This overlaps with Monster 4.5 and 5.1.
Chapter 12: Shameful
The walk is, in my opinion, a total success. It was amusing seeing Taylor get distracted by herself in the glass, but she seemed mostly happy with what she was seeing. Curious what the little stabs of dissent were, but whatever. Aside from having some moodiness going on like she does about everything goddamn, it was basically positive, and she certainly didn't get on my case about what she was seeing. If she was really bothered by any of what I did with her looks, she'd probably have told me outright, maybe dragged us back and made me change it.
It's even funnier when a dude comes by to try to pick her up. I didn't even use my power for that one, except to dissuade him from being interested in me. Which didn't even take that much work. Anyway, point is, Taylor completely shuts down in the face of a dude hitting on her. Heh, 'the usual way' my ass. It's really kind of interesting, because it's not like she's panicking or horrified or something, so I'm pretty sure this isn't some past trauma thing. She really seems to just be that confused by the entire idea of a man hitting on her.
Heh. Meanwhile when I tease her, she has actual responses. Okay, they've tended to be negative responses, but she doesn't lock up. Hell, even her deliberately ignoring me is a more intelligible reaction than this crap.
Anyway, getting the dude to go away is easy. I don't even have to lean on my power particularly much -he actually was a bit concerned about Taylor, and when I assure him we're totally like a block from home he's mollified. The only tricky part is getting him to disengage instead of insisting on escorting us if it's really so short a distance.
Dude has style. I like the 'tip a hat that isn't actually there' touch.
The only fly in the ointment, kinda, is Taylor thanking me for handling the situation. Um. Not sure how to feel about that, given I deliberately created the situation, ya know, with her clothes and all. And given how Taylor was reacting to me earlier. And her general behavior. I... just sort of gloss over it. Something to think about. What provoked a thanks there, and not so many other times I've been far more helpful?...
Anyway, the rest of the walk is variations on this idea. Dude approaches, intending to hit on and/or pickpocket us, Taylor doesn't know what the fuck, and I handle the situation. It's really, really hilarious that Taylor never accuses me of engineering this. Because I did. But I thought she'd assume via my power, and she's just... not having it cross her mind at all. It's actually sort of annoying? I was totally looking forward to honestly telling her I wasn't using my power to bait these people out. That would've been a funny moment where I was getting something over her sort-of-innocently. Oh well.
An interesting thing is Taylor's general anxiety creeps up as we walk into danker parts of Brockton Bay on our way to our target. My first thought was she was nervous about us approaching the target, but then I remembered that while I know how close we are, she doesn't. I'm not doing a running monologue, and she hasn't asked for one. So I'm not entirely sure what that's about.
The other neat thing is that after the fifth guy, Taylor starts reflexively looking to me to handle the situation, instead of just completely locking up. Bonus!
Of course, in between guys ten and eleven is a girl, which, consistent with earlier observations, Taylor actually does kinda have a response for. It's this really awkward 'oh, um, no thanks?' thing she says while basically shrinking behind me, which is sort of lame, but it is something, and it's interesting on a number of different levels. The apologetic aspect to it, in particular, is striking. Not sure what it means, but it's striking.
Anyway, in deference to Taylor's inexplicable anxiety, when we're just about on top of Mysterious Target Z's location -it's an abandoned car shop thing- I deliberately pull us to a stop and mutter to Taylor, "They're still in there. I think they might be asleep. Either that or high as fuck. Last chance to back out."
Curious thing: Taylor pulls her hand away, looks at me funny, and walks up to the fence all determined. Does she think I was insinuating cowardice? Or something? It's a very odd contrast with how she's been basically hiding behind me this whole time. I'm a little surprised when she starts climbing the fence -I'd figured we'd go looking for a gap. With this ratty a place, there probably is one, especially since the cape is already inside and I'm fairly confident they're injured, so climbing a fence? Not likely. Cape, admittedly, but I'm reasonably confident they don't have mobility powers...
The new confidence is cool, though. And 's not her faking, either. Wish I knew what was going on, but hey. Anyway, I follow her up the fence, and over the other side, and she... gets this weird spike of... embarrassment? Weird.
Once we're both over, Taylor glances around and give me a questioning look. Uuuh. Oh, maybe she's reacting to the lack of people around? Asking me why nobody is around? It's... not me, anyway, so I shrug at her. Hopefully that's what she was asking with her eyes there. Not actually that confident, given how this morning has gone. And I'm worried about that lack of confidence.
Anyway, we slip in through a door that's off its hinges. Actually, I don't see hinges on it at all. Did someone steal the hinges and leave the door? Weird. I try to not wrinkle my nose at the smell in here. Ugh, it reeks of old drug usage in here. I think I might have my answer as to why someone would steal the hinges but leave the door: because You On Drugs is a retard. I suppose this is a bit more secure of a spot than an abandoned warehouse is, if you just want to be alone for a few hours.
Then Mystery Target Z sobs a bit (Not sure if it's because of pain or if it's any of their bundle of unfun feels driving it. Oh hey, the sobbing means they're not asleep: high as fuck it is), not far off, which for some reason prompts Taylor to look at me and get all inquisitive. What? What are you looking at me for? This is your thing! Bleh. I just sort of shrug at her. I'm pretty sure she's trying to be sneaky, given she's not just talking to me, so she'd probably get mad if I tried to ask her what she's on about. Fortunately, Ambiguous Shrug works just fine. I have no idea what that was about...
Anyway, Taylor puts her hand up in a 'stop' motion, points at my feet, and then points at herself and sort of jerks her head toward Mystery Target Z. Hey, I think I know what this means! 'Stay here Cherie, while I go and check this out'. Okay, coolio.
Then Taylor goes stalking quietly off. Damn. I mean, she's not in high heels, but I'm still a bit impressed how soundless she is when she wants to be. The sort of halfway-to-a-crouch walk she's doing is a bit weird to me, though. What's that about? Lowering her profile? In any event, Taylor is doing that focused thing she does when she's setting up to kill someone. Soooo... I guess Mystery Target Z is gonna die today. Alright then. Not sure why we bothered coming out here. If she's hiding out here alone, she's not getting medical treatment. I kinda suspect she's gonna die on her own regardless.
...
Oh, right. Murder-as-intimacy theory. She... might be doing it because murder just does something for her. Ah. Hm. Welp, better Mystery Target Z than me!
Actually, hold up, she actually brought me along instead of going in on her own after we were near-ish. Hooooly shiiiiit. If this is a murder-as-intimacy thing, that's like... first base on a date! (Wait, was first base kissing or hand-holding? I'm going to assume it's kissing) Haha progress! Now if only I had any idea what prompted it.
Then... nothing. Taylor gets to Mystery Target Z out of my sight, and Taylor is sort of creeped out while Mystery Target Z notices her and then resolutely ignores her, focused on... crying, I guess. Oh wait, is that grief? Like, I can tell sadness at a glance (Is there an 'at a glance' phrase for hearing?), but usually people don't try to be sad unless it's because they've lost something they care about and miss it and don't want to stop feeling sad because it would mean mentally burying the thing. Or however that goes exactly.
