Amelia, Worm AU [Complete]

[Snake/Eater]

Zerg spawning pits? Any effort that involves going to the moon to place a WMD is better spent equipping the Earth itself. Besides, unless you're firing things at fractions of the speed of light, anything launched from the moon is going to take a while to get to Earth. Which gives someone the chance to shoot it down.edit: Well, shit. I got zombie-Imp'd by the author himself.

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they have secret access to a hidden stash of alternate earths where any moon is in a very different position or even closer compered any earth that can sustain life combined with the dimensional shunt tech....any army would be destroyed from any direction and they would never see it coming.... and the moon is a great place to use because it has large and untaped rare mineral called helium 3 that could be used to power a fusion reactor...

 

[cosoco]

you'd be happy about."

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be happy about it.

"Avalon's a great idea, but it won't work," he explained. "People don't do well like that. We need things to strive for, things to fight against. Human beings are at their best when there's a goal, and struggles. Something to strive for. We fall apart when you take that away. Spoiled rich kids that have never had to work in their lives. Welfare systems that take away a need to work to survive. Refugee camps. Reservations. They take away self sufficiency, and with it self respect. No matter how beautiful they make their garden, it's still their world and everyone on it will be dependent upon them."

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I've been in a position where I didn't know where my next rent payment/meal was going to come from, and I can't agree with this. That kind of uncertainty is ten times worse than a loss of self-sufficiency.

 

[Snake/Eater]

here's a song that really matches this chapter,it matches a lot of Vicky mood and character arc,The Mamas and the Papa's "California Dreamin' as covered by Robot Koch & Delhia de France.because even this isn't a world worth dreamin' for...

Spoiler: California Dreamin'

All the leaves are brown and the sky is gray
I've been for a walk on a winter's day
I'd be safe and warm if I was in L.A.
California dreamin' on such a winter's day
Stopped in to a church I passed along the way
Well I got down on my knees and I pretend to pray
You know the preacher liked the cold, he knows I'm gonna stay
California dreamin' on such a winter's day
All the leaves are brown and the sky is gray
I've been for a walk on a winter's day
If I didn't tell her I could leave today
California dreamin' on such a winter's day
On such a winter's day, on such a winter's day

 

[Coruscant Knave]

I got the feeling Mark was applying his perspective as a Hero to his view on all of Avalon. And yeah, being a combat cape on Avalon will probably be pretty boring. If he isn't ready to retire, not much point in moving.

 

[Daunmi]

I think with the exception of Thinkers and Tinkers, Avalon isn't going to look that crash hot to parahumans. They've still got the whole 'conflict' thing urging them on, so for all we know New Wave just doesn't want to distance itself from potential fighting, even if they don't realize it.

Thinkers are fine. They can do their thing from pretty much anywhere (even in canon Lisa wanted to get off the front lines, and The Number Man was the same and he's much more capable of combat then Lisa is) and that still lets their powers stretch their limits (more so considering their extended lifespans from not getting killed in a fight).

Tinkers have it even better. Not only do they get a huge world to work in (fresh resources, once sourced/mined, along with lots of open space for... accidents), but Dragon is there, along with access to all of Pantheon's Tinkers/Thinkers and their work and the freedom of collaboration between them that Pantheon promotes and potential access to Endbringer materials if they play nice.

All the other classifications? Not so much.

Strangers will want to avoid it, what with the whole virtual omnipresence.
Masters won't be allowed to use their effects on people.
Shakers don't really have anywhere else to work thanks to Amy.
All the rest of the more direct cape types won't get any use out of their powers since there'll be very little crime, if any, and causing problems isn't something anyone most people will be dumb enough to do.

And that's just from shard influence.

People with powers are used to being the center of attention. If they go to Avalon, without a truly impressive powerset or something that lets them work alongside Pantheon, they'll be virtual nobodies.

It's not the same for regular people, of course.

 

[Beyogi]

I've been in a position where I didn't know where my next rent payment/meal was going to come from, and I can't agree with this. That kind of uncertainty is ten times worse than a loss of self-sufficiency.

