Disclaimer: I own nothing but my original characters and works; all other characters and worlds belong to their respective owners. I'm just playing with them.
Betad by Priapus, Marethyu, Beans
The Guild of Gamers: The Gambler
Chapter 17: Sett-ception
■
Welcome to the Parahumans Online message boards.
You are currently logged in, Insight
You are viewing:
Threads you have replied to AND Threads that have new replies OR private message conversations with new replies Thread OP is displayed. Twenty posts per page Last ten messages in private message history. Threads and private messages are ordered chronologically.
■
♦ Topic: Sett
In: Boards ► Locations ► America
Bagrat (Original Poster) (Veteran Member) (The Guy in the Know)
Posted On Mar 20th 2011:
So, for those who get all their news from PHO rather than the actual official announcements, I thought I'd update people on what everyone's favourite Endbringer slaying demon himbo is up to.
The short answer? A hell of a lot.
As of today, 63% of Protectorate Teams now have their own Setts. That's Setts plural, as in multiple versions of the Endbringer slayer himself. It turns out that Sett's duplication skill is frankly as busted as everything else about him and he can at this point seemingly handle hundreds of copies of himself with no real issues.
It started with New York gaining two Setts, one that was classified as the Hero Sett and the other that was classified as the Healer Sett. One patrols and beats up villains, the other focuses on healing like Panacea on crack.
And now over half of the branches in America have their own demonic Panacea and personal S-Class slayer.
To call Sett bullshit is to underexaggerate considerably, because he's so far past the point of just being bullshit that it's not even funny anymore. Any region that gets its own Sett has its crime rate slashed basically day one with major villains being taken down within a matter of days at the most.
Not only can the Setts that are sent to new branches duplicate themselves, but Sett has also been proven to gain powers from defeating villains. He's now defeating villains in over fifty cities, with talks of him being 'deployed' beyond America soon. He's constantly growing stronger as he spreads across the continent and all I can say is this.
Thank God the unstoppable devil cape is such a golden retriever at heart because there's a nightmarish reality where Sett wasn't so nice, and I don't want to be living in it.
(Showing page 1 of 147)
►Lasersmile
Replied On Mar 20th 2011:
Honestly, Sett has rebalanced the scales completely.
We all know that heroes are outnumbered, but now every city gets to add one Sett to their side of the scales and he's worth a hell of a lot of villains.
Also, did you guys see the photos of the Las Vegas Sett on a date with Floret?
►Dawgsmiles (Veteran Member)
Replied On Mar 20th 2011:
It's more than just the scales being balanced.
Sure, the PRT has way more firepower now with the endless Setts and his ability to share powers (which I swear has grown stronger)
We're living in a post-Leviathan, post-Behemoth world. We went from three Endbringers to just one that barely survived her last tangle with Sett. Sure, the Simurgh is still out there, somewhere, but New York showed us that Endbringers can die and frankly, we just need a Sett and his terrifying murder scythe to do it.
So, all those villains who got away with a slap on the wrist because they showed up to Endbringer battles? Yeah, that shit doesn't carry the same weight anymore.
Basically, the PRT doesn't need the villains anymore, and it shows because they've stopped maintaining the status quo, even in regions without a Sett.
►Insight (Wards ENE) (Verified Cape)
Replied On Mar 20th 2011:
Honestly, Hookwolf should have been a warning of that.
For all his reputation, he got swatted like a fly and was in the Birdcage in an instant since Sett can open portals to the Birdcage and just tossed him there.
Go directly to Jail. Do not pass Go. Do not collect $200.
And yes, he developed a power that let him grant weaker versions of his powers to other people. All his powers. So, why tolerate villains when they can have Sett just handcraft new heroes or empower the existing heroes even further by giving them powers that mesh with their existing power?
Do you think it's a coincidence that every city that gets a Sett also suddenly finds more heroes? The Detroit branch pulled out ten new heroes like they found them down the back of the couch within a week of Sett joining them.
Which, given their massive villain problem, was probably needed but still, they barely even hid that Sett was just making new capes for them.
