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notgonnaedit · 4 days

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Healer's Hands

Chapter 10: Unfinished Business

Master list

Dusk was settling on Anaxes as the Bad Batch prepared to infiltrate a Separatist fleet. Althea prepped her weapons and med bag as Hunter made his rounds. "Thea, is everything ready?"

The medic nodded. "Yup, Sarge. We are ready." Hunter nodded and walked off.

"Still not sure how we're gonna land on that ship." Tech remarked.

Rex walked over to them. "Don't worry. Echo says he's got a plan."

"That makes me feel so much better." Tech said sarcastically, earning an eye roll from Althea.

"What do you mean by that?" Rex asked.

"To be blunt–" Tech started.

"You're always blunt." Althea interrupted.

"–His kind belonged to the Separatists until we unplugged him." Tech didn't miss a beat. "We really don't know where his loyalties lie."

Rex's expression hardened. "Yeah. Well, I know. Now, get moving." He boarded the Marauder, Tech and Althea followed soon after with the former getting a punch from the girl.

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•

Tech piloted the ship calmly, an incredible feat when Wrecker sat behind him. "Please tell me we are blowing something up." He asked.

Skywalker chuckled lightly. "Sorry, Wrecker, this is strictly stealth."

The demo man groaned. "I hate that word."

Skywalker placed his hand on Echo's shoulder. Althea didn't approve him for combat yet, but none of the reg medics took her seriously. "Echo, you're up."

The ARC leaned down and plugged his scomp into the plug. "Don't worry. As soon as I plug in, I'll send a signal to the command ship."

"What type of signal are you gonna send?" Hunter asked. "Nothing that'll give us away, right?" The squad all had their worries about Echo, but he seemed oblivious to it.

"As far as the droids are concerned, we're just gonna be another one of their shuttles coming in for a landing." Echo said it with a suppressed excitement, but Hunter glanced at Crosshair.

"And the regs think we take risks." He remarked. Crosshair nodded and Althea savored this moment. This was one of the few times they ever agreed on anything. The medic hated when she had to clean their wounds, especially Crosshair's. Hunter could throw a mean punch.

Echo furrowed his brow. "Sending the signal...now." They flew through the Separatist fleet, everyone feeling high anxiety. If Echo's plan didn't work, or he betrayed them, they would be blown to bits in an instant.

Everyone breathed a breath of relief as the robotic voice came through the comms. "Roger, roger, Shuttle TC-159. You may approach and land."

Wrecker groaned. "I'd still rather blow it up."

Althea watched as Tech landed on the under belly of the command ship. "I have a feeling you'll get your chance."

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•

As they made their way through the empty halls of the ship, Althea's senses were put on high. Every hair on her body stood on end, despite the quiet. She wondered if this was how Hunter felt all the time, constantly in a state of hyper-awareness. They reached the transmission room where Echo took off his helmet. "Tech, can you rig an interface?"

"I assume that's a rhetorical question." Tech said as he set to work. Crosshair and Wrecker hung back in case droids showed up.

Echo turned to Skywalker. "We should make sure this comm vault has no other entrances."

The General nodded. "I'm on it." He took off down the hall to check, leaving the clones and Althea to themselves. He returned a bit later, reporting that there were no other entrances.

Tech tapped his gauntlet and nodded to Echo. He plugged in and his pupils dialated. Althea moved over to him. "Echo, you with us?"

"Yeah." He said. "I have access to everything and good timing. I just scanned a strategy request Trench sent to the Techno Union."

"Wait." Said Tech. "You can't just send a signal from here."

"Why not?" Echo asked.

"We have to make it appear as if you signal is originating from Skako Minor. Otherwise, they'll know we are here." Tech tapped his gauntlet more and gave Echo the all clear, but he spoke up again. "I'm intercepting a transmission. Trench is ordering all of his droids to the assembly complex."

Althea scowled. "All right, Echo, what are you trying to pull?"

Echo smirked. "Don't worry, that's what I told him to do." A ripple of doubt went through the small room.

"But our troops will be vastly outnumbered." Rex said.

"Not when I send them a feedback pulse that shuts down all the droids." Echo said.

"How do we know that's what you're really going to do?" Tech asked suspiciously.

"We have to trust him." Said Rex.

Skywalker nodded. "Rex is right. Echo, we're all counting on you." He stepped away to inform General Windu of the plan. Hunter looked at Tech, then Althea. The three of them shared the silent exchange, questioning the regs and their plan. Echo pressed his hand to his head and an electrical shock was sent up through the antenna. Moments later, Windu's voice clicked through Skywalker's comms. "I am pleased to report that we are in control of the assembly complex, and all of the fronts are falling to the Republic thanks to Echo's plan."

Skywalker smiled. "That's good news, Master Windu. We're on our way back to the base."

"May the Force be with you." Windu clicked off and Skywalker turned to Echo.

"Good job, Echo." He said proudly.

Hunter folded his arms. "Well, I guess you actually are on our side."

"Was there ever any doubt?" The ARC asked with a smirk.

"Some." Tech said.

"A lot, actually." Althea added.

Echo's smirk faltered, but it was replaced with a soft smile. "Well, thanks."

Rex grinned. "Come on, brother. Unplug, and let's get out of here."

Echo pressed his hand to his head suddenly. "Wait, I just scanned a new order from Trench. He's initiated a countdown. There's a bomb hidden at the assembly complex, but it's big enough to destroy most of Anaxes."

Can you stop it?" Althea asked.

Echo furrowed his brow. "Well, I can try."

Skywalker turned to leave. "General, where are you going?" Rex asked.

"If you can't stop the detonation, perhaps Trench can!" Skywalker ran at top speed and Tech contacted Windu.

"General Windu, this is Tech. We've discovered a bomb in the fusion reactor. We need someone to go down there and help disarm it."

"I'm on my way." A few minutes later, Windu's voice crackled through again. "Echo, I found the bomb. Tell me the sequence to shut it down."

"I'm decrypting it now." Said Echo.

Althea's hands twitched for her knife. "You have to unplug. They're going to detect us."

Echo remained scomped in. "No, no, we need these codes."

"Echo, as team medic, I outrank you when it comes to your health. Unplug now." Althea's voice carried power, but Echo ignored her.

"The first number in the sequence is three." He said. He turned the scomp more. "The next one is...one. Eight. Seven."

A wave of electricity shot down the pike. "They're on to us. You need to unplug now!" Tech said, panic was clear in his voice. But Echo didn't stop in time. The electricity shocked him, and a scream was heard from the ARC as he fell. Rex caught him and Althea immeadiately check him.

"Echo?" Said Windu.

"The server overloaded his neural system." Said Althea. "And it was deliberate."

"Echo!"

"That means Trench knows we're here." Hunter said.

"Echo, are you there?"

Rex grabbed Echo's comm. "General Windu, Trench took out Echo. We can't get you the last number in the sequence. Sorry, General, but you'll have to disarm the bomb without us."

"Don't worry about me, Captain. Just get your men out of there."

Obeying the General's orders, Hunter and Tech led the way out as Rex hung Echo over bus shoulders. Althea brought up the rear, ready to blast away anyone who tried to stop their escape. It wasn't long before they ran into Wrecker and Crosshair, both of them firing at a platoon of droids. "We can't blast our way out." Rex said. "There's too many of them."

Wrecker handed his rifle to Hunter and cracked his knuckles. "What's he doing?" Rex asked.

"Time to release the wrecking ball!" Wrecker shouted for joy as he obliterated every last droid.

"I honestly fell bad for those droids." Althea remarked.

"It's all clear!" Wrecked told them when the hall was cleared. But from behind them, more droids flanked them.

"Go." Crosshair ordered. "I'll buy you some time." He threw a mirror puck at one of them, shooting it to create a ricochet and blast the other droids.

"We'll meet you at the infiltration point." Rex said.

"Oh!" Wrecker groaned. "He's gonna try and top me. You watch." They ran off down the hall, twisting and turning the way they came until they reached the rendevouz.

"This is the infiltration point." Said Hunter.

"I'm picking up dozens of droids on my sensors." Tech said. "All heading this way."

As he spoke, Skywalker met up with them. "Hope you're not waiting on me."

"Now all we're missing is Crosshair." Said Hunter. He glanced down the hall and sure enough the sniper was running down, tossing mirror pucks at the wall.

"You miss me?" He asked. "How touching." As he spoke, several droids filled the hall, twice as many as Wrecker had fought. Crosshair shot one of the pucks, sending a single laser through a entire hall of droids. Wrecker stared in disbelief.

"Relax, Wrecker. You'll top him next time." Althea said as she boarded the Marauder.

"No, he won't." Crosshair countered. Wrecker groaned as they boarded flew away, but Skywalker had something to cheer him up.

"I've got a present for you, Wrecker." He said holding up a detonator.

The demo man grinned. "Oh, seriously? I get to blow it up? The whole stinking thing?!" He wiped a tear from his eye as he took it. "This is the happiest day of my life." With a single motion, Wrecker destroyed the entire fleet in an explosion of colors. Althea watched in awe from the gunner's mount, happy they completed their mission, and happy for Wrecker.

•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•°•

"Captain Rex, Corporal Echo and Clone Force 99, you have all done a great service for the Republic." General Mace Windu, Obi-wan Kenob, and Anakin Skywalker stood in front of the team. Windu was congratulating them. "Thanks to your courage and effort, Republic shipyards will soon be up and running."

He turned to walk away, with the other Generals following. "You've got some medals coming your way." Said Kenobi.

"Thank you, General." Said Rex. He began to walk away, and so did Echo, but the ARC turned to the Bad Batch.

"You coming?" He asked.

"Not really our thing." Tech told him.

"Accolades." Said Crosshair.

Wrecker nodded. "Yeah, we're just in it for the thrill."

Althea shrugged. "Eh, I already got one."

Hunter scoffed at her, but he smiled. He turned to Echo. "You sure it's your thing?"

"What to you mean?" Echo asked.

"Your path is different." The Sergeant chuckled. "Like ours. If you ever feel like you don't fit in with them, well, find us." He turned away with the other Bad Batchers. Rex came up and talked to Echo, and the Corporal walked to the Marauder with the team. He stopped halfway, turning around to salute to his Captain, his friend, and his brother. The others mimicked him, giving their respect to the Captain, something they didn't give to many.

End of Book 1

#tbb #bad batch #oc #the bad batch #star wars

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valhearts · 2 years

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coffee on a thursday afternoon

pairings: Kento Nanami x GN! reader

cw: fluff, nanami being cute, love confession, swearing

a/n: this was brewing in the back of my mind for awhile

Nanami sat a table waiting for you arrive with the drinks the two of you got, he was looking through the window, seeing the crowds of people that walked past, seeing all the couples hold hands. It was Thursday, the one day of the week Nanami could get coffee with you. The only strangely specific day where his and your schedules lined up well enough to go out during your guys’ lunch break. The coffee place was a personal favorite between the two of you, it's never too busy, nice atmosphere, and it has some mediocre food if either of you were too lazy to pack or bring food. it was also not too far from jujutsu tech, which is the actual reason why you guys even go there. your voice catches his attention as you take a seat, “Hey! sorry for the wait, the workers messed up my drink entirely”. Nanami lets out a silent chuckle as he grabs his drink from the spot where you placed it.

“Oh by the way- I put all the things you liked in it… so no need to do it yourself”, you smiled. Nanami raised his brow at what you just said, “Really?”. you interrupted him before he could finish talking, “Yup- I added all your favorites. Half and half with a dash of cinnamon and cocoa”. “I’m surprised you could remember that”. “How could I forget my coffee buddy’s order”. He chuckled at that. “But anyways, i was thinking about something”, you paused for a bit leaving Nanami raising his brow yet again while taking a sip from his coffee. “Do you wanna try something new? Like a new coffee place- or just like anywhere else?”. Nanami paused for a few, looking a bit confused as he spoke, “Do you not like this place? Because I mean we’ve been going here for almost a year.”. You subtly face away from him, “Well, I mean you- It’s decent and”. you look back at him and give him a dumb smile, “No, I never really liked this place, I only go here because you like it”.

Nanami lets out a sigh of relief, leaving you confused. “Thank god you say that, I’m not exactly fond of this place either. Everything about this place bothers me, like the music they choose to play, the coffee they make that’s just dirt water, and the-“. He stopped his rambling when he saw you laugh at his rant. “How come you haven’t told me all this- we probably could’ve found somewhere better”, you said, still laughing at the stupidity of this situation. “Eh, it’s nearby and I thought you liked it here”, Nanami shrugged. “You seriously tolerated this place for almost a year because you thought I liked it?”, you laughed. “Well what can I say, I love you”, Nanami said nonchalantly as if his words were just casual friend talk. You did not respond. Did he just confess…? You could only assume so as Nanami turned pale a few moments after. You and Nanami could feel everyone stare at you two. The atmosphere was horribly tense, not a single word was exchanged for a bit.

“Excuse me- I just remembered i have some work I need to do”, Nanami blurted, standing up from his seat. You attempted to say something but he quickly walked out of the coffee shop. You groaned as you walked out, leaving your shitty six dollar coffee behind. The area turned into a where’s waldo page, the waldo being Nanami. It seemed like this area didn’t want you to win this match as the lunch rush came in and you’d have to actually put in effort into catching up with him as the crowds made things unnecessarily annoying. Fortunately enough it wasn’t as difficult as it seemed, a man like Nanami very much stands out. As you stood behind him, you yanked his sleeve and essentially dragged him into an alleyway. You could feel him tense up. “So… you want to talk about it?”, you asked, looking him up and down. “No, I'm fine”, Nanami muttered. You groaned in annoyance, ”That was a rhetorical”. “That’s what i assumed, I was just hoping you were asking a genuine question”

You covered your forehead with your hand, laughing at how painfully awkward Nanami had left things. “What I want to ask is, do you mean I love you in like a Oh them! yeah they’re the best, i love them! way or like a romantic way..?” Nanami sighed and let out a small chuckle, “Is lying tolerated or do I have to be honest?”. “I’d prefer honesty”. “Well then, I meant it in the romantic way”. Your eyes widen at his response. “Oh, well I love you in that way too”, You said, having difficulty trying to get your words out. “Oh, well that's nice”. You weren’t sure what to say next, there was a silence, it wasn’t an awkward silence more like a comfortable silence. You weren’t looking at his face, but you knew he was smiling too. “Do you want to be my boyfriend now?”, you joked, breaking the silence. Your eyes once again widened as you felt him wrap his hand around yours. “I would like that, but our first date can't be at that shitty coffee shop”. “Agreed”.

#nanami x gender neutral reader #nanami fluff #nanami kento #jjk fluff #nanami x reader #nanami x y/n #nanami x you #i heart u nanami

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digitalrevolutions · 1 month

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Key Quotes and Questions In Writing Assessment

Neal

“Digitalized writing assessments are not necessarily better than their lower-tech predecessors, nor should we fall into the trap of false nostalgia that assumes older ways of assessing writing are somehow purer and thus superior to newer methods (59).”

“The rhetorical nature of reading and writing is the hill on which teachers of writing should make our stand against the pervasive notion that machines can do the work of assessing student writing and that they can do it better since they are objective and reliable (67).”

What are we defining as reliable? What are these mythical few reliable methods of mechanized assessment like?

Webber

“…by encouraging us to work publicly from the terms of reform, reframing dis- counts the power of realist style to narrow and constrain the participation of the publics served by reform. And by disciplining public critique, reframing discourages us from tapping into the public inquiry and participation that could authorize our professionalism as publicly representative (134).”

“When we create opportunities for parents, teachers, and administrators to assess the assessments, our critiques of machine scoring may not only issue expert denunciations but also foster public participation in reform (135).”

“A turn toward sponsoring students’ public inquiry would recognize that we in composition need a basis for our professionalism that is broader than the redirection of neoliberal reform or the reassertion of our expertise (139).”

If we aren’t basing our profession on our expertise, what in the world should we base it on?

Haswell

“I want to argue the obvious point that for writing teachers commercial machine scoring is largely a black box and the less obvious point that for writing teachers, even for those who participate in it, even for those who help construct and administer it, holistic scoring is also largely a black box (68).”

“…we need to avoid treating evaluation of writing in general as a black box, need to keep exploring every evaluative procedure until it becomes as much of a white box as we can make it (75).”

“We need to fight our own internal forces that work against good evaluation. Above all, we have to resist the notion of diagnostic response as rote drudgery, recognize it for what it is, a skill indeed—a difficult, complex, and rewarding skill requiring elastic intelligence and long experience. Good diagnosis of student writing should not be construed as easy, for the simple reason that it is never easy (77).”

It’s not obvious to me! What is holistic scoring in this context? Scoring by a group?

#week 10 #haswell #neal #webber

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branderp94 · 1 year

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On the Frustrating way the Government is Handling TikTok

I have been frustrated with the way our government is handling TikTok.

This post is super long and I would appreciate a read but I wanted to offer a TL;DR:

Our leaders do not understand tech, which would be fine, except, they regulate it. They are wasting time and resources pointlessly. The ban feels xenophobic because it does not address identical problems in home-grown platforms or identify any TikTok-specific problems. There are real threats feasible and we should do more to protect against them but we should be applying those things uniformly. None of those threats are unique to TikTok but TikTok does have unique implementation vectors that make it particularly vulnerable to those attacks from the inside. China does not allow our internet companies in their country. It would be fair for us to go tit for tat in hopes they will relent and the world can come together but that hasn't been proposed by anyone in the government. This is a scary path for us to go down for no concrete reason. It also chips away at our rights and that's pretty shitty.

The TikTok hearing is full of fundamental misunderstandings of how technology fundamentally works. The best example is when Congressman Richard Hudson asked the CEO of TikTok 'does TikTok access the home WiFi network?'

There is a lot wrong with this. It's a broad question that fundamentally does not understand what a network is. It's being directed toward a CEO whose job it is to run the company, not architect the app form a technical perspective. While the CEO would likely have a better understanding on how networks work than the Congressman, expecting him to know exactly how the app uses network resources is a pretty technical ask. It doesn't even matter though. Assume the CEO knew exactly how the app worked. The question itself is fundamentally confusing to anyone who knows how networks work. It's an unanswerable question designed out of either incompetence or malice. Neither of which are productive.

That lack of productivity in the hearing is fundamental to the hearing. It's impossible to separate malice from incompetence in this case. I really think it's malice because I really have a hard time believing people this smart and well-resourced are actually this dumb. It's entirely possible I am giving them too much credit. Focusing on whether they're malicious or just bad at what they're doing kind of misses the point though. The point is that they wasted so much time and effort on being specifically unproductive. There are bigger fish to fry. You can say that about literally anything and it's usually true. That doesn't mean that they shouldn't tend to more than one issue. This just feels particularly wasteful.

The desire to ban feels almost entirely xenophobic to me. The anti-Chinese rhetoric during 2020 is all but forgotten by the news at this point but this feels so directly fueled by it to me. I really can't think of another reason our government would be so focused on TikTok's flaws while pretty plainly not caring that American social media platforms have the literal same flaws. This was plainly pointed out by TikTok's CEO directly to Congress in the hearing more than once and they plainly didn't care. I don't like 'what about the other guy' as an argument. But in this case, the argument seems to be genuine in that the problems are identical so far as I can tell, the difference is that this company is a subsidiary of a Chinese company and those companies are corn-fed. I do think that difference actually means something and could have real consequences. What's disturbing is that Congress seems to out-right not care about why that difference is distinct. They didn't explore that once in any meaningful way in the 7-hour hearing as far as I know.

I do want to actually go over that difference. The difference from one perspective is splitting hairs. From another it has real potential to be very harmful. From the splitting hairs perspective, TikTok operates as all other social media companies do so far as anyone can tell. They're just better at it. There is suspicion that the fact that they're better at it is the only reason any of this is happening. That if they're better at it, home-grown competitors are less competitive. It is suspected that American social media companies are threatened by how good TikTok is and that, that is why they actively lobbied congress to ban TikTok. Personally I buy that they're threatened but not that, that's why Congress is holding hearings and threatening to ban. I think they hate Meta almost as much and would hate them more if they were Chinese.

That other reason? The real potential? This COULD be a real tool for foreign actors to algorithmically shift American discourse in real ways. The Cambridge Analytica scandal mostly shows us this. The ways our discourse could be impacted by TikTok are even more concerning. Cambridge's tactics used advertisements to target people predisposed to believing false narratives in order to sow chaos and heat political rhetoric. This allowed investigators to follow the money and get to the bottom of the issue. It allowed Facebook to identify the problem and stop accepting political advertisement. It was (eventually) clear that these were advertisements and who paid for them. In an algorithmically-fueled influence campaign who is doing what and why can be made invisible and indistinguishable from content you already enjoy and unknowingly spread by the very people you follow. It is very genuinely very dangerous.

However, while I would argue Cambridge successfully turned up the heat in the election, data suggests it didn't actually win Trump the election in 2016. I know this is counter to popular rhetoric but it isn't backed by available data. I do think the ability to divide us more is dangerous even if it doesn't win elections though. We need unity now more than we have for a long time.

Notice how TikTok isn't the problem here though? Notice how there is no EVIDENCE of TikTok doing anything malicious whatsoever whereas there is evidence of foreign malicious actors on Facebook? There is evidence of the same kind of activity on Twitter too, Twitter is just less relevant. This isn't a diss on Twitter's current ownership or former. It's just objectively less relevant and less effective at spreading propaganda. Not that, that's a bad thing.

