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Starry Eyes [Worm/Lovecraft Mythos]

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Taylor's POV:
"I bet you could easily eat a challenger, Aria! Hey that might be fun!"

"Why is this cashier so scared? Is it because I'm a cape? I thought capes came in here all the time? Maybe if I point it out she'll stop staring? At least her fear is tasty though."

"Aw yeah! You did it Aria! Awesome! A bit messy though. We'll have to work on your table manners. Everyone is staring."
 
Tidbit: A Night In The Lonesome October features, among other things, a Lovecraftian version of a passage from the Song of Solomon.

The voice of my beloved! Look, he comes, leaping upon the mountains, bounding over the hills. My beloved is like a gazelle or a young stag. Look, there he stands behind our wall, gazing in at the windows, looking through the lattice. My beloved speaks and says to me: "Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away; for now the winter is past, the rain is over and gone. The flowers appear on the earth; the time of singing has come, and the voice of the turtledove is heard in our land. The fig tree puts forth its figs, and the vines are in blossom; they give forth fragrance. Arise, my love, my fair one, and come away.

"'. . . Nyarlathotep,'" he read, "'cometh leaping upon the mountains, skipping upon the hills. He is like a many-legged goat, and he standeth behind our wall, he looketh forth at the windows, shewing himself through the lattice, horned in glory. Nyarlathotep spake, and he said, "Rise up, my dark one, and come away. For, lo, the winter is nigh and the cold rains fall. The flowers have died upon the earth, and the singing of birds is done. The turtle lies slain. The fig tree withers, as do the grapes. Arise, my dark one, and come away. . . ."'"
 
And lo, though the wheels of time may turn, and the machinations of man and abominations unknowable move ever forward, still the universe rings one eternal truth:

Beef. It's what's for dinner.

Good to see a post here, even if it's not part of the main story. Fingers crossed for the next true update.
 
STARRY EYES!

Runs up to fanfic and author and hugs them both

And my first live chapter of this is Aria being adorably disgusting and Taylor being the right shade of terrifying. Yes!!!
 
"The order" in interlude 2.x wouldn't be the esoteric order of Dagon would it? And the fish men in this latest interlude are Deep One's right?

Also, that metal sphere Aria made for Taylor that looks like Taylor from her perspective... and Taylor's mask; you keep calling it stars, but could it actually be "a congeries of iridescent globes"? If Taylor discarded all her skin, would she best be described as a "silhouette of a [girl] behind a strange, shimmering veil?"
 
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Interlude 1.d
  • Threadmarks
    • Interlude 3.d


    "I wish to speak to you about your daughter."

    Danny Hebert ran his hand through his thinning hair, then sighed and massage the bridge of his nose. The lanky man sat hunched over his desk in the Brockton Bay Dockworkers' Union office. He raised his eyes to meet those of the woman sitting across from him who was masked by a flag-patterned scarf. The heroine had entered the building flanked by a couple of PRT agents and asked to speak to him, but it was only now that he understood why.

    The two stared at each other for a few moments until, finally, he broke the uncomfortable silence. "Miss Militia, what, precisely, do you want with Taylor?" He steeled himself for whatever the hero might say, for a moment dreading that Taylor had been caught up in some fight between powered gang members and injured. He quickly quashed his fears before they could grow.

    The cape's expression – what he could see of it, that is – was sober. "Mister Hebert, we have reason to believe that Miss Hebert is a parahuman, and that earlier today she used her powers to attack and harm a fellow student before fleeing. Her location, at this time, is unknown."

    Danny slowly let out a ragged breath, one he hadn't even known he'd been holding. At least she isn't in the hospital again, or worse, he thought with relief, before a multilayered wave of guilt overtook him. Guilt for thinking only of his daughter and not the potential other victims. Guilt for not thinking enough about Taylor, that he didn't notice whatever pushed her to do this (because the Taylor he knew wouldn't do such a thing without serious provocation), that he didn't notice her becoming a parahuman. Guilt that he might have contributed to whatever forced her hand.

