#Drawing Entity wasn't able to come (if anyone was wondering).

[paperstarwriters]

(you don't have to publish the ask but make sure it's anonymous) please please please don't worry about the anon I think it might be the same person who made a harrass discord group...of course it's good to acknowledge wrongdoings of creators but it doesn't make anyone obligated to stay away from fandom. If you don't support the racist mess that happened it's totally fine if you stay in arcana fandom. Don't worry.

of course, of course. I'm not feeling pressured to leave the fandom right now don't worry about that. I know seeing it can cause a bit of anxiety, and for a little while it did make me feel anxious, I recalled why I wanted to write a lot of the fanfics I make in the first place, I didn't like how they wrote Muriel's ending, and I didn't like how they represented him a lot, so I wanted to make something that fit the image I had of him instead.

Anyways, I was much more curious about the note they made about the problems with Julian being a bird or the various bird motifs and that being antisemitic. I was wondering how or why that was the case, as when I tried searching it up I wasn't really able to find any definite explanations, so I was wondering if they could point me to a resource or something on the topic. I've heard that a merge between an owl and a human can often be antisemitic especially when that owl is presented as an almost demon-like entity with feathers forming horns like that of a great horned owl, and their beak being presented as a large hooked nose. That much, I do understand, but I'm unclear if it applies to the wider range of birds as well, or not.

In my initial search I found a story called Jewbird written by Bernard Malamud, an American-jewish author, and while it serves as the allegory of antisemitism not only coming from outside but inside as well, the nature of the intelligent bird being representative of an older more traditional Jewish individual (according to another source who were likely more able to draw the parallel than I was), presents him as a human-merged with bird individual and the whole point of the text seems to present it as the pure opposite of being antisemitic.

Of course, I can see the possibility of it, that he was presented as a bird in order to subvert the initial expectations and stereotypes, in the same way that Maus by Art Spiegelman does, but I would still like to be better able to understand the bird-antisemitism connection. Does it apply to specific birds? What kind of bird-like representation causes issue? Would the image of birds flying freely over the sky be considered problematic imagery? Why and how? is it the caged bird that is problematic? Why and how? Is there any possible way that this birdlike imagery can spread into other spaces and cause issue? Should Julian never be given feathered wings, regardless if you're creating a bird image or not? is his bird familiar problematic as well??? this is like telling someone unfamiliar with racism against African-american individuals that cotton is not good to them without telling them about the whole history about slavery and cotton picking, leading them to believe that they just take issue with the material of shirts or something.

I know I probably sound kinda nit-pickey, but I am genuinely curious and would love to avoid making any antisemitic mistakes when including Julian and Portia in my works. I wish to avoid this all the time, of course, but most especially now, as discussion on Palestine has spurred a lot of antisemitism due to the cultural genocide from Israel. And while it's clear that what Israel is doing, it's also clear that not all Jewish individuals support that, even though some news groups or people talking about it frame it as if it is.

Of course I'm open and eager for discussion on the other LIs as well and the intricacies of their problematic representation and how that must be handled corrected or re-framed, especially since in the early more.... hostile days of this fandom, I tended to stick to Muriel's route since I hadn't played the other routes in a while/all the way through so I'm a little unaware of all the other characters' misrepresentations (so if you're mentioning Muriel I probably have heard about and considered that one before—this man does not leave my brain lmao)

I can see the possible issues on Nadia being constantly represented as domineering failing to recognize softness in her (which I belive, though correct me if I'm wroing, is about dark skinned women being seen as violent and tough instead of soft or kind), and Asra being represented through Orientalism (mystic, but lesser other with messy foreign traditionalistic magic that must be corrected through the western logic and science—this partly originated in ancient greece so not entirely western as in America)

But yeah, I'm just really curious about it, cause my initial search only brought up news articles about people apologizing for being antisemitic, or the history of antisemitism. Rather than some of the various possible forms of antisemitism or it's possible relation to birds.

[seehowsupplethespineis]

I HAVE MET THEM! I HAVE OFFICIALLY MET PETER CULLEN AND FRANK WELKER! I AM GOING TO TYPE OUT EVERYTHING I CAN REMEMBER EVEN THOUGH I AM EXHAUSTED BECAUSE THE PUBLIC MUST KNOW OF THEIR GREATNESS!

I waited in line for three hours and it was hot and stuffy but WORTH IT because I freaking MET THEM and they are ABSOLUTELY THE BEST!!!

Okay, okay, first of all, the second I turned the corner into the autograph room and saw them, I thought I would explode. I was bouncing and flapping my hands and just generally annoying the people around me but I did not care! The autograph session was only supposed to last until 3:30, but one of the staff members announced that Cullen and Welker had decided to book a later flight. Welker stood up and held his hands out saying “It’s okay! We are here to stay!” Everyone cheered.

When it was finally my turn, I could barely think straight. Cullen came first and asked, “What have we here?” in an Ironhide voice, so obviously it took me a moment to respond because I was geeking out so hard. I handed him my Best of Optimus Prime comic and asked him to make it out to me. I even said “Thank you, Mr. Cullen,” because I’m awkward like that. He looked at the cover and said “How about right across the mask, huh? In red!” and I just went “Yeaaahhhh!” and he signed it. Of course, he bid me farewell with a “Roll out!” and I remembered I wanted to wish him a happy belated birthday, so I did. He was very pleased that I’d remembered and gave me an enthusiastic “Thank you!”

Then I met Welker! Just like Cullen, he was super friendly and when I handed him my Best of Megatron comic, he was very intrigued. He even briefly flipped through it and showed it to the staff member beside him. When he eventually signed it, I expected him to just write his name and my name, but he also wrote a little “Megatron!” in the corner, which was absolutely incredible. I thanked him and he replied with “Thank you, young man!” He didn’t do any voice acting for me, but I watched him do his Scooby-Doo voice for some kiddos, who loved it almost as much as I did.

I had to pass by Peter Cullen on my way out, so I again thanked him and he waved. When I was back in the lobby, I was literally shaking all over. I couldn’t even get the comics back in their protective bags and had to ask someone else to do it. Cullen and Welker were literally everything I’d hoped for. They were kind and welcoming and so excited to meet their fans. I’d expected as much, given how they behave in the panels and interviews I’ve watched online, but I honestly wasn’t prepared for just how humble they are. They even posed for pictures even though the photo shoot session ended hours ago and they weren’t getting paid for it. They are truly the embodiment of “I’m just happy to be here!” and I love it.

I still can’t believe I actually got to meet them. I don’t know if I’ll ever recover. Probably not.

[thelostandforgottenangel]

Nightmare AU: Part 1 - Escaping the Ward

@under-the-scarlet-reign88 @fyreball66 @betelgeusessonajblog @blossom-skies @narwals14 @bluesakurablossom​ @kokokatsworld​ @midnightrebel669​ @lonelyheart-clubband​ @missbeautyandherbeast​​ @midnight-chocolate-turtle​​ @myheyheyheystuff​ @nikitaboeve​​ @mistyroselove​​ @waterstar2016​​ @nights-legacy​​ @janna-the-breaker​​ @missmagellanic​​ @darksaphire2002​​ @aurora-the-kunoichi​​ @moonlightflower21​​ @queendice98​​ @infintyfandoms @ravn-87​​ @bmntgirl​​ @vixie-chan233 

I will apologize ahead of time! My dreams are very fucked up sometimes and well - this might be a bit jumpy or unclear but for typing it in the middle of a panic attack after finally waking up from this I am just happy I survived this dream *Sighs* It was a bit traumatic so everyone enjoy

Also sorry it took forever for me to post kinda took forever to locate the folder a moved by accident with trying to keep up with kids

Place: New York City, Sack's Institute, Lab D6

Time: 5 a.m.

The small girl looked out past the corner before slipping out into the empty hallway, trying hard to be quiet so as not to draw attention to her. 

A grimy duffle bag was kept tucked under one arm and cradled close to her body while making several soothing sounds under every breath she took to keep her precious cargo quiet as she cried for the loss hanging heavily on her heart

If they wanted to live to see freedom, if she wanted to give the babies a chance to see something besides stone walls and bars the young girl would not be able to break down 

She did not have time or the privilege to stop just yet; her mourning had to be pushed to the back burner.

Still, the tears fell in silent streams while sneaking down the destroyed hallways of the only place she had ever known as home.

After what felt like an eternity of tests that had been run on her exhausted body the night before, she realized there was no more time to waste 

As night had fallen across the city none of them could sleep knowing something was wrong; the atmosphere in the building was wrong. The screams echoing down the halls had each of them nervous to close their eyes even for a moment.

The younger three finally took comfort she would stay awake curled up on her lap as she bounced the babies waited patiently until all the kids were asleep.

Gradually getting to her feet once she was confident the kids were out cold and safe in their nest, the small female turned to slip out through the wall at the back. 

Sneaking around outside wasn't too hard since it seemed quiet tonight, sticking to the dark cast onto the ground of the storm clouded morning until she finally made it to the garage.

There were no guards posted near the yard this early; most were probably at the meeting for the new specimen she had been hearing whispers about for days from the guards meaning she had a lucky break while starting the closest vehicle

It was a slight struggle figuring out how to get it to move but did what she could remember seeing the guards; finally backing one of the trucks just off the edge of the cameras after hitting the building and rolling forward once more, giving only enough room they could get in without being noticed

Now her plot was in motion; she was going to get away from this place if it was the last thing she did. 