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What doesn't help is that self-sufficiency is an illusion anyway.

I'm not sure if that's a case of "different peoples different customs" or "the former sinner becoming the most fanatic preacher".

 

[dasstan]

Masters won't be allowed to use their effects on people.

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I agree with the general tone of your post, but I have to point out that the master classification is for anyone with minions, not just the people that control other people.

 

[edale]

Let's not forget that Taylor is a Master. Being a Master is Taylor's ONLY power, all other abilities (such as the stranger and tinker ratings she could qualify for) are merely creative uses of her Master power.

Seems to me like that's at least one Master that'll enjoy life in Avalon.

 

[doomlord9]

Let's not forget that Taylor is a Master. Being a Master is Taylor's ONLY power, all other abilities (such as the stranger and tinker ratings she could qualify for) are merely creative uses of her Master power.

Seems to me like that's at least one Master that'll enjoy life in Avalon.

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Actually Taylor's primary power is her Thinker power of Unlimited Multitasking and her Master power is a secondary power to give her something to multitask with and targeted the most masterable thing that happened to be closest at the time of her trigger.

/pedantry

 

[SirKaid]

Let's not forget that Taylor is a Master. Being a Master is Taylor's ONLY power, all other abilities (such as the stranger and tinker ratings she could qualify for) are merely creative uses of her Master power.

Seems to me like that's at least one Master that'll enjoy life in Avalon.

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Technically she's also a Thinker what with the multitasking and all, but I get your point.

EDIT: Stranger'd

 

[Daunmi]

I agree with the general tone of your post, but I have to point out that the master classification is for anyone with minions, not just the people that control other people.

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The vast majority of master effects in Worm are human based. Taylor is the only parahuman I can think of that controls something other then people. Obviously, that's not to say other types don't exist, it's just that I'm not aware of them.

At the same time, Masters of other types of creatures aren't needed by Pantheon (Amelia and Riley can stretch the definition of 'bug' pretty damn far) and human masters joining them is unlikely (massive trust issues) and probably a bad thing for them (everyone else finding out Pantheon has, and is enhancing, human capable masters waves too many red flags).

Let's not forget that Taylor is a Master.

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Well... if we go by the most recently stated PRT report:
"We should probably remove her Master rating entirely, as it's misleading. 'Insects' aren't so much animals being controlled, as they are part of the environment being manipulated. Upgrade her to Shaker seven, downgrade Master and Thinker to one."

She's actually more of a shaker then anything. Still, if it wasn't for the Taylia link, we really don't know what Taylor's thoughts on Avalon would be. Amelia can police it pretty much on her own.

Actually, that's something I'd be a little interested in; Seeing what sort of threat level the PRT is pegging them at these days. Something tells me their ratings are going to be confusing as fuck since most of their main strengths come from combining powers or enhancing things, so it's not the individual ratings that are going to change much (although the PRT should be kicking itself over not figuring out Lily's abilities better).

I am not asking for a power level debate! Stop typing.

Seems to me like that's at least one Master that'll enjoy life in Avalon

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Home is where the heart is. I doubt very much she cares about Avalon itself.

/pedantry

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If you want to go into pointless specifics, at least do it right. Her bug control and multitasking are the same power, just different levels of access to it. She only has one shard after all, not counting Taylia.

/real pedantry

 

[moontheir4]

The vast majority of master effects in Worm are human based. Taylor is the only parahuman I can think of that controls something other then people. Obviously, that's not to say other types don't exist, it's just that I'm not aware of them.

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Dragon (post defiant), Nilbog, Crusader, Genesis, Bitch, Siberian, Mockshow... There're more, I'm sure, but it's hardly uncommon.

 

[Daunmi]

Dragon (post defiant), Nilbog, Crusader, Genesis, Bitch, Siberian, Mockshow... There're more, I'm sure, but it's hardly uncommon.

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I'll give you Genesis, and I can't actually remember Mockshow, so that's my bad.

