Amelia, Worm AU [Complete]

[Slayer Anderson]

Did Alexandria just implicitly admit to being a part of Cauldron, or at least some other powerful group that's not the protectorate, in front of Chevalier, Dragon, Defiant, and Narwhal?

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...maybe? I mean, it's pretty damning if anyone 'in the know' realizes that Cauldron and the upper eschelons of the PRT/Protectorate use the same names for 'whatever's behind powers,' but that's not necessarily the same as outright admitting membership in one or the other.

I'd imagine PRT scientist, though vastly less educated on the matter of Scion/Eden/etc...have probably been able to put together working theories given logical reasoning and so many examples of how powers effect humans.

Hell, the Manton Limit implies, if not states, some level of third-party involvement in the construction/distribution of powers, so it's not unbelievable that between that and the fact that boosted aggression exhibits in most (if not all) parahumans, then *someone* with two braincells in the PRT labs is going to start arguing (correctly) that there is intelligent design behind superpowers, which means 'someone/someones' is/are creating/distributing powers...calling them 'agents' for lack of any better word/name is a good way to at least reference them obliquely in front of those not in the know.

Granted, the fact that Alexandria said this in front of Dragon, Chevalier, Defiant, and Narwhal...may come back to bite her in the ass if they make contact with a Cauldron associate and he uses the word 'agent.' Without being led to the same understanding as Pantheon, they might do something...ill-advised.

Possible, but unlikely...for now.

 

[Cyclone]

...maybe? I mean, it's pretty damning if anyone 'in the know' realizes that Cauldron and the upper eschelons of the PRT/Protectorate use the same names for 'whatever's behind powers,' but that's not necessarily the same as outright admitting membership in one or the other.

I'd imagine PRT scientist, though vastly less educated on the matter of Scion/Eden/etc...have probably been able to put together working theories given logical reasoning and so many examples of how powers effect humans.

Hell, the Manton Limit implies, if not states, some level of third-party involvement in the construction/distribution of powers, so it's not unbelievable that between that and the fact that boosted aggression exhibits in most (if not all) parahumans, then *someone* with two braincells in the PRT labs is going to start arguing (correctly) that there is intelligent design behind superpowers, which means 'someone/someones' is/are creating/distributing powers...calling them 'agents' for lack of any better word/name is a good way to at least reference them obliquely in front of those not in the know.

Granted, the fact that Alexandria said this in front of Dragon, Chevalier, Defiant, and Narwhal...may come back to bite her in the ass if they make contact with a Cauldron associate and he uses the word 'agent.' Without being led to the same understanding as Pantheon, they might do something...ill-advised.

Possible, but unlikely...for now.

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I think Epsilon's referring to Alexandria acknowledging that she's part of a group that has interdimensional access (via Doormaker). Which is not something I believe the PRT or Protectorate is supposed to be aware of.

 

[Slayer Anderson]

I think Epsilon's referring to Alexandria acknowledging that she's part of a group that has interdimensional access (via Doormaker). Which is not something I believe the PRT or Protectorate is supposed to be aware of.

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<Squints at post> I think this is the point where I need to go to sleep. I wrote an entire post-argument-thing, because I thought I was looking at something different in Epsilon's quote box.

Anyway, yeah, Alexandria admitting to having dimensional traveling capability is pretty big, but I'm also fairly sure that those in attendance who are not 'in the know' about the whole of Cauldron can be trusted to sit on the information rather than fuck up the established order (more) by revealing secrets.

 

[Puzzled]

They could also have Professor Haywire's work which was what brought crossing dimensions to popular awareness.

 

[Peanuckle]

"Holy fuck... he just brought back the dead,"

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Whaaaaaaat?

This needs a whole lot more reaction than it's getting. He just raised the fucking dead. How often can he do it, can he select who he raises, etc. are all questions that would be asked. He'd be begged all over the world to come revive people.

