week 1, challenge 2/3
Day of Challenge: Week 1, Day 2 and 3
Title: -
Pairing: Tao/Xiumin
Rating: PG for now
Genre: Dystopia
Length: 930w
Summary/Warnings: tw: Human modification.
23. write a pairing you've never written before
then
24. finish (or work on) a WIP
This is still a WIP, I have no idea how long this fic will drag out OTL. I'm not sure about what to tag it as though ;; Written over two days but I had trouble posting due to internet problems.
It’s white. His world is white.
When he wakes up, that’s all he sees. White.
Although Tao has never seen anything before, his mind processes his surroundings at what he knew could be described as the ‘speed of light’ (which was, incidentally, 299,792,458 m/s, although how Tao knew that was foreign to him). There’s much to be seen in this empty room- four walls impeccably melded with the ceiling and floor, seamless to the naked eye. But Tao can still see minuscule cracks in the white, thin lines of grey running down walls and Tao realizes, he knows exactly where the weakest point is and where to start pressing down and pushing out if he wanted to escape.
It's silent. Tao can feel his wrists constrained and although both feet rest steadily on the ground, his movement is restricted, save for a step or two forward or to both sides. He takes a step forward and tugs experimentally at his bonds. They rattle, the sound of steel against steel. Tao doesn’t panic and he takes a deep breath in, then out and repeats. He can hear footsteps approaching from behind the wall, quick, light and brisk footsteps coming to the door.
The doors slide open, and Tao catches a glimpse of the corridors outside. They don’t look much different, white is white and that’s all there seems to be.
A small man walks in, and Tao stares straight at him. He tilts his head, blinking inquisitively and takes another tentative step forward. Tao studies him, eyes flickering from the tip of his pushed back fringe to the ends of his white leather boots.
“Hello? Can you hear me?” the man calls suddenly, and his voice echoes slightly.
When Tao opens his mouth to reply, the syllables come out instinctively but the way his tongue twists around the words feel somehow foreign.
“Yes,” he says and Tao immediately notices the tensing of muscles in the smaller man’s shoulders.
There’s a pause- the man doesn’t speak but Tao can hear voices coming from him. He focuses, and realizes that the man’s wearing an earpiece. There’s instructions coming through to him and Tao concentrates, but the voices are a little too quiet and the words come out distorted.
“Do you know who you are?” the man asks, and Tao hesitates for only the slightest of moments before responding.
“I’m Tao. Who are you?”
Another pause, another set of instructions.
“I’m Xiumin, I work here. I’m a scientist. Do you understand what that means?”
Tao considers for a moment before shaking his head. He don’t know why he’s here and he doesn’t know why he’s chained to the wall. Briefly, Tao wonders if he’s dangerous but the scientist called Xiumin breaks into his thoughts before he has the chance to delve deeper inside.
“Tell me about yourself Tao,” the man, Xiumin, starts conversationally, his tone light and cheery, his hands in the pockets of his white lab coat and rocking back and forth slightly in the balls of his feet. Tao knows that it means Xiumin is becoming relaxed.
“I... don’t know.” Tao replies slowly, and as the words form in his mouth, he realizes that it’s completely true. He doesn’t remember anything about himself, he doesn’t know anything about himself. But he can think, and he can remember. Tao remembers from the moment he opened his eyes and he can recall every step that Xiumin took towards him.
Logic tells Tao that it’s not that he doesn’t possess the ability to remember, it’s just that he has no personal memories to recall. He can remember the basics, he can remember how to breathe and how to speak but in his mind, there’s no longer anything that distinguishes him from another empty shell.
No favourite color, food, or activity. No recollections of family, friends or acquaintances. Tao looks up as he tries to remember but he only comes up with a blank.
Xiumin nods, and out of the corner of his eye, Tao catches an almost satisfied smile. As if Tao wasn’t supposed to remember anything. But as soon as the smile arrives, it disappears and Xiumin’s expression is considering once more as he surveys Tao.
“I see,” he continues evenly, “nothing at all?”
Tao shakes his head and he can feel a tinge of discomfort in his chest. He tries to move and the chains around his wrist rattle again and strain against the wall. Xiumin’s eyes widen and he takes a hurried step back. Tao notices and stops moving.
"Is there something wrong?" Tao asks.
Xiumin shakes his head.
"Nothing," he replies with half a reassuring smile on his lips, hesitantly taking a step forward back to his previous position. "How do you feel?"
It's a hard question to answer- Tao isn't sure himself of how he feels. Xiumin seems to realise this though, as he speaks again without waiting for an answer.
"Do you feel strange? Any pain or discomfort? Do you feel alright?"
"I feel like I'm missing something," Tao finally says, "Why am I here Xiumin? Where is here?"
"You're here to-" Xiumin's voice breaks off abruptly as a wave of voices suddenly break into his earpiece. Tao thinks, through the little he can hear that they sound berating, and he's probably right as a moment later the voices stop and Xiumin changes topic completely.
"It's okay. This is where you're safe, just trust me." Xiumin says, his tone soft and reassuring.
Slowly, Tao nods, letting the words sink in. For some reason, Tao wants to believe Xiumin.