Dragon's not a master at all since every one of her is still her, Nilbog's things are in some way mutated humans (I'd actually rather argue that they're a little like Dragon but that's taking this into power mechanics debates so I wont), Crusader's ghosts (if you ignore the projection aspect) are copies of him (a human) with armor and weapons, Bitch isn't a master at all unless every dog trainer on earth is a parahuman, and Manton's Siberian projection is also human.

Regent and Heartbreaker (and pretty much all of his kids for that matter) all control people in some way.

Canary wasn't shown effecting animals, but that's just a lack of screen time more then anything. Still, she could effect people.

Valefur is an easy one.

Simurgh, depending on how you want to classify her mental fuckery.

Noelle/Echidna made human clones that she sort of controlled.

Victoria's aura wasn't shown to work on animals (I think).

Gallant's emotional blasts... I think they effected Rachel's dogs, but I'm not sure, but it doesn't matter because they also effected humans.

Aiden, at the end, definitely counts for you. That's three, possibly four, out of this whole list, counting Taylor.

 

[1282748472]

That's three, possibly four, out of this whole list, counting Taylor.

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You can hardly call Nilbog's creations mutated humans. They have as much in common with lizards as humans. It would be like calling apes mutated humans.

Don't forget Spawn, and that one of Taylor's kids who could control birds (QA bud), and that guy working with the people who thought they were wizards who could control birds and make them explode.

Technically Amelia could master a dog or something by changing it's brain to love her. She wouldn't but her power could do it.

Maybe Blasto? He used pheremones mostly but they might count as part of his power seeing as no non-tinker could make them.

 

[SirKaid]

Nilbog's things are in some way mutated humans

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No they aren't, what gave you that impression? Nilbog's monsters are created out of whole cloth, they aren't mutated anything. Sure, he had them drag off people, but that's because his monsters still need to eat.

 

[edale]

Well... if we go by the most recently stated PRT report:
"We should probably remove her Master rating entirely, as it's misleading. 'Insects' aren't so much animals being controlled, as they are part of the environment being manipulated. Upgrade her to Shaker seven, downgrade Master and Thinker to one."

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PRT ratings rate how much of a threat, and are designed to allow PRT troops to properly respond to a threat by a given parahuman. You can have a weak power, but get a high rating if it's hard enough to deal with. Or, you know, rate a Master as a shaker if that means the PRT troops will use the correct kind of responses to fight them.

There's also the whole thing that if her Master rating is too high, everyone who comes into contact with her would have to go through Master/Stranger protocols, even if she can't Master humans....because that's how bureaucracy works.

Technically she's also a Thinker what with the multitasking and all, but I get your point.

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This might be fanon, but I think it comes from WoG:

-Each insect that enters Taylor's range gets Mastered.
-When an insect is Mastered by Taylor it's tiny brain is added to Taylor's, kinda like computers networking together to share processing power. This acts more like a hive-mind than centralized thought (AKA thinking with only one brain).
-Since controlling a bug uses less than 100% of the bugs brain, there's a net gain in Tyalor's overall mental 'processing power' from each insect, granting effectively unlimited multitasking (since even with just a 'few' bugs around, Taylor still has mullions of extra brains to work with).

So in conclusion: Taylor has no Thinker power, simply a Master power that boosts her natural mental abilities as a side-effect.

As an aside, I'm personally of the opinion that Taylor first triggered in The Locker with just bug control; then second triggered a week or two later, while in the hospital, granting the brain-sharing/Thinker aspect. This explains why there was so much chaos with her power at first, then suddenly everything came into focus and she understood what was happening.

If you want to go into pointless specifics, at least do it right. Her bug control and multitasking are the same power, just different levels of access to it. She only has one shard after all, not counting Taylia.

/real pedantry

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See above.