If these asshats (asshats being the people running our country) were actually interested in the threats social media pose to the social fabric of our country I would suggest that intelligence communities work with social media companies to do social influence testing in test environments to identify these vulnerabilities and that they work to harden the platforms against them through detection and moderation. But, they aren't actually interested in solving the problem, are they? They'd rather punch China. Whether it's because they're racist, nationalist, or idiots; I don't care. They need to stop their idiotic and bigoted behavior in favor of actual solutions.

I mentioned earlier that I don't like TikTok. That is because I really think we need to limit our exposure to short form content. I really think it fucks with out attention span in bad ways. I know that's something said about new media every time new media comes out. It was said about radio, movies, tv, comics, video games, the internet, and now social media. The reason I think this is different is because I feel like you can plainly observe people's attention span dwindling. If you feel your attention span dwindling, I really recommend Bored and Brilliant. It's a book and an old podcast. You can no longer subscribe to the podcast. It ended a long time ago. You can still listen to it here.

This doesn't mean it should be banned. Every social media platform has this problem and it's something we need to address as a society. China does not allow our internet companies in their country. It would be fair for us to go tit for tat in hopes they will relent and the world can come together but that hasn't been proposed by anyone. As I mentioned prior, more unity makes the world a better place in almost every way.

It's concerning that so much of the government wants to ban it with no clear reason. This leads to conspiratorial thinking because 'they can't be that dumb'. It's possible they just are. It's also possible they are just trying to grab at power and using banning a foreign asset as an excuse. The proposed bill that would ban TikTok chips away at our rights in alarming ways.

Amendment:

It's also very frustrating that I have only given a few hours of thought on this and it feels more insightful than anything any official has said. They are some of the most powerful people on earth regulating a nearly $70bn. They should be a hell of a lot more thoughtful.

#tiktok #tiktok ban

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crackedoutwalnut · 3 years

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woah can you maybe please write a prequel with wanda x r getting together, and maybe carol and nat meeting r for the first time? (in reference to that amazing last post of yours!!)

A/N: Okay soooo this took a little bit longer than expected lol,,, I tried incorporating Wanda and R meeting but it was nearly 7,000 words before I even got to Carol and Nat meeting R. (Also the writing was horrible) so I scrapped that and started over with just Carol and Nat meeting R.

Warnings: gun wounds and blood.

Word Count: 3k

Read the first one here.

"Do we have to tell them? I don't see why we can't just live our entire lives without Natasha and Carol knowing."

Wanda looked over at you with a raised brow, "Y/n, you are overreacting. Natasha and Carol can be a bit protective," you shot her an incredulous look.

"A bit?"

"-But, it isn't like they will kill you. Now stop pacing; you are wearing a track into the carpet." You halted your nervous loop and rubbed a hand over our face. Wanda's roommates and self-proclaimed mother figures were on their way back home from a mission. They had been gone for a few weeks, and the job had gone off without a hitch. In an uncharacteristic display of optimism, your girlfriend suggested that this would be the best time to tell them about your relationship. They were bound to be in a great mood from the mission's success so, the chances of them killing you were slimmer. Hopefully.

Outside of missions and monthly SHIELD meetings, you had little to no interaction with the two superheroes. The only one-on-one conversations you have had with Natasha or Carol have crashed and burned with you stammering and avoiding eye contact until awkwardly parting ways.

Wanda, having read your anxious thoughts, cradled your face in her hands and smiled. "Sweetie, I'm sure they will love you. Now, we have a decent amount of time before they get back..." she trailed off and moved her hands so that they looped around your neck. Your girlfriend tilted her head so that her lips were barely grazing your jawline. "We should use that time productively." Shuddering, you scrambled to straddle her lap with your thighs. Wanda chuckled at your eagerness and captured your lips with her own.

You arched your back and leaned further against her as she traced her hands up and down your back. You let out a small gasp as she settled them against your ass. Then, squeezing playfully, she grinned into the kiss and slipped her tongue past your parted lips. You pulled away and let out a breathy, "Cheater."

Wanda nipped lightly at your lower lip before poking out her lip in a fake pout. "Oh, I know. I'm awful."

You scowled and clenched your thighs and fists, using your leverage to switch your positions; you pinned her against the couch cushions. "And mean," you pecked a kiss against her jaw, "and terrible," a harsh bite to her collarbone, "and a bully." Wanda arched her back into your body as you continued to pepper her neck with slow kisses. You wrapped your arms around her back and moved her legs so that they were locked around your waist. Sitting up, you hastily pinned her against the window sill.

Wanda gasped and clutched at the back of your shirt, "Oh, you are going to be in so much trouble after this."

You lapped and sucked at the pale column of her neck for a moment before parting to peer up at her with a smug grin. "Says who?"

Wanda reached up to trail her thumb over the bottom of your lip before leaning in closer to your ear, "Keep kissing me like that, and I might consider not turning that perky little ass black and blue." You smothered your breathy moan in the crook of her neck. Quickly, you grasped at the hem of her shirt and tugged it over her head. Wanda followed suit by returning the favor.

You opened your mouth to say something else when both of you froze. The front door had slammed open. Before either of you could react, there was a sound of tramping boots, and suddenly, you were sent flying across the room by a strong hand. Gasping, you slid across the carpet and landed against the opposite wall. Your vision cleared to reveal Black Widow and Captain Marvel standing over you in a fighting position.

Wanda quickly ran over to the two of them and wedged herself between you and your surprise assailants. "Wait! She's not an attacker, I promise!"

Carol loosened lightly. However, she did not drop her fists, "We saw you struggling through the window and assumed there had been an attack."

You could not see your girlfriend's face from your vantage point on the floor; however, you assumed it was glowing red. The witch sheepishly crossed her arms over her bare stomach. She was wearing nothing but black pajama shorts and a matching bra. In any other situation, that would be enough to have you opening your legs then and there. However, after tonight you had no inclination to have sex ever again. "Natasha, Carol, this is my girlfriend, Y/n," she gestured to you as you scrambled to your feet.

Despite being dressed in a sports bra and sweatpants, you felt naked as two pairs of eyes settled on you. "Hi," you squeaked, offering a small wave.

Carol's eyes lit up in recognition, "You're that nervous little hacker Fury hired awhile back."

You felt your cheeks heat as you looked down at the carpet, "That's me."

Natasha's look of shock slowly morphed into a grin that one could only describe as sadistic. "So, if no one was under attack, that means..."

Wanda buried her face in her hands, "Please do not finish that sentence."

The assassin held her hands up in surrender, the smirk never leaving her face. "I didn't say anything. Now let's sit down- with all of our clothes on- and talk about this." You kept your gaze glued to the floor as you snatched your shirt and pulled it back on. You sat down next to Wanda, careful not to let any of your body touch hers. Glancing up, you saw Carol and Natasha peering down at you like a hawk would a field mouse.

"How did you two meet?" Natasha asked, folding her arms over her chest.

Wanda scratched the back of her neck, "We met in our programming class and then again at an on-campus coffee shop."

"And how did you hide this from a former Kree soldier and an assassin?" Carol asked.

"I would usually invite her over when you and Nat were away on missions," the witch explained.

"So this isn't the first time you have attempted to stain our new sofa?" Natasha asked. You suspected the question was rhetorical.

"Wanda, could you go upstairs for a minute? We would like to have a little chat with miss Y/n alone," the assassin requested, a too-sweet smile on her face.

You looked over at Wanda, silently pleading for her not to leave. Despite being telepathic, Wanda ignored your internal screeching and nodded, "I'll be in my room." As you watched her go, you started praying to whatever deity was up in the sky to keep you safe.

Natasha and Carol sat down on either side of you, shark-like grins on their faces. "So, Y/n, what are your plans for dating Wanda?" Carol asked, peering down her nose at you.

"Uh, what do you mean?" You shrunk further into the crack in the cushions. The back of your neck had started becoming slick and hot with nervous sweat as you looked anywhere but at the two women.

"I'm sure you are aware of Wanda's past and how much she has lost. The last thing we would want is for you to... reopen old wounds," Natasha said. Her voice was like sharpened steel as she stared you down.

Your eyes widened in shock as you looked over at her, "I would never hurt her, miss. Wanda is the first real relationship I have ever had, and I have no intentions of screwing that up."

Carol sighed and rested a hand on your shoulder. You nearly jumped out of your skin at the sudden contact. "You seem like a nice kid, Y/n. But, if you ever have sex in our living room again, knowing we'll be coming home soon. It will be the last thing you ever do."

You nodded and looked down at your lap. "Yes, ma'am."

From that day on, your interactions with Natasha and Carol were even more painful than before. Because, now the two had taken to "hazing" you, as Wanda described it. They would walk up behind you as silent as a panther ready to attack before barking an order at you. Every time this happened, you would nearly fall out of your seat, completely messing up whatever work you were doing on your computer. Usually, it would be something as simple as getting them a coffee- a task that was typically reserved for the interns. However, you scampered off without complaint and grabbed them what they needed from the breakroom.

"They will settle down, Y/n," Wanda assured. She was sitting on your desk, completely disrupting the research you were currently doing on one of your monitors. Her chunky combat boots were propped up on the armrest of your desk chair as she used her magic on a pen resting across from her.

"Natasha and Carol hate me, Wan," you groaned.

Wanda snickered and flicked the hovering pen at you with a streak of red magic. You huffed and pushed it away. "They don't hate you. If they really did not like you dating me, you would have been fired from SHIELD already. Nat and Carol can be protective, that's all. I think they are actually quite fond of you."

You scoffed, "That might be pushing it."

"I'm serious. Whenever you come up in conversation, they will always refer to you as my 'little hacker' or 'that cute nerd.'" Wanda hopped off your desk and planted a sweet kiss onto your cheek.

"They will grow to accept you, I promise."

That acceptance came on a rather stressful mission. It was your first time out in the field, and you were armed with nothing but a handgun and a taser. Your job was to hack into the terrorist organization's database and steal information about the location of their bombs and alien tech. In addition, Natasha, Carol, and Wanda were sent with you to rescue valuable hostages the terrorists were keeping in the basement of their HQ.

Natasha was sent with you for protection, much to Wanda's displeasure. The idea of leaving you alone in a den of wolves made the witch want to wrap you up in a blanket and run out of there. However, Carol needed Wanda's abilities to get to the hostages. So, that is how you found yourself shimmying through a ventilation shaft behind Black Widow. It was unbearably hot in the vents as you tried to maneuver through in sweat-slicked clothes. Your hair was clinging to your face in wet strands as you backed up to allow Natasha to kick open the slatted hatch below you.

She hopped down and looked around the security room before motioning for you to leap down. With far less grace, you jumped down to the tiled floor with a muffled grunt. Then, sliding into a desk chair that sat in front of over twenty different monitors, you set to work. Your fingers flew over the keys as you glared a the screens in front of you.

"How are we doing, Y/n?" Natasha called over her shoulder. Her gun readied in her hands.

"They have really advanced firewalls," you grunted. "But, I think I can figure a way around them."

"I hear footsteps," the assassin called. "Hurry up back there."

Your hands were cramped painfully as you reached into your pocket to grab a flash drive. Shoving it into the USB port, you fired off the last few commands. As a loading screen popped up, the metal door to the security room boomed open. You leaped out of your chair, hand reaching for your gun immediately. Six armed soldiers charged towards you, and the Black Widow with firearms and other weapons raised.

Natasha pivoted on her feet and kicked one of the men's guns from his hands. The rifle skittered across the tile and landed near the desk. Without looking back, Natasha shouted, "Get the flash drive, and go."

You glanced at the half-complete loading screen that was flashing a 5-minute timer. "What about you?" Natasha didn't reply, instead opting to turn her focus back to the man she was currently wrestling to the floor. Two other soldiers surrounded her while the three remaining ran towards you.

Scrambling to remember any combat you had learned in SHIELD training, you slammed your taser against one of their temples. The man convulsed and fell away from you with a cry of agony. Your hands shook violently as you tripped over the desk chair to recover the now complete flash drive. Another scar-faced man grasped at the back of your neck and pulled you towards him. You grunted and squirmed in his grip as the other one raised a gun to your head.

A loud bang sounded, and the gunman was toppling to the ground, blood leaking from his neck. The man holding you fell to the floor with the sound of another gunshot. You stumbled forward, away from the bodies. Grabbing the flash drive, you turned to face Natasha. Your relief was cut short when you saw a man, seemingly playing dead on the ground as he aimed his gun towards the assassin's head.

Crying out, you lunged into action faster than you could think. Your strides cleared the room in two healthy bounds as you tackled the soldier. You managed to get in two good kicks and a headbutt before another sickening bang echoed through the room. It took you a minute to register that the blow did not come from Natasha. You stumbled back and slowly peered down at your stomach. A stain of crimson was now leaking from a hole in your shirt.

Your vision grew bleary, and your ears were stuffed with cotton. Was that red stain new? You thought dimly as your feet fell from under you. You heard another shot, now much fuzzier and far off. Then, before your body could hit the floor, you felt two strong arms scoop you up. No, you decided, that stain had not always been there. It was blood; you were bleeding.

"Oh," you muttered, looking down at your leaking abdomen. "Thass not good," you slurred, peering up at the person carrying you.

Your brain vaguely registered them as Natasha. She looked down at you with an expression you had never quite seen before. "You have to stay awake for me. Can you do that?" Her request was quiet and strangely shaky.

You furrowed your brows; Natasha was never shaky about anything. You didn't like it. "Iss alrigh' Nat, you aren' hurt. What 'swrong?" If the assassin wasn't injured, then why was she crying? The Black Widow never cried.

"I know I'm not hurt, kid. That isn't the problem," she assured you with a humorless chuckle.

You winced as her running jostled your wound, "I think 'm hurt, Widow. Hurt real bad." Tears gathered in your eyes at the agony radiating from the hole in your abdomen.

"You're going to be alright, sweetie. I promise." Natasha held you closer to her chest.

"I'm glad I got to you, though," you continued. "Cause you and Carol already don' like me so, you definitely wouldn' be happy if I failed you."

You felt Natasha's hand go to cradle the back of your head. A gentle kiss was placed on the crown of your head. "We don't hate you, I promise. You're a really sweet kid. I'm really proud that Wanda found you."

Despite the black dots consuming your vision, you felt your chest explode with joy. "'N Carol too?"

Natasha chuckled, "Yeah, and Carol too." Then, as the last of your vision faded, you felt a smile rest on your face.

The first thing you registered when you awoke was the sound of beeping. It was annoying as all hell and caused the pain in your skull to worsen. You were warm, almost to the point of discomfort, and your abdomen was radiating a numb tingling. Almost as if it wasn't there at all.

Cracking your eyes open, you took in the dim room around you. It was a bedroom made up of plain oak furniture and eggshell walls. A guest room, maybe? Beside you was an IV that was hooked up to your forearm and a heartrate monitor. On the bedside table was a vase of expensive-looking flowers and an orange pill bottle.

You peeled back the three blankets that had been stacked on top of you to see a thick layer of gauze wrapped around your stomach. You were dressed in a sports bra and Captain America shield boxer shorts. Where was everyone? Who was everyone? Gritting your teeth, you slid out of bed. Nauseating pangs threatened to buckle you as you gripped at the IV stand next to you. You limped towards the door, the metal stand used as a makeshift cane. You scrambled to open the door with clammy hands. Once you stepped into the hallway, you realized where you were—Wanda's house.

"Wan? Are you here?" You called, your voice hoarse. Down the hall, to your right, you heard two doors fly open. Natasha, Carol, and Wanda came rushing out, eyes wild with concern.

"Babe, what the hell are you doing out of bed," your girlfriend asked, hands hovering around you as if you were a house of cards. You attempted to bat her hands away before stumbling slightly at the effort.

Carol rushed to your side and wrapped an arm around your waist. "Shit, kid, take it easy. Don't want to reopen that bullethole, do we?"

"What happened? Did we get the flash drive," you looked between the three of them.

Wanda shook her head and started leading you back to the guest bed. "Of course, that's the first thing you are worried about after nearly dying." She gently settled you back into bed and pulled the covers back over your body. "But, yes, the flash drive and the hostages are safe in Fury's possession, thanks to you."

You scoffed, "I'm just the techy. I didn't really do anything," you shrugged. "Besides, you three were the muscle."

Natasha scoffed and stepped forward, "You saved my life, Y/n."

Picking at a loose thread on the blanket, you shook your head, "I wouldn't go that far. I'm sure you could have handled it."

The assassin shook her head, "I didn't realize that he was still alive until you were on top of him."

Carol smiled and ruffled your hair, "You did good, kid. Thanks for saving my wife." Your answering grin was nearly blinding.

#carolnat #wanda x reader #wanda maximoff x reader #natasha x reader #carol danvers x reader #natasha romanoff x you #marvel fic #mcu #carol danvers #wanda maximoff #natasha romanoff #captain marvel #black widow #prompt fill

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lizzie-is-here · 2 years

Text

acta, non verba

avengers: age of ultron: part ii

summary: after ultron escapes, the team has to track him. however, he’s already made allies in a certain speedster and witch.

wordcount: 4.8k

warnings: cussing, violence, family death, brainwashing, flashbacks

series masterlist

Once everyone was in the lab, the interrogation began.

“So, what did you two do?” you asked, crossing your arms.

Bruce ignored you in favor of checking the files.

“All our work is gone. Ultron cleared out. He used the Internet as an escape hatch,” he said. Of course he had. With the information online, the advanced AI could practically do anything.

“Ultron,” Steve said, clearly disappointed. Communication was a big thing with him, and the scientists’ secret project was an upset.

“He’s been in everything,” Nat groaned. “Files, surveillance. Probably knows more about us than we know about each other.” Cautious glances were exchanged around the room.

“He’s in your files, he’s in the Internet. What if he decides to access something a little more exciting?” Rhodey asked, coaxing a response.

“Nuclear codes,” Hill and Rhodey agreed.

“Look,” he continued, “we need to make some calls, assuming we still can.” Ultron could’ve shut down phone lines, for all you knew.

Nat scoffed. “Nukes? He said he wanted us dead.”

“He didn’t say ‘dead’. He said ‘extinct’.” Steve corrected. Clint brought up that the bot had claimed to have killed someone, and Tony flung a projection into the center of the room.

JARVIS’ AI, shattered and glitching. You’d grown fond of the accented voice, even if he wasn’t real.

Bruce voiced confusion, comparing the destruction to rage.

“It’s going around,” Clint quipped as Thor entered the room, promptly grabbing Tony by the neck and hoisting the smaller man into the air.

“C’mon, use your words, buddy,” he wheezed.

“I have more than enough words to describe you, Stark,” he growled, still choking him.

“Alright, that’s enough!” you barked, voice carrying through the room. Everyone went silent and stared for a moment, Thor reluctantly setting Tony down.

“Thor. The Legionnaire,” Steve questioned, wanting a report on the suit that had stolen the scepter. Just like that, months of missions were gone.

“Trail went cold about 100 miles out, but it’s headed north. And it has the scepter. Now we have to retrieve it, again.” Thor explained, getting more annoyed by the second.

“Genie’s out of that bottle. Clear and present is Ultron,” Nat said. Cho asked about why the AI was trying to attack the team when it had been designed by them, and Tony started laughing.

His giggles weren’t well received by the others in the room. For a while, he pretended to stifle his chuckles, but when Thor accused him of stretching beyond his means, he lashed out.

“No. I’m sorry. I’m sorry. It is funny. It’s a hoot that you don’t get why we need this,” he hissed. Bruce warned him from running his mouth, but only furthered Tony’s outburst.

“Well you did something right. And you did it right here,” Steve said, voice raising. “The Avengers we’re supposed to be different than SHIELD.” The organization had collapsed under secrecy and lies, but comparing Tony and Bruce’s actions to that of HYDRA went too far.

“Anybody remember when I carried a nuke through a wormhole?” Tony asked rhetorically. He’d nearly died to save New York, an action that went against everything Steve assumed he was.

“Saved New York? Recall that? A hostile alien army came charging through a hole in space. We’re standing 300 feet below it.”

“We’re the Avengers. We can bust arms dealers all the livelong day, but that up there, that’s… That’s the endgame.”

“How were you guys planning on beating that?” He asked. A silent challenge to them.

“Together.” Steve’s response was a challenge of its own, more of a reassurance against Tony’s paranoia.

“We’ll lose.” He said, sounding hopeless. It wasn’t a worry, he’d accepted that he couldn’t save the world. Not without his tech.

“Then we’ll do that together too,” Rogers responded.

“I think you both need to cool down. Ultron’s calling us out. And I’d like to find him before he’s ready for us, and before you two rip each others’ heads off,” you snapped, walking from the room.

“The world’s a big place. Let’s start making it smaller.”

———————————————————————

The next day, the team was gathered in one of the many rooms. No one had slept very well, and you’d neglected rest in favor of doing as much research as possible.

The Tower was still a wreck, but Tony had hired people to clean up. He had a specific team he usually called, since destruction was so commonplace amongst the group.

Steve came striding in with a tablet, passing it off to Thor, who slapped it against Tony’s chest.

“What’s this?” the billionaire asked, cradling his delicate tech.

“A message. Ultron killed Strucker.”

Well, that was a clue. Strucker knew something, and Ultron had found a robotic body to take over.

“This is a smoke screen. Why send a message when you’ve just given a speech?” Nat asked. When she checked the computer, she found that all files on the Baron had been erased.

“There’s always physical copies, right?” Your question received groans. Scanning through files would be a pain, but it was your only option at the moment.

Once the boxes had been brought up, everyone began digging through them. Not one paper was left untouched.

“Known associates… Baron Strucker had a lot of friends,” Steve muttered, lifting the lid from a box.

“Well, these people are all horrible,” Bruce concluded. He’d only glanced at a few papers, but you guessed he’d gotten a general idea of the kind of people Strucker hung around.

