A Saga of Heroes 38 (Patreon)

It had been a couple of days, and Taylor kept waiting for Tattletale to send her a message, feeling anxious. Had Bitch not woken up yet? Were her teammates debating whether to actually involve Saga? She had promised to help Bitch with the issue of the memoria essence attached to her, but if she was honest, she wasn’t entirely sure she could. Constance said to give it her shot, and if it became too much for her, then she’d step in.

It brought a measure of comfort for Taylor, but she didn’t want to rely on others all the time. She wanted to pull her own weight.

So, while she waited, she kept going about her routine. Train, patrol around Brockton Bay to hunt criminals, scour memospace in search of malignant entities in case more cases like the Witch and Bitch spawned, go to school, rinse and repeat.

The last one was very easy to manage. Taylor could simply store the knowledge of everything she read and call upon it when needed. The Remembrance was convenient like that. It allowed her to continue her studies without, well, actually studying. All she had to do was believably pass her grades, and then eventually she’d get her GED, and then she could just focus on being Saga.

Though… Mem had been right regarding money being a problem eventually. She needed to find a job to keep up appearances, and right now she was making no money out of the hero gig.

Constance had said that if she ever decided to become a Memokeeper, money would be no issue, for Memokeepers didn’t ‘have’ to eat. On account of them being incorporeal memetic entities whose bodies were actually a mass of memoria.

It… was a thought she had entertained a few times. Mem and Constance were not physical beings. If she became one as well, could that solve some of the issues in the future? Taylor wanted to be a hero with all her heart, and perhaps by becoming a Memokeeper she’d be able to pursue that duty.

But that was a monumental choice. Memokeepers were, in essence, immortal beings. She wouldn’t age, and unless killed by a being with the capacity to destroy concepts and memoria (which sadly wasn’t too rare in the cosmos, as Constance had told her), she’d never die, which was… heavy, to say the least.

She’d think about it eventually; that was a problem for the future. Right now, she had to think of how to make more money to support her father. It’s not like she could steal from the gangs… could she? No, better not go there. That’s illegal.

Ugh, worrying about her future was honestly more complicated than the actual crime-fighting. Her summons had very easily mopped up the remnants of an ABB stronghold near the chinese neighborhood, aiding the Wards, Aegis, and Clockblocker, who were on patrol.

Saga watched from the sidelines as her Furae Warriors formed a line of stone around a group of very frightened gangsters. Some chose to throw insults her way in English and other languages she didn’t understand. She, along with the Wards, waited for the police vans to arrive and take them downtown.

“Gotta say, fighting ABB goons used to be difficult.” The white-armored Ward commented with a shrug. “Now it’s basically just janitorial duty. Picking up the trash on the way to bigger problems.”

“The ABB have weakened considerably in just a couple of months.” Aegis agreed. “Lung’s defeat sped things up a lot too.”

“In no small part thanks to our space wizard here.” Clockblocker nudged her, which made Taylor laugh, feeling a touch embarrassed at the praise.

“Miss Militia and Mouse Protector did most of it.” She replied. “I just provided support.”

“In the form of a huge-ass sword,” Clockblocker laughed. “Mouse’s been talking about it nonstop. Drives Armsmaster insane.”

Speaking of her fellow Pathstrider. “Come to think of it, I haven’t seen Mouse Protector in a while.” Saga brought up. “How’s she doing?”

“Bored out of her mind,” Aegis deadpanned. “She’s been benched ever since she accepted an invitation to the Masked Fools and broke who knows how many protocols.”

“Doesn’t stop her from going out on patrol when she can.” Clockblocker shrugged. “She’s like a kid sneaking out of curfew, and then gets her suspension extended.”

“And the PRT just lets her get away with it?”

“She’s arguably the strongest hero we have right now.” Aegis pointed out. “With the Empire making a push on the ABB’s turf now that they’re on the downslope, Director Piggot lets her patrol in designated areas just in case hostilities escalate… and she sometimes veers a bit ‘off course” The quotation marks were implied.

“Eh, keeping her grounded is a joke. Sometimes it’s like she’s barely benched at all. And Piggot knows she’s needed. I mean, just a few nights ago there was this huge fight between Bitch from the Undersiders and Hookwolf.” The time-themed hero said, looking at Saga. “Heard you were there.”

