So for some reason, a browser reboot put my Worm tab back to Interlude 8b. As I hovered over the “next chapter” link to start working my way forward to the chapters I’m supposed to be at, I noticed that the url for Sentinel 9.1 says “cell-9-1” instead – I guess Arc 9 got renamed at some point? (The url for Sentinel 9.2 says “sentinel-9-2”, so it probably happened early.)
Tag: Chapter i10a
Interlude 10a is one of the most infamously controversial chapters among the fandom, with reactions to it going all the way from “Bully for Regent! Finally that bitch got what she deserved” to “Regent is the most horrifingly evil monster in all of fiction and I wish he dies in a nuclear fire”. Either way it is often considered one of Wildbow’s finest pieces of writing. Your bolded “holy shit” response did not disappoint, but could you expand a bit more on your emotional reaction to the chapter?
I can absolutely see how this would be a true base breaker. I’m closer to the “horrifyingly evil” side, I think, though not quite that extreme – he’s not the most horrifyingly evil, nor do I necessarily wish death on him (that takes a lot).
But it’s hard to ignore the fact that what he did was supremely fucked up (even if he was bluffing about actually going through with it if Sophia stayed in town), and if there’s anyone who deserves the treatment Sophia got, it’s not her. She’s a horrible person, sure, but she’s a petty one – she deserved retribution, but the one Regent gave her was disproportionate, especially if it was only for the specific crime of fucking with his teammate.
I think one of the primary emotions I had during the climactic scene was one of disbelief. Not in the story, but in Regent, shock that he actually seemed to be going this far, that kind of thing. Wildbow really did a good job with revealing the true extent to which Heartbreaker fucked up Regent’s morals.
So I don’t really get why you’re doing the tw thing cause anyone who’s finished Worm probably doesn’t have any left (jk lol), but with that said, if you’re doing them you might want to give post #169967097234 (the one about Regent having sex with bodies he’s controlling) a tw: rape cause that’s one of the more horrific forms of rape out there, even if fictional :p
Yeah, good point. I kind of glossed over that fact when I learned about that, though it did occur to me.
It does cross my mind from time to time that people who would read this blog would generally be well aware of, and usually okay with, the upcoming triggers. I think the main reason I’m still doing trigger warnings nonetheless is that the posts might end up getting shown to someone outside the fandom by accident, such as by them showing up in a sitewide search for a phrase that shows up in the post.
A reminder that, as Lisa analyzed, Regent is a sociopath.
I’m guessing you sent this in before I posted this post. 🙂
But yeah, Interlude 10a really puts that fact into context. Sheesh.
End of Interlude 10a
Holy shit.
Regent is scary as fuck when he gets the chance to be. Coddamn.
This was a fantastic chapter. The sheer terror of Regent’s power, even as it was presented from his own perspective… holy shit.
Just. Holy shit.
So. Next time, we’re following someone else’s perspective. I’m going to stick to my primary guess of Imp for now, see what she has to tell us, such as about her origin (though I think I’ve got that mostly figured out already) and what using her power is like from her own perspective.
See you then!
He let out a breath, and then relinquished control of her body back to its owner.
Goodbye, Sophia.
Again, she offered a slight nod. She tried to speak, but he didn’t let her. No need, he could guess, from what she was feeling. The anger was gone now. There was only fear.
Yeeeah, you’ve broken her.
He glanced out the window. There were flashing lights. A PRT van? Or maybe a police car.
Something to do with the email? Seems odd for that kind of email to get such an immediate response, though, so I doubt it.
Maybe the PRT sent people to check if Shadow Stalker had returned home?
A chuckle escaped her lips. “Well, I’ll leave it to you to get out of this situation. When you do? Get the fuck out of my city.”
Y’know, I may have had my doubts, but I think Regent is more than capable of keeping control of a territory.
He fished out a set of the plastic cuffs and put them around her wrists, then worked her fingers to pull the end and cinch the cuffs tight, behind her back.
“I can feel your emotions. I know I’ve convinced you. You leave town, and if you don’t want me paying a visit, wherever you wind up, you keep your mouth closed about tonight.
…sounds reasonable.
They don’t need to know this was all my doing. Things get messy that way, yeah?”
He gave her limited control, and she nodded, fractionally, as if afraid to move.
Yeah… can’t blame her there.
“If I do get control again? I won’t pull my punches. Or my kicks.” He tapped her foot against the back of the chair. Her heart leaped in her chest.
Eesh.
“You can’t feel my emotions, so you’ll have to trust that I’m capable of it. You know I’m Heartbreaker’s kid. You know I’ve killed before.”
So he has.
He gave her enough control to speak, but retained control of her arms, legs so she couldn’t escape, and held her diaphragm so she couldn’t draw in enough air to scream for help.
“Why?” she breathed.
Good question.
“You fucked with my teammate,” he shrugged her shoulder.
“Grue? I-”
He didn’t let her finish. “I dunno if I care all that much, but it’s the sort of thing I’ll do because it feels like I should. Dunno. There’s also the fact that you’re dangerous, and you’ve outlived your usefulness, so… unless you can give me a convincing reason.”
Regent is a damn scary guy, y’know.
“Please.”
I wonder if Sophia’s ever said that sincerely before.
But I’m also not sure if it’s going to be enough.
“Not that convincing.” He raised one foot, then kicked the chair, hard.
It rocked, but didn’t tip over.
Phew. Still a little more time.
He chuckled lightly, feeling the confusion and the relief from his host. It was a thrill unlike any other. “I think I made my point.”
Oh, good, that might mean it’s time to stop this charade without any deaths. Right, Regent? …right?
She wanted to respond, but he didn’t let her. She was bewildered, just as scared as she had been before.
“I’d like to think that you have much less reason to hang around this city than you did an hour ago.
Better to leave than hang around in this city.
Even if she hears how you were controlled by yours truly, mom’s not going to be so comfortable having you around in the future, given the dim possibility of a repeat performance. Things are going to be awkward with Emma there, too. Your career as a hero here isn’t looking good, either. Eff why eye, I was telling the truth about my ability to assume total control faster, easier, if I’ve controlled someone before.”
I see. Yeaah, better GTFO from Brockton Bay. Portland’s become less attractive, too.
“Looks bad for me, sure, but you saw the fight earlier. It’s not like you guys are that big a threat. Like I said, I’m arrogant that way.”
Heh.
He reached to plug the extension cord into the wall, but found it too short. He sighed and went to unplug everything from the computer’s power bar and use that to extend the length of the cord so he could plug it in.
This is about as relatable as this scene gets, isn’t it. Coddamn cords.
He grabbed her alarm clock, stood on the chair, and plugged it into the noose. He put her hood down, and then set the alarm clock inside her hood, blinking 12:00, 12:00, 12:00.
It’s hiiigh noon…
So what, are you going to let the alarm clock alert the rest of the family?
“Any last words?” He slid the noose around her neck. It was slimy with the soaps and other shit he’d poured on it.
Better make ‘em good, if he actually lets you make ‘em at all. If you repent hard enough, then maybe he’ll let you live.
Maybe.
Keeps coming back to that word, doesn’t it.
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