[center][img]http://txt-dynamic.static.1001fonts.net/txt/dHRmLjQ4LmQ0NDA1Zi5XbTlsSUVac1pYUmphR1Z5LjAA/thyme.medium.png[/img] [img]https://i.imgur.com/OwPQCJ8.png[/img][/center] [hr] [hider=Bad Publicity (Interview)] [center] [h1]Bad Publicity[/h1] [img]https://i.imgur.com/OwPQCJ8.png[/img] [h2][color=palevioletred]Zoe Fletcher[/color][/h2] [img]http:// i.imgur.com/3R5vYYi.png?2[/img][hr][color=silver]𝕊𝕖𝕡𝕥.𝟙𝟡, 𝟚𝟘𝟚𝟘 / / 𝕎𝕒𝕤𝕙𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕥𝕠𝕟, 𝔻.ℂ. / / ℙ𝕒𝕣𝕜 / / ~𝟙𝟟:𝟛𝟘[/color][hr] [sub]Collab with... [@Lasrever] [@banjoanjo] [/sub][/center] After leaving the arcade and Marcus behind, Zoe hadn't found much else to do with herself. She didn't feel like returning to their accomodations yet, but a few hours of wandering made her realise that this place was starting to wear on her. Never thought she'd miss USARILN of all places, but there was something to be said about people being used to their presence. The whole atmosphere of the town was as hostile as ever, and being in town for most of the afternoon had just meant more people hanging around to look at her like the shit on her shoe. Well, that was unfair. After all, there was terror and anger and all the rest to consider. More to this kind of hatred than just disgust, when you really thought about it. Not that she didn't understand the reasoning - She hadn't exactly been a [i]fan[/i] of subnaturals before she became one, but that didn't make it any less irritating to have everyone crossing the street when they saw her. Couldn't tell if that was better or worse than having to deal with them, either. But somehow, she'd ended up here. Sat underneath a tree in a park, watching the sky. It was comforting to look up at - No matter where she ended up, it was always the same at its core. She liked things like that, things that were unchanging. People were still avoiding her, but it was easy enough to ignore from where she sat - For once, out in this place, she'd found a little peace and quiet. Enough that she didn't even notice the figure that approached. Of course, the quiet had never been likely to last. [color f7976a]"Ah, you're one of the Wisford subnaturals, aren't you? Would you mind if we asked a few quick questions?"[/color] A dark-haired woman stood behind the teen, a somewhat respectable distance outside her personal bubble, if respect had ever been her intent. The reporter was neatly dressed, her lapels ironed, and, perhaps most worryingly, her smile very self-assured. As expected, a lean cameraman was following not too far behind her. [color f7976a]"Barbra Tyson. WJLA. We'd love an interview, please."[/color] [color=palevioletred][i]You've gotta be kidding me.[/i][/color] Zoe was mentally swearing up a storm for not keeping an eye out. Who knew how long these guys had been prowling the city looking for a victim - Sorry, [i]interviewee[/i]. In an ideal world, it'd be as sympathetic as what Marcus got. But in this town, she knew that wasn't likely. Turned her head to look at them, first at the woman and then at the cameraman behind her. Oh no. These guys looked professional, polished, and as far as Zoe was concerned, irritating. Something about the whole 'not a hair out of place' thing was annoying. [color=palevioletred]"Yes, I am, and yes, I sorta mind, but I get this sinking feeling you're gonna do it anyway."[/color] She didn't sound angry, just tired. Definitely not an agreement, but not enough of a disagreement to be taken as overly hostile, despite the intense temptation to lead discussions with 'go fuck yourself' instead. After all, if the reporter freaked out Zoe knew she was liable to get shot. Despite knowing it was probably hopeless, she paused to see if the woman would somehow leave that easily. Barbra chuckled, the sound strangely level. Controlled. [color f7976a]"Intuitive, aren't you? It will only take a few minutes. That little segment with your scarred friend made quite the buzz so I'm sure the world would love to see an X-mark in the same position. Would you like to stay here or find a place less chilly for this?"[/color] 'X-mark'. Of course. Stupid Xbox logo. At least the woman was honest. [color=palevioletred]"...Nice of you to ask anyway, I guess."[/color] Zoe felt herself shiver, and she wasn't sure if the cold was what did it. Maybe indoors would be better, but she felt safer out here - Like there were less people to overhear. Dumb, considering she was about to end up on TV, but that was how things were. After a glance around the park, she sighed and got to her feet, leaning back against the tree. Felt stronger that way somehow, even if it was the pettiest kind of victory. [color=palevioletred]"Out here's fine, but if we start drawing a crowd or something I'm out. Don't wanna be stuck with five interviews at once."[/color] And frankly, she didn't want to be stuck with one, either. It was taking a lot of effort for Zoe to keep the acid out of her tone. [color=palevioletred]"But I'm sure you want your exclusive anyway, so I doubt that's gonna be much of a problem. You, uh, need some time to warm up first? Practise questions or something?"