of that up.)
I glared at my tail. Things would be so much easier if I just looked like everyone else! If I had my memories, I wouldn't be here. I would... Well, I didn't know where I would be and that's the point!
I huffed a frustrated sigh and then hug my tail because I felt bad for glaring at it. Which was stupid but the tail is soft and fluffy.
In short, I was frustrated.
The only memories I had to pull from were fictional. I was in a strange place, full of people I didn't know, and all of the choices weren't being made by me. It reminded me of Director Piggot. She kept asking me questions, but the answers didn't matter.
Someone I didn't know had handed me the Wards induction paperwork and had me sign in three places. I didn't have a signature yet so I just wrote my name. The muscle memory for writing, at least, proved that I had existed before the collapsed room. It was a small delight in the morass of anxiety and dread. I couldn't even really ask questions, because Miss Bronte had already signed and the person handing me the contract had been an assistant and spent the entire time I had the paperwork on the phone.
I signed their contract, because Director Piggot had spent time shouting at Miss Bronte about how awful the foster care system was, especially here. She talked about all the horrible things that would happen to me if I was placed in the system. From their conversation, I understood a little bit about the world around me. I wasn't sure how much of it I could trust, but… One thing was clear.
Brockton Bay was a pretty terrible place to be.
At least I would have a family of sorts to help me. Or so I hoped. So far, I trusted Vista, Glory Girl, and maybe Gallant. Kid Win, I didn't like or dislike yet. Clockblocker… I would keep an eye on him. As much as I disliked him, he had taught me a valuable lesson.
I wouldn't let strangers touch me, especially if I didn't know their powers. The doctors had mostly been fine, vouched for by Doctor Barb and non-parahumans. Somehow, it helped that I hadn't really gotten their names. They were a blur of lab coats and probing questions, not people. People could hurt me.
Gods, why did people want to hurt me?
I wanted to meet people! They were interesting and some of them were nice and there was a part of me that desperately wanted to be close to others. Even if some of them were like Clockblocker, the others would be worth it. I hoped.
I was stalling. Out in the common area, there would be the other Wards that I hadn't met yet. The doctors had talked about Aegis and Shadow Stalker, but hadn't said anything about their personalities.
I didn't know why I was 'meeting the team' instead of just the two new people, but hopefully Vista and Gallant would be able to help if the new members were mean.
Gallant knocked on my door.
"Will-o-the-Wisp? Are you ready?"
No.
I opened the door anyway.
"Hi Gallant."
"Hi Willow" His voice was warm, even if I couldn't see his face. "We're over here, when you're ready."
He gestured to the couches in a semicircle around the tv. The TV was off, but there were four figures seated there and two standing.
Vista was practically bouncing on the cushion. Clockblocker was drooped in one seat, practically oozing… some feeling. I couldn't really tell because his face was covered, but he wasn't happy. Kid Win was sitting on one side of Clockblocker, looking vaguely uncomfortable. On Clockblocker's other side was a boy wearing a red and grey costume. Bizarrely, his helmet covered his mouth but not his eyes. I was too far away to divine any sort of expression from them but he was standing stiffly. Alone on one couch was a figure in a black cloak, wearing a metal mask that looked like an unhappy woman. She was radiating intense 'I do not want to be here' vibes, and I could relate. Maybe we could bond over that? Finally, Armsmaster was standing next to the figure in grey and red – Aegis, I guessed. Armsmaster was stiff and his arms were crossed.
I followed Gallant over to the area, and Vista patted the seat next to her, a rapidfire drumming that seemed to break some of the tension in the room.
"Will-o-the-wisp." Armsmaster beckoned me to join them, even though I was already walking.
I sat where Vista indicated, and was pleasantly surprised that my tail could slip behind the cushions into a little slot back there. Vista was so nice! I hugged her, so she knew I appreciated it.
When I hugged her, she whispered in my ear.
"It is sooo nice to have another girl on the team."
As I mentally filed away a note to ask Shadow Stalker about their pronouns, Armsmaster cleared his throat.
"Right. This is the meeting to introduce our newest Ward. Some of you," He looked pointedly at Clockblocker. "Have already met, but the meeting is traditional, and is an opportunity for those of you who wish to unmask to do so."
At those words, everyone moved. I flinched, but they were all reaching towards their own heads. Well, all but Armsmaster and Shadow Stalker. Shadowstalker just snorted behind her mask and crossed her arms.
I was utterly stunned when all of the Wards except Shadow Stalker removed their various helmets, cowls, or visors. Were they making themselves vulnerable to me? I really didn't want to take off my necklace. I grabbed my ears instead and pulled on them gently.
"These don't come off, sorry."
