#( / ). ᴘʟᴀʏғᴜʟʟʏ ᴡɪᴛᴛʏ sɪɢɴ ᴏғғ; ❪ ask ❫

[herinterface]

> # @itsasset​​ said:  “i’m coming to get you. where are you?”

“  about three time zones  over,   ”       she replied almost dreamily,    an inflection of dismay added to the mix;               she looked down at the lit-up screen of her phone sitting on the seat beside her,         the minutes reading 0:56.          she supposed she should feel flattered    that with less than one minute into this three-am phone call shaw was already eager to come over------              she’d feel better about it if didn’t have everything to do with the way her breathing                 stuttered out against the microphone pressed to her cheek,          “    &   currently on a moving train,   ”     she added after a beat,       just to make things even more interesting     (  as sweet as it was that she wanted to join her   ).        

she'd been told about twenty minutes after dragging   herself through the aisle that she was heading to san fransisco,       where there was a suite on the thirty-first floor waiting for her.               only just under an hour and a half to go.       her fingers shook where they rested beside her injured thigh,       &    she could feel the pure heat as it soaked through the bandages.        it made her thankful for the earbuds she’d stolen on her way out       (    &   for Her assistance with the dialling     ).           “     just keep talking,  ”        she breathed out,         sounding more a love-sick teenager twirling a phone cord around her index finger                rather than someone with a potentially punctured femoral artery,                but she took a few seconds than usual to get her mouth around a more animated tone,                  “      how was bear’s check  up   ?   ” 

#( / ). ᴏɴᴇ ᴛʀᴀᴄᴋ ᴍɪɴᴅ. ᴏɴᴇ ᴛʀᴀᴄᴋ ʜᴇᴀʀᴛ; ❪ s5 ❫ #itsasset #( / ). ᴘʟᴀʏғᴜʟʟʏ ᴡɪᴛᴛʏ sɪɢɴ ᴏғғ; ❪ ask ❫ #bb bear @ the vet 🥺 #root had nothing to do with this but just knows that it happened

[herinterface]

> # @itsasset​ ... > # ask meme ...

“  what am i here for ? ”  she intoned with a smile that she’d manufactured the moment she stepped into the lobby but was now trying to make real for Her sake,      trying to breathe life into the spark of curiosity she felt for the task She had ahead for her.            when no reply came her eyes took a slow trail around the hotel function room,         knowing that meant it was just her   &    the room full of people    &    their secrets,      that she’d know it when she saw it.      the fact that she was back in new york however was slowly eating away at her,     stewing under the surface of her high-roller cover identity who was supposed to feel right at home here,    amongst the rest of them,      who’s paycheque had no doubt bought their invitation.    it was an undeserved self-assuredness she’d seen her whole life    &     had never quite understood--------  why anyone would tie themselves to other steadily sinking objects     &    call it something sweet,     all to fit in somewhere.        

she’d once had a sense of that herself.     when harold was still around,     when she could slink into the subway for a reprieve from the lives she was pretending to live------   she’d never admit it,     but sometimes it was easier,     letting herself go,    transform into something else rather than face their crumbling reality.          she hadn’t been back here in months,       always swept into one corner of the world or another,      only leaving her signature unknown,    unexplained  erased scene full of unconscious bodies in her wake   (   that,    or the slack-jawed confusion from someone local law enforcement would never bother to believe anyway   ).       as if on cue she felt a persistent tension in her muscles,      from the job that blurred into the next,      that blurred into the next,    to the next with no ending.        when she’d first heard Her voice she’d never even considered one.        she’d never thought that she’d ache for her feet on the ground.        

she saw it then.       her slow once over of the room brought her to one slightly concealed corner.     she felt her lips curling to one side almost instinctively at the sight of something she was having trouble computing for all of the many factors involved.        she huffed out a breath,         but before any accusatory glance could be levelled to the phone of someone in front of her taking a group photo,        instructions filtered through her implant.          it didn’t do much to quell her suspicions for her purpose here even if She claimed she had one other than watching some brunette’s hand inch up shaw’s thigh.         she tried not to ask about shaw    (      but  She told her anyway    &     she never complained    ).       

she breathed out,     settling herself in against the column behind her,       unable to look away from the defiant way shaw was staring back at her present company,      the tick of interest she could still expertly read like she’d only just recently read her cover to cover for the hundredth time.          she didn’t like the way she felt it,         how she wasn’t in control of the look in her eyes,           like something sharp that hadn’t been dislodged,      reminding her all of that flawed code she’d been infected with in a town with less than three-thousand that she’d never managed to erase from her system       (       the girl who’d clung too tightly to a select few people,             despite knowing that people were fleeting     &     inconsistent     &     minutes away from ensuring their own destruction     &    the destruction of others along with them.       )        she was the reason for the emptiness she could now recognise for what it was,      having disrupting their perfect routine with everything she’d wished she wasn’t made of.    

she laid it on thick,       made sure to spread it over all of her uneven edges,         her voice dripping in something thick     &     sweet as she patched the smirk at her lips,        “   she  seems nice,   ”           &    her lower lip lifted as she continued her assessment of shaw’s date,      a sigh passing her lips,       “     a little forward though,   ”       she added like they both weren’t vividly aware that that was just their type.                   she was suddenly  caught off guard again then.      she didn’t expect how much she’d be affected by the way shaw’s rapt attention was suddenly broken,     how they looked up in search for the sound of her voice like no time had passed;     it made all of those aches resurface at once,        that sharp object reaching her lungs.           it took them some time to finally lay their eyes on her,        &       she did little else but stare back when they did,         unable to do much else with no air occupying her lungs.            her smile remained perfectly in place,        but her gaze dropped to where the other woman’s hand was now.          she felt her fingers curl at her sides,      &     she remembered the way shaw’s body used to play for her team,      unable to resist for long asking her for more even while shaw said otherwise.          she remembered enjoying the way shaw tried not to bristle under her playful gaze when she decided to tune in to whatever fun she was trying to have with someone else;       she’d never minded when she had the assurance that their body could never lie to her.          shaw was a little more careful around her these days      (  ------   that didn’t mean she wouldn’t take the opportunity to remind them of all of that at the next given chance,           especially when they both knew it was all still true.      sink her teeth in until she tasted blood,     have them buckle beneath her,      like that would convince them     ). 

