When you get back, the house is empty. Danny should be still at work, but Taylor usually gets home faster than you do. Maybe she is out with friends or something? Well, whatever the case, you are going to make use of it. Path to Cleaning_the_house activate!
You go grab the cleaning supplies. And then, you start dancing. Well, that's at least how Danny described it when he saw you cleaning the house once at least. You aren't sure that's the case, but given the fact that you just started juggling three bottles, some cloth and a can of spray, you can't say it's impossible either.
Two hours later, the whole house is literally shining... Wait, it's really shining... Why is it shining? Before you can think more about it, it stops and the house returns to it's normal, shining-only-from-cleaning form.
Since Taylor still isn't home, you go to the kitchen. Now, what should you make?
[] Home-made pizza is the best pizza.
[] Lasagne maybe? The Path to Pleasing_Danny_with_food at least suggests that.
[] Spaghetti, of course.
[] Maybe something more exotic? Like sushi?
[] Write-in
Decision made, you start cooking... wait, you lack ingredients! But you can't leave now! Think fast, how do you get them? Path to Getting_the_ingredients... Of course! You grab your phone, and call Thomas.
"Yes?"
"Coil. I'm calling in one of the favors."
You think you hear some muffled screams, but you aren't sure. "Of course. How can I help Cauldron?"
"I need you a bunch of ingredients bought and delivered to..." You tell him the adress of your house, as well as the ingredients you need. He sounds... surprised. You aren't sure why, you really need them right now.
"... Is... is that all..?"
"Yes. I want them in five minutes, or I will personally visit you. Oh, and I don't care how you get it, but be discreet when you deliver it. Goodbye."
"Boss?"
Coil turned to one of his mercenaries, his face so white it was visible through his costume. He ended the universe where he was in his office in PRT, and created it again. In one universe, he said to the mercenary:
"I want the tinker-tech helicopters moving yesterday. Take as many men as you need, rob any shop you need, kill anyone you need, cause any distraction you need, use any tinker-tech in base, but the ingridients on this list must be delivered to this adress discretly. You have four minutes. Now!"
In the other one:
"Call Trickster. I need him to buy or steal or whatever those ingredients and deliver them to this address, or we are all dead. Give him $1.000.000 to show how serious I am."
In both universes the mercenary nodded and run out, after which Coil proceed to change his costume. This one needed cleaning.
That done, you get back to cooking with what you have. You have to admit, you like cooking. It's relaxing, and always results in tasty food. It also let's you think. For example, how are you going to make Taylor see you as a best step-mother? She already seems to like you and calls you "auntie", but your Agent doesn't believe it to be enough. That reminds you about your first meeting with her, and you shudder for a moment.
Danny invited you to his house for the first time. Given the hour, you expected to finally meet Taylor. He showed you the house, including his and Taylor's rooms, but the girl was absent. When you asked Danny, he said that Taylor was probably hanging out with friends.
You two had a diner later, sharing also a glass of red wine. Your fun was, unfortunately, interrupted by your need to visit the toilet. It didn't take long, fortunately, so soon you were getting back to Danny, when a door opened and Taylor stepped in.
Her pink clothes were the first thing to catch your eye. A pink T-shirt with Alexandria's symbol and a short pink skirt. She also had a white fluffy scarf, was barefooted, and her hair was made into ponytail. All in all, nothing like you expected her to look.
"Who are you?"
The simple question shook you to the core. Not because of the words or tone used, or anything like that. It shook you, because you had no idea how to answer. The Path to Answering_the_question didn't exist. How long has it been since you spoke to anyone without your power guiding you? Even with Eidolon your power helped. But now, the first time since you got this power, you were completly on your own. Well, maybe not completly, the Path to Not_showing_your_panic_attack was working.
Quick, think! Truth should work, right? "Hello, Taylor. I'm Fortuna, your fathers girlfriend. Nice to meet you." Good, you answered the question!
But Taylor didn't visibly react other than her head moving a little. What did it mean? Was she thinking? Was she angry at you? Was she ill and had to gather strength before saying anything? Was her power connected to the number of letters she spoke and was counting them in her head to master you just the right way into buying her double chocolate ice-cream? You could use some ice-cream yourself right now.