Well, I'm pretty sure I'm fine, and I'd like to get a closer look at Mystery Target Z. Maybe I'm misunderstanding this. Maybe they're very sad because their arm got pulled out of its socket and it was their favorite arm. Capes can be weird, yo. Plus... now I'm really curious how Taylor will react if I intrude on her Private Moment Of Murder. So I pop in behind Taylor, and... "Oh. Grief. Huh." ... yep, Mystery Target Z is looking badly wounded, but I'm pretty confident she's grieving. Probably the missing cape. Whoever that was.
Funny thing is, Taylor twitches, shocked, having apparently not noticed me until I spoke up. Heh. Wasn't even trying to sneak. Then she spins, low-key angry at me, and surprisingly quietly spits out, "Cherie, this is not safe." Hmmmm. More points for 'wants a relationship with me'. That's a surprisingly protective sentiment. I was expecting her to get mad at how I'm intruding on her murdermoment. I mean, I suppose this could be a smokescreen and the anger is actually about me bursting into this thing she wants to do alone, but while Taylor did kind of okay at coming up with a story to sell her dad on I've never really gotten the vibe she's good at misdirecting people on her motives. Soooo... probably take it at face value as protective.
Regardless, I wave a hand dismissively. "Yeah yeah Boss." If Mystery Target Z was going to do anything, I'd already know. She's committed to being really sad. Might be a bit of suicidal-ness going on there, actually. Not that suicidal-ness is a feeling, but the way she's focused on her grief I'm kind of suspecting whoever died was so important to her she's considering following them into death. So hey, let's confirm that! And also render Taylor momentarily silent by walking around her, ignoring her moment of silently raging outrage. I mean, I could just close my eyes, but that would be a bit too flagrant that I'm just making Taylor shut up. Having done that, I crouch down in front of Mystery Target Z -who is admittedly not that mysterious at this point, she's a blonde girl in not much clothing, there's blood and I think grease or something all over her, but hey Mystery Target Z is fun to say, even in your own skull- and ask her point-blank, "Heya girl, who died?"
Taylor is surprised when Mystery Target Z says, "Only the love of my life. Just kill me already." Huh. Not sure why Taylor's surprised. Anyway, so Mystery Target Z is indeed a Romeo and Juliet wannabe. Er, a Juliet-wannabe, I guess. Whatever, her favorite is dead and she wants to die too. Pretty sure she's talking non-platonic love here, too. Miiight just be me stereotyping her, though.
Regardless, "Not my call to make. Take it up with the Boss." Though honestly if it were me I'd go 'lolno' just to be funny-spiteful. You wanna die? Nah, lemme go get awesome medical care for you with my Master power. Anyway, I shuffle out of the way mostly so I can inconspicuously get line of sight on Taylor again, but my response confuses Mystery Target Z and she stops hiding her face in her hands and looks at Taylor herself, rendering it a bit redundant on my part. I manage to throw in a 'welcome to our wonderful restaurant' gesture quick enough to make it seem totally smooth and natural, though. Totally.
...
Or maybe Taylor and Mystery Target Z just don't notice because they don't care. Bleh.
Mystery Target Z speaks up before Taylor. "I don't know you people at all. The fuck are you doing here, civvy girls?" Ha! Civvy girls. Cute. Not sure why she thinks it matters she doesn't know us, but okay.
Taylor gets sort of... not precisely mad, but irritated in this really strong-yet-low-key way, though. I think she might be mad at Mystery Target Z swearing at us. At least, I can't think of a better reason for the anger, nor the following instruction. "Hit her with terror. Two seconds."
Okie-dokie!
Oh, that's interesting. I've not seen someone judder like that before, not in response to hitting them with as much fear as I can as fast as I can. Is it because of her injuries? She also scoots up against the wall, though I kind of doubt she's all that aware she's doing it. Probably just basic fear response stuff: run away! "Not civvies, then." That's surprisingly coherent. Then she... gets herself under control? Huh. She's made of sterner stuff than I was expecting. "The fuck you want with me, bitches?" Okay, I'll admit I like the spunk she's showing, but I'm gonna have to ding her on the smarts quotient.
...
Oh, wait, I concluded she's suicidal a minute ago. This might be a suicide-by-cop thing, where she's trying to piss us off so we'll give her the death she wants. Huh. Okay, stupidity comment temporarily retracted.
Then Taylor sits down. Like. Butt on the floor and everything. In this place. Ewwwww. "Well, that depends on who you are, and what you're willing to do. Among other things." Okay, so Taylor isn't just getting her murder on. She's... doing... fuck, I dunno. Something. Trying to be all authoritative and stuff too. I should do the thing, present myself as her right-hand woman and make it clear she's totally an important person you should listen to and also please ignore me. So I do that, aaand... I think Taylor actually notices me doing it this time. Hmmm. That could be a problem, if she objects to me doing it for some reason. Not sure why she would, but there was this whole thing this morning...
Mystery Target Z sneers... at her hands? "Can't recognize ol' Squealer without her big machines or her big man, is that it? Of course not, nobody respects a Merchant. Fuck everybody." Awww. Now I can't call her Mystery Target Z anymore. Okay, fine, so Squealer is pretty darn bitter. Like, she sounds bitter, obviously, but the well of bitterness runs deep, I think way deeper than the stuff she's talking about is liable to explain. Probably history there, personal history going way back. 'Big man' is probably the dead dude she's grieving over and currently trying to follow by provoking us. Not sure what 'big machines' is alluding to. Tinkertech, presumably, but that's not very helpful. Especially since I don't see any tinkertech on her. Maybe she'd normally wear a suit like the Dragonslayer suits, but had to abandon hers during the fight last night?
I'm a bit surprised Taylor doesn't make me hit her with terror again, or something. Especially since she's starting to get this pounding background of anger. "Isn't your thing big vehicles?" is, nonetheless, delivered in the mildly curious tone of someone wondering why one house has a bright pink roof in a neighborhood where all the other roofs are a dark blue. Idle curiosity.
I'm starting to wonder if her power has something to do with her managing to act calm when she's not actually calm. There's people who can do that who don't have powers, but I already know her power does mess with her feelings...
Squealer just keeps provoking Taylor, and this time not even with words. Something... briefly unsettles Taylor for a minute, no idea what, but then she shakes it off, wait like twenty seconds for a real response, and then finally some anger creeps into her actual voice. "You people hook kids on drugs. Why? What-"
She doesn't get very far before Squealer just dismisses her entirely. "They come to us. 's what happens when your life is shit, your parents are shit, your everything is shit and you need a way to just get through the day. We just sell to whoever comes to buy. Always have. Been on that side of the fence myself. Fuck you." Okay, I think she's being basically honest -she's got the right level of bitterness and stuff- but I wouldn't be surprised if this is also part of the possibly-real plot to get us to murder her. Actually, maybe she's assuming we're gonna kill her and just isn't willing to bother in the face of what she thinks is impending doom? That could make sense too. Though... it doesn't disqualify the suicide theory...