Title: -
Pairing: Tao/Xiumin
Rating: PG for now
Genre: Dystopia
Length: 930w
Summary/Warnings: tw: Human modification.
23. write a pairing you've never written before
then
24. finish (or work on) a WIP
This is still a WIP, I have no idea how long this fic will drag out OTL. I'm not sure about what to tag it as though ;; Written over two days but I had trouble posting due to internet problems.
It’s white. His world is white.
When he wakes up, that’s all he sees. White.
Although Tao has never seen anything before, his mind processes his surroundings at what he knew could be described as the ‘speed of light’ (which was, incidentally, 299,792,458 m/s, although how Tao knew that was foreign to him). There’s much to be seen in this empty room- four walls impeccably melded with the ceiling and floor, seamless to the naked eye. But Tao can still see minuscule cracks in the white, thin lines of grey running down walls and Tao realizes, he knows exactly where the weakest point is and where to start pressing down and pushing out if he wanted to escape.
It's silent. Tao can feel his wrists constrained and although both feet rest steadily on the ground, his movement is restricted, save for a step or two forward or to both sides. He takes a step forward and tugs experimentally at his bonds. They rattle, the sound of steel against steel. Tao doesn’t panic and he takes a deep breath in, then out and repeats. He can hear footsteps approaching from behind the wall, quick, light and brisk footsteps coming to the door.
The doors slide open, and Tao catches a glimpse of the corridors outside. They don’t look much different, white is white and that’s all there seems to be.
A small man walks in, and Tao stares straight at him. He tilts his head, blinking inquisitively and takes another tentative step forward. Tao studies him, eyes flickering from the tip of his pushed back fringe to the ends of his white leather boots.
“Hello? Can you hear me?” the man calls suddenly, and his voice echoes slightly.
When Tao opens his mouth to reply, the syllables come out instinctively but the way his tongue twists around the words feel somehow foreign.
“Yes,” he says and Tao immediately notices the tensing of muscles in the smaller man’s shoulders.
There’s a pause- the man doesn’t speak but Tao can hear voices coming from him. He focuses, and realizes that the man’s wearing an earpiece. There’s instructions coming through to him and Tao concentrates, but the voices are a little too quiet and the words come out distorted.
“Do you know who you are?” the man asks, and Tao hesitates for only the slightest of moments before responding.
“I’m Tao. Who are you?”
Another pause, another set of instructions.
“I’m Xiumin, I work here. I’m a scientist. Do you understand what that means?”
Tao considers for a moment before shaking his head. He don’t know why he’s here and he doesn’t know why he’s chained to the wall. Briefly, Tao wonders if he’s dangerous but the scientist called Xiumin breaks into his thoughts before he has the chance to delve deeper inside.
“Tell me about yourself Tao,” the man, Xiumin, starts conversationally, his tone light and cheery, his hands in the pockets of his white lab coat and rocking back and forth slightly in the balls of his feet. Tao knows that it means Xiumin is becoming relaxed.
“I... don’t know.” Tao replies slowly, and as the words form in his mouth, he realizes that it’s completely true. He doesn’t remember anything about himself, he doesn’t know anything about himself. But he can think, and he can remember. Tao remembers from the moment he opened his eyes and he can recall every step that Xiumin took towards him.
Logic tells Tao that it’s not that he doesn’t possess the ability to remember, it’s just that he has no personal memories to recall. He can remember the basics, he can remember how to breathe and how to speak but in his mind, there’s no longer anything that distinguishes him from another empty shell.
No favourite color, food, or activity. No recollections of family, friends or acquaintances. Tao looks up as he tries to remember but he only comes up with a blank.
Xiumin nods, and out of the corner of his eye, Tao catches an almost satisfied smile. As if Tao wasn’t supposed to remember anything. But as soon as the smile arrives, it disappears and Xiumin’s expression is considering once more as he surveys Tao.
“I see,” he continues evenly, “nothing at all?”
Tao shakes his head and he can feel a tinge of discomfort in his chest. He tries to move and the chains around his wrist rattle again and strain against the wall. Xiumin’s eyes widen and he takes a hurried step back. Tao notices and stops moving.
"Is there something wrong?" Tao asks.
Xiumin shakes his head.
"Nothing," he replies with half a reassuring smile on his lips, hesitantly taking a step forward back to his previous position. "How do you feel?"
It's a hard question to answer- Tao isn't sure himself of how he feels. Xiumin seems to realise this though, as he speaks again without waiting for an answer.
"Do you feel strange? Any pain or discomfort? Do you feel alright?"
"I feel like I'm missing something," Tao finally says, "Why am I here Xiumin? Where is here?"
"You're here to-" Xiumin's voice breaks off abruptly as a wave of voices suddenly break into his earpiece. Tao thinks, through the little he can hear that they sound berating, and he's probably right as a moment later the voices stop and Xiumin changes topic completely.
"It's okay. This is where you're safe, just trust me." Xiumin says, his tone soft and reassuring.
Slowly, Tao nods, letting the words sink in. For some reason, Tao wants to believe Xiumin.