Having been here for a few years after her family had sold her into the endless lapse of torture and testing they ran daily were more then enough motivation to make anyone want to run, and if she was going; there was no way she was leaving this place empty-handed

The girl was planning on getting out as many subjects as she could; once she was sure it was safe, she had ducked back under the overgrowth, squeezing through the hole that led outside from their cell only to find when she got through the hidden shaft the kids were gone from their nest 

They had been there when she left, now she worried they were hurting them and rushed out the now open cells to find the babies, not caring for her own life once she was out the cell door.

Entering the silent intersecting hallway made it very clear this was not a typical day within the prison.

The building she had known as her home was in ruins.

Paper files and the medical carts had been thrown about in whatever had ripped throughs rampage.

Noticing too late red gore pooled around the bodies that were being left in whatever had gotten outs murderous path, almost tripping over one as the lights flickered.

 On any other day, there would have been screams of pain from the experiments, the low buzzing of those awful machines; instead, dead silence had thickened the air so much oxygen no longer seemed to exist around her

The closer she got to the labs, the more blood seemed to be smeared over the walls or splattered across the floor from the victims that had tried to run, making it clear whatever had done this found her it had no humanity left and; if located she would be joining the dead at her feet

That only narrowed the list to everything in the building over the age of ten. No big deal!

She finally heard something but not what she wanted; the screech of a terrified woman in front of her made the girl dropped down behind a wall breathing slow as she pressed herself flat just wanting to absorb into the wall as whoever it was bolted past her only seconds later yelling for help, a large black silhouette followed and seemed to be gaining until the screams were cut off

Something akin to fear kept her there until she forced herself to take a breath before pushing her body up - then kept running, praying whatever it was did not hear her leave.

After being sure nothing was there inside the laboratory where she had been tortured since day one stepping forward inspecting the area before getting to the cages. 

This was still done in complete silence, hurriedly searching in a panic, pleading to an unearthly entity willing to listen to the discarded pleas that she was not too late before relief hit her

A sweet little face was at the front of one cage almost instantly “Daenery!” the smiling face through the bars was a welcome sight even as the girl rolled her eyes at the nickname the children had given her 

Since the subject tags were what they were known as she grew used to it, but in secret, they had given each other names to not become like the forgotten. 

It was a way to remember one another if they died-

The thin boy was squinting to see her better as soon as she grabbed his hand that reached between the bars, she knew even though they had messed up his eyes to the point he was close to being completely blind, the boy was still scanning the area watching her back

The mutant held tight to her arm as she jerked the door 

breaking the wrecked joints that looked to have barely held up to whatever was trying to get in after him.

He scrambled out the second she had it open, wrapping the little boy in a tight hug; her voice stayed low promising him it was going to be okay when she saw how scared he was.

He was a few years younger then her and still knew not to make any noise when usually, he was a chatterbox if scared or nervous but in the labs; they had never heard him speak once, their captors thinking the child was mute like a few of the other kids

They had two options here, and even at this age they both knew it was either: they got caught and locked back up in the cells or they would be killed 

Neither was an option.

His big honey brown eyes had started to look around them when she handed him his broken goggles to better his vision but blocked him from looking with her hands whispering under her breath so softly she was not sure he heard her “Eyes stay here – do not look away from me no matter what understand brainiac?” she waited until he finally nodded holding tight to her baggy shirt with his thin fingers while searching holding him close to keep the boy from seeing what she could

It took some time, but eventually, she found another cage still closed with a small form inside lying in a motionless heap with his back to her as she forced the grate open, snapping the lock then reaching in to flip him over; the girl started patting his sliced cheek even if it did her no good

The second boy was a bit bigger then the child she had just freed but still relatively small and looked to be heavily sedated; indicating when they came to take all of the children, he had put up a hell of a fight “Hey hothead… come on, I got you kiddo” the dulled golden eyes shifted a bit just to looked through her, she gathering him up in her arms whispering he would be okay a third child crawled into her view wondering if he had been on the tables when everything went down; like usual he just seemed way too calm “Fearless… oh thank god” happy to see him alive, both hugged him tight for a long moment; finally feeling him squeezing back when it dawned on the kid who was holding him

The third oldest tried to tell her what had happened, how the guards had come in to find she was gone then attempted to take them before she returned thinking one of the night guards had grabbed her but was silenced as she waved her hand consoling him quietly to sound hopeful that it was almost over

She could hear something outside looking up at the same time as the eldest boy grabbing them and pulling the three to hide until the noises were gone.

Her heart was heavy in only locating three of the seven lives she had been assigned no matter how much the girl searched the destroyed lab; knowing they were the last of fifty kids who had been punished for not raising to the expectation of the bosses at the final evaluation seeing the other cages were empty or had been ripped open violently

The only evidence someone had been in there were a few claw marks and streaks with blood.