[/color] Asking for purely selfish reasons, in the hope that she could at least prepare herself a little for whatever the woman had in store. [color f7976a]"Please, I'm a professional,"[/color] the woman's smile more practiced than genuine, [color f7976a]"We'll go live in a minute."[/color] True to her word, the pair of strangers set themselves up, Barbra positioning herself so that she and the subnatural could both fit on screen. The cameraman commenced a small countdown, leaving Zoe little time to react before they went live. [color f7976a]"Good afternoon, D.C.! Barbra Tyson, here today in the heart of the capital with a very special guest: an X-marked subnatural from USARILN East, who have created quite a stir recently after the Wisford disaster. Can you please introduce yourself?"[/color] The microphone was held towards Zoe. Wait, they were starting now? That caught Zoe off guard, as well as the introduction. On top of being called a 'subnatural', a term which somehow felt a lot more insulting coming from someone else, there was something... Passive-aggressive about the whole thing. [color=palevioletred][i]If you people could stop being dicks for two seconds, there wouldn't be a stir to deal with.[/i][/color] But maybe she was just being paranoid. Either way, it was becoming increasingly obvious to Zoe that she was going to regret this later. But then, there hadn't been much of a way out of this, at least not without massively annoying the press. Better to try and minimise the inevitable train wreck. So she looked up at the camera, albeit without a smile as the microphone was shoved into her face. Of course, with the lack of time to prepare, the idea of a convincing fake name wasn't gonna happen. [color=palevioletred]"My name's Zoe. USARILN 'X-mark', like you said."[/color] [color f7976a]"Can you tell us what brings you to Washington D.C., Zoe? To a luxury hotel of all places?"[/color] That... Was a good question, actually. [color=palevioletred]"I'm not sure - It's temporary, that's all they told us, so I'm just trying not to get too used to the luxury."[/color] Other things had been said on the forums, but the staff would have her head if she went saying anything about an attack unless they decided to reveal it themselves. She didn't feel like sticking her neck out for the sake of some reporter. [color=palevioletred]"We only get told what they need us to know."[/color] [color f7976a]"Of course. We wouldn't want our special guests so out of their depth outside their facilities. Can you tell us about Wisford, your role in that operation?"[/color] [color=palevioletred][i]We're not animals, you smarmy--[/i][/color] A spark of irritation before a pause as she took a deep breath. Had to keep her cool. Zoe's expression changed when Wisford was brought up. Not upset like Marcus' had been - something colder crept in without her even realising. How much was she willing to tell? [color=palevioletred]"My orders were to escort one of my classmates, so that's what I did."[/color] She was holding back: Holding back what she'd actually done, and being a poor liar at the best of times, it was obvious she was thinking of something else. Something in the reporter's expression shifted, as if she was disappointed, but her professional veneer returned as soon as it had left. [color f7976a]"Not quite on the frontlines then. And why did this classmate need to be shown around by one of their own on the battlefield?"[/color] [color=palevioletred]"Poor defensive capabilities."[/color] Not really an answer - But knowing whoever targeted them was after a healer, Zoe wasn't about to invite an attack. Had to change the subject away from Christmas. [color=palevioletred]"I had to cover for them for most of the battle, that's all."[/color] [color f7976a]"Oh, you must have some capabilities to cover for this classmate then. Can you give us more information about that? Your abilities?"[/color] [color=palevioletred]"I--"[/color] Kill things. Kill people. A head ripped from a black-haired girl's shoulders. Warm blood under her fingers, the screams of a once-invisible boy. Again, a shadow over her expression as she recalled the events. Details she didn't want to admit - Didn't want to erase what little progress the other interview had made. [color=palevioletred]"I break down organic matter. Quickly."[/color] [color f7976a]"Organic matter,"[/color] the journalist repeated, clearly intrigued, [color f7976a]"As in living flesh? Plant matter?"[/color] [color=palevioletred]"Living and dead, so long as it's organic."[/color] Zoe nodded, looking slightly on edge about the subject matter. [color=palevioletred]"But otherwise, pretty much. I've not really tried it on plants, but it seems to be living things in general. Anything that can... I don't know, rot."