    Meeting Miss Militia's eyes, he asked, "Who is it that you say she attacked, and how badly were they hurt?"

    "The victim was one Emma Barnes, and-"

    "I..." Danny reflexively interrupted her as his train of thought came to a sudden, screeching halt. "I beg your pardon?"

    The heroine's eyes narrowed. "The victim's name is Emma Barnes. Would I be correct in assuming that you recognize it?"

    "Y-yes, I..." Danny's mind was awash with confusion. "But, but she's Taylor's friend, her best friend! So why..."

    Miss Militia's eyes were alight with interest. "Her friend, you say? Do you have any idea what might have brought them into conflict, Mister Hebert?"

    "I, no, I..." He took a steadying breath. "What, precisely, do you want from me, Miss Militia?"

    The government heroine sighed almost imperceptibly. "Mister Hebert, what I want is to obtain information that will facilitate peaceful resolutions to future interactions between your daughter and the Protectorate and PRT. Information like her personality, details pertinent to today's incident, and anything you can think of that might be her trigger event."

    "She… wait, her what?"

    "Her trigger event. It's when a parahuman receives his or her powers. Since the circumstances surrounding trigger events are always traumatizing to some degree or another, learning about those circumstances can help avoid potential, shall we say, pitfalls that might be encountered when interacting with her." She paused. "Please, Mister Hebert, help us. The more we know, the better we'll be able to keep anyone, including her, from getting hurt."

    Danny was silent for one moment, the another. "How badly was Emma hurt?" he finally asked.

    "She has an incision on her cheek that reaches her cheekbone, and she lost some hair," Miss Militia replied. "To be honest, from what responders were told about how she was attacked, she got off rather easy."

    I'll say, Danny thought with relief. "And?" he asked. "How was she attacked?"

    "The other witnesses could only say that whatever Miss Hebert did didn't use her hands. Miss Barnes, however, said that Miss Hebert's teeth lengthened into fangs, and her tongue lengthened into something like a whip, with a claw or a blade on the tip. That bladed whip is what gave her that injury, and it apparently moved faster than her eyes could see."

    Danny… well, Danny didn't know what to think. It was… difficult to reconcile with the memory of his beloved daughter with the mental image of a bladed whip-tongue. That wasn't the Taylor he knew and loved. But then, well, he didn't really know her all that well these days. They'd barely interacted ever since… Shoving the painful memories aside, he closed his eyes and asked, "How dangerous does the Protectorate believe my daughter is?"

    Miss Militia gave him a sympathetic look. "Based on what she displayed against Miss Barnes, we have her estimated at a Changer 3. However, that rating could likely change should it prove that she was holding back, as we suspect. We also suspect that she deserves a Brute/Breaker rating of around seven, and a middling Mover rating."

    At Danny's blank look, she explained, "The rating system lets us describe how a parahuman's powers express themselves, and thus the threat they pose and which general tactics are to be used against them. The numbers can be used to estimate how strong their powers are, but their intent is to further narrow down appropriate tactics. In theory the scale has no upper limit, but in practice the vast majority of parahuman powers fall somewhere from one to ten. The Changer category covers parahumans who shapeshift or otherwise change their forms. Brute is for those with enhanced strength and durability. Breakers are those who can 'break' the way they interact with physics, and Mover covers mobility-enhancing powers, like flight or superspeed."

    "So, wait, what makes you think she's a high-level brute-breaker, or whatever you called her?" Danny asked, frowning.

    "The power she is reported to have displayed is similar to one displayed by another parahuman we have encountered recently who goes by the name 'Starfield'. You might have heard about her on the news."

    "I must have missed that segment," he said faintly as his mind raced. His little girl, a news-worthy cape? But wait, more importantly… "Wait, you said you 'encountered' her. She… she's not a villain, is she?"

