Irony / Mutual Administrative Assistance

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Fandom:

The Murderbot Diaries - Martha Wells

Relationship:

ART | Perihelion & Murderbot

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Language:

English

Series:

← Previous Work Part 2 of Murderbot Drabble December 2025 (unrelated short pieces) Next Work →

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Murderbot Diaries Drabble December 2025

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Published:: 2025-12-02
Words:: 100
Chapters:: 1/1
Comments:: 23
Kudos:: 79
Bookmarks:: 6
Hits:: 264

ImitationGame

Summary:

ART persuades Murderbot to join its crew's movie night.
Turns out ART needs some support.

Day 2 Prompts: Irony / Mutual Administrative Assistance

Work Text:

Everyone is attending. Consider this as a team-building exercise, ART insisted.

"Stop sounding like a corporate slimeball," I said. "Tarik said he wouldn't watch it either."

Iris convinced him by getting him to choose what we watch. No intimate scenes.

"Fine."

Forty-two minutes later.

ART was not so keen to watch it anymore and suggested a change but turned down by everyone.

The film Tarik chose was a docu-drama about a shipful of passengers struggling to survive after a catastrophic engine failure caused by meteorite strike.

Taking pity, I offered my metaphorical hand. It instantly scooted closer, grasping it tightly.

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← Previous Work Part 2 of Murderbot Drabble December 2025 (unrelated short pieces) Next Work →

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Comments

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lunaTactics Tue 02 Dec 2025 01:15AM UTC

Heehee, I love this!! Perfect mix of high-handedness from ART to sudden quaking vulnerability now that it's watching these shows with Murderbot.

I'm also secretly delighting in Tarik getting to have a little revenge, whether he knows it or not XD

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1. ImitationGame Tue 02 Dec 2025 08:21AM UTC
  
  Tarik has not forgotten being told "I dislike Tarik and would prefer to use this opportunity to be rid of him."
  So a little revenge - but maybe of Freudian type 😆
  
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molecular_machine Tue 02 Dec 2025 01:19AM UTC

Love the contrast of ART in bullying vs sensitive mode!

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1. ImitationGame Tue 02 Dec 2025 08:24AM UTC
  
  ART can become a delicate flower LOL
  
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Dragon_G0ddess Tue 02 Dec 2025 01:51AM UTC

<3 !!!!!

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1. ImitationGame Tue 02 Dec 2025 08:18AM UTC
  
  ❤️❤️❤️
  
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FlipSpring Tue 02 Dec 2025 02:04AM UTC

["Stop sounding like a corporate slimeball," I said.]
lmao murderbot says 🛑✋️

[The film Tarik chose was a docu-drama about a shipful of passengers struggling to survive after a catastrophic engine failure caused by meteorite strike.]
oh my godddd tarik ToT

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1. ImitationGame Tue 02 Dec 2025 08:23AM UTC
  
  Tarik selects a film about a ship (almost) losing its humans.
  ART: This is why I dislike Tarik and should have used the opportunity to be rid of him earlier! 🙁
  
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penna_nomen Tue 02 Dec 2025 05:59AM UTC

Poor ART! Good thing it has MB to hold its hand through distressing scenes

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1. ImitationGame Tue 02 Dec 2025 08:24AM UTC
  
  MB is used to do metaphorical hand-holding for ART by now! 😆
  
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Hemera7437 Tue 02 Dec 2025 12:32PM UTC

oh my heart, ART needs to hold its hand for this, it knew what Tarik had picked...
this is precious

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1. ImitationGame Wed 03 Dec 2025 06:22AM UTC
  
  ART really can't handle "people suffer on a ship" media.
  Did Tarik choose that on purpose? XD
  (He definitely did! ART would say)
  
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Paskuda_Lynx Tue 02 Dec 2025 01:48PM UTC

TARIK FINALLY GOT HIS REVENGE

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1. ImitationGame Wed 03 Dec 2025 06:23AM UTC
  
  Finally a win for Tarik!!
  
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HermesDay Tue 02 Dec 2025 07:16PM UTC

LOL TARIK 😂😂

I'm cackling so hard at this, this is so funny and amazing and sweet oh my god

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1. ImitationGame Wed 03 Dec 2025 06:23AM UTC
  
  Thank you!
  Glad you enjoyed it <3
  
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indigotigress7 Thu 04 Dec 2025 02:01AM UTC

Augh it's really mutual administrative assistance!! This is so sweet :) kudos!!

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1. ImitationGame Thu 04 Dec 2025 06:05AM UTC
  
  Thank you ~~🩷🩷🩷
  
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ramshackle_fey Sat 06 Dec 2025 01:58AM UTC

awwwwwwwwww oh noooo they're such friendsss
I gotta know tho... did Tarik do this so that ART would never try to force him to go to another movie night? Because that's hilarious, but also a low blow... ~~ART would approve~~

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1. ImitationGame Sat 06 Dec 2025 02:23AM UTC
  
  > did Tarik do this so that ART would never try to force him to go to another movie night
  
  LOL
  Or could be more general "I know your weakness! Careful when you try to bully me the next time!" 😂
  
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2. 1. ramshackle_fey Sat 06 Dec 2025 05:44PM UTC
    
    ART and the rest of the crew: Let's bully the newbie!
    
    Tarii, ex military: Okay most of you are cute. Peri, we're going gloves off.
    
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ArtemisTheHuntress Sat 06 Dec 2025 08:31AM UTC

Aww
But be careful what you wish for, ART… but yeah this would be ART’s least favorite kind of media :’)

Digital supportiveness helps!
This is really cute

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1. ImitationGame Sat 06 Dec 2025 10:43AM UTC
  
  Thank you <3
  ART was only trying to promote harmony among its crew, and it particularly wanted MB to get on with its humans!
  Tarik - did he select THAT kind of media on purpose... ?
  
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