[/color] [color f7976a]"I suppose a demonstration would be too much to ask for then, unless you wanted to rot something, or someone, in the vicinity,"[/color] Barbra glanced meaningfully at the tree beside them but continued, [color f7976a]"Sounds rather dangerous if you don't keep careful watch over it. This destructive ability wasn't put to use on the frontlines at Wisford, though?"[/color] Zoe felt the annoyance creeping in again, partly because she had no idea how to deal with the interview, but mostly because of the implication that she was a danger. It annoyed her more because it was probably right. She hated when these people were right. [color=palevioletred]"No, for the most part. The situation didn't suit my abilities much. From what I could tell, the monsters were completely mechanical."[/color] And the attackers weren't. [color f7976a]"Ah, that makes sense. Now you mentioned earlier that you haven't tested your power on plants and such, but you have used it on living beings? Can you tell us about that?"[/color] [color=palevioletred]"I'd prefer not to go into detail, but we were attacked by rogue subnaturals at--"[/color] She frowned, trying to keep control of her expression. Shit, that was the wrong thing to say - But the incident had been at the back of her mind since the fight. The words had come out without her having a chance to think them through. [color=palevioletred]"During operations."[/color] Leave it with the implication, hope the point wouldn't be pushed. [color f7976a]"Hold it,"[/color] Barbra's demeanor suddenly shifted. Something more ravenous now, as the questions amped up, [color f7976a]"We hadn't heard reports of rogue subnaturals at Wisford, apart from the anomaly codenamed Factory. What happened there? A criminal faction like the Senators? Did you kill them with your power? What do you believe they were after?"[/color] [color=palevioletred][i]That's not good.[/i][/color] Zoe's eyes widened as she realised the regulars didn't know. Or at least, they hadn't known - Judging by this lady, they'd all have heard about it by the end of the week. This was gonna lead to some awkward questions, wasn't it? At least, once she got her head round the barrage that got fired at her all at once. She could deny meaning Wisford, but the story was getting spun either way, and she doubted she'd persuade the reporter. [color=palevioletred]"Give me a second, would you?"[/color] Irritation, defensiveness. Zoe was getting increasingly on edge, close to doing something she might regret. It wasn't all directed at the reporter, half of it was at herself for being unable to get through one week without making a mess of things, but either way she had to bite her tongue to prevent a rant that would definitely get her in trouble. [color=palevioletred]"We were attacked by rogues. I don't know who they were with, and I don't know what they wanted. There weren't many."[/color] That was the easy part. The sensible thing to do for the rest would be lie, say she just neutralised the threats, but she just wanted this bitch to back off. There was something undeniably cold about the gaze she turned on the reporter, even knowing that this was an incredibly stupid thing to do. [color=palevioletred]"But yes, I did. And I'd do it again if I had to."[/color] Not quite an explicit threat. At least, not yet. The reporter noticed Zoe's now-deadly gaze but remained steadfast in the face of impending fury. This was a scoop she absolutely couldn't miss. It would take more than an X-mark's hissy fit to throw her off. [color f7976a]"So subnaturals were indeed behind that senseless, aimless catastrophe. We've heard that the death toll numbered in the hundreds. Do you feel any sort of responsibility for what your kind has caused at Wisford?"[/color] [color=palevioletred]"[i]My kind?[/i]"[/color] Zoe stared, dumbfounded. This lady wasn't kidding. She was serious. Seriously trying to put the blame for what happened on [i]them[/i]? White-hot rage, searing and clawing against the whole world that dared to put this on a bunch of scared kids. Death after death, hurt after hurt, tossing away their humanity bit by bit and this was the thanks they could expect. It wasn't fair. It was bullshit. This was all such bullshit. So she looked at the woman, the woman who was making that accusation. And she smiled. Oh, that was it, and it was funny, right? Zoe was too pissed to take this rationally. They wanted violent, they wanted unhinged? Oh, they had no fucking idea. [color=palevioletred]"Let me answer your question with a few of my own. To you, Barbra. Have you ever thought you were going to die? Watched someone else's last breath and known you could be next? Have you ever had to kill someone?"[/color] Her eyes were cold, dead. The eyes of someone who had done all those things far too quickly. A murderer. The girl the others were rightfully afraid of. Too far. Both the journalist and the cameraman stumbled away from Zoe. A killer subnatural was one thing. A powered, smiling psychopath was another. [color f7976a]"I-I...sincerely hope that's not a threat, Zoe,"[/color] the woman spat, still trying to retain her dignity in the face of impending doom, [color f7976a]"I'm just asking what the people are thinking, showing them what they want to see. And, quite frankly..."