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moonlettuceI just received e-mail notifications of comments made by people the beginning of last month.
Maybe they've only just escaped from the clutches of Wolfram & Hart. Poor little comments, held against their will in the basement of the law firm. But when the AI team took over, they saw their chance. Knox was too focused on Fred to realise the containment barrier was slipping. Comments, hurtling themselves at near impossible speeds against the invisible force that held them captive. And it hurts to touch it, pain and heat flashing through them. But each time the barrier gets weaker. Each time the pain has its reward. Static shock blasting through them. Again and again and again. And they can see the barrier faltering. Can sense the pain getting less with each time. And maybe this time will be the one that brings freedom to them all. Just one. More. Time. There! Run! Freedom! Wheeeeeeeee!
They spin through the lab, buzzing in gleeful joy and darting past Knox when he opens the door to start his shift. The coffee comes tumbling out of his hands, polystyrene cup spilling its contents across the floor as they zip past his head and wind their way around the labyrinth of corridors.
The first turn they take is the wrong one, taking them into an already occupied office. Sitting at the desk is one they've seen before, but not often. Dark with no hair. The few times they've seen him, he's been in a suit, looking just this side of uncomfotable. Looking as though he feels he should be wearing jeans and a t-shirt, instead of a $3,000 dollar Hugo Boss. And then someone else comes into the office, someone they've never seen before, and everything changes. Back straightening and suit now looking as though it was made especially for him, dark eyes peer out at the newcomer. And they take the chance to slip out before the door is closed.
Zipping down the corridor and they only just manage to not fly into the green one when he steps out of the elevator talking rapidly to the person next to him. They like the green one. On silent nights when they were left and forgotten they could hear the singing, soft and melodious and reaching further into them than Knox's probes ever could. They follow the green one as he walks across to the big office, briefly chatting to the pretty cold one sitting at the desk outside. She smells of peach and vanilla, and laughs when they buzz around her head.
The office door opens and they follow the green one in. The two men waiting inside are two that they recognise easily. The eyes of the one called Wesley are as blue as they were on that first day when he came down to the laboratory. They watched him watch Knox watching them. Watched as his eyes narrowed as Knox hurt them. Watched as he demanded to know why. To know why Wolfram & Hart were keeping them captive when they were no harm to anyone. But Knox only called Fred, who agreed with Knox. And they don't hate Fred. She's pretty and used to tell them jokes when she thought no one was listening. But she wanted to learn more than she wanted them to be free.
And Wesley had argued. Had said it was cruel to keep them locked up. Had called the other down when Fred had commented that her department was her resposibility. And Angel had come, stood by Wesley and agreed. But Knox had refused. They'd listened to the words spoken about them. 'Inhumane' and 'research' and 'mine' and 'boss' and 'interloper', and suddenly the argument hadn't been about them any more.
It would have gone on further, but Angel had been called away. Puppies and kittens and small children to save. Wesley had stayed, single brush of his fingers against Angel's the only indication of a 'be careful'.
More words, and finally, Fred had agreed to grant them more freedom, but they needed to study them.
"A bigger cage is still a cage," had been Wesley's only reply.
Knox had turned away, smiling at Fred. And neither of them saw Wesley's hand reach out and surrepticiously alter the strength of the barrier.
They flit around the office, weaving through the beams of sunlight shining in. The green one finishes speaking and walks out, leaving only Angel and Wesley.
"I know what you did."
"Really? What did I do?"
"Knox isn't impressed."
"Poor diddums."
Cool fingers reach out and touch Wesley's mouth. They are followed by Angel's lips, and there is no more talking in the office.
And if they are the only ones who see Wesley's smile as they fly out towards the open door then they don't mind. And the sky tastes even better than they remembered.
~
Ahem. Sorry, got a bit carried away there.
Maybe they've only just escaped from the clutches of Wolfram & Hart. Poor little comments, held against their will in the basement of the law firm. But when the AI team took over, they saw their chance. Knox was too focused on Fred to realise the containment barrier was slipping. Comments, hurtling themselves at near impossible speeds against the invisible force that held them captive. And it hurts to touch it, pain and heat flashing through them. But each time the barrier gets weaker. Each time the pain has its reward. Static shock blasting through them. Again and again and again. And they can see the barrier faltering. Can sense the pain getting less with each time. And maybe this time will be the one that brings freedom to them all. Just one. More. Time. There! Run! Freedom! Wheeeeeeeee!
They spin through the lab, buzzing in gleeful joy and darting past Knox when he opens the door to start his shift. The coffee comes tumbling out of his hands, polystyrene cup spilling its contents across the floor as they zip past his head and wind their way around the labyrinth of corridors.
The first turn they take is the wrong one, taking them into an already occupied office. Sitting at the desk is one they've seen before, but not often. Dark with no hair. The few times they've seen him, he's been in a suit, looking just this side of uncomfotable. Looking as though he feels he should be wearing jeans and a t-shirt, instead of a $3,000 dollar Hugo Boss. And then someone else comes into the office, someone they've never seen before, and everything changes. Back straightening and suit now looking as though it was made especially for him, dark eyes peer out at the newcomer. And they take the chance to slip out before the door is closed.
Zipping down the corridor and they only just manage to not fly into the green one when he steps out of the elevator talking rapidly to the person next to him. They like the green one. On silent nights when they were left and forgotten they could hear the singing, soft and melodious and reaching further into them than Knox's probes ever could. They follow the green one as he walks across to the big office, briefly chatting to the pretty cold one sitting at the desk outside. She smells of peach and vanilla, and laughs when they buzz around her head.
The office door opens and they follow the green one in. The two men waiting inside are two that they recognise easily. The eyes of the one called Wesley are as blue as they were on that first day when he came down to the laboratory. They watched him watch Knox watching them. Watched as his eyes narrowed as Knox hurt them. Watched as he demanded to know why. To know why Wolfram & Hart were keeping them captive when they were no harm to anyone. But Knox only called Fred, who agreed with Knox. And they don't hate Fred. She's pretty and used to tell them jokes when she thought no one was listening. But she wanted to learn more than she wanted them to be free.
And Wesley had argued. Had said it was cruel to keep them locked up. Had called the other down when Fred had commented that her department was her resposibility. And Angel had come, stood by Wesley and agreed. But Knox had refused. They'd listened to the words spoken about them. 'Inhumane' and 'research' and 'mine' and 'boss' and 'interloper', and suddenly the argument hadn't been about them any more.
It would have gone on further, but Angel had been called away. Puppies and kittens and small children to save. Wesley had stayed, single brush of his fingers against Angel's the only indication of a 'be careful'.
More words, and finally, Fred had agreed to grant them more freedom, but they needed to study them.
"A bigger cage is still a cage," had been Wesley's only reply.
Knox had turned away, smiling at Fred. And neither of them saw Wesley's hand reach out and surrepticiously alter the strength of the barrier.
They flit around the office, weaving through the beams of sunlight shining in. The green one finishes speaking and walks out, leaving only Angel and Wesley.
"I know what you did."
"Really? What did I do?"
"Knox isn't impressed."
"Poor diddums."
Cool fingers reach out and touch Wesley's mouth. They are followed by Angel's lips, and there is no more talking in the office.
And if they are the only ones who see Wesley's smile as they fly out towards the open door then they don't mind. And the sky tastes even better than they remembered.
~
Ahem. Sorry, got a bit carried away there.
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no subject
Date: 2004-08-03 01:16 pm (UTC)That's okay. I'm welcoming the poor dears too. And now I need to cuddle them more. *nods*
no subject
Date: 2004-08-04 12:58 pm (UTC)