Suddenly, you were being hugged. How?! You were observing her, and she literally didn't move until she was already hugging you! Teleportation? Time stopping? And god, this strength! You couldn't breath! It was like when you gave Alexandria that book 'Fifty shades of Chevalier', only then at least your Path to Not_being_suffocated worked!
"Yay! I finally have an auntie! Ciara will be soooo jealous!"
What? Auntie? And who is Ciara? You might have asked, but your lungs were refusing to work. Is this how you die? You hope others can forgive you for leaving them alone with Scion. Hero, you will see me soon. Alexandria, they key to your stash is hidden in shelf 321. Legend, you were right, the base had too much white. Eidolon, you... you are an asshole and too loud. Number Man, you should try dating... Oh, you can breath again.
"In fact, I have to tell her right now! Bye bye for now, auntie!"
And she disappeared. You were left wondering what just happened, and then you remembered you were in the middle of a panic attack. Yeah, a panic attack sounds good now. It will distract you from thinking about the fact that you will have to learn how to speak with people.
*Thump*
Yeah, those weren't fun times. But you got better! You can actually talk with Taylor while suffering only minor panic attacks now! Even Doctor Mother said she is proud of you! Now, if only you could understand Taylor's fashion style. She is wearing completly different styles of clothes every time you see her, and somehow none of them are in her room whenever you clean there.
Your further cooking is interrupted by someone knocking at the door. You stop cutting, clean your hands, and go open them. Outside, a tall man, bleeding from his head, with some burns on his clothes and what looks like mayonesse covering his left arm. He is also visibly out of breath.
"Ma'am. Your ingredients."
You take them and check the time. Huh, it's half-a-minute early. Good job Coil!
"Thank you."
You close the doors, and get back to cooking. Hopefully, both Danny and Taylor like it when they get back.
"Boss. The mission is a success."
Hearing that, Coil instantly closed the other universe. He wasn't going to risk closing the wrong one by mistake, especially since the other one involved Trickster getting into a battle with Miss Militia. On her Kebab Day. That idiot, you never stop Miss Militia from getting her kebab. How the hell did he even get to that restaurant?
"Good. What are our losses?"
"I'm the only one from our squad left, because I managed to punch the "Warning! Catapult without Parachute!" red button and got sent nearby the target house, seconds before the helicopter was targetted. The helicopter is done as well, by the way, and I think I triggered while falling down with some power to make portals and survive all kinds of fall damage."
"How did that happen?"
"Bob was carrying mayonesse when he tripped. Some of it landed at me, some on the floor, some into the tea Magical Girl Tinker Dragon was drinking and some on her clothes."
"... What was she doing in Brockton Bay? Shouldn't she be still in Canada?"
"I remember her saying something about a date. I didn't hear more, I was too busy running to the helicopter."
"I see. Good job, you can return now. And you get a raise."
"Sir?"
"She was alone, so thankfully it didn't become another Star Hill Incident," he shuddered just thinking about it, and the mercenary did too "but you still survived angry Dragon, making you one of the best I have."
"Thank you. But, sir, was this mission worth all the losses?"
"John... it was. Trust me, it really was." This wasn't Coil, the villain speaking. This was Thomas Calvert, seasoned veteran, survivor of Elisburg, speaking. And the mercenary could hear that, so he decided against asking more.
Taylor got back before you were done cooking. She was wearing a blue coat hiding her whole body, so you had no idea about her other clothes, if she was wearing any.
"Hello auntie!"
"Hello, Taylor. Dinner will be ready in a bit."
"Ok! I'll take a shower!"
Ok, she is in the bathroom. You can stop panicking now. Instead, you finish the dish and put it on the table with together with some plates. You sit down, waiting for Taylor to come. She does, still wearing the coat, but she freezes when she sees what you prepared. Her eyes widen, and you start worrying. What is going on? Her mouth opened, and she started speaking.
"That..."
rofl:
