A different world (for Taylor)

[shahrrehth]

There’s any number of worlds where the last son of Krypton lands in a relatively mundane world, or a world with a few heroes. But it just so happens that the last daughter of Krypton lands in Kansas on a world full of other heroes. And that changes the course of things. It’s why the Kent’s don’t stay in Smallville, why they end up in Brockton Bay, because it’s easier to Hide in a crowd. And that is why on the first day of school for a particularly important year in Taylor Herbert’s life, that she’ll walk into her class to see a pretty girl in a sundress being introduced to the class as their new transfer student.

And since there’s no one with a last name starting in J, Clara is told to take the seat beside Miss Herbert. She’ll start with a bright memory…

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[shahrrehth]

She looks back at Taylor and some of the vulnerability is back in her eyes. She puts a brittle smile over it.

“Yeah. That’s… that’s part of it. It’s kind of a lot.”

She looks away from Taylor.

“I’ve never told anyone. It’s this big secret for- I mean, I want to be a lawyer like my Grandpa Clark. That’s out the window if anyone finds out. But I-

“I didn’t want you to feel alone with everything. And I don’t like outright lying to people.”

[skitter]

Taylor scoots back, but this time to make room on the end of the bed for Clara, and she pulls a knee to her chest, wrapping her arms around it.

"I won't tell anyone," she promises, earnest. It's not a difficult promise to make. "I don't- I don't even talk to anyone. But you can do that and you don't want to be a Ward?"

[shahrrehth]

She goes to the bed and carefully crawls on. She doesn’t touch Taylor but she curls around one knee herself.

“That’s a big part of why we moved here. We wanted to check out the Wards in person, not just go on what people say. And I’ve been listening and watching.”

She looks away and then over at Taylor.

“What about you? Is that the kind of thing you’d want to do?”

[skitter]

"Maybe? I never thought I'd be- you know, anything." She shrugs, the movement sharp, self-conscious. "I've just been trying to get through school."

[shahrrehth]

“I wasn’t asking to try and pressure you or anything,” she says honestly. “I don’t even know what I want yet either.”

[skitter]

She rests her chin on her knee, looking at Clara.

"Thank you- for helping me, and trusting me," she says quietly. "I don't have anyone to go through this with."

[shahrrehth]

She nods to that because she’s honestly still processing it.

“Guess it could be worse, the two of us going through it together.”

[skitter]

"How well do your parents do with it?"

[shahrrehth]

She ducks her head a little.

“…there’s going to be a Discussion with a capital D when I mention I told you. But they’re usually pretty good about everything. Ma’s the one who usually calms things down and Pa’s the one who’ll get grumpy if he knows I told someone.”

[skitter]

There's a complicated series of expressions then, as Taylor realizes that Clara's probably going to tell them about her, too. She almost asks her not to. But instead-

"I can't tell my dad."

[shahrrehth]

Oh, she caught that.

“I can’t make that choice for you. And I wasn’t going to tell them about you unless you said so. But… I’m sure they’d want to help.”

[skitter]

"... I'll think about it," she says, with a little nod. "I- I just don't know what I should do. I don't know what I can do."

[shahrrehth]

“What do you want to do?” She asks with a tilt of her head.

“Do you want to join the Wards?”

Because if she does she’s going to have to tell her a couple things.

[skitter]

She shrugs, expression a little helpless. "Maybe? I don't think 'psychic link with bugs' is a good enough sort of power, but I haven't figured it out yet, either."

[shahrrehth]

She leans a little, but not far enough to actually touch Taylor. It's just companionable.

"I'm not trying to rush you. I'm just saying." She leans a little further on her knee. "I don't know. I can think of a lot of stuff linking to bugs could help with."

She glances over.

"I guess a part of me is just worried that if I join up, then I'm giving somebody say in what they can do with my power. They can direct me to use it in ways I might not agree with. Not to mention the whole... legal thing."

[skitter]

Taylor nods, unfolding a little, hands braced on the bed. "And it's kind of signing up for good. I've never heard of a Ward who quit to do anything else, except for like - injured out.

"Be nice to not have to go back to Winslow, though."

[shahrrehth]

That gets a nod.

"It's a one and done kind of deal."

But she glances over at Taylor at the mention of missing out on high school.

"Is it... is it going to be bad for you? Going back?"

[skitter]

Taylor snorts quietly, and rubs a hand over her face.

Well.

Confidences are already on the table, aren't they?

"There're clips of me flipping out on you set to music being sent around. It's probably- I probably know who made them. They're going to make sure it doesn't stop." Expression bleeds out of her face as she says it - that's how she's always dealt with them.

[shahrrehth]

"Yeah," she says with a sigh and a shake of her head before letting her head go down.

"I know who did it too. They might have been trying to mess with me."

She smirks a little.

"I'm reaaaally hard to prank. It's been driving them nuts."

[skitter]

"I bet. You can probably hear them talking about it across the school."

[shahrrehth]

She huffs.

"I can hear them now if I want to."

And don't think she hasn't been tempted to say something about any of it.

"My Ma's been reminding me not to stick them on the roof or something the last few weeks."

[skitter]

Taylor's mouth tilts, almost a smile. "... I could probably give them lice."

[shahrrehth]

She glances over.

“You very well could. And it’s not like they wouldn’t deserve it.”

[skitter]

It's not like the idea doesn't have appeal. But Taylor can just feel her mother's eye on her about it.

"... Yeah, but I wouldn't.

"Emma used to be my best friend," she adds, more quietly.

[shahrrehth]

There’s a pause when she has to agree but there’s a sigh that says she feels the temptation herself pretty often.

When she heard about that betrayal…

“That… that’s just awful. I bet you didn’t do a damn thing to her either.”