    "   it’s for the mission.  "        she heard them say moments later,      when they had the chance.     

her mouth parted     &     worked itself around a different kind of smile,       “   of course it is,  ”   she replied      almost curtly    but bordering on patronising,      the animation in her voice diffused significantly from when she first started speaking.         she took her eyes off them      &      she felt like she could make it,     do as She asked,         “     that’s why I’m here.  ”    

#bc this ship isn't angsty enough #it's time for me to finally write in this verse where they 'broke up' #( / ). ᴘʟᴀʏғᴜʟʟʏ ᴡɪᴛᴛʏ sɪɢɴ ᴏғғ; ❪ ask ❫

[herinterface]

​> # inspiration taken from an ask meme  > # @itsasset​ said “take me instead.” 

“ room  for one more ?  ”     her voice rang out into the previously empty    &     combatant-free hallway.       her sharp smirk followed close behind as she rounded the corner,     taking her time to step over the debris that was the lifeless bodies of Samaritan’s single-use soldiers.       she’d interrupted something important by the looks of its,        but it wasn’t like harold     &    his pets had anywhere else they could go at this present moment,    all housed within the elevator like mice in a cage;    they looked just about ready to be gift wrapped     &    hand delivered to Samaritan.  

she brandished her gun as she gave a friendly wave over to her now captive audience,       like she wasn’t the angel of death in the midst of this battle for the fate of humanity    &      instead an old friend stopping by to say hello.         she came to a stop conveniently in front of the button that bore the weight of several pairs of eyes.             she felt the giddy warmth of playing the winning hand at the perfect moment embed into the smile cutting at her cheekbones,      into her freshly raised eyebrows    &    her leisurely position as she shrugged at their lack of greeting---- only lionel had the sense to look angry----  harold   &   sameen proved a tougher crowd.       

her head tipped to the side so she could gaze upwards    &    into the elevator that was currently at a standstill.       she made a face as she sighed out,     false sympathy lining her breath,    “   on the fritz,  huh.    we could be stuck down here a while then,   ”    she observed like she was simply an objective third party. 

it was unsurprising when the first movement made was shaw stalking forward with that fascinating display of determination of hers,    the emotion sitting like it did on no one else;     she was one of kind,     if only harold realised that       (    but she’d already tried that angle on shaw with no luck unfortunately-----   she thinks Samaritan would have liked receiving that present    ).         she met her stare with the cautious but steady movement of her own weapon,    following her moment as curiosity narrowed her gaze.           she made sure to be a little more welcoming than they had been,         a beaming smile over at her as she remained poised between shaw        &        the ticket to their freedom,      to the next chapter of their fight instead of the last,          “   shaw.      long time  no see.  ”         &     it was true,      she hadn’t seen much of shaw in the past few months,     not since their run-in in the park.      she’d gotten used to a little consistency,     an extra challenge to Samaritan’s plans when shaw turned up out of the blue or a nice stress-reliever,     but it seemed shaw and her machine had gotten what it wanted from her.     

her smile remained intact,     even as the steady look shaw was giving her brought back that conversation they had,        memories of the payphone she’d been lead to,       of a voice that changed her world.           neither of them moved now,             but she’d seen shaw drop agents in seconds,      neither of them blinking as the bodies hit the ground.        she remained in their path of escape,        her team mates wounded      &      tired from tasking themselves with the preservation of the past,    of humanity as it was in all its fallible,   corruptible,   frail form.     they could do so much better.              it made her eyes flicker to the bodies behind them that she was protecting,    her eyes itching as she avoided the glare of the camera in the corner of the room. 

she adjusted the grip on her weapon,    tighter as she hiked it higher,      extended out    &    away from her like she could keep all of this at a distance-----    shaw,    the stakes,    the voice she could have had,      more familiar than her own,   in her ear,          the people that she might have wanted to protect as fiercely as shaw was right now.           the voice that had spoken made It clear what Its agents meant to It,        how It was trying to keep them all from harms way,     just like the rest of humanity.         it was a doomed project,     but she felt her chest hurt at the thought of how It had spoken to her.             she felt heat in her cheeks,      that victorious glint in her eyes having made way for a wide-eyed uncertainty,      her mouth on the verge of a frown.           but you couldn’t switch sides in the middle of a chess game,      especially when you were about to call check mate,    that’s not how the game worked.      

