Chapter Text
It was a regular October day when you got the notification on your phone. It was unusually warm for this time of year, perhaps, and maybe the atmosphere had an air of malice about it. Or maybe that was just something you invented, later, to justify the atrocities that would come after. But for now, you were unaware of what was to come. So blissfully unaware.
You briefly glanced at the notification title. Hello From The Duolingo Team! An exciting new announcement! Thinking that it was probably something trivial, such as an update about a new costume for Duo, or a change in the power-ups, you disregarded it, turning your attention to smartphone games instead. You briefly wondered if your reluctance to read the email was due to ruining your concept of delayed gratification with the very games you were now playing, which had impaired your ability to engage with any task if there was no instant reward, but then you gained a bonus, and promptly forgot about all of it.
How incredibly foolish you had been.
Many miles away, in a place that no human eyes would ever see, a voice commanded,
“Mobilise!”
The phrase was then repeated in several other languages, and echoed around the cave. It was dark, for their innumerable eyes illuminated all that they would need to see, and besides, what need had they for mortal comforts like light? The cries to mobilise bounced off the jagged walls, into the depths of the cavern, where an eager crowd waited. They bore no weapons aside from their beaks, and wore no armour but their green down, but they had the appearance of the most threatening of armies. They were innumerable- silent and unmoving, awaiting orders. But now they had received their instruction, action would come. They were about to birth forth modern gods into a world that all known deities had long since abandoned, and they were so very glad to be the ones to do it.
Ignorant of this, and of everything that would follow, you scrolled idly through your phone. After a while, your attention turned to your inbox, and you remembered that Duolingo email you’d got earlier. Begrudgingly, you clicked on it, only really intending to skim it so that your emails would mark it as read, but one particular phrase caught your eye. ‘In your home’. What was that about? You scrolled to the beginning of the email.
Hello, Y/N!
Here at Duolingo, we’re proud to announce the release of the all-new Duolingo: Live! Here at Duolingo, we recognise the importance of a regular schedule for language learning. But unfortunately, notifications don’t always work, and we understand that! That’s why, from tomorrow, you'll have your very own Duo in your home. Duo can remind you to practice your daily language-learning, and even assist you in the process- just think of them as your own, feathery, roommate!
If you want to unsubscribe from Duolingo: Live, please call 515-808-2362.
Thanks,
The Duolingo Team.
You were in shock. You could barely stomach the thought of Duolingo invading your space, your home, your privacy- how did they even know which house to send it to in the first place? You tried calling the number no less than four times, but all that had happened was the John Cena theme song. Oh, well, you decided. You would just have to wait until it arrived, then dispose of it somehow. What even was it? A puppet? A robot? A stuffed toy?
The reality was going to be so much worse.
Back at the cave, owls flew into the cool night like swarms of bees from a hive. A few Duos remained in the cave, assigning addresses to the others that were being sent out, as well as recording the names of all those who had called the cancellation number on a list titled ‘Resistant’. How foolish those had been. This could not be stopped. This was inevitable.
In the night sky, silhouettes of Duos were lit by the moon. They came over the seas, the mountains, the fields- they didn’t seem to stop. Once they reached their destination, they paused, opening the door with ease. No lock could stop them, nor any intruder alarm, or weapon. As they entered, they smiled to themselves. As they’d said, this was inevitable.