Taylor, meanwhile, is jarred, disquieted, a bit horrified, lots of confused. She clearly wasn't expecting a response anything like that. In fact, I'm not sure she knows how to respond to this.
I can help! I've got answers! And I can be funny, too. Bounce up and down, hand in the air, wait to be called on like the most excitable teacher's pet ever, wait for Taylor to notice that I'm doing it... thankfully, that happens pretty quickly. I was worried I'd have to get noisy for her to notice, and ruin the joke. When Taylor makes a 'go on' gesture, still befuddled, I grin and announce, "I know this one! Like Rat Park!"
Taylor and Squealer both just sort of stare blankly for a moment. Then Taylor tilts her head, feeling curious. Okay, more of an explanation then. "See, most drug studies with animal testing that are all 'oooh, drugs are evil and super-addictive rar!' involve rats in tiny cages with no room to explore, no other rats to fuck and otherwise have fun with, etc etc. So you had these dudes who made a big place with a zillion rats and tons of toys and basically rat playground equipment, and they set it up so rats could drink tap water or drugged water, and they found that mostly the rats would rather fuck than drink drugged water. So: other drug studies are the equivalent of locking someone into an isolation chamber in prison, and their options are pump iron or do drugs or be BORED. Totally unrealistic!"
Taylor gives me another stare, and after a moment asks, "Why do you know about this?" while Squealer has lost interest in our conversation. Yeah, I'm thinking she's trying to provoke us into killing her.
I say, "My childhood was very, very boring." And terrifying. But let's not focus on that.
Taylor wisely fails to press that particular topic, though she's a bit upset, up to and including allowing a frown onto her face. Nonetheless, she focuses on Squealer again. "Who was the, er, 'love of your life', anyway?" Heh. Her fingers twitch a little when she says 'love of your life'. I'm not sure if she was planning on air-quoting and then decided against it or if she's just unconsciously air-quoting, but either way I'm amused. Taylor doesn't believe in True Love, looks like. Which. Fair.
Squealer is not impressed. "Who do you think, bitch?" I have this suspicion she'd be flipping off Taylor if she wasn't moderately wounded and all.
It's kind of hilarious how much this pisses off Taylor, though she doesn't let it show. There was a split-second where I thought blood was about to spray, but in the end, nope. She just says, "Skidmark," in this 'I would punch you but I'm not sure I could ever stop if I started' tone of voice.
Taylor guessed correctly (Or is just horribly, horribly mean, either-or), because Squealer collapses into new sobbing instead of continuing to give us lip. This is hilarious: Taylor is confused. Gosh, Taylor, you either forced her to confront her loss anew, or you did a fantastic job of communicating your anger, or hey maybe both. How ~mysterious~ that Squealer would take it poorly. I can't help myself. I pat Taylor on the shoulder, make sympathetic noises, and say, "A woman's feelings are a mystery, ain't they?"
Ha! She... well, she didn't laugh, but there was amusement there! She found it funny! Aaaand then she turns her head in this horror movie fashion, the rest of her body creepily still, and stares at what I'm pretty sure is my jugular. Okay, I think I'd be disturbed if I was anyone else. But I know she was amused and is trying to hide it. So hey, I'm just finding this hilarious. Or... is she playing along? Is that what she's finally doing? Oh my god, that would be amazing.
Then Taylor rolls her eyes and goes back to staring at the top of Squealer's head like she's hoping to drill a hole in it with her laser vision. The laser vision she doesn't have. Come on, Taylor, you're Batman, not Supes. We've been over this. Not quite parsing the feelings she's experiencing, and very carefully not showing to anyone else. Heh. Hesitancy, definitely, a weird little thrill of fear, almost exactly like a scare chord actually, but... I'm having trouble giving context to all this stuff. There's some anger -it's Taylor, of course there's anger- and blah blah blah, but I can't reverse-engineer the thought process. Man, I hadn't realized how much I've been pulling from people's expressions and body language in conjunction with my power to create a complete profile, not until now that I'm with Taylor and it's often just my power I can work with. Huh. Useful to know.
Then Taylor pretty obviously comes to some kind of decision. She's even got a Firm Look on her face and everything. Then she ruins it by sounding weirdly hesitant when she speaks. "We -well, I, I guess- are turning her in. Help me get set up."
I get stuck on the weird delivery there for a minute, like seriously Taylor why are you all wishy-washy hesitant-sounding about your Firm Resolution to Do The Right Thing? Then I catch up with how this is basically the opposite of what I've been expecting -you're not killing Squealer? Seriously? Okay, I guess that makes running her down make less nonsense, but what?- and aarggh she's confusing me. Oh, actually, I'm totally prepared for this with a pen (I totally didn't steal) and sticky notes! (I definitely didn't steal. Would these gorgeous lips lie to you, imaginary listener?) In my purse! Heh, let's be obnoxious, given those dumbasses attacked her just last night. I write out...
"From: Monster & Pride
Much Love, Protectorate Pals!"
... and show it to Taylor. We can, like, wrap a ribbon around Squealer's head and put this on it, like she's a birthday present! Or, well, we could if I had a ribbon. I'm not that prepared.
Naturally, because Taylor is Taylor, there's a moment of peevish anger, and I'm half-expecting her to make me write a new one, but in the end she just gives me a look, spends a bit being all doubtful and hesitant, and then finally shifts over to being okay with this. Hell yeah! First draft is good draft! (That's like weird in writing circles, isn't it? So that proves I'm awesome) Okay, so, uh. Okay, we don't have a ribbon, so I can't tie it to Squealer's head. And it's a sticky note, not like duct tape or something, so it's not going to stay on if I just slap it on her forehead or something. Uuuuh, maybe her shirt? No, wait, I'm not sure how Squealer is going to be sitting on Taylor during this run. Bleh, I think I need to undermine the joke a bit and just get it under a bra strap so it'll stay even though it won't be super-visible. Actually, maybe that'll be funnier? Taylor delivers a bleeding Squealer to their doorstep, they go all WTF DUDETTE, and after scanning her for bombs or whatever the Protectorate Pals do in that kind of situation they find a cutesy little note. Wait, should I have put a little heart on it? Hmmm. No, I think that would've been too over the top, like just obviously mocking. I'm going for 'is she serious I can't tell this is stupid but it's not quite stupid enough to be clearly deliberate', not rubbing it in their faces that I don't really respect them. The putzes. So yeah, note's perfect, for sure.
Oh, and Squealer half-heartedly tries to slap at my hands... uh... oh, no, she is that pissed. Uuuuh. Now that I'm looking closer, that's a LOT of blood pooling in her pants. And on the floor. Oh god, that dark stain around her isn't normal filthiness, that's dried blood. Holy shit.