It feels like it's just being tossed out there as a one-off, then everyone promptly forgets about it. IMO, unless it plays a critical role, I'd remove it, because it's the sort of thing that changes the direction of a story.

People's reaction to Yggi-world is also underwhelming, considering that Pantheon just revealed they have a private planet under their total control.

I mean, geeze. This entire chapter could be summarized "Amazing things happen to no great reaction."

It's not bad that it's happening, but I feel like there should be a lot more dropping jaws and shouts of disbelief.

 

[dasstan]

This needs a whole lot more reaction than it's getting. He just raised the fucking dead. How often can he do it, can he select who he raises, etc. are all questions that would be asked. He'd be begged all over the world to come revive people.

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Dull Surprise mixed with information control? There weren't that many people there, and the only ones revived were parahumans.

Plus there might be a huge reaction in a later chapter. This is the immediate aftermath, people are probably still in shock.

People's reaction to Yggi-world is also underwhelming, considering that Pantheon just revealed they have a private planet under their total control.

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Don't most of them already know? What with Pantheon making a deal with countries and Dragon getting her own world? It might be less of a secret-secret and more of a thing that just isn't really mentioned because it isn't something important to the viewpoint characters.

 

[Nigel Burnelli Isaacs]

Well concerning the lack of reaction to Eidolon's stunt I would attribute it to people reeling from just havng been through a battle with a new Endbringer: Deathmachine Fred.

As for people not reacting to Olympus(yeah it would fit, or we could keep the north theme and call it asgard,eh if seven other organisations get their own worlds we will get the nine worlds)well some of the people there knew already and probably had their "holy shit"moment on their own private world and the toehrs just opted to control themselves in front of the pantheon.

 

[dasstan]

Deathmachine Fred

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...Is it too late to change my username?

 

[VKing]

Whaaaaaaat?

This needs a whole lot more reaction than it's getting. He just raised the fucking dead. How often can he do it, can he select who he raises, etc. are all questions that would be asked. He'd be begged all over the world to come revive people.

It feels like it's just being tossed out there as a one-off, then everyone promptly forgets about it. IMO, unless it plays a critical role, I'd remove it, because it's the sort of thing that changes the direction of a story.

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To be fair, he only brought back people who'd been dead a few minutes and whose brains had specifically not been damaged. There are people alive today who have been "resurrected" under those same circumstances. Admittedly, they weren't decapitated, but that's why powers are great.

 

[Zege]

*Scrollwheel smokes ominously*

So, Tana, hope you like alertbombs, cuz I just liked the entire story.

Keep up the good work, you crazy duck you.

 

[rooster]

Eidolon didn't get the memo that Blaster isn't the way to play a Spellcaster.
That's why he's dissapointed at the power of the Cleric. Mass raise dead biaatch.

 

[SwiftRosenthal]

*Scrollwheel smokes ominously*

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Scroll wheel? That's entirely too much effort. I spammed page down instead.

 

[Pirafir]

To be fair, he only brought back people who'd been dead a few minutes and whose brains had specifically not been damaged. There are people alive today who have been "resurrected" under those same circumstances. Admittedly, they weren't decapitated, but that's why powers are great.

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Hmm. It seems that the new Endbringer's characteristics just happen to give Eidolon a chance to do something really heroic and relevant.

 

[doomlord9]

I'm not sure why this is such a massive feat.

It was clean decapitations, the longest ones occurring less than 7 minutes ago. All he really did was recover blood loss, reconnect the tissues in the neck, and possibly reverse a smidgen of brain damage due to oxygen loss. Impressive for being on such a large scale and relatively instant at range, but for difficulty Amelia could have fixed those injuries with less trouble than a cut from a normal knife so long as she had all of the pieces.

Now if that works on deaths an hour or more long and truly massive trauma like being crispy-fried by Behemoth then yes, this is an extremely OP ability but as is it's just a wide-range pre-programmed Panacea/Geia field. Impressive, but not GG in giving capes a revolving door in the afterlife like Marvel/DC/DBZ.