They might be all that was left-

The last cage on the wall held a small baby – one of the two she had been searching for was long expired after what they had done while she wasn't there to protect the children, the guilt reduced the young girl into a sobbing mess

Gathering the children in the broken state took a minute while trying to pull herself together, hard as it was; there was nothing she could do for her baby sister except keep her promise; carefully wrapping the tiny body in a cloth forming a sling to tie the bundle to her

With the help of both boy's she got the second child upon her back, he was almost too heavy for her to carry they would never get anywhere dragging him down the halls "Stay close and no sounds" she got two slow nods before heading down the corridor hurrying past the breeding room hearing screams from within as something ripped through the room

Reaching the main floor for the building; they all skid to a stop when the girl held up one hand, at first it was just an uneasy feeling until heavy footsteps could be heard coming from somewhere in front of them, immediately pushing both behind the welcome desk before it saw them 

Kneeling to the ground; she somehow managed to keep the two boys focus on her as she waited for it to leave 

A deep growl shook the air right behind them almost pulling a whimper from the youngest before her hand was over his mouth, drawing him close as the other kid shifted silently to protect his back, just waiting until it either found them or took off in the direction they had just come from each of them letting out a shaky sigh when it did the latter moments later grabbing both making a run for it before anything else stumbled across the group

They could not stop moving even if when the thinner male started breathing hard, fighting to keep up as his body started to give in to exhaustion.

Realizing he could no longer keep up made the oldest stop checking for danger as he took him on his back then kept running, staying on her heels the best he could.

She swore she smiled upon getting them to the safe room unseen and undetected handing the keycard she stole off so they could all run in without being seen locking the door behind them 

As soon as she had covered up the boys with a blanket and placed the baby in a small crate, she pleaded for them to stay on the couch and rest; finding a first aid kit she started cleaning the deep cuts that now marred the second boys face, bandaging it to keep any infections from forming

Waiting would be hard; but once the sky grew dark enough for them to get out unseen she would tell them to run for it, there would be no looking back; they would have to be fast and keep going even if they lost someone

Leaving would mean getting out of the city for good and being they could probably not survive for long without food given they made it out - she had to find sustenance to hold them until they reached a safe place to stop

After dumping out boxes to carry everything in she started to gather supplies to run them; breaking the vending machines open, stuffing any food or drinks in sacks and boxes while feeding the kids at the same time letting them indulge in the sweets they were never allowed to have, placing each container close to the door to be taken out 

She felt a slight tug on her gown as she let a few tears fall for her babies looking over to find Leo at her side nuzzling her cheek as she cracked the tiniest bit; that was when the eldest told her the fate of the youngest boy, how they had left his in the far cell as bait after taking the rest of them

They had put one of her babies out there unprotected to draw away the creatures to save their hides even though it looked to have not worked in their favor.

There was no thinking it through, yes it was a stupid move but she just knew he was still alive; leaving him in-charge she made sure they understood that they were not to move from that room before the girl slipped out from the sanctuary of the break room making sure the door latched before taking off towards the cells 

That was the only reason she was out there now- 

If there was even a small chance he was still alive; she had to save him 

Every little sound had her paranoid jumping at anything

Turning one corner only to dropping back instantly, she slipped under a desk as someone came running down the hallway holding her breath when something followed them seconds later, hearing the horrid screams and crunch of braking bones left her trembling and not moving until she was sure it was safe

when she finally crawled back out she had to avoid stepping in the fresh streaks of blood heading back in the direction it had come being so quiet when she noticed it was feeding in the open

They were multiplying in numbers from the looks of things making it harder to not worry she would never make it to the cell or back for the others

She took a slow deep breath waiting until it was distracted before shooting across her steps inaudible as she bolted silently getting down the next hall in no time, her hands shaking when she ducked into the cage just before something passed staying there for what felt like a lifetime hearing it slow then continue on its way, slipping out she went to the furthest enclosure seeing the puddles of blood on the floor 

She was near screaming when she saw a something move in one tiny nest; shooting forward she found the small curled up bundle safe and sleeping soundly under several blankets where they must have left him as if nothing was wrong, gathering him close to her chest she started kissing his cheeks whispering so softly as he yawned then dosed right back off ever the heavy sleeper as always “I’m sorry – I am sorry I didn’t find you sooner Sunshine – but it's okay now I- I’m going to get you out of here”

She may have been too late to save her six-month-old baby sister but she had managed to get to him; finding her bag where she left it she noiselessly dumping out the collection of treasures that it held before making a nest with a blanket placing the four-year-old inside with his torn up bear somewhat happy he was so small even for his age zipping it up leaving a tiny opening to let air in and out before heading down the passageways  