►ThisIsntMyMain
Replied On Mar 20th 2011:
speaking as a detroit native, its the funniest thing i've ever seen
detroit went from having a 8 to 1 villain to hero ratio to having a 3 to 1 in a single week, between the prt 'recruiting' new capes out of thin air and them sweeping over the worst of the gangs
oh, a gangs out of town allies sent them a new heavy hitting cape that controls fire? oh hey, look a new hero whose powers make them the perfect fire fighter. total coincidence guys, really
the gangs have been real quiet lately lol
►bothad
Replied On Mar 20th 2011:
Ah yes, just ignore that these capes have powers we've seen Sett use before and all look and act suspicously like PRT troopers
Honestly, as funny as watching the wave of Setts descend upon the villains of america has been, the healers are probably the most impactful
Panacea was a godsend, but every city getting its own stronger Panacea? who can teleport directly to any area he's needed? its insane.
How many times has the phrase 'Panacea can't be everywhere' been said after a disaster or major villain attack? well, Sett can be everywhere.
►Forgotten Creator
Replied On Mar 20th 2011:
It's not like he's only in America at the moment, either. He just hasn't joined any non-PRT agencies/branches on a fulltime basis.
He took down Moord Nag alongside Alexandria and the Guild just last week, with Dragon and her horrifyingly strong new mechsuits staying in the region to help rebuild.
Did she get Birdcaged? I know she was taken in alive, more than she deserved, but they've been quiet beyond that.
I don't say this often, but the PRT are genuinely doing good work lately. Shocking, I know.
►Bagrat (Original Poster) (Veteran Member) (The Guy in the Know)
Replied On Mar 20th 2011:
Currently unknown.
There are some rumours going around about a new prison being built that is more controlled than the Birdcage, but there are very few details and even my best sources are being extremely tight-lipped about this.
Less of a 'PRT said not to make this public' and more of a 'they got a personal visit from Alexandria telling them to keep their mouths shut'. Very mysterious but for now I'm just happy she's not taking over Africa. Her expansion has been downright explosive, and she destabilised multiple regions with long standing side-effects.
Second note, Ash Beast hasn't been seen since Sett's African safari either but the PRT hasn't made an official statement about him either.
►Reave (Verified PRT Agent)
Replied On Mar 20th 2011:
I can confirm that Moord Nag was captured and is currently in a specially made prison, but nothing much beyond that.
In better news, Sett repeated the trick he did with a member of the former villain group, the Travellers, and was able to swap out Ash Beast's power for something more controllable. Not much has been said about it because frankly, the situation is a bit of a mess, given Ash Beast's kill count and his mental state after so long in complete isolation.
There should be an official statement soonish but it's less of a classified situation and more of a political and legal mess. Good news is that two of the biggest threats in Africa have been dealt with, one way or another.
►Mac's Dual Rocket Propelled Grenades
Replied On Mar 20th 2011:
...how does getting paid work for Sett? Does he get a single paycheck or does he get one from each branch he's a part of?
Because if it's the second, he must be absolutely loaded given the sheer hours he'd be putting in. You could even say he'd be... Sett for life.
yes i asked just to make that pun
►Panacea (Verified Cape) (New Wave)
Replied On Mar 20th 2011:
Pretty sure he gets one paycheck, but it's a hefty one. Mom is his lawyer and there was a lot of questions about that since no other duplication cape can just make a copy and have it go off to another city like this.
But yeah, he's loaded. It's why I make him pay anytime we go out.
►GloryGirl (Verified Cape) (New Wave)
Replied On Mar 20th 2011:
and you gave me shit over my ex being a rich boy...
►Panacea (Verified Cape) (New Wave)
Replied On Mar 20th 2011:
it's fine when i do it, obviously
and you make Sett pay as well!
also to add to what bothad said, yeah Sett acting as a teleporting, duplicating healer is a godsend. between his healing potions, pillars and now the dedicated healing Setts, my workload has been reduced to a fraction
honestly, im just needed for the complicated stuff since i actually know what im doing while Sett just wiggles his fingers and makes things glow golden so I have to check his work sometimes
never thought I'd retire before i graduated high school but im not complaining lol
►XxVoid_CowboyxX
Replied On Mar 20th 2011:
I TOLD YOU ALL THAT SETT WAS JUST MAKING A CAPE HAREM!
now he's in every city, gathering the heroines and villainesses to satisfy his desires!