Clockblocker laughed, and everyone else (but Armsmaster and Shadow Stalker) smiled. Armsmaster gave a brusque nod and started walking.
"Aegis, I leave this to you."
It was completely different than the last time I'd seen him. Then, he was friendly, if a bit gruff. Now, he barely acknowledged me. A traitorous little whisper in the back of my mind told me that it was because I was weak. He had only cared as long as he thought I had powers as strong as the rest of them. I-
The figure in red and grey took a step forward. Now that I could see his face, he looked a lot more friendly. Everyone who unmasked did.
"I'll go first. Hi, I'm Carlos. I'm the leader of the Wards, and my cape name is Aegis. I can fly, have a minor Brute rating, and can adapt to a lot."
I reeled from the revelation. They had different names. Carlos was absolutely a name. It was like the Sentinels, and these people got their names for their deeds. Aegis brushed a lock of hair behind his ear. His skin was darker than mine, and his hair was long and black, hanging around his shoulders. He had a friendly smile and stepped forward to shake my hand.
My smile froze, and I shrunk back into the couch and towards Vista.
"H-hi." Damn it, why did I stutter? I wanted to make a good impression on these people, right? Still, I wasn't going to fall for that again. I waved instead of shaking his hand, and after an awkward moment, he backed off.
"Right. You should know that Clockblocker got a huge lecture and punishment duties for his stunt. It won't happen again, right, Clock?"
Clockblocker, who proved to have red hair and blue eyes, hung his head.
"No, Aegis. I really am very sorry about that. Willow, I tried to come apologize again after Miss Pig- Director Piggot spent an hour yelling at me for the prank."
Could I forgive him? He hadn't meant any harm, but my tail had been broken. Dislocated. Whatever. That wasn't even what really hurt. His real injury was disillusionment. I couldn't greet strangers with a completely open heart again.
I struggled internally for a minute. Everyone seemed to like him (or at least tolerate him) and I was the newcomer here. That, and the fact that he seemed truly sorry made up my mind.
I didn't like him, but I would forgive him. I would still keep an eye on him, however. Just until I knew whether or not I could really trust him.
In my room, I took another shower and changed to make a good impression when I met the rest of the Wards.
The PRT gave me a few sets of the sweats and t-shirts for clothing, with assurances that I'd be getting more later. I wasn't sure how that would work. They hadn't had any clothes on hand that I could wear (beyond Vista's borrowed dress, and my tail pulled the back of that up.)
I glared at my tail. Things would be so much easier if I just looked like everyone else! If I had my memories, I wouldn't be here. I would... Well, I didn't know where I would be and that's the point!
I huffed a frustrated sigh and then hug my tail because I felt bad for glaring at it. Which was stupid but the tail is soft and fluffy.
In short, I was frustrated.
The only memories I had to pull from were fictional. I was in a strange place, full of people I didn't know, and all of the choices weren't being made by me. It reminded me of Director Piggot. She kept asking me questions, but the answers didn't matter.
Someone I didn't know had handed me the Wards induction paperwork and had me sign in three places. I didn't have a signature yet so I just wrote my name. The muscle memory for writing, at least, proved that I had existed before the collapsed room. It was a small delight in the morass of anxiety and dread. I couldn't even really ask questions, because Miss Bronte had already signed and the person handing me the contract had been an assistant and spent the entire time I had the paperwork on the phone.
I signed their contract, because Director Piggot had spent time shouting at Miss Bronte about how awful the foster care system was, especially here. She talked about all the horrible things that would happen to me if I was placed in the system. From their conversation, I understood a little bit about the world around me. I wasn't sure how much of it I could trust, but… One thing was clear.
Brockton Bay was a pretty terrible place to be.
At least I would have a family of sorts to help me. Or so I hoped. So far, I trusted Vista, Glory Girl, and maybe Gallant. Kid Win, I didn't like or dislike yet. Clockblocker… I would keep an eye on him. As much as I disliked him, he had taught me a valuable lesson.
I wouldn't let strangers touch me, especially if I didn't know their powers. The doctors had mostly been fine, vouched for by Doctor Barb and non-parahumans. Somehow, it helped that I hadn't really gotten their names. They were a blur of lab coats and probing questions, not people. People could hurt me.
Gods, why did people want to hurt me?
I wanted to meet people! They were interesting and some of them were nice and there was a part of me that desperately wanted to be close to others. Even if some of them were like Clockblocker, the others would be worth it. I hoped.
I was stalling. Out in the common area, there would be the other Wards that I hadn't met yet. The doctors had talked about Aegis and Shadow Stalker, but hadn't said anything about their personalities.
I didn't know why I was 'meeting the team' instead of just the two new people, but hopefully Vista and Gallant would be able to help if the new members were mean.