she was taken off-guard when the next sound wasn’t that of one of their bullets ricocheting   (    why hadn’t she pulled the trigger yet  ?      &    she could almost feel the weight of the security camera zooming in on the single tremor she felt in her hand    ).          when shaw told her to step aside she hid her surprise behind an amused intake of breath,     playing defence as she tried to get a grip back,         “    are we gun shy now,   sameen ?      that just doesn’t seem like you,    ”     she goaded with her barrel pointed right at her,       something playful in her gaze as she purposefully looked behind her towards harold,     a silent threat    &   show of power when shaw was the one who had pieces on this board to protect.      but part of her could guess why shaw was asking     &    why she hadn’t fired yet------   she wasn’t allowed,    someone was impossibly vouching for her even as she had her weapon trained,    ready pull the life right from under all of them at a single command.            but she also knew it wouldn’t hold shaw back for long;       she had to make a decision,     one that she’d ignored as she’d stalked away from that payphone,     eyes wide    &    wet,      confusion felt in every one of her bones.           she felt it now,       her connection to the logical voice in her ear throbbing,         the one that made her feel different,     better than the rest of the sheep going about their lives like every aspect of their world wasn’t already being controlled by invisible forces larger than them----- she believed it was time for a change of regime.      (     but she was one of them,       &    she’d felt the sting of her failure before,      evidenced by the bleeding wounds that caused her to get creative when it came to completing an objective,     less she be replaced by someone else available the field.   )

she understood then,    the real reason why shaw hadn’t cleared her out of her path yet.      she wanted a guarantee that they would make it out of here.       the dilemma barely flickered behind her eyes as the understanding dawned on her.            she tried to keep her voice level when she spoke finally,       “    i’m afraid  i can’t show up empty-handed,  ”    she explained,     almost regretfully,       true regret lodged in the depths of the way she was staring at shaw.  

she took a breath in,    her face tilting,      &    her eyes signalling to the switch behind her shoulder-----   they had a deal.         “ ----  you understand,     ”    she finished,     that sharp smile from earlier trying to make a comeback,       even as the softness of her speech betrayed its meaning.          she looked back at her,     readying herself for shaw’s shot,      the one that would temporarily blindside her long enough to save her friends,     readying herself for taking her turn that would bring shaw down.        she knew It was watching,    &    she’d decided to let them live.     

#why do i even pretend that i write memes #this is a drabble #but the meme fits the concept smh #but the line wasn't said #yay angsty samaritan!root au #( / ). ᴘʟᴀʏғᴜʟʟʏ ᴡɪᴛᴛʏ sɪɢɴ ᴏғғ; ❪ ask ❫ #itsasset

[herinterface]

@anurbanlcgend​ said: is it just me or does root have peak gremlin energy when she smiles

you are 100% correct   &   here’s proof

#she's a child of pure chaos that's why #it barely fits into her tol body #( / ). ᴡʜᴏ ɪꜱɴ'ᴛ ɢᴀʏ ꜰᴏʀ ᴀᴍʏ ᴀᴄᴋᴇʀ; ❪ ooc ❫ #( / ). ᴘʟᴀʏғᴜʟʟʏ ᴡɪᴛᴛʏ sɪɢɴ ᴏғғ; ❪ ask ❫

[herinterface]

> # @itsasset​ said: happy day of mourning to the kween

thanks for sharing

#( / ). ᴡʜᴏ ɪꜱɴ'ᴛ ɢᴀʏ ꜰᴏʀ ᴀᴍʏ ᴀᴄᴋᴇʀ; ❪ ooc ❫ #( / ). ᴘʟᴀʏғᴜʟʟʏ ᴡɪᴛᴛʏ sɪɢɴ ᴏғғ; ❪ ask ❫

[herinterface]

> # @cogitatis​ said: // As always, please enjoy some fairy bread on this very special birthday~ 🎈🎂🥳

thanks so much nadia 🥺  i will try    &    fit in a piece of fairy bread   <3 

#( / ). ᴡʜᴏ ɪꜱɴ'ᴛ ɢᴀʏ ꜰᴏʀ ᴀᴍʏ ᴀᴄᴋᴇʀ; ❪ ooc ❫ #( / ). ᴘʟᴀʏғᴜʟʟʏ ᴡɪᴛᴛʏ sɪɢɴ ᴏғғ; ❪ ask ❫

[herinterface]

> # @itsasset​​​ asked: “ you look better in your wanted posters ” > #some medieval themed meme from who knows how long ago??

a bashful grin hitched its way at either side of her lips,     simultaneously appearing impressed by just how calm they were about being held at knife-point,       &      feeling an unquellable urge down to her stomach to see what it would take to make them blink-------     since apparently the tip of a gleaming knife pressed right into the fragile flesh of their neck wasn’t making quite the impress she’d hoped for.                   but the princess had heard of her before,       &      she felt an unfamiliar warmth at the thought of whispers of the things she’d accomplished in her past life reaching her.         since she’d figured it out,          it did steal away that precious moment of recognition in someone’s eyes when they realised who exactly she was after weeks of her blending seamlessly into their lives,       convincing them otherwise       (    it was hardly her fault if the drawings of her were always a little off   ).

her grin faded until it hung at the corners of her lips like taut strings,        her dark eyes appraising their wardrobe change    &     lingering on the hair pulled tightly away from her face.            her head tilted,           “  you’re not quite how i remember you either,    princess,    ”    she lamented like it was a shame to be seeing them in breeches rather than the dress she had on earlier that day during the festivities.        she wondered if she’d known who she was when their eyes had caught,           if she’d come out here to track her down.    she felt that warmth grow  lick up her spine at the thought,     sending a shiver right down.               

her eyes flickered down to the blade       &      where it threatened to break skin,      eyes lighting up with a detail she’d left out by mistake,         “  i forgot to mention,     it’s laced with poison,   ”      she explained apologetically,      “   but there’s no need to worry,           fortunately leaving your body out here for the townspeople to find in the morning isn’t on our agenda.           plus it’d be a waste,          especially   with the amount of bounties out there on your pretty little head.   ”   

her eyes continued to wander as her blade remained firm,      the tiny light of curiosity brightening into something much more appreciative as they continued to remain at ease before her.             when her gaze dropped low again,        she thought she see the curve of an equally sharp dagger protruding from beneath her shirt,     wrapped tight around her waist------       she resisted the urge to press herself closer to feel its outline.         her suspicion that having her along for the ride would be more beneficial than she’d originally thought.         “ i think   you’re going to like what i have in store for us.   ”     