She had to give the PRT a report on what went down. A heavily edited one, of course. Per agreement with Shadow Stalker, she kept quiet about her presence that night, and she would not talk about what was going on with Bitch. All they knew was that Saga had been in the area and interfered when a fight broke out between the criminals, leading to both sides walking away. And that was all they needed to know.

“So, what about the Tavern?” Taylor asked. “Has there been any problem with the Fools?”

“I heard police have been getting calls about acts of vandalism that a lot of people can’t really explain,” Aegis answered. “Those have been rather minor, all things considered. Like, Parian’s dolls suddenly making a musical number she had no control over. And ended up throwing water balloons at people.”

“Poor girl had to swear up and down she was not responsible.”

Aegis continued. “And I also heard that the other day, the mayor was holding a meeting about the city budget. And uh,” He paused for a moment, clearing his throat. “There were… pictures in the slideshow that shouldn’t have been there.”

Clockblocker began laughing. A lot.

“Pictures?” Taylor dared to ask.

“Of a certain member of the city council and a woman who… was not his wife.”

Oh dear.

Clockblocker kept laughing.

“And I take it Director Piggot is not happy?”

“She got an angry call from the mayor. An element like that in the city is not welcomed. Add in how poorly the diplomatic mission went…”

Clockblocker slowly reigned in his laughter. “It ain’t Miss Mouse’s fault, though. She may be part of the club, but from what I hear, those people just do whatever they want. They worship the god of pranks and all.”

“Basically, the stance on the Fools is: They are not a problem until they become one,” Aegis said. “And if they do, then it’s up to Mouse to take care of it.”

“That… sounds like a bad idea.” The words ‘prank war’ came to mind.

“Yeah, well, Piggy is not receptive to good ones unless she’s forced to,” Clockblocker said, ignoring the admonishment from his teammate.

“From what Mem told me of the Fools, it could be much worse.” Saga shook her head. “At least they’re not throwing fuel to the fire.” Yet, “The ABB is pretty much history; we just need to take out the Empire.”

“Just need to take out the Empire, she says.” Clock snorted. “Easier said than done; they still have a bunch of powerful capes. And they’re trying to scoop out the ABB’s territory and resources.”

“Oni Lee has not been making it easy on them.” Aegis pointed out. “We still haven’t found him, but reports say he seems more interested in keeping the Empire out than breaking out his boss.”

Oni Lee… the mention of him brought her memories of their confrontation to the surface. She couldn’t help but wonder what was going through that man’s head right now.

Was he still himself? Had his memories actually taken root and aligned themselves properly?

She didn’t know…

“Then there is Coil,” Aegis said. “But to be fair, we don’t know much about what he might be doing.”

“Isn’t he the one who employs mercenaries?” Coil was a very mysterious villain in the Bay. The man employed hired guns and rogues to do his dirty work. He operated rather differently than the gangs. From what Taylor had read, the villain possessed a considerable territory, but he never showed himself or made any show of force.

He sounded like a meticulous player, staying under the radar for so long that some people underestimated how much influence he actually had. And it made Taylor question just how someone could control half of downtown without people knowing much about him. What did he do with his territories? Where did the money flow? What exactly were his goals regarding the PRT and the other gangs?

“Higher-ups think he is waiting for the PRT and the Empire to duke it out and then swoop in,” Aegis said. “He’s been very slippery for a long time now, so until we make a breakthrough on his operations, it’s hard to pin down his moves.”

“I say we’re looking at the wrong place,” Clockblocker brought up. “If you ask me, Coil’s in bed with politicians and businessmen.”

“I mean, that makes sense,” Taylor shrugged. “But so is the Empire, isn’t it?” Some said they even had ties with some Neo-Nazi organization in Germany, able to loan them capes. That sort of connection ran deep.

“Yeah, but the Empire’s got a bunch of skinheads following their orders. Coil has mercenaries, and his territories just seem to do whatever.” Clock said. “That means he has some serious money, right? I think that means he must have people in high places like city hall, or even Medhall.”

“Don’t go throwing accusations like that, Clock,” Aegis warned him.

“Look, I don’t trust anyone who makes more money than I do. And that much money in a city like this can’t be clean.”

