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Twinning(s) [Worm Altpower]

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Alternately, the more villainous Taylor is joining the gang with the best funding and biggest territory.
 
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1.11
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    • 1.11​


    There was a certain level of affection Taylor held toward the Wards. After all, once upon a time, she'd wanted to join them, be a hero, even. And now she was. It was a delightful affair. Ranging from adorable to amusing, her father was proud. It was a good feeling, and she basked in it, watched him, happy for her.

    It was nice.

    All it took was one Sophia, bumped off this side of the mortal coil. Taylor silently gave thanks, because nobody else probably would. Or they all would, depending on how things turned out. Whichever way the world swung, Taylor could and would be on both sides.

    Meeting the wards was an affair in and of itself, and Taylor held a large smile on her face, greeting them each in turn. In another timeline, she waited in the adjoining room, because she wasn't ready, and needed a moment to prepare herself.

    Gallant flinched again, and Taylor shook his hand, smiling widely. It was more interesting, more fun, to see his obvious discomfort. What could he do about it? It wasn't like she'd done anything.

    Shadow Stalker wasn't even human, she was—something less. Taylor would figure that part out later. She had people to meet.

    Vista was very small, and Taylor greeted her, wondering why she was here, what made her tick. Was she like Emma, wanting to be strong? Was she someone who could be manipulated, who looked for approval? She was a powerful Shaker, Taylor knew that much. As the youngest, would she be the easiest to appeal to, to push in oh-so-many directions?

    "Hello! It's very nice to meet all of you," Taylor said, meaning it. So many people here, more interesting than Emma in so many different ways. Emma was special, though. She would always have a place in Taylor's heart; Taylor planned what to do, with and to her, moving her way through each of the wards.

    Taylor liked this, being 'popular.' She closed the timeline to do it all over again, going out with a big, kind smile, stretched across her face.

    She'd have to tell Emma all about it.

    --​

    Taylor wanted Augur as a name. It fit, it worked, and it implied—bad things. Unfortunately, that decision wasn't up to her, and threats—and other things—only got her into trouble. The PRT wanted a more...positive image. After Shadow Stalker. Taylor was a generalized thinker, or that's what they thought, anyway. It made a variety of names very easy.

    She wasn't a great frontliner though. Her 'danger sense' tended to be—somewhat unreliable. Unfortunately, running around or trying tactics with abandon did not actually help as much as knowing what way to go. She could diverge timelines, choose one or the other way, right, left, but she couldn't deal with something that hit her—everywhere.

    It was pleasant to be fighting again. Even if she took it a little too far in some timelines, it was very good practice.

    Vista was very friendly. Of course she was. Taylor had been very kind to her, offering to buy her lunch after trying out several tactics in other timelines. They didn't need to buy lunch, because the cafeteria was open, but the way Taylor said it, that was important.

    What Vista wanted was respect. She didn't want to be treated like a child, and knew that she looked like a child, but had been there—for longer than anyone else, apparently. Taylor catered to that desire in one timeline, and poked at her in the other, seeing what buttons she could press.

    The girl was surprisingly mature. There were tears in her eyes, but she got up and walked away. Adorable. The timeline was closed, Taylor tried new things in a new one.

    By the end of the hour, she knew quite a bit about Vista.

    Taylor stood, offered a hand. In one, Vista took it, smiling. In the other, Vista looked an awful lot like she wanted to throw the remainder of her food at Taylor. That timeline was removed, and Taylor had made a friend, all on her own; no violence involved in this particular instance.

    Emma would always be Taylor's best friend, though. Now that she was a hero, a Ward, Emma would be scavenging, scrounging for hints, praise, validation. She wanted desperately to be a part of that life.

    Taylor would show her everything she had learned. That's what she would do for her best friend.

    Everything she deserved, and more.

    --​

    Days passed, and Taylor got to know each of the Wards, one by one.

    Gallant was oddly concerned. He was very kind, but worried about her. If she needed to talk, he would be there, he said. What a nice guy. Somewhat useless power for combat, though. His empathic sight also made it difficult to poke and prod him in other timelines, and he apologized for frustrating her in the other, although he didn't know quite why.

    "It's okay," Taylor said. "It's just my power. Frustrating at times. I'll let you know."

    He nodded, still looking vaguely uneasy. Taylor decked him in the other timeline.

    It didn't do much, but gave her a little surge of pleasure. Served him right for being so nice.

    Clockblocker was a jokester. What a funny guy.

    A very funny guy, who was on the ground in the timeline where he had tried to freeze her as a joke.

    Well, in the timeline where she hadn't taken his hand. He was on the ground, squirming in pain, after a well-placed kick. Eventually, she unfroze, and laughed with him. It was a funny joke. Very funny, so, so, funny.