#a short meme??? #who am i #anyways this was in my drafts from who knows when #( / ). ᴘʟᴀʏғᴜʟʟʏ ᴡɪᴛᴛʏ sɪɢɴ ᴏғғ; ❪ ask ❫

[herinterface]

> # @fatherofmachine​​ said: "Thank you." ( lowkey soft ;__; )

there was a subtle,    cold twist to her smile that was normal these days despite the way unfamiliar  warmth wished to chase it away,       “   what are friends for,  ”      &      the words slipped like cracked candy from her mouth,                sweet sounding but razor sharp,           like a promise she’d regretted ever making.          there was a distinct lack of eye contact as her gaze wandered over to the subway car,      &      away from the body that lay in the cot before them      &     the look harold was giving him.      she knew that look,      the shattered relief of someone who had begun being torn apart,       bit by bit as they imagined what life would look like without certain pieces in it------      in another life that look meant her bank transfer was imminent,      her job moments from completion.    now she understood it differently.   

 the machine hadn’t asked her to intervene,     but there she was,       her identity of the week,          helen quinn,       working at a coffee shop across the road from where the famous man in the suit had been limping past,     a sense of urgency written in the scrunched,   grim line of his lips,      his colour not quite right.            she hadn’t seen him,      or harold since that day when her world had stopped turning,          stuck on the ring of a payphone that she’d been waiting for since they’d been greeted by the bustling peak hour sidewalk outside of the stock exchange building,      life going on with her.           her eyes immediately sought the camera right above the coffee machine,             her body still used to working off her Her input even after all this time without it.       but she looked tired when she glanced at it,          the green light blinking away like nothing had changed,        like there wasn’t life hidden in there        (     she didn’t buy it.   )             was this why she was here   ?       to help him,      like she was just like the rest of Her little army;     she knew better.        without Her she wasn’t wired for altruism,      the universe had made sure to craft her into a thing of destruction,    just like the rest of human kind.                   she wasn’t like shaw,     &    she wasn’t like harold either,     guilt had never managed to a hold of her,       not until recently------    she wouldn’t pretend that she saw something in everyone that was worth saving,    but she would do what she was asked.      

outnumbered       &       without access to their network     (    she’d assumed as an attempt to keep harold safe with their enemy looming around the corner   ),         she’d found him minutes later,       three blocks down      &    cornered in an alleyway by two contractors who’d been in the right place at the right time.             she’d made a quick exit after her moment of hesitation,         but stopped short of intervening when watched seen one of them take their phones out to confirm the identity of their target with their temporary boss.         her focus was lost from where john held his weapon,     his back glued to the large trash can for support--------  her heart rate stalled as she thought about backing away into the hardware store across the road,     watching them from the window    &    following their trail all the way to sameen.        she could feel Her disapproval,             &     she knew harold would never forgive her,  but shaw’s life,     for his,     for her own just wasn’t an easy offer to turn up.      

she ended up at the vending machine entrance to the subway with a barely conscious co-worker hours later,      her fingers like ice where they gripped him around his waist a little too tightly.        she barely reacted to harold’s gratitude,        simply returning something that belonged to him like it she’d found it on the street.      

with her hands folded across her chest,        she left them to it,        unable to stop herself from thinking of her own relief     &    a different body lying unconscious on the cot.            her fingers unclipped the photo of their number of the day from the display board       &      she tapped it against her other hand as she inserted herself into the situation     (     this was what She had wanted,     after all,      to help everyone but the one person she actually wanted to save    ).            "   -----  guess you’ll be needing an extra pair of hands for the next couple of days,   ”     she exhaled,       &     it was unspoken but there   that they wouldn’t be in this situation if they’d looked harder,      if he hadn’t have given up,     if shaw was around,       complaining about john using up all her supplies every time he went rogue,         about him going off alone to begin with because she was always a much better team player than any of them combined ------  she’d almost left him for dead,    after all      &    she didn’t feel even a ounce of guilt for it.      

#this could've been nice but angst rules my life #also i plan on writing a shorter meme that might be easier to reply to i'm sorry 😭 #( / ). ᴛʜᴇ ᴅɪsᴛᴀɴᴄᴇ ʙᴇᴛᴡᴇᴇɴ ᴜs sʜᴀʀᴘᴇɴs ᴍᴇ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴀ ᴋɴɪғᴇ; ❪ s4 ❫ #( / ). ᴘʟᴀʏғᴜʟʟʏ ᴡɪᴛᴛʏ sɪɢɴ ᴏғғ; ❪ ask ❫ #fatherofmachine

[herinterface]

> # @itsasset​​ sent ... > # [ BITE ] for the sender to bite the receiver somewhere ...