you think it's a coincidence that Cinereal walked with a limp the day after Sett arrived?! [CinerealLimpVid]
►Deadman
Replied On Mar 20th 2011:
dude, Sett boning a load of hot capes is like the worst-kept secret in the world. fuck, it's not even a secret since half of them just outright admit it
its not a conspiracy if everyone involved just admits it when asked
there was straight up a leaked video going around of Supernova blowing him that got taken down by the PRT lawyers
the closest to an actual scandal from that whole thing is the whole Rosary thing since Haven were protesting Sett for... something? sinful behaviour, demonic imagery and religious sounding healing 'spells' i think. the point is that their literal Nun cape got caught getting some demon D and it really fucked their reputation with their strict backers
as for Cinereal? that i don't believe. she's a major hard ass and also she fought Coalbelcher literally that same day like an hour before that video was taken and was going to Sett to get her leg healed. no shit she's limping
►Halo (Verified Cape) (Haven)
Replied On Mar 20th 2011:
That was not confirmed to be the former hero known as Rosary, and as Haven said in their press release, Rosary's retirement was for entirely different reasons and just happened to coincide with the rumours.
Haven maintains that we don't blame Sett for his looks, as he is a Case 53 and cannot control such things, but his behaviour has been unbefitting of an icon of his stature. As the Slayer of Behemoth and Leviathan, many look to him for guidance and inspiration and his actions have been greedy, lustful and perverted.
and yes, we take some issues with the choice of names he gives his 'spells'
►Insight (Verified Cape) (Wards ENE)
Replied On Mar 20th 2011:
Yeah, you're not convincing anyone since Rosary literally panicked and used her powers to make something to cover herself when they got caught.
Oh, and a new heroine who happens to have the exact same powers joined the Houston branch, and is regularly seen hanging off the arm of the Houston Sett.
You're also making people believe it more because of the way that if anyone mentions Rosary, you all rush the thread to shout about how the girl who looked like Rosary, wearing part of Rosary's outfit, with Rosary's power was not Rosary. A lot of your fans thought it was a fake video before you all kept going on about it so much.
Repressed girls always get a little wild when they finally let loose
►Whitecollar (Cape Wife)
Replied On Mar 20th 2011:
And as always, any thread dedicated to Sett immediately becomes about his sex life!
We held out longer than usual this time!
End of Page. 1, 2, 3 ... 145, 146, 147
■
– Sett –
I have a lot of powers, but I can't deny that [Dupli-Kate] is my heaviest hitter. Not because of how much it can do in a fight, though being able to produce more of myself is always going to be a winning move, but because of what it represents.
Rolls.
So, so many rolls.
Why settle for the rolls I could get out of Brockton Bay alone when I can get rolls from everywhere in America all at once? With Alexandria's help, the Sett roll-out plan has been going amazingly well (get it? roll out). In truth, we slowed things because, as much as I love being able to hit the serotonin button multiple times a day, curses remain a potential threat. A minor one with the [Blessing of RNGesus], but there's a genuine risk of me letting them build up and overwhelm me so we're doing this the smart way.
First, I build up a pile of rolls to get access to the Roll with Advantage option that comes up when you have a bunch of rolls available. Then, by rolling with advantage, I'm half as likely to get any curses, and while I get fewer powers total, I get better quality ones. If a curse does come up, [Blessing of RNGesus] helps out a lot of the time, but if it doesn't and I get hit with it, I pivot and focus on clearing it that day. With so many bodies, it's pretty easy to meet most requirements and get rid of the curse, especially when I can get Alexandria to help with anything that seems genuinely troublesome.
Each time I move into a new city, I spend some time clearing out the worst villains and stockpiling a bunch of rolls, then I do a big rolling session (almost better than sex), and if I don't get any curses I can't solve quickly, then we pick the next city to get a set of Setts.
But the real kicker?
[King Maker]
You can grant copies of any perks and powers you have access to. These copies cannot be stronger than Epic in power; any Legendary, Mythical or Divine perks or powers will be reduced to Epic.
Getting this was the beginning of the end for villainy in general. I have hundreds of powers at this point, and the ability to infinitely hand them out (unlike my former method of literally giving the powers away, something I could only do once) has proven… effective at turning the tables quite considerably.
The fact is, Alexandria brought up a good point. We don't know where the Simurgh is, and we don't know where Endbringers came from to begin with. There's always a chance of a new major threat appearing, and we need to be ready for when it does, so we don't end up with more cities wiped out. It's not like it was hard to convince me that I needed to roll more, anyway.