    "No," she replied, to which he let out a sigh of relief. "At least, the last time Starfield spoke to us on the subject she expressed her desire to be a hero. However, that does not preclude he falling to villainy down the road, or being forced into it. Not to mention that Starfield has displayed, certain… behaviors that might make it more likely that she might cause harm to others."

    Danny felt the tension return. "What, ah, behaviors might those be?"

    "I'd rather not say, not while we don't know for certain that she is Starfield. Remember, Miss Hebert's reported powers are merely similar without confirmation, or, at the very least, further evidence. Now, are you willing to help us, Mister Hebert?"

    Danny was silent for a long moment. The heroine before him had presented her case in quite the convincing manner. He really believed that she wanted what was best for everyone involved. And she was a freaking hero, for crying out loud! But… the negotiator in him couldn't help but think that there was something she was holding back. She was just being too helpful for him to think otherwise. And, well, if he just gave her information about Taylor, it would feel like he was betraying her, somehow, like he was going around behind her back. Making his decision, he opened his mouth to reply, only to be interrupted by a knock at his office door.

    "Yes?" Danny called out, and the door opened enough for the office secretary, a young man named Jesse, to stick his head in.

    "Sir?" Jesse said, and Danny Smiled softly in amused exasperation at the unnecessary formality. "Phone call for you."

    "I'm a little occupied right now," Danny replied, glancing at the other occupant of his office. "Could you ask them to call back later?"

    "Sir… it's your daughter."

    Both Danny and Miss Militia straightened at that. Their eyes met, she nodded, and he said, "Put her through."

    "Yes, sir." Jesse's head withdrew, the door clicked shut, and a moment later the phone on Danny's desk rang. Picking it up, he said, "Taylor? What's going on, sweetie?"

    "Hey, Dad," she greeted him, sounding remarkably calm given the situation. "I just, I needed to talk to you about something."

    "Is it about that, ah, incident you had at school?"

    Taylor sighed with what seemed like a mix of relief and resignation. "Well, that simplifies things, I guess." She paused. "Is there anyone there with you? Maybe from the PRT, or the Protectorate?"

    Danny paused and glanced at Miss Militia. "Yes."

    Taylor sighed again. "Okay. Okay. Well, if they want, I'd be willing to talk with them over speaker. Might make some things easier."

    Looking up, Danny placed his hand over the receiver and relayed what she'd said to Miss Militia, who nodded. "Okay, Taylor, I'm putting you on." With that, he pressed the relevant button on the phone and hung up the handset.

    "Hello," Taylor said calmly. "To whom am I speaking?"

    "Hello, Miss Hebert," the heroine replied. "I'm Miss Militia, of the local branch of the Protectorate."

    "Hello, Miss Militia," Taylor replied in a neutral tone. "Can we just pretend that you asked me to turn myself in and all that?"

    The Protectorate heroine was silent for a moment, then said, "If you wish, though I'd like to add that it would make things easier for you."

    Taylor snorted. "Easier for you to press-gang me into the Wards, more like. Excuse me if I say hell no."

    Miss Militia blinked. "Why do you dislike the idea of joining the Wards so much? It's meant specifically to help young parahumans like yourself, after all."

    "Several- actually, why don't you tell me? I'm sure you have some ideas."

    The heroine sighed. "We do, but first, may I ask a few things?" Taylor made a noise of assent. "Okay. Where are you calling from?"

    Danny's daughter snorted. "Seriously? Do you really think I'd tell you where I am?" She laughed softly, then went quiet. "I was going to call from our home phone, but I realized on the way there what a dumb idea it was. The disguised PRT vans in front of the place kinda hammered it home. I suppose I should thank you, by the way, for not just broadcasting to our neighbors that cape shit was afoot. But anyway, I'm using some payphone right now. But you had other questions."

    "Yes, I did. Why did you attack Miss Barnes with your powers?"

    Taylor sighed. "Look, that was an accident. She accused me of killing Mom, and I lost control for a moment. I restrained myself from doing any more to her, but, well…" She sighed. "To be honest? Part of me kind of wishes I didn't. She deserved what she got. Hell, she deserves worse."