she was busy,           painting her lips using a small compact mirror with a slew of her things strewn across several seats in the subway car.           but that didn’t mean she couldn’t bring herself to the threshold of the car to watch as shaw treaded into their hidey-hole,           in conversation with the two other musketeers     no doubt.                she watched on in amusement,        not saying a word as shaw bit out retorts seemingly to no one in a way that was so achingly familiar that it threatened to pull her under.              but not tonight----------   not when she was fresh off clutching a new message from Her,            at her fingertips someone new that She had put together just with her in mind.             she had purpose again,        &     it was always this way at the start--------  'til she was just drifting,       sinking   waiting for Her to steer her somewhere new again       (     days or weeks spent programmed faultlessly to suit some monotonous function,    the novelty of new,     the glow of Her touch wearing thin,    fading a few days after it’s beginning   ).            but she was in blissful stage one of the cycle,       &     it was time to say goodbye to her current alias,        which unfortunately  for him meant cutting ties with her cover’s overly clingy special friend.           normally,    she was happy to just up   &   disappear,        but with the way he blew up her phone morning   &   night,          &     his career at a prestigious security agency,        she wouldn’t put it past him to give it a good shot at finding her.           that,    coupled with her personal interest in seeing him more than a little crestfallen,              meant she had to make it look good.       that was the reason she was high spirits for someone who had been skulking in      &      out of the subway station like she was devoid of colour for the past few weeks. 

her cherry painted smirk only widened in the reflection of her mirror;      the look of contempt shaw threw her when she finally pushed past her towards the lockers inside,             witnessing the mess of her things was adorable.                       she knew it was just them two the next time shaw spoke,          that she was speaking to her with her face emerging from the locker,       ribbing her about harold chucking a fit about the state of this place when he got back.             she simply smiled,          capping her lipstick using the palm of her hand,      “  he can scold me all he likes,        though i doubt i’ll be in the mood when i get back,     ”      &   she followed her enigmatic statement up with a perfectly timed,     wistful sigh,    “   i’ll be getting over a bad break up.   ”         maybe she’d have harry fetch her some  rum   &   raisin for her return.

she brushed her freshly coiled curls off her shoulders giving her make up a once over in the mirror before tucking it away amongst her other things.             she could feel shaw’s eyes on her still,          &       she revelled in the cut of amusement she glimpsed in the corner of her eye as she sprayed herself with a hint of a new,    expensive perfume that her identity normally wouldn’t go for     (    nor would she purchase herself,     not on a waitress’ salary   ).            “    i cheated,   actually,        he’s going to find out tonight before I become someone new tomorrow,     ”          she answered in response to shaw’s vaguely interested banter at what her latest cover did to deserve a return back into the dating pool.          

she had several things planned    actually,     to create the illusion,     carefully put together over the last week in preparation for the change that had to would come eventually-------    her exit strategy.            the new perfume that she’d been wearing over the past few days was just one of many--------        the lingerie in their laundry hamper was another subtle one she’d doubted he’d noticed,      but she’d figured it’d be fun to watch his inner turmoil play out every time she had to head out at night for her newly introduced ‘late shifts.’      

“     it needs to look good,  ”    she murmured as she smoothed down a skirt slightly shorter than she’d chose to wear,       layered on top of semi-opaque pantyhose.         when she looked up,       she caught shaw’s gaze lingering where her hands were       &      her head tilted curiously    deviously.         

her hands ran upwards towards her hips before twisting in front of her,       slow steps made towards her companion,        “    you know,     i’ve been looking for one final touch.            something a little more...   indisputable,   ”      she explained carefully,     features lighting up softly when she found the right word.      

her steps slowed as she came to a stop in front of the shorter woman,      eyes avoiding hers as two fingers tugged down the collar of her blouse to expose smooth,   unmarked skin.                 “   care to  help a girl out   ?  ”       she breathed out conversationally,          proposing the transaction as  heavy eyes finally settled down on shaw,       taking the time to wonder along her perfectly tensed muscles.            it seemed she was also without a scratch after their latest encounter with their number,      &    the look she shared with shaw promised an endeavour to fix that little problem of hers in return.        plus,      she could stand to be late to dinner.   

#yes every single one of my memes is root creatively coercing shaw into sex #i'm fine with this #also this was the not-valentines day meme i mentioned #the one i lost and found again smh #( / ). ᴛʜᴇ ᴅɪsᴛᴀɴᴄᴇ ʙᴇᴛᴡᴇᴇɴ ᴜs sʜᴀʀᴘᴇɴs ᴍᴇ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴀ ᴋɴɪғᴇ; ❪ s4 ❫ #( / ). ᴘʟᴀʏғᴜʟʟʏ ᴡɪᴛᴛʏ sɪɢɴ ᴏғғ; ❪ ask ❫

[herinterface]

> # @itsasset​ asked:  “  are you drunk?  ”

" depends on your definition, "     she replied ambivalently,      eyes up,     toward the tip of the doorframe in contemplative thought on the matter.        by her own definition,       she'd most likely be past drunk       &    well on her way to swimming in the cheap whiskey she had downed.             &     if they wanted to get technical about it,       then it was actually mary wilkes who had gotten drunk at her annual workplace christmas party,      not the woman in front of shaw now.            she decided to tell shaw as much,         leaning on her folded forearm against the opened door,         faintly remembering the shattered glass that had her wrist swelling hotly beneath her sleeve,     caked in dry blood.         she followed the information up with an errant comment,     speaking like she was worlds away    &     referring to someone who she wasn’t just pretending to be,        “    she made a bit of a scene at the company christmas party,      but on the bright side  she also managed to have her boss outed for harassment in the process,     so good for her.      ”  

she wondered for a brief moment what had of the many possibilities tipped shaw off to her inebriated state,       &    guessed it had something to do with the irregular knocking versus her usual ability to show herself in.            thinking back to her place at the table tonight,       it hadn’t been decidedly necessary to actually consume every cocktail      &     shot she had ordered from the eager bartender,        but the burn all the way down to her empty stomach filled her in a way that was comforting,     that was warm on this cold night.        it wasn’t like her work required even a tenth of her brain power,    or proper hand-eye co-ordination.        it’d made it easier to stomach the lines of bad code she was surrounded by,    no voice in her ear to make them look like anything else.    

