Editing Taylor Hebert (section)

==Personality==
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Discord WOG Taylor has a pattern recognition problem. The chain of recognition is one she references it when talking about a hairy wang.

https://forums.spacebattles.com/posts/17202689

<ref>[https://greatwyrmgold.tumblr.com/post/741218084434722816/synthesis https://greatwyrmgld.tumblr.com/post/741218084434722816/synthesis] (which in turn cites several chapters directly)</ref>

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===Background===
Taylor is initially a shy and awkward teenage girl with an interest in capes. She read cape magazines for a few years,<ref>Brian nodded, a small smile playing on his lips, “Nope.  Now, how on the ball are you, as far as knowing what we’re up against?”<br><br>I blinked a few times, then hedged, “For other local capes?  I’ve done research online, read the cape magazines religiously for a few years, more since getting my powers… but I dunno.  If the past twenty four hours have taught me anything, it’s that there’s a lot I don’t know, and will only find out the hard way.”<br><br>Brian smiled.  I mean, really smiled.  It made me think of a boy rather than a nearly-grown man.  He replied, “Most don’t get that, you know?  I’ll try to share what I know, so you aren’t caught off guard, but don’t be afraid to ask if there’s anything you’re not sure about, alright?” - [https://parahumans.wordpress.com/2011/07/26/insinuation-2-7/ Excerpt] from [[Insinuation 2.7]]</ref> though this only taught her basic facts about local heroes.<ref>His trademark and weapon was his Halberd, which was basically a spear with an axe head on the end, souped up with gadgets and the kind of technology you generally only saw in science fiction.  He was the kind of guy who appeared on magazine covers and did interviews on TV, so you could find almost anything about Armsmaster through various media, short of his secret identity.  I knew his weapon could cut through steel as though it was butter, that it had plasma injectors for stuff that the blade alone couldn’t cut and that he could fire off directed electromagnetic pulses to shut down forcefields and mechanical devices. - [[Gestation 1.6]]</ref><ref>Battery and Velocity were both speedsters of a sort, giving them the ability to move at a ridiculous pace.  They were very different ''kinds'' of speedster, though.  As I interpreted it, from all the stuff I’d read online and in the magazines and interviews, Battery could charge up and move at enhanced speeds for very short periods of time, sort of like how Bitch’s power pumped up her dogs, but concentrated into a few brief moments.  It was a physiological change, altering her biology and then altering it back before it became too much on her body.  The actual act of moving at the speeds these guys could manage was an incredible strain on the body.  There were only one or two parahumans on the planet who could manage that kind of movement without any workarounds or limitations, and Battery and Velocity weren’t among them.<br><br>Velocity, in contrast to Battery, was more like Shadow Stalker.  He changed ''states'', and while I had no idea what this meant exactly, whether it was him shifting partially into another dimension or altering the way time or physics worked in relation to himself, I did know that it made him able to move very fast, without needing to rest like Battery did.  Fast enough that my wasps couldn’t really land on him, and those that did were dispatched before they could start stinging. - [[Tangle 6.6]]</ref><ref>When I looked at our remaining escape route, Dauntless was at the other end of the alley.  Brockton Bay’s rising star.  It would have been easy to peg him as a tinker, but he apparently wasn’t.  His power let him, according to details he’d leaked when he’d appeared on TV and in magazines, imbue his gear with a little bit of power every day.  Thing was, every bit of power he parceled out had permanent effects.  Every day, he was just a little bit stronger than he’d been the day before.  A little bit more versatile.  It was expected that he would eventually surpass even the likes of Alexandria, Legend and Eidolon, the ‘triumvirate’ of the Protectorate, the top dogs.  That kind of made him a big deal in Brockton Bay, a hometown hero.<br><br>I didn’t follow that stuff, didn’t buy into the hero worship.  I’d always found the capes ''interesting'', I’d followed the non-gossipy news about them, but with the exception of a phase around the time I was nine where I’d had an Alexandria t-shirt and had my mom help me find pictures of her online, I had never really got giddy over any particular hero. - [[Tangle 6.7]]</ref><ref>A scattered few independent heroes and villains were around as well.  Few I could name.  I saw a girl dressed up like an old fashioned doll.  Parian.  She was local, and she wasn’t hero or villain.  A rogue, who only used her powers for business or entertainment.  She could sometimes be seen doing some promotion for a store downtown, giving life to some massive stuffed animal or a store mascot.  She’d done an interview in a magazine I’d read back before I had powers, and I knew she was a fashion student, though she wasn’t revealing just who she was until after she was more established. - [[Extermination 8.1]]</ref><ref>Worse, if by some small miracle two capes managed to find comfort and support in each other, there was no guarantee that those other two points that Sundancer had raised wouldn’t ruin things.  The intensity of our lifestyle and the sheer violence.  Lady Photon had lost her husband in the Leviathan fight.  Glory Girl had, if the magazines and papers were any indication, maintained an on-and-off relationship with Gallant.  He’d died too.<br><br>So this?  Lying here beside Brian?  It was sort of bittersweet, with maybe a 60-40 split on the sweet vs. the bitter. - [[Colony 15.4]]</ref> She looked forward to the part of her World Issues class where they discussed capes "since the start of the semester".<ref name="1.1"/> She had seemingly never heard of [[Trigger Event]]s, but this may have been a mistake by the author.<ref>Being completely honest, even as the author, I'm a little surprised Taylor didn't know or even voice that she'd come across the idea while on ParahumansOnline. I thought I remembered the dialogue going more like, "Do you know what trigger events are?" "I've heard of them, but..."<br><br>I suspect I may tweak it just a bit when I return to the chapter while doing the edits for the polished final version. - [https://forums.sufficientvelocity.com/posts/2465484/ Comment by Wildbow, archived on Sufficient Velocity]</ref>