Medhall was the largest job contributor to the Bay. The idea that a villain might be pulling resources from there was worrying. It might sound a bit paranoid, but Clock did have a point. If someone like Coil could afford to stay in the shadows like that, then he was someone with authority and the finances to pull it off.

As the police vans arrived to clear out one more hideout, carving out another piece of the ABB’s power, the Wards relaxed as their job was done for now. “Now for the report,” Clockblocker droned. “Joy…”

“Come on,” Aegis patted him a few times on the shoulder. “We can go to that donut shop after. Saga, you coming?”

Oh, she wasn’t expecting an invitation. She hadn’t spent much time with them, but they seemed alright. Aegis was clearly the more serious-minded of the two, given his position as team leader of the Wards. In contrast to Clockblocker and his… usual demeanor. She mostly hung out with Vicky, but just because she wasn’t joining the Protectorate didn’t mean she couldn’t socialize with their Wards.

“Sure, sounds fun.” She shrugged.

Winslow was always a painful reminder of the other side of her life.

Here she was just another face in the crowd; here she didn’t have her duty as a hero. She wasn’t facing villains or patrolling memospace. In Winslow, she couldn’t be a Pathstrider, she couldn’t be the apprentice of a Memokeeper and one of the heroes of the universe. She just had to be Taylor.

The lonely girl with no friends.

She wishes Vicky and Mem were here.

She picked at her food in the cafeteria, sitting by her lonesome, just waiting for the hours to go by. Classes were dull, empty things, filled with subjects she had literally memorized ahead of time. And any social activity in the school felt like a minefield. Not in the typical ‘teenage problems’ sense, but rather there was a heavy atmosphere, a tension so tight it might snap at any moment.

With Lung behind bars, and the ABB being dismantled piece by piece, the young gangster recruits were at each other’s throats like never before. Empire boys goaded the asian kids, calling out how their gang was dead and they were next, didn’t matter if they actually were part of the ABB or not, they were all the same to them. There had been altercations all week, young recruits getting into fist fights, and the regular students were afraid.

Taylor felt it was only a matter of time before someone did something stupid.

“Well, fancy seeing you here, Taylor.”

The Pathstrider sighed as she noticed Emma sit in front of her on the table, joined by Madison. The redhead smiled with that cruelty she had become so painfully familiar with, and Madison, lacking in originality as always, copied her.

“Emma,” Taylor resigned herself. She wasn’t even afraid of her anymore, but seeing Emma just reminded her of how much she had lost. How she had thrown away her friendship and decided to torture Taylor just to make herself feel superior out of some twisted logic she honestly did not care to understand.

Fucking Sophia, poisoning her friend like this…

Should she feel sympathy for Emma? She didn’t even know what she went through. But Taylor’s capacity for empathy seemed to dry out whenever Emma was involved.

“You know, I heard something interesting the other day.” She pondered with false interest as she leaned forward, joining her hands together under her chin. “That you were seen hanging around Victoria Dallon.”

Taylor didn’t reply, just took another bite out of her baked potato.

“And I gotta wonder how someone like you managed to get into her social circle.” There was an edge behind her words. Jealousy? Spite? Maybe both. “I mean, it just doesn’t make sense, does it, Madison?”

“Not at all,” Ever the follower, Madison eagerly agreed.

“I mean, you have the fashion sense of a hobo and the personality of a gnat.” Emma waved a hand at Taylor’s general direction.

True, she was wearing a loose hoodie. But that was because she didn’t want people to notice her physique had gotten fitter since she started training. Not that she was ashamed of her muscles, just that she didn’t want the stares. Or give Emma any more ammo to come up with new insults. As for her personality, Emma didn’t know her; she hadn’t known her for a long while. She wasn’t the soul of the party, but she liked to think she was more open whenever she actually hung out with her real friends.

“Maybe she just latched on to them like a tick.” Madison laughed at her own.

“Yeah! They let her hang out with them out of pity!” Emma joined in the cruel mirth. “Dallon must keep her around to be the little clown person of her posse!”

“That’s called a jester, Emma.” She replied uncaringly.

She just wanted Emma to leave. So maybe if she just remained impassive and unflinching under the onslaught of her insults, she would. It used to entertain her to see her heartbroken expression, so maybe the opposite would frustrate her enough to leave.