when she was pulled bodily through the threshold,      all reasonable thought was left at the door,          on fire from the grip on her coat.             she took in a breath,    uneven    &   shaky on her feet as her eyes gleamed,       open   &    wet at the woman below.           she was displeased,      radiant with it,        &     she could feel the warmth of shaw’s body slowly thawing her through the coat she wore.           she caught flecks of disbelief in the harshness of her stare,       of other things she couldn’t quite comprehend when the room was swaying behind shaw.         but despite it all,      she felt like she could breathe easy here,         holed up in here with her,         away from the prying eyes of their enemy,      away from the star-crossed touch of the god she could barely whisper to.         

her mouth felt out of her control,      feeling gravity urging her down towards shaw even as she resisted.       it was like she could feel shaw readying herself to move with opposite polarity,        keep her at a distance.      it only sparked something hot in her gaze,    made her hungrier for it like it was a favourite game of hers------    she’d love to see shaw play a convincing mouse to her cat.                 

she blinked,         eyelids slow   &    heavy as she took the woman in more earnestly than she was capable of.          she could tell that her presence wasn’t wanted here,      had it blaring through her,        in perfect loud harmony with everything else coursing through her.                     when shaw asked her why she was here,      it came as no surprise    &    she took no offence.         instead,        her right shoulder lifted a little too high,         &    she spoke like she was positing a theory,        eyes rolling at the question with a smile,      “   maybe  i just wanted a little company...     after the rough night i’ve had,        can you blame me   ?  ”        her humorous tone edged into something more breathless,     more real,     something that rung true      &     she felt beyond grateful for being blissfully numb to the greater war they were facing----------      a bottomless pit turned into a level floor that she could breeze herself across.          she felt out of body,      entirely out of control     &     it was both terrifying      &       freeing,          an addictive high she couldn’t remember to fear.          why else would she be here  ?        she lowered her gaze.     she was happy for all of her attention to be stolen by hints of bare skin she glimpsed in front of her,      the rigidness of shaw’s spine that called for her touch.        she could feel how much she wanted,       how much she felt like she owned,     &    in her state she could chalk it all up to something physical.    

she stared at the other woman,       unblinking now,      raw    (   like a bleeding wound  )      &    entirely  inaccessible,    incomprehensible to anyone looking in.           her voice wavered,      &    her limp arms suddenly worked themselves to action,         reaching to tangle her up like vines in her grasp,      “   what do you say,   sameen ?   ”            breath against shaw’s cheek.                     she was ready to consume her whole,           dig her nails in like it wasn’t the end of times,    like she wasn’t struggling to keep a grip on herself amongst the sea of identities she swam in-------  the pressure of existing out of her hands until the alcohol wore off.        

#( / ). ᴘʟᴀʏғᴜʟʟʏ ᴡɪᴛᴛʏ sɪɢɴ ᴏғғ; ❪ ask ❫ #( / ). ᴛʜᴇ ᴅɪsᴛᴀɴᴄᴇ ʙᴇᴛᴡᴇᴇɴ ᴜs sʜᴀʀᴘᴇɴs ᴍᴇ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴀ ᴋɴɪғᴇ; ❪ s4 ❫

[herinterface]

> # anonymously tell me what you think of my character portrayal ... > # @itsasset​ said:  

okAy, unbiased (lol) opinion. i really really like how you write root. your root intrigues me so much and even though we've been writing these two together for a while now i still find myself being curious about putting the kids in new scenarios and finding out how she'll react.

it's not just her voice that you get spot on, which you absolutely do. i can hear the tone and inflection and lilt in all the things you write. and then her mannerisms, which is so important for a character who curates her every single gesture. it's so good. even down to the words you pick in your prose just makes me feel like it's totally root making the observations and describing things. i love how that then leads to the narration being able to convey root's stances and biases on matters without needing to outright say it. it's very immersive.

i think you do amazing working with the chaos and the blank spaces and do her so much justice despite the show mostly portraying her through the lens of other characters. she's a very complex character and you balance the coldness, the danger, and the gayness so well oK bye

thank u for ur totally unbiased opinion 🥺🥺🥺😢😢

#😢😢😢😢😢 #ilu #( / ). ᴡʜᴏ ɪꜱɴ'ᴛ ɢᴀʏ ꜰᴏʀ ᴀᴍʏ ᴀᴄᴋᴇʀ; ❪ ooc ❫ #( / ). ᴘʟᴀʏғᴜʟʟʏ ᴡɪᴛᴛʏ sɪɢɴ ᴏғғ; ❪ ask ❫

[herinterface]

> # anonymously tell me what you think of my character portrayal ... > # @itsasset​ said:  muse is ok and mun is also ok ...

thank u for this very high praise of me as a person  (  which was not even asked for  ),   &   of my portrayal.   v much appreciated 

#( / ). ᴡʜᴏ ɪꜱɴ'ᴛ ɢᴀʏ ꜰᴏʀ ᴀᴍʏ ᴀᴄᴋᴇʀ; ❪ ooc ❫ #( / ). ᴘʟᴀʏғᴜʟʟʏ ᴡɪᴛᴛʏ sɪɢɴ ᴏғғ; ❪ ask ❫

[herinterface]

> # @itsasset​​ asked:  [TEXT] Where are you? You said you’d be here 30 minutes ago ...