The darkness could hide anything and everything in that moment her body staying low to the floor as a growling came from the left stopping only long enough to be sure it wasn’t coming in her direction before peeking around the corner seeing the figure was halfway inside the room towards the middle of the offices bolting immediately careful to avoid any small objects that could give away the child’s presence 

All the training they put her through; all of them through didn’t seem like much of a burden now, even if the overseers had nearly killed her and the kids each day until they knew each and every torturous lesson by heart

The shadows were her friends, never trust anyone besides the ones in your group, protect the young at all cost, the silence of mouth and body was the key to living, and you screw up once no matter how small; you died-

If only the grown-ups had learned those lessons, they might have survived the attack

Her pale ice blue eyes searching everywhere unsure if anything else had escaped when the cells opened after the alarms started moments after entering her cell; as she made it to the halfway point all the girl was praying for was the slayers were still in the runs out on the yard and not roaming free looking for an easy meal

It was a bit of a journey, but relief flooded her body upon finally making it to the door when she heard a whimpered cry. 

Being locked up there; experiments were trained to not have fear raised to not know safety or the luxury of a secure home yet fear still welled up thinking the tiny life she had grabbed from enclosures was waking up immediately she started to make the soothing sounds again as she peaked in only to realize it wasn’t the child she had just saved 

He was gone to the world - probably dreaming some kind of sweet innocent imagination with kittens and candy in a field of flowers and stuffed animals

Looking to the left as the sound came again she saw her friend Arya cowering down a hallway waving her to hurry and follow her but the girl wouldn’t move leaned on the wall as if something was keeping her cornered

Arya wasn’t one to cower she wasn’t afraid of anything or anyone; coming from a powerful family who ran part of the city after leaving India at one point, she had been raised to be completely independent, of course, that had been before the chemical attack 

She was from money so the woman always dressed nicely; lots of colorful fabrics to her intricate silk dresses, golden chains, and jewelry adorned her hands, her long black hair shined it seemed no matter how little light and her honey tanned skin was something to marvel at coming from somebody who rarely saw the light of day other then through the bars of a small window if she could climb high enough

She had worked there for a little over a year as an apprentice under the superior but was still a kid for being sixteen; sometimes, on her breaks between the experiments, she had come to the containment cells to play with the babies and give food to the caregivers who were never old enough to request simple supplies from the guards but considered mature enough to care for the younger collections

Better than being a breeder, way better than being one of the carriers in any book

She had to be the strongest woman she had ever met yet right then - she looked petrified, her eyes darting from side to side like she didn’t see the small figure, slowly weighing the options and looked behind her being sure nobody had found them the girl slowly left the door her fingers brushing its smooth cold surface scurrying fast towards the woman something in her gut telling her this was wrong but she needed to get to her

She might be the only one who could get her out with the set she had gathered 

She called out under her breath continuing to remain hidden until she could tell the coast was clear, slowly inching out into the light calling out again a bit louder gaining the woman’s attention but when she looked at her she saw something wasn’t right in her eyes swallowing hard as dread settle in her gut knowing she had just ignored several of the rules that had been beaten into her system for years

The woman’s body drooped as she stood up when the girl stumbled back before a small smile lifted the pale lips of her friend, the brown eyes shifted to white and her tan skin took on a sickly gray color as she screeched out a horrid wail

She was a carrier- they had gotten her like all the others

Spinning on her heels the child rushed back down the hall as fast as she could; hearing the thing behind her closing in she made the next mistake of looking back and seeing it was getting closer, realizing now she would never make it to that door but knowing the boys were in there waiting for her screamed she had to unless she wanted them to die right here 

Reaching for her hip she grabbed the heavy firearm she had stolen from one of the guards bodies when she had entered the building through the vent hatch 

Having only wielded one in tactical training she had seen it used on many of the older test subjects that had gotten out of hand if they survived the slayers in the hunting grounds and knew if used right it could hurt anything-

It could kill if needed. 

The young girl didn’t even hesitate when she turned to pull the trigger shooting what used to be Arya between the eyes seeing her friend hit the floor motionless 

Panting and shaking she only turned as she heard the howling bouncing off the walls getting to the door as the body started after her again having gotten on its feet 

The door lock disengaged with the swipe of the keycard slamming the door fast behind her before two heavyweights slammed into it before looking down into her duffle as something squirmed around

The youngest of the boys gave a small cry making her shush him while laughing to herself unable at that moment to believe she had just outrun two creatures while turning to check on the older three before seeing several scientists in the room – and her kids gone 

The gun was loaded and aimed before they could move; growling under her breath not letting them close to her “WHERE ARE THEY!?!” one of the males had started towards her before she fired