Tony pointed to a paper. “Wait, I know that guy. From back in the day. He operates off the African coast. Black market arms.”

Steve shot him a pointed look, raising an eyebrow.

“There are conventions, all right?” Tony defended. “You meet people. I didn’t sell him anything.”

“He was talking about finding something new, a game-changer. It was all very Ahab.”

Thor held up a photo and asked about a mark on the man’s neck. A brand in an African language called Wakandan. Bruce read that the brand meant something along the lines of “thief,” a clear punishment by the people of the country.

Tony’s eyes widened. “If this guy got out of Wakanda with some of their trade goods…”

Steve leaned in as well, brows furrowing. “I thought your father said he got the last of it.”

“I don’t follow,” the gamma scientist interrupted, “What comes out of Wakanda?”

You grinned, flourishing a hand toward Steve’s shield.

“The strongest metal on Earth.”

———————————————————————

As soon as Tony had the arms dealer’s location, you all were on a quinjet heading to the African coast. The ride was tense, with frustration rising to a boiling point. You could only hope that a fight would cool everyone off.

Ulysses Klaue, the thief, was still active in his dealing, highly successful as the only man who dealt vibranium. The only vibranium that could be found outside of Wakanda was from people like him, or in the shield.

“Alright, no funny business. We go in, find Klaue, and get answers.” Steve was suiting up, still avoiding Stark with a wide berth.

He received a few nods, a few glances exchanged behind his back. Bruce opted to stay on the plane unless a Code Green was called, and took control of the quinjet. As you stepped from the jet and headed to the facility, you huffed at the silence.

“Can we please pretend not to hate each other going in here?” you requested, rolling your eyes. The mud clung to your boots, and the storage crates were glaringly familiar.

The rust coated boxes served as hiding spots as you followed Steve, Tony, and Thor through the main opening. Nat and Clint snuck behind, slipping into the ship-turned-base with ease.

As you made your entrance, you saw Ultron kick Klaue. He’d gotten here first, and likely already had Vibranium. The metal body he’d made towered above the guards, red eyes piercing dots in the silver metal.

“Don’t compare me with Stark! It’s a thing with me. Stark is… He’s a sickness!” The AI yelled.

Tony descended from above, like a gold and red angel arriving to beat the shit out of someone. You stepped behind him along with Thor and Steve, glancing behind Ultron.

The two enhanced, who you’d come to learn to be named Wanda and Pietro (twins apparently), were standing behind the massive robot.

“Aw, Junior. You’re gonna break your old man’s heart.” Tony said, sarcastic sentiment dripping in his tone.

“If I have to,” Ultron said. He and the twins were approaching slowly, meeting on the bridge that spanned the gap in the ship.

“Nobody has to break anything,” Thor warned, tensing.

“Clearly you’ve never made an omelet.” You whipped your head around as you and Ultron spoke in unison, raising an eyebrow.

“They beat me by one second,” Tony said. The similar thinking between you three was throwing you off.

The male, Pietro, stepped forward. “Ah, yes. He’s funny. Mr. Stark. It’s what? Comfortable?” he said, glancing at the nukes lining the ground. “Like old times?”

You supposed Stark was a triggering subject for the boy. The file on him and his sister said that they’d been orphaned when a bomb collapsed their apartment building. You wouldn’t be surprised if the shell was from Stark Industries, sold off to someone that had no worry about civilian safety.

“This was never my life,” Tony said, more to himself than anyone else.

“You two can still walk away from this.” Cap spoke up, trying to talk them down. The girl didn’t back off.

“Oh, we will,” she condescended, talking as if to a child.

“I know you’ve suffered,” he continued. Ultron scoffed, drawing all attention back to him.

“Captain America. God’s righteous man. Pretending you could live without war. I can’t physically throw up in my mouth, but…” He pantomimed heaving.

“If you believe in peace, then let us keep it,” the god next to you spoke. This was getting very philosophical, very quickly. Maybe if you weren’t fighting an AI you’d try to run logical circles around him.

“I think you’re confusing ‘peace’ with ‘quiet’.

“Uh-huh. What’s the vibranium for?” Stark snapped. You rolled your eyes for the umpteenth time.

“I’m glad you asked that, because I wanted to take this time to explain my evil plan,” Ultron mocked. He shot a beam at Tony, targeting the one most likely to take out the robot.

The two began to fight, suit versus suit. In the meantime, smaller bots began to attack. Steve wrestled with one as Thor struck some down with lightning. Pietro rushed forward, a blue blur once again. When Steve ran to tackle Wanda, she knocked him back with a blast of red energy.

So they were color-coded. Cute.

You caught a glimpse of Nat, her suit glowing with blue accents. She’d argued that a glowing suit was a bit counterintuitive, but had given in when she saw how good it looked.

An electric baton assisted you in slicing through Ultron bots, which hummed around you like gnats. They were more annoyances than real threats, and you were more focused on neutralizing the Maximoffs.

Cap beat you to it, knocking down Pietro. The kid stayed sitting, seemingly too tired to keep going. You frowned and walked up to him, kneeling to his eye level.

“You okay?” you asked, checking him for wounds.

“I’d be better if your friends were dead,” he muttered, likely referring to Tony. You shrugged, walking away. He’d be fine.

“Thor, status,” Steve asked, ducking to avoid gunfire.

“The girl tried to warp my mind,” he grunted. “Take special care. I doubt a human could keep her at bay. Fortunately, I am mighty…” he trailed off, and you groaned. He’d probably been affected, despite his godly status.

From across the ship, you saw Steve get tackled, Pietro up and sprinting once again. Once the blond crashed into some guns, Wanda struck, casting ghostly red tendrils into his head.

She snuck up the stairs, and you looked around in alarm. You didn’t want to seriously hurt either of the twins, but you also didn’t want her poking around your mind. Wanda didn’t give you the option.

You felt the energy before she cast it, humming behind you. When you turned around, she was mere inches away from you. With a flick of the wrist, the girl sent more red energy flying to your head.

The sensation was new and not at all enjoyable, and you collapsed as memories flooded into your head. You were on a busy road, sirens screaming around you. From what Tony had told you, she could show people’s fears and old memories, but that didn’t seem right. You didn’t remember this area.

You glanced around, stumbling into a truck. The guards inside locked the doors and drove as you tried to figure out what this was. A memory or a fantasy? Your grasp on reality was slipping. What were you supposed to be doing?

The doors opened and you were shoved from the car and into a hidden building. Familiarity rushed through you. The eagle symbol above the doors glared down from its perch.

You were led to a chair and sat quietly, waiting, memories slipping one by one. By the time you saw a man walk in, your mind had succumbed to the powers. When you saw him with a posse of scientists and STRIKE agents, you looked up.

“Do you know who you are?” he asked, keeping his distance. You shook your head numbly. You had a name, didn’t you? You’d just been doing something important, you were sure.

A scientist wrote something down as you stared into space. He muttered something to the man in the suit, who nodded. After some thought, he spoke again.

“Take the Raven back to her quarters to recover and bring in the Asset. We need to adjust some of the machines for his next assignment.” The room sprung into action, a few people tugging you from the chair and practically dragging you down a hall.

You passed another man being led. Snapping from your trance to make eye contact with him briefly. He looked scared. You stared at him for a moment, trying to remember where you’d seen him. The agents behind you weren’t very happy with this, and yelled before pulling you along.

You were shoved into a shower in your clothes, and then into a separate room. Where were you? Who were you? As the door slammed, your mind cracked.

“(Y/N)? C’mon, you gotta get up.” Who was (Y/N)? “That kid got to you. We’ve gotta get everyone back to the quinjet.”

Snapping back to reality, you clutched your head as you scrambled away from Clint. Nat was leaning on Steve, and Thor stood nearby. They all looked shaken.

“No, no, don’t touch me… I… where am I?” Your memories were still fuzzy, trying to organize themselves amongst the chaos.

“You’re in the ship, we’re looking for Ultron and the Maximoff twins, remember?” he asked, scooting closer to you. Breaths came in short bursts, your heart racing as you looked for the two.

“They’re not here. I know that whatever you just saw was bad, but we need to get to the jet, okay?” he urged, pulling you to your feet. You stumbled, but flinched away when he went to support you. The action was too familiar from what Wanda had just shoved into your head.

The five of you rushed to the quinjet, the trip helping clear your mind. Whatever you’d just seen was most certainly a memory, but what it meant was something you’d unpack later.

Over the years, you’d become increasingly skilled in avoiding your problems by ignoring them, and you intended to do just that.

Once inside, you took Nat from Clint and gently led her to the corner, setting her down on the floor and grabbing a water bottle. You helped her drink it with shaking hands, her eyes still boring a hole through the windshield.

“JARVIS-“ you stopped as you realized you wouldn’t get a response. Ultron had “killed” the AI. You manually pulled up a display, looking for Tony. A news feed showed the Hulk and the Iron Man fighting in a nearby town. Wanda had gotten to Bruce too.

You closed the screen and walked over to Steve, who was slumped into a seat with his head in his hands. You sat next to him and knocked your head against his shoulder.

“Do you want to-“

“No, not really,” he cut you off, wiping under his eyes. You nodded in understanding and went to stand up.

“Peggy,” he choked, barely a whisper. You sat once again and rubbed his back, leaning into his side.

“I know, I’m sorry,” you cooed, letting him fall into a hug. The whole team had taken a hit, and Bruce and Tony were currently duking it out in the middle of a city.

“This is a mess,” you said to no one in particular. “We’re a mess.”

———————————————————————

A while later, after more water and comforting hugs, Tony and Bruce arrived at the quinjet. The Hulk had wreaked havoc and destroyed multiple buildings, and Bruce was receiving backlash from around the world.

The scientist simply sat against the wall of the jet, covered in sweat and a blanket. Tony stepped out of the suit and headed up to the control center, starting the jet and calling Maria Hill.

“The news is loving you guys,” she said. “Nobody else is. There’s been no official call for Banner’s arrest but it’s in the air.”

You leaned forward. “I can cover him if they press charges, right?”

“They might not like it, but you could. You’d be the most likely to win the case.” She shrugged.

“The Stark Relief Foundation?” Tony asked. Along with the Iron Legion, he’d formed a foundation to help people who were hurt or displaced after fights. He felt responsible for the damage.

“Already on the scene. How’s the team?” She asked. You sunk back.

“Everyone’s… We took a hit. We’ll shake it off.” That was debatable, Nat still hadn’t spoken, and you were pointedly ignoring what Wanda had shown you.

While everyone else had relived a fear or an altered memory, yours was something else. The witch didn’t have to change anything. It was a memory you didn’t remember gaining, and its implications were sinister.

When you’d discovered that HYDRA had infiltrated SHIELD, you’d been worried about the secret experiments and missions you’d taken part in. This memory proved that you’d done HYDRA’s dirty work, and put your full trust in them. Whatever you’d done, whoever you’d undoubtedly killed, you needed to undo it.

“Well, for now, I’d stay in stealth mode,” Hill said. “and stay away from here.”

“So, run and hide?“ Tony asked. You knew he wanted any other option. One where he could use his money or tech to get out of this problem.

Hill sighed, “Until we can find Ultron, I don’t have a lot else to offer.”

“Neither do we.” With that, he hung up the call, and asked Clint if he wanted to take a break from flying the quinjet.

“No, I’m good,” the archer said. “If you wanna get some kip, now’s a good time because we’re still a few hours out.”

“Few hours from where?”

“A safe house.” Hearing that, you stepped up next to him as Tony stepped away.

“You’re alright with us going there?” He shrugged, knowing there weren’t many other options.

He was flying the entire team to his home, with his family. You only knew because you’d been injured on a mission and had to hide there. His family had been very welcoming, but you hadn’t seen them since that mission several years ago.

“Wonder if they remember me,” you pondered, whispering. The kids had been pretty young the last time you saw them. Barton chuckled.

“They do. How couldn’t they remember the lady who destroyed them in a NERF battle using only one hand?”

———————————————————————

When Clint landed the jet and awoke the team, you began the short walk to his farm house. Other than you and Nat, no one else knew of his family, and their confusion increased the closer you got to the house.

“Honey? I’m home.” From around a corner, a very pregnant Laura Barton approached, holding a few of the kids’ art projects.

“Hi. Company. Sorry, didn’t call ahead,” he apologized, pulling her into a kiss and hug.

“This is an agent of some kind,'' Tony stated, still trying to rationalize the situation.

Clint ignored him and introduced his wife. From the steps, you heard two pairs of feet sprinting haphazardly.

“Ooh, incoming.” He laughed and caught his two kids, who barreled into him screaming their excitement.

“These are smaller agents,” Stark continued, still confused. You nudged him gently as Lila looked around for the redhead.

“Did you bring Auntie Nat?” she asked. Clint feigned a shocked gasp as Nat composed herself.

“Why don’t you hug her and find out?” The small girl quickly ran to her, and Nat lifted her up into a hug.

“Sorry for barging in on you,” Steve apologized, ever the gentleman.

“Yeah, we would’ve called ahead, but we were busy having no idea you existed.” Tony was less refined.

Clint explained how no one else knew about the house or his family, and how SHIELD helped set it up. It had stayed off the radar and he wanted to keep it that way.

After he finished explaining, Thor left, flying off in search of answers. Steve followed him, but returned shortly after.

In the meantime, the Bartons were kind enough to give everyone a change of clothes, and you gratefully accepted the jean shorts and tank top. After you’d changed out of your tactical gear, you stepped back into the kitchen, where Lila was quick to grab your hand.

“Will you make the bread you made last time? Please?” she pleaded, dragging you toward the kitchen. You didn’t have it in yourself to refuse, and began measuring ingredients for her to add.

She had grown a lot since you’d visited, and was eager to help mix the flour, oil, and salt whilst you worked at the stove.

“Do you want to crack the egg, or do you want me to?” She let you, and you helped her knead the dough before leaving it to rise.

“Alright, I’ll get you when it’s time to put it in the oven. Where’s everyone else?” Lila waved a hand outside.

“They’re outside. Daddy’s making them do chores,” she chirped, running off to play with her toys while the dough leavened.

You stepped outside just as Laura was coming in, having sent Tony off to fix a tractor. Clearly, he and Steve had fought again, and you walked up to the blond.

The two of them had been chopping lumber, and you picked up Tony’s discarded axe to help. You decided to avoid whatever argument they had, and asked him about what he thought of the farmhouse.

“It’s nice. Reminds me of my mom; she always wanted a country home. Did you ever have something like this?” You nodded, choosing your words carefully as not to poke the touchy subject of his past.

“Yeah. I had a great family. Mom, Dad, and a little sister and brother. We had a little house like this over in Europe.” He stopped chopping logs, and stared for a moment.

“Tell me about them. What happened?”

You shrugged. “My parents were both SHIELD agents, so they trained me from a young age. Basic self-defense, stuff like that.” He nodded, staying silent.

“They supported me starting work at SHIELD when I was 16, and I jumped on the opportunity. Vivi, Jacob, and I wanted to be just like them.”

“We all celebrated my first successful mission, and they were so excited when I started college for my law degree. They used to call after every mission.”

This time, Steve spoke up. “Did they know about the experiments you were doing?” You shook your head sadly.

“No. I wish I’d told them.” He nodded sympathetically, before asking again: “What happened?”

“One day, after a mission, they didn’t call. At first, I thought that maybe they’d just forgotten, or were busy. But then they didn’t call for a week.”

“I went to SHIELD about it, and they sent agents to check on them. The house had burned down. Gas fire from the stove. The house was so secluded that no one had even noticed.” You dropped the axe on the dirt, not caring if you weathered the blade.

“When they told me what happened, I didn’t believe them. My parents were still pretty young. Vivi was only 15. Jacob was 11. They all had basic safety training.” He patted your shoulder gently.

“I’m sorry, I know how it feels,” he murmured.

“Yeah, thanks. I just wish I’d been there. I could’ve stopped it, or helped them.” You shrugged, teary-eyed.

“I just miss them, you know? It’s been over a decade, but…”

“You feel like you lost them yesterday?” he asked. You nodded. Before the conversation could continue, Stark’s voice came screaming from the barn.

“Guess who I found in the hay?” he yelled. Waving his hands, he presented Nick Fury, wearing a turtleneck and a beanie.

A groan sounded from next to you. “This just got weird.”

———————————————————————

After everyone was together and yours and Lila’s bread long-eaten, the team settled in to discuss the problem at hand.

“Ultron took you folks out of play to buy himself time,” Fury said, leaning against the wall. The little girl ran up to the table to Nat, showing her a painting.

“My contacts all say he’s building something. The amount of vibranium he made off with, I don’t think it’s just one thing.” he finished.

“What about Ultron himself?” Steve asked, clad in a zip-up hoodie.

“Oh, he’s easy to track. He’s everywhere. The guy is multiplying faster than a Catholic rabbit.” You glanced at Lila, hoping she didn’t catch the joke, and shot Nick a disapproving glare that he brushed off. “It still doesn’t help us get an angle on any of his plans, though.”

“Is he still going after launch codes?” Tony asked, chucking darts at a board. Fury confirmed his worry, but said that Ultron hadn’t made any headway in hacking into the codes.

“I cracked the Pentagon’s firewall in high school on a dare,” Tony sighed. If it was that easy to him, an AI should be able to do it even quicker.

“I contacted our friends at the Nexus about that,” Fury said, cutting food.

“Nexus?” Steve asked. Even with your help, he was behind on technology.

“It’s the world Internet hub in Oslo. Every byte of data flows through there. Fastest access on Earth.” Bruce explained patiently.

“So what’d they say?” Clint was fiddling with some spare darts.

“He’s fixated on the missiles. But the codes are constantly being changed.” Fury’s news stirred some conversation. Who was changing the codes, and were they an ally? While everyone discussed this, Clint landed three bullseyes at once in the dartboard.

“I might need to visit Oslo. Find our ‘unknown’,” Tony said.

“Well, this is good times, boss, but I kind of hoped when I saw you, you’d have more than that.” Nat’s statement was what everyone had been thinking. All you had were a few hints about a possible ally and Ultron’s plan.

“I do, I have you,” Fury countered. “Back in the day, I had eyes everywhere. Ears, everywhere else. You kids had all the tech you could dream up.”

“Here we all are, back on Earth, with nothing but our wit and our will to save the world. Ultron says the Avengers are the only thing between him and his mission. And whether or not he admits it, his mission is global destruction. All this, laid in a grave. So stand. Outwit the platinum bastard.”

“Steve doesn’t like that kind of talk,” Nat said as you called “Language!”.

“You know what, you two?” He only received two smug grins in response.

Fury ignored the teasing and continued. “So, what does he want?”

“To become better,” Rogers said. “Better than us. He keeps building bodies.”

“Person bodies. The human form is inefficient. Biologically speaking, we’re outmoded. But he keeps coming back to it.” Tony interjected.

“When you two programmed him to protect the human race, you amazingly failed,” Nat muttered. Bruce approached from the side, staring at Lila’s painting. A butterfly, brightly colored, and only half dry.

“They don’t need to be protected. They need to evolve. Ultron’s going to evolve.”

“How?” Your eyes widened and you exchanged glances with Bruce. Dr. Helen Cho. She had a cradle that could print tissue, it was how she’d healed Clint so quickly.

“Has anyone been in contact with Helen Cho?”

a/n: sorry these are taking longer to get out, they’ve been getting longer by each movie lol. i know some people hate aou but honestly i love it for emo wanda. enjoy <3

#avengers x reader #marvel #marvel x reader #x reader #acta non verba #avengers #tony stark #natasha romanoff #steve rogers #nick fury #bruce banner #clint barton #thor #aou #avengers: age of ultron x reader #age of ultron x reader

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akaashisupremacy · 3 years

Text

Brimming with Hope

Summary: Having broken off your engagement for an arranged marriage with Gojo, your relationship is in shreds. As you two give your relationship a second chance, what does hope look like to two disillusioned lovers?

Gojo Satoru x reader

Multi-fandom Masterlist || HQ Masterlist || Ao3 version

Genre: fluff, angst, exes to friends to lovers (wc: 1.5k)

“I don’t think they’ve fully made up their mind about me.” Gojo Satoru confesses to Nanami Kento.

In between assignments and his students, Gojo finds Nanami at Tokyo Jujutsu Tech’s grounds. They’re strolling along one of the many wooden hallways when Gojo opens up about you, his ex-fiancee and his current lover.

“What makes you say that?” Nanami rarely involved himself in other people’s romantic entanglements. Too much work really.

Gojo shrugs and sighs, “It’s like their affection is platonic. They care about me as a person, but I’m not sure if they have romantic feelings for me.”

The latest development of his relationship with you has been nothing short of daunting. Your relationship, albeit not exclusive was running past the six month mark. The longer he stayed around you the more pressure he felt. Commitment is not his thing. Dating his ex is also not his thing. But you certainly are.

“Can you blame them?” Nanami snorts, “How does it feel to be at the other end of the uncertainty?”

Gojo scowls in silence, hands pressed deep into his pocket.

“Well if they’re going out with you and stuff, then that’s not platonic.” Nanami offers. “Just make sure you’re not just fucking around again. Some people deserve better, Gojo. Leave them alone if you can’t get your shit together.”

Gojo stops walking. Nanami’s words are harsh and cold, voicing Gojo’s ultimate fear about himself.

Gojo opens his mouth and closes it shut. Nanami raises a brow. He senses some hesitation.

“Everything we do feels more intimate. I’ve been with other people, but this feels so…so….deep.” he murmurs.

Nanami turns around and snorts, “It’s the feelings. You’ve caught feelings.”

“This relationship feels so temporary...just when I feel like I’ve settled in, I’m to be up on my toes knowing this isn’t going to last. I realized they eventually want a family, but not with me. Because that’s just not me. It feels like there’s a time bomb waiting to go off.” Gojo continues, his tone silent and mournful.