It would be even better if it reversed the individuals memories by a few minutes so they don't even remember being decapitated and doesn't leave the victims unable to wear tight-neck shirts and jewelry on their neck.

 

[akitsu91]

Wasn't the final attack some sort of energy blast instead of decapitation?

 

[TanaNari]

Edit: It says something about Eidolon's personality that he sounds depressed about *only* being able to resurrect all of the slain parahuman in an Endbringer battle.

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I was hoping someone would notice that.

I'm wondering what Lisa would see if she touched one of the discarded tails.

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They weren't discarded, they simply vanished after the fourth attack. Also, she'd gain nothing of value. She may have broken through her mind's Taboo rules, but shard limitations are still in effect, and that includes Endbringer power resistance. Besides, she doesn't need touch range to use her postcog.

I'm kind of surprised Cauldron isn't being even more open with Pantheon, considering the leaps Pantheon has made in Agent related research and how Pantheon is willing to engage in the same sort of moral calculus...

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Reflexive paranoia. To be fair, it cuts both ways. Pantheon hasn't shared their power research with anyone, either.

Three.... three... Now what parahuman has a power related to three... hmm.

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Glaistig Uaine?

Did Alexandria just implicitly admit to being a part of Cauldron, or at least some other powerful group that's not the protectorate, in front of Chevalier, Dragon, Defiant, and Narwhal?

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Not really. She may have simply implied secret tech belonging to the Protectorate.

This needs a whole lot more reaction than it's getting. He just raised the fucking dead. How often can he do it, can he select who he raises, etc. are all questions that would be asked. He'd be begged all over the world to come revive people.

It feels like it's just being tossed out there as a one-off, then everyone promptly forgets about it. IMO, unless it plays a critical role, I'd remove it, because it's the sort of thing that changes the direction of a story.

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First: look at the people who'd be in the know about that right away: Pantheon and the Triumvirate and... well, that's pretty much it... others are going to figure it out, real quick, but by then the major players are having teatime in treeworld. And the needed to talk about "Holy fucking shit! There's more Endbringers!"

People's reaction to Yggi-world is also underwhelming, considering that Pantheon just revealed they have a private planet under their total control.

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You mean the place that literally everyone there already knew about, and had known about since New Delhi?

Wasn't the final attack some sort of energy blast instead of decapitation?

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Yup. Yay for energy shunting technology (that Eidolon, and thus his summons, wouldn't know about in any real detail).

 

[Pirafir]

They weren't discarded, they simply vanished after the fourth attack. Also, she'd gain nothing of value. She may have broken through her mind's Taboo rules, but shard limitations are still in effect, and that includes Endbringer power resistance. Besides, she doesn't need touch range to use her postcog.

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Interesting. I thought that since her intuition worked on them, her version of postcog would as well. Maybe I'll write an omake where it works.

By the way, is Pantheon experimenting on any Endbringer materials, like the ones Blasto had in canon? I'm guessing they would try to replicate it or adapt the principles.

 

[TanaNari]

Amelia, Ch 182


"So now that that's out of the way," Dragon responded. "We have to ask ourselves another set of questions. Namely: do we keep killing Endbringers? Clearly, when one dies, another is born to take its place. It poses a risk, to destroy one and risk that the next be even more deadly."


ConcernDreadDetermination. "We keep killing them," Taylor spoke with certainty. "Whatever force made them must have limits. The first two came a few years from each other, then the next a few more years later. This one almost a decade after that. They keep building them, we'll keep breaking them until they run out of whatever it is they need to build more."


"I am inclined to agree," Alexandria responded. "Even discounting the possibility of an endless stream of the creatures, this new Endbringer follows the trend of each being less destructive than the last. If the new Endbringers continue in that direction, it benefits all of humanity."


"The politicians won't see it that way," Lisa pointed out.