/Super-Special-Awesome pedantry (if you don't get the joke, go watch YuGi Oh Abridged)

 

[Daunmi]

Ok, I'll give you (both) Nilbog because I think I've misunderstood how he works (I would still argue that they're more other parts of him then separate entities, like Dragon, but there's no proof for it other then how they act). Aiden is that kid of Taylor's, so I already counted him. And yes, Spawn works, as well as that eloquently described 'wizard'. Taylor, Aiden, Nilbog, Spawn and 'wizard', plus Genesis and Mockshow (can you tell me who this is? I'm counting it, I'm just curious).

I really don't know about Amelia and Blasto. I want to say yes to them as well, it's just it doesn't feel right for some reason. On top of which I could just argue that they could also do the same to humans. Which means I'd count them for my side of this, so I'll avoid it.

So that's 7 I'm fully agreeing with that don't do humans, and 13 I pulled out of my god awful memory that are mainly (or completely) focused on people.

So it's not as massively skewed towards human masters as I thought. But I still don't see other masters going to Avalon.

Or, you know, rate a Master as a shaker if that means the PRT troops will use the correct kind of responses to fight them.

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Yes and now we're getting into a naming/labels argument.

everyone who comes into contact with her would have to go through Master/Stranger protocols, even if she can't Master humans....because that's how bureaucracy works.

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Which isn't a bad idea when facing Taylor, since that would ensure everyone was checked for bugs (no pun intended at all here) when they got back to base.

See above.

/True pedantry

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Well, that's what I said, but you said it better. I'll be honest, I wasn't willing to put any effort into that.

Also, since you're saying it:

-When an insect is Mastered by Taylor it's tiny brain is added to Taylor's, kinda like computers networking together to share processing power. This acts more like a hive-mind than pure

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Was this something from canon or WoG? I can't remember it (not debating it, curious).

So in conclusion: Taylor has no Thinker power, simply a Master power that boosts her natural mental abilities as a side-effect.

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So in conclusion: Taylor has no Thinker or Master power, simply a Shaker power that connects her mind to the surrounding bugs to boost her natural mental abilities, giving her control over them and their senses as a side effect.

And that's why I don't want to go into a power mechanics debate. Because both canon and WoG are about as consistent as my bowel movements, and just as open to confusion. I'm not sure why I decided to use that, but it'll do.

 

[edale]

Ok, I'll give you (both) Nilbog because I think I've misunderstood how he works (I would still argue that they're more other parts of him then separate entities, like Dragon, but there's no proof for it other then how they act).

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Nillbog's creations suffered no ill effects, other than going into a rage, from Nilbog's death. That's pretty solid evidence they're separate creatures.

Was this something from canon or WoG? I can't remember it (not debating it, curious).

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This might be fanon, but I think it comes from WoG:

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So in conclusion: Taylor has no Thinker or Master power, simply a Shaker power that connects her mind to the surrounding bugs to boost her natural mental abilities, giving her control over them and their senses as a side effect.

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...Wow...That actually makes decent amount of sense; it would even fit in with most of canon. It's completely wrong, but I'm still majorly impressed.

Well, that's what I said, but you said it better. I'll be honest, I wasn't willing to put any effort into that.

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And you managed to catch one of my "frequent edits to new posts" in your quote, lol.

Because both canon and WoG are about as consistent as my bowel movements, and just as open to confusion.

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Someone get this man some fiber, STAT!

 

[Daunmi]

This might be fanon, but I think it comes from WoG

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Uggh, sorry. Completely overlooked that when I asked. Which proves it's the blind leading the blind.

Nillbog's creations suffered no ill effects, other than going into a rage, from Nilbog's death. That's pretty solid evidence they're separate creatures.

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He didn't die. In canon or this story. A puppet was destroyed. Having someone target the thing he was using to represent himself to the world would annoy him.

No no, I said I'm not arguing this. All his creatures react without prompting, as far as I can remember, implying that his 'mastery' over them is like Dragon's over her suits. She/he makes them, and they're linked to her/his mind as much as her/his real self is. His creatures got made when his puppet was destroyed because he was mad. However this isn't specified anywhere, so it's all just pointless for the topic at hand. Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain.