More than anyone, Gojo knows you deep desire to be married and have a quiet family life. It's something he doesn't want and it pains him to know that you'll eventually go your separate ways.

Nanami breathes out, waiting for Gojo to catch up with a few long strides, “You can’t have everything.”

“I don’t need everything. Just the things that count.” Gojo replies, walking by Nanami’s side.

“Then you have to look for a happy middle, for you and for them.” Nanami shrugs.

Gojo scratches his head. What can he do?

————————————————————————————— You walk out of the morgue to leave Ieri to her work. As you step out, you come face to face with Nanami, who looks surprised that you’re here.

“Didn’t expect you to be around Ieri’s lair.” he comments.

“I didn’t expect to have a casualty either.” you shrug, waving around a file.

You hardly ever see Nanami after graduating. The school grounds were big. Your schedules never line up. Neither of you were particularly close.

He silently looks around if Ieri is behind you.

“So you and Gojo…” he trails.

You roll your eyes and cross your arms, “Not you too! You know what, instead of asking me, you should ask Gojo and his commitment issues, for updates.”

Your voice rings louder on the empty walls than you intended.

“I did.” he replies.

“And?”

“Commitment issues with a capital “C” indeed.” Nanami states, as if the fact was self-evident. What’s new? You sniff.

“It’s unusual to see him so conflicted about you. You used to be his rock.” he adds.

Your eyes narrow, as if asking for more information. You were never really sure how Gojo felt about you when you two were younger. He seemed attracted during your brief arranged engagement, but his attention obviously flitted elsewhere after that.

Nanami relents, “When we were freshmen, you reminded him of home. He pretends not to be homesick all the time. He’s not very good at hiding it when he talks about you.”

“Well, that feeling didn’t last, did it?” you murmur just loud enough for Nanami to hear.

The outside of the morgue has always been a little dark. You wished the lights were dimmer because you know Nanami is observing you.

“Not to defend him, but he was so wrapped in you and your engagement that he needed to find who he was outside of that. He likes attention, too. Can’t deny that. But his affections were sincere for a time.” he says, “I don’t know where his feelings stand right now. This isn’t to give you false hope, but he can be in love, even though it’s against his greater instincts and experience.”

He bows briefly to excuse himself. He needs to head in.

“But you already know that deep down. Out of all of us, you know him the longest, and I would argue, the best.” he adds.

You're left outside stunned by his words. Out of all his surviving friends, you assumed it was Nanami who knew him better than everyone else. It was you. You knew him best, even when Gojo wasn't by your side.

You smile a bit. There are some bonds broken romances can't break.

———————————————————— On a train home from your assignment, you find the bullet train crowded as usual. Rush hour is the bane of your existence in Tokyo.

As you try to find an empty seat, you’re surprised to find Gojo opening some sort of regional snack (again).

“How is it that you have so much time for souvenir shopping?” you groan in comment.

“It’s nice to see you, too.” he offers the seat next to his.

You plop down beside him, distracted. You think back to what Nanami said earlier. What was it that Nanami said? That you were Gojo’s rock? What did that mean really?

He tries to offer you some food. You wave him off dismissively. After gathering your thoughts, you decisively turn to him.

“I just want to know,” you swallow, “How did you feel about me when we were kids.”

With his mouth ajar, he blinks. Where was this coming from?

“Why?” he instinctively asks.

You purse your lips, “I’ve been meaning to ask for the longest while. I want to know your answer.”

He leans back into his seat and puts his food down in concentration.

“I thought I knew what love was and it came in the form of you. It’s kind of dumb. What would a teenager know about that kind of stuff?” he shrugs, “I liked the idea that you liked me. You were someone who supported me. You were there for me. You were generous with your time and affection.

“Looking back it’s just infatuation, isn’t it?" he asks rhetorically.

“You sounded naive.” you say, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

He chuckles, “Who wouldn’t be at that age?”

“And sincere.” you followed up with a smile.

Gojo turns away from you. He sees glimpses of your early teenage years when he sees that smile. It was the smile you wore when he visited you at your clan’s home and helped out with your chores. You liked it when he would carry the firewood you gathered from the forest.

“...you made me feel so grown up, like I had my life together. Not everyone liked who they were engaged to, but I really liked you and you had believed in me so much.” he murmurs, “I felt so lucky to be able to marry you one day. I was literally brimming with hope. But that was 13 years ago.”

You both get off the train. The crowded station greets you both. Although you walk side by side, it is too easy for the crowd to sweep you away. You hold onto his sleeve. He doesn't notice.

You try to say goodbye when you make it out, but he seems distracted. You begin to walk away.

“You’re not saying goodbye?” he asks, startled.

“I did, but you didn’t mind me.” you smirk with your arms crossed.

“Sorry. There’s a lot going on in my mind.” he nods, walking up beside you.

He leans in to plant a kiss on your cheek. You pull away.

“We’re in public,” you remind him. Gojo isn’t public with you on anything.

He kisses you anyway, pressing his lips on your cheek. You’re surprised but not unpleasantly so. His kiss is long and lingering. You embrace him with your arms around his waist. You briefly close your eyes to drown out the noise of the station.

Gojo can feel his heart racing a thousand kilometers per second. His shoulders relax. It's strangely freeing to be able to kiss you in public.

He knows he’s not into commitment, but whenever he sees you, he questions myself.

“I have to go now.” you bid softly.

I love you. He holds back. He waves carefully to not let his words escape his mouth. He’s not fifteen anymore. He should know better.

Gojo begins walking back to Jujutsu Tech. Being able to kiss you goodbye made him feel so grown up, like he has his life together more than he actually does. It makes him feel, once again, that he is brimming with hope.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I wrote this as a follow up for another Gojo x reader fic who used to be engaged. Check out the other parts!

Part 1 || Part 2 || Part 3 || Part 4 || Part 5 || Part 6 || Part 7 || Part 8

Comment or message to be added to the taglist! Or write down some comments about your feelsssss

Series Taglist: @tokyo-love-hotel@samkysnks@herownescape@cherrianne192@shamelessdonutsludgebanana@kageyamakock@shirostrbl@luvang3l@cloudsinthecosmos@httpjungoo @saturnki @itstheee-ha-chan@gucci-froggy @soy1melk @dora-the-grownup @cherryonigiri @fiona782

If you’d like to continue being part of my taglist (JJK or Haikyuu), please let me know! I also write oneshots for both fandoms and soon I’ll be doing BSD too!

#gojo x reader #gojo x y/n #gojo x you #gojo satoru x you #gojo satoru x gender neutral reader #gojo satoru x reader #gojo satoru x y/n #gojo angst #gojo scenario #jjk x gender neutral reader #jjk x you #jjk x reader #jjk x y/n #satoru gojo x you #satoru gojo x y/n #satoru gojo x reader #jujutsu kaisen scenarios

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dana-chan-the-control-brain · 3 years

Note

Hey, did you saw the film theory on Invader Zim on Membrane that Low-key makes sense

NO. IT. DOESN’T!

Okay, maybe this is my personal bias shining through, because I really don’t like Mattpatt sometimes... No. Okay, I have nothing against the guy personally. More frankly, I don’t like his fanbase or the way he structures his videos.

The way Mattpatt words and structures his videos acts like he’s the first person who thought of this idea, it’s the main contributor to why I stopped watching his videos a long time ago.

He speaks in a lot of rhetorics and strawman arguments rather than just saying what he wants to say. Like “If you don’t believe me... look no further then...” and that’s the one thing I ABSOLUTELY HATE on theory videos.

And some of Mattpatts own theories he doesn’t take seriously, but this is what you get when you base your INCOME off of youtube ad revenue and browse the reddit forums for new ideas. A completely monopolized way of theorizing. (and this is why there are several paragraphs in my current chapter of Tech Support of Zim’s Computer complaining about the concept of youtube entertainment in general.)

Sure, I don’t think Mattpatt will run out of theories... but I really hate the structure of his videos follows along strawman arguments, acting like he’s always arguing with an imaginary audience for entertainment value rather than just say what he wants to say.

That, and people will often cling to theories of someone with good editing software and a youtube channel then Their own opinions.

Something that I learned was incredibly dangerous to do. I learned my lesson with “That Guy with the Glasses dot com” and I don’t plan to act like I know something or am better than someone else cause I agree with someone who said something on youtube once.

I do watch Internet reviews and theory videos for entertainment, but that’s all they are to me. I don’t like to watch youtube videos to give me opinions on how I feel about things. And I seriously think a wide margin of his subscribers lack critical thinking skills at times, as well as a majority of the youtube audience, or from what I’ve seen in the comment section.

However, remember... These are just my thoughts on the matter... My thoughts are not law and I never claim them to be.

Like when I first joined the fandom and posed my GIR analysis questions... I even said:

“I don’t know if the fandom has talked about this in depth or not... I just got here... or if someone put it into this many words before but...”

Also... the thing that bothers me about his Invader Zim theory...

A lot of Mattpatt’s sources are just..... Wrong...

(for the next few minutes I will be talking about this video, feel free to watch or don’t)

Okay.. “Membrane is an Irken” this has been a popular fan theory since before I even entered the fandom and there are old fics about this. I have read Irken Membrane stories before.

It’s not personally my cup of tea, but it’s fun to think about.

But the straws Mattpatt grasps in his video.... Really upset me because there is some thought to the theory back in the day.. ... Like back in 2002??? but like.... NOW?!

Okay, I’ll pick apart this a little... bit by bit...

He says that Membrane takes a hard stance against anything paranormal.

Kinda... but no.. Membrane never outright denies the existence of aliens. (except in ETF... which he mainly says out of frustration...) This is what Membrane says about “there are no aliens” in the show:

Membrane just says that there are no “intelligent” aliens...None that are able to travel the massive distance to Earth, anyways... If aliens existed at all, (like the cryptoids Dib talks of) they would have traveled the distance to the planet and communicated with them by now.

However, this is a nitpick of a minor issue. One that a majority of the fandom tends to overlook when viewing Professor Membrane and Dib’s relationship in general.

And I do find it weird that he used this for evidence when he cut out the most important snippet from the full lecture he gives Dib here.... JUST to support his claim... as if he’s intentionally leaving that part out.... hmmmm

However, I can let this slide, because it’s a nitpick and really doesn’t change anything that Membrane is very dissuasive of Dib’s alien-hunting hobbies. (I have a theory as to why and I explain it here in my own way)

The point is, Membrane is dismissive of anything alien... maybe because he’s an Irken...okay, good, yes. fair.

A lot of Mattpatts claims from then on are pretty solid, and I won’t bunk them with “But in my headcanon/Fanfic verse...” Because what he is saying is all true.

Membrane denying the existence of aliens even after being taken to space jail doesn’t have much of an explanation and is played for comedy and there are many ways you can go with this, and I am not going to bring up my fanfics or my own headcanons to argue with him here.

Because there is no explanation, and he is going with the “Membrane is Irken” theory... So that’s very solid when he’s talking about Membrane denying the Hallucinations.

Mattpatt claimed that Membrane wore his face covering at all times and had been dressed this way since he was a child.

I will not deny this. This is true.

However, isn’t bringing up Membrane’s childhood kinda put a hole in your own argument?

MEMBRANE WAS A CHILD.

He had been shown to have childhood memories in the comics and the show.

Irkens don’t really have a “Childhood” per say, at least not in the way that humans do. They are a smeet, then elite, then Invader..

If he’s claiming that Membrane came to earth as an Irken SMEET....How, why, and when?

That kinda raises more questions than it answers.... What are you proving by bringing up Membrane’s baby pictures on Earth exactly? It kind of works against your own argument?

Saying that they’re Irken because they all have the same hair.... that’s just stupid... and he’s citing the Invader Zim wiki on this .... oh boy.

Yeah, Like before I watched the show I thought Dib and Disguised Zim were the same character or brothers...

But I don’t think character design here is a solid enough reason in this case... At least not when it comes to the hairstyles... That’s a stretch.

“Hmmm Membrane’s hair forms an M shape... What could the M stand for? Mirken?! SUSPICIOUS!” (this is just a joke)

Also... the lack of ears thing... He did say it would be hard for Membrane to hear if his headpiece was covering his ears, but not necessarily... The entire thing is a headset and he is the man of science, he can really do whatever the fuck he wants cause Science is like magic in a show like this. So if Membrane wears a headset that doesn’t obstruct his hearing at all, I can buy it... Also.. it’s equally possible his ears got blown off in a chem lab accident or he’s legally deaf and that headset acts as a hearing aide and HELPS him hear...

Actually, I always noticed how in Membrane’s original design from the show, the headset looked a lot like a hearing aid. Specifically one with a head clip, It’s one of the things I first noticed about his design in the show.

And it’s just something I always assumed because he’s a scientist who deals with explosions in his face on a daily basis... (in fact he experiences one in episode 2B) So on first viewing, I thought that his headset served as a hearing aid as well as prescription glasses and a communication device.

I’m just throwing out possibilities because the “lack of ears” is also kinda a stretch.

Mattpatt complaining about “lack of nose” however... Okay, yeah I’ll give him that one. It’s a character design choice that is a little odd for Professor Membrane, but it does fit with the Irken theory, since a majority of human characters, in fact, all have noses. So, Yes the “lack of nose” does fit more into the Irken theory.

However.... Florpus anime Membrane DOES have a nose...

Meant to be drawn in a more semi-realistic artsyle, you can clearly see the bridge of his nose here.

And he looks very similar to anime Dib... Sooooo... Shrug-city...

It’s likely that Membrane not having a nose in the show is simply a stylistic choice than anything else. Basically, the bridge of the nose is there... we just don’t see it.

Especially since Nightmare Membrane has a nose as well..

Membrane is like Home Improvement’s Wilson. We will never see his face, and that’s part of the gag. The man probably sleeps in his labcoat honestly...

I also find the voice pattern thing a bit of a stretch. Membrane and Zim are just eccentric characters who yell to emote or emphasize a point or emote stronger. And Membrane’s inflections are never the same as Zim’s.

Remember, no other Irken TALKS like Zim. Professor Membrane doesn’t really go around screaming: “I AM PROFESSOR MEMBRANE” either.....

If anything... it just kinda proves both characters have auditory processing issues or hearing problems more then anything.

And there is a lot of screaming on this show.... Screaming from Dib, screaming from Membrane, Screaming from GIR, screaming from Zim... Screaming is funny... and characters scream so much that the characters with their mouths wide open is somewhat a staple of the show.

This is more because of Johnen Vasquez’s voice direction...

Especially since no other Irken really talks like Zim..

Zim’s manor of Speach is strictly a Zim thing and not an Irken thing.

Professor Membrane’s manner of speech is simply a Membrane thing and not a human thing.

I will give Mattpatt that. That a lot of tech in the show looks similar to Membrane’s. I feel this is mostly a stylistic choice, but it really does fit in with the Irken theory.

Like that Zim just so happens to use the same operating system as Dib is played off as a joke. But it does add some small credence to the theory here... I need to point out when he does get it right... some pats on the back.

These are very good points and does follow through with what he’s trying to prove by the end of the day.

(even if Membrane was lying about the destruction of all mankind with the beans thing, but that’s a minor nitpick here)

But his entire paragraph comparing Membrane’s tech to Irken tech is a really good one. Props there.

This whole paragraph about there being only Tall or short irkens cause their society is height based and there are no “medium-sized” irkens....cause they were “dealt with”

Okay.

....

Sure Mattpatt. Let’s just entirely ignore the existence of the Frylord and this entire character even though you mentioned it in the synopsis at the start of your video... Showing that Taller irkens are in positions of power against the shorter, also... Zim is a tiny irken... there are many Irkens that stand taller then Zim.

Being tall in Irken society is a rarity, and Almighty Tallest Purple said that he and Red “became” the Tallest. How? We don’t know, but we do know at one point the current Tallest looked like this:

How do Irkens get that Tall? Body modifications? Maybe... it’s never explained, but considering the Frylord is super big and probably eats a lot of snacks might have something to do with it. We don’t know.

It’s safe to say that being Tall in their society is a rarity and Tallests are either born or made special from the cloning chamber from the get go.

Not to mention, Membrane is Taller than the current Tallest are already...

and you said earlier in the video that Membrane would have gone to Earth as a child...

When he was no taller than a wrapped Christmas box of socks...

So why would Membrane take refuge on Earth at this point? Mattpatt says that Membrane was sent on a mission to Earth because the Tallest felt threatened by his rule...

BY MEMBRANE’S RULE?!?

HE’S THE SIZE OF A CHRISTMAS BOX OF SOCKS!

What do they have to be threatened by?

Because... Mattpatt DID bring up Membrane as a child earlier in the video... meaning Membrane came to earth when he was about the same size as Zim.

SO THEY HAD NOTHING TO BE WORRIED ABOUT AND HAD NO EVIDENCE TO BELIEVE MEMBRANE WOULD GROW TO BE TALL ORE EVEN VIEW HIM AS A THREAT

You bunked your own argument. Congradulations.

Membrane conquered the world through his inventions. In a way, sure. Membrane Labs does own a lot of stuff. But he doesn’t own everything. A majority of the Corporations that keep the population stupid usually don’t have anything to do with Membrane Labs and aren’t affiliated at all.

But this does fit into the “Membrane is an Irken” theory so I will give him that one.

However, Membrane being an evil corporate dictator is a hot take I never really appreciate at all and I can never get behind it.

It hits too close to home in the real world, and I always like to view Membrane as a self-made man and a World loving hippie at his core who just wants to make the world a better place, much like his son, but he actively does something about it. (which can also be why he encourages Dib with real science so much cause he knows Dib wants to save the Earth as much as he does)

Just calling Membrane a capitalist billionaire that doesn’t care about the little guy kinda seems disingenuous towards his character for me.

Especially when Membrane in “Ten Minutes to Doom” created a machine (foodio) that completely end world hunger... which was in BETA in the unreleased episode...

but by the time the movie rolls around... Foodio exists... past his BETA, meaning that he’s probably no expensive than a common household microwave and can materialize food from nothing:

Yeah. Membrane completely ended world hunger off-screen. thanks. (something no capitalist would ever do...)

Membrane also does appearances for charity (in the comics), and often takes funding for sponsorships when he is low on funds and he had to find a cure for pig mouth.

Sure “Membrane conquered the world” fits the Irken theory...

But I never appreciate that take on his character and that is admittedly, very personal bais.

I just wanted to say my peace a little bit here about how I 100% don’t vibe with the “Membrane capitalist/billionaire scum” especially since he ended world hunger...and invented a cure for the un-common cold.

Works for the theory, so good on Mattpatt for that one, but I personally don’t vibe with it.

Mattpatt compared Zim and Dib’s head shape as something to argue... Like because Dib has a similar head shape to Zim... that Dib has to be an alien... Okay... But If you look at the Invader Zim artbook (which I own)

The show has a very distinct look on how they draw characters’ heads. It’s a very distinct stylistic choice and there are pages upon pages in the artbook describing the style and how it looks in motion, and many revision notes to the Korean animators.

There are lots of pages on the artbook describing in detail the differences between the main characters’ heads, what to do, and what not to do.

It’s a difficult style to replicate, and Dib having a big head was mostly a joke from the showrunners to the showrunners, cause they kept drawing Dib’s head slightly bigger to make him look more appealing.

A majority of the audience doesn’t really notice because all the children in the show have big heads. All the kids are like 3-4 feet tall and have huge heads.

Also... Dib’s head is far more rounder then Zim’s in the comics and the Movie... comparing their head shape as an arguing point, when Dib’s head shape changed midway season 1 when the designs got slightly more streamlined is just... bad form..

Dib and Zim’s heads never really look the same from the early episodes as they do later on.

Comparing this character design similarity just because of the artstyle is really stupid.

This is the most infuriating thing about the video... because Mattpatt disproves his own argument with his own footage not a few seconds earlier.

He claims that Gaz sarcastically mentioning she has a squeedly spooch is a canon fact...... but ... hmm.. Mattpatt... can I rewind the footage of your video, please?

Where’s her squeedly spooch?

IS IT BEHIND HER CLEARLY HUMAN ORGANS?! I DON’T SEE IT?

And this isn’t just a stylistic choice... here’s a picture of another human’s organs for comparison.

Mattpatt literally disproved his own argument and ignored the fact that we saw an X-ray of Gaz’s organs in the very same episode...

Gaz doesn’t have a squeedly spooch and she literally was being sarcastic.

and the whole thing is disproved very easily.

Everything Mattpatt says in between those two points, about Dib being taken aboard an alien ship as a baby, and that there is no mother, and the Clone theory... That is all good stuff and this is what the theory video should have speculated and focused on, because there is some digging to be had here... I feel he focused a lot on the wrong points in his video...

And this is the most outrageous point he makes in his video. It’s the thing that pissed me off the most... and lead me to write this essay in the first place.

He claimed Eric Trueheart himself confirmed the clone theory and had story plans where Dib would discover his clone origins.

HE DID NOT!

IN FACT, Eric Trueheart himself published Volume One of the Invader Zim script book AND THIS IS WHAT HE SAID:

Eric neither confirmed nor denied the rumor.

But for Mattpatt to blatantly say that Eric said that Clone Dib was a planned thing by the screenwriters?!

He is BLATANTLY putting words into a Screenwriter’s mouth! Something that you should NEVER do.

Because it is 100% a lie.

He had no source for this claim. He probably just read the same rumor on the wiki and has no source.

This is the reason why I don’t trust videos like Mattpatt. The truth is often stretched for entertainment value, or information is just made up to prove “they were right” about whatever the topic of the day was. He doesn’t even bother to cite the source he got “Eric Trueheart’s word of mouth” from... because it was wrong.