“  i’m here,  ”   she murmured after a moment,     loud enough that shaw would be able to hear her in her ear across their shared frequency despite the base   &   buzz of the music.         she’d been here all day in fact,      but shaw didn’t have to know that yet.          she watched her from a corner of the dimly lit room,       between the moving bodies that briefly blocked her view,     to the slow crawl of spotlights that illuminated different sides of shaw’s face.             she was heavily distracted by the look on shaw’s face,      all that tension in her body as one of her co-workers for the day sunk herself onto shaw’s lap.          she was practically hypnotised by the sight,        feeling a slick warmth race up her spine    &   the back of her neck.           she’d been busy dealing with more of the same   (   men in dead end jobs,    dead end marriages,    at a dead end themselves,    the cockroaches of the earth as far as she was concerned    )    out the back,    so she’d been a little late to their meeting-------   apparently they needed her advice on a number,      so she thought it might be fun to bring shaw to her latest day job so she could lend a hand;     she had been right.  

she managed to break herself out of it in part when she witnessed shaw registering her words,        watching the very innocent way shaw looked up      &     tried to spot her in the crowd.        it had her readying herself for the moment shaw found her in the shifting lights of the club,       her gaze heavy with what soaked through everyone else in the room.         “    enjoying yourself,    sameen   ?   ”     she asked a moment before shaw finally locked eyes with her,       &    despite the mocking way she’d asked,       she was still all wide-eyed   &     parted lips at the sight unfolding in front of her.             her eyes lowered from shaw to the hand that had fitted itself between shaw’s legs as the woman pressed herself tightly against her.           she watched her slide herself rhythmically in shaw’s lap,             adorned in the same thigh high pantyhose she was.         it made for an interesting viewing experience considering their shared uniform       &      the same shoulder length brown locks that cascaded down her exposed back.        she felt her body grower hotter at the new element that slotted into her perspective,    like a pair of hued glasses.  

she leaned herself up against the wall slowly       as she continued to watch,     a challenging look levelled across the room as she dared shaw to stay put,        “    how’s it  feel,    shaw ?  ”       she breathed out,      all but repeating her prior question as curiosity emanated from that tone she reserved mostly for when they were alone   (   expectant,    sticky,     self-satisfied       ).              shaw remained unchanged save for the slightly widened eyes,     but she wasn’t fooled,            “  do you wanna touch  ?  ”     she teased,       not needing the benefit of a physical response to gain satisfaction from slipping underneath her skin.            at the same time she traced a finger across her pale thigh,      wondering if shaw was thinking of her instead of who was currently on her lap,      grinding into her,     if her voice in her ear   &   the dim lighting were confusing her senses,   her body.     

“  sameen,  ”    she sighed out,     on purpose as the other woman continued working on her,      &      she itched for more action despite the delicious way she was playing with shaw’s appetite,     how she’d bring her close to frustration if she kept going like this,      if she held her wrists down at her sides,      if she held her down with a heavy palm against her chest.           she could be seen smiling through her own impatience,       her dark,    painted eyes never leaving shaw-------   knowing she could feel it on every inch of her skin.         she wanted to see her break from her little spot around the side of the stage,           leaving her needing more,        “   touch her,   shaw.   ”   she instructed,     settling herself in further in the shadows,       the tip of her tongue wetting her lower lip at the thought of getting her turn.        

#root and shaw get nothing done #they should've sent john or harold #who is more turned on here- root or shaw #definitely root #also how many times have shoot been in a strip club #finger lime #( / ). ᴛʜᴇ ᴅɪsᴛᴀɴᴄᴇ ʙᴇᴛᴡᴇᴇɴ ᴜs sʜᴀʀᴘᴇɴs ᴍᴇ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴀ ᴋɴɪғᴇ; ❪ s4 ❫ #( / ). ᴘʟᴀʏғᴜʟʟʏ ᴡɪᴛᴛʏ sɪɢɴ ᴏғғ; ❪ ask ❫

[herinterface]

> # @itsasset​ asked.... > # 😠  death glare at my muse... > # some meme from a literal year ago...

she came waltzing through the entrance to the subway station,      her graceful movements  at odds with the giant costume surrounding her like a cocoon.          still,    for all her lack of effort since she’d bid her farewell to the kids at the party,      she’d still been a hit on the subway on her way over,      even as she tried the ignore the knot growing tighter at what awaited her,         when she had to be herself again.              

she wasn’t so concerned about her.... relationship with the woman they’d locked in the underground subway,       nor the threat she posed to her if she really wanted to escape.              she was afraid,     of the close call,    of the close calls that awaited them     when she knew that it wasn’t an option for shaw to stop breathing,        that she would stab her in the back literally   &   figuratively a million times over if it meant she’d see her alive-------  &   seething at her afterwards.            she figured that this was the conclusion they’d come to after an entire night alone   &    mostly undressed in the subway together-------- that neither of them would change a thing    (    that they couldn’t   ).          shaw would continue to take one step closer towards death    &      she would do everything she could to yank her away,     to divert her just one more time.          she was weak for it,       she knew,     irreparable code but she felt anything but when she was plunging a needle into the back of shaw’s neck,     the one in charge of her fate------- the universe couldn’t be trusted with its creation,     not this one.    

she was actually thankful for the warm thing incasing   &   somewhat suffocating her,    keeping her from the cold air outside,      it felt safe.         plus,      it made it easier to get into character,     to pretend like the past twenty-four hours never happened,     the elephant in the room that was her feelings replaced with the giant talking bear.         she relished in watching shaw’s face whip towards her,        petulant eyes widening for one moment as she took in the gaudy costume,     on alert.     

