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A Worm Fanfic
The Taste of Peaches
By: Grounders10
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8
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Taylor tugged on the skirt she was wearing with a frown. "It's a bit short," She commented as she looked into the mirror. One ear twitched with irritation as she examined the fit of the prototype costume.
It was the day after signing on with the Wards and Taylor and Inari had been brought back into the PRT HQ for a day devoted solely to costume consultation. It had gotten off to a rocky start with the immediate discovery that either someone had written down her measurements wrong, or she'd been growing taller as well. The chest was as tight as expected, though her clothes had finally seemed to stop getting tighter in realtime the day before.
"Which is why we're taking new measurements," The assistant Marcy said absently. "I was sure my measurements were accurate."
"You did lose that measuring tape," Taylor reminded her, earning half-hearted grumbles from the older woman.
"Bicycle shorts fitting properly?" Marcy asked, changing the subject.
"About as tight as the rest," Taylor deadpanned.
"Fair enough. Hmm, okay I think I have everything for the next version. I'll step out and let you get changed into something less conspicuous then," The assistant said before ducking out of the booth and leaving Taylor to herself as the door clicked shut. She slipped the bolt into place absently as she examined her reflection.
The uniform looked good on her. Sure it was a bit tight and the skirt needed to be pulled down an inch or two, but it looked good. She clasped her hands behind back and leaned forward, giving her reflection a nervous smile. She blinked as the beautiful girl in the mirror smiled brilliantly. The changes happening to her hadn't felt weird until Victoria had pointed them out. Now it was all she could do to not notice the way her teeth seemed whiter or how her freckles were disappearing, or how her outfit hugged her new curves.
She stood straight and took a deep breath, shaking her head. "Objective, Taylor. Be objective," She reminded herself aloud. She couldn't let herself get wrapped up in a narcissistic haze again. Not like she had the day before when they got home. When your talking fox needed to pull you out of the bathroom because you spent two hours searching for any sign of imperfections in your reflection, you had issues. Even she could admit that.
It had helped her self-esteem that she had failed to find anything other than the way her smile was still a little too wide.
She reached up for the hidden seams of her uniform and started getting changed. Ten minutes, five of which were spent admiring herself in the mirror, she exited the changing room in another outfit of a tank top, shorts, and jacket. She almost hadn't worn the shorts before, they weren't normally her style. Unfortunately, neither she nor her dad had done laundry recently and that had left her without a clean alternative. They did look good on her.
"Done primping?" Inari asked from a table nearby where a woman was taking measurements of the fox. They had been tight-lipped when it came to Inari, so she had no idea what they were planning for the fox.
"I wasn't primping," Taylor huffed, brushing her hair back over her shoulder.
"Uhuh," Inari drawling, very much unconvinced.
"So, I understand we've got a few modifications to make," Glenn said from where he was examining a whiteboard with a list of words on it. The list of suggested names had been whittled down to a handful with rejected ones like 'Satyrion', 'Faustina', or 'Berrti' crossed off. Others that were still being considered were 'Corentine', 'Felicity', 'Kei', 'Sinopa', or 'Olwen'. There were a few others on the list, but most had been crossed out with a bright red marker.
"It looks pretty good," Taylor admitted, "Just.. a tiny bit short at the moment."
Glenn waved it off. "Easily fixed. Now, you mentioned something about colour?" He asked, turning from the list.
"Why red?" Taylor asked as Marcy ducked back into the changing rooms to retrieve the prototype.
"Red is vibrant. It stands out and draws attention. It works well with black, which you do have a lot of," Glenn said, gesturing to her tails. "Our intention with this design is to make you appear more approachable. A vibrant, colourful appearance helps with that. It's like our approach with Legend, except we are aiming to emphasis your youth and innocence."
Taylor snorted at that. "Supposed or otherwise," Glenn chuckled, "With Legend we aimed to make him the opposite of Alexandria. Open, approachable, kind. It worked, mostly. Not the least because Legend is actually all of those things."
"The opposite of Alexandria?" Taylor questioned, finding a seat at the large conference table that took up the center of the room.
Glenn nodded. "Yes. Alexandria you'll note is very dark. This was a deliberate choice way back to create the appearance of a stern protector. Someone who could scare the criminals. It has had its upsides, and downsides," He sighed, "The downsides would make it difficult, I feel, for you to live a life outside of the Wards when off duty. Of course, much like with Legend a lot of that persona is created by her personality. The costume does a great deal, but what sets the tone of a hero is how they act."
Taylor nibbled on her lip. "It sounds complicated," She said with her own sigh.
"Oh, very complicated. There is a reason most of your time before we unveil you to the world is going to be spent in lessons of one type or another," Glenn said apologetically.
Taylor grimaced but said nothing. She had been informed of them the day before and been subjected to her dad's laughter at her complaints. He had at least treated her to take out from Fugly Bob's as an apology that night. Once he got done chuckling at her expense anyway.
"So, it can't be blue or something else?" Taylor asked, diverting the discussion back.
"It would have to be rather dark, and I'm not sure you could pull off the brighter shades. Hmm…" Glenn scratched his chin. "Yellow wouldn't really suit you. Perhaps a green?" He hummed thoughtfully for a moment. "I'll have them put together a few different colours. If nothing else, I imagine you would enjoy some variety." Taylor shrugged. It didn't matter that much to her, but it would be nice to see something different.
Glenn made a few notes on his tablet. "Right, so… Uniform measurements… check. Name discussion...." He glanced at the board. "We've made progress at least. Logo, yes Logo. Rebbecca where is the folder with the printouts of possible designs?" He called across the room to a middle-aged woman who was tapping away at her laptop.
"In the pile with the name lists," She called back absently.
"Pile with the…" Glenn shuffled the folders in front of him, mixing up whatever system might have existed for the precariously balanced stacks of paperwork. "Ah, there we go." He pulled out a yellow folder and opened it. "Here. Take a look at these." He carried the folder over to her.
She laid it down on the table and opened it. A plain gold fox head with pink gems for eyes looked back up at her. She frowned and flipped the page. The next page was, in Taylor's expert opinion, far worse. A giant pink heart that glittered even on the page covered nearly the entirety of the 8 ½ by 11 page.
"Really?" She deadpanned, looked up at Glenn. "Not happening," She said firmly.
"I'll admit, not all of them are good ideas," He allowed.
'Not all' apparently meant 'nearly all', Taylor found. Page after page was quietly slid out of the folder and into a discard pile. Pink hearts, whirlpools, stormclouds, and even a fairly well done if it wasn't for the bright pink and yellow colouring of it flower. Taylor did have to wonder why they had looked at her and thought 'she needs a flower'.
The pile that hadn't made her immediately toss them out was much smaller. It was, in fact, three pages thick. The first was a circular blue gem with a very stylized sailing ship made of gold in the centre. "How big would this be again?" Taylor asked.
"About, this big," Glenn held his hands out in a circle. Taylor mimicked him and placed her hands over her chest. She grimaced.
"It's a little bit… big," She complained, sliding the page towards the discard pile.
"We could go smaller, but if the gem is to hold the actual symbol it needs to be large enough for it to be visible," Glenn said apologetically.
Taylor nodded. "As opposed to being the symbol?" She asked.
"Precisely," He nodded.
"Hmm…" She frowned at the next one. "Is it just me, or did is there a focus on gems?" She asked as she re-examined the picture of yet another gem based design. This one was smaller than the first with a pink star mounted in silver.
"Nearly a third of the suggestions I've received have involved gemstones in some way," Glenn admitted. "I suspect the influence of several popular shows recently imported from Aleph. I, personally, try to avoid using current media as an inspiration. Too many legal hoops to jump through when someone thinks their work has been plagiarized."
"Personally, hmm?" Taylor raised an eyebrow, glancing over to where another mock-up of her uniform stood on a mannequin in the corner.
"... There were other influences as well," Glenn defended after an awkward few moments passed. Like a certain fox, Taylor was willing to bet.
"It looks nice, just…" Taylor frowned a moment and drummed her fingers on the table. "You're making a big deal out of being approachable," She observed. "The lighter colours… red rather than something thematic to the sea or storms like blue." She pulled out the last page of concept art. Nine silver tails were set up as a pinwheel with a gold star set over the center. "And all the ideas are colourful and as well…" She trailed off. An ear twitched as she thought.