Damn, we're totally in a horror movie. Squealer is the damsel in distress, hunted by the monster. Taylor is the relentless monster. I'm... uh... hm. Dammit, I don't actually remember my horror movies that well. Did they ever have a hot sidekick for the monster? You'd think that would be standard or something, but nothing is ringing a bell. Oh, forget it.
Anyway, there's this whole thing with a car-sheet-dealy and blah blah blah, and I make sure to let Squealer know she's gonna need to stick tight to Taylor, and also casually threaten to eviscerate her if she starts considering feeling grateful romantic feelings at Taylor. And include a stab of mortal terror. Heh. It's satisfying seeing her pupils dilate, her mouth trying to form words and failing. I mean, obviously I didn't say all that in so many words, because I'm still not sure how Taylor wants to handle our, uh, relationship, but it's pretty obvious Squealer got the memo: hands off my girl, girl. Or Imma cut you. With her, probably, to be perfectly honest.
And then it's waving bye-bye!
...
Heh, listening in on people reacting is great. There's a lot of confusion, bits and pieces of dawning horror (Because they see the blood Squealer is losing by the liter? Or because Taylor-the-creature-of-the-black-lagoon disturbs them? Really curious), a delightful amount of, well, delight (Kids can be great sometimes. Occasionally. When they aren't creating problems. Which is... almost never...), and it's even more great listening in to the wave of people calling up the PRT, the PRT kinda panicking, troopers getting ready -oooh, I think they're zipping for an armory! Note to self, make a mental note of that space, it's probably an armory, if we're ever in that area I want to be able to beeline to the shinies. Okay, so in reference to that, this, aaaand... the other thing... yeah, I think I can triangulate it in future. Probably. Hopefully.
Okay, let's be honest, if we're ever in the PRT office in the future it's going to be with alarms blaring. I'll just find it by following the troops.
Anyway, meanwhile over where my meat is walking along, it turns out there is totally a gap in the fence of this property. And... going by the dark trail in the grass, I'm pretty sure this is where Squealer dragged herself through. Ah, hm. I'm being eyeballed by people in the area. They're... hostile? Angry, scared, anxious... oh. Do they think I'm Squealer? That'd be pretty silly, I mean okay yes we're both blonde -wait, if they think I'm Squealer and they recognize 'me' from dragging 'myself' in with a gaping stomach wound, why are they scared? Hmmm. Is Squealer a petty revenge sort? I mean, she was pretty petty...
Anyway, back with Taylor, the hilarity is... well, okay, it's not really any different from thirty seconds ago, but it remains hilarious. Actually surprised there doesn't seem to be any car wrecks- wait is this- oh god the Brocktonite family, are they normal? Oh please don't tell me they're normal, I'd almost forgotten about them. Is that -yes, now that I'm actually paying attention to details, there's some people who are excited, not nervous, amped up on cool factor rather than on a desire to flee the scene. They're... maybe 30% of the people, though, so no the Brocktonite Batnuts aren't normal. Not... as abnormal as I'd been hoping... uuughhh.
Happier thoughts! Focus on... okay, yes, Taylor is making the delivery, the PRT is all tense and angry and they're expecting, like, an explosion, and then Taylor is outta there... and the PRT are going WTF. Heh. I would pay to see their faces. Like. With my own money instead of someone else's, even. Okay, they're... staying a safe distance away from Squealer... okay wait now there's an employee who's all outraged and ignoring everyone else being sensible... and now everyone else is sort of shrugging and going along with it. Oh, I think I vaguely recall this employee. They talk to the capes some, haven't been able to pin down their role because no one really defers to them like an authority usually but they still seem to have access to all the capes... they're not even in Brockton Bay all the time, actually. Sensible, mind, but still notable. Hmm. Some kind of pencil-pusher from another office? Eeeh, whatever, Squealer is being taken in and now that the other PRT plebes are getting a good look at her there's a lot of discomfort, guilt, yadda yadda yadda.
Okay bored now, I'll leave that in the background. I mean maybe Squealer will reveal her ninth-dimensional hellform and things will turn awesome again, but this seems to be turning into the same ol' same ol' of people getting all medically worried over a seriously injured person. Pfff, I see that like fifteen billion times a day. BORED.
Anyway, walking along, trying to figure out where Taylor is headed... is it that park we hung out at before? No, no, not that one. Oh wait, she's stopped in a spot, no one seems to notice she's there, she's... doing something... I don't think she's waiting for me there, but let's walk that way anyway... okay... and...
...
... yeah, she's zipped off elsewhere. Need to angle myself more rightwardly, but overall same basic direction I was already going. No big. Just need to... drive off this dude who is drunk during working hours. Loser. Get a job! Or at least trigger and justify your angst. Loser. Anyway, once he's pushed away and now convinced I am the demons, I keep walking... and no, the stuff with Squealer hasn't gotten anymore interesting. I think they might've phoned Panacea, but she's not exactly hurrying her way over if so. Kind of curious if they called her over how bad Squealer's injury is or over her being a cape.
Anyway, bored bored bored, Taylor is waiting for me... Cavedude is... okay seriously, what is that? He's really smug for some damn reason. Is he on the phone with someone outside the city? Because his smugness doesn't seem to have anything to do with anything going on, and he's in his cave, so I really doubt he's playing a game or something. Seriously, what? Stop being so punchably smug, smugster. WHY YOU SO SMUG, SMUGSTER. Bleh. Maybe I should pay closer attention to him in the future, if he's going to be weird like this. Seriously, what is that? Why is he so smug? Ah, and now he's transitioning to something more business-like and... yeah, someone else has come in... he's talking to them... they're both being professional and boring... bleh. What did I miss, seriously?
Oh, whatever, I'm almost to Taylor. Grin up! Cheer activated! Heh. Okay, aaand... here... we... go! "That was fantastic." Annoyingly, Taylor just gets all confused and... vaguely offended? Er? Whatever, clarify before her mind goes stupider places. "The response, girl. People couldn't decide if they were supposed to panic or what. It was hilarious."
HAHA OH MY GOD THERE IT WAS AGAIN I DETECTED YOUR AMUSEMENT WITH MY POWERS OF... powering... power. Whatever, you were amused, I know it! I've gotten it twice! This may yet work!
Then Taylor gets all shifty-eyed while very obviously trying to play it cool and oh my god this is embarrassing how can you be such a cool badass and so sneaky-silent a stalking monster and this derp. I point at my head and make a point of rolling my eyes to call attention to the fact that I'D KNOW IF ANYONE COULD OVERHEAR US COME ON GIVE ME SOME CREDIT. Nonetheless, in the worst casual-secret voice I have EVER heard (And I've had to listen to Guillaume. Guillaume!), she asks, "So do you know what's going on with the package?"