She was "'surviving', for lack of a better word," from the point her mother died, and then surviving from the point she started getting bullied -- she just wanted to get by. She responded to stress with silence and withdrawal.<ref name="IRC eEarlyTaylor">Wildbow: Early Taylor responds to stress with silence and withdrawal.<br>[...]<br>logiccosmic: Anything else you remember from the shit show?<br>Mishie: back<br>Wildbow: The big issue is it doesn't feel like Taylor.<br>Wildbow: When writing a character, you gotta start from the motivations. Taylor, starting out, just wants to get by.<br>''(logiccosmic scribbles furiously)''<br>Wildbow: She was 'surviving', for lack of a better word, from the point her mom died, and then surviving from the point she started getting bullied.<br>Wildbow: She compartmentalizes things, but she's very prone to having her perspective skew like crazy.<br>Wildbow: (I really want to emphasize this more in the rewrite, for the initial arcs) - [[Wildbow]] on IRC, [https://forums.spacebattles.com/posts/17202689/ archived on SpaceBattles]</ref> She was starved for touch.<ref> Lisa, though, put one of her arms around my shoulders and gave me a one-armed squeeze of a hug.  She was a little older than I was, so she was just tall enough to be at the perfect height to do it.  What caught me off guard was how nice the gesture felt.  Like I had been needing a hug from someone who wasn’t my dad for a long time. - [https://parahumans.wordpress.com/2011/07/26/insinuation-2-7/ Excerpt] from [[Insinuation 2.7]]</ref> She suspected that she would hurt herself before she hurt [[the Trio]].<ref name="1.2"/> However, Wildbow has stated that if she hadn't triggered, Taylor would likely have simply stopped going to school rather than harming herself.<ref>People keep saying suicide, but that isn't quite it.<br>Taylor likely would have stopped going to school. She was already on that road. - [https://redd.it/2szsy2 Reddit - "What would've happened to Taylor if she'd never triggered?"]</ref>