“   well hello there,  ”    she bellowed in her best impression of the cartoon bear,     altering her movements to appear more rigid   &    showy now,      as she threw a wide wave her way.          she saw the moment shaw realised it was her through the mesh of the costume’s eyes,       watching her eyes roll to the heavens before returning to looking not too different from the toddlers who had been denied a second piece of cake at the party she was just at.        she felt the effect of the knot inside her ease up,       distracted by this reassuring routine of things. 

she strolled past harold’s set up,      realising that if she hadn’t of figured it out last night,       she would have now figured out that this underground subway had excellent acoustics.          "    a little birdy told me that someone got put in a time out,  ”    she said,      sounding more like herself than anything else,    though she hoisted the right register in place as she came to a stop in front of the handcuffed woman who was now refusing to look at her,     “ ----   &    that you could use some  cheering up.   "

the bear’s head flopped to the side as one oversized hand touched its chin,     as though finally noticing the way the woman was cuffed with one hand to the bench,     “  or   maybe we need to be taught a lesson instead,    ”       she sighed out thoughtfully,       dropping her hand to her side.          she leaned forward,     knowing she was intentionally putting herself in the firing line of a very high strung,    well-muscled woman.          she sounded entirely like herself once again then,       her voice all teasing   &    feigning earnestness in that slippery way it did,     like it did last night,     “    tell me the truth,    sameen.       have you been a bad girl ?  ”

&    of course,     that’s when harold’s perplexed voice shattered the rising tension between them,       leaving her to unashamedly lift the head off     &    address her attention elsewhere for the time being.   

#me: in the middle of writing two actual replies when i got inspiration to write this trash scene that the show robbed us of #ur welcome #how can this be angst AND trash #that's root i guess #( / ). ᴘʟᴀʏғᴜʟʟʏ ᴡɪᴛᴛʏ sɪɢɴ ᴏғғ; ❪ ask ❫ #( / ). ᴛʜᴇ ᴅɪsᴛᴀɴᴄᴇ ʙᴇᴛᴡᴇᴇɴ ᴜs sʜᴀʀᴘᴇɴs ᴍᴇ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴀ ᴋɴɪғᴇ; ❪ s4 ❫

[herinterface]

> # anonymously tell me what you think of my character portrayal ...  > # @itsasset​​ said:  ur anon is not working ...

this is also true about me,   thanks for ur opinion

#i don't know how to do this help #( / ). ᴡʜᴏ ɪꜱɴ'ᴛ ɢᴀʏ ꜰᴏʀ ᴀᴍʏ ᴀᴄᴋᴇʀ; ❪ ooc ❫ #( / ). ᴘʟᴀʏғᴜʟʟʏ ᴡɪᴛᴛʏ sɪɢɴ ᴏғғ; ❪ ask ❫

[herinterface]

> # asked by @pryceism​​:  Q, U, Y... > # valentine’s day alphabet meme....

Q   :   QUESTION.   would your muse ask the big question or expect their partner to?

i think neither actually,      &     I can only really speak in reference to shaw for this because root has never really had a proper partner that this would actually apply to,     what with her hatred for humanity   &   all prior to meeting team machine.        root is not a very grounded person,       she’s very much transient,    a nomad       &      prefers to live this way.       the machine enables her to be this person     &      be beyond human,     but shaw is her tether to the human world    &   humanity.        she already sees that she’s tied to shaw for better or for worse,       that she’s got an anchor      &     a place to return to    (   that she actually wants to return to   ),      so that’s already her equivalent to being bound/coupled for good.        marriage itself,         along with lots of other conventional romantic    &   coupling traditions aren’t really her style    &    i suppose since when has she needed the government’s approval to do anything.        it’s just not a necessary thing,     &   she’s definitely above   &   beyond things like this --------- to root,   who lives in the future    &   exists in a world of her own,    it’s already very out dated   &  trivial.        even if occasionally she has moments of weakness where she fantasises just a little about their potential    wedding    &   honeymoon.

of course she’d never say no to getting fake married,      &   would enjoy the pretence as though it were the real thing   (   guess she’ll just never take the ring off,    occasionally where it way beyond the relevant context   ).    

U   :   UNREQUITED.   has your muse had their heart broken?

not in the sense of unrequited feelings or break ups.     she hasn’t felt romantic love for really anyone except for a childhood crush   &   shaw    &    neither broke her heart intentionally,    but ironically,    both were taken from her      &     then her heart was broken that way  so i suppose there’s a pattern here.       her heart also broke a little when The Machine tried to give herself up to Samaritan for team machine.

Y   :   YOURS.   does your muse get protective easily?

as mentioned in a previous ask,    root’s feelings for people are pretty much all or nothing,    there isn’t really an in between,      &    for these people she feels nothing towards   The Machine makes sure that root knows it’s right to protect them    &    be good.       but in regards to the people she cares about,       she’d do absolutely anything to keep them from harm’s way.      in particular,      if the situation is dire,  she’d do anything from hurting them physically/mentally,      hurting or killing someone else they love  (   yes she tried to do this  smh  ),    hurt or kill  innocent people,    just to keep them safe,    even if it meant damaging their relationship,    she’d rather them be safe   &   alive.        she’s also particularly sensitive when shaw is taken,     so get ready for some protective root,     wesley.

#( / ). ᴘʟᴀʏғᴜʟʟʏ ᴡɪᴛᴛʏ sɪɢɴ ᴏғғ; ❪ ask ❫ #pryceism #( / ). ɪғ ɪ ᴄᴏᴜʟᴅ ʙʀᴇᴀᴋ ᴍʏ ᴅɴᴀ ᴛᴏ ᴘɪᴇᴄᴇs; ❪ head canon ❫