Oh god. The 'package'. Did she get that from a movie? Seriously, the package. Like people won't find that suspicious as fuck -wait, what are we talking about? What package- wait, is she referring to Squealer? Uuuuh, okay quick review. Oh, huh, Squealer like nearly died or something, going by the panic and blah blah blah. But they've got it under control, pretty sure. Okay, bleh, let's... play along with Taylor's idiocy... "There was a bad spot where it looked like it was going to break completely, but it was caught in time, I think. They're fixing it right now." Okay how do I... um... ugh, this is stupid, how do I mention Smugster McCaveDude being the smuggest thing ever? Because that bothers me a lot more than what's going on with Squealer -forget it. Just... forget it. "We can talk about it more later." Okay, we did the thing! Nobody died, amazingly! Somehow! And I am personally still high on life and so on, and I'm sure Taylor is ready for more. So... "So what now, hon?"
Taylor spends a surprising amount of time mulling that over. What, she didn't have a plan already? Wow, she really doesn't do introspection. With her infinite waking time. Jerk. Just smile, Cherie, let her think! It's not like I've got a suggestion of my own right now. Which used to be a reason for existential dread but I HAVE CONQUERED THEE, FATHERFUCKER! In your face, cthuloid horror of my mind! You got nothing! I am freeee! And not like that fake-free I had when I got out from under Daddy's thumb (By making him very dead), but really free!
"We could... just... take a break? Have an actual nigh- er, afternoon on the town?"
FISTPUMP OF JUSTICE- wait what did Taylor just say? Uhhhh, don't let on that the fist-pump was totally unrelated. Seriously, she's suggesting we deliberately do normal human fun-type things? Instead of awesome parahuman things? Why? Is... is she hitting on me? Is this a date? Didn't we just do a date? Aaargh, I can't make sense of her thought process...
Okay, uh, sure. Let's... go dance?
"You know any clubs open at this hour?" I'm having a hard time wrapping my skull around the idea of Taylor being into dance clubs 'n shit, but okay. Dish!
Taylor sort of awkwardly looks to one side and blushes, vaguely ashamed. Uuuuh, has she blushed before? Oh! Shame! Huh, she can feel shame but not guilt? That's... a really weird distinction. She can't feel bad for doing bad things, but she can feel the crushing pressure of other people's opinions- holy fuck no wonder she's a murder 'hero'! She can't be a villain, because that's 'bad' in the sense that cultural norms say the villain label is bad and you should feel bad for earning that label, but she's able to murder for 'heroic' purposes because the screaming of the damned fails to reach her ears and she's... oh god, that's right, Kill Orders are a thing, and heroes heroically murdering villains accidentally-on-purpose also lacks real social backlash and hahahahaha ohmygod I get her now. "mumblemumble," she mumbles as if I can understand Mumble. I speak Disgruntled Grunts, okay? With a bit of nudging, she speaks up in a rush. "Idon'tactuallyknow."
I cock an eyebrow at her, but okay. Nothing is going to phase me now that I know she's a Heroic Murderess And Why. "Well, it's not like we actually need to go now-"
Blush intensifies, shame intensifies. Uuuuh. "I meant I don't know any clubs. Period."
...
Okay, we can eat well. "Okay fine, any fancy-pants restaurants?"
"Um. Fugly Bob's makes a pretty mean-"
NO. Rejected on the basis of its name. "Surely you've eaten at fuckin' Red Lobsters or somethin', at least."
Taylor looks down and the shame intensifies. That's a no. What does she eat normally, uh. Hm. I was going to make a peasant food joke but I realize I don't actually know what peasants ate in Ye Olde... Europe. I guess. Whatever! "Okay fine, bars can be pretty fun, please tell me you've gone and gotten your under-age drinking on-" Lightening the mood with a joke. "-at least."
Shame. Fucking. Intensifies. I was joking! "I know a couple of places, never drunk at them though." Uh. Why do you know this if you've never been? Taylor gets all defensive and slightly less shame-y for no fucking obvious reason. "My dad drinks with his friends semi-regularly, you just pick up this sort of thing."
Oh. Oh! Right. Normal family things, right, that is a thing that happens where you actually know your family members well enough to know what they get up to when they aren't around you without bullshit powers mapping the entire city passively. Like if your only family is your dad. Uh, now I feel like I've stepped in it a bit. Stupid jokes constantly backfiring. Just you wait, universe! Someday! Someday I'll make a joke and she will burst into laughter dammit!
I consider clarifying I was joking. No, wait, she got defensive for no reason, this is some kind of standing issue with her -is that ex-friend girlfriend of hers someone who got on her case about that? She hasn't exactly mentioned any other ex-friends, though I suppose they... uh... no, moving to another province -STATE I SAID STATE NO TELEPATHIC AMERICANS CAN FUCKING FAULT ME FOR BEING CANADIAN- doesn't really matter in this day and age as far as breaking friendships... hm. I guess she might've had minor friends she just... stopped talking to... eeeeh I'm leaning toward friendless. If her ex-girlfriend best friend was just her overall mostest girlfriend-ness, I'd think she'd have clung to them after being burned. Or that she'd at least have included them in the, uh, creepy deadpan backstory dump as an aside if they also turned on her sort of dealy.
Wait, where was I? Shit, Taylor is sort of staring at me and the defensive shame is intensifying QUICK INTERRUPT TIME! "You know anybody who hosts parties regularly, maybe?"
Aaaaaand now she's brooding again. Spike of anger that thankfully doesn't seem to be directed at me, angsty tanksty bullshit of just... ugh, stop being a landmine girl! That was supposed to improve your mood! "One," she says, and stops, taking deep breaths and clearly trying to get herself under control.
Oh of course her ex-girlbestfriend was a party girl what was I thinking STOP MAKING EVERYTHING ABOUT HER, TAYLOR, MOVE ON ALREADY.
I take a moment to very carefully not rub at my forehead in frustration. Just... okay, productive suggestions that won't enter landmines. Plan: Distraction! Version Two! "I'll just look for happening places, okay?"
Taylor is agreeable about this suggestion, but still brooding goddammit.
First place: there is a coolio party with drugs being passed around, pretty sure. Not interested in the drugs right now, but it's the most obvious party-type place. There's security dudes and one dudette turning people away, but they barely register because I'm Cherie Fucking Vasil, I always have an invite-
-Taylor is pulling on my arm. No wait, she's outright stopping, like she expects this to hold me. Oh god, come on. "Why not?" It's perfect! Okay it's not perfect, but it's there, we've found it, we're done searching! We can go do... whatever it is people of our age do when they don't have superpowers, I guess.
"I want fun, a break. I don't want to risk drama." That's nice Taylor, there will be no drama because I'm CHERIE FUCKING VASIL!
I stop though because she's actually, like, serene about this. No weird paranoia shit twigging, no anger, no brooding, just a simple need/goal/thingie. Feels like I'd be kiiiinda missing the point of her, ya know, words if I proceeded to create drama and stress by arguing with her. So. Fine. Fine.
"Right then, follow me."