Sorry if this whole thing is more hostile than it intended to be... But Mattpatt was looking at the ENTIRELY wrong evidence for this show....

Irken Membrane is a fun theory... but Mattpatt picked the entirely wrong topics and points of discussion, even to the point of hiding the truth and straight-up lying to his audience about his sources.

It’s kinda like saying “Birds eat ghost peppers because they’re part dragon and dragons can handle spicy food”

While, yeah, Birds are descended from dinos, it’s kinda missing the full story there and it’s not the reason why birds can eat spicy food.

Irken Membrane is a fun fan theory... do what you want with it. I am not here to dissuade Irken Membrane headcanons...

I’m just here to encourage critical thinking, and perhaps NOT put words into content creators' mouths when there is no credible source for it just because it benefits your argument.

#Invader Zim #Film Theory #Mattpatt #danachan's rants #lol sorry i went off but he really needed to cite his sources more on this one

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sirthisisa-wendys · 3 years

Text

Final Hours pt. 2: The Illusion

synopsis: Living life at the House of the Children of the Star is supposed to be safe and comforting. So why can’t you shake this feeling that you’re not even close to being safe?

word count: 1808

tw: rough sex, breeding, curse words, nsfw

a/n: I absolutely lied. I’m not done writing for Geto. I’ve got about ten years of silence and material I can work off of. Well, that implies... that I don’t hop on the Naoya train.

You turn your head at the sound of water splashing in the bathtub, listening to a babbling Renji and Suguru playing around in the bubble-water. It was undoubtedly adorable seeing the soft side Renji pulled out of the curse user these days, especially now that he was wanted and - in an effort to protect what he had built - ruthless.

But even his lack of tenderness with those outside of his small circle (you, Renji, Mimiko, and Nanako) had a purpose. This purpose would be re-explained to you every so often, whispered to Renji when he was asleep, and seared into the brains of those who followed him. You saw the countless evenings he spent thinking, in meetings, consuming curses… You originally thought it would wear him down faster than Jujutsu Tech had, but he only seemed to grow more powerful with every passing day.

“All done,” Suguru announces, producing a towel-wrapped Renji with a wide smile. “Now we can get you settled in for bed.” Fatherhood is good for him, you think before smiling back and holding your arms out for the giggling child. Mimiko and Nanako could be heard playing around in the hallways, no doubt testing each other’s patience with a game of tag. But you don’t mind. Nothing really bothers you anymore. At least, that’s the way you wished it were.

When you place Renji down in the crib littered with beautiful blankets and stuffed animals, the nagging feeling returns. This is all an illusion, something whispers to you, but you push the feeling away. You've gotten better at doing that lately: ignoring the sinking feeling in your gut at dinner or the tiny twinge of fear you felt at night when everyone was asleep. After you tuck Renji in, you turn to Suguru, who waited patiently for you to join him in your shared bedroom.

When he swipes a hand over your shoulder and presses his thumbs into your upper back, you relax into his touch, allowing him to strip you of the tension in your body. “It’s perfect…” he whispers behind you, and you desperately want to agree; you really do. But you keep your mouth shut, knowing that any argument would be lost the moment he set his lips to your skin or smoothed his hands over your hips. “I love it here.”

“I know,” you answer softly, and his hands still on your back.

“Do you… like it?” The hurt in his voice is evident.

“I love it,” you lie easily, trying to convince yourself that you do love it here; the children are safe, you’re safe, and no one would dare cross Suguru to get to either you or the children.

Except Satoru and Shoko. The remembrance of the two sorcerers puts you on edge again, and a shudder passes through you. You don’t even step foot out of the House for fear of them finding you and taking a sledgehammer to what Suguru carefully crafted as a safe haven.

“And I love you,” Suguru whispers, bringing you back to the present. “Mother of my children, tune to my song, blood in my veins…”

“You’re only waxing poetic because you want something from me.” The observation earns a low chuckle from him, and he smooths his fingers over your hips, making them jerk forward a little. “Just say it.”

“I want another child with you,” he murmurs, fingers splayed across your belly. “I want to have a family full of sorcerer--”

“Will this family get rid of all the non-sorcerers in the world?” The thought that any child of yours would have the capacity - of be forced - to murder makes you sick to your stomach. “Is that why you want so many children?” You’re not sure what caused you to snap, but it’s obviously caught Suguru off guard.

“Watch your mouth.” The command is emphasized by one of his hands grabbing your chin from behind. “Do you think I won’t have completed my goal before we grow our family? I have enough power to do this without their help. Our children won’t have to lift a single finger,” he hisses into your ear, taking care to lower his voice so as to not disturb Renji.

“You really see me as some sort of breeding cow, don’t you?” Suguru lets go of your chin and shuts the door to your room, and you prepare for an argument. But instead of turning to you and pointing a finger before beginning to raise his voice, he grabs your chin again, and walks you back against the wall. You stare him down, not one to back down from a fight. But he doesn’t say a word when he presses his lips against yours, roughly pushing a hand under your shirt and grabbing a breast.

“You think I see you as a cow, hmm?” You exhale shakily, daring to jut your chin out a little in defiance. You knew this game: he would soften you up with a show of dominance, tease out your submissive side, and you’d crumble into his arms and give him just what he wanted. But tonight, you won’t go down without a fight.

Yes, of course you want to give in. You want him to touch you and drive you senseless, but not at the cost of bodily autonomy.

“Yeah,” you answer confidently, feeling his fingers slip down your stomach.

“You’d be sorely mistaken, then.” His lips press against your cheek and heat pools between your legs. Fuck. You curse yourself mentally, angry your body was reacting exactly how you knew it would. “I worship you, kitten. Shit, your body is a mere fraction of what I see when I look at you.” The admission makes you look into his eyes, but you see no trickery there. His grip on your chin slackens, and that same hand falls to your waist as he trails his lips down your neck, pausing to suck on the tender flesh. “You’re more than just a mother, y/n… You know that,” he murmurs against your shoulder, and you shiver under his touch.

Suguru hoists you up easily and takes you to the bed, pinning you underneath him as he presses his lips against yours once more. “Do I have permission to make love to you?” The request is whispered against one of your wrists, and you shiver again as his lips press against that spot, too. Your throat dries up and you swallow hard, trying to form the words you want to say, and when his black eyes flick down to yours, his gaze is hard and unwavering like a stone. “Or should I fuck you like the cow you assume I see you as?”

“Fuck me,” you blurt, and Suguru’s hands instantly duck beneath the hem of your long skirt, pushing it up around your waist. Without warning, he tears at your underwear - another pair gone - and pushes your knees back forcefully.

It isn’t long before you see his pants drop over the side of the bed and feel his fingers probe angrily at your entrance. “You want me to fuck you?” he asks breathily, extending one of your legs back sharply. The question is rhetorical; he’s obviously going to fuck you regardless. You nod anyways, and he presses into you. The pain is sharp and undeniable, but as you open your mouth to cry out, Suguru pushes a hand against it. “Shut the fuck up.” You feel the urge to struggle as he moves inside of you as you’re not wet enough. But he stops mid-stroke and lubricates himself with a trail of spit before working himself back into you. “That’s a good girl… lay there and take it.”

You whimper around his hand, but he doesn’t relent while he pushes into you with force. Suguru seems to be enjoying the view, but you aren’t allowed to lay on your back for much longer. When his cock slips free and his hand comes off of your mouth, there’s a moment where the air rushes into you, but that’s quickly overshadowed by Suguru moving you sideways across the bed, your head dangling off the edge precariously.

“Open,” he commands, and you obediently open your mouth for him to insert his rock hard cock. You can’t take much upside-down, but Suguru definitely tries to shove his entire length down your throat. When you reach your limit, you slap a hand against his thigh, trying to push him off, but he grunts and removes your fingers easily. “I haven’t even gotten started yet.” He places his large hands on your tits as an anchor before moving back and forth and fucking your face.

You don’t know how to cope. While he invades your mouth, the sorcerer above you takes your ankle and stretches your other leg back, placing your big toe in his mouth. His tongue wraps around the digit with ease before he moves to the other toes, sucking on them without a care in the world. You want to yell, scream at him that it’s all too much, but you can’t. Not with his cock stuffed in your mouth. And when his other hand comes off of your breast to play with your cunt, you’re done for.

You practically lose yourself as all of the sensations come to a head, damn near evaporating into the air. When it’s over, though, his mouth lifts off of your foot, his cock slides out of your mouth, and his fingers leave you. You pant eagerly, wanting more, but he moves to the other side of the bed, pressing a knee against the mattress and pulling you to the other side.

When he enters you again, you claw at his back, still sensitive from your orgasm. “Su, my god!”

“Hush,” he claps a hand over your mouth again, raising a brow at your exclamation while he ruts into you. “I won’t have you waking Renji. If you wake him…” He doesn’t need to finish the sentence. You know whatever it is won’t be good.

Suguru continues to pump into you at an increasing speed, his face scrunching up like he’s about to cum. “Su, please…” you whine against his palm and that’s all it takes for him.

“Fuck!” The exclamation is followed by a warm feeling in your pussy that flows out as he continues to move inside of you, not stopping for a second to catch his breath. Somehow, he still has the stamina to continue moving as he pushes cum out of you. Then he picks up his speed again, moaning louder than before and removing his hand from your mouth. You whimper, and he looks down at you instantly. “We’re not even close to finished, y/n. You want me to fuck you like a cow? That’s exactly what I’m about to fucking do.”

#jujutsu kaisen getou #getou x reader #geto x reader #getou suguru #geto suguru #jujutsu kaisen #jjk geto #jjk smut

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aliendes · 4 years

Text

Natural Borns - Chapter Four

Banner made by @thebannershop

Series info/genre: Angst, fluff, (possible) smut NSFW due to darker themes

Pairings: ot7 x fem reader (eventual)

Warnings: mentions of sadness, indecent thoughts? maybe, if you squint. it gets a little steamy, I suppose, but mostly just fluffy sadness, if that’s a thing. This series will have different trigger warnings listed for each chapter (if there are any), but as a whole, this series will include violence, mentions of depression & other mental illnesses, cursing, abuse, drugs/alcohol, some shitty medical descriptions because i am NOT a doctor, self-esteem issues, fluff, and possible smut in future chapters (but that’s undecided). i will add more warnings/tags in the future if there are any.

Description: In the year 2613, over half of the world’s population are what scientists consider ‘designer babies’. YN is a small town girl who is a true natural born, someone born naturally without he help of a lab or gene splicing. Her DNA is greatly sought after, but what is she willing to do to protect it?

Word count: 8k~ (whoops so sorry. if you like longer chapters like this, let me know!)

A/N: *deep breath* ok here is chapter 4. things are starting to heat up, but i cut this chapter in two because it was like over 12k long.... i go back to work tomorrow, so updates may start slowing down, but i’m hoping to post updates every Sunday night. i was feeling a little bit bogged down last week, not seeing as much influx with chapter three than i have with the other chapters. if you enjoy reading, please reblog so others can see it, too. thank you, as always. xx - Des

Updated: 8/9/2020

But the second he took one look at you, standing outside, wet and bloody, saw the look in your big beautiful eyes as he so heartlessly demanded things from you, he knew he stood no chance.

Yoongi sat in his makeshift office on an old torn recliner they found in the warehouse. Surprisingly, the warehouse had been decently furnished when they found it. Granted, it was all old, worn furniture, but furniture nonetheless. The building was incredibly old, but it was also very large and had a lot of empty rooms on two levels. The entire place was made out of concrete, meaning it hasn’t seen much weathering over the years. It was a place they could call home for now.

Yoongi leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms over his chest and stared at his beloved laptop in front of him. He wasn’t trying to think about you, no, in fact, he wanted nothing more than to erase the memory of you. Try all he might, his thoughts kept wandering back to the scared, small girl he saw earlier tonight. He let out a deep sigh and closed his eyes, letting his head loll back.

The blonde man was snapped out of his thoughts at the sound of footsteps outside his door. He picked his head up and spun around in his seat right as Hoseok came through the doorway.

“Hey,” Hoseok said, leaning against the doorframe, “I heard they found her.” His tone was indifferent, not happy, nor sad. Hoseok didn’t really have an opinion on you yet, voicing to Namjoon he didn’t really mind either way if they found you or not.

“Have you seen her yet?” Yoongi asked the red head knowing he hadn’t, as his demeanor would’ve changed the moment he did.

Hoseok shook his head, confirming Yoongi’s suspicions. “Good,” was all Yoongi said in response.

Hoseok gave him a puzzled look, cocking his head to the side. A bright grin started to take over his face as he took in the disgruntled look on Yoongi’s. “Are you letting her get under your skin that quickly, Yoongs?” He asked the older man in a teasing voice. “Is that why you’re hiding away while they fix her up?”

Yoongi’s blonde head snapped up at Hoseok’s words. “What do you mean ‘fix her up’?”

Hoseok’s smile started to slowly fade from his face, leaving a knowing smirk in its place. “She was pretty banged up from what Jungkook said. Poor boy was distraught when he came running into my room earlier.” Hoseok watched Yoongi’s face closely as his lips pursed into a thin line and he tried to act as if he didn’t care about you. Hoseok could see right through him.

Yoongi tried to keep his breathing steady and stared Hoseok right in the eye. “Who cares,” he shrugged as he turned back around in his chair and started typing away at his laptop.

“Who cares?” Hoseok asked rhetorically, “I think you do.” The red head walked over to Yoongi’s chair and put his hands on the back of it, pulling it down a bit so he could look into Yoongi’s eyes. He raised a questioning brow at the hacker, waiting for some kind of response.

“I don’t care about her,” he scoffed, “I don’t even know her.” Yoongi looked away from Hoseok as he spoke, knowing his closest friends would be able to see his lie. He didn’t want it to be a lie, what he was saying he wanted wholeheartedly to be true, but he knew it wasn’t. Why did he care about you? He really didn’t know you. But as Hoseok chuckled and walked away from the chair with a breathy ‘yeah right’, Yoongi’s thoughts just drifted to you.

“Please stay still,” Jin pleaded with you for the third time. You were currently laying on what you assumed was his bed while he took a look at all your wounds. He was looking at your bruised, and possibly fractured, according to him, ribs. It was painful and you weren’t sure how he expected you to stay completely still.

You had been laying here for the last twenty minutes, staring up at the ceiling, going over your conversation with Namjoon prior to letting Jin take a look at your wounds. You had learned that the five of them had been staying here for the last three weeks. They stumbled upon the place when exploring the surrounding forest. It was devoid of life, but a lot of furniture and supplies had been left from workers or from kids who threw parties here in the past. They made it into a base of sorts, where they could live and work. Work, you learned, was mostly Yoongi trying to hack into Big Hit’s, and other companies, systems, while Namjoon dealt with contacting people and said companies to get more information. Apparently, they had found out about you through Jimin, who had overheard some of the lab techs talking about a female natural born living on the outskirts of Seoul. You still weren’t certain what exactly made you all ‘special’, but Namjoon had said it had something to do with the markers in your DNA that made you desirable to these designer baby companies.

Namjoon had also told you that they were planning on going to Big Hit soon, in hopes of getting Jimin and Taehyung out. As they helped you limp to Jin’s room, he told you that he and Jungkook were going to help Yoongi and Hoseok with the planning tonight, and told you to get some rest.

When you first got to Jin’s room, you were pleasantly surprised by the cleanliness of it. For an old warehouse, they really tried to make it feel homey. Seokjin’s room was small and looked like it used to be some kind of office or file room. There was a small double mattress in the corner, which you were currently laying on, a small desk on the opposite side of the room, a small wooden end table, and a couple of backpacks and duffle bags laying about. While everything in the room looked old and worn down, it still smelled nice. It smelled like Jin, like pine and soap. Speaking of soap…

“Hey - how do you guys have lights and running water here?” You were curious, previous experiences made you think this place was totally abandoned.

Jin looked up from poking at your ribs, “Oh - Yoongi. He was able to get the electric and water companies to turn stuff on under a fake name,” he trailed off after noticing the apprehensive look on your face, “I know it’s not the most ethical way to go about things, but we don’t really have much of a choice right now.” The solemn look on his face told you that he regretted their actions, but truly had no other choice.

You nodded at his answer and jumped a bit when he went back to putting cream on your ribcage. “Please - stay still YN.”

“Sorry, sorry. It just hurts,” you groaned out and he finished his work. Jin let out a short sigh before pulling your shirt back down your torso. He picked up one of your hands and started to unravel the bandages to clean and rebandage it.

“I know, I’m sorry. I’ll try to be quick,” he gave you a quick smile and gently ran the back of his knuckles along your bicep. You tried to ignore the way his action made you feel, he was just trying to comfort you, right? He was a caring person, and he probably just felt bad seeing you in pain. That’s what you told yourself anyway.

You went back to staring at the ceiling, biting the inside of your cheek and Jin disinfected your cuts and scrapes. The feeling of his hands on you leaving you confused.��

Once Seokjin had finished tending to your wounds, he gave you an old t-shirt and some sweatpants to change into before giving you a little privacy. After you had changed, you hobbled back over to the mattress and sat down. You stared around his room for a moment, finally letting the events of the day sink in.

You inhaled a deep breath as you thought back to everything that had happened. In just a few short hours, you had met these strange men who took you out to a forest and made you question your entire existence, witnessed your father make some kind of deal or exchange with a man who was likely trying to take you away, and ran away from your life, your family, and your friends. You didn’t even know who you could trust anymore, aside from probably Mina and Woo, but who knew when, or if, you would ever see them again. The thought alone made tears prick at the back of your eyes. You looked up to the ceiling to try and stop the hot tears from falling, to no avail. What were you getting yourself into?

As you felt a tear roll down your cheek, you heard a knock at the heavy door of Jin’s room. Quickly, you wiped the back of your hand at your face with a sniffle, before telling whoever was knocking to come in.

To your surprise, it was Jungkook who walked through the door, not Jin or Namjoon like you had expected. You blinked owlishly up at him for a moment as he shut the door and ventured into the room. He took a few steps in your direction, hands behind his back, and looked even more shy than you had seen him earlier.

“H-hey, noona?” He timidly asked, eyes locked on the floor.

Your eyes softened at his hesitancy. You made a sound of affirmation, urging him to continue speaking. Slowly he brought his hands from behind him back and extended them in your direction. He was holding a water bottle and a container of what looked like pain relievers. “Jin-hyung wanted me to tell you to take two of these,” he started, walking towards you with his hands outstretched like he was feeding a tiger, “and to drink the whole bottle.”

You gave Jungkook a small smile as you took his offering. He seemed so sweet in that moment, you couldn’t stop yourself, “Jungkook?” Your voice made the poor boy jump a little, but he relaxed as soon as he saw your smile. His big doe eyes somehow got slightly bigger as he nodded his head at you. “How old are you?” You asked him, head cocked to the side.

“Twenty two,” he said easily. He’s only a year younger than you, it was odd to you he was so timid, almost childlike at times. You hummed in approval. You truly did want to get to know these men, and Jungkook seemed like such a sweet guy. He was shy, but you could tell he had a kind soul. You wondered what had happened to him to make him so quiet. You hoped you would find out with time. You had a sort of affinity toward him. Maybe it was because he had literally carried you through a forest without so much as a complaint. You weren’t entirely sure.

The boy hesitated for a moment before turning around to walk out of the room. Just as he was about to reach the doorknob, he stopped and turned around to face you. “Noona?” His voice was so small, you almost asked him to repeat himself. Instead, you made a noncommittal noise, urging him to continue. “How old are you?” You wanted to coo at how cute Jungkook looked right now. Cheeks rosy, head slightly cocked to the side, eyes wide with mirth, almost like he was thankful for a reason to speak to you.

You gave the boy a bright smile before answering, “Twenty three.”

Jungkook stared at you for just a second longer, before nodding once and leaving the room.

“Who the fuck is Pearl?”

Hoseok shrugged his shoulders, not even looking up from the game he was playing on his phone.

“Are you even listening to me Hobi?” Yoongi was aggravated, to say the least. Namjoon, Seokjin, and Jungkook brought you to their base last night and he hadn’t gotten a lick of sleep. Namjoon brought him your phone, asking him to remove data from it so it couldn’t be tracked. He did so immediately, but the damn thing was burning a whole in the back of his head while he tried to sleep on the old, black leather couch in his room. Eventually, he got up from tossing and turning, and decided - against his better judgement - to look through the device. He knew it was wrong, knew it was a huge invasion of privacy, but he didn’t particularly care for you. Besides, he was curious, who could blame him?

The red head, currently sitting upside down on Yoongi’s couch, just huffed in response. Yoongi just rolled his eyes and spun around in the old, squeaky rolling chair. He had your phone open on his desk. It was early in the morning now, he figured you and the rest of the boys, aside from Hoseok, were probably still asleep. Hoseok tended to be an extremely early riser, yet still went to bed late at night. Yoongi never understood how he had so much energy with so little sleep.

Yoongi had already looked through your apps and photos. You didn’t have any social media that he could tell. Your apps were incredibly boring, just a few games and a notepad app that he found some of your notes on. Mostly things like grocery lists and dreams that you had. Nothing too interesting. Your photos weren’t very exciting either, mostly pictures of trees and fruit. You had some photos of your mom and dad and a couple of animals he assumed were yours. You seemed to live a pretty boring life, based on what was on your phone. The cynical side of him wanted to tell himself this meant you were a boring person, but he knew that was an unfair assumption.