[/color] A look, deep into the lens of the camera. Millions were going to be watching this back home. There was no taking back what had just passed. [color f7976a]"I think they've seen everything they needed. My answer to all those questions is no. But I'm assuming you and your subnatural classmates wouldn't answer the same way?"[/color] A show of defiance. Barbra still had some nerve in her. Or perhaps just stupidity. A laugh, short and bitter. [color=palevioletred]"On the contrary, my classmates would share your answer on the killing front. Let's not make a mistake here - I'm the worst of us by a long shot."[/color] She shook her head, resentment mixing with sadness even as she maintained her glare. [color=palevioletred]"One of us died in Wisford. A little girl. She'll have no memorial, no grave. People like you would probably celebrate that we don't even get the 'luxury' of being left to rot. I'm eighteen years old, and I killed three people this week. Soon enough, I'll have to do it again, and you'll call me a monster for it while you go home to a warm bath and a four-poster bed."[/color] This wasn't for the cameras anymore. None of this was planned, or scripted. Zoe's speech was meant purely for Barbra, and every other smug dressed-up asshole that thought the same. [color=palevioletred]"We never asked for this. None of us were given a way out. But we fight and we die for people like you. Throwing our lives away for the sake of a world that wants us dead. Don't you [b]dare[/b] stand there and blame us for the things we risk our lives to stop."[/color] A clenched jaw in lieu of the professional smile Barbra had so confidently shown before. [color f7976a]"Indeed,"[/color] the woman borderline hissed. A flash of disdain before she turned to address the camera once more, [color f7976a]"Well, an intriguing development concerning the Wisford Disaster. I'm sure that there will be more news on the way but for the moment, we should thank Zoe here for such an intimate interview."[/color] A turn to the girl once more, expertly-disguised malice in every syllable. [color f7976a]"Getting the chance to observe an X-mark's behaviour, live and personal? Not something the viewers at home marvel at everyday of the week. This is Barbra Tyson, signing off."[/color] The feed cut and the woman immediately brushed herself off, as if Zoe's mere presence had dirtied her suit. [color f7976a]"Thank you for your time, Zoe,"[/color] she smirked, obviously not meaning it, before she and the cameraman turned to leave. Heated whispers of [color f7976a]"you better had zoomed on her X, and the cuff"[/color] could barely be heard as they quickly strode back to their van. But as they did, black spread across the ground - A ring of grass around them reduced to dust. Right at the edge of Zoe's range, but that was close enough. Oh, Zoe knew she couldn't touch them, but the reporter didn't so as far as she was concerned, the casual use of her power was sending a strong enough message. [color=palevioletred][i]I could kill you whenever I wanted.[/i][/color] [color=palevioletred]"I'd be careful if I were you."[/color] Zoe called out from where she stood, as leaves blackened and crumbled off of the tree behind her. Oh, she'd messed up, she knew that, but at the very least she could discourage the reporter from trying again. [color=palevioletred]"Wouldn't want your answers to change too soon."[/color] No intelligible retort. The reporting pair merely screamed and sprinted as quickly as their legs could take them. The message had definitely been received, though 'inflicted' was likely a more fitting word. Zoe watched the reporters run with a dim sense of satisfaction until it was replaced by mounting dread. Of all the people they could have interviewed, she was the worst choice by far - and she could only imagine what people would have to say about this colossal fuckup. So much for the progress Marcus had made, anyway, at least as far as aberrations were concerned. It was certainly one hell of a way to make her debut. [/hider] [hider=Tipping Point (Solo Post)] [hr][center]𝕊𝕖𝕡𝕥. 𝟙𝟡, 𝟚𝟘𝟚𝟘 / 𝕎𝕒𝕤𝕙𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕥𝕠𝕟, 𝔻.ℂ. / ~𝟙𝟠:𝟘𝟘[/center][hr] Zoe wasn't sure what to think as she walked back to the hotel. She hadn't been sure of much since the motel and perhaps that was the core of her dilemma. Perhaps the rest cycled around it, a hurricane of destruction and movement where nothing ever stayed the same, where everything would always shift and change. And here she was, trapped in the eye of the storm. The storm that reshaped everything, everything except her. Was it wrong to wish that it would? That the weight of all that had happened could make her into something new, something that wasn't [i]this[/i]? Even as she sank deeper into it all, the facts of what she was weren't changing, even when people reached out she was still afraid. Pifitul, and yet totally undeserving