"Yes?" Glenn prodded, and odd tone of anticipation to his voice that she almost missed.
Both her ears twitched and she turned to the middle-aged man. "Even if I hadn't picked this one, the others could have worked for a similar style," She continued absently, "That one with the stupid skirting and pink staff would have been close enough I guess. The greek one screams 'hero' just by the styling, and the kimono… A bit dark, but you would have played up the elegance instead…"
"All correct," Glenn admitted.
She stared at him. "Then there's that karaoke they had me sing," She frowned at him. "That's not normal testing, is it?"
"Not at all."
"You have a plan for me," Taylor said pointedly, "What is it?"
Glenn grimaced. "So close," He sighed, "I had hoped you'd put it together entirely without asking. Still, good deductions. Yes, I do have a plan. I've had one germinating away since Battery brought back the first pictures of you. First, before I confess my dastardly scheme of heroicness, thoughts on the proposals?"
She blinked at him. "Dastardly scheme of heroicness?" She repeated. Was he serious?
"Thoughts?" He repeated. Oh god, he was…
She sighed. "Don't like them. Any of them," She grimaced and held up the second of the last three. "Why is there a child's drawing of a boat on a bright pink gemstone? In gold no less? Why did this even get here?"
"Because we're running at full speed and I haven't had time to do my normal due diligence," Glenn admitted with a shrug, "So this entire batch is a failure I take it?" She nodded. "Damn," He sighed, "Well we'll have to get back to it tomorrow then. I'll see what the artists can come up with by the morning. Now, my dastardly scheme."
Taylor half-expected to hear him declare '™' after it. After a moment of silence, she realized he was waiting for her. "Go on?" She prodded, both annoyed and curious.
Glenn tapped something on his tablet. "From the moment Battery brought back the first pictures of you I wanted you in the Wards," He said as he sorted through his tablet. "It was my recommendation that you be given as generous a contract as we could convince the treasury to divulge." He paused and held out the tablet to her. "Tell me what you see," He instructed.
"That's me the day I woke up after the locker," Taylor said. She recognized the picture of her sitting on the couch. The girl was recognizably the her from the first few days after the incident. She had yet to grow at all, though her skin already looked much nicer than it had in the weeks and months before.
"Take a step back, then look again," Glenn said.
She raised an eyebrow. "That's the second time someone has told me to take a better look at myself in three days," She remarked, earning a chuckle from Glenn.
"I see a young girl. A girl like any other who lives in this country, in this state even," Glenn said, turning the tablet back to himself. "She clearly has powers, but she looks so vulnerable. I can feel something for this girl. I can see the emotions on her face and it makes me feel them in here," He tapped a hand to his chest.
He turned off the tablet and set it down on the table. "Taylor, the PRT is entering a crisis. Truthfully, we've been on the edge of it for years. Heroes wear masks. The PRT troopers wear masks. The villains wear masks. Everyone who matters in the eyes of the public wears a mask. And masks are very good at hiding things. It's why people wear them after all. Heroes wear masks to protect themselves and their loved ones. PRT troopers wear them for simple protection from the myriad of parahuman powers they might encounter. The villains, well it would be so much easier to find a villain if he didn't wear a mask now wouldn't it?"
"I suppose so, but what does this have to do with me?" Taylor asked. Masks were everywhere. They were practically ubiquitous with cape culture.
"Because you cannot wear a mask. I could certainly put you in a domino mask, or a helmet, or anyone of numerous designs, but would any of them actually protect your identity, Taylor?" Glenn asked. She shook her head.
"Exactly. You cannot hide, so why bother trying? Is that not why you're here? To not have to hide?" He continued before she could reply, "Masks hide a lot. Above everything else, they hide emotion. You can't see how a PRT trooper reacts when he finds someone bleeding out. You can't see their expression when they're hosing someone down with containment foam, or holding a cordon, or any of their numerous jobs. You can't see the faces of the protectorate heroes most of the time. Some wear visors, sure, but even those obscure the eyes. Even Legend wears a domino mask. Those are designed to conceal the telltale marks around the eyes. Have you ever wondered why Legend is so actively over the top with some of his gestures? Why he smiles so wide?"
She shook her head. "No, but…"
"But?" Glenn prompted.
Taylor hesitated. "Is it to make his emotions more obvious? To make up for the effect of the mask?" She asked.
Glenn nodded and smiled. "Yes, exactly. Exactly. Did you know that in the last five years the top three most popular heroes on the eastern seaboard have consistently been Legend, Mouse Protector, and Miss Militia?"
"I do pay attention," Taylor said defensively. She had always been into capes. Alexandria had been an inspiration, but she did have a poster of Miss Militia in a case beside her bed.
Glenn held up his hands placatingly. "Then it shouldn't surprise you that all three of these heroes are often viewed as the most emotional and empathic, even when dealing with people who have never seen them in person. There are others who come close. Chevalier from Philadelphia is ranked at number six, but he takes advantage of the modern conception of a chivalric knight. He plays up the honour and humility in public to help overcome his inability to show physical expression. Not to say that he isn't honourable and humble, but like many of the more popular heroes, he acts up how he truly feels."
The head of image reached over and retrieved a bottle of water from a nearby catering cart. He popped the top and took a sip, sighing before continuing. "I want to say this is how most of our heroes act. It's not. They are the exception rather than the rule. Tell me, have you heard of the issues Armsmaster has when dealing with the public?"
Taylor shook her head. "No?"
He nodded. "Armsmaster is Tinker. A very good Tinker, but he is very professional to the point of rudeness when interrupted during the course of his work. He is certainly on the further end of the spectrum opposite Legend, but there are much worse than him. Most are closer to him than they are Legend and the result has been a steady decline in public trust. Six months ago a poll placed overall public trust for the PRT in the entire United States at a record low of forty-one. Now, this is not a consistent number across the continent. Places like New York, or Philadelphia, or even Los Angeles are all very positive towards the PRT. Places like Houston or Las Vegas or Brockton Bay are much, much lower."
"Isn't Houston where Eidolon is?" Taylor asked with a frown.
"Yes. That is part of the problem," Glenn sighed but didn't elaborate. Taylor decided not to ask. Some things weren't that important, but she did have to wonder how having the most powerful Hero in the world around would make things worse.
"Now, this all comes back to you because I want to change this slide. Public trust is at an all-time low because people look at the PRT and they don't see heroes in many places. They see enforcers. They see thugs. They see people who aren't all that different from the gangs. When both the Villains and the Heroes hide from the world, who do you trust? I want them to trust the heroes. We can't protect people if they won't let us help them."
Glenn leaned against the table. It creaked under the weight and tilted to one side ever so slightly. Taylor slid the printouts of all the logo ideas back into their folder. "I need a face I can show the world that they'll trust. I can't show a Case 53. They don't even have civilian lives most of the time. Good people, but the world won't trust them. That's where you come in. You can't wear a mask. The world will know who you are no matter what."
"Which puts me in the crosshairs of so many people. That's why I'm here. For protection," Taylor pointed out.
He nodded. "And you will be. We've been authorized an increased budget specifically to add more security for you. You didn't hear this from me, but a ten percent increase in personnel has been signed off on by Director Costa-Brown because of your signing on. Just counting troopers, that's another fifty people."
Taylor blinked. "What? Why?" She asked.
"Because your face is going to be on the national news the moment you get announced," Glenn sighed. "Not because of anything you or I am going to do, but because you are going to be the first Ward to not wear a mask. Sure others haven't been able to conceal themselves, but you will be the first to not even wear a symbolic mask. It'll make headlines. The increase in personnel is for your safety."
Taylor leaned back in her chair, her ears flat across her head. National news? Just for signing up with the Wards? That was… A lot more attention than she wanted. She bit her lip. Maybe she could back out. Staying in her basement for a few years wouldn't be that bad. A bit dark, maybe a bit damp. She'd need to move the boxes out. Who knew what was in half the boxes down there. Probably nothing but trash in most of them. God knew it needed a cleanup.
Except she had already signed the papers.
"Taylor." She looked up at Glenn who had a gentle smile as he looked down at her. "You're worried, right?"
She nodded. "A bit," She admitted quietly.