"Fuck them," Narwhal responded, speaking for the first time. I didn't know a lot about the giant of a woman, clothed only in her forcefields, but she seemed content to let Chevalier and Dragon speak for her. "If politicians want to complain, they can come out here and fight those monsters for themselves. Until then, they don't have the right to tell us what to do.


AgreementCertainty.


"We run a risk of an even more deadly Endbringer than the ones we've faced before, however," Chevalier pointed out.


"Then we destroy that one," Taylor countered. "We keep the weaker ones alive for now. Go after Behemoth and Leviathan. Leave... what are we calling this monster, anyway? It probably needs a name."


"A cursory internet search suggests the most suitable designations would be Fenrir or Barghest," Dragon responded. "Fenrir is a Norse myth, a giant wolf that was fated to slay Odin and be instrumental in their apocalypse mythology."


"I'd rather not give the Neo-Nazis the satisfaction of having one of their favorite naming sources validated with an Endbringer," I responded. Sure, we destroyed E88's largest chapter in the states, but the bastards were still out there with dozens of other teams and names. At least they opted to lay low after New Delhi, for the most part. "I'm voting for Barghest, and I don't even know what it is."


"I believe our PR guys would agree with you," Alexandria added. "I'd suggest we avoid any names of beings that succeed in destroying the world."


"Sometimes called the Black Hound, devil dog, and hellhound," Dragon informed us. "It's a spirit, known to hunt travelers and, much like ravens in North American lore, is strongly associated with death, both past and future."


"Appropriate," Alexandria agreed. There weren't any other suggestions offered, so we unofficially, at least, had our name.


"And now I have two questions," Lisa replied. "First... Eidolon's newfound power to raise the dead. What is it capable of?"


"I was inspired by Osiris' ability, for what I am sure are obvious reasons," he answered. "Naturally, I looked to see if I had something that might prove similar. I found one, and it's remarkably low energy considering what it's capable of."


"It has usage limits, I presume?"


"Yes," he admitted. "I have to 'tag' the people I wish to save ahead of time, though there doesn't seem to be an upper limit on how many I can select as long as they're all parahumans. It won't work on normal people, for whatever reason. Once I've selected the first target, the power waits exactly eight minutes, then instantly restores everyone I've tagged to the state they were in when I tagged them. After that, I lose grip on the power and have to wait for it to recharge. It's good exactly once per day."


"You can access it more than once?" Lisa asked.


"Yes," he replied. "It's not one of my high energy cost powers, and your tech is keeping it charged just enough that I won't lose access as long as it's dedicated to that power alone. This is one ability I don't intend to ever let go of, now that I have it."


"That's good to know," Lisa replied. InterestApproval. "Now, the next question is for Chevalier. Why is your sword made out of Simurgh parts?"


"How did you know that?" Chevalier asked.


"I didn't for sure until I asked," Lisa replied. "But it's immune to sensory powers, which limits it to Endbringers, and a number of parahumans I could count on one hand. Given its solid white coloration, and how none of the rest of you is immune, I made the most obvious guess."


"It's the strongest material known to exist," Chevalier answered. "Of course we'd make use of it."


"But how did you talk someone into letting you?" she replied.


"Classified," Chevalier replied.


"It's nothing she won't figure out on her own, if she hasn't already," Alexandria informed Chevalier, before turning back toward Lisa. "The Protectorate is learning from you. This concept of power synergies and customized tech to augment powers may be a novel one, I'll grant you. But now that we know it's possible, we've dedicated a fair amount of resources to achieving similar results on our own. With fewer capes and greater pressures than ever before, we either adapt or die."


"Well, they do say that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery," Lisa smiled. "Of course, this implies Chevalier's power interacts with Endbringer tissue. In addition to his power-sight. Making him, to my knowledge, the only parahuman on the planet that can do that." RealizationExcitementHope. I glanced over at Taylor.