    Danny was, to put it mildly, shocked to hear such vehemence in his little girl's voice, especially when it was directed at her childhood friend. "What, what do you mean, Taylor?" he asked hesitantly. "What did Emma do to deserve that?"

    Taylor gave a bark of humorless laughter. "What hasn't that backstabbing bitch done? She and her psycho friends roped half the school into bullying me incessantly for the past year and a half. They put me in the hospital and made me trigger, and no one had done shit about it! I-" She bit off whatever she was saying to take a deep breath, then murmured something to herself that Danny couldn't hear clearly.

    "Taylor?" Danny asked. "Why didn't you ever tell me you were being bullied?" His fingernails were digging into his palms and his knuckles were white, such was his anger at the thought of his little girl getting bullied.

    Taylor was silent for a while. When she finally spoke, her voice was soft and sad. "Dad, I, I didn't mean… When it started, you were still devastated by what happened to Mom. I thought I could deal with it on my own, so I didn't want to worry you. But then it didn't stop, everything I tried, everyone I went to was useless, and the longer I spent not telling you, the harder it got to bring it up."

    "Taylor..." Danny wanted to say that she should have told him anyway, that he would have been able to help, but he stopped himself. What could he have done to help, in the state he'd been in?

    "Miss Hebert," Miss Militia cut in, disrupting Danny's train of thought, "we could help you resolve your situation-"

    "If I were to join the Wards, yeah, yeah," Taylor interrupted, her voice cold. "See, the thing is, you should be helping me anyway. Hell, you should've helped me a long time ago. After all, one of the friends helping Emma bully me is Sophia Hess." Miss Militia went still and silent. Evidently this wasn't the reaction Taylor was looking for because her anger went from cold to hot, and another voice joined hers, hollow and disturbing. "You, you knew! You knew there was something wrong with Sophia, and yet you didn't do anything about it! You let her stay a Ward, even though she's a bully! I bet you're why the teachers were worse than useless when I went to them, too!"

    Miss Militia tried to interrupt the heated tirade, only to be interrupted in turn by Danny. "You let a bully be a hero?" he asked incredulously. "And you want to put my daughter, the victim of her bullying, on the same team as her!?"

    "Mister Hebert, please!" Miss Militia had to raise her voice to be heard over Danny's shouting. When he had quieted down, she continued, "Now, we're looking into Miss Hess', shall we say, extracurricular activities," Taylor snorted, "but the thing is, we were only notified that something might be going on very recently. We were unaware that she was bullying your daughter as she claims. Rest assured, should we find evidence that a bullying campaign has been ongoing, we will be sure to hold those responsible for keeping us in the dark accountable."

    Taylor sighed, the other voice absent, to Danny's relief. "Thing is, they're very good at destroying evidence. Every time I went to the teachers for help, it always came down to my word against theirs, and guess who was believed? Not the creepy, klutzy, unlucky loner, that's for sure." A pause. "What caused you lot to realize something was up, anyway?"

    "Before I answer that," the heroine replied, "There is something I must ask you. Are you Starfield?"

    "What? How did..." Taylor trailed off, then chuckled in resignation. "I guess that answers your question, now, doesn't it."

    "Yes, it does. To answer your previous question, you are actually the one who made us take a closer look. A new parahuman, who didn't know Shadow Stalker and was amenable to joining the Wards, then goes into a nigh-murderous rage upon meeting her and storms out? Something was up, and we intend to find out what."

    "Wait, wait," Danny cut in. "What's going on, and what happened with your voice earlier, Taylor?"

    Taylor paused for a moment, then replied, "So, uh, Dad? I've gone out patrolling a few times, after you'd gone to sleep. The first time, I ended up meeting with a couple of the Wards, and then with Miss Militia and Armsmaster. I was invited to meet the rest of the Wards the Saturday before last, which I did. As for the voice thing..." She paused, and when she resumed speaking it was with the hollow voice that made his skin crawl. "It's how I speak while in costume, since I don't have a mouth then. I hadn't realized I could use it with my face on..." She trailed off as her words, and the implications thereof, worked their way through Danny's head.