"Not unusual. It's so very nerve-wracking. I've seen it so many times, but once it's over with things are… just as they were most of the time. Now, yours is going to be bigger, and things won't just settle right down to how they were before you triggered. I could tell you they would, but I won't lie," He said, taking a sip of his water. "And it is only the beginning. Now, we could, if you want, back things down. I could simply launch you as a normal Ward and then be on my way, but I think you can be more than that. You have a beautiful singing voice you know."
She blinked at the change in subject, then blushed lightly. "No, I'm not. My singing is terrible," She groaned.
"Well, I'm not just saying that," Glenn smiled, "I showed the tape we made of your karaoke session to a friend. He works in the music business. He looked at me and he said, 'Glenn, I don't know where you get your luck, but the devil himself is jealous of you.' 'Really?' I replied and he just nodded. 'Yes. She's amazing. Rough around the edges of course. You said she had no training, yes?' 'None at all' I said. 'Give me six months and you would swear the angels were singing.' And I am not lying. I have the tape here somewhere."
By that point, Taylor's mouth was going up and down while a blush worked its way down her neck. She was practically fluorescent. "I- Who was this?" She asked eventually, drawing him away from his tablet where he was searching for something, presumably the tape.
"You wouldn't know him. Probably. He's done scouting for music talent for years. If he thinks you have talent, well. Who am I to gainsay an expert?" He chuckled, "You are of course a Ward, but I was thinking that perhaps I could arrange for some singing lessons."
"I-" Taylor hesitated. Singing? Music? She felt a bit lightheaded at the idea of being considered that good at something. But there was something else bothering her. "Y-your plan can't simply revolve around a singing Ward. I mean, a singing Ward is a Singing Ward. I'm not Alexandria or someone like…. That… why are you shaking your head?"
Glenn sighed. "You are that level. You have that potential. I know you haven't seen your powers report. It's not finished yet, but I've seen the highlights. The one thing I found interesting is how your powers grow. As you use them they get more powerful and more potent. You aren't Alexandria. You aren't Eidolon, or Legend either. But one day you might be. The fact is in one to two weeks your face is going to be on every television in America. I think you have the potential to be more than a five-minute clip on a TV news program. I know you do. I think, if you do this right, twenty years from now my Granddaughter is going to be looking up to you the same way you look up to Alexandria or Miss Militia."
Taylor stared up at Glenn from her chair. Her ears were low, her tails had stopped moving as she just stared at him. "I-" She closed her mouth, biting her lip as she thought. She just wanted to be able to get out and about again. To go for a walk without worrying about the ABB deciding she was the perfect target to kidnap. That's all she wanted. It had been so simple. Sign up with the Wards, get protection, continue living her life.
In hindsight, it was silly levels of naive. Life, as she had already learned, never worked out that well. Of course, people would notice her. Of course, she would have the attention of thousands. She was going to be part of the government's own branded club of teenage heroes. Action, excitement, and adventure awaited, even if that adventure was wandering around a mall having photos taken with small children.
"Can I think about it?" Taylor asked, "it's just-" She paused as he held up a hand.
"It's a lot to take in. I know. I have a few different ways of handling everything based on your preferences, but for now, I think you need some time to think," He glanced down at the table and the stacks of folders. "And my people need some time with the drawing board again. Why don't we call it here today? I'll see about someone to escort you home, and you can think it over. Talk with your dad. We can continue tomorrow."
"Does my dad know about… this plan of yours?" Taylor asked.
Glenn nodded. "It was discussed. A lot of the specifics are still up in the air, but we did discuss the consequences of having a Ward without a mask."
"I… I'd like to go home for now," Taylor said finally.
"Of course. Marcy, please arrange for an escort for Ms. Hebert. She wishes to head home for the day. We're more than finished for now," Glenn called across the room. Taylor nodded her thanks, then looked down at a tap on her shin. Inari was looking up at her with a worried expression. She picked the fox up and sat there, petting her until their escort came. Her thoughts were a whirl, chasing each other around in eddies and tying themselves up in knots.
Inari said nothing until they were out of the building and in an unmarked blue SUV on the way home. "Taylor," She said.
"Yeah?"
"I'm here. If you wish to talk," The former goddess said softly.
Taylor's lips quirked into a smile. "Thanks, but I just need to think."
"You can always think at me if you want."
Taylor rolled her eyes and snickered. "Where do you get these lines?"
"Cereal boxes," Inari cheerfully confirmed, grinning like only a fox could as Taylor broke down into a fit of giggles. There was a hysterical tone to the giggling, but whether Inari noticed Taylor couldn't say. Either way, it was nice to not be completely alone with her thoughts anymore.
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As the door closed on Taylor's back one of his assistants shook her head. "That was a bit intense, boss," She said, "Are you trying to drive her off?"
Glenn chuckled as he set about reorganizing the paperwork strewn across the table. "Hardly," He said, "You saw how she reacted to the idea of there being a 'plan' for her? One she didn't know about."
"She was getting rather bristly," Marcy observed as she held a swatch of green fabric up to the light.
His other assistant sighed. "She's a teenager. They get like that. You have to be careful around them."
"Denise, with respect, you're reading her wrong," Glenn chided. He leaned against the table as he looked over to them. He played the moment Ms. Hebert had 'called him out' over again in his head and chuckled. "Ms. Hebert likes to think she's out of her depth, but there's hidden steel in her spine. No hesitation when she thought I was trying to play her. She'll do well, if she can learn to direct it the right way."
"You still came on too strong. She's nervous and you just dumped her into the deep end," Denise huffed, crossing her arms.
"She wouldn't have accepted anything less. She's not Vista. Making her feel important without telling her everything will just backfire on us," Glenn said with a shake of his head. He pulled out the folder with the printouts of the logo concept art and held it out to Denise. "Take this down to the artists. Tell them to try again. I need at least a dozen ideas by tomorrow morning."
She took it with a sigh. "Anything else?" She asked, "Coffee perhaps?"
"There's a staff room on the way. Bring back a cup for me please," Glenn ordered, taking advantage of the sarcastic response. He hid a smirk at the way her expression dropped.
"Oh, oh one for me too," Marcy added cheerfully, "Two sugar two cream, please."
"I'll bring it back. Black for you, boss?" Denise sighed.
"Please," He nodded. He watched as she hurried from the room. He shook his head and chuckled as the door clicked shut. "Her heart is in the right place, but some people respond better to honesty than being circumspect."
"If you say so," Marcy sighed, "Hey, uuuh does this shade of green look about right?" She waved the swatch of fabric at him.
"Let me see," He said, leaving his paperwork to take a closer look. This job just never ended.
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The bowl of popcorn bounced as Taylor flopped onto the couch. A few white kernels rolled away across the carpet where they were promptly set upon by Inari. Taylor rolled her eyes at the loud crunching that followed as Inari stuck her head under the armchair in pursuit of several kernels.
"This- oh another one- is so good," Inari declared between bites.
"I could make you some if you wanted," Taylor suggested as she settled into place. She tossed a few buttered kernels into her mouth. It was so good she sighed happily and laid down on the couch properly, the bowl held in one arm as she wrapped her lower body in her tails. She dug the remote out from between the couch cushions.
Inari glanced over at her. "So you say while already settling in," The spirit deadpanned.
"Is that a no I hear?" Taylor munched on a handful of popcorn loudly.
"Nooo, it's a yes please," Inari said, sitting up and looking hopeful. Taylor snorted and set the bowl and the remote down on the end table.
"Get the TV turned on and find something to watch," She said as she left. Five minutes later she set a bowl as large as her own down beside Inari and settled herself back down on the couch. The TV was already running as she fluffed the throw pillow and set it beneath her head. "Isn't that the same show I was watching when Vicky came by?" She asked the fox after a moment of watching a pink heart blast yet another weird monster.
Inari looked up with a mouthful of popcorn and nodded once before returning to her buttery feast. Taylor, meanwhile, watched the show for a few moments. "I think their skirts are shorter than mine were today," She observed as she ate.
Inari turned to look and shrugged after a moment. She swallowed. "I've seen gods wear less… Hell, I wore less at times," She said before returning to her food.
Taylor snorted. "Leaves are not sufficient dress," She snarked. Honestly, if even half of what showed up on pottery was remotely true then the old gods got up to some really weird stuff.
"If, by some miracle, you do not wind up wearing at least one dress made of leaves in the next decade I will…" Inari trailed off with a vague humming sound of thought. Taylor rolled her eyes and munched on more of the popcorn as the TV went to a commercial break. She sighed and burrowed into the throw pillow. After the morning she had had a bowl of popcorn and cartoons were great.