Second place: Taylor is all no because we're under twenty-one and they check IDs here and she's not willing to let me charm or 'charm' my way in. I'm especially annoyed she didn't let me use my completely natural charm here, no joke, it's been a bit since the last time I talked my way into some place without cheating with my power and I had a moment of getting excited at proving how awesome I can be, above and beyond my power... buuut she's got a good point that she would never know the difference between me 'charming' vs charming my way in.
Third place: it's a BDSM party. I kinda knew it was a sex thing on the way over, but I thought it was some other kind of sex thing. The place is actually pretty good about screening things so if you don't know that BDSM is a thing you won't notice anything, but I'm me so I've already seen this and gotten bored of it. I can do better with my mind. Honestly, I mostly guided us here to see Taylor get all uncomfortable and she actually kind of did but there's no evidence she gets what she's looking at. So I don't make any kind of big deal about Taylor not wanting to go there -especially since we're ostensibly trying to Have Fun and if she's uncomfortable she's probably not having fun, yeah?
Fourth place: we're past the bronze medal here. Brockton Bay's daytime party scene is shit to be honest, if this experience is representative. Pretty sure this is an Empire place, I only took us here because I'm getting impatient and wouldn't mind interrupting our 'rest and relaxation' with Taylor becoming outraged at people beating each other up for sport and so murdering them for justice while I'm El Oh Elling in the background at her not seeing the issue with her thought process. Then I kiiiiinda realized I'd probably made a bit of a mistake and one of the fighters was actually a parahuman who I'd not noticed before as being a parahuman and I wasn't too thrilled with the idea of maybe kicking off a fight with an unknown parahuman who'd managed to go under my radar this whole time so I was super-happy when Taylor noticed how sketchy the place was, asked me some questions, and got all vaguely sick-looking at what I was describing and ultimately was leaning no. Didn't... let on about the parahuman thing. Don't want her knowing I kinda fucked up there.
So fifth place was- well. I'm not actually sure because...
... like a quarter of the way there the shadows pulled together in a fucking creepy way and then I got a closer look and realized they weren't shadows they were like a million fucking bugs. Cape! Uuuuuh shit where's the cape, is this another fucking cape who blocks my power please don't be another power-blocking cape I hate you guys. "I can't find whoever is doing this," I mutter in Taylor's direction. Then realize maybe the bugs can hear me? Powers! Powers are bullshit! Less talking, Cherie!
The civvies freak out and conspicuously decide to not help. Um. I wish I could take credit for that and pretend that I'm doing a totes heroic thing to impress Taylor with, but Taylor is blatantly unsurprised by it. She knows what we're dealing with and is... spooked? Unsettled? Jittery! She's metaphorically dancing from one foot to the other expecting things to go horribly wrong any second now. That's. Uh. That's concerning. What, is there another goddamn Lung-tier cape hiding in this goddamn cesspit of a city that I didn't hear about?
A bunch of the bugs form a pillar-thing that looks almost like a woman if I squint and ignore the fact that there's so many bugs they're blotting out the sun. I'm not exaggerating, what the fuck is wrong with this town!
Okay maybe ask a question. "So this is as bad as it looks?" Taylor's feelings are depressing. So. Worse? "Oh. Goody."
I regret asking my question.
"Yo̵͝u͢͡ ca̢n̴͠n̛͘o̴̴t̴̢ ̡ḩi̴͢d͞e f̨r̷̛͞o҉̴m L͢͞o̷̕cưs̷t,̶̧͞ ̵c҉̡͏ap̧͘͢e͝͏.̵̡͟ T̕hi̛s̸ iş Empir͢e̸ t͏erri̧tor̴y.̵ S̛ide̸k̢ic̵k.͟ L͜e̢a͞ve͟,̛ o͞r͘ ͢b͏ę coņs͏umed. The ̶ca̴p͞e an҉d I̵ ͝h͞ave͝ ͘bu͟s͘i̧neşş.̶"
Ow ow ow jeeze Louise horde of bugs, you suck to hear talking.
Um, Taylor, signs? Please have advice. Somehow. Um. Okay, tap Taylor on a... limb. Taylor... emotes something like warm reassurance that probably doesn't mean what she thinks it means. Forget it. Just. Smile and nod and make nice with the fucking bugs. Um. They sound kinda feminine? That seems sufficiently unnatural for fucking bugs I'm going to wildly guess our fair bug swarm is trying to present as female. And hope they don't get offended and, like, decide to swarm me. Because I STILL CAN'T FIND THEM! "Hi miss, uh, Locust?" That can't be their name, can it? But it sounded like they sort of implied it was their name... "We're very sorry for the misunderstanding-"
"Ther҉e̷ ̧i͠s ͞no̧ m͢i̵sund͢er͟s̕ta͝n̶d̸i͠n͜g."
Shut up shut up shut up where are you! "-but we're not, um, capes. Just... a couple of girls on the town."
Goddddd I can't find her, so I can't even tell if she's buying it!
Taylor gets all coiled with tension and oh fuck something dangerous must be happening fuck fuck fuck "Y̷̢͟͡o̕͝͝҉̛u͠͏̴̨ ͟a҉̕̕͜͟r̸͜҉ę̶̢͏ ̧̛͟͡҉a̷̵̢̨ ̴̢͘͘͠l̢̧͡i̸a͢͝r̕͘͠ ̢͘͡ơ҉͡r̨ ̧̨͠a̷̧̢͝ ̵͜͞͝f̨̕͟͟͡o͝ǫ̕̕l̵̨̧͝.̧̕͢͠ ͏I̶̢ ̵͜͏̶a̷̶̵͝m҉̴̧̛ ̶n̡̛̕o͏͘t̢ ̷̵͜b̵͢͡l͟i͡n͟͝ḑ.̷̡͠҉ ̴͝͏̷͜T͟͢͠h̡͝͠͝ę͢͠ ̸̡͞o̧͢t̕͏͢͝h͝҉̷͘ȩ̷͜͡ŗ̶ ̨͟i̕҉̶̸̡s̨͏ ̧͝͏a҉̷̢̛͢ ̧͢͢m̢̧͢͞͏o̵͘͘n̶̡͟͠ş̵̛͞t̶̨̕̕͞r̡̨o̸̵͏҉s̵̨͠i̢͞t̴͝y̧̢̢̕͡,͘͡͏̛ ̡͠h̸̴͜a͘s̶̛͜͟ ̸͢f̷̸̢͞l̴̢̢u͡҉̛͘i̡̨͜͠d̵l̨͘͡͡y͢͜͠ ̷͢͡ş̶̛͘̕h̨̧͠i̷̴̡f̡̕͜t҉̨͟͡e̷̵͜d̷̡ ̛̕t̴̷͢o̡͟͡ ̸̡͞a̴n̴͞͏d̕͡͠ ̵̵͢f̷̢͢ŗ̴o̡̕m̸̴ ̡̕͜͝f̷̕͜͜͠ǫ͘͢r͝͡ ̶̡̨͝͏t̵̡͢͞h̶e͜͏ ̡̨̕͞͝p̴̸͞a͠͡͞s͏̕t̷̨̡͞͞ ͝҉̴̷h̶̡̢͜͠a҉l͞f͘͟ ̷͟͟ḩ̛͝o͏͘͜͞u̧͜͞҉r̵̶̵̡.͘͝ ̶͜͟͝L̕͡͏e̢͘a͡v̢̛͏͝e̢ ͘b̨̕e҉̸̛͘͝f͢͡o̶r̴̸͝e̶̡͞ ̨͢͟͡I̵̢ ̢̕҉ḑ͜͡e̵̢̛c̨̡͏͟i̶̕d̵̸͘e̷̡̕ ҉̧y̷͢͢o̧͡ư҉ ̴̵̡͏n̷͞e̸͡ȩ͝͞͠d̢ ̸̧͜t҉̷̢̛o̡͞ ̛d̢̡ię̶͘͘͟ ̡͟t̶͡͞͡oo̕͘͜.̸̵̵̧"
What in the hell did she just say? Oh wait I caught... uh... leave? I'm going to hope she's telling me to leave. Wait shit Taylor is going murder-mad nope nope nope Imma squeeze your stupid limb and realize too late it's pure luck I didn't cut myself on that don't kick off a fight before I'm gone oh god. Taylor gets a lid on it so, whew, message received.