The last thing Yoongi decided to snoop through, were your text messages. While he hadn’t found much there, aside from conversations with your mom, dad, and a group chat with someone named “Mina” and “Woo”, he did notice how everyone seemed to refer to you as ‘Pearl’. Aside from when your mother called you by your name yesterday, you were almost always referred to as Pearl. This piqued Yoongi’s interest, but he wasn’t sure why. Maybe this was evidence as to why the others shouldn’t trust you? It’s a simple nickname, but Yoongi was suspicious of you from the beginning. He didn’t want to admit it to himself, but he knew he was looking for reasons to hate you, to make the others hate you.

Yoongi nearly jumped straight out of his skin when the door to his room was swung open with such ferocity it slammed into the wall. Hoseok jumped straight up from the couch and Yoongi nearly fell out of his chair at the noise. “Jesus kid!” Yoongi yelled as he righted himself.

Jungkook had the graciousness to look ashamed as he entered the elder’s room. “Sorry hyung, I- I didn’t mean to,” he murmured without meeting the eyes of his older friends.

Hoseok sighed and relaxed a bit before pushing a hand through his bright locks and announcing he was going to ‘find something better to do’. Jungkook nodded at him as he left and took Hoseok’s previous spot on the couch. Yoongi surveyed Jungkook as he sat down. He looked tired, like really tired. He could see the small bags forming under the youngest’s eyes, a purple tint to his nearly perfect skin. Yoongi also noticed how skinny the kid was looking these days. He narrowed his eyes at the boy, “You doing ok, kid?”

Jungkook lowered his head into his hands and rested them on his knees, shaking his head back and forth slightly, “No hyung. I- I miss them,” Yoongi could hear the tears that were threatening to fall. He always did have a soft spot for Jungkook. He rose from his seat and sat down gingerly next to Kook on the couch, making the leather creaked beneath him, and slung his arm around the dark haired boy.

“I know, I miss them too. We all do,” he bagan, running a soothing hand up and down Jungkook’s upper arm, “we will get them back, Jungkook. I promise.” Jungkook lifted his head and looked at his hyung, eyes glazed over. He believed him, he really did, he just missed his best friends.

Jungkook nodded his head as he worried his bottom lip between his teeth. Yoongi thumbed at the younger’s lip sweetly, prompting him to release it. He knew Jungkook’s stress, he understood it. He missed the twins too, and he was working his hardest to get them back. Soon. He could feel it.

Last night had gone about as well as you thought it would. After Jungkook left you alone, Jin never returned to his room. You took the painkillers they offered you, but you thought for sure someone would be back to check on you, and you didn’t feel comfortable enough to wander around the place. You also felt a little bad for taking Jin’s bed when he had been so gracious to you. So after a while of waiting - and mentally hoping - for someone to walk in, you tried your hardest to fall asleep, to no avail. You tossed and turned in Jin’s small bed for what felt like hours, but you didn’t really know how long it had been. There was no clock in the room, you didn’t have your phone, and there were no windows. You guessed you finally fell asleep sometime in the early morning and had a very short, fitful rest before Jin was coming in to wake you.

“YN?” You heard Seokjin’s soft voice from the doorway. You blearily blinked away sleep as you tried to fully regain consciousness. As you rolled over in bed to face the door, you saw Jin standing there with a plate of something that smelled absolutely delicious. You hadn’t realized how hungry you were, but your stomach was beginning to rumble at the sight of food. You remembered the last time you ate anything was yesterday morning at breakfast.

Jin walked a little further into the room and sat down at the edge of the bed. He wanted to laugh at how entranced you were by the food in his hands, and at the erratic way your hair was sticking up. “Hungry?” He asked, arm outstretched towards you with the plate. You let out a small yawn and reached your arms above your head with a small pout. The large t-shirt you were wearing - Jin’s t-shirt - rode up slightly as you stretched and Jin thought you had to be the cutest thing he’s ever seen. As you finished your much needed stretch, you nodded your head with one eye open, taking the plate.

“Thank you, I’m so hungry,” you mumbled, voice still thick with sleep. Jin’s plump lips upturned into a bright smile as you started to eat a piece of toast from the plate. “You’re able to cook here?”

“There’s a small kitchen,” Jin nodded as he spoke, “it looks like it was an old staff lounge or something? We aren’t entirely sure what this building used to be, but it seemed like some people used to live here. There were beds, couches, even an old television when we got here.”

Now, feeling a little more awake, you nodded along with Jin, “Where do you get the food?”

Seokjin didn’t even miss a beat before answering, happy you were coming out of your shell a bit, “I go to the market at least once a week,” he smiled, “I take Jungkook with me sometimes…” he started to trail off a bit, looking away from your eyes, almost like he was embarrassed. “That’s actually how we found you.”

You stopped chewing, mid-bite of scrambled egg, “Found me?” You mumbled, mouth full.

Jin nodded, looking bashful, “Jimin told us he overheard people at the lab talking about a girl, a natural born living in this town. We honestly didn’t think we would find you here,” Seokijn rubbed the back of his neck as he continued, still avoiding your gaze, “We came out here and found this warehouse, it ended up being perfect for us to stay in,” as he continued his eyes finally met yours, he mentally noted how cute you looked, cheeks puffed out with food staring at him, “we needed food, so me and Jungkook went to the market. When I saw you, I knew.”

Your stomach was doing flips at Seokjin’s admission, and you weren’t entirely sure why. They were harmless words, maybe even a little reassuring. They weren’t stalking you, they happened to stumble upon you. So you weren’t sure why you were suddenly feeling so shy. His words almost sounded like a love confession you would hear in a blockbuster movie about soulmates. You could feel your cheeks heat slightly as you finally swallowed the eggs. “What do you mean, you knew? I don’t remember seeing you, or talking to you,” you prodded for some more information.

For a moment, Jin just stared into your eyes, and you thought he wasn’t going to answer you. Then, his plush lips parted as he quietly murmured, “Well, YN, you’re breathtakingly beautiful. I hope you know that,” he never broke eye contact as he uttered his next words, “and now that I’ve gotten to know you more, I can say you have a beautiful soul, too.” You were reeling. Were you the female lead of this made for TV movie your head conjured up?

You stared back at Seokjin with wide, glazed eyes, lips slightly parted in shock. No one has ever said anything like that to you, aside from Mina telling you how beautiful you were and how jealous she was of your skin. Jin was gazing at you as if you were the only person in the world, and you would be lying if you said it didn’t make you feel incredible. You were high on his attention, you loved the way your stomach was erupting with butterflies.

You were still seated on his bed, legs crossed and hands sitting in your lap, food forgotten next to you. Seokjin was still staring intently into your eyes, with an intensity you’ve never felt before. Slowly, ever so slowly, he lifted his hand and went to lightly brush his knuckles against your cheek bone. The action made you flush, eyes closing at the soft feeling of his hand. Just as you were leaning into his touch, a soft smile on his lips, the door to his room opened, causing both of you to jump backwards, eyes shooting towards the person intruding on such an intimate moment.

“Jin,” Namjoon looked slightly embarrassed, cheeks pink realizing what he walked into, “we need you in Yoongi’s room.” He bowed his head once at you both before turning on his heels and walking away.

Seokjin cleared his throat and you found it endearing how his neck and ears were turning a beet red. “S-sorry,” he sputtered out, “I - I’ll be back in a little bit?” He sounded unsure as he scrubbed a hand down his face. You gave him a small smile and nodded, a little sad at the loss of companionship you were just starting to get used to. You couldn’t quite place the emotion you were feeling, but you knew it was nothing like the platonic friendship you felt for Woo or Mina. Jin stood up from his bed, making his way towards, before giving you some parting words, “I’ll have Jungkook come show you where the showers are.”

After your encounter with Jin this morning, you were reeling from the onslaught of emotions you were feeling. You weren’t given much time to think too much about it though, because once you finished your breakfast, Jungkook came to give you a short, and rather quiet, tour of the building.

Like Seokjim promised, Jungkook showed you where the one bathroom was located, which looked more like a gym locker room than a bathroom. There were shower stalls, benches, and a couple of toilets and sinks along with a wall of lockers. It looked to be a changing room for employees of the mill. Jungkook had brought with him your black linen pants, washed by Jin according to him, and another large t-shirt. He didn’t want to admit it was his this time, and blushed fiercely as he handed them over to you, along with a clean towel.

Jungkook kindly showed you how to work the showers, helping you turn one on because of your hands. He also sweetly helped unwrap your hands and feet so you could properly shower and clean the cuts and scrapes. After he was done, he turned away, telling you he would wait on the benches for you to finish. As he was retreating, you reached out your hand to grab his forearm, “Wait - I- I can’t really lift my arms up,” you mumbled, warily looking up into his wide deer-in-headlights eyes, “can- can you help me?” You’ve never been shy about your body or nudity, but something about Jungkook seeing you nearly naked, made you feel like a shy teenager again.

You thought Jungkook was about to spontaneously combust the way he was staring at you. His shoulders were squared and nearly meeting his ears, lips pursed into a tight line, and eyes the size of dinner plates. You almost laughed at his expression, but then remembered how awkward this situation was for the both of you.

“I- I - ye- yes,” Jungkook was a stuttering mess, but wanted to offer you his help regardless. He felt like he was on fire with the way his cheeks and neck were heating. Slowly, you retracted your hand from his forearm when you felt like he wasn’t about to bolt out of the room. Jungkook carefully reached for the hem and your shirt and you turned around so your back was facing him to make this all less embarrassing. The boy audibly gulped as he slowly pulled your shirt upwards removing it from your head first, pushing it towards your front. He stepped closer to you so there was barely an inch of space between your now bare back and his front. Reaching his arms around you, he gripped the shirt and slid it down your arms, removing it from you completely. His fingers ever so slightly brushed the skin on your arms and made a shiver run up your spine. Jungkook didn’t miss the way you let out a strangled breath, almost inaudible.

He needed to cool off, quickly.

You quietly thanked him, quickly covering your breasts with your arms, as he turned away still holding Jin’s shirt and made his way out of the bathroom without another word.

After your much needed shower you struggled to dress yourself, but you would rather cut off your own arm than go through the embarrassment of finding Jungkook to help you again. Once you were finally decent, you found Jungkook sitting on the benches outside of the shower room, just like he said he would be. He has visibly calmed down, now wearing a calm expression. When he noticed you walk into the room, he gave you a small smile. “Feel better?”

You nodded enthusiastically, happy to feel clean again.

Next, Jungkook showed you the small kitchen that Jin spoke of earlier. It was more like a kitchenette, almost like an employee break room. It had a tiny refrigerator, cabinets that were filled with dry goods, a sink, and one electric burner. The building was so old, you were shocked to see the kitchen in such great condition. At the shocked look on your face, Jungkook told you that Jin really loved to cook and worked really hard to clean it up and keep it that way. Your face flushed at the reminder of the older man who was making your heart feel things just this morning. The thought of him caring so much about his kitchen, moving about in here cooking the delicious food you ate for breakfast, made your stomach twist in a pleasant way.

The last place Jungkook showed you was a mostly empty room on the second floor of the building. He told you that they didn’t use the second story much, considering the state of disrepair of the place, they didn’t want to risk getting hurt up here. But this room, Jungkook told you, was his favorite place to hang out. It was a rectangular concrete room that had a large expanse of windows on the far wall. Some of the windows were broken, allowing the breeze from outside to enter. In front of the windows sat a small tan sofa that looked like it had seen better days. Jungkook led you over to the windows, and you quickly realized why he liked this room so much.

You could see the entire quarry from up here. It was beautiful. At the bottom of the quarry was water that took on an incredible aquamarine color, turning almost green in the sunlight. The water was completely still, no disruptions on the surface, making it look serene. Along the bank of water, there were lush, green bushes and trees swaying slightly in the wind. On the other side of the quarry, you could see a small patch of yellow and purple flowering plants. Along the steep sides of the cliffs, you could see the smooth surface of exposed marble. Over the years, the marble has become weathered and looked smooth to the touch. The late morning sun, high in the sky, was reflecting off of the stone in a way that made it sparkle. It was an incredible sight, and you were surprised you’d never seen it like this before, having been out here in the past.

As you stood there, taking in the breathtaking scenery, Jungkook was taking in you. You had a look of mirth in your eyes, and he mentally patted himself on the back for bringing you up here. He took in your side profile, admiring your sharp features that looked as if they were carved from the very marble you were currently staring at. He loved the way your soft lips were forming a small pout, eyes focused on the sight in front of you. He didn’t realize he was grinning at you, until you turned around with a look of shock on your face.

A grin spread across your face as you saw Jungkook’s smile for the first time. It reminded you of a bunny, large front teeth on display for you to admire. You stood there for a moment, smiling at each other before you both started giggling. “Thank you for showing me this, Jungkook,” you crooned once the laughter had subsided. He just smiled at you in return before looking back out towards the quarry. You stayed in a comfortable silence after that, before Jungkook deemed it time to head back downstairs.

Downstairs, Jungkook led you to a room that was right in the middle of the long hallway that contained all the other rooms. “This is Yoongi-hyung’s room,” he cautioned, hand on the door, “don’t worry, Joon-hyung told him to be nice,” he rushed out, seeing the fearful look on your pretty features.

You were still uncertain, but nodded at Jungkook anyways, prompting him to open the door. Jungkook waited patiently for you to enter the room on your own with no pressure from him. You peeked around the corner to find the occupants of the room all staring right at you. You purse your lips into a tight line and avert your gaze to your newfound safe harbor, Seokjin, who was sitting on a black leather couch. His eyes softened at your uncomfortable look before scooting over to make room for you on the couch, patting the seat next to him, inviting you over. You hesitantly walked over and plopped down on the soft cushion.

Jin rubbed a large hand on your shoulder briefly to calm you down before placing both hands in his lap. As you felt yourself relax a bit, you took in your surroundings. Jungkook was still standing near the door, leaned against the wall, arms crossed over his chest. He looked oddly stoic, shedding the shy persona he usually wore. The room was fairly large, or at least, larger than the rest of the rooms you’ve been in. Against the right wall was the black leather couch you and Jin were currently sat on, and to your right against the far wall were two arm chairs, one of which was occupied by Namjoon. Sat in a desk chair in front of what looked like an old corporate desk, was Yoongi, with multiple laptops and devices sprawled out in front of him. Leaning against the wall behind Yoongi was another man, one you didn’t recognize, but you assumed was Hoseok. He was staring intently at you. His expression was unreadable, not cold, but not welcoming either. He looked intense with bright red hair, a sharp jawline that looked like it could cut diamonds, dressed in all black. He was a little intimidating and not at all like the golden retriever type boy Namjoon had described to you last night.

As you took in the men around the room, you hadn’t noticed Yoongi and Namjoon discussing a possible plan to break the twins out of Big Hit. “Jimin said there might be a window of time where no one is around,” Yoongi scoffed, “but you remember what happened last time he said that.”

Namjoon nodded his head. Now you were listening intently to their conversation, as were the other men in the room. “We need to trust Jimin, Yoongs. He’s the one inside there, he sees what’s going on, we don’t,” Namjoon sighed, running his hands over his knees, apparently a self-soothing mechanism, “if you think you can get in and knock out the cameras, we might as well give it a shot. We will make sure we’re better prepared this time.” Namjoon seemed defeated. You weren’t sure what happened ‘last time’, but it didn’t sound good.

“It doesn’t matter how prepared we are, he was wrong about the window last time. By two hours. If he’s wrong again we could get caught, or killed,” Yoongi snapped, anger apparent in his eyes, “I’m not willing to risk you guys again.”

“What about her?” This time, it was the redhead who spoke. You hadn’t noticed his eyes on you throughout the entire conversation, assessing you.

“No!” Both Jin and Jungkook barked at the same time, making you jump in your seat. Jin set a soothing hand on your shoulder as you looked at him, and then at Hoseok with wide eyes. Jin shook his head aggressively before looking at Yoongi and Hoseok, “No way. She’s never been there, she would have no idea what to do. You’re not willing to risk one of us, but willing to risk her?” He snarled, you haven’t seen him angry before, and you were positive you didn’t want to be on the receiving end of his anger.

Over by the door, Jungkook had uncrossed his arms and was walking towards Yoongi’s desk. “You can’t send her in there, hyung,” he started, placing both hands palm down on the desk, “please.”

Yoongi looked up at the maknae with soft eyes before pursing his lips and sighing through his nose. Behind him, Hoseok raised his hands in surrender, “It was just a suggestion,” he sighed out passively, “we’ve all lived there at some point or another, they would recognize us immediately, just like last time.”

“They know her too. Hyunwoo has been scouting her for months, according to Jimin. We can’t let her go in there.” It was Namjoon who was being the voice of reason this time, causing both Jin and Jungkook to let out a collective sigh of relief. The five men continued to argue while you got lost in your thoughts. Hoseok wanted you to navigate Big Hit? Alone? You mulled it over in your head for a minute, remembering Yoongi’s words. If he was able to hack the cameras, they wouldn’t be able to see you, right? You felt so grateful towards Jin and Namjoon, and even Jungkook, for helping you, you wanted to contribute in some way. You wanted to help them, ease their pain at the loss of their friends.

With this thought in mind, you spoke up, “I could do it…” you trailed off, voice quiet. All five of the men’s heads snapped towards you, most with looks of disbelief on their faces. Even Hoseok hadn’t expected you to agree, he was testing you, to see how you would react. Yoongi looked at you curiously, waiting for your next words. He couldn’t deny the clench in his heart at Seokjin’s words. No, he wasn’t willing to risk you, but if you were offering... “I mean.. I want to help,” you hesitated, looking between Jin and Jungkook who were now looking angrily at you. You shrunk in on yourself a bit, awaiting their response.

“Then it’s settled,” Yoongi remarked. He was trying hard to contain the fear he felt at allowing you to enter Big Hit alone. He knew it was dangerous, and he really wanted to not care about your well-being, but try as he might, he was terrified of allowing you to do this. He assumed he hid it well though, because everyone bar Hoseok was looking at him with incredulousness.

“No way,” Seokjin spoke first, his tone leaving nothing up for discussion, “this conversation is over.” Jin stood up abruptly, looking directly at Namjoon, “You aren’t ok with this, are you?” The look in his eye was intense, and Namjoon could feel it. He could feel the emotions Jin felt towards you, that he was going to do whatever it took to protect you. Namjoon would be lying to himself if he said he didn’t feel the same way.

Namjoon let out a short sigh and closed his eyes before setting his gaze on Yoongi, “We can figure this out without involving YN.”

“You heard her,” Yoongi growled, “she’s willing to risk her life. Who am I to tell her no?”

From there, the argument got even more heated, Jungkook even getting involved at one point. You were starting to feel uncomfortably hot in this cramped space. You understood both sides. You wanted to help, but you also knew that whatever you were volunteering yourself to do was dangerous. You needed air.

Suddenly, you stood up from the sofa announcing to the others that you ‘needed space’ and bolted out the door. Jungkook turned to run after you, but Hoseok, who was now standing next to the youngest, put his hand on his shoulder to stop him. “Let me go Hobi-hyung, I need to make sure YN is ok,” Jungkook rushed out, turning to the elder.

“Let her go, Kookie. This is probably a lot for her,” Hoseok told the boy, who looked like his heart was breaking at his words, “She’ll be ok, give her time.”

In your haste to remove yourself from the situation, you missed the look of absolute devastation on Jin’s face. He didn’t want you to feel like you had to do anything to repay them. He didn’t want you to feel like you owed them. He couldn’t believe how strongly he felt for you after only one day, longing for your presence next to him, now that it was suddenly gone. He could see that Jungkook - and to some extent, Namjoon - felt similarly.

Namjoon’s heavy sigh could be heard by everyone in the room, even over the loud chatter between the boys, as he slowly rose from his seat. As he made his way over to the door, he looked over his shoulder at the hacker. “Fix this.” His words held a finality that made Yoongi gulp. The blonde had a stoic outer shell that was hard to crack, but no one in this building could deny Namjoon was the one in charge, the one they wouldn’t defy. Yoongi nodded, biting the inside his cheek to hold back his retorts as Namjoon left the room.

After you burst out of Yoongi’s room earlier, you ran towards the big metal door that led outside the warehouse. You didn’t really want to go home, you were way too scared of what might be waiting for you there, but you did need some fresh air and some time to process everything that has happened to you since yesterday.

You made your way down the long winding path that led back to the fork in the path at the edge of the forest. You were thankful Jungkook had found you a pair of slippers earlier and you were no longer barefoot. You passed the broken fence blocking the dirt road down to the quarry and carefully hiked down until you were at the embankment and sat on the edge of the water. It really was beautiful and now that you were up close, you could see how clear the water was. It looked like liquid gemstones, barely rippling in the slight breeze. The marble looked so pretty up close, nearly snow white with swirls and lines of grey. It was calming out here. You took a few deep breaths, inhaling the scent of the water and the trees.

You have never done well with crowds of people. Not that five men were a crowd by any means, but you weren’t used to being around more than a couple of people at a time. Growing up, you had severe anxiety, especially while at school, and it carried over to adulthood. You also haven’t had many chances to socialize as an adult, outside of Mina and Woo. Being thrown into a situation with five men, two of whom you don’t think even want you around, is a lot. It’s only been twenty four hours and you’re already starting to regret leaving your home. You thought about your mom, and the huge breakfasts and dinners she would make for you and your father. Your father, who you didn’t know if you could even trust anymore. You’ve lived your whole life putting all your trust in your parents, as one should. But now you were questioning everything. Were they aware of your genetic rarity? Did they know about Big Hit all along? You had so many unanswered questions that you would probably never have answers to unless you went home.