It was at this moment she found a fun fact and untold part of the humans who kept them as guinea pigs, they didn’t get up when she shot them, an intern that had hurt her several times tried to grab her having been standing behind by the wall but he didn’t count on her strength

The men never did when it came to her small stature but add in her protective mommy gene of the kid's she loved she threw him to the floor showing no mercy in putting him down hence leaving an older woman and two girls who had to be in their early adultage standing closer to the walls, looking around her wild eyes landed on the three trembling boys along with an older male she had never seen in her time there but it was clear he had been made a pet

Only the higher-ups were allowed to have them

The guy defiantly looked older and was quite clearly not entirely human given the larger size, the white hair, coal-black eyes, and the twitch of furry ears also gave her a clue; also meaning he had to be 

significant if he had not been killed when he reached of age, like most mutants, once you hit the rebellious stage; you were put down for their entertainment unless you were useful 

and usually, that usefulness wasn’t held for long

Being the only one with a gun gave her the upper hand moving forward two of the women in lab coats moved huddling to the side as she checked the kids over; the second oldest was now awake and very much aware of his surroundings growling at the women his nose bleeding from being struck but had stayed protectively in front of the other two boys

Jillian; or rather the blood queen as she had heard the older woman called by the older experiments was somebody the girl knew well and probably the one who had hit the growling boy seeing as his wild eyes hadn’t left her, the wife to one of the higher-ups she had tormented her many times in the darkroom and it was clear by her stance she still thought she had control over the subjects ordering the small girl to give her the weapon

All it got was her holding it higher as the boys pulled the baby from her bag keeping the youngest protectively in the middle of them as the girl drew back the slide; not wavering in her stance to keep her away until she backed down not too happy a freak was defying her orders

She didn’t show it but she was freaking out knowing there was no way to safely get out with the woman and her assistants in the way; going out that door would possibly result in one of them probably shutting her out either without the supplies or the kids, they couldn’t go back the other way without being ripped limb from limb 

Slowly reaching down, she set to undoing the collar around the teenager's neck hoping he wasn’t loyal to the woman; letting it drop to the smooth tiles giving him a small reassuring look before she was tending to the kids once more

Her hand was instantly lifting the darkest of the fours little chin looking him over, taking notice he was going to have a black eye; ripping her tattered gown the girl took great care in gently wiping the blood from his cut face, her cold hands cradling his cheek looking up to see the hard gaze he was giving her, it only made a smile break the corner of her lips knowing the look was not for him being angry towards her it was just the only expression he knew at this age 

This life hadn’t shown him how to smile but getting out had the hopes of that changing soon

Kissing his head the younger mutant shifted nuzzled into her arms, clinging tightly to the female; something he never did around the others nestling into her soft chest while mumbling roughly under his breath they thought she was dead, his voice was so low she was the only one who heard it making reassurances spew from her lips

She wouldn’t die when they needed her

She had to get them out of there and soon this place wasn’t safe at all looking back seeing one of the women knowing she was much kinder when nobody was around understanding kindness wasn’t accepted in this world but it made them trust her a bit more then they were comfortable with 

She had been nuzzling the boys assuring them it was all going to be okay when the male growled threateningly, attempting to push her behind him only to yelp as he was struck with a long stick being rectified for daring to snarl at his master, the girl stiffened pushing the kids back as the elder grabbed her by the hair yanking her away from them trying to grasp for the weapon

The pained cry that left the girl as she tried to escape resulted in the older woman getting her hand cut by the quiet boy looking over finding something she had not seen until now, yet he had to have been holding it the whole time 

A scalpel with a towel wrapped around the broken end he was clutching in his grasp; going for the most damage to make the woman drop their guardian 

the stick she had been clutching swiped at him catching him across the eye hearing the quiet boy yell out in pain; lowering to the ground holding his face as the teen yanked him back a bit too late

The distraction gave the young girl a chance to move even as she was almost grabbed again, feeling the hand tangling in her hair as she started to fall back made her lift the heavy pistol firing without ever looking up than hearing the pained scream as the boys grabbed onto her

The evil woman went down her leg bleeding from the bullet wound, but before another sound could leave her lips the wolf kid was on her; his now sharpened fangs sunk into her open neck, snarling like a wild animal ripping into pray as she screeched for help making the girl scramble keeping the boys from looking as he tore into his master staying over her until the woman stopped moving permanently 

The cold black eyes slowly came up until they were on the silver-haired girl as blood marred his jaws dripping to the floor in thick streams from his now soaked face; none of the children moved as she pushed them behind her when he moved forward, her breath gone from her lungs realizing what she hadn’t before losing her grip on the gun as her hands shook finding a small hand clutching hers the second the metal hit the floor