    "With your- Taylor, please tell me you don't mean what I think you mean!"

    "Dad, Dad, it's fine, don't worry! Everything's fine!" Taylor assured him a little frantically. "It's not as bad as it sounds."

    Her words reminded Danny of something, and he looked at Miss Militia and asked, "What were those, ah, 'behaviors' you said Starfield displayed?"

    "Um, Dad?" Taylor started, only to be interrupted by the flag-clad heroine.

    "Miss Hebert, there's something we've discovered about the fights you've been in. Namely, everyone you've been in conflict with, barring the mugger whose hand you bit off," What, "have displayed similar injuries, wherein small bits of flesh have apparently been nibbled off. We're concerned that your powers are leading you to develop, ah… cannibalistic tendencies."

    "I… what?" Taylor replied, seemingly at a loss for words. "I don't, she, I..."

    "Miss Hebert," Miss Militia continued, her voice somehow warm and comforting despite the subject matter. "It isn't exactly unknown for some parahumans to experience some mental influence from their powers. Our resources include psychiatrists to, among other things, help deal with or work around such influences."

    Taylor was silent for a moment, before coldly replying, "Another recruitment attempt? Even though I've already told you to kindly fuck off on that front?" She sighed in disgust. "Look, I think this conversation has been played out, so I'll be going. Love you, Dad." And despite Miss Militia's protests, the line went dead.

    Danny looked at the sputtering cape and said, "I hope you got what you needed, ma'am, because I believe it's time for you to leave."
     
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    • Welp, that went about as well as I expected.

    Actually no, Hess is still alive and not monster chow so hey it actually went better.

    Bit of a shame that...
     
    On the one hand, Yay more Starry Eyes! On the other hand, now I have to wait several more months before the next chapter and I really want to see what happens next.
     
    It's kind of nice to see Miss Militia drop the ball here, but it's not really her fault. It's kind of hard to recover from finding out that the cape your trying to recruit triggered as a result of someone under your 'supervision'. Im guessing she didn't let the information sink in fully that Taylor's problems stem directly about how lax the PRT has been with Sophia and the heavy handed recruitment pitch.

    Now I'm really interested in finding out just how this plays out.
     
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    Somehwhat surprised that MM has not assured Taylor that Sophia would be made responsible independent of Taylor becoming a ward. Granted, she got steamrolled by Taylor a bit, so she might have attempted saying it.
     
    ...Calling it now: MM's going to report this to Piggot, and Piggot's going to ignore the fact that one of her Wards caused someone to trigger and order the REALLY heavy-handed approach. Cue ALL THE ELDRITCH ABOMINATIONS! Brockton Bay shall be the new R'lyeh... or at least a resort for the eldritchly inclined. :lol:rofl::lol:rofl:
     
    Wow, Danny is having a bad day... Fun facts he just picked up:

    -His daughter was bullied for over a year.
    -His daughter triggered from said bullying.
    -She ran away from home.
    -The law is after her too.
    -Said law is apparently also involved in the aforementioned bullying too.
    -Also she might want to eat people now.
    -His daughter just referenced removing her face...

    I think people triggered over less than this.
     
    torac said:
    Somehwhat surprised that MM has not assured Taylor that Sophia would be made responsible independent of Taylor becoming a ward. Granted, she got steamrolled by Taylor a bit, so she might have attempted saying it.
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    Problem is, she can't guarantee Sophia will get punished for anything. They're just starting the investigation, so they don't actually know anything with enough certainty and proof to act on it. While Sophia's probation does mean they can legally send her to juvie on a whim, they're far too desperate for parahuman muscle to do that without enough proof to go to court with, of a crime serious enough to require they take it to court.
     
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