She was afraid of illegal drugs, saying she "had this sense" that they were like "an unstoppable black hole". Just the idea of being around someone that was high made her mildly anxious.<ref name="5.8">[[Hive 5.8]]</ref> She disliked taking painkiller pills because they never seemed to make a difference.<ref>Brian insisted I take two Tylenol, though the pain was still limited to a mild ache in my arm.  I grudgingly obliged.  I’d never liked taking pills, and never felt they made a real difference. - [https://parahumans.wordpress.com/2011/08/02/insinuation-2-9/ Excerpt] from [[Insinuation 2.9]]</ref>

She was familiar with navigating computers from a young age thanks to her mother.<ref>I knew my way around computers, my mom had made sure I had one since before I could read and write, but I would be lying if I said I could tell if I was being hacked or do anything about it. - [https://parahumans.wordpress.com/2011/07/19/insinuation-2-5/ Excerpt] from [[Insinuation 2.5]]</ref>

She was a "nonbeliever", as opposed to an 'atheist', when it comes to religion, as the subject was not something she put a great deal of thought into and certainly not to the point where she'd label herself an 'atheist'. Due to her habit of blaming the people in charge when things started becoming bleak and messed up, it would be a stretch for her to be faithful in a world with poor conditions like Worm.<ref>[https://forum.rpg.net/index.php?threads/worm-thread-gimel-tinker-taylor-weaver-worm.690769/page-62#post-16919488 Comment] by Wildbow on RPG.net</ref>

Disliked the idea of having her bodily autonomy taken away even before she triggered.<ref name=":2">That was disturbing.  I didn’t have a better way of putting it.  I’d almost been paralyzed by Leviathan in the Endbringer attack, but even before that, the idea of being left conscious but unable to move of my own volition had always spooked me.<br><br>I’d never had a relative in the hospital suffering from anything like that, and I couldn’t remember seeing any movies or shows on television that might have put the idea in my head at an impressionable age.  Still, it was one of the first places my mind went when I thought about worst case scenarios and horrific fates.  It had been in my thoughts more over the past two or three years, and the idea had been showcased in more than one nightmare over the past two weeks.<br><br>Maybe it was more general than that.  Not a fear of paralysis, specifically, but of helplessness.- [https://parahumans.wordpress.com/2012/05/01/parasite-10-3/ Excerpt] from [[Parasite 10.3]]</ref><ref>“You… ''voluntarily'' gave him control over you?” I asked.<br><br>“Little while back,” Imp said.  “I wanted to see what it was like.  Could come in handy.  ''Did'' come in handy.”<br><br>''It’s Regent'', I thought.  I’d fought beside him in life and death scenarios and I would never have allowed him to take control of me.  Couldn’t fathom it.<br><br>Was there a way I could diplomatically say as much?<br><br>None I could think of, right this minute.<br><br>“I can’t imagine submitting myself to that,” I said. - [https://parahumans.wordpress.com/2013/04/16/imago-21-3/ Excerpt] from [[Imago 21.3]]</ref>

Taylor was canonically heterosexual.<ref>[https://forums.spacebattles.com/threads/worm-web-serial-discussion-iii-after-the-end.274031/page-70?post=12862094#post-12862094 Wildbow] on Spacebattles.</ref>
<!--Taylor may have an empathy problem, displaying a fundamental inability to understand why others may disagree with her view on how the world should be in comparison to how the world ''is''.<ref>[https://www.reddit.com/r/Parahumans/comments/txwy8f/an_hour_for_lunch/ Essay "An hour for Lunch"] by u/timecubefanfiction</ref><ref>[https://www.reddit.com/r/Parahumans/comments/vhimnt/finally_everyone_got_this/ Essay "Finally, Everyone Got This"] by u/timecubefanfiction</ref>-->