"I can't believe he wants me to sing," Taylor sighed as an ad for Lego played. Something about 'making your own heroes' or something.
"Hrm? Erm!" Inari swallowed, "You're quite good for a Goddess your age you know. I wonder if you have song or music as one of your domains…" The fox pondered aloud.
"... Goddess huh?" Taylor muttered. It came down to that again. The next show came on the TV. It seemed the channel was doing a back to back special of that show. Joy. Still, it wasn't that bad, even if the speeches the main character insisted on doing were really annoying most of the time. Doing that in Brockton Bay would probably see you skewered by one of the villains.
And she had basically agreed to wear a more modest version of those clothes. She nibbled on some popcorn. It was easy to say that life was not going how she had expected it this time the year before. Back before she had run off to summer camp, when Emma had still been her friend. She scowled and pushed that thought aside.
Things were strange, there was no denying that, but they were hopefully going to get better. The Wards were nice. Aegis was cute, well what she could see anyway. Clockblocker was a bit annoying, but everyone else was quite welcoming. Assuming they weren't all hiding dark secrets things were looking better than they had for the last year. Assuming Arcadia agreed, and it sounded like they would, she wouldn't even have to deal with Winslow ever again. Soon she would be to go outside again without worrying. Hell, maybe Vicky would want to celebrate by going shopping. As much as she was ambivalent towards the activity just doing it with a friend would be wonderful. It seemed that all things were going according to plan.
The only hitch was the plans of Glenn Chambers.
Taylor's tails twitched and she shifted to get a better grip on the bowl as she continued eating the popcorn. Glenn was the weirdest person she had ever seen. The man couldn't seem to dress himself, and yet he was somehow the man in charge of the appearance and PR of the entire PRT. Even more mindboggling was the fact that he seemed to actually be good at it. Which came around to his plans for her.
He wanted her, her, to be the next great hero. Someone who people would look at as the next Alexandria, or Eidolon, or Legend. Someone who would fight the battle against the villains and bring safety to people. Somehow. Her. She had to wonder if he was actually drunk.
Sure, she was pretty, even she could see that now, but it took more than a pretty face to protect people. She was an untrained, untested, unknown who could maybe sing and had a talking fox that so far had only managed to be cute and irritatingly proclaim her divinity. On the TV, the heroine's talking cat heroically threw itself at the monster of the week. Taylor watched with mild amusement as the beast flailed about in a panic over a small cat hanging onto its face.
Taylor sighed and buried her face in the throw pillow. She wasn't being quite fair to Inari. Sure she could be annoying at times, but most of the time was like this or like the times when she was training her powers. She wouldn't be even half as far along as she was if she hadn't had the small white fox offering helpful advice about her powers. There was still the issue with the constant proclamations of divinity.
She shifted back onto her side and nibbled the much-depleted bowl of popcorn with a frown. She didn't want the spotlight Glenn wanted to throw her into. There had been a lot of heroes over the years who had, very publically, crashed and burned under the scrutiny. She didn't want to be the next one. Her dad had, if Glenn was being honest, agreed to at least a large portion of the plan beforehand. She had to wonder why. She was going to have to deal with more than just the attention of Brockton bay and its jaded population. Assuming she agreed to it.
The bowl of popcorn ran empty and she set it down on the floor with a sigh. She paused to stare at Inari who was licking her own bowl clean. Taylor nudged her bowl towards Inari who looked up and dragged the empty bowl over to her spot to lick clean. Taylor rolled her eyes and lay back.
She had signed on with the Wards, there was no going back on that. She was going to have to get dressed up, go out on patrols and PR events, and occasionally fight homicidal madmen who were fighting over the city… Hopefully, that was going to be a long time coming. At the moment she was limited to smacking them with water and hoping for the best. That didn't mean she had agreed to be in the middle of a very deliberate three-ring media circus.
Still… Glenn had made a good point. A lot of people didn't trust the PRT, and a good portion of that was the masks. People just didn't trust those who hid their faces all the time. She doubted she could do much to change that perspective, but… She hugged a throw pillow and curled up tighter, her tails wrapping up to her stomach in fluffy warmth.
"What do I do…" She mumbled aloud. She wasn't an ordinary cape. She didn't have just one power of questionable use. She could command the storm and sea, take a hit better than Glory Girl, and that was only the beginnings of her powers. There was so much she hadn't even touched.
In theory. A theory that relied on her talking fox not being crazy and the idea that she hadn't hallucinated her entire trip up that mountain. Or the battlefield. Or the fortress. Or the peach. There had been quite a bit that was just a bit out there for her, especially since she woke up back in her bed.
A Hero she could handle being. A popular one… Well, she always did want to be like Alexandria, though it would be really annoying being that popular. She would still be a Hero though. Someone who helped people.
A Goddess? What did it mean to be a Goddess? That was a good question… She glanced up from the pillow she had been staring into for the last few minutes. On the TV the credits for the show started playing. Inari was looking up at her from the two freshly licked clean bowls.
"Is something bothering you?" Inari asked.
"A few things," Taylor admitted.
Inari ambled over and planted herself on the floor by Taylor's head. "Is this about what Glenn was asking of you?" She asked.
Taylor shrugged. "Some of it. I'm… I'm just thinking about the media circus this is going to cause," She groaned.
Inari made a noise of understanding. "I know the feeling. Being a big name Goddess could bring in so much attention," She patted Taylor on her arm with a paw. "I know you can handle it if you try."
"Maybe… I didn't sign on for the fame," She mumbled.
"A lot of those who want fame aren't suited to it," Inari said, "A Goddess, however-"
"Then there's that," Taylor cut off the fox, who blinked in surprise.
"That?" Inari questioned, sounding confused.
Taylor pushed herself up on her elbow and leaned over the edge of the couch. "Goddess. You keep. Calling. Me. A Goddess. In public!" She wasn't quite snarling as she said it, but the days of irritation had built up. "I'm sure the only person in the PRT who doesn't think I have a screw loose somewhere is Mr. Chambers!" Inari's ears wilted.
"I don't think they-" Inari began.
"What happens if I agree to this plan of Mr. Chambers' and you start saying things like that in public? You're the one who said I'd probably be called crazy!" Taylor frowned down at the white fox who seemed to shrink into herself. Her tail wrapped about her paws, her head lowered and her ears flat. "And don't think being cute gets you out of this. You've been driving me nuts all week!"
"Sorry," Inari said quietly.
Taylor grumbled from within her wrap of tails. "Well, everything, even Vicky and the Wards probably think I'm a bit nutty. Everyone thinks you're part of my subconscious… and who knows, they might be right."
Inari looked up. "I'm not your imagination," She snapped.
"But you might be my power," Taylor snapped back. "We've had this discussion before." She sighed.
Inari huffed, but nodded. "I know… A Goddess who doesn't believe in herself… I have been doing a terrible job," The white fox said, burying her snout in her tail and shaking her head.
"... Not that bad…" Taylor mumbled, suddenly feeling a touch guilty as Inari stared at the gap under the couch.
"... No, I've messed up," Inari said firmly, looking up at her. "You've had your doubts since day one. I should have done my best to allay them. I decided to leave part of myself as your guide. I haven't done as much guiding as I should have. We talked about opening the way to the Celestial Realm once before. Do you still wish to do so?" Inari asked.
"Is that what that place is called?" Taylor asked. Inari nodded. "Then yeah. I want to feel it, touch it. Maybe even hold it. I need something that says 'I didn't dream this'." She ran a calming hand through her tails. Was she a Goddess? Going to the Celestial Realm wouldn't tell her that for sure, but at least it would tell her she wasn't crazy.
"Shall we get started now? Or do you want to watch the next episode?" Inari pointed a paw at the TV which was starting… yet another episode of that show.
"Does that channel run anything else?" Taylor wondered.
"I changed the channel," Inari said, "So? Work or play?" She shot a grin up at Taylor who sighed.
"Just one more episode," Taylor sighed, laying back down to watch the show. It was silly, childish, and rather much like watching her own trainwreck of a future, but she didn't mind. It was something other than straining her brain trying to break reality in some way or another.
