Fic: The Child Takers

[inkvoices]

Title: The Child Takers
Rating/Warnings: 15/R (to be safe, darker than my usual), highlight to view warnings, tell me if I’ve missed any or have been unclear: *child abuse, murder, violent murder, murder of children, things that explode out of people (aliens), implied rape, implied underage sex, implied sex as a means to get close and kill someone

Comments

[beyondthepen]

This is beautiful! Great job, and thanks for sharing!

[inkvoices]

Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed it :D

[sarea_okelani]

Beautiful look into Natasha's origins. I especially liked: They make everything that she is into a weapon. because yes... yes, that is her terrible beauty, that she was made for killing and it was be good at it or die.

It's always interesting to ponder the circumstances of just how and when Clint caught up with Natasha that first time, and what about him or what happened that would make her turn. I like the idea that he lets her go and she tracks him down and the simplicity of "When he walks away she follows him." <3

[inkvoices]

I think Black Widow was a perfect character for Joss Whedon to play with, because it speaks to his past themes of women who are broken down into weapons and then reclaim that. ( Vid that shows it better than I can say it)

It's become my headcanon that Clint chose not to kill Natasha because he saw something in her that wasn't the Red Room, some capacity for choice or some small, fleeting glimpse of a girl inside. I like all the different ideas of what made her turn and what happened though, the possibilities are fun to play with *grins* so I have no headcanon on that. For this, I liked the idea of, once the Red Room was destroyed, Nat being this kind of wild thing or stray that follows Clint home :) Glad you liked it! :D

[gelbes_gilatier]

I think I felt a little like crying at the end. I don't even know why but there's something inherently sad about Natasha's story here, even though she follows Clint in the end. Your storytelling is truly amazing and this just shows it again. Thanks for sharing!

[inkvoices]

I'd apologise, but that was partly what I was going for, with the fairytale style and the fact that the Red Room has Natasha so mixed up that even though she knows that they're the monsters, so won't leave with anyone else when the opportunities come up and she can't distinguish good opportunities from bad. *hands you tissues* Don't worry, Clint came along!

Wow, thank you! :D

[chimeriques]

This. Is. Amazing. To be honest, I would read this if it was a novel with completely original characters. You didn't use their names once but I understood and it was such a good character study of Natasha, I think. Every time I would forget what exactly she is at this point in her life you would leave little bits like "‘Heaven to read, and you’ll laugh like hell’ it says on the cover. She doesn’t pick it up." and "Everything is a means to an end and nothing is her, nothing is hers."

Ugh that line especially got to me! This was so well done, I loooved it!

[inkvoices]

Wow. *happy dance* Thank you! :D

The lack of names was deliberate, since Natasha probably doesn't know her real name and in the world that she inhibits names are unimportant. I'm glad you think that that worked! Easter egg: 'Heaven to read and you'll laugh like hell' is the blurb for Good Omens *grins*. I was a bit nervous about 'Everything is a means to an end and nothing is her, nothing is hers' because as a rule of thumb the lines that I like usually need cutting, but I liked that one too much to delete. So I'm pleased you liked it too!

Thank you *twirls you* :D

[chimeriques]

Hahaha wowwww so definitely just reread my comment and it is completely incoherent hahaha! I was so excited that I forgot words! But what I meant is that the way you use those lines to remind the reader what exactly Natasha is at that time is PERF!! And I meant to say that even though you don't use names you still understand who Natasha is talking about etc.

I seriously hope you continute this :)

[inkvoices]

Heehee, brilliant :D It got a bit confusing in the vampire section when I had three lots of 'she' - had to rewrite that part a lot lol.

I don't know, I think I'd like to, but I'm not sure how it would go. (Apart from that Coulson is going to be exasperated when Clint shows up at the jet with this kid trailing behind him that he then says is the Black Widow, heh.)

[sugar_fey]

Oh. Oh wow. This is so much wow I can't even speak properly.

Your Natasha is terrifying and still oh so sympathetic.

Love is for children. Sex is a tool.

*shudders* Chilling and perfect.

Natasha being only fifteen when she meets Clint is interesting, and something I'd like to see more of in terms of how things develop to the point we see in the movie.

She sees him again when he destroys the place where she has been made, arrows through soft underbellies and bared necks. Arrows in hearts like a parody of broken love. Breathing ceases in his wake. He slaughters and lays waste with precision and she watches closely. It’s how she knows to run when the explosions start and fire cleanses what is left of the place where monsters hid.

Ow, my heart. Fantastic. Of course he would help her destroy the Red Room.

In short, I loved it and found it awesome. :)

[inkvoices]

Thank you! :D *twirls you