===Story Start===
She has shown some insecurity in her femininity, describing her long, dark curly hair as her "only feminine feature".<ref name="1.1"/> Used to regularly spent time in front of a mirror, fixating on the flaws and things she didn't like about herself to the point where she would see a stranger in her reflection.<ref>To say I barely recognized myself was.. how could I put it?  It was ''true'', but I could also remember myself months ago, when I’d look at my reflection and I would be so focused on the flaws and the things I didn’t like about myself that I never felt familiar with the person I was seeing in the mirror.  It was as though it was always a stranger I was looking at, and I would be left vaguely surprised at the combination of features across from me. - [https://parahumans.wordpress.com/2012/05/19/infestation-11-1/ Excerpt] from [[Infestation 11.1]]</ref> She would always stress over choosing her clothes.<ref name="6.2">“Don’t you?”  She asked.  She turned her attention to my selection of clothes piled on the bed.  “You’re paying a lot of attention to what you’re going to be wearing.”<br><br>“I always do, even when I’m just going to be hanging out with you and Bitch.  I second guess and stress over the clothes I’m wearing if I’m walking to the corner store by my house to buy milk and bread.” - [https://parahumans.wordpress.com/2011/12/17/tangle-6-2/ Excerpt] from [[Tangle 6.2]]</ref>

She had a tendency to throw herself into danger without considering the consequences to herself, that could easily have resulted in her death had it persisted.<ref name="R S">'''Taylor isn't suicidal but would have dropped out of school.'''<br>Depends on your definition of suicidal. I've fairly sure I've dropped WoG (That's noted in the archives) that states Taylor would not live in a lot of AUs because she was liable to tailspin into self destruction (the thought 'I want to die' not crossing her mind even as she put herself into dangerous situations) in a lot of scenarios where she didn't have the same outside influence. - [https://redd.it/6kcne7 Partial comment by Wildbow on Reddit]</ref>

Taylor considered joining the Wards, but felt that "the notion of escaping the stresses of high school by flinging myself into a mess of teenage drama, adult oversight and schedules seemed self-defeating".<ref name="1.6">[[Gestation 1.6]]</ref> She had no trust in organized institutions, and felt happier having some independence and control.<ref name="1.6c1">As Taylor states, “I had considered applying to join, but the notion of escaping the stresses of high school by flinging myself into a mess of teenage drama, adult oversight and schedules seemed self-defeating.”<br><br>In brief: The Wards could easily be everything she’s trying to get away from.<br><br>Beyond that, she has no trust in organized institutions (school has failed her badly – see the next chapter for more on the subject), and she’s happier having some independence and control (personal power, freedom, escapism) in circumstances where she otherwise has none, than she would be as another rank and file member of the Wards. Or, perhaps to phrase it better, she’s more afraid of being unhappy in the Wards than she is of being unhappy on her own.<br><br>So why not just fly solo for a while, right? - [https://parahumans.wordpress.com/2011/06/28/gestation-1-6/#comment-4661 Comment by] Wildbow on [[Gestation 1.6]]</ref>

She had increasing difficulty attending school.<ref>Kicking myself even as I did it, I turned away and walked back down the hall towards the front doors of the school.  I knew it would be that much harder to go back tomorrow.  For one and three-quarter school years, I had been putting up with this shit.  I'd been going against the current for a long time, and even though I was aware of the consequences I'd face if I kept missing school like this, it was so much easier to stop pushing so hard against the current and just step in the other direction. - [[Agitation 3.1]]</ref> Sometimes she would make deals with herself to attend for part of the day, then convince herself to attend for more.<ref>I stared out the window of the bus, watching the people and the cars.  On days like this, after being publicly humiliated, getting myself to the point where I was willing to walk through the door was about making deals with myself and trying to look past the school day.  I told myself that I would go to Mrs. Knott's computer class.  None of the Trio would be there, it was usually pretty easygoing, and I could take the time to browse the web.  From there, it was just a matter of convincing myself to walk down the hall to Mr. Gladly's class.<br><br>If I just made myself do that, I promised myself, I would give myself a treat. - [[Agitation 3.1]]</ref>