But she didn’t, because for some ungodly reason, Emma was obsessed with her.

Why couldn’t she just let her move on?

Emma frowned darkly. “What, you think you’re hot shit now because you’re hanging around with a cool girl? You ain’t shit, Taylor. You hear me? You-“

Taylor tuned her out, idly looking around the cafeteria. It was then that she noticed something at the tables in the back. There were two boys squaring up, glaring at each other intently. One was wearing a black shirt with a norse symbol, while the other wore the ABB red and green.

They were arguing, throwing insults she couldn’t quite make out. But she could feel the loathing in them.

Oh, this could be trouble.

“Are you paying attention to me?!” Emma snapped at her. “I said-!”

Taylor quickly reached out across the table, and put a hand to her mouth without even looking at her. “Shut the fuck up, something’s happening!”

Emma stared at her with a mixture of indignation and confusion, letting out a muffled sound while Madison could only stare.

Taylor ignored them, and instead focused solely on the gang members. The ABB boy pushed the Empire kid, and their peers stood up, it looked like a fight was imminent. The other students quickly began backing away as they saw the situation unfold.

The ABB boy pulled out a switchblade and waved it menacingly; people shouted.

Shit.

Taylor didn’t even think; she just moved. She leaped over the table and rushed toward the fight, pushing others out of the way just so she could get there in time before the blood started flowing.

The ABB boy made a thrusting motion, intimidating the Empire kid who raised his hands in surrender, showing how quickly his bravado vanished when presented with real danger. The ABB boy lunged and almost stabbed him.

If Taylor hadn’t grabbed his arm in time.

He barely had time to cry out in surprise when Taylor easily disarmed him, making him drop the switchblade by twisting his arm behind his waist. He shouted in pain, and Taylor swept a kick at his legs to destroy his balance. She kept him pinned to the ground with a leg while keeping his arm in a hold that prevented him from giving any kind of resistance.

“Don’t move!” She shouted.

Taylor panted for a few moments, the adrenaline of the situation slowly winding down, and realized what she had done.

She had just disarmed someone in seconds, in front of the entire cafeteria.

She had channeled Manny the Training Dummy at the worst possible moment.

Taylor slowly looked up in horrified realization, seeing the looks of shock everyone was giving her.

Especially Emma.

“Fuck…” She muttered under her breath.

She was barely aware of Sophia entering the cafeteria and stared at the scene unfolding with incredulity. She slapped her face and hissed, “Fuck…”

Taylor removed her glasses to better run a hand over her face. She sat outside Principal Blackwell’s office as her father spoke with the woman. Of course, the damn bureaucrat wanted to ‘talk’ with the father of the girl who defused the situation; she wasn’t satisfied with just expelling the kid who brought a weapon to school.

Thank you, American education system…

She heard her father yell; he was angry. That famous temper of his was coming to the surface as unintelligible words were muffled through the wall. After a while, they managed to calm down, and her dad came out, looking angry, tired, and very frustrated.

“Come on, Taylor.” He muttered. She quickly followed after him.

“So what happened?” She nervously asked.

“Apparently the principal wanted to suspend you for a week because you assaulted that other kid.”

“He had a knife, dad,” Taylor argued.

He gave her a look that let her know she was in trouble. “Oh, we’ll get to that part later. The other kids who witnessed the whole thing agreed he was about to hurt someone, and that only thanks to you nobody was hurt. Of course, that doesn’t stop Blackwell here from wanting to punish you as well.”

They walked out of the office and into the empty hallways. “That’s bullshit!”

“Watch your language.” He warned. “And I agree. But schools never care about who started it, even if someone was defending themselves or someone else. So, I told her she better not punish you, unless she wanted me to report to the school board how much she’s been failing in keeping this place safe for the kids under her care.”

“…So?”

“So instead, you were suspended for two days.”

Taylor exhaled loudly. “Fuck- sorry.” She quickly apologized when he frowned at her with reproach.  

Danny sighed, lifting his glasses a little to massage the bridge of his nose. “Just… go get your things; I’ll get the car.”

She watched as her father disappeared from view, walking with a heavy step. She sighed to herself, rubbing the back of her neck as she went over to her locker. Fuck, a two-day suspension… funny how she wanted to get away from Winslow just a moment ago, but she didn’t want this. To be punished just for doing the right thing.