Gallant knocked on my door.
"Will-o-the-Wisp? Are you ready?"
No.
I opened the door anyway.
"Hi Gallant."
"Hi Willow" His voice was warm, even if I couldn't see his face. "We're over here, when you're ready."
He gestured to the couches in a semicircle around the tv. The TV was off, but there were four figures seated there and two standing.
Vista was practically bouncing on the cushion. Clockblocker was drooped in one seat, practically oozing… some feeling. I couldn't really tell because his face was covered, but he wasn't happy. Kid Win was sitting on one side of Clockblocker, looking vaguely uncomfortable. On Clockblocker's other side was a boy wearing a red and grey costume. Bizarrely, his helmet covered his mouth but not his eyes. I was too far away to divine any sort of expression from them but he was standing stiffly. Alone on one couch was a figure in a black cloak, wearing a metal mask that looked like an unhappy woman. She was radiating intense 'I do not want to be here' vibes, and I could relate. Maybe we could bond over that? Finally, Armsmaster was standing next to the figure in grey and red – Aegis, I guessed. Armsmaster was stiff and his arms were crossed.
I followed Gallant over to the area, and Vista patted the seat next to her, a rapidfire drumming that seemed to break some of the tension in the room.
"Will-o-the-wisp." Armsmaster beckoned me to join them, even though I was already walking.
I sat where Vista indicated, and was pleasantly surprised that my tail could slip behind the cushions into a little slot back there. Vista was so nice! I hugged her, so she knew I appreciated it.
When I hugged her, she whispered in my ear.
"It is sooo nice to have another girl on the team."
As I mentally filed away a note to ask Shadow Stalker about their pronouns, Armsmaster cleared his throat.
"Right. This is the meeting to introduce our newest Ward. Some of you," He looked pointedly at Clockblocker. "Have already met, but the meeting is traditional, and is an opportunity for those of you who wish to unmask to do so."
At those words, everyone moved. I flinched, but they were all reaching towards their own heads. Well, all but Armsmaster and Shadow Stalker. Shadowstalker just snorted behind her mask and crossed her arms.
I was utterly stunned when all of the Wards except Shadow Stalker removed their various helmets, cowls, or visors. Were they making themselves vulnerable to me? I really didn't want to take off my necklace. I grabbed my ears instead and pulled on them gently.
"These don't come off, sorry."
Clockblocker laughed, and everyone else (but Armsmaster and Shadow Stalker) smiled. Armsmaster gave a brusque nod and started walking.
"Aegis, I leave this to you."
It was completely different than the last time I'd seen him. Then, he was friendly, if a bit gruff. Now, he barely acknowledged me. A traitorous little whisper in the back of my mind told me that it was because I was weak. He had only cared as long as he thought I had powers as strong as the rest of them. I-
The figure in red and grey took a step forward. Now that I could see his face, he looked a lot more friendly. Everyone who unmasked did.
"I'll go first. Hi, I'm Carlos. I'm the leader of the Wards, and my cape name is Aegis. I can fly, have a minor Brute rating, and can adapt to a lot."
I reeled from the revelation. They had different names. Carlos was absolutely a name. It was like the Sentinels, and these people got their names for their deeds. Aegis brushed a lock of hair behind his ear. His skin was darker than mine, and his hair was long and black, hanging around his shoulders. He had a friendly smile and stepped forward to shake my hand.
My smile froze, and I shrunk back into the couch and towards Vista.
"H-hi." Damn it, why did I stutter? I wanted to make a good impression on these people, right? Still, I wasn't going to fall for that again. I waved instead of shaking his hand, and after an awkward moment, he backed off.
"Right. You should know that Clockblocker got a huge lecture and punishment duties for his stunt. It won't happen again, right, Clock?"
Clockblocker, who proved to have red hair and blue eyes, hung his head.
"No, Aegis. I really am very sorry about that. Willow, I tried to come apologize again after Miss Pig- Director Piggot spent an hour yelling at me for the prank."
Could I forgive him? He hadn't meant any harm, but my tail had been broken. Dislocated. Whatever. That wasn't even what really hurt. His real injury was disillusionment. I couldn't greet strangers with a completely open heart again.
I struggled internally for a minute. Everyone seemed to like him (or at least tolerate him) and I was the newcomer here. That, and the fact that he seemed truly sorry made up my mind.
I didn't like him, but I would forgive him. I would still keep an eye on him, however. Just until I knew whether or not I could really trust him.
- Location
- EU
Finally! Someone put the "another girl on the team" meme to good comedic use.
I love you.
- Location
- Earth. I hope.
- Pronouns
- She/Her
This is so sudden! I'm flattered! Let me introduce you to my girlfriend and we'll see about adoption.