He was part slayer 

The male sat back down where he had been before not even remotely phased by his actions or bothered by her sudden fear of him leaning in he started nudging her shoulder much like a dog wanting pets and licking her cheek but didn’t speak as he leaned on her making her swallow down the terror gently placing her hand on his head rubbing behind his ears before looking back as the baby boy crawled over them to lay in the males lap giggling as he played with the fluffy tail that wrapped around his hip

If the youngest trusted him it was a sign they could relax her little sunshine had a great choice of characters but she was still on edge; having never been this close to one of the executioners and not almost been ripped apart picking up a shredded cloth she had dropped cleaning his face as he laid his head in her hands licking at her fingers 

Both of the women still standing there looked pale, the blond must have been new and not used to the carnage or had to be a lab tech in the lower building floors, but the other knew; she had seen it been forced to watch it as the young ones were tortured or killed during experiments moving slowly towards the door looking in the two heavily stocked creates of any food the female child could find her eyes lingering on the tiny bundle before starting towards the kids 

The gun barely stop her from approaching as she kneeled carefully pushing it to the side; shushing them as she looked over the six lives knowing what needed to be done before glancing at the other woman making up her mind “We have to go – run as far as we can before that door gives” 

“We will never make it out of the city on foot! Beth; that is suicide we’ll be killed-” the other woman tried to speak up but was quickly silenced as her colleague got to her feet 

Running over to the cabinets unlocking them with her key and pulling everything out “Chelsea; if we stay here we will die either by whatever they unleashed from the lab in that meeting or the boss when he realizes they escaped – I really don’t want to die..." placing it all on the counters in front of her; tossing the boxes on the floor after accumulating anything of use making smaller care packs that would reduce their load then stuffing it in a backpack after pulling out a change of clothes instructing the girl to put them on "Look we get the kids out, nobody will know it was us Everyone here is dead, we aren’t on the clock… we can finally get away from here and away from him-”

Weighing the options for a second longer realizing her friend was right again; the blond finally nodded moving over towards the huddled up kids giving them the blankets and picking up the duffle before helping the other woman pack up medical supplies, stuffing both of their computers in her side pack grabbing anything worth taking including the deceased woman's bag before sneaking over to the door barely pushing it open to look out noticing the outside was clear and that a vehicle was right there 

“We need to get all of this in the truck – Kids go last” the risk of going out now was higher given it was still light out but since she had parked the truck almost against the building it was going to be easy to load the stuff without being seen

“Beth – what if they got outside?”

That had been the whole reason for waiting until nightfall for the girl; in the darkness, she could hide easily but in daylight, she had no chance in hell “We have to take that risk – look just pop one door carefully, it will block you from being seen by the yard the metal door will cover your other side” once the supplies were ready to go the other woman was there helping climbing in the back she pulled it in further as Chelsea placed it in the van peaking around the door whenever she heard a noise being sure nobody had arrived to clear the building before finally placing the last create inside the back “Get the kids I’ll start the engine”

Looking behind her she noticed the kids waiting together; the girl keeping them in front of her after bandaging up the wound over the oldest mutants eye grateful it was just a fleshwound as the teenage boy staying a few feet back watching the metal door tensely; the youngest was clinging onto the eldest boy who scooped him up once she was waving him forward picking both up with ease pointing for him to get in a seat 

The girl shooed the other two forward just as something hit the door behind them hard, bending the metal in almost too easily the teen pushing them forward fast to load the kids in quicker

The youngest female crawled forward when she was shoved inside the van roughly, getting the kids strapped in after placing the cardboard casket beside her before hearing a feral snarl near the back looking out the tinted window seeing a huge fur-covered form before panic filled the woman’s face when a large clawed hand grabbed the side of the door trying to force it forward as she held it tight crying out in fear

“Get her in now!” she moved to help just as the teenager went to pull the woman inside only to see her yanked from his grasp and ripped under the side door having to grab him so he wouldn’t be pulled out too.

The agonizing screams as she begged for help echoed around them before hearing the slayer ripping into her, cringing at the gut-twisting sounds the wolf boy slammed the door before whatever was outside could come back just as the metal door in the room came crashing inward

A horrid screech shook the air before something smashed into the back door yelling for the woman Beth to drive before the truck was peeling out of the institution.

None of them dared to look back, keeping their heads down as she crashed through the gates speeding away from their prison into the barren streets rushing to now escape New York. 

She looked to the kids who instantly reached for her as sunlight flashed into the cab, her eyes momentarily closing from not being used to the brightness that met them.

When she looked back up the half slayer boy was crawling forward. favoring his right arm that was bleeding from several deep scratch marks

Ultimately he had managed to tear his eyes from the massacre on the streets; it was made clear the creatures had gotten out into the city.