Taylor became very self-conscious when she was physically close to people, worrying if they could smell bad breath or body odor to the point of stopping to breath just in case she had bad breath.<ref>“Relax.  You’re allowed to breathe.”<br><br>I laughed lightly at the realization I was holding my breath, which resulted in a nervous, chuckling exhalation that only added to the awkwardness I was feeling.<br><br>He was smiling, “You okay?”<br><br>What was I supposed to say?  Admit I didn’t know how to deal with being around a good looking guy?<br><br>I stared down at the ground, at the table leg I was holding.  “I get nervous when I’m close to people.  I think, you know, maybe I have bad breath, or maybe I have B.O., and I wouldn’t be able to tell, because it’s mine, so I hold my breath like that to be safe.  I dunno.” - [https://parahumans.wordpress.com/2011/12/20/tangle-6-3/ Excerpt] from [[Tangle 6.3]]</ref>

[[Lisa Wilbourn|Tattletale]] mentioned that Taylor was "observant, detail oriented and focused", and that she watches, observes and then acts with careful, surgical precision.<ref>“You and Brian are similar, but I wouldn’t say he’s cautious.  He’s… pragmatic.  You both are.  The difference between you two is that he’s been doing what he does for three years, now.  Two years of experience, before he joined the group.  So a lot of what he does is automatic.  He doesn’t give a second thought to the little things he’s done dozens of times already.  He takes a lot for granted.”<br><br>“And I don’t?”<br><br>“You’re observant, detail oriented and focused.  More than any of the others.  You watch, you interpret, and then you act with this careful, surgical precision. That’s a strength and a flaw.” - [https://parahumans.wordpress.com/2011/09/27/shell-4-2/ Excerpt] from [[Shell 4.2]]</ref> [[Brian Laborn|Brian]] describes her as "analytical", going through points step-by-step like checking things off a list.<ref>He didn’t speak, giving me a chance to continue, “I think you’re good looking, I like you as a person.  I ''respect'' you, more than any of the others, because you’re smart about what you do, career-wise.  You know.  And because you’re so comfortable in your own skin, so confident.  I admire that.”<br><br>“You sound so analytical,” Brian offered me a slight smile, but he looked a little pained, “Going through the points, step by step, like you’re checking things off a list.”<br><br>“That’s not- I’m not trying to.”<br><br>“I’m not criticizing you.  I’m saying it seems very ''you''.” - [https://parahumans.wordpress.com/2012/02/04/buzz-7-6/ Excerpt] from [[Buzz 7.6]]</ref> Taylor doubts these observations.<ref>“It makes the most sense.  You have the best grip on who’s in play and how to use our abilities.  You think tactically,” she murmured.<br><br>[...]<br><br>“Just because we’re putting you in charge doesn’t mean I can’t still handle that stuff.  If you want to delegate to me at any point, that’s fine.  It’s just a question of who we turn to when we need a spur of the moment decision.”<br><br>“I’m not good at those.  I’m only good when I can plan, consider everything that’s at play.”<br><br>“I don’t think you give yourself credit.  I’ve said it before, I’ll say it again, you’re good at improvising.”- [https://parahumans.wordpress.com/2012/10/30/colony-15-5/ Excerpt] from [[Colony 15.5]]</ref><ref>"Come on, you know me pretty well.  All the others describe me as careful and cautious, though I’m not entirely sure why.  Do you really think I’d pick something as important as a dog, a new addition to my family, without researching, first?” - [https://parahumans.wordpress.com/2012/01/24/buzz-7-3/ Excerpt] from [[Buzz 7.3]]</ref>

Tattletale also noted, later on, that she seemed to "gravitate toward solitude", and that she seemed oblivious to people staring at her as Skitter, perhaps because she had spent so long assuming everyone was staring at her as a result of her poor self-confidence. Tattletale believed that Taylor would be better at using Tattletale's power than she was.<ref name="I8">[[Interlude 8.y]]</ref><!-- arc three showcases taylor compartmentalizing be sure to write that up  -->

