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Worm interlude 16 Bonus 2

Okay finally another interlude

This guy sounds interesting what do you mean slip into the other state of mind seeing the world come apart strange man

OUGH ITS ARMSMASTER

I refuse to call him defiant

People have told me that you start to like him so I’ll try to be a bit open minded

Put the spear away dude you’re in a hospital

Jack slash mention!

Damsel of distesss sounds so funny she goes loses comes back

Woah storms?? I wasn’t expecting that

Yknow what if he kills hookwolf I’ll put my grudge aside

Wait that’s hilarious he’s so bad at social situations that dragon, the ai, has to tell him how to talk to people??

No I can’t let this endear me to him

Pppft I need a dragon in my ear telling me how to do conversations as well that would be wonderful

He’s got that tism in him

He’s actually so much cooler as a cyborg I love it when bodies function so efficiently

Okay is he really that bad at conversations that he needs dragon to tell him how to reassure people??? How was he a cape???

Where is dragon? She’s basically having this conversation

Again why does she need Armsmaster apart from him being the guy in a chair

Put the spear away you have hands

If he actually takes down the nine I’ll become his biggest hype man but I don’t believe he can

Interesting how jack slash corrupts people by altering their own morals just giving a nudge here and there to make them worse versions of themselves

Wait what damsel is part of the nine now?? They’re recruiting quickly I know he mentioned it but thought we’d see it

Okay I’m always going to listen when you talk is very cute

Wait guys you can’t trick me into liking Armsmaster by giving him this romance I’m smiling too much

I’m gonna look at my knees, you old man

Okay the she was amusing line sounds a little ominous I’m not gonna lie but I’m gonna but it down to him just being him

What’s ten by ten

Oh

I don’t even want to think about him having that

Oh wait what self reflection??? He’s saying he was harsh on Taylor????? I was not expecting this who is this guy

Wait weren’t we all operating under the assumption that she was an ai with powers like humans and that’s why she was so good??

I suppose I didn’t think she had a trigger

But also crazy implications that I never really considered what’s the baseline for someone to get powers if an ai can?

Can of worms!!! Worm!!!!

Is Armsmaster going to be able to cause triggers in others like doctor mother if he figures this out?

Ooooh cauldron is doctor mothers thing right??? Dragon knows??????

Woah woah on the same level as endbringers?? First of I think the nine and endbringers shouldn’t be on the same level and cauldrons capes aren’t that strong they could just about keep up with one endbringer and Siberian fought three

I will admit. This chapter may have dimmed my hatred of him but they’re still there!! It’s only because he’s interacting with dragon who’s super cool

He’s getting cooled by osmosis

But still dislike him!!!!

Worm 16.6

Yeah have a party they deserve one

I’m also a bit out of it when they apparently won I’m too suspicious somethings going on

Oh me and Taylor are on the same wavelength

Fair point Genesis

Cmon Grue let imp have some fun she’s a kid

Not sure regent is the best person to be hanging about but they seem chill together

Hmmm tensions in the travellers are rising is Noelle gonna break out or trick break Noelle out soon?

I love tricksters power

I’m crying Rachel it should have been you going out with Taylor tonight

Honestly what have the capes even done apart from interrupt people getting helped

Taylor mom era

She even hit sierra with the I’m not angry just disappointed

Grue does have a good point with coil I think he was just lying to Taylor

Wait a second what

I do not want to talk about the end of this chapter

Worm 16.5

Yknow what fair I gotta appreciate dragons dedication to the dragon theme

Oof so dragon is just the best huh

This is gonna be a let’s get out of here and that’s a win fight isn’t it

I’m sorry approached to close to what the suit was building??? It’s making something???

Wait is Taylor gonna out talk this

This is gonna be fun

Wait no way did that work

Huh

That wasn’t that bad honestly ai is still ai and a sun is a sun

Surely these can’t have been the ones dragon wanted to use against the nine

I’m expecting such a high tech thing against them

Let’s hope it’s not a matter of time before ai gets around its limitations regent

Ooooh I want to see eidolon and Alexandria that would be so fun

Wait they have the city?? This arc can’t have been over that easy

Get the number of kills right Rachel worked hard for that

Wait are we going to get the coil attack fight now??

There’s still eight chapters left what’s going to happen???

Oh my god this shit looks so good

A prelude to my ranting and thrashing.

I’ve had a worm in my head recently. THE Worm (webnovel as written by Wildbow and published on the internet between 2011 and 2013).

Worm came out during a wave of superhero culture which, although still in the presence of the MCU, felt the weight of less interconnected and reverent media like Kickass, Infamous and Chronicle; where the stories had pointed effects on you because they actually ended instead of an unending pointless parade that drags the characters back out far beyond where their stories have finished.

In Worm, the world actively reacts to the presence that spandex clad psychos with justified delusions of grandeur would make. Non supes practice evacuations for citywide threats and you get communication between dimensions which is common enough that you can get alternate versions of star wars on the internet. I love the vibe that there’s been years of history in the setting that people just get used to. (e.g. Batman’s giant penny)

Main Character Taylor doesn’t have as flashy a power as the other spider based hero as her power is to control swarms of tiny crushable bugs. A lot of fun is found in how such a unwieldy power can be used to take down threats that are magnitudes more destructive than her. The interactions are novel and the characters are (mostly) fun and the pacing is (mostly) good.

Because that’s the thing. Worm was the first published novel that Wildbow wrote. It’s rough and has obvious flaws that just spark that editor in you. In the comments section on the frontpage, half the comments are asking for permission to write a review.

So I guess I’m not doing anything new if these rants even count as review. But that’s okay. I forgive myself. This whole “unsolicited amateur advice” thing is rather egotistical but I need to get thoughts out of my head. I’m probably going to rag on every small thing that nobody else has an issue with but hey. It’s a great book. You should read it.

Posts every Saturday Morning. I’ll do a chunk of chapters or so and scream about them. See you there.

(also edited by @annihilate-this-week THAAAAANKS MOOOOM)

you guys i have learned how to crochet posable inchworms using foam rollers as the base. i cannot overstate how exciting this is to me!!

11.3 - “Stealing Fire From The Gods”

Jenny and Ted discuss Infestation 11.3.

Episode Notes:

• Skitter in this chapter is iconic
• The appeal of character competence
• Action without suspense, yum
• Taylor’s kind of like Bakuda, but it’s fine!
• What if this is all a metaphor for Taylor harnessing the humans to take down the Endbringers?
• We love everything about bugs with fire
• The tea is a metaphor
• Did these particular Merchants deserve this?
• Skitter isn’t into her own competence
• Another unserious kidnapping
• Will Sierra be a security threat?
• Sierra’s view of Skitter
• Slaylor vs. Flailor
• We’re very concerned about the mold situation in Brockton Bay
• Sierra’s a great example of a competent person without superpowers
• People talk to you differently when you’re a supervillain
• Sometimes you need a hero, and sometimes you need a Skitter
• Skitter’s an imperfect fit for the social role of supervillain
• Literal found family
• Taylor’s very prosocial in her villainy
• Taylor might be the best Undersider at this territory thing
• Lisa as the silent partner in this Dinah thing
• Bryce is gonna be a problem
• Aughties moments
• Introducing Herman Drives
• Taylor loves finding a use for people