-0-0-0-0-0-
The next day the sun rose on Monday the 12th of July to find Taylor and Inari already awake and working. When Taylor's dad had returned from work she had asked him to place a phone call and see if she could have 'a couple of days to think about what Glenn said.' The PRT had been surprisingly willing to grant her the time to think. More importantly, it gave them two uninterrupted days to try and figure out how to open a path to the Celestial Realm.
"I doubt we'll manage much of anything in two days," Inari had said with a shake of her head. "You've already done it once, but unconscious creation of portals happens to all gods at some point. The Celestial Realm is the native territory of the Gods. They all make their way there eventually. Finding a way out is usually the issue."
Still, that hadn't stopped Taylor from trying. That night, after she had explained to her dad what they were doing, was spent reviewing what Inari had first attempted to teach her on their first day of experimentation. That had ended with salt-water soaking the living room. This time Taylor paid much more attention to the theory, taking notes as they went. They were about to attempt to open a hole in reality. She really didn't want to drop her entire house through a portal or something else equally dangerous.
The next morning Inari had brought her into the living room and sat down on the footstool that had become her preferred place to curl up during the day. "Do you have your notes?" She asked.
Taylor nodded and held up the small notebook she had used.
"Good. Now put it over there," Inari pointed to the table. "We don't want you to accidentally damage it."
"Is that a risk? 'Cause if it is…" Taylor trailed off as Inari shrugged.
"We are dealing with divine powers. Quite technically anything is possible," Inari admitted, "However, you are more likely to hurt yourself than the surroundings." Taylor winced as she set the book down on the side table. Inari nodded firmly. "Good. Now, we are dealing with something very different from your domains. Today we step outside the realms of instinct and move towards the more deliberate invocations of the divine. Not true spellcraft, but powers which require a very deliberate effort to explore and master."
"And I haven't been putting effort in so far?" Taylor asked.
"Oh don't get me wrong, you have," Inari said, shaking her head. "But because we've been dealing with your domains exclusively thus far the effort for reward ratio has been incredibly high. If I were to try and teach say a god of wind how to manipulate water they could learn to do it, but the time it would take could be measured in months or years rather than days or weeks."
That was a very substantial difference. "Domains are that important?" Taylor asked.
"For a young god? Oh yes, very much so," Inari confirmed, "Most gods don't manage much outside of physical feats and their domains for years. Decades for most. Now, opening a portal is a net neutral skill for most Gods. Making portals between the lands of their followers and the Celestial Realm is a skill that falls under no domain. Unless you happen to be the god of Portals."
Inari flicked her tail and yawned before continuing. "S-sooo, first, quiz time. What is Universal Resonance?" She asked. When Taylor reached for the notebook Inari shook her head. "No book. Off the top of your head. If you can't answer we're going back to theory."
Taylor frowned. "Universal Resonance is… The…"
"Yes?"
"Unique Thaumic Vibration of a particular universe created… by the naturally occurring instabilities in reality," Taylor answered slowly, trying to remember the concept as it had been explained the night before.
"Correct," Inari nodded, "Now what we are going to do today relates directly to Universal Resonance. More specifically, we are going to be trying to identify
this universe's resonance so that we can use it as a reference point. From there we'll move onto how to feel out other universes by searching for their Universal Resonance. Then we move onto identifying the Celestial Realm and only then can we get to actually trying to open a portal." Inari said it all without stopping for a breath. She took a deep breath and smiled. "So, that's the plan. In theory, this could take as long as the rest of the year, or you could be stepping through a portal before dinner."
"Before dinner?" Taylor repeated.
The fox shrugged. "I have had the occasional student who is unnaturally talented with portals. The record from first concept to mastery is eight hours. Do not expect to come anywhere near it. Most average around six weeks of work for a full-scale portal of indefinite duration. Full-scale referring to a portal large enough for them to step through without ducking."
"In other words, two days is way too short," Taylor deadpanned.
"By far," Inari agreed, "But we should get plenty done. Most only practice for an hour or two a day. We have two days where we shall be continuing until you get tired." Her tail flicked as she smirked in that way that foxes couldn't. "Now, get seated properly and we'll begin."
Taylor assumed the meditative position that Inari had instructed her on the previous week and settled in. Finding the Universal Resonance was, as it turned out, a trial in and of itself. Inari did her best to coach her, but as the spirit pointed out, "You're only used to feeling out your domains, not the Thaumic energies behind them." The result was that over the next hour Taylor accidentally managed to form a rain cloud inside, which soaked them; summon a brief gust of wind which knocked a few pictures off the walls; break the faucet on the bathtub when they decided to move to the bathroom to avoid any further water-related damage to the house, though she had remembered to use her powers to draw the rainwater out of the carpet and furniture.
The next several hours, until they broke for lunch, were much the same. It was only thanks to her ability to control water that the two of them managed to leave a relatively disorganized bathroom looking dry rather than soaked to the bone.
Lunch was a nice BLT sandwich for Taylor and a plate of eggs and bacon for Inari, though afterwards, Taylor did have to wonder why the apple juice container was now empty.
With lunch out of the way they returned to the bathroom, which really should have been their first stop in hindsight, and Taylor curled up on a couple of pillows in the bathtub to continue her attempts at meditation. It was in the early afternoon when progress was finally made.
Taylor's ears twitched as she felt something other than her powers. Or more accurately, something behind them. Her hands, clasped in her lap, twitched as she felt something. Fingers twitched and she mentally reached for it.
"Stop." Taylor twitched and lost her focus as Inari spoke up.
She opened her eyes and frowned at the fox. "I think I found-"
"The actual thaumic energy field. Yes, I noticed," Inari nodded. "You were also about to light yourself up like a thaumic lightbulb." Taylor winced at that image. "Don't just
poke thaumic energy. You have to interact with purpose. Thaumic energies respond to willpower, but just touching it with your mind without direction behind it will cause it to flow back into you. It won't kill you, but I can guarantee we would be finished for today if you did that. I did warn you last night."
Had she? "I… don't really remember that bit," Taylor admitted. In her defence there had been a lot to remember the night before.
Inari grumbled from the other side of the tub before hopping over the side and into her lap. "Right, well I think I'm going to directly guide you from here on out," She said.
"You couldn't have done that before?" Taylor asked, fairly annoyed.
"You wouldn't have felt anything I was doing," Inari said as she settled into the tub with her. "Now, get to it. Let me know when you can sense it again."
Taylor sighed and closed her eyes. She let her mind sink back into the same state it had been. It was strange. It wasn't sight, but she could still picture what she was feeling. Now that she had noticed the Thaumic field it seemed so much more obvious. She drew some water from the air and 'watched' as the field moved in response to her desires. It responded without effort, shifting and bending like an extension of her body.
"I can feel it," Taylor said absently, "It's… Rather obvious now."
"It can be like that. However, don't believe that just because it reacts so easily under the influence of your domain that means it will be simple to control," Inari warned.
"Why is that anyway?" Taylor asked, opening her eyes. She stretched and yawned. Sitting in one place for hours was making her stiff. Inari opened her own eyes as Taylor brought over the little bit of water she had conjured. It was harder with her eyes open, but if she focused Taylor could almost feel the field of energy she was manipulating. "I didn't notice it before, but…"
"That is a critical aspect of how we know it is a domain that allows you to do so," Inari said as she observed the thin stream of water as it traced a figure eight in the air. "Why a domain allows a god to so easily manipulate thaumic energy, to the point that without trying to branch out they won't even notice its existence, is a very complicated subject," Inari continued, flicking her tail.
"How complicated are we talking here?" Taylor sent the water across the room to the sink.
"... I believe it would be a university program," Inari said after a thoughtful few moments. "Most likely a focus for a Doctorate or higher. Right now all you need is the how. The why can come later when we have the time. So, for now, please close your eyes and focus again. This time look for a disturbance amidst the field."
Taylor closed her eyes again. In moments she felt the disturbance close by her. In fact… "I feel it. Is it coming from you?"
"Yes, it is. Good, Good. Now, watch what I do," Inari instructed, beginning what would be the first of many lessons on Thaumic manipulation over the coming months and years.
They spent hours as Inari demonstrated how to safely interact with Thaumic energy and walked Taylor through her first interactions with it. She nearly mishandled it twice in the first hour, and averaged once every hour after, but by the time her dad interrupted them for dinner she had managed to go just over an hour without nearly botching it. She was, by Inari's assessment, "Doing well enough for the first day."