And crap, everyone saw her take out another guy with a blatant display of martial skill. That’d spark all sorts of rumors, rumors she did not need.

She tiredly opened her locker and grabbed her things. Taylor was so distracted that she gave a small, startled jump when a hand slammed on the locker right next to her.

It was Emma, staring at her with such a manic, disbelieving gaze. “What the fuck was that, Taylor?” She hissed.

“Um…”

“Since when can you do… that?!”

“My uh,” She quickly rattled her brain, desperately looking for a convincing argument. “Vicky- Victoria taught me self-defense.”

Emma could only stare at her.

“S-She knows I go to Winslow, so she wanted to be sure I-I could take care of myself.”

The redhead slowly shook her head, looking like her entire world had shattered in front of her. “No… No, this isn’t right! You can’t-!” She let out a strangled laugh; the smile on her face was not sane at all. And it honestly unnerved Taylor. “You’re not supposed to be like THIS! You just can’t be!” It felt like she was telling herself that more than Taylor.

“Emma…?”

“You!” She pointed a shaking finger at the taller girl. “You are NOT strong! You’re not! You’re not!” The redhead looked ready to go on a full rant, do anything to disprove the reality she had just witnessed.

“Emma!”

It wasn’t Taylor’s voice that finally silenced her, but Sophia's.

Taylor instinctively glared at the black girl, who merely approached them with her arms crossed. Her eyes narrowed at the two, yet kept most of her focus on Taylor.

“Drop it,” she said commandingly.

Emma looked completely lost, yet listening to Sophia appeared to be the only thing that made sense. So, she slowly backed away, not even sparing Taylor another glance.

Taylor and Sophie kept looking at each other for a moment longer before the two parted ways. There was nothing to say.

The issues didn’t end at Winslow; Taylor had to endure her father throwing a whole spiel at her while at the car.

“-was so incredibly dangerous! You could have gotten hurt!”

It wasn’t his fault; he didn’t know he had been in far worse situations than that one. That had been a walk in the park, and Taylor was pretty sure a mere knife like that could only nick her skin at best. But she wasn’t going to tell him that, not if he were to react like this.

“You need to think before you act, Taylor! You do not charge at people who have a weapon out!”

“He could have hurt someone, dad.” She argued.

“I’d rather it’d be someone else than my own daughter.”

“So, I should have done nothing then? Just let other people get hurt?”

“No!” He quickly said, and Taylor was partially relieved that was his first reaction. “I mean… I don’t know.” Danny sighed, looking far older than he actually was. “All I know is that I want you to be safe; I don’t want you taking dumb risks like that.”

Taylor pursed her lips. “But what if someone needs help, and I’m the only one who can do something at that moment?”

“It’s not wrong to help people, Taylor. But I want you to think of yourself first, okay?”

She sighed, “Okay…”

“Good.” He paused for a moment, looking straight ahead at the road. “At least I’m glad to know Victoria’s been giving you lessons on how to defend yourself; that’s a weight off my mind.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. Look, I know that sometimes things happen, and we don’t have any choice other than to defend ourselves. So, it puts me at ease to know you’re not helpless.” He muttered. “At least you’re not out there looking for fights…”

Taylor wallowed in guilty silence.

“That’s bullshit.”

“Thank you.”

At least Taylor had Vicky on her corner. She sat with her and Amy at the mall, indulging in their favorite pastime of eating greasy food while talking about books. It was a good thing that Amy had finally finished it; at least she had something to talk to her about. Though right now the topic was centered on what happened at Winslow.

 “You shouldn’t get punished just for doing the right thing.” Even Amy agreed. “That kid could have hurt someone.”

“Yeah, well, it’s not an American school if victims aren’t blamed as well.” She wasn’t the victim in this scenario, but the point remained.

“Man, nothing like that ever happens in Arcadia.” Vicky mused, taking another fry into her mouth. “I mean, not saying there aren’t bullies. But there’s a zero tolerance there, and the students know that. We’ve never had anyone bring a knife to the school.”

“Helps that it’s an open secret that Wards attend there.” Amy pointed out, nodding in her sister’s direction. “And open capes like us.”

“Winslow’s metal detectors barely work on a good day…” Taylor muttered, taking a long sip of her soda.