Your mind wandered to Mina and Woo. How you weren’t sure if you would ever get to see them again. You were worried about them, worried that they would look for you and find themselves in some kind of trouble. They were your only friends growing up, and you didn’t even get to properly say goodbye to them. You didn’t realize you were crying until you felt something wet and warm drop into your lap. You were wearing the pants that you got dressed in yesterday morning before what could’ve been your last breakfast with your family. At that thought, the dam within you broke and the tears started flowing.

While staring at your damaged hands, you were reminded of Seokjin, and his caring nature. The tall, broad shouldered man who has shown you nothing but kindness. He was so gentle with you, like no one ever has been before. He made your heart flutter and your mind blank when he spoke to you. You thought back to how angry he had been with his own friends, over you, a girl he just met. He was defending you, and it made you feel like you were tearing a family apart. You didn’t want to bring him, or anyone else for that matter, any pain or harm. But then you thought back to how nice his large hand had felt against the delicate skin of your face this morning, and how his words had made you blush with fondness. You’ve never loved someone outside of your family, never even had a crush before. You weren’t sure how to define what you felt for Seokjin, but it felt good.

Then you thought about Namjoon, the well spoken and intelligent man who was the reason you were brought in with welcoming arms. From what you’ve gathered, he was the one who pushed to find you, to make sure they did something to stop Big Hit from getting to you. You were thankful for him, and you didn’t want to put him in a position where he had to choose you or his brothers. He cared for them deeply, you could see that clearly.

Jungkook was mysterious to you. He seemed so shy and timid, yet he was so angry with Yoongi earlier in defense of you. He had shown you one of the most beautiful places you’ve ever witnessed before, and given you one of the most precious smiles you’ve ever seen. You wanted to learn more about him, get to know him, be his friend. You felt drawn to the boy and wanted to protect him. It was odd, you’ve never felt an instinct to take care of someone else before, aside from maybe your cat. You wondered if that was how Seokjin felt towards the rest of them, the thought causing your heart to clench, emphatic towards him.

The red haired man, Hoseok, was the one you knew the least about. It felt like he didn’t really like you, but he was so hard to read. You remembered what Namjoon said about him being excitable and friendly, but you had yet to experience it yourself. As much as you felt unwelcomed by him and Yoongi, you still felt inclined to get to know him better, a pull to him, much like the others. You couldn’t explain these feelings, and they were confusing you.

The last man of the group, the blonde. Yoongi. He definitely didn’t want you here, and definitely made you feel unwelcome. But could you blame him? You weren’t mad at him. No. You understood completely how he felt. You were a stranger, disposable, and you weren’t his friend. He had no reason to care about you. None of them did. You mentally berated yourself for allowing your mind to conjure up the idea that they owe you anything, that you deserved their care and affection.

As you sat and cried silently to yourself, you let the dark thoughts take over your mind. Were you some kind of charity case to Namjoon? Like he felt the need to save someone who was like him and that’s all you meant to them? Maybe they felt sorry for you, and that’s why they were treating you so kindly. Seokjin acted caring towards everyone, why were you anything special? You were acting crazy, it’s only been a day with these men and you’re already feeling such a strong pull to them. You need to get a hold of yourself. You continued to sit there, on the edge of the water, shoulders hunched as you cried silently. As the day went on, and the sun started to set beyond the hills, your mind was plagued with the thoughts that this was all a horrible, horrible idea.

To be continued….

A/N: if you made it this far, first of all, THANK YOU! If you want to be added to the taglist, make sure you’re following me and send me an ask. if you enjoy the series consider reblogging so it can reach more readers. i’m feeling a little down about writing right now, so i’m trying to make sure to update next sunday. we will be meeting the twins in the next couple chapters, depending on how long they get, and you will be getting some steamy scenes between YN and (a) boy shortly. much love

xx Des

taglist: @minifruity @mrcleanheichou @arantxaglz @chim-possible

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starwarstbbfan · 3 years

Text

The Bad Batch: The Runaway

Chapter 10 - Sacrifice

"She's doing WHAT?" was Hunter's reply when Crosshair informed him of Callista's plan of escape.

"I believe Crosshair said that Callista was going to steal a ship-"

"I heard him Tech!" Hunter snapped while pinching the bridge of his nose, "Is she out of her mind?" Tech once again didn't catch on that the question Hunter asked was a rhetorical one and did his signature raising of his pointer finger as he spoke once more.

"Seeing as she plans on taking on a base full of droids by herself, the obvious answer is yes. The odds of her succeeding is -"

"I don't need to know the odds, Tech. Just get the Havoc Marauder up and running, we leave in ten minutes."

"I'm assuming we're not informing the General of our departure?" Crosshair asked even though the answer was obvious. It seems Tech finally caught on that everyone was apparently asking rhetorical questions because he didn't rush to answer, instead making his way into the cockpit to fire up the engines.

Wrecker looked worried, Callista having grown on him and the thought of her dying at the hands of the Separatists made his heart burn with anger and he vowed to crush every droid that got in their way.

Crosshair - well it was hard to know what he was feeling. But he trusts his Sargeant and will follow whatever orders are given him. As long as he beat Wrecker in the amount of droids they destroy, he'll go along with the plan.

Hunter sighed heavily, wondering if they would make it in time before Callista got herself and the Senator killed.

○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○●○

Callista was having a bit of déjà vu as she trekked through the forest, having done the same just a week ago.

It was getting to be night time and the temperature was dropping fast. Callista wondered if they should find a place to rest while they waited for the Batch to arrive, even though she'd rather escape on her own instead. Waiting around like some damsel in distress needing to be rescued didn't sit well with her.

The Senator could sense Callista's sour mood and wondered why. Surely she'd be happy that Clone Force 99 were coming to get them, after all they were friends right?

After another thirty minutes of walking, Callista spotted a cave at the base of a hill and suggested they camp out there. It must have been less than 30 degrees by that time. Callista had heard that some planets could have extreme weather patterns where it would be hot during the day but below freezing at night.

Since they didn't have a portable heater on hand, Callista opted to build a fire. She recalled her conversation with Hunter and how he explained his and his brother's enhancements. It was something that occupied her mind during the short moments she could semi-relax and process recent events. As Callista thought more about it, she started to suspect if she was an enhanced clone like them.

From the same conversation where Nala Se had defended Callista after failing a battle simulation, she knew that Jango Fett never intended to raise her as his daughter. Callista remembered how she felt like she'd been kicked in the gut upon hearing this. It actually happened just before Jango went on his final mission that Callista didn't know what it consisted of. All she knew was that the Jedi Knight had followed him to their home planet and thus started a chain of events that left Callista fatherless and eventually brotherless as well when she and Boba parted ways. He was determined to avenge their father while Callista just wanted to forget everything and start a new life. She was going to travel the galaxy and go to every planet possible. Callista internally smiled at that, only it wasn't a happy smile but one of sorrow. She'd been so naive then, ten year old Callista was so full of life and purpose but now? Sometimes Callista couldn't even leave whatever ally or abandoned building she'd be hiding in. It was like there was a cloud hanging above her and just getting up was difficult. Sometimes days would go by and she'd remain in the same place, nursing a water bottle and taking little bites of food every now and then so she didn't die, though there were times where she just wanted to go to sleep and never wake up.

Callista is brought back to the present when she hears someone say C.J, and in her moment of nostalgia she thought it was Boba. Her heart leaped at the thought as she looked up, only to see the Senator and not her brother. To say she was disappointed would be an understatement.

Callista realized that the Senator had said something but she didn't process what it was, as evident by the confused look she wore. "Huh?"

"I was asking if you were alright." The Senator said while raising a brow curiously at the girl. Callista felt her face heat up at letting herself get lost in her mind. First with Hunter and now a second time with the Senator Robb. She rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly.

"Y-Yeah. Sorry, I just got lost in my thoughts for a minute."

"About what?" Senator Robb prompted, hoping to learn a bit about the girl who had busted her out of prison. But Callista wasn't going to open up, she never did.

"Nothing of importance." She replied with a dismissive wave of her hand and the Senator became disappointed, "I saw a Juna berry bush on our way here. Maybe half a mile. I'm going to go pick some." Callista stated, wanting to have a few minutes to herself and to prevent any further questions.

"Perhaps I should come with you-"

"No!" Callista exclaimed loudly, and the cave walls only amplified her voice making her wince, "I-I mean someone has to watch the fire. I won't be long." Callista raised her arm and unmatched the comm off her wrist bracer, tossing it to the senator. Here, take this comm. It's emitting a signal that the Havoc Marauder will pick up when it enters the atmosphere." Just in case something happens to me- they'll still be able to find you.

Callista purposely didn't say that part outloud.

"Alright. Be careful, there might be droids out patrolling and looking for us." Callista couldn't help but smirk, remembering when Tech said she had a knack for being stealthy. She already knew this, but having someone else recognize her talent just confirmed it even more for her.

"I'll be fine. Stealth is my middle name." With that Callista left, still smirking to herself.

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Callista ate every other berry she picked, not patient enough to wait until she made it back to the cave. The ones not eaten were put in a makeshift pouch that was her cloak.

Even though this planet had such extreme weather patterns, the Juna berries appeared to be thriving as there were hundreds of them on the cluster of five bushes Callista was harvesting from.

Tossing another into her mouth, she sighed with content at the burst of sweet juice on her tongue. Juna berries were mainly used in various desserts because of how sweet they were. Callista had only eaten these berries twice before which is why she recognized them and took the opportunity to have some while she could.

Once she had picked more than three pounds of berries, Callista made her way back to the cave.

The Senator and Callista ate in silence, which didn't bother the latter one bit.

Callista was about to eat another berry when she heard a twig snap. Immediately she jumped to her feet while also taking out her blaster. Though the sound had definitely come from outside the cave, she saw nothing standing there. She narrowed her eyes while peering into the darkness, her sharp eyes searching the shadows for any hint of movement.

"Who's there!" Callista said, hoping it was just one of the Bad Batch members trying to sneak up on her, immediately thinking a certain sniper might do it to attempt to scare her as payback for punching him. Even though it's been a few days, he seemed like the type to hold a grudge no matter how small, till the day he died. "Crosshair?" She called out, followed by the other three clone's names. "Hunter…Tech…Wrecker?"

Despite getting no answer, she knew someone or something was nearby. Callista strained to listen and when her ears picked up the faint but unmistakable sound of metal creaking that could only come from one thing.

"Run." Callista said in a low voice, but loud enough that the Senator, who had also gotten to her feet, heard and listened without questioning. Callista shot two times into the darkness before swiveling on her feet and following the Senator before she could see the two droids she'd shot - both in the head - fall to the ground.

Callista caught up with the Senator as they ran away from the group of droids that were now in pursuit of the pair.

Callista knew she'd need to come up with a plan, and fast. There's only so long they can run and she could tell the Senator was already getting tired.

Come on, think!

Suddenly a searing pain broke out on Callista's right side just above her hip and a cry left her lips as she stumbled a bit from the shock but didn't stop running. The Senator didn't notice that Callista had been shot and in the few seconds that the latter had slowed her speed she'd gotten a ways ahead. Showing down had also given the droids a chance to gain some ground on Callista who tried to ignore the pain in her side and tried to keep running as fast as she could. She'd been so focused on not thinking about the pain that she didn't notice a fallen branch in her path that her foot instantly caught on, sending her tumbling to the forest floor.

Callista quickly scrambled to her feet and heard the Senator who's finally noticed that she'd fallen way behind call out to her. Callista was breathing heavily as she looked at the woman who'd stopped about ten yards ahead and then at the direction the droids were coming.

She closed her eyes and shook her head as an idea came to mind that didn't sit well but seemed to be the only option. The mission was to protect the Senator and Callista partially blamed herself for the latter being kidnapped. She should have immediately taken down the assailants instead of waiting for them to make the first move with the bomb. Now was a chance for her to make things right, even if the outcome wouldn't benefit her. At least the Senator will live and once the Bad Batch rescued her their reputation would no longer be tainted. It's the honorable thing to do and Callista was tired of being selfish.

With her mind made up, Callista raised her arm to speak into the comm.

"Senator, keep running. I'm going to try and hold them off as long as possible. Find a place to hide until the Bad Batch arrives."

"What about you?" Was the senator's worried reply.

"Don't worry about me!" Callista snapped, not angry at the Senator but over the whole situation, "Just go! Now!"

Callista locked eyes with the Senator one last time and saw the sadness in her eyes when it dawned what the former was doing. Sacrificing herself so she'd live. Callista gave one final nod to assure the Senator that everything would be alright even though it was obvious it wouldn't and took off in the direction of the droids, pulling out her blaster and stun baton while running. If she's going down, it's not going to be without a fight.

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Continue to Chapter 11

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pleasancies · 3 years

Text

Justifying The Aftermath

wordcount : 2.1k+

warning : mention of animal abuse, emeto

content : lashing out, electrocution, vomiting, whumper!caretaker, lady whump, lab whump, whumper pov, manhandling

This is it! The last day of Summer of Whump. It's been fun, writing and reading more whump from this event. Can't wait for next year! Tagging : @summer-of-whump

***

Previous Chapter

"Breathe deeply, Fenrir."

Her stare was full of contempt. There was still a sharp edge on her two fangs. Blue veins jutting out under her arms and legs. She was much older than John, late in her twenties. Prior affiliation indicated if she wasn't a murderer or an arsonist then she's an accomplice to one. He didn't dare to take a step further. Even when her left arm was tucked in a sling, the other connected to an IV, the general scrapes and bruises on her face, or the fact that she couldn't sit up so the infirmary nurse had to raise her bed to prevent her lungs collapsing in on itself.

Fenrir spat, and it hit him in the chest despite the distance.

John took out his napkin, "I mean it for your well-being. Your rib fracture wasn't severe, but your recovery will be greatly stalled if you manage to get yourself pneumonia."

"And then what? Brainwashing? I had to be Empire's hunting dog? I'd rather die."

"You're contributing to the public good. We're not lying."

"You think turning people into living weapons is for the greater good?" Fenrir grinned, covering the upper half of her face with her palm. "Rich kids are easy to brainwash."

"We were forced. If terrorist groups like those Heretics you love so much doesn't terrorize the managers then we wouldn't have to spend so much time on defense!"

John watched the rise of Fenrir's chest as she spoke. Her breath was fast and shallow.

"Heretics are a new thing. The humans living in the Orients and the Border Islands have existed long before the Ship fell into our grounds. The Empire wasn't reacting to them when they sent out the first Seed and they sure as hell does not need a living monster to weed out a bunch of poors with a handmade grenade. What the Empire doing is never defense, child. They're hungry for control."

Child. It filled him contempt. He might have been younger than her but look who had their life sorted out? An internship with the smartest minds of the earth, a girl waiting back home, and a few years worth of savings. John is more mature, educated in things other than the vulgarity of drink and merrymaking.

Forgetting his fear, John leaned on the side of Fenrir's bed. He loomed above her. "Your problem is that you're uneducated. You had a brilliant mind, but you didn't go to school or truly learn how to think the big picture. The facts you learned was baseless. The Radicals got to you first and I'm sorry for that."

The glare she gave sharpened, and for a second John believed she's going to lunge at him. Luckily she was only taking a deep breath.

"Uneducated? I've written essays, planned raids, and build gardens! I might not be an engineer, but I know more about the world than you."

"This is a waste of time. You're insulting instead of discussing."

"Explain how calling me uneducated isn't an insult."

John run his fingers through his hair, "I'm here only to look at your progress. Look, I think Heretics are too caught up in their pain. They experienced bad things and blame the Empire. But it's just the world. You need to struggle and work and-"

"Mind if I cut in?" Fenrir doesn't wait for John. "Since you want an argument, I want to acknowledge we both had a different view of reality. It's just our sources. But you need to think about what they taught you. I assume you're referring to the workhouses."

"Yes. That, and the jails. I know most of you are former convicts."

She ramped up in intensity. Fenrir raised her voice. "They might told you it's just a struggle, but have you even been there? Eat the rat-pissed grain and get yelled off for sitting? Have you ever questioned if the papers telling their story reflects reality? Managers owned the workhouses. They owned the papers. Of course they only said good things about it. They got away with untold evil because you trust them!"

The long histrionic rant left Fenrir with a coughing fit. John's answer were simple.

"Who's to say you didn't lie to me to sympathize with them?"

"Ask ten men working in the poor house. If anecdotes don't phase you then read some statistics my group works on."

"I'll do it." If John had the time, which was virtually nonexistent. If he had the guts because none of his friends including him know a guy like that, and approaching workhouse residents can get you robbed "Later. Wartimes are a bitch."

Fenrir chuckled, her mood has lightened up. "Aren't we all united under a single flag? Why is there still a war?"

A rhetorical question and a trap. Why is Fenrir likes to anger herself so much? Either way, he's not taking the bait. What a sad life, suspecting every thing you hear might be misinformation. The Empire could never lie about something so grave. They had principles. John had seen firsthand how his life have been easy because his family knows the rules and how go around the proceedings. It's imperfect, but it's definitely better than whatever the Heretics are going for.

For a week, John and Lisette have been adjusting. Visiting Fenrir separately, taking notes of trigger buttons and quirks. This Fenrir was different, and the way she was exposed to the substance made a different sort of Dog, besides the mutations. They need to re-do experiments, test new things, even change up their approach. Fenrir was always angry, and there's this restless energy around her. Avoiding certain topics and sneaking up sweets for her seem to calm her down a little, but that restless edge was still there.

Not a concern. Not since Fenrir's ribs and shoulder had mostly healed. Not after they've think up strategies to temper her prickly disposition and contain the emotional outburst after her first testing. Not when they drug her when she's already asleep before transporting her to the forest.

They were expecting a tantrum. The soldiers prepared stun guns, flash bangs, anything that could assault her heightened senses. Professor Clayton personally stitched the taser cuffs on her ankle. Something John had spent a great deal of time debating against. He was overruled. Lisette took their superior's side. In the end, the shock collar was necessary.

"I think she's getting through to you," Lisette teased.

"Oh shut up. I was trying to meet her halfway." The image in their cameras are somehow better. Some were blank, filled with static courtesy of Fenrir's rampage. But the few that left thrived, vivid contrasts and colours detailing her figure among the half-eaten animal. Alien techs are on another level. "She was taught to expect cruelty from us. We can't reform her if we proved her right."

"I think that's unfair. She'd done bad things, just because she was radicalized to do so doesn't mean she's exempt from punishment."

John leaned on his chair, "But we're not judges. We're scientists. We should refrain from any cruelty unless it's sanctioned by the State."

"Yeah, right." The speakers blared with a distorted buzz of a helicopter. They were silent as it lands at the edge of the forest. Lisette went on, "so you've already told the King you'll stitch Fenrir's wound without anesthetic?"

"You're missing the point."

"What is it then? Don't get me wrong, I think she deserves it. She was a terrorist. But I won't delude myself that they'll bring her to court. No, the way this goes is she'll work for us and be given an honorary medal when all of our testing eventually gives her brain damage."

Lisette leaned closer to the screen. Her expression unreadable. Professor and his soldiers had found Fenrir. She haven't moved from her position. Still kneeling, dirty blonde hair matted with blood. They practically jumped at her. Seizing the shoulders, heaving her up, and kicking her in the legs to disturb her balance. Two men at the side, another sticking a gun on the back of her head. Professor Clayton kept his distance, the switch for the taser cuffs firmly in his pocket.

She glanced at John. The silence of the room grows opressive. He leaned to his microphone, eyes still intently looking at the screen. Fenrir let her feet dragged against the ground. Her head hung low, eyes half-lidded. Not looking at anything at particular. Quiet.

That period of trepidation passes. Fenrir doesn't fight, doesn't even squirm as they put the earmuffs and blindfold on her. She arrives, her knees buckling and fall on the floor. The strength had gone out of her.

First test passed with flying colors. The trigger serum worked. They didn't have to kept her half-dead to maintain her beast form. But the devil is in the details, how much does she have to lose? It was John's assignment to figure it out.

On first glance, Fenrir seemed to have crossed that line. John could smell death from her. Her entire body is covered in dried blood, yet she didn't seem bothered. She stared at the desk, gripping the towel they gave and picking at the threads.

"Fenrir."

"My name is Avis."

John kneeled in front of her, taking the towel. She was shivering, and her fingers were shaking in a way that suggest it was more than the cold. He wrapped the bloodied cloth around her shoulders.

"You're supposed to cover yourself like this," John brings the ends of the towel to her two hands. He hold her clasped arms, gently pulling it so the fabric would cover more of her body.

"I know that," Fenrir absently murmured.

Looking closer, it was a grisly sight. Blood runs from her gums. Pieces of the camera were stuck under her long nails. Dust and dirt were sticking under the coat of dried blood. The shock bracelet was still there.

"I was going to give you a few test before we took you to the infirmary again but maybe you need medical help and a shower first. How's that?"

She looked at him. The hateful stare was still there. "Do you think this is justified?"

"We needed to test your power. Your blood could save millions, only if we know what to do with it."

Fenrir burst into a laugh, "Making me ate two dogs alive could save people?!"

"Fenrir—"

"Don't call me that!" She stood, still taller from the transformation. Her eyes were burning from tears she's desperately holding back. Her stomach hurts. The smell of her body made her sick. Even more disgusting when it reminds her of what she'd done. "I'm not fucking stupid. I'm going to be a warbeast and the only thing I'll save is the Empire's stolen property!"

"Sit down. Please. Let's get you a bath and we'll talk this out, alright?"

Fenrir took a step back. John wished they bother to bring in her handcuffs, if only for his piece of mind. "How could you see me out there and think this is okay?"

"You're right. It's not okay."

It's justified. But John was at lost for words. He nodded, "I know you're in distress. I hear you. Let me help."

"Then leave!" Fenrir yelled. "Acknowledge for once that this entire operation is senseless violence!"

