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[NJW2000]

Choose heads in one timeline, tails in the other. If the differences are determined by his choices alone, then he will win over 99% of coinflips.

[GiglameshDespair]

In the webfiction Worm, Coil has the ability to split the timeline in two, being aware of everything happening to Coils, then drop a timeline and re-split.
Supposedly, he used this power to win 8 (? Haven't read in a while, so don't remember exactly how much.) coin flips in a row.
Except, wouldn't his power only give him a 3/4 chance to win each coin flip?

They made a big deal about how he chose a coin flip to show off his power, because it goes 50%-50%. Except the way his powers work, a card draw would actually work better, he would just have to stall in one timeline while looking at the card in the other, while such a tactic does not work with a coin flip.

He flips a coin towards each person and everyone comes up heads.

He reached into a cup holder to his left and retrieved a roll of quarters.  He undid one end of the roll, then doled out a number of quarters into his palm.  “If you would catch these and place them on the backs of your hands.”

He flipped a coin in Tattletale’s direction.  She caught it and slapped it against the back of her hand, “Heads.”

“Heads,” Grue said, as he caught the next.

Coil double checked I was ready to catch it, then threw it my way.

“Heads,” I spoke, as I slapped it down.

And heads again for Bitch and Regent.

I leaned forward, reached behind me, and retrieved my coinpurse.  I found a silver dollar, showed Coil, and then flipped it.  I caught it and slapped it down.  Heads.  I nodded.

“Probability manipulation?” I asked him, “Enhanced luck?”

He shook his head, “No.  Just the opposite, Skitter.  I control destinies.  I decide outcomes.”

“That still sounds like probability manipulation to me,” I said.

He claims to control destinies, so he's deliberately obscuring how his power works.

Indeed, we can see him delay before he flips a coin towards Skitter.

Coil double checked I was ready to catch it, then threw it my way.

With our knowledge of the setting, we can conclude that during this time he tried it and failed in his other timeline. He dropped the failed timeline and split it again. He then tried again and it came up heads, so he dropped the timeline where he continued to hesitate and took the one that he succeeded in.

A coinflip is quick and punchy with a very limited set of outcomes.

[pikachu17]

Wasn't a big deal still made that he chose something with only two outcomes, when he could in fact draw cards?

[Frumple]

Iirc he was actually an odd sort of pre-cog rather than a time splitter or anything like that. Think that was sussed out by the end of all of it, but it's been a good while since I actually read worm instead of worm fanfics. Regardless, you're probably better off not thinking too hard about the mechanics of planet eating trans-dimensional space whale granted superpowers.

[Putnam]

Iirc he was actually an odd sort of pre-cog rather than a time splitter or anything like that. Think that was sussed out by the end of all of it, but it's been a good while since I actually read worm instead of worm fanfics.

wasn't said outright in-story but word-of-god is that that's the case, mostly since the author reconsidered what sort of powers are "allowed"

[pikachu17]

Because when there is a giant space whale giving people superpowers, like turning into lasers that go slower than light, in order to cause conflict, things need to make sense!

[Tack]

And then there’s Steelheart

[Yoink]

Maaaaaaan, getting stuck in Geelong is kinda lame. Then again, I very much enjoyed the gig I saw, but... was it worth waiting hours to catch the first train back from? I dunno.
I'm just gonna try and focus on the positives. I ventured into unexplored territory, I spent far less on fares than expected, and I socialised pretty well by my standards - even if I didn't manage to wrangle an invite to any weird Geelong parties to pass the time at, but then again, it was a Thursday.

Uhhh. I think my brain is too frazzled right now to decide quite what to take away from this whole experience.

[methylatedspirit]

I napped so hard, I managed to wake up at 3:20 am. Not sure when my "nap" started, but assuming 8 - 9 hours of sleep, that means I slept anywhere from 6:20 to 7:20 pm. I'm not complaining, though, this is the best sleep I've had in ages!

[Frumple]

Coworker fiddling with overdue stuff today. Noticed one of our long overdue books... was checked out by the book's author and never checked back in.

[pikachu17]

Did somebody pretend to be the author to steal the book?

[Flying Dice]

Opening up this thread to see an argument about Worm powers. Thought I was on the wrong forum for a mo'.

[Sirus]

I spent most of my day getting repeated scam calls, to the point where I activated the blanket DO NOT DISTURB option on my phone. I don't know what the hell was going on - I kept blocking numbers but kept getting identical calls from different numbers, and choosing to block all unknown numbers did absolutely nothing.

[Hanslanda]

So I've been trying to get in shape for my Navy recruitment interview on Monday.

I just did 50 sit ups, 40~ push ups, 50~ squats, and ran about two miles split one third walking two thirds running... In an hour.

Holy shit, I'm in Amazing shape.

[Frumple]

Did somebody pretend to be the author to steal the book?

Nah, it was actually the author that checked it out. They just apparently didn't get around to returning it.

I spent most of my day getting repeated scam calls, to the point where I activated the blanket DO NOT DISTURB option on my phone. I don't know what the hell was going on - I kept blocking numbers but kept getting identical calls from different numbers, and choosing to block all unknown numbers did absolutely nothing.

Welcome to my life. You're in the fuckers-that-prey-on-the-elderly zone. All I really know is these scumfuck bastards have some way or another around call blocking.

If I had a genie's wish the lot of them would be maimed to the point they can't use phones ever again.