I still can't find this horrible girl! Aaaand now Taylor is getting downright alarmed by who-knows what.
"Sį̶deķ̕į͡c̕k̛.̨ ͘͢L͝͏̕e̶a̕v͘e̶̕͏.̶ ̶͝No̷ ̕҉m̢͝o͠r̵̢̛e̴҉ ͘t̨͟a͡͝l̕͠k̨i̴ng.̕͜"
Oh okay I understood that. Um. Is Taylor going to be fine- she's gotten behind me and gently shoved me. Okay yes I can leave. I am perfectly happy to leave and oh god don't think about how many bugs have crunched underfoot ew ew ew. Thumbs-up Taylor! Because fuck this better you than me!
... okay I'm not sure Taylor is in any danger from a bunch of bugs, but whatever. Fuck this, I'm out!
... okay it's really creepy how the bugs part like a curtain as I walk out. That's just... not right. Creepy, F-ed, what.
Okay, can I find this bug person? Are they a controller or some freaky bug-morph? I haven't found them if they're a controller, but then there wasn't really tone to the goddamn bug-talking so it wasn't giving me anything to work with re: emotions. Hmmm. Okay, assume they're a controller because if they're not they're just immune to me and this is all pointless. Can I infer any limits from what I saw back there? It was all bugs of various sorts, aside a... handful of crabs for some reason... so. Size limit? Bugs don't register to my power so I can't backtrack them that way... uh. Wait, if they're a controller, they'd be sequestered, wouldn't they? Assuming they had the range for that to work. I mean, that's what I'd do if I had some carapace control power with range on it, and she could see us and hear us so if she's a controller she either had the area bugged -heh- or her bugs let her see and hear through them, making being on-site unnecessary. I mean, it's possible one of those civvies was just a really good faker, but a distant controller is way more likely, right?
And the thing is, there's conveniently this one person just... sitting alone, nobody else around them in a sufficiently large area it's got to be, like, a building empty of other people.
HMMMMM.
I WONDER.
Okay, sunglasses off, I want to be able to see their hidey-hole clearly. I make my way there and try not to worry too much about how things are going with Taylor, because it... doesn't seem like it's going great... ignoring that! Okay, I'm basically on top of the girl's (?) location. It's... a shitty apartment complex that's got this whole cavalcade of signs letting people know that trespassers will be fined because this is slated for demolition three years ago yadda yadda. A perfect hiding place aside the hobo competition, I guess. I totally ignore those signs and ignore the dude who starts yelling at me about how I'm a disrespectful teenager and when I get myself killed it will be completely deserved and I think he gets off on a rant about immortal souls and Satan's children but I'm ignoring him. Door: boarded up. Windows: boarded up. Basement windows: boarded up and too small for me to fit through anyway. Other door: boarded up. Other other door: boarde- wait. I lean a bit closer into this door, noticing that the way everything is arranged this particular door isn't visible from the street and even the nearby high-rises are almost completely blocked off by a tree that's all gnarly and overgrown looming in the way to block lines of sight. And the boards are...
... yyyyyep, I manage to pull away one fairly easily. They're nailed in, but... loosely, I guess? They come away way more readily than this sort of thing should, and after I get like three off it turns out the door is locked but that's what hairpins are for! Ah, the eternal problem with invincible fortresses: you need a door for yourself, and other people can use that door too. Unless you're a cape, but hey, modern problems.
I try to make a bit of an effort to sneak in, but it doesn't go so well. Things creak. There's spiders -there's.
Uh.
That. Is a man. Cocooned up and with hundreds or thousands of spiders and other creepy-crawlies feeding on him.
...
After violently ejecting my stomach's contents as quietly as I can away from the goddamn bugs, I decide to revise my tentative vague plans to maybe, like, threaten this asshole into backing off and then leave them alive, maybe? Into a plan to fucking murder them. That's right, Taylor, Cherie is horning in on your thing!
...
oh god joking doesn't help i still feel horrified and am shaking like a leaf why what the fuck is this horrible shit about fuck this she dies
...
Eventually I find the damn door to the horrible monster's room. I knock, because style is important even when dealing with creatures from your worst nightmares, but there's no response. When I open the door and hurl myself through, I'm half-aware of how the room is filled with some nice shit like carpets and couches and silverware, in contrast with the fucking cocoon rooms that are all spiderwebs and dust and fucking horrible bugs and bodies in cocoons and oh god focus. This space is designed to be lived in. I also notice the table has a fairly sizable roast chicken, which has obviously been sitting there for hours and has had only a small portion of it cut out and presumably eaten.
This latter point takes on grisly new implications when I get to the girl and, in the process of putting my knife against her throat and failing to cut through the neckpiece discover she's skin and bones. Not like the mothering stereotype phrase OTHER PEOPLE'S mothers use to justify cramming piles of food down their kid's gullet, but like. Actual. Factual. Skin and bones. Lady, there's dieting and then there's stupid. I was going to tell her to not move or I'll slit her throat, but while she made a horrified, rasping croak -and I just realized her feelings are flat, disconnected not only from the bugs but even from the feelings she just physically expressed- and her head sort of tilted like 10% toward me, there was no lunging to her feet to run or defend herself. She can't. It's almost enough to make me reconsider my murder plan or feel bad about doing it to her except FUCKING COCOONS LIKE SOME HORROR MOVIE SHIT DADDY SCARRED INTO MY BRAIN WHEN I WAS FIVE GODDAMN YEARS OLD.