 

[Inverness]

I appreciate the thought Mark put into his decision, but I disagree. It's pretty well documented that humans have a lot of trouble being happy with what they have.

There a plenty of things besides housing and sustenance to strive for, after all. I mean, people who can eat and have a home over their heads don't stop having hopes or things they strive for.

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I agree with this. If people don't need to worry about basic needs on Avalon they can focus on more interesting things such as art and science. I doubt the plethora of alternate Earths has removed the interest in space exploration and things like that.

 

[Fouredged]

be happy about it.

I've been in a position where I didn't know where my next rent payment/meal was going to come from, and I can't agree with this. That kind of uncertainty is ten times worse than a loss of self-sufficiency.

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Also, we live in a modern society. Self sufficiency is an illusion. We think we are self sufficient because we go to the store and buy our food. We don't think of the literal HUNDREDS of people it takes to get that food to the store, and that's just food. People don't SEE all those people, so they fall into the illusion of "I don't NEED your help, I can take care of myself". As far as that person is concerned, it doesn't matter if that food comes from underground farms of sprawling fields.

Yes, people need something to strive for, but we are really good at making something up. Maybe it's art, maybe sports, maybe a crazy nobility system. We in America chase arbitrary amounts of wealth beyond our ability to ever use it all. People will build the system they need to feel fulfilled.

I am personally of the opinion that filling as many rungs of the pyramid of needs as possible by default is a GOOD THING. It looks to me like Ames will fill most of the first and second rung by existing. This is a good thing. People will be, by default, happier than if she didn't. Some people may not think so, but those are the people struggling to climb the third run and have never really lost access to one of the lower rungs. The most acute and basic needs must be met before you can be satisfied with the completion of higher rungs. Your job cannot be satisfying if you have no food.

 

[TanaNari]

Awesome. I was afraid people were going to react to Mark's beliefs like they were the author's beliefs.

Or were going to think he was some kind of strawman for the author to tear down.

Neither of which would be true. I know plenty of people who'd have similar beliefs, and Mark strikes me as one of them.

Instead I get a lot of "I see where he's coming from, but disagree personally".

I'd say I managed to thread the needle perfectly here. Which is so very gratifying.

You know what you should do? Take how miserable you're feeling and pour it into your writing. It's a Worm fic, it'll only make it better!

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Sadly, this wasn't that kind of miserable feeling. This is the 'fuck it's cold and I'm tired and have a mild cold' type. Takes a better man than me to channel that one into the writing.

On the plus side, I'm feeling great today and am back to work.


*Studiously ignores power debate*

 

[Alterego9]

Also, we live in a modern society. Self sufficiency is an illusion.

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Then again, we are not exactly mentally healthy either. We feel social alienation, loneliness, we are constantly second-guessing our life choices, we turn to drugs, and to other obsessive petty bullshit (online arguing, relationship drama, reckless activity) to distract us, we know that we are irrelevant cogs in the machine and our jobs are meaningless, etc.

We can say that all things considered, modern western life is still better than the millenia of endless plague, war, starvation, and oppression before it, but on the other hand, our sense of dependency had taken it's own toil in turn.

I ultimately agree with Mark that humans need struggle, and that for Avalon, it will be a problem when most traditional struggles are gone. The point is not whether safety, freedom, and comfort are good things or bad things. Obviously, they are better than the alternatives. There is no competition, it's clear that we are obliged the world safer, freer, and more comfortable for ourselves, even knowing that it will have it's own dark side in the form of bringing great emotional upset. On the other hand, it's easy to sympathise with those whose life just got uprooted, with families that will fall apart with no need for a breadwinner, with the warriors who won't find satisfaction in arts or sports, or with the first generations of youth growing up in a world where they feel adrift and decadent, while the older ones hate them for not fitting their old morals.

Likewise, Mark's point wasn't that Avalon shouldn't be done, just that it's not for him.

 

[Beyogi]

On the other hand, it's easy to sympathise with those whose life just got uprooted, with families that will fall apart with no need for a breadwinner, with the warriors who won't find satisfaction in arts or sports, or with the first generations of youth growing up in a world where they feel adrift and decadent, while the older ones hate them for not fitting their old morals.