of any pity. Searching for an escape, for isolation, had only brought her closer to the edge. And she'd fallen. Faltered. Another broken promise - Perhaps she should have just abandoned them all a while ago, embraced callousness and apathy. It would be a lot less of a pain if she'd just let go of the few principles she'd maintained, for no-one else even knew they existed. She'd done what she promised, and then she'd tried to run away from her choice. Failed her escape, because of an inherent weakness. A weakness set in stone those months ago when she'd taken the wrong path. Oh, they denied it, said that 'there was no wrong path' but that just wasn't true. Perhaps her choice was a symptom of the faith she'd lost, the weakness of her character that was so easy to confuse as being strength. Fierce, brave, protective-- [color=palevioletred][i]Ha.[/i][/color] That wasn't it at all. She was just a child, clinging to the last scraps of life. So scared to lose anyone that she was willing to hurt them just to make them stay. It was sickeningly familiar. Zoe had always twisted things like that, made them wrong when they should have provided happiness. Or maybe it just seemed that way to her, because she was the one that always stayed in the dark. But that was such a lofty view to take, and it didn't reflect reality - She was no martyr, and she had no cause to die for. Survival was all that mattered. The strong and the weak, the circle of life, simplicity. But where did she belong, when she was so strong and yet so weak? How had the simplest things in life become tangled so badly? She wasn't sure at what point she'd broken irreversibly, at what point she lost her grip on what she was meant to be. All she knew was that it had happened, that she was beginning to slip down a path she couldn't come back from the same. Because letting go of her fear, her blame, her distrust, meant letting go of everything else. And it scared her, it really, truly did. The question was whether it scared her enough to make her run away, whether she was willing to sacrifice so much for people she knew so little. In any other situation, her dilemma would be seen as a noble one, but this was no story. Zoe had stopped believing in fictions a long time ago, when the need for money had outstripped childish desires. When she learned not to flinch at sudden screams. Even the worst of the normals were no longer feared like they should have been, and ruthlessness made up for what they otherwise lacked. And even before this place became her life, she'd embraced that because she had people to protect. And still taking them in, acting as some kind of self-righteous saviour to make herself feel better and ease her conscience. Every time just adding another burden on her shoulders. The more Zoe thought about it, the clearer it became, that her life was just one big catalogue of self-destruction. A testament to her weakness, then, that she couldn't even finish the job. It scared her too much to try again, and she wasn't naive enough to think she'd succeed. So she had to find another way out. A reason to fight, something that could give her the strength she so desperately needed to find. If she couldn't escape, if she couldn't give in and be weak, then she'd be strong. Stronger than she'd ever needed to be before. If there was nothing she could do to fix the world and all of its flaws, then she'd just have to be stronger again. Because on some level, it wouldn't have mattered what she'd said to them. Changing the world through pretty words was impossible, and it always had been. What changed the world was power. And perhaps, in that, she could lose herself. She could seek no solace, no sanctuary in the world at large, so that left only herself. Because they would never be seen as equals, not in this place, their lives changed by powers not their own. Saving a billion lives wouldn't stop her being seen as a monster by those who blamed her kind for the danger in the first place. But that didn't matter, did it? Because the others needed her, and they were the only ones that mattered. And she'd cling to that even if it meant giving up every piece of what she was. Her decision had been made. Power and resolve, that was what mattered. To know them, and know that they had a chance at a happy ending, to make that possible, she could cast aside her humanity. As for the rest of the world? Before she'd snapped, before she'd broken and tried to die, she would have cared. Before her weakness shone through, showed the cracks in her resolve. But now that was reserved for her team, and them alone. A weakness she couldn't afford to feel for anyone else in case she broke and shattered. No, there was only so much she could take. Only so much of a burden she could carry. She'd help her classmates, the people she gave a shit about. But as for the people like that, the ones who would cast them aside when they were [i]nothing[/i], like the rest of the subnaturals, when the time came... Zoe would gladly tear them all down. [/hider]