“Fuck,” The healer replied. “Sounds like a hellhole.”

“I can’t wait to graduate.”

“Why don’t you try transferring to Arcadia?” Vicky proposed. “You got your memory powers. Should be easy to get your grades up to qualify.”

“I’ve thought about it, but… I dunno,” Taylor shook her head. “Feels like running away.”

“You’re not a coward just because you don’t want to stay in that place,” Amy argued. “If I were you, I wouldn’t take it.” Her face made a strange expression just now; it was so fast she almost missed it.

“You don’t have to prove anything to anyone.”

The whole table jumped at the sudden appearance of Constance, who was suddenly sitting with them, looking at the world as though she had been there this entire time. Like with any public appearances, she had changed her form to hide her horns and tail, and wear something significantly less extravagant than her usual dress. Like a more ‘conservative’ version of it, but even that word was used loosely when it came to Constance.

“Jesus Christ!” Amy placed a hand on her chest, trying to calm the agitated organ. “Do you get off scaring people?!”

Constance merely smiled. “A bit of surprise adds spice to life.” The memokeeper looked at her pupil. “Rough days, huh?”

“A bit…” Taylor muttered.

“Don’t feel bad, Taylor. You did the right thing. It’s that principal of yours who’s in the wrong here.”

“I know.” And she did know, but it still sucked so bad. Winslow had that way of draining the life out of her.

“You know what? I think it’s time you get pampered a little.”

“I’m with the dream woman.” Vicky eagerly nodded. “It’s time you had fun instead of work all the time.”

Taylor wasn’t sure she liked where this was going.

“How about we start with…” Constance tapped her lips as she surveyed the food court, smiling widely once she spotted something that caught her eye. Namely, the cute guy that Taylor had been sneaking glances at for the past twenty minutes. “There”

Vicky and Amy followed her gaze, and the sisters had different reactions. Vicky smirked widely, and Amy rolled her eyes. “Oh, he’s cute. Good eye, Tay”

“Um,” Taylor’s gaze nervously shifted between the two.

“Why don’t you ask him out?”

“Come on, you two,” Amy spoke up tiredly, and Taylor was very glad the healer came to her defense. “Don’t push her if she doesn’t want to.”

“We’re not pushing her to anything,” Vicky replied. “She clearly likes the guy, so she could just go and say hi.”

“Vicky, I know you well enough to tell you’d just drag her to her feet to talk to him even if she says no.”

“What? No, I wouldn’t!”

“Must be imagining all those dumb double dates you roped me into, then…”

Oh wow, Taylor never saw Victoria bristle like that.

“Easy there, girls.” The adult in the group said, raising a placating hand. “We just want you to come out of your shell.”

“I’m fine in my shell,” Taylor protested. “It’s nice, comfortable, and warm.”

“You’re fine being out of the closet,” Vicky said, bewildered. “But social awkwardness is your weakness?”

Amy’s freckled face went through several stages of surprise. “Oh, I didn’t know you…”

“I don’t keep it a secret, but I don’t advertise it either.” Taylor shrugged. Weirdly enough, her sexuality was the only thing she was comfortable with herself when out of costume. Not that she wanted to act out on her social life anyhow. “Look, I appreciate it, but don’t bother. It’s not like I’d be that guy’s type anyway.”

The three women shared a confused look. “What do you mean by that?”

Taylor shot her a ‘really’ look. “Come on, Vicky. You don’t need to play dumb for me.” She sighed. It was just a fact about her, and there was no helping it. She just hadn’t been lucky that way; that’s okay. She had luck in other aspects of her life now. “I know I’m not… well, just look at my face. My mouth is too wide, and…”

Constance had grown very, very serious. “Taylor, do you think you’re ugly?”

Vicky looked upset for some reason.

“I know I’m not a ‘looker’, but that’s okay. I’m fine with it.” She made peace with it, rather. For all of Emma’s insults, that one had never been based on any lie. She wasn’t pretty like Vicky, certainly not the drop-dead gorgeous figure Constance was, but she didn’t have to let that rule her life.

Constance closed her eyes and took a deep breath.

“Victoria, dear, here’s my card.” Like a magician’s trick, she pulled a credit card out of her sleeve. “Go to the clothing store you think would fit her best.”