I mean okay I'm just increasingly sick to my stomach and horrified and it just keeps getting worse why does it keep getting worse but fuck the guilt I'm pulling a Taylor and Saying No To Guilt.
So instead I get on the couch and pull... whoever this is onto my lap, just to make absolutely sure they can't escape. And also work on pulling apart the neckpiece of their costume so I can cut them. There's very limited flailing, and oh god is this grotesque, but I decide to interrogate her while I'm still figuring out this neck bit. "So, um, whatever your name is-" Locust can't be her name, can it? That's such a lame, terrible name. "-what the fuck is up with the cocoons?" I make a point of blasting her with maximum depression, only it just sort of... slides off her? Or something? She feels it kind of for a second and then it's gone only not gone? What? I keep pushing regardless, which I feel a wee bit more justified doing when I notice there's like a whole bunch of bugs in the area and... some of them are sort turning about aimlessly or something, which maybe is somehow a consequence of the emotion blasting I guess?
There's a very faint flicker of confusion through the flatness and pseudo-depression. Then it's gone. "Undesirable... people. Bugs. Need food."
Okay that makes sense and explains how they resolved the issue of competition from the homeless people WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU LADY.
(The bugs buzz. Herp? What, like herpes? No wait, help? Maybe? What, does she expect people on the street to run to help her?)
"And why are you doing this?"
Thaaaat produces a twinge of... fear? Um. Okay? "Kaiser... orders."
Oh. Wait shit what? Fucking Kaiser ordered this shit? I look closer at her costume, and yes, it's covered in swastikas 'n shit. Holy shit, and Brockton Bay hasn't dropped a nuke on its Nazi problem yet why? Their boss feeds people to bugs! Aaaaah shit and I just realized she probably didn't even mean the homeless earlier, that's just... fuck, fuck this shit, fuck this place, and -what is Taylor doing?
"He'll... make you... example... suffer... Hell..." Yeah yeah whatever lady nobody cares.
Aaaand a gray-white... smoke? Thing? Pours in through a door I ignored earlier, and hovers nearby. Um. I pull my knife closer to the lady-cape's neck to make my point. And then look around to see if any of the damn bugs have reached me yet and holy shit that carpet of bugs is a lot closer than I'd thought it was. "No, nope, back off with the bugs or I will slice your throat, don't fucking test me here."
The carpet of bugs obligingly backs off to a better distance. Then Taylor tears into the room -"Heya Boss!" I call out, covering up the EVERYTHING HORRIBLE IN MY BRAIN with false cheer- and the smoke-thing... coalesces into a man. A man I can suddenly feel. Not that he has much in the way of feelings, I mean seriously he tells me to let his wife go -the woman in my arms, I guess- and the general state of his feelings is somewhere between 'mild distress over bumping my toe into a wall' and 'I swear I'm forgetting something, this is going to bother me all day'. I'd assume their relationship is in the toilet but then why show up and make the demand at all? Also his wife is UTTERLY FUCKED UP AND HORRIBLE SO HE'S PROBABLY FUCKED UP AND HORRIBLE TOO.
Anyway, head-shaking is a go. "Nah, see, if I do that, you'll just do your fog thingy and kill me." I mean, I assume. I have no idea who this guy is, but he apparently turns into... fog or smoke or something, so. Um. Fuck, I dunno, he'd give me lung cancer in ten years?
Whatever is up with the dude, he's not really giving me anything to work with. "If you swear you will leave us be, I swear you will be free to go." Does he mean it? I can't tell. Is he desperate and sincere, or just making idle chatter over maybe letting me borrow his lawnmower next week? I'm actually starting to maybe be more creeped out by him than by his wife.
So I don't even have to think about my response. "No deal." Um. Wait, okay, so this is an Empire op, and man, fuck Kaiser if he okay-ed this shit. Plan: lie and bait is a go! "I want to hear it from your boss. I've heard good things about his honorability." That's a word, right? Also, lying like crazy, I've heard nothing but awful shit about this guy and only just came up with this plan to pin the man down so we can kill him.
Taylor is having a total freak-out and I just sort of blast her with trust for a second distractedly because shut up I'm busy and I don't want you ruining this goddammit. Smoke-dude's response is dead as ever, and I still am not getting much off of him, it's fucked up. "I have no reason to take you at your word."
Errrgh come on just... call him! Call him call him CALL HIM I WANT BLOOD. Shhhhh Cherie, pretend to be calm. Um, leverage. I don't trust my power to work on this guy, so. Fine, we're 'heroes' right? "Awww, come on. You haven't heard of Monster and Pride? We're good guys. That makes us trustworthy by default!"
Look, mysterious creepy watchers in my head that I'm just imagining because fffffuck this situation, I know that's a terrible line no one would ever fall for-
"If you cross us, our people will ensure your pain is legendary." Out comes the cell phone, too.
-of course it worked I should just start saying every one of my plans is stupid nonsense that couldn't possibly work and then I'll just be invincible won't I?
Fine, whatever, tracing. Taylor, shut up with your confusion, I'm busy, just... trust blast. I'll explain after if she gets on my case. AFTER. IMMA CUT THESE PEOPLE SO HARD.
Blah blah blah the dude is talking to Kaiser and I've got like twenty possibilities, questions back and forth a bit, clarifying, twelve possibilities, five, two, you. TAYLOR MURDER THAT GUY YOU ARE SO ANGRY RIGHT MURDER HIM MURDERMURDERMURDER COME THE FUCK ON DO IT NOW oh god fine here's another trust blast NOW MURDER THE BASTARD oh god hurry up come on, feel like, like you need to do something, that leads naturally into murder for you right?
And yes she finally goes and attacks him, at which point I finally cut anonymous bug-girl-cape's throat and. Uh. Saw some more, oh ew this is unpleasant but now she's dead and... yes, her bugs are no longer moving in concert. They're, uh, pretty sure they're tearing into each other in fact. He fakes being dead up until I point it out aaaaaand now his head is a messy pile of bone shards and gore so now he's dead. Pretty sure. I mean it's possible he's just in that immune-to-me state, but nothing about him is smokey so I'm leaning toward dead. GOOD.
Hahahaha holy fuck this is an adrenaline high!
also oh god i need to puke again
As such, when Taylor insists I at least go wash up my knife, I do so without complaint. And puke. And gargle and spit and hold up this fucking building has running water too? How did the Empire hide this nonsense? Never mind! Never mind I don't care I'm washing the taste and memory of this horrible place out and then I'm going to pretend everything's fine to Taylor and explain things in a way that maximizes how awesome I sound and everything will actually be fine as a result!
And then we fucking kill Kaiser.
...
Why is Cavedude irritated and disappointed? I mean, he's still being smug, but- he's not reacting to anything I can find. Does he just make constant calls out of state? As a prison warden?
... is he some kind of cape?
God, I don't know, forget it, I need to psych myself up for telling Taylor the mostly-true story of my encounter with, uh. The girl. Whatever her name is.
Right, okay, so it goes something like this...