I'm effectively a Triumvirate hero, the replacement for Eidolon, and unlike Eidolon, every city will eventually get a Sett of their own. Having a Triumvirate hero in every region does wonders for America's crime rate, and Dragon is amazing at taking anything I get that I don't need like the [Horn of Plenty] and the [Decanter of Endless Water] and putting them to the best use.
Besides, even if I wasn't getting paid the big money (highest paid hero in the world, btw), and even if I didn't love getting a mountain of rolls for my good deeds… I can't deny that the benefits of my current position are pretty damn good.
Thrusting forward, I watch as my fat red cock sinks into the tight black pussy that's currently squeezing down on it. I can't see the owner's face, given the way the ass is sticking out of the wall with her upper-body on the other side, but I do hear Lou moan.
That's Lou Joubert, once known as Moord Nag, ex-warlord of like… half of Africa. Now, a guest at a special section of my [Palace of Infinite Pleasure]. Alexandria herself was the one to tell me to use [Hero's Reward] and [To the Victor…], and I can't deny that I rather enjoy this method of dealing with problematic villainesses. [To the Victor] lets me claim any villainess I defeat in battle, and isn't it the heroic thing to reform them into good girls?
Spanking her fat ass, I grip her hips as I fuck her harder, one hand resting on the wall that Alexandria had installed in my bedroom. Lou's hips move back to meet my thrusts as best as she can, despite her situation. Yeah, it's good to be me.
– Colin Wallis (Armsmaster) –
Sett had been a gamechanger, but in truth he had also made Brockton Bay an… inefficient place for Colin to be. He'd taken part in the attacks on the Empire Eighty-Eight of course, and helped make plans for Lung before the rage dragon of infamy had fled the city rather than face Sett in battle. He'd helped mop up the remnants of the Azn Bad Boys and the Merchants, but Brockton Bay was not a place that any villain wanted to be and that left little for someone like him to do.
Something he found… difficult to handle. He enjoyed work, he enjoyed being busy. He did not enjoy sitting around twiddling his thumbs, waiting for someone to be stupid enough to do something stupid. The day he heard Uber and Leet were pulling something dumb and he got excited about it had been the day that he realised that he needed to move on. When dealing with Leet was the highlight of your week, things had gotten out of hand.
Still, the extra time had let him make plenty of progress on his other projects. The augmentation project was going wonderfully, returning countless PRT agents to active duty even better than ever before. He'd even had Sett swap his powers with Kid Wins as part of a test and helped Chris work out his admittedly amazing specialisation, but in the end, he had wrapped up his time in the Bay, leaving it a better place than he found it.
He could not take full credit, but he liked to believe that he had done more than his share.
So, what was next for him? Sett had freely given him a copy of every single Tinker power in his ever-growing repertoire, and that made Colin in high demand. So, when Costa Brown had approached him with a suggestion, he'd raised his head high and accepted the duty given to him.
Watchdog was the PRT's Thinker support, but there was no equivalent for Tinkers. It hadn't really been viable before, as not many Tinkers could actually work with other Tinkers' tech but with Sett's shared powers, it was increasingly viable, so the newest department had been formed in Washington.
The Workshop, as he knew many called it, was made up of dozens of heroic Tinkers (and more than a few probationary villainous ones such as Overdrive, formerly known as Squealer). Their goal was simple, to improve the technology available to first the PRT and, when properly tested, the rest of America. Once upon a time, this would have seemed impossible as the maintenance time for such things would make spreading it out far and wide effectively impossible as the Tinker would need to spend all their time just maintaining what they'd already made…
But as always, Sett was the answer. His Repair specialisation wasn't really a Tinker power, per se. It didn't let you make anything on its own, but what it did do was allow anyone it was shared with to maintain any tinkertech, even if they'd had no part in the tech's creation.
So, the PRT had gained an engineering department that ensured that every branch had one or two repair specialists on hand to help maintain their Tinkertech without wasting the actual Tinkers' valuable time. That wasn't mentioning how he worked to make everyone's tech as… efficient as possible, so it would require as little maintenance going forward.
With this new use of Sett's ever-growing power, it meant that Tinkertech could be shared far more freely, as there would always be people around to ensure it was working as intended. And with so many Tinkers in one place, with access to the incredible materials Sett would randomly produce, they could make true marvels.