===Post-Leviathan===
She suffered from nightmares.<ref name="11.1c1">I know the dream sequence is sort of a tired bit, but it struck me that I’ve mentioned a few times that Taylor has nightmares, earlier in the story, and there’s the stress over Dinah, her dad and Sophia, and I wanted to sort of touch on that without getting into pure exposition. Showing rather than telling. So I went with the dream.<br><br>All in all? I’m ok with how that part turned out, personally. Though I welcome any complaints/criticisms/praise to let me know if I hit the mark & should leave that option open for another story/book in another year. - [https://parahumans.wordpress.com/2012/05/19/infestation-11-1/#comment-2129 Comment] by Wildbow on [[Infestation 11.1]]</ref> Shocked by the city's devastation,  Skitter focused on establishing her new territory and finding a way to retain "employees", despite other demands on her time such as negotiating with [[Coil]] over future plans.

=== Post Slaughterhouse Nine===

She was known for reviewing previous fights to see how she could have done things differently or if some new trick she learned could have taken care of the situation.<ref>[[Colony 15.2]]</ref>

Taylor started to take the lead more in engagements the Undersiders participated in. Eventually taking over as the leader of the Undersiders when dealing with [[Dragon]].

Was described by Director [[Emily Piggot|Piggot]] and, to a certain extent, the PRT as "reckless, shortsighted, capricious, violent, even vicious… but not stupid."<ref>“I said it earlier, I think, but you’re not a stupid girl, Skitter.  Reckless, shortsighted, capricious, violent, even vicious… but not stupid.  I’m hoping you have the sense to realize how dangerous your current position is.  There will be more mechanical suits coming.  There ''will'' be heroes coming to Brockton Bay to assist us.  You can’t afford to hold this city, and we can’t afford to let you.  Not in the grand scheme of things.” - [https://parahumans.wordpress.com/2012/12/01/monarch-16-3/ Excerpt] from [[Monarch 16.3]]</ref>

===Post-Echidna===
Taylor had time to reconnect with her dad, but still had some guilt about the distance in their relationship. She met Emma at school and was surprised to see how her view of her tormentor had changed because of recent events.

After Dragon's return visit, while angry she tried to find a way to compromise after the event by turning herself in. It didn't go well. But eventually her faith in the system was restored somewhat.

As the negotiations turned into extortion and interrogation, a crisis started to form. However it was defused and in its wake, Taylor had achieved what she felt was necessary: a stronger front against the [[Endbringers]] and End of the World scenario. She stated “This is what I want to do, above all else," and would commit to joining the effort under the new name of Weaver.<ref name="22.6">[https://parahumans.wordpress.com/2013/05/16 Excerpt] from [[Cell 22.6]]</ref>

===Post-Timeskip===
She is noted to be cold, distant, exceptionally driven, and even ruthless by many characters.<ref>[[Cell 22.2]]</ref>

