SqueakingJellybean
Mission Control -- All is ratness
Fellow Mission Controllers and Agents,
We regret to inform you that Agent Mara of SHIELD's Rat Division was retired from service today after a long and distinguished career. Old age claims the best of us, and it is rarely a quick and painless process. Arthritis in her hips and the gradual onset of hind-end paralysis eventually made missions impossible. It was not until after her retirement this morning that we confirmed the suspected secondary reason for her decline-- a large internal mass. That enemy agent is insidious. It only began to reveal itself when we noticed she was getting rounder than was explained by how much she was eating.
Mara taught us that rats can have PTSD, and that some early trauma doesn't heal, no matter how much love and patience you throw at it. She taught us that some folks just bite, and that one half of Mission Control is more willing to deal with biting than the other. She was sometimes very friendly and licky, biting out of nowhere, then continuing on as if nothing had happened. It was like she would get overexcited and not know what to do with herself. We learned to navigate her boundaries, how to at least avoid known biting triggers (no wiggling of fingers in her line of sight!), and how to love her on her terms. Her love of tissue paper is the stuff of legend.
Mara is predeceased by her sisters/fellow agents Elsa and Della. Our tiny girl is sorely missed, and she will remain forever in our hearts.
End transmission
Mission Control
SHIELD: Rat Division
We regret to inform you that Agent Mara of SHIELD's Rat Division was retired from service today after a long and distinguished career. Old age claims the best of us, and it is rarely a quick and painless process. Arthritis in her hips and the gradual onset of hind-end paralysis eventually made missions impossible. It was not until after her retirement this morning that we confirmed the suspected secondary reason for her decline-- a large internal mass. That enemy agent is insidious. It only began to reveal itself when we noticed she was getting rounder than was explained by how much she was eating.
Mara taught us that rats can have PTSD, and that some early trauma doesn't heal, no matter how much love and patience you throw at it. She taught us that some folks just bite, and that one half of Mission Control is more willing to deal with biting than the other. She was sometimes very friendly and licky, biting out of nowhere, then continuing on as if nothing had happened. It was like she would get overexcited and not know what to do with herself. We learned to navigate her boundaries, how to at least avoid known biting triggers (no wiggling of fingers in her line of sight!), and how to love her on her terms. Her love of tissue paper is the stuff of legend.
Mara is predeceased by her sisters/fellow agents Elsa and Della. Our tiny girl is sorely missed, and she will remain forever in our hearts.
End transmission
Mission Control
SHIELD: Rat Division
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