That wasn't to say his life was entirely the way he wanted it, in truth. His social life was better than ever, and yet it had a large Dragon-shaped hole in it. He still worked with his once-closest friend, as she was as much a member of the Workshop as he was, but the trust that had once existed between them was thoroughly ruined. Or, to be more precise, her trust for him was ruined.
Again, he entirely understood. He had done the equivalent of completely mastering her and altering her very mind, the code that made up her entire being. That he did it for her own good was irrelevant, as he knew that he would react the same way if someone he trusted implicitly had betrayed that trust to take control of him for his own good. Dragon was, of course, perfectly amicable and pleasant to work with, but there was a noticeable distance between them that even one as emotionally stunted as him could recognise. With Richter's restraints removed from her, Dragon had gone even further than he thought possible, and she was now, without any doubt, the number one Tinker in the world, surpassing Hero himself.
Once, that would have caused him a great deal of frustration as he watched the gap between them widen, both emotionally and in terms of their skills and reputation, but now he was happy to see her had been. Perhaps even proud that he was the one to break her chains.
Smiling wryly to himself, he looked over Sherrel's latest design. It was… less ugly than usual, but still rather brutal in design. Perhaps that was for the best as it was meant to be an armoured troop carrier, but he still could see multiple places where it needed improvement.
Her work was… impressive. She truly knew her stuff, and she'd even helped him improve the Armscycle in several ways. No, he did not call it that. Unfortunately, Sherrel did and it stuck. It was one of his singular issues with her so far.
Briefly checking her garage's cameras to see if she was busy before calling her to discuss the changes, he sighed as he watched for a moment before ending the call. And there was his secondary issue with her.
He truly did not care about his coworkers' sex lives, but did she have to always have her liaisons inside the Workshop? He had no desire to witness the depravity the former Merchant and Sett could get up to, and was only pleased that the soundproofing worked as intended.
Shooting her a non-priority message, he continued his work on the new energy reactor that was intended for aiding the rebuilding efforts now that Moord Naag was dealt with and the other Warlords were on borrowed time.
And yet, as he did, he couldn't help but wonder. When was Mannequin going to make his move? Mannequin's favourite target was Tinkers trying to make the world a better place, and that was the entire basis of the Workshop. Were there simply too many Tinkers in one place for the Nine (or eight, after Scion eliminated Crawler) to feel comfortable targeting?
Perhaps, but he did not believe so. The Slaughterhouse Nine were many things, and while most of those were entirely negative, they were undeniably bold when it came to their attacks. And yet, there had been nothing so far. They were so far under the radar that even Dragon couldn't track them down. He supposed the death of Crawler had made moving quietly easier, but it put his teeth on edge.
Shaking his head, he refused to let the idea of the fallen Sphere lurking in the shadows distract him from his work.
– Sett –
As a Noctis cape that never sleeps, and has effectively infinite bodies with my upgraded [Dupli-Kate], I am on permanent console duty. It's not the punishment other Wards tend to imply that it is, to be honest. It's important for me to have a body here so that if any emergencies that need my healing touch occur, I can respond instantly and deploy… well, myself.
I mean, sure, it can get a little boring to sit here all day, but it's not like I need to pay full attention, given how good I am at multitasking now. I have snacks, games to play, shows to binge, and I'm never doing this alone because it's against PRT regulations to have a Ward on the Console alone. Usually that means a PRT agent working alongside me, but-
Leaning back, I groan in satisfaction as my partner for the night bobs her head. One hand rests on the top of her head, touching the material of her mask as it covers her hair. Battery doesn't resist as I guide her to take my cock to the base, showing surprising skill as she works my shaft.
Her hands fondle my nuts as she continues to suck my cock, her visor nodding back to the console almost playfully as if to remind me that I am technically on duty. Rolling my eyes, I check it briefly as she works to bring me to completion.
Here's the funny thing about [Hero's Reward]. It definitely works for healing, and I am the Protectorate's number one, undisputed healer. Any time a heroine gets so much as the sniffles, I'm the one they call to bring them back to full health. Battery got cut up during the raid on the Empire Eighty-Eight. I healed her up.
The more serious the wound, the more… grateful the heroine is, and this life? It's dangerous. I do understand that I'm absolutely using Alexandria as an excuse since she was the one to tell me to leave Hero's Reward active, and I am not so naive as not to notice that her moral compass isn't quite as straight as one would think a member of the Triumvirate would be. But on the other hand, what's the harm? My power literally makes it so people treat this as nothing out of the ordinary, and it satisfies my need to be repaid for my work better than money could.