They were back at it after dinner with Taylor setting up on her bed now that she was no longer in danger of flooding a room. Hours of practice with simply touching and manipulating the energy for no purpose whatsoever finally came to an end at nine twenty-five that night.
"I think you have a grasp of this. Enough to start making an attempt at a more practical application anyway," Inari said finally.
"Such as?" Taylor prodded.
"The portal. If you were a Demigod I'd start with something else, but portals are more natural for actual Gods than most other things," Inari said from Taylor's pillow. "Now, let's focus here. As I said earlier we need to focus on identifying the Universal Resonance. Now, this is easier where we are because Brockton bay is not naturally an area where reality is thin. It is quite strong actually. However, this means that when we reach the next step, that of identifying the resonance of other universes, we will have issues. If I still had my own powers that is when I would take you somewhere where reality is weak to practice."
"Won't that make opening a portal harder?" Taylor asked. The fox shook her head.
"Reality flows like water against the will of a god. All you need to learn is how to identify where you wish to go. After that, all you have to do is learn how to bring two points with nothing in common together. Simple really." Inari shrugged.
"I don't like your definition of simple," Taylor deadpanned as she considered the plan.
"Then I suggest you get used to it because this is amongst the easiest things I shall ever teach you," Inari suggested, "Now, to identify the resonance…"
Sleep came after midnight when her dad put his foot down after she slipped in her handling of the Thaumic energy and got a firsthand experience with what Inari had meant. The flashing multi-colour lights and strange violin music that had lit up the house had brought her dad running.
As she curled up in bed she'd swear she could still taste the citrus light. Fortunately, the neon pink glow from her hair and tails had stopped as she had taken her shower. Falling asleep she made a quiet vow to not mention this to Vicky. She'd never hear the end of it.
-0-0-0-0-0-
Tuesday had seen significant and rapid progress towards the possibility of opening a portal. It had taken only another hour after she had started that morning to identify the resonance Inari was talking about. It was hard to put into words for Taylor. A feeling like a static charge, and yet a vibration at the same time. It was strange.
"There're terms for these things," Inari told her when she asked. Then she'd said something that Taylor had spent five minutes trying to replicate before giving up. "It's Greek, technically," The fox had elaborated, "You can blame Cronus for the term if it helps."
After a short break, they continued their efforts, this time to identify another Universal Resonance. The first, that of Earth Bet, had been easy once she was well-rested. The next ran smack into the issue Inari had spoken of the day before. Brockton Bay was fairly well solid as far as reality went. While that was a good thing, it did make trying to sense another universe rather difficult. Especially when you have no experience at it.
It was approaching three in the afternoon when Taylor finally identified another odd sensation buried beneath the resonance of Earth Bet. "Inari, is this it?" She asked gesturing with a mental flick across the thaumic field.
Inari perked up from where she was sitting and watching diligently. "I… hmm…" Inari's ears twitched as she considered what Taylor was trying to point out. "Describe it."
Taylor's own ears twitched as she considered how to describe the sensation she was feeling. After a moment she said, "Kinda… fizzy. No… foaming… Do you feel it?"
"Hmm… yes. I don't recognize the world. We should leave it be for now I think. Right, let's see about identifying two more. Then we can move onto tracking down the Celestial Realm."
Taylor sighed, but tried to refocus her mind. "How am I supposed to find one resonance amongst all of this?" She asked. The thaumic field was a mess of interference and just noticing a single resonance had taken them hours already.
"I can show it to you," Inari replied, "However, there will still need to be an effort on your part. Now, focus." Taylor grumbled but focused on the task. Another hour passed before she located another. It seemed to ring, like a bell without sound. Inari prodded her to continue, but by the time dinner rolled around she had yet to find another.
"So, you're trying to find other worlds?" Her dad asked at dinner. He had come home with several pizzas. Inari munched on a slice of pepperoni on a plate beneath the table as they ate.
"I did tell you this when I asked," Taylor sighed.
"I know, I'm just wondering if I need to worry about flooding again," He asked with a serious tone. She glanced up from her pizza with an annoyed look.
"One time," She groused, her tails flicked irritably. "I cleaned up the last mess I made."
"You did," He nodded, "But you're digging into other worlds. How do I know you aren't going to open onto an ocean or a volcano? Wouldn't this be safer to work on at a PRT facility? After last night-"
Taylor grumbled more. The neon pink tails had been terrible and an offence to her sense of style and good taste. "I'd rather not get the PRT involved with this. Not yet," She sighed.
"It would be preferable to keep this ability quiet I think," Inari piped up, hopping onto one of the spare chairs with an empty plate. "I gave the internet a poke a few days ago. I think I read something about laws restricting experimenting with crossing dimensions?"
"For tinkers. They can't exactly make your existence illegal," Danny pointed out, "This is innate, right?"
"Sort of," Inari answered as she hopped up onto the table and picked out another slice of pepperoni. After she dropped it on her plate she continued. "It's an ability all gods have a talent for. Technically anyone with divine potential could, theoretically, learn to do this. Gods have it easiest since the Celestial Realm naturally resonants with themselves."
"Wait, it resonates with me?" Taylor asked pointedly. She wondered what that meant exactly. It would have been nice to know earlier.
"Yes, and if you had noticed that and used it I would have been impressed," Inari said, "You've been looking purely outside yourself up until now. Once you had found a second resonance I was going to instruct you to look within."
"Which tells me nothing," Taylor complained.
"It tells you enough to get started," Inari corrected, sitting primly on the table. "A lot of this art is learned through doing. I can talk theory and method all day long and it won't matter a lick. Practice mixed with advice is the best guide for portal making."
Taylor opened her mouth to respond with an annoyed comment when her dad interrupted. "As interesting as this is, I would like to know if my house is about to burn down?" He asked pointedly.
Inari had the grace to look sheepish. "Yes, of course. Starting with the legal definition that I have been able to find. Opening portals is not her power. Let me make that clear, she can open portals by manipulating powers she can control that others cannot. This is, by the definition of the law, not her power, but a side effect of it. She has to learn how to do it. Now, I'm no expert on parahuman law, but the fact she has to learn to do this might mean it is illegal for her to do it. Maybe."
Taylor winced and her dad wiped his hands off with a napkin before rubbing his forehead. "Lovely. I'll talk to Carol in the morning," He held up a hand to forestall her complaint. "I want to know if we're at risk for not disclosing this. If we are, you are going to have to tell the PRT about it. Clear?"
Taylor sighed. "Clear," She groaned, "I just… don't want them to think I'm going crazy or something."
"And why would they think that?" Inari asked, puzzled.
The nine-tailed girl gave the fox a flat look. "Says the one whose been proclaiming me a goddess. They already think I'm a little bit out there because of you," She deadpanned.
"Sorry." She sounded less sorry than she had been a couple of days before. She did at least look sheepish about it, so there was that.
"So, on the matter of the house?" Danny prodded again.
"Not a danger," Inari said with a shake of her head. "While falling rocks, or other objects with force behind them can cross the portal's boundary, ordinary pressure cannot cause water or lava to pass from one world to another. The boundary lines make such an event impossible under normal circumstances… Unless, for example, we happened to open a portal right in front of a collapsing dam. Then I imagine the water may have enough force behind it to cross the boundary. That is very unlikely since we are going to be practicing with the Celestial Realm and limiting ourselves to trying to open a portal into the Peach Garden." She took a deep breath, "So no. Your house will be fine."
Danny took a bite of pizza and chewed it slowly as he considered the fox. "I'd still prefer that you did this somewhere other than my living room," He said pointedly after swallowing. "Our insurance rates won't be able to handle it if you dump a sea monster into the living room."
"Point," Taylor agreed, "I think we're done for today anyway."
"I'm sure you could make some more progress today if you tried," Inari said.
Taylor shook her head. "I need some time to think. I still have to give Glenn an answer tomorrow," She said. She had spent some time thinking about things, but she still needed to come to a final decision regarding the PR plan Glenn had pitched her. And she wanted to try her hand at drawing her own design for a logo as well.
"Mhmm," Danny held up a finger as he swallowed, "Don't forget that your medical exam is tomorrow as well as your security thing. Carol will be meeting you there along with her daughters. She's asked her daughter Panacea to double-check the doctor's work once they're done."
"I'll make sure not to stay up too late then," Taylor said, going back to her pizza.