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Um... if a family only exists because it needs a breadwinner it's probably not that big a loss. If warriors can't find satisfaction with something else than slaughter and strife then they should visit a doctor and get some drugs to fix their madness. If youth feel bored you need to properly integrate them into society and not just put them in front of a TV.
Morales usually change with changing circumstances.

The only thing the whole thing is showing that there are apparently people who don't have enough creativity to figure out what to do with their lives if they have no existential problems.

Solution a) Get them some more education, somewhere through the process they'll probably figure out something what they want to do. b) Organise a proper Republic to integrate the population into the political life. (There is a reason why Aristoteles thought slaves were a necessity - how can people properly focus on governing/deciding for their polity if they're distracted by the daily toil?). c) Release a retrovirus to fix their defective brains that can only find challenge in stupidous manual labour or violent conflict. d) As always the young generations will find their place in the world. Even if they have to go against the morals of their elders. I think that's called the way of life.

 

[TanaNari]

Amelia, Ch 254- Taylor


SupportLoveComfortAmusement. The first emotions to hit me when the link was restored. "Wow," Amelia gasped. "You really did miss me."


Oh how much I missed you. "Yes," I answered, pulling her into another hug. We hadn't stopped being in physical contact except for that brief period where she got changed into actual clothes. And it was only with reluctance that I didn't follow her in when she was doing that, too. I couldn't blame her for wanting to get into real clothing. That biofilm stuff was not comfortable.


She ran her fingers through my hair. "Y'know... the way you're reading right now... I could probably get away with doing pretty much anything I wanted to you." I could tell she wasn't serious thanks to our bond, just more teasing. Plus she was just restored. It took a couple days for the new bodies to start experiencing 'those' desires again, for whatever reason. I hadn't worked up the courage to ask anyone about the cause of that side effect.


I kissed her cheek. "Yeah, probably." LoveContentment. She squeezed me tighter. "We should probably go have that family get together, however. But... umm... I need you to do me a favor, first."


"Oh?" Amelia smiled at me. SmugAmused.


"Uh..." Okay, Taylor, you can do this. "When I was brought back, umm..."


"It was without the so-called 'mistake' that gave you all those curves last time?" she answered. Of course she noticed the difference. "Don't worry, I'll adjust your metabolism a bit. Let you add a couple pounds for me to work with."


"Thanks," I knew I was blushing. "None of my clothes fit and it's only a matter of time before some paparazzi jackass gets the right photo and people start making comments." I felt the familiar tingle of Amelia's power influencing my body.


DoubtAmusement. "All done," she informed me cheerfully. She didn't believe me for a second. "You'll probably have trouble waking up before six for the next couple days. The way real humans do. And by this time next week, depending on how much you eat, you'll be back to filling out your clothes."


We went back in the living area. "So, are you girls finally ready?" my dad asked.


"Yes," Amelia replied. "Sorry it took us so long to get ready." WorryAwkward.


"That's okay," he smiled. He was nervous as well, for some... oh god he thinks we were... "I imagine coming back from the dead takes a bit of time to adjust. Catching up on... things."



Looks like I won't need the alterations after all, because I'm about to die of embarrassment.


"It's not really like that," Amelia answered, turning an adorable shade of pink that probably wasn't too different from my current color. "I mean, yes, I might have died, but to me it was just like waking up from a nap and not remembering when I went to sleep. Or having a fainting spell. A bigger deal for everyone else than it was for me."


"Taylor said something like that, too," Dad replied, giving me a look that told a whole story at once. How I told him not to freak out about my death, and, well, I couldn't call that talk a fight, but it definitely wasn't a particularly rational conversation. And then my increasing worry with each failed attempt to restore Amelia. This was exactly what I put him through. Wow, I am such a bitch, sometimes.


"Yeah," I reluctantly agreed. "It feels a whole lot different from the outside looking in, doesn't it?"