She tried to shift going to assess his wounds yet he just curled into her lap as she sat on the floor between the seats so she could see each of the boys.

The last thing she remembered was warmth surrounding her as she leaned on a seat, instantly too tired to hold her head up any longer, then feeling one of the kids petting her hair as passing out

  Let me know what you think and when posted Part two will fill in the blanks and introduce you to the new creepy world!

[pristinepastel]

yay! finally updated again, sheesh. in this i gain some sidekicks! and we learn that in the fade, there is no language.

Chapter 9: A Brief Intensity Surrounded by Repose

As soon as I notice the fact I haven’t dreamed yet since I got here, I poof into the fade. Not like how most people dream in the fade- No, this looks more like how the fade shows up in origins with the Sloth demon. Basically, I’m in the remains of half of my bedroom back in my dorm. Very uncanny valley. Very fallout-like, even. Wonder what ohio looks like in that series? Maybe it’s an area you can travel to in fallout 76. I mean, West Virginia is pretty close, right? I think.

I see a glimmer out of the corner of my eye. I turn, and see a small sparkly cloud. Ooh, is that a wisp? It’s a purple one! Very nice. Hello friend!

It shifts into a slightly different shape, I think that’s how it waves at people! Cute! It zips around a bit, then stops, hovering in front of one of the plushies on my bed.

“Curious? That’s Cayde holding Colonel the chicken. they’re good people.” It floats around over my be, settling on top of a cat plushie. Awww. Adorable, but I kind of miss Molly now-

There’s a rubbing sensation around my leg. I look down-

Oh my goddess it’s a cat-shaped spirit. Oh goddess I could cry. This place is amazing.

Ok ok, calm down. Don’t get too excited. Don’t want to draw too much attention. I pick up the cat-spirit, and sit on my bed with them on my lap. Alright, so I can dream here, That’s good! Some people come here without the ability to enter the fade. This gives me a place where I can sit and actually think without any interruptions. Wonder if I can walk between dreams..? Eh, I’m alright where I am actually. I don’t really want to risk that sort of thing. I mean, sure that’d be cool, but I’m not really good at... exploring in unfamiliar places without getting really anxious and panicky. And on the fade, that hurts more than just me. I pet the cat-spirit friend, whose name I don’t know yet.

Hmmm... I wonder. I get the feeling it was my inner voice that drew the wisp and cat spirit here, but I wonder if I can give them other cool things too, like... music maybe? Hm. What should it be? Don’t want to go too intense or morbid with the first one, and it should be one I know pretty well already. I don’t want to sing actual foreign lyrics that I can’t remember correctly without having the information on my phone. So. Hearse song, Walk On Water, and Yoi Yoi Kokon at off the table for now. Last one is a bit too fast for me anyway. Maybe... Hallelujah? But which one? I can go with the Leanord Cohen one, or the one Brendon Urie wrote. To be honest when I saw that title for a Panic! At the Disco song I assumed it was another cover of the first one, but no it just has the same name. ... If someone I know actually walks in on this, I think it’s better if it’s the first one. I really don’t want him to get the wrong idea about me.

How does it start again? Oh right.

“Now I've heard there was a secret chord

That David played, and it pleased the Lord

But you don't really care for music, do you?” The wisp seems interested, and Cat starts purring. Approval! Good.

“It goes like this, the fourth, the fifth

The minor fall, the major lift

The baffled king composing Hallelujah~” I make sure to keep my eyes part way open during the chorus. I don’t want to get startled if more people show up.

“Your faith was strong but you needed proof

You saw her bathing on the roof

Her beauty and the moonlight overthrew you

She tied you to a kitchen chair

She broke your throne, and she cut your hair

And from your lips she drew the Hallelujah~”

No Solas yet, but there are a few silhouettes creeping in around the edge of my room near my desktop.

“You say I took the name in vain

I don't even know the name

But if I did—well, really—what's it to you?

There's a blaze of light in every word

It doesn't matter which you heard

The holy or the broken Hallelujah~”

Cat is really calming to pet. Like a chinchilla, with more fur than a cat actually has in real life but I don’t mind, they’re trying their best to be a cat.

This next part is probably the most important one, so it’s good that I can kind of sense the spirits reacting to him being nearby. I’m pretty sure that’s who they see, anyway. They’re kind of parting to make room, and looking back.

“I did my best, it wasn't much

I couldn't feel, so I tried to touch

I've told the truth, I didn't come to fool you

And even though it all went wrong

I'll stand before the Lord of Song

With nothing on my tongue but Hallelujah...”

Yep, there he is. I finish up the final chorus, then wave.

“Solas!”

“Making friends, I see.” Woah, I can understand him! This is great! I was worried about how I could talk to him without making Shiloh involved.

“Yeah, these two showed up when I first got here! They’re adorable, