Hmm…I'm not too sure about that myself, since in Worm Taylor was about fifteen and still growing. This Taylor is older and more physically fit, and probably a lot more confident. Canon Taylor also has much lower self esteem, which makes her opinion on herself…suspect. She's closer to average definitely, but not ugly.
It depends on several factors really.
A) Well done makeup can do wonders in improving someone's looks. Sometimes difference can be pretty... drastic.
Here you see some examples. Although to be fair in some cases... I don't think I would say it helped that much. But it's a proof of the concept. Although again, Taylor doesn't strike me as someone who would wear heavy make up of any kind. Or even moderate one. But light make up alone can also help. But again, I don't think this is it.
B) Body language. This one can't be underestimated. We commit and learn lots of things through our subconscious, so we don't even realize how much more someone is attractive by their movements and actions. We find confident people more attractive even if they naturally aren't. Also this Taylor is FAR more confident then canon one, so it shows.
C) Our own realistic expectations. This one is also important here. We may say how we would love to date and have sex with this woman/man. But if we ended up in a situation in real life where you believe them to be 'way above your league', most would instantly back off. This is actually an issue for some women as ironically
they are too pretty to find any serious relationships, in a way that is almost like someone who is too ugly. Or they end up being completely sexualized and some less then honest people mostly want them for their bodies and don't really care about personalities behind, which unfortunately for those people is a serious issue. Being pretty may be as much of a curse as being completely ugly.
How it is connected here? It's pretty simple. Taylor being on average side is actually her best advantage, especially if it's closer to pretty side, which I suspect is the thing here. Because she doesn't intimidate potential love candidate, by being so pretty 'she is out of their league', but still JUST pleasing enough look wise to be admired. And this 'averageness' ironically make her that much more pretty, because people find potential relationship something to be actually possible and not an impossible dream.
As for her powers, they're all modified expressions of her bug control. She basically uses them as conduits for different effects, like a wand essentially but made out of horrific swarms of chitinous death.
Pretty much bug based Trump.
Damn, I can't find the title, but I remember COMPLETED (I know, SHOCKING) Worm story where Taylor ended up as a Trump, who could cast Harry Potter magic (or rather fake it) and command her bugs to copy those effects with voice commands like she would cast genuine HP spells. She did it because it allowed her to escape her trauma by acting that her power is like genuine magic. Sad thing really.
Hmm for Dinah yeah but your Taylor is far more powerful than canon Taylor as for sting it makes sense since it's the Entities greatest weapon also does Taylor realize she has any feelings for basilla/ Brandon
I think Taylor does realize, but doesn't know how she can approach it, with her zero experience when it goes to romance, so she doesn't want to overstep. The way her body language is described, like putting her hand on Basilia's hear for example looks pretty intimate.
That first thing is actually spoilers, but I imagine as as a guy the MC might have a harder time trying to be friends with Taylor, then again maybe not. And yes Athena has been prospering in-story.
It depends really. Some people have easier time to have friendships with people of the opposite gender. I remember in high school I was buddies with a girl, who pretty much only had one female friend and rest were guys.
Or that they can only do with the person of the same gender.
In canon Taylor does have closer friendships with girls, so I think this is the case here as well, which becomes a bit more complicated as Basilia is a woman now, so Taylor subconsciously trusts her more this way.