“I know just the place,” Vicky replied with all the seriousness of a soldier on a mission. “Meet you at the makeup parlor.”

Wait, what was happening?Amy looked as confused as she did, at least.

Taylor yelped as Constance pulled her to her feet and all but dragged her. “W-Wait, where are we going?”

“To teach you confidence.”

What happened next was a blur; things had moved just too fast for Taylor’s mind to process. Before she knew it, she was sitting on a large, comfy chair in the makeup parlor, with Constance herself applying some cosmetics Taylor had never tried before in her life, some she didn’t even know the names of…

“This is really not necessary-”

“Don’t move,” Constance ordered as she applied something to her eyelashes.

Amy was just… there; the other girl could only watch as Constance subjugated her to a full cosmetic treatment and shrug helplessly. At least she had her moral support…

Vicky arrived midway through the process, dropping a bunch of bags at Taylor’s feet. “There! Got all these to try out. Maxed out your card, though.”

“Trust me, that’s not a problem.”

“Don’t I get a say in this?!” Taylor sputtered.

“You will. Eventually. Now hold still.”

Vicky looked over a selection of glasses on a stand. “Say, Taylor. You don’t really need prescription anymore, right?”

“N-No, not since… you know.” She avoided using the term ‘powers’ in public.

“Great!” She picked up a pair of small rimless glasses.

“You really think you’re going to turn me pretty with some makeup and new clothes?” Taylor asked, tired.

“It’s not about ‘making you pretty’, my dear.” Constance insisted, applying blush to her cheeks. “It’s about making you feel pretty.”

“What’s the difference?”

“Everything,” The Memokeeper passionately said. “I once knew a follower of the Beauty who said the true essence of beauty comes from the inside. It is only when the person reflects that inner splendor that the world perceives our beauty.” She smiled in a way that looked far too intense. “She taught me… many things.”

And purred.

“Ohhh Valencia, what a woman.”

“Uhhhh,” Amy’s face was going tomato red. And I didn’t blame her.

Constance cleared her throat. “So, no. It’s nothing as superficial as a layer of makeup and some nice clothes, Taylor. This will all come from you.” She finished applying the cosmetics and grabbed one of the bags, pulling out a dark leather jacket. “Try this on; don’t look in the mirror yet.”

“Oh!” Vicky eagerly handed me the new rimless glasses. “Don’t forget these!”

Taylor… decided to humor them. She put on the jacket, adjusting her arms a bit as they passed through the sleeves, and put on the glasses. This was all so silly; there was no way a simple change like this could…

…Was that her?

The moment Taylor gazed at herself in the mirror, she froze.

“Ohhh!” Vicky cooed, joining her hands together. Amy could only stare.

She… She almost didn’t recognize herself. It wasn’t a lot of makeup, and while the jacket looked nice, it wasn’t anything out of this world. Really, there was nothing that much different about her. The glasses did make her face look a bit different. But…

But she looked good.

Constance placed her hands on her shoulders, leaning forward as the two stared at their reflection. “It’s not about how you look, my dear; it’s about how you feel. Now,” She looked at her with a warm smile. “How do you feel, Taylor?”

Taylor blushed, biting the corner of her lip. “I…” She paused.

“You need to say it,” Constance said, not sternly, but as a gentle guiding hand. “Because you deserve to feel this way.”

The Pathstrider took a deep breath. “I feel pretty.”

And she did. She truly did.

Had this been the damage Emma had done to her for so long? Making her feel so ugly and miserable she couldn’t even project an image of confidence?

She just… never really thought other people could find her attractive. Or even nice to look at. That her good traits began and ended with her hair.

“And you are.” Constance insisted. “Isn’t she, girls?”

“Oh, you look beautiful, Tay!” Vicky agreed with endless support and cheer.

Amy blinked repeatedly, looking away and idly brushing a messy, curly lock behind her ear, trying to stare at anything but Taylor, yet still sneaking a few glances her way. “Uh, yeah. Y-You do.”

Taylor tried really, really hard not to cry.

She looked at her reflection once more, finally feeling good about herself after so long.

“Thank you,” She muttered to Constance; words failed her to capture how much gratitude she had for her.

“Anytime, my dear.” The Memokeeper kindly replied. “Anytime.”