ConcernSupportCuriosity. "It's okay, I kinda flipped out when Taylor died the first time," Amelia spoke.


"It's okay," he smiled at her, and then glanced at me, looking a little hurt. I really should have told him about all of this long ago. "Shall we get going, now?"


"Okay," I agreed. "I think everything's taken care of here."


"I just thought of something," Amelia remarked as we grabbed our coats. "Now that we're no longer US citizens, we'll never be able to take our driving tests or get our licenses. And yes, I know we don't need to be able to drive."


"We could always just hire a chauffeur," I pointed out. "Hey, Dad, if you find yourself in need of a job..."


He chuckled. "No thanks, kiddo. The only thing worse than going to work for your parents is going to work for your kids. Besides, my job is going really well right now. In fact, work is looking up for everyone in Brockton Bay these days. Dragon's managed to drop a couple million into the economy, shipping her supplies through. There's talk about how, when Leviathan's gone, the shipping industry will be renewed. And construction's in high demand around Avalon's embassy. There's been more activity in the last three months than in the last three years before it. And that's including the post Leviathan disaster relief."


He opened his door and got into the car. We climbed into the back before I started talking again, no sense in repeating ourselves.


"That's good news," I agreed. "So everyone's got good work, now? I was kinda worried that, y'know, after going public. Once people started realizing that Brockton Bay no longer had me protecting it."


"It's going fine," Dad replied. "Sarah's got most of the problems covered on her own with that new armor Crystal gave to her. With Miss Militia around as well, none of the real crime's come back yet. I doubt they ever will while you girls are still in town. The way the Mayor's been groveling in front of you is something of a personal bonus, by the way. Talked to him the other day, he calls me 'sir', now. I enjoy it more than I probably should."


"Yeah," I smiled. "You should have seen the looks of relief when we told the President and his people that we'd prefer to keep our property in Brockton Bay as our Embassy." ConfusionCuriousity. Oh, right, she wouldn't know. "Seems the bigwigs in Washington weren't thrilled with the idea of the Empress of spying on everyone with bugs all the time hanging out where they do business. They were too polite to say anything, of course, but when I suggested we were happy in Brockton Bay and didn't need a location in DC, it was insulting how eager they were to agree."


UnderstandingAmusementAnnoyance. "Wow, that is pretty insulting." Amelia agreed. "If anything, I think I'd feel better if they just came out and said it to our faces." RealizationShock. "Oh my god," she exclaimed. "I just realized that this is how Lisa must feel. All. The. Time."


Oh fuck, it's true. "I owe her so many apologies," I muttered.


"She'd probably be happier if you didn't say anything at all," Dad chimed in. "One of those things you learn as you get older. Sometimes it's better to not talk about it. The hard part is knowing when that is. You know her better than I do, but I think she'd rather let sleeping dogs lie. Besides, I think she'll know the sentiment even if you don't say anything. So just let her know if she wants to talk, you're there to talk. And if she doesn't, that's okay, too."


"Thanks, Dad," I smiled. I meant it, too. PeaceGratitude. I glanced over at Amelia and briefly considered giving her a kiss. But not with my dad watching. She smiled back at me. LoveAgreementPatience.


"You girls act like you've already been married for years," Dad informed us, chuckling. "I guess that's why you're saving it to be official after the Endbringers are destroyed. Because at this point, it's just a formality."


PleasedEmbarrassedProud. "Thanks," Amelia muttered, blushing fiercely. It's the new body. They tend to over react to emotional stimulus for a while. Hypersensitivity to tastes and scents, all physical and emotional sensations really.


Oh, fuck it. I leaned over and gave her a kiss on the cheek. She leaned against me and we spent the rest of the ride in silence.


====================

A/N- Cutesy chapter! Also. It's fucking snowing again. At this point, my trigger event is going to be hypothermia related.

 

[Helpless Kitten]

A/N- Cutesy chapter! Also. It's fucking snowing again. At this point, my trigger event is going to be hypothermia related.