    She kicked him again, this time in the ribs, before closing the timeline.

    Fucker.

    Aegis was the very serious leader type, who put himself before others. Very kind, very nice, and Taylor kind of had a bit of a crush. Only a small one.

    He had very—odd powers, though. Flight, and redundant biology? No enhanced healing?

    A cut across his throat bled no more than a cut on his chest, Taylor found. It was amazing, but seemed rather odd. It was difficult to go much further, because the redundant biology was enough withstand being stabbed multiple, multiple times. Enough that Taylor lost count. (Twenty six.)

    She closed the timeline, moving on with her day, getting more training, more personalized with the base, with her teammates.

    Taylor discovered that if she could tell a bit where the hit was going to go, she could diverge timelines and move in two more likely directions. It was exhilarating, creating those short, miniscule divergences. To the tune of her heartbeat, they diverged and converged, and she took down Gallant in that manner.

    It was a shame she couldn't use this with Emma.

    Instead, she met with Kid Win, who wasn't very talkative unless he was trying to explain his inventions. Taylor politely listened in one timeline, telling him in the other that he reminded her of a very egregious example of word vomit that she had once listened to.

    His face crumpled inward. That was what kept her smiling and nodding in the other timeline.

    All these buttons to push.

    There were almost too many, and even with a timeline dedicated to the purpose, she wasn't sure she could do all of them.

    It was such a shame.

    Taylor resolved to do her best.

    Because that's what heroes did. And tomorrow was her first day on the job. She'd be on console duty, but—she had a very good feeling about it.
     
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    • ...Tay Tay...stahp...

    Though Clockblocker did kinda deserve that, to be fair. I would be pissed if he decided to freeze me as a prank the first time he meets me too.
     
    Poor wards. Gallant's also probably going nuts trying to figure out what the heck's going on with her emotions given her reactions to things in the other timeline.
    Anyway, glad to see this back. Now I get to read the Spacebattles timeline to cheer up. :)
     
    Taylor deconstructing the Wards in one timeline to be a Good Friend in another timeline was unsettling. She's enjoying the sadism far too much.

    Love it.

    Other Taylor is weak sauce. Dead Grue = Best Taylor.
     
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    kokuenDG said:
    ...Tay Tay...stahp...Though Clockblocker did kinda deserve that, to be fair. I would be pissed if he decided to freeze me as a prank the first time he meets me too.
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    Honestly, I'd probably kick him in the nads in the timeline where he froze me, I think everyone would understand. And it would set boundaries.

    Taylor's too used to compartmentalizing her violence away to think of that, I suppose.
     
    I LOVE THIS VERSION!

    I didn't actually notice it was different then the SB version until recently (which is a shame because I could have missed it).
     
    You know, it's just like Taylor to keep escalating whatever she's doing. Hit a problem and double down harder, that's her motto.

    In this case she's increasing her number of 'special friends'.
     
    Friendship like this...wonderful, amazing, terrifying, glorious... i have no words. Why i think about Hannibal Lecter when i read it??
     
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    I was feeling pretty sick before I read this chapter, and it's really upsetting me for some reason. Not just emotionally; my stomach feels upset after reading this. I really like it, don't ever stop.

    Gonna go see if water will settle my stomach and maybe call in sick.
     
    Evolution of Sophia/Emma/Coil clone continues...

    Nothing of note to report.

    [EDIT] Sorry, nothing against you, Harbin, it's just really hard to like this character. And since this story revolves around her pretty heavily, it's hard to like the story too.
     
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    Harbin said:
    Thank you for your response and review, and I hope you enjoy at least one side of Twinnings!
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    is okay

    I honestly quite like the characterization of Taylor into a monster, and the way your narrative doesn't attempt to portray her as anything but. She's twisted, a terrible person in all honesty, and there's this element of morbid fascination into her fall into the depths of cruelty through the allure of revenge. The old proverb your actions will become your characters still applies, even if nobody but you can remember your actions.

    (I read the SB side too, it's more feelgood fiction but I feel like both sides tell a good story if not the same type. I especially like how you note how you can start off with one character and rapidly diverge from there, splitting off into flip sides of a coin. It's pretty interesting how natural both characterization developments are believable and don't stress SoD that badly as their paths wildly differ.)

    It's very easy for hurt and traumatized individuals to degenerate- at first perpetuating revenge cruelly against their oppressor, but often times going to inflict it upon someone else. It's the cycle of the abused to become the abuser.

    I do think the narrative suffers a bit due to the fact you have to switch forums to read the other half of the coin, though. For a story that's so powerful and strong in its juxtaposition with its mirror counterpart, it suffers a bit when it fills up its own thread without its mirror story. Would have worked better if you just double-posted story posts in sync imo.
     
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