Their conversation progressed into small talk and updates about the situation at the docks surrounding the removal of the shark. The entire thing was being slowed down by the PRT who were running tests on it. The only thing that they had told her dad was that it wasn't a great white.
After dinner Taylor retired to the living room again and stole the couch for herself before her dad could finish with the dishes. She flopped onto the couch with a happy sigh before wiggling up the armrest so she could reach over to the end table and grab her notepad and pen. Thusly armed she lopped back the way she came onto the fluffy pile of her tails.
"What are you doing?" Inari asked as she hopped up onto the couch and joined her amidst her tails.
"Drawing," Taylor said. She refused to elaborate and eventually Inari fell asleep against her. The fox stirred when Danny entered the room and turned on the TV, but remained asleep. A couple of hours passed as Taylor drew. Most attempts were abandoned halfway or less. Some had too many spikes. Some were just too unrelated, or obscure, or weird. Geometric shapes appeared and vanished to be replaced by stylized tails or weather-related iconography. It was at several hours later, by which point her dad had fallen asleep watching the TV, that she gave up. Drawing wasn't exactly a talent of hers, though she wasn't bad either. The bigger issue was trying to find something that fit her.
She tapped the pad with the backend of her pen as she thought. She had just been drawing random thoughts that came to mind, but that was probably why she didn't like them. They didn't fit either her or the type of hero she was trying to be. And there was a definite distinction between the two.
She licked her lips and nibbled on the end of the pen. Perhaps something less themed on her powers and more on the style she had agreed to? Something that spoke more about what she wanted to do with her status as a hero?
She rolled the pen between her fingers for a few moments then took it up again and started drawing. Three attempts were abandoned in short succession. Another followed ten minutes later. She stared at the page for a long moment before poking Inari with her pen. "Hey," She said, "Hey hey."
The fox grumbled and a bleary eye opened. "Mrhm?" The white fox grumbled.
"Can you do anything with Gems?" Taylor asked. She stared curiously down at the former goddess as her brain slowly processed the question.
"Um… yes?" Inari answered after a long few seconds. "Gems are used for enchantment and most of the technology back in the Celestial Realm requires gems in a variety of roles… why?"
Taylor turned her attention back to the pad without answering and after a few moments of impatient waiting Inari shrugged and flopped back into the pile of black tails. She was asleep again in moments.
So gems could have a use beyond looking good, but there was an issue if she went that route. Using a gem to hold a logo would result in the gem needing to be larger than the logo, which meant the logo had to be the gem, or the gem needed to be shaped into the logo. She scribbled another idea down. She crossed it out with a flurry of scribbling a few minutes later.
Nope, nope, nope. Not good enough, and Vicky would never let her hear the end of it.
Still, the more she thought about it the more she liked the idea of using a gem for the logo. She just needed something that fit what she wanted to be… If she knew what she wanted to-
"I know what I want to be…" She said softly as she shook her head. The question wasn't what she wanted to be. The question was whether she was willing to try and be it.
Her pen hesitated over the pad for a few more seconds then it came down and the soft scratch of pen on paper was buried beneath the sounds of the TV. Another hour passed and the 11 o'clock news began. Taylor stopped drawing and looked down at the picture. It could work. She'd have to ask Glenn how, but it could work. She poked Inari.
"Hey!"
The fox grumbled and looked up at her. "Sleep is good for you, ya know?" She grumbled, before blinking as Taylor shoved her drawing in front of her face. "What is this?"
"My final idea for tonight," Taylor told her with a yawn.
Inari stared at it, then looked up at her. "Watching cartoons rotted your brain, didn't it?"
"Your vote of non-confidence is so inspiring," Taylor deadpanned back as she folded up her notebook and shooed the fox off the couch.
"I like it, just… It's not really you, is it?" Inari pointed out.
Taylor ran her thumb over the cover of the notepad. "Not really, but this isn't about who I am," She said, "This is about what kind of hero I want to be."
Inari was silent as Taylor sat up and stretched. "So what kind of hero do you want to be?" She finally asked.
Taylor was quiet for a moment. "Someone," She began, hesitating as she spoke, "Someone that can be looked up to. Someone who stands for… something good I guess. That things… that things get better. Can get better. Are getting better. I'm... not sure how to put it."
"I think," Inari said with a shake of her head and a smile, "that the word you are looking for is Hope, Taylor."
The room fell silent except for the TV as Taylor weighed the word and its meaning. "As cheesy as it sounds, you're right," She said after a bit, standing up. "Anyway, maybe this works for that, maybe it doesn't. I'll ask Glenn tomorrow. For now, let's get dad up and head for a shower. It's going to be a long day tomorrow."
Inari grinned at that and leapt across the room into Danny's lap. Her dad's shout of surprise as the fox landed on him brought a giggle to the surface from Taylor.
-0-0-0-0-0-
The boardwalk was a busy place, even on an overcast summer day. It was to be expected since it was the 'touristy' place in Brockton Bay that ran along the bayfront from north to south. In summer, the only time it wasn't crawling with tourists was when a storm swept in and drenched the beaches in enough rain to turn the sand into mud. It was a beautiful place with high-end shops and cafes that catered to those with a bit more money than sense.
For an enterprising pickpocket, it was both a great and terrible place to be. A lot of the visitors weren't paying much attention to their wallets or purses, but at the same time, the Boardwalk's private security was constantly on the lookout for those who didn't belong. Mostly gang members or small-time crooks.
Like a certain blonde girl in a sundress who was sparing very occasional, and very hasty, glances around her as she walked as nonchalantly as possible down the boardwalk. For Lisa Wilbourn, the day had started out fairly normally. Wake up, shower, eat breakfast, and maybe lounge around for a few hours as the sun slowly crept up into the sky. Then, after checking the weather, head out and look for marks.
For most pickpockets making more than just a living was difficult. For Lisa, well she had a few advantages. Superpowers were great at tipping the situation on its head. Most pickpockets couldn't steal your wallet and then guess your bank password by analyzing what you were eating and who you were eating it with.
It really sucked to be a rich guy on the boardwalk some days.
Now, it was rare she actually managed to snag a mark that good, but it had happened a couple of times and her decent living arrangements were a testament to that. Still, she reflected as she hurried down the boardwalk, perhaps she had let her success get to her head just a bit too much. Despite her powers, she couldn't figure out why the enforcers, two in particular, were moving to-
Glancing to phone. Plans to make a phone call after catching you. Calling boss.
Great, so she was wanted by someone rich enough to buy off the enforcers. Or, she had stepped on more toes than she realized and whoever funded them wanted her dealt with. A flicker of movement up ahead drew her eye towards two more enforcers moving towards her from the other direction.
Coordinating with other enforcers. Knows your heading his way. Watching.
Shit. Lisa glanced about. Going out onto the beach was out. Sure there were a lot of people out there, but she was overdressed for it, and tall enough to stand out amidst the beach chairs and screaming children. So that left...
Alleyway, left-hand side. An employee just exited after emptying waste bins. Most likely empty of people.
She glanced about, waited for a moment when the crowds hid her from view, then slipped left and into the alleyway as she reached it.
Crowd blocking view. Escape unnoticed. So far.
Good.
Lisa adjusted her purse on her shoulder and hurried down the dirty alleyway. It emptied out onto the street behind the shops. From there she could duck into another alleyway and make her way back towards the main streets away from the boardwalk. She'd have to head home, maybe see about dyeing her hair. Different clothes were a must. Maybe some make-up to hide her freckles better.
She stepped out of the end of the alleyway. Something shifted to her right.
Heavy breathing. Squeal of rubber twisting. Person on the left. In-
The right hook caught her square in the side of the face, sending her spinning to the ground with a shout of surprise.
Fist large. Most likely a large male, adult.
"I almost didn't make it around here in time," The man said as he pressed the back of his foot into the small of her back. "Good eye Ricky," He shouted up the alleyway.
Footsteps, four men. Enforcers. Cornered.
Well, no shit she was cornered. Cornered and pinned. What to do, what to do…
Grown men, athletic, strong. Skilled with martial arts. Cut of jackets suggests concealed guns.
Nothing she didn't already know, but it drove home the point. She was fucked.
"Nice try girl, but we've got people scattered all over the boardwalk," The guy who had her pinned said as he roughly handcuffed her and hauled her to her feet. He leaned into her vision and grinned. He was a particularly unpleasant looking man with scars across both eyes, a broken smile, and the sort of greasy look to him that suggested he wouldn't do too badly as a used car salesman.