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You gain the super power of not giving a fuck about the cold? Your cape name would be the Drunk Canadian.

 

[Alterego9]

Um... if a family only exists because it needs a breadwinner it's probably not that big a loss. If warriors can't find satisfaction with something else than slaughter and strife then they should visit a doctor and get some drugs to fix their madness. If youth feel bored you need to properly integrate them into society and not just put them in front of a TV.
Morales usually change with changing circumstances.

The only thing the whole thing is showing that there are apparently people who don't have enough creativity to figure out what to do with their lives if they have no existential problems.

Solution a) Get them some more education, somewhere through the process they'll probably figure out something what they want to do. b) Organise a proper Republic to integrate the population into the political life. (There is a reason why Aristoteles thought slaves were a necessity - how can people properly focus on governing/deciding for their polity if they're distracted by the daily toil?). c) Release a retrovirus to fix their defective brains that can only find challenge in stupidous manual labour or violent conflict. d) As always the young generations will find their place in the world. Even if they have to go against the morals of their elders. I think that's called the way of life.

Click to shrink...

You should probably send your solution to the U.N. or something, because you literally just proposed a way to deal with all the ailments of modern culture.

Well, of course family life needs to be redefined for a post-patriarchal era, trauma victims need to get treatment, and youth needs to be integrated into society.

We know that. The way there, will still involve untold amounts of misery, depression, wrong personal decisions, and ineffective arrangements.

Simply telling whole societies that they just need to get educated, and integrate into how modern life works, is exactly the kind of thing that has wrecked communities all around the world, from colonial imperialism and industrial revolution era urbanisation, right up to it's modern variations in developing countries urbanisation and paternalistic integration policies towards cultural minorities.

 

[Beyogi]

You should probably send your solution to the U.N. or something, because you literally just proposed a way to deal with all the ailments of modern culture.

Well, of course family life needs to be redefined for a post-patriarchal era, trauma victims need to get treatment, and youth needs to be integrated into society.

We know that. The way there, will still involve untold amounts of misery, depression, wrong personal decisions, and ineffective arrangements.

Simply telling whole societies that they just need to get educated, and integrate into how modern life works, is exactly the kind of thing that has wrecked communities all around the world, from colonial imperialism and industrial revolution era urbanisation, right up to it's modern variations in developing countries urbanisation and paternalistic integration policies towards cultural minorities.

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You're aware that the main reason that this doesn't happen is because it's expensive? It's literally the only reason. Why doesn't get everyone to study 10 years? Because they need to work to generate money. Why doesn't every trauma victim gets proper treatment? Because it's expensive. Why don't they properly integrate youth into society? Because youth centers would cost money. It would take social workers to reach out to persons that are disfranchised for one reason or other. Which would cost money again.

Honestly, I don't even get why you bring the results of colonialism into this. It literally has nothing to do with a debate where people argue that a proper social state is the end of human civilisation. It's not. All those problems you point out here come from the fact that not enough money was spent on proper integration meassures, education and social security. It's not like there are no solutions for the problems it's quite simply that nobody wants to pay for it.

And here a character and apparently you are arguing that solving some of those problems by default is somehow the end of a meaningful existance. That's not even funny anymore. People are in no risk of starving, regardless of what they do. They don't need to worry about clothing and a place to stay. What ever will they do with their lives?

 

[edale]

He didn't die. In canon or this story. A puppet was destroyed. Having someone target the thing he was using to represent himself to the world would annoy him.

Click to shrink...

In canon, Taylor was talking to Nilbolg's meat puppet, and then had her swarm attack and kill Nilbolg's real body that was underground. So yes, Nilbolg died in canon. Or did I miss something?

 

[Daunmi]

What ever will they do with their lives?

Click to shrink...

Conga line. Massive, planet spanning conga line.

Or did I miss something?

Click to shrink...

I'd have to go read it again, but he was alive and well at the end. Siberian grabbed him and pulled him up, and once Siberian grabs you and Bonesaw has her way with you... Well I guess he might have died. Bonesaw makes it hard to tell.