She became concerned that her [[passenger]] was influencing her behaviour.<ref name="27.3e1"/><ref name="26.2 e2"/><ref name="24.4e1">Had I?  Not wholly consciously.  I'd set up the string, but how much of that was intentional?  Was it habit, now, to have a measure on hand when dealing with any weapon?<br><br>I focused on the swarm, focused on the cords and threads that traced the room.  One in the doorway, one at each of Phir Sē's feet, just waiting for me to finish the deal and bind him.  Others extended between us, spiders poised to cut the threads or tie them, as the situation demanded.<br><br>The passenger, or was it me, being wary?<br><br>"I guess I did," I said.  I made the spiders cut the threads between us.<br><br>[...]<br><br>My heart was still pounding, my mouth dry, and it wasn't just the Phir Sē thing, or the teleporter.  ''The passenger.'' - [[Crushed 24.4]]</ref> She even blamed ordinary emotions on her passenger.<ref name="27.3e2">"It's been a bad day, in case you haven't noticed.  You're allowed to feel bad.  It's kind of normal."<br><br>''Normal.''<br><br>I'd been thinking of my feelings as being off-kilter, out of control, unreasonable and irrational.<br><br>Were they just regular feelings?  Emotions that weren't being reined in by my discipline and bottling everything up, by distraction and disconnection?<br><br>Somewhere along the line, I'd stopped thinking about my feelings as being mixed up or fucked up and stopped concerning myself with them altogether.  On a level, I'd blamed my passenger.<br><br>But I wasn't sure I could justify that with what I was experiencing now.  Why would the passenger take away, gain ground in subsuming my identity and then give it back, all like this?<br><br>Was it just me? - [https://parahumans.wordpress.com/2013/08/20/extinction-27-3/ Excerpt] from [[Extinction 27.3]]</ref> She tried hypnosis and bartering with it to control it, to no avail. Eventually she made a kind of peace with it.<ref name="26.4">[[Sting 26.4]]</ref>
===Gold Morning===
Taylor's sanity begins to rapidly fracture after her [[Corona pollentia]] was 'de-regulated' by Panacea. Panacea's alterations reduce the range but dramatically increase the power of Taylor's control, at the cost of the 'limiter' on Queen Administrator that prevents Taylor's powers from harming her. The consequences of the loss of the 'limiter' are fundamental. She immediately loses the ability to speak, read, or write and continues to degrade over the course of Gold Morning, eventually losing the ability to understand spoken dialogue.<ref>[[Speck 30.7]]</ref>

Shards have a pre-programmed drive to cause conflict. The loss of the limiters on Taylor's Queen Administrator shard cause this quality of her power to excessively bleed into her personality. She loses the ability to understand basic human emotional cues and bodily language, ultimately interpreting nearly any and all forms of human interaction as fighting or conflict. Driven into near-total insanity by her powers, she resolves to take over the disparate Earths in order to finally have peace, but is convinced to peacefully retreat into a self-imposed exile by several heroes, including Narwhal, Rachel, Imp, Tattletale, and Glastig Ulaine.<ref>[[Speck 30.7]]</ref>

By the end of Gold Morning, the boundaries between Taylor and the Queen Administrator shard have worn thin. Queen Administrator is able to speak and communicate through Taylor, using Taylor's own voice. <ref>“I don’t-” I started.  What had I been saying?<br><br>Not me.  The passenger.  I had to relax.  Allow myself to speak. - [https://parahumans.wordpress.com/2013/10/29/30-7/ Excerpt] from [[Speck 30.7]]</ref> [[Contessa]] compares her to other parahumans who have lost control of themselves due to the personality bleed-over from an unleashed shard, such as [[Echidna]], [[Glaistig Uaine]], and the [[Ash Beast]] as examples of parahumans that Taylor now resembles. Taylor has by this point become so degraded that she mainly communicates through the assistance of powers, and needs to exert effort in order to be able to communicate as herself instead of allowing her shard to speak for her.<ref name="30.7"/> 

Taylor ultimately expresses regret for the long chain of decisions she's made, starting from her first meeting with Armsmaster, and culminating in Scion's defeat. At a certain point the losses of friends and the moral compromises became too much, though not even she knows when or where the balance was tipped. Taylor says, in the end, that if she had a way to do it all over again, she would find a way to be a hero differently, a way to do it all better and not pay the prices she was forced to pay.<ref name="30.7">[[Speck 30.7]]</ref> 

===Post-[[Gold Morning]]===
After being seemingly exiled by Contessa to Earth Aleph (which is isolated from the multiverse) alongside her father, an unpowered Taylor aims to pursue a normal life, but struggles to find peace now that she has it after all the decisions she's made and how nothing she'll ever do will ever come close in importance to what she did before. Taylor also questions why Contessa spared her when she asked for death, forcing her to come to terms with her regrets and causing her to doubt things could be going well for her and her dad. After the talk, she decides that, although that she has a lot of stuff bothering her, she's dealt with worse and could maybe deal with it and learn to be okay.<ref name=":1">[https://parahumans.wordpress.com/2013/11/19/interlude-end/ Excerpt] from [[Interlude: End]]</ref>