"Let me go," She tried to yank herself away. It failed miserably as he just held onto her without straining himself. Damn it.
One of the men walking towards them pulled out a cellphone and dialled a number. "Hey boss… yeah we got her. Want to talk to her?"
Tone respectful. Patient. Believes himself to be in control. Hopes you keep resisting. Wants you to resist. Would like to- Lisa squashed that line of thought before her powers could continue.
"Yeah, yeah. Bill, Rio, Hernandez, make sure no one interrupts. Drag her around the corner Jeff." The guy, who was probably the aforementioned Ricky, ordered, taking one of her arms as he and the guy who grabbed her dragged her out of sight of the boardwalk.
Maybe ducking into an alleyway was a dumb idea after all.
She let out a gasp as they slammed her back up against the wall. Jeff held her there as Ricky stepped out in front of her with the cellphone. He held it out in front of her. "You're on Boss," He said. The phone crackled a bit.
"Ms. Livsey," A smooth voice coiled from the phone. She stared. How did they know that name? She had been born Sarah Livsey so how did they know that? "I am pleased, to make your acquaintance."
Confidant. Know he's in charge. Knows you can't escape. Knows who you are and where you live. Probably has people watching in case you had escaped him here. Voice is clinical. Considers this merely another minor event. Is likely to have you killed if you don't do what he says.
Oh joy. "Can't say the same," She snarked and winced as Jeff roughly pushed her against the wall. The walls were cinder block and time had worn the smooth sides off the blocks. They scraped at her skin but failed to draw blood.
"A pity. Ms. Livsey-" The voice
"Call me Ms. Wilbourn at least," She smirked, "I know you know that much." So snarking at her captors was probably a bad idea.
Jeff getting angrier. Is only using one hand. Other hand reaching for weapon.
So she'd need to be a bit more careful apparently. Whoops.
"So I do," The voice said calmly, though a faint tone of annoyance was faintly noticeable to Lisa. "Very well then, Ms. Wilbourn, if that is who you wish to be. I am Coil."
She knew that name. He was a small-time supervillain more known for how well equipped his mercenaries were with tinker-tech than anything else. "So, what can a little pickpocket like me do for a big fish like yourself?" She asked lightly.
"I am putting together a team of parahumans. Thieves. I would like you to join them," Coil said smoothly. She didn't need powers to tell he wasn't asking.
"Well, I suppose I'll have to look at my busy schedule. Maybe I can join them sometime between now and never," She replied. A fist in her gut forced her to double over gasping as Ricky responded to her disrespect.
"Thank you Richard," Coil said smoothly after she stopped gasping. "Now, Ms. Wilbourn, I am asking politely here. My team needs a thinker of your calibre. Your talent for analyzing information is with few equals."
"I don't want that kind of heat," She replied with a grimace, "You think I want to dress up in spandex and go out to join the high-stakes cops and robbers game that every idiot in this city plays? Fuck off."
"Lisa, Lisa, Lisa," Coil sighed, "I was not asking. Jeffery." The feeling of cold metal pressed against the side of her temple.
9mm. 1911 Colt. Bullet won't miss. Damage will-
She didn't need to be thinking about how her brains would be splattered across the backstreet. What to do… what to do… She didn't really have a choice anymore did she? This wasn't how she expected things to go when she ran from home. Handcuffed in a backstreet with a pistol to her head and no way to get help.
"Now, I hesitate to waste a talented mind, but if you don't wish to work for me I'm afraid I cannot run the risk that others may snatch you up. So, for the last time. Agree to join the Undersiders. The pay will be quite good, I promise," He drawled. He knew he'd won. Bastard.
Still, she hesitated, even as Jeff pushed the gun into her temple. After a long, terrifying second, she closed her eyes. "Okay. I'll do it," She said. Fuck.
Coil chuckled politely. "Excellent. Richard-" Whatever Coil was going to say was cut off as Jeff shouted in pain and dropped his gun. At the same time the man watching the alley shouted something as he went flying across the narrow backstreet into the concrete wall of the rear of a Japanese restaurant. Lisa stared as Ricky's legs went out from under him and the phone slipped from his hands as he went to catch himself.
Another of the five who was watching down the street shouted as he joined the other thug in bouncing off the cinderblock wall of the Japanese restaurant.
Shadows moving unnaturally. Cape.
Lisa glanced down. The shadows were moving, seeming to grasp outstretched the men and toss them about the street. Ricky shouted and scrambled for his gun as some force picked him up by his ankle and bashed him against the wall, leaving a streak of blood, before tossing him to Lisa's feet.
She glanced towards Jeff. She blinked and looked about. He wasn't there. Ricky was gone as well. All the bodies were gone, leaving only streaks of blood and the still operational cellphone.
"I expected better of a neighbourhood so close to the boardwalk," A heavily accented woman's voice said.
Asian, most likely native Japanese, Tokyo.
Lisa blinked as a short woman with long black straight hair wearing a dress and a frilly-pink apron with a hello-kitty picture in the center of it. She looked very disappointed.
Very disappointed. Was always there. Is fluffy. Shadows not moving naturally.
"What is going on there?" Came Coil's voice from the phone.
"Hello," Lisa said awkwardly. Fluffy? Well her power occasionally spat out bad results, but that seemed a little far off the mark even for that. And, yeah, the weirdly moving shadows were connected to her feet.
"Good afternoon Ms… Wilbourn I believe you prefer?" She raised an eyebrow.
"Yes?" Something about her was terrifying on a level Lisa couldn't quite point to.
"Hmm, you seem to have had a bit of trouble. Behind my shop no less. Lucky for you." The woman said, her tone measured, but possibly sympathetic.
Shadow in shape of canid. Moving shadows are tails. Count: Seven.
She was a cape with a strange power over shadows, or something. Best to be polite, especially since she just saved her ass.
"Thank you, that was getting a bit uncomfortable. Um, you wouldn't happen to know where they left the keys for these?" Lisa held her hands up in front of her. Then blinked.
Handcuffs missing.
Yeah. She'd noticed. Thanks.
"You mean these?" The woman held up a hand. Locked handcuffs dangled from a finger. She flicked them down the street.
No sound of impact. Handcuffs vanish.
She is smug.
Well… that was disconcerting. "So, can I help you?" Lisa asked, very aware of how smug the woman's narrow smile had grown.
"I believe you are the one in need of help," She said as she walked over to Lisa. She brushed aside Lisa's hair which had fallen across her face in the struggle. She tsked as she examined the bruising forming on her cheek. "Tell me, do you have a place to go?"
Desires honesty.
"Not really? I think they're watching my apartment," Lisa admitted.
"Hmm. Then you stay with me tonight at least. We will talk about your options in the morning. Though, I believe your business is still unfinished," She gestured down to the phone that was still running.
Will not accept no. Is offering food and a room. Probably without strings.
Licking her lips a bit Lisa leaned down, wincing from the pain, and picked up the phone. She raised it to her ear and turned off the speakerphone. "Heya," She said, being deliberately cheerful.
"Ms. Wilbourn-"
"I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to say no to that job offer. Ciao~" She hung up and dropped the phone. She didn't bother looking when the sound of it hitting the floor failed to appear.
Creepy.
"So," Lisa began a bit nervously, "What do I get to call my saviour?" She asked.
The older Japanese woman examined her for a moment. "Hrm… You may call me Mrs. Nakamura. Please, follow me." With that, the strange cape turned and walked back into her shop through the steel backdoor. Lisa didn't dare not follow.
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A/N: Thanks again
@Gekkou_Yoko ~ Your proofreading is immensely helpful~ *Happy Kitsune*
Happy New Years everyone~ I hope everyone is enjoying themselves so far this year? Well this is going to be the last chapter of this story for a bit, I've got a backlog of other stories I need to update and school is upcoming, plus I need to find a part-time job. Car insurance sadly costs more money every year. T.T *sad kitsune* Just wish I knew how to get even a low paying job that involved writing. The one thing I'm actually fairly good at.
Next time this story posts it will have a Cover Page, hopefully. I just need to find someone to do it first. That'll be paid for by the Patreon, which again thank you, everyone, who has contributed to that.
To those who just want to chat and discuss my stories I've got a Discord, you can find it in my signature along with all of my other stories. See you there~