"EEEEEEEeeeeeeeeeeee."


"Riley," I whispered into my suit's com. "Could you please stop squeeing?"


"Err... sorry..." she responded.


"What, exactly, is your power?" Lisa continued to talk to Chevalier as I dealt with Riley's imitation of a teakettle.


"I can overlay properties of one object onto another," he answered. "Giving it the size of one, the strength of another, the weight of a third and the shape of a fourth. I can also subtly adjust those properties to anywhere between the three," he lifted his sword, which was more decorative than practical, with a gun built into the hilt. Then it shimmered, growing in mass, though he seemed to have no trouble holding it up. "Some things take more effort than others, made easier the more similar the objects are. I have an easier time using a fifty foot long sword and my rapier than I would trying to cross, say, a fork and a hammer. In addition, it only seems to apply to solid nonliving tissue."


"And Endbringers," Lisa interrupted.


"Pardon?" Chevalier replied.


"And Endbringers," she repeated. "All evidence prior indicated they followed the normal rules of the Manton Effect, except they were treated as both living and nonliving, whichever was more beneficial to them. In addition, they have a large number of other immunities to shield them from certain powers. Like precognition, and any effects that might alter their bodies or powers. probably means our pipe dream of being able to teleport them to another dimension could never work. Not that we're going to stop trying, of course. You, somehow, have a power that bypasses something we had believed to be absolute."


"I... hadn't thought of it like that before..." Chevalier eventually spoke.


At some point during the conversation, Lisa locked eyes with Alexandria. Pulling a Taylia, wasn't that what they called it? "I trust you recognize the importance of Chevalier's power," Lisa spoke.


"Yes, I do," Alexandria replied. "I'll do everything in my power to see that you get approval to run your tests."


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

A/N- No. Seriously. Chevalier's power is the only canon power shown to work directly on Endbringers. It also straight up lolnope'd one of Scion's attacks.

 

[Masked Menace]

"I'd rather not give the Neo-Nazis the satisfaction of having one of their favorite naming sources validated with an Endbringer," I responded. Sure, we destroyed E88's largest chapter in the states, but the bastards were still out there with dozens of other teams and names. At least they opted to lay low after New Delhi, for the most part. "I'm voting for Barghest, and I don't even know what it is."


"I doubt the PR types would appreciate that, either," Alexandria added. "In addition, I'd suggest we avoid any names of beings that succeed in destroying the world."

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Hmm, this bit reads a bit oddly. It seems at first glance that Alexandria is rejecting calling the Endbringer Barghest as well as Fenrir but the next line from Drangon makes it apparent she was talking about Fenrir. I think it needs a little bit of clarification.,

 

[HorizonRunner]

Amelia, Ch 182
"And now I have two questions," Lisa replied. "First... Eidolon's newfound power to raise the dead. What is it capable of?"


"I was inspired by Osiris' ability, for what I am sure are obvious reasons," he answered. "Naturally, I looked to see if I had something that might prove similar. I found one, and it's remarkably low energy considering what it's capable of."


"It has usage limits, I presume?"


"Yes," he admitted. "I have to 'tag' the people I wish to save ahead of time, though there doesn't seem to be an upper limit on how many I can select as long as they're all parahumans. It won't work on normal people, for whatever reason. Once I've selected the first target, the power waits exactly eight, then instantly restores everyone I've tagged to the state they were in when I tagged them. After that, I lose grip on the power and have to wait for it to recharge. It's good exactly once per day."


"You can access it more than once?" Lisa asked.


"Yes," he replied. "It's not one of my high energy cost powers, and your tech is keeping it charged just enough that I won't lose access as long as it's dedicated to that power alone. This is one ability I don't intend to ever let go of, now that I have it."

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Eidolon OP pls nerf.

 

[Xaliuss]

the power waits exactly eight

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Minutes?
Eidolon tagged them before beginning of battle? So if it lasted more, there would be trouble? How does restoration affect place of resurrection?