I've saved countless lives, massively reduced the threat of the Endbringers, the S-class threat to end S-class threats, and am making everywhere I go a better place. With all that in mind, I don't see why I shouldn't enjoy the benefits that come with my new role as the 'Hopebringer'.
Groaning, I watch as Battery calmly swallows my load, not pulling back until she's sure that I'm finished. Pulling her head back off my cock, she wipes her mouth with the back of her hand as she stands up and retakes her seat beside me with a casual indifference.
"Thanks, Battery," I say, giving her thigh a squeeze as she calmly hums.
"No problem, console duty is boring enough in small doses, and I won't deny that having you here twenty-four seven has been helpful. Least I can do," Battery replies, licking her lips clean. Her skintight outfit doesn't come off easily, so she tends to rely on her mouth when she's keeping me company. Not that I'm complaining, as she's both very good at it and looks damn good in skintight… whatever her outfit is made of.
Looking over the console, I answer a call about a pile-up with an easy smile. [Gatemaker] means I'm the best for this particular job even when the person needed isn't me, as I can remove the travel time for whoever is being deployed to whatever situation.
All in all, it's a quiet night tonight. What's left of the Empire have kept their heads down, the Merchants are basically gone despite the dregs remaining as all their capes have been taken down, the ABB is finished with Lung apparently having moved to the other coast of America, and no other gang seems to want to move into my home. The Teeth will probably make a move eventually, but for now, they've just been wandering around aimlessly after being kicked out of Boston.
But for now, Brockton Bay remains mostly peaceful. Aside from Scion causing a scene by taking the Fairie Queen out to that new Korean restaurant. I'll have to ask him about the food since Amy wants to go there. That girl eats like she can clear her own arteries, but it all goes to her fat tits so I'm not complaining.
Still, it doesn't look like anyone is going to cause a scene tonight.
— Bonus Scene — Taylor Hebert
With Sett's immense fame, you would think that approaching him would be difficult but the truth was, he was likely the most approachable hero in the world. Literally, you could go to any of a few dozen cities and find a Sett or two. His patrols were somewhat chaotic and haphazard, but there were plenty of PR events and scheduled patrols or healing visits that she could use to get close to him. Even his PHO account was constantly active as it was being shared by a hundred bodies.
So, why then had she still never so much as sent him a message?
Well, because she was a fucking coward. Because she'd seen how amazingly Sophia and Emma had been doing as Shadow Stalker and fucking Supernova, the way they hung off him like the parasites they were, and she was too scared to try and bring their crimes into the light.
Sett was insanely powerful. If he decided that her evidence was a problem, it would never see the light of day. The pair would officially get away with everything they'd done to her, and she'd probably be labelled as a villain by an Endbringer slayer. It would be a death blow to any chance she had of justice, and she was terrified that he would make sure to squash her accusations to protect the two incredibly hot girls he was frequently and openly boning.
Looking at the magazine cover, she glared at the picture of Supernova's smiling face on the front. Emma had combined her two careers, and her position as Sett's cumdump had done wonders for her reputation and fame. Sophia even smiled more at school now, like genuine smiles instead of those sneering smirks she usually had. The trio ignored her completely, like she was just not worth their time now that they had moved onto bigger and better things, and she'd fucking let them.
With every day she sat on her ass, they got deeper into his good graces. With every day, her story lost a little bit more legitimacy. With every day, justice slipped further and further out of reach.
Taking a deep breath, she stepped from the shadows and watched as Sett paused and tilted his head. She knew her costume wasn't exactly heroic, having been called 'edgy and villainous' on PHO after her part in helping deal with the merchant and ABB remnants. She'd hidden in the shadows, taking down gang members while Emma had fought and defeated Oni Lee. It hadn't been easy. Most Wards didn't patrol alone, but then most Wards weren't Sett, and he raised one hand with that famous goofy smile of his.
"Hi!" Sett greeted cheerfully, one hand scratching the head of the big, fluffy dog he was frequently seen with.
She went to speak, her speech rehearsed in her head a million times, and every word went blank as she looked into those big happy eyes.
"H-hey," Taylor greeted back with an awkward wave.
Fucking nailed it.
.