John throw his testing papers on to the desk. His voice grew cold, "You're a hypocrite. You burned houses, destroyed machines, terrorize my friend's families. How could you do all of that and think this is bad?"

"You didn't know, no, you refuse to see the destruction and terror they've caused. And when it became too big for you to ignore, you're going to pretend they've hid it from you all this time or you've got no choice but to follow their orders."

Fenrir reached for the papers, and for the next thing they both now was that her screamed reverbrate through the room. She was on the floor. Seizing. Her limbs jerked, hitting the nearby table. Blood runs from her ankles, and John looked at the door to find his mentor leaning against the frame with the remote.

"Get her a bath, John."

He nodded. She was too weak to fight him off. Little aftershocks plagued her body even as he helped her sit.

"Come on, we should go."

"No, wait." Fenrir hold the leg of the desk in a vice grip. She kept her mouth tightly shut, and there's a bit a green around the outlines of her face. She felt her cheeks burning. Saliva pooling in her mouth. John shook her shoulders. The movement was a straw that broke the camel's back.

She gagged, heaving out a gush of acid and pre-digested flesh. The chunks of meat triggered another bout of vomiting. Each wave of nausea more stronger than the last.

"It's alright," John said, rubbing her back, "Let it out. You'll feel better."

Soon enough, her stomach was empty. She was nodding off, her eyes glassy with tears. John the only thing keeping her from slumping down on her own sick.

"You're a monster," Fenrir muttered.

Next Chapter

#summerofwhump30 #summer of whump #lady whump #lashing out #lab whump #electrocution #emeto cw #animal abuse mention #whumper as caretaker #futuristic whump #manhandling

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orangerosebush · 4 years

Text

“How does one describe Artemis Fowl?” Artemis Fowl, Book 1, Page 1.

Although this quote from the first series sets the tone of Artemis being a character who is loath to be understood, what with how he “delights in not talking” about how it is he perceives himself to truly be, I want to attempt to answer this rhetorical question. After all, the quote serves as a bookend for the series — both the first and final book contain it.

In answering this question, I want to not answer “how does one describe Artemis Fowl?” but rather, “what is Artemis Fowl?” — the series, that is. I think now is a good time to answer this question, what with the first cycle of the series, the Artemis Fowl saga, being complete and the second cycle, the Fowl twins saga, beginning. In short, I want to ask: what context surrounds the book series being published? What are some important themes to the series? And what gives the book series its spark?

I first have to start this video essay by admitting that I was wrong in another essay: “A look into the role of Irish mythology as inspiration for Colfer's depiction of the People: an essay”. You can find this on fanfiction.net or on archive of our own under works by mentosmorii, by the way. The synopsis I provided for the essay is as follows: “Although Colfer has stated before that he has drawn from his knowledge of Irish mythology, he has never stated specifically which myths informed his writing. As someone with a bit of a background in Irish mythology, I have made a guess at some of the sources of inspiration, explained a couple of references within the series, and analyzed a few characters as having connections to Irish history/mythology.”

A lot of the content in that essay is correct, I feel I should say. However, an area where I misstep is here: “ Eoin Colfer has been asked about the influence of Irish mythology on his writing during various interviews, and his response is usually a sort of permutation of the above answer — ‘I grew up reading Irish myths and legends, [and] I… put… a spin on them’ (Colfer). He admits that he was influenced by Irish mythology, and this admission of influence is usually enough to get interviewers to move along to the next question. I’ve looked through many of the interviews that he’s done, and I think I can say with confidence that there is not currently any interview available in which an interviewer presses him to be more specific and point to the myths and legends in question by which he was influenced. In all likelihood, I think that this is because once Colfer confirms that he did, in fact, take inspiration from Irish mythology, the interviewers think of pop culture Celtic mythology and move on”.

The assertion that I made that was incorrect is about the interviewer moving on due to a lack of visibility of Irish myths. However, you also have to look at when the first book was published, which was in 2001. During the 90s to the early 2000s, Ireland was going through something called the “Celtic tiger”, which essentially means that there was an international market that was becoming quite interested in Irish culture, leading to the development of a new, commercially successful Celticism. Cormac MacRaois (pronounced: cormick Mccreesh) estimated, at the time of writing in 1997, that there were at least thirty books dedicated to the retellings of mythological tales on the children’s shelves of Irish bookshops, alongside a burgeoning quantity of contemporary fantasy drawing upon mythological sources for its characters and themes” (Irish Children’s Literature and Culture: New perspectives). Furthermore, in Mary Donohue’s unpublished 2003 MA thesis entitled “From Wexford to the arctic circle, a cultural journey”, she remarks that in a video interview, Colfer mentions that he had initially planned to publish a collection of Irish myths and legends, but that he abandoned this plan when he realized how many good collections were already in print (Donohoe, 2003, p. 24).

What I want to point out is that although the series was published at a time when there was increased interest in Irish mythology, it is interesting that Colfer deviates from the fairy tale and leans into the futuristic. What do I mean by this?

In many ways, the Artemis Fowl series, at least up until book 8, is more of a sci-fi than it is a fantasy. Which is a bold claim for me to make, I know!

However, a quote from book one in which Root is talking to Foaly as the LEP tries to plan how to get Holly back summarizes this seemingly paradoxical analysis of the series quite nicely: Science is taking the magic out of everything.

As Anna Bugajska (pronounced: ah-na boo-guy-ska) states in her essay "Human Magic", "Fairy Technology" : The Place of the Supernatural in the Age of Cyberculture, which is about the Artemis Fowl series: “Fairies deprived of natural wings use their artificial counterparts. Dwarves are practically walking machines. Invisibility is achieved by ‘shielding’. Artemis uses ‘human magic’ to heal a fairy [the sprite in Ho Chi Minh whom he gives a serum to help her alcohol dependence], but must rack his brains to escape ‘fairy technology’. The convergence point comes at the search for a Booke of Magick and at a failed Ritual performance… In the world where fairies rely on blasters and bio-bombs to take out their enemies, is there any place for good ol’ magic? Or is it by any chance homogenous with “man-made magic”, that is technology?”.

The fact that the people seem to rely more on technology than on magic is important to the parallels that the series establishes between humanity and the fae — in many ways, the two societies are two sides of the same coin. In many ways, you could even take Root’s comment about “Science taking the magic out of everything” as the same sort of thing your boss, or teacher, or any older person, really, might say when presented with new technology that they don’t quite yet understand. It seems like their society also suffers from the same anxieties older humans have about technology progressing and leaving previous generations in the dust.

The fact that the book series seems to be more of a sci-fi than a fantasy is important for two reasons, the first one of which is discussed in Elizabeth Parsons’ essay “Fowl Play: Artemis Fowl, Sitting Ducks, and politics for children” and the second of which is discussed in Patricia Kennan’s essay “Contemplating Otherness, imagining the future” . The first perspective, Parsons’, which I do agree with, is that the book brings up parallels between the People and humanity that suggest that the fairies are just as guilty of the environmental issues and social injustice that they like to critique humans for. The second perspective, which I do not necessarily fully agree with but that I find interesting, Kennan’s perspective, is on whether or not Artemis Fowl series “feels” Irish because of this emphasis on the sci-fi over the myth.

Let’s first address Parsons’ argument. Parsons argues that there is no real, discernible difference between the two worlds that share the planet — “Technological advances drive humanity’s destruction of the earth’s surface as much as they [drive] the spread of fairy civilization underground” (Parsons). In fact, Parsons points to the enormous sum of gold at the center of the conflict in book one as evidence that the People are not as innocent of this kind of environmental destruction as they would like to think. After all, you cannot mine gold from the earth without having some kind of negative impact on the planet. Whether it’s from how you might destabilize the ground as you mine, or the pollutants you may release, or even the effect that comes with removing the gold from its natural place in the earth, you cannot escape the fact that Faeries likely also have a history of troubling environmental impacts to answer for. There is also the fact that fairy society is *extremely* developed and industrialized. Just as how the presence of gold presents the question of how the People acquired that wealth, the technology the people have presents the question of how did they develop said tech. You can’t go from a building the wheel to building a neutrino gun — there was likely an industrial revolution in which the People engaged in unclean energy practices as they developed their understanding of how to engineer. And this concern is supported by the text!

In book one, Holly is talking about two mechanical wing types that the LEP uses — the older models called the Dragonflies and the newer models called the Hummingbirds. The book says the following: “Holly unhooked a set of wings from their bracket... Dragonflies. She hated that model. Gas engine, if you believe it... Now the Hummingbird Z7, that was transport. Whisper silent, with a satellite-bounced solar battery that would fly you twice around the world. But there were budget cuts again.” (pp. 50-51).

Perhaps the People may like to argue that they are more environmentally evolved than humanity, and sure, they are, but they’re far from being as innocent in the exploitation of earth than they’d like to think — they still use gas engines, after all!

But that’s just from an environmental point of view. Socially, there is also little difference between the progress of the People and humanity. Honestly, in some aspects, the people are farther behind, what with how Holly mentions being the first woman to be hired to her position even though the book opens at the start of the 21st century. And although Holly understands that others assuming she is less capable on the basis of her gender is both illogical and prejudiced, she herself falls into similar lines of thinking in books 1 and 2. She certainly makes some unkind assumptions regarding how she thinks her coworker Lilli, an attractive woman, was hired because the recruiter fancied Lili. Which, knowing the rather old-fashioned beliefs the LEP higher-ups have regarding women, could be the case! Yet the way she specifically talks about Lili makes it clear she does not see a potential ally against mistreatment in the office — Lili is someone who, in unkind moments, Holly privately kind of sees as an acceptable target of workplace gossip. And Holly, to be fair, grows out of this mindset by the final book — she still doesn’t like Lili, but she’s matured past the point of engaging in making harmful assumptions about her coworker.

And beyond this, Holly also in book one falls into patterns of making assumptions about the various different groups of fairies in Haven. For example, she implies in her first encounter with Mulch that his rapscallion behavior and petty crimes are kind of linked to the fact he’s dwarf. And she certainly doesn’t treat him well in book 1 — she zaps him when he makes a move to pick-pocket despite the fact the situation could have been de-escalated with initial action other than violence. Again, she moves beyond this way thinking by the final book. Yet the society the society she lived in, no matter how much she values things like justice and equality, still influenced her to make judgment calls that either are solely about another person’s identity, such as her comments about Lili, or that tie someone’s behavior to their identity, such as how she links Mulch’s behavior to the fact he is a dwarf. Holly isn’t the problem — the society is.

This is why you have Mulch’s later quote that “I’d rather trust a bunch of humans not to hunt a species to extinction than trust an LEP consultant” (177). Here, the first book kind of hits you over the head with the message: both of the societies, human and fairy, have issues of inequality and environmental abuse built into them. They both suck!

Holly, I think wakes up to this fact at the end of book 4 following the fact that Sool and the council valued money and power over bringing Opal to justice for her murder of Root. After this, she has a more nuanced perspective on ideas of justice and what means to want justice. A line that sticks out to me is from book 8 when she’s thinking about what she wants for Opal. She brings up the fact that at one point, she would have wanted Opal to suffer as she had. However, what Holly wants by the 8th book is for the suffering to stop, period. She doesn’t want to seek justice by humiliating or hurting Opal, what she wants is Opal to no longer be capable of hurting others. And this doesn’t mean that Holly no longer hates Opal, because she unequivocally does. But the cycle of Opal hurting others, the LEP hurting Opal, and then Opal coming back to enact vengeance again, and again, and again, is something that Holly wants to end. She no longer wants to engage in this cycle.

To circle back to my original point, this is why the series relying on sci-fi more than the more magical elements of fairy society is important: by showing us fairies that evolved past the role they would fill in myths, which is more nature-based, Colfer is able to talk about technology in human society, both good and bad, and human society itself, both good and bad. This different depiction of fairies and a more sci-fi plot was what made the story stand when it was being marketed, but it is also interestingly a point of criticism that is invoked when talking about whether or not the story “feel” Irish.

This is the second point of criticism that I discussed earlier is in Patricia Kennan’s essay “Contemplating Otherness, imagining the future”. She doesn’t think blending sci-fi and fantasy is negative — that would be an uncharitable reading of her essay. She even states in the essay that, “the most successful writers of science fantasy, however, have been able to stretch the parameters of both kinds of minds [the fantasy and technological], a feat to be admired”.

She talks about the blending of both mythic and realistic narratives, as well as that mixture’s popularity in recent Irish children’s science fiction. This idea of hybrid forces, the fantasy and the realistic, is attractive, she suggests, because of the chaos contained in their tension in the narrative. It’s for the same reason, perhaps, that fiction containing elements like vampires, that straddle the boundary between night and day, alive and dead, animal and human, is popular, as they contain interesting and allure characteristics while also being horrifying and repulsive.

(Side note: the idea of “otherness” and the human and the magical intersecting is very interesting as an aesthetic when one considers that one of the most influential vampire novels, Dracula, was written by an Irish author and that many of the aesthetics associated with Dracula also fit neatly with Artemis — this further underlines that he straddles the line between good and bad, human and magical, technology and fantasy in the way he seems to be a hybrid of gothic literature aesthetics dressed up in a modern, sci-fi package. I’m gonna end my sidenote here).

However, Kennan points to the plot and setting of the story as perhaps being why the series does feel very grounded in its Irish roots. The essay quotes Celia Keenan, saying: “all sense of the national and local have been eradicated [from the series]. Speech rhythms are entirely mid-Atlantic. No Hiberno-English or Wexford uses are evident. Landscape has become virtual”.

In some ways, I can see her point. Artemis Fowl is a very James Bond-type series in that it tries to invent settings rather than borrowing from existing reference points to place itself. A good example of this would be the fact that Fowl manor and Artemis’ school, Saint Bartleby’s, never are placed concretely within specific locations in Ireland. There might be a sense that Saint Bartleby’s is near Wexford or that the manor is near Dublin, but what proximity might mean (such as showing neighbors, classmates, and descriptions of the setting) is often avoided: the main characters and settings that are explored are often more international, such as Minerva and Spiro being French and American respectively, and the series often taking place in Haven or locations related to it. However, I think that there are at least some references that make the book still feel grounded as being Irish — I go into this in my other essay, but I can recap. There are specific references to Irish mythology and history, even if things like modern Irish history, side characters beyond the Butlers and Fowls that are Irish, and slang or dialect specific to different parts of Ireland aren’t referenced frequently.

So to summarize this point, the series does play with the trappings of a James Bond series in the sense that the setting bounces around enough that perhaps Ireland isn’t at the center always, and I think that this is a function of how Colfer writes sci-fi instead of something that destabilizes the sense of the where and when of the series. For instance, a big example of pop culture that Colfer references is the Matrix, albeit in a sneaky way. Celia Keenan (who is also quoted Kennon’s essay) wrote the article “Who’s afraid of the bad little Fowl?” which serves as a book review and a look into whether or not one could call the series ‘art’. When talking about references the book makes to pop culture, she writes: “It is possible that the film which has most influenced the ‘‘Fowl’’ books is The Matrix (1999). It depicts two worlds, the computer-controlled world of the matrix itself in which humans function as duped slaves, and the world of human resistance fighters who, like Colfer’s fairies, have been forced to create an alternative home called Zion, in the bowels of the earth. The term ‘‘recon unit’’, echoed in Colfer’s LEPrecon, figures in the Matrix. Colfer actually parodies quotations from The Matrix on a few occasions. For example, in The Matrix one of the characters says to the hero, ‘‘Buckle your seat belt, Dorothy, because Kansas is going ‘bye bye’’’; likewise, Root says to Artemis, ‘‘Hate to tell you this, Dorothy, but you ain’t in Kansas anymore’, in Artemis Fowl: the Arctic Incident (p. 63). Another Matrix quip—‘‘never send a human to do a machine’s job’’ (Wachowski, 1999), is parodied by Mulch: ‘‘Tell Foaly not to send a Mud Man to do a fairy’s job’’. In this instance, the narrator emphasizes the cinematic origins of the quotation: ‘‘‘Oh dear,’ thought Artemis, rubbing his brow, ‘Hollywood had a lot to answer for’’’(Colfer, 2002, p. 208).”

The creators of the Matrix, the Wachowski sisters, were pretty influenced by a philosopher named Jean Baudrillard (pronounced: Bow-dree-ard), even if Baudrillard didn’t particularly think their work was grounded in his theory. Baudrillard was undeniably a smart man, but he was also kind of a prick. Make of that what you will. But for those who aren’t familiar with his work or the Matrix itself, these works deal with themes of technology, reality, and the future of our society. To go back to Artemis Fowl, I think the series engages with these themes through both the allusion to Matrix and through the themes of the series itself. Although the series of Artemis Fowl many not engage specifically with many of Baudrillard’s theories, it does engage with similar philosophical concepts about sci-fi and the self.

One particular example of this is how the series (maybe unintentionally) engages with Gilbert Ryle, who was a British philosopher, and his concept of ‘mind-body-dualism’; Ryle came up with the idea of human existence being the tale of ‘a ghost within a machine’, or our sense of self-existing in a separate, physical shell. To simplify, this essentially points out the fact that what we view as being our “us”, our personalities, our inner thoughts, our perception of ourselves, is often separate from our bodies — when I think of who “I” am, I think of my “mind” rather than “body”, and this is exactly what the dualism Ryle pointed out gets at. Often, sci-fi seeks to explore what if this barrier dissolved — such as what if with the evolution of the mind, there was also an evolution of the body, and whether this could be achieved through things like AI, cyborgs, and so on. To go back to Anna Bugajska’s work, she wrote an essay entitled “Artemis Fowl: Posthumanism for teens” that tackles this within the series.

Which admittedly is a bit of a mouthful of a title! It sounds complicated — and it is, it definitely is.

But it is interesting. To go back to the idea of transformation and Artemis Fowl, the series deals with this theme quite a bit. To quote Bugajska: “What naturally could develop into a coming-of-age cycle, swerves into the direction of a transformation, calling into question human nature and individual identity in the age of the morphological freedom, mind uploads, bioengineering, and hybronauts…[the series explores ideas of transformation as a result of a desire to seek previously unaccessible power, but it also explores the idea in the context of the mind and body becoming one in how an impact one must result in an impact of the other].

A prominent example of those who went too far in their quest for [transformative] perfection are Briar Cudgeon, an LEP officer, and Opal Koboi, a genius pixie inventor. Cudgeon, embittered by professional conflict, sought the cognitive enhancement through the use of drugs. As a result, “the tranquilizer had reacted badly with some banned mind- accelerating substances the former acting-commander had been experimenting with. Cudgeon was left with a forehead like melted tar... Ugly and demoted, not a great combination” (Colfer 2003a: 77). [In this case, his desire for power causes his downfall, such as how he tried to enhance his abilities past his limit with the mind-accelerating drug that ended up reacting with the tranquilizer. However, this is also an example of the barrier between the body and the mind dissolving, as Cudgeon’s internal ‘ugliness’, such as his hunger for power, deceitfulness, and disregard for others’, is reflected in his physical form through his overindulgence in substances he uses to try to get around his natural limits.]

In the case of Opal Koboi, we can observe a conscious attempt to transform from one being to another. She has her pointy ears operated upon to give them human shape. What is more, she implants in her brain a human pituitary gland to provoke the secretion of the growth hormone (Colfer 2005: 173–174). She even goes as far as extracting substances from various animals to enhance her magic (Colfer 2011a: 263, 270). All these attempts in the end cost her her sanity (Colfer 2012: 36) and her magic powers, which is especially well visible in the fourth book of the cycle, Opal Deception (Colfer 2005: 329).

On the other hand, the changes in identity must necessarily be reflected in the alterations of at least some parts of the body. Thus, Artemis’s father, a former criminal boss, loses his leg [as he undergoes a sort of transformation after the deal Artemis holds in order to rescue his father from a hostage situation. Beforehand, he might have been a cruel, distant father, but now he has changed. He has become a new man, and in doing so, his body has been altered as well in the loss of a leg and the gaining of a prosthesis] (Colfer 2003b: 80–81). Artemis himself, as he grows from a calculating rationalist to a globally-responsible, empathic man, earns a few body modifications. And although he does not seek them, he does not attempt to get rid of them, instinctively hoarding as much of the “fairness” as he can get. For instance, in The Lost Colony, where Artemis and his friend Holly Short of the LEP travel through a time-tunnel, first his fingers are switched, then he swaps an eye with Holly, and finally he steals some of the fairy magic, which grants him limited healing and regeneration powers. He also gains three years during the travel: in his own time he has to pose as a seventeen-year-old (Colfer 2007: 371)”.

In essence, you have both people seeking to perfect the body in order to match the goals of mind, such as Opal trying to steal new types of magic, and then you have Artemis switching eyes with Holly, representing a more benign example of the body changing to match the mind, as switching eyes represents that he has literally switched perspectives and can see things through her eyes as a result of their friendship. And in the end of the series, you also have Artemis being reborn into a clone — he has changed so much from his self at the beginning of the series, it is like his past self is dead, and his moral rebirth is reflected literally in him being given a new body free of the constraints of the mistakes he made before his passing, such as kidnapping Holly or endangering Butler on multiple occasions.

This I suppose covers most of the grounds that I wanted to in this essay. I talked about the context of the book series being published, the themes, the characters, and the philosophical questions posed by the text.

I don’t know if answered my original question of “what is Artemis Fowl?” — I think I’ll always have something to say about the series. But this puts words to a lot of thoughts I’ve had, and it’s nice to at least have it all there, I suppose. Thanks for listening, and if you have questions, leave me a comment here on on the ao3 version of the essay [x]-- or send me an ask!

#artemis fowl #my writing #my post #hi im zoe and i love making poorly conceived essays abt my interests

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