 

[BarghestWarlock]

"I'd rather not give the Neo-Nazis the satisfaction of having one of their favorite naming sources validated with an Endbringer," I responded. Sure, we destroyed E88's largest chapter in the states, but the bastards were still out there with dozens of other teams and names. At least they opted to lay low after New Delhi, for the most part. "I'm voting for Barghest, and I don't even know what it is."

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I get to be an Endbringer? I don't know if that means you really love me, letting me be a giant death machine, or that you really hate me, as you are already engineering my death.

 

[Nigel Burnelli Isaacs]

So the new guy gets called Barghest, nice name I like the"let's avoid beings that actually end the world as a name"thing from the choice, however the other one not so much...

So I got it right, Eidolon's Rez is effectively Eden's version of Zach's shard and he got the idea by watching him, nice touch and his attitude toward that power is good too especially given the bit in the last snip.

Good observation on the part of Lisa about Chevalier's power and nice to see that Cauldron/protectorate finally caught up a bit on the power synergy thing, but the two best things here were Riley Squeeing and Alexandria/Lisa pulling a Taylia. Oh and of course Narwhal attitude towards politicians.

 

[TanaNari]

Hmm, this bit reads a bit oddly. It seems at first glance that Alexandria is rejecting calling the Endbringer Barghest as well as Fenrir but the next line from Drangon makes it apparent she was talking about Fenrir. I think it needs a little bit of clarification.,

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I edited it to something less awkward.

Eidolon OP pls nerf.

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Good luck with that.

I get to be an Endbringer? I don't know if that means you really love me, letting me be a giant death machine, or that you really hate me, as you are already engineering my death.

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I didn't even know you existed. But, here, have your first like on the site, ever.

 

[tsuknoryu2986]

Oh god, they are going to need a Zerg to get Riley off him.

 

[Slayer Anderson]

You don't hang the most valuable research material in the world in front of Riley and keep it just out of reach...that's just cruel...

I hope Chevalier is briefed on the whole 'Bonesaw' thing before testing starts...otherwise things could get awkward.

 

[Biigoh]

Lisa X Alexandria OTP?

 

[HorizonRunner]

Lisa X Alexandria OTP?

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The perfect pairing. Lisa can't do it because she sees every dirty deed Alexandria's ever done, and Alexandria can't pull it off because she'd crush the poor girl between her indestructible thighs. Well... that, and the squicky age difference.

And now I'm trying to figure out how Alexandria's power handles... eugh. And now I have a mental image of... EUGH.

Is this what Spacebattles was shielding us from, all this time?

 

[Slayer Anderson]

Lisa X Alexandria OTP?

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The teasing will begin the moment Taylor and Amelia make the jump about them 'pulling a Taylia.'

What I'll enjoy is if Eidolon and Legend get in on ribbing Alexandria about her 'new girlfriend.'

David: "No, I think it's cute. You deserve some happiness Rebecca, and Minerva might actually be able to out-bitch you every now and then. You deserve each other."

Legend: "Don't be like that, David, I'm happy that Rebecca's found someone special. I know! Arthur and I will get a sitter and we can do a double date!"

 

[Volkogluk]

Amelia, Ch 181
"... Distracting..." he answered, looking away. "Yours and hers," he gestured at Taylor. "I'm not sure what my power is trying to tell me about your powers, but I can tell you that I'm trying very hard not to look." "

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I decided this part clearly didn't get the attention it deserves, comments-wise. Cause to me, it has at least 2 interpretentions:
1) The obvious - your powers are so weird, they make my head hurt. So, you know, I try to avoid looking.
2) Your powers are clearly doing something indecent, which should NOT happen beyond closed doors, in intimate settings, and you make my power envy that. So, I am not looking cause it's INDECENT and may possibly make my power try to kill me for failing to deliver same things to it.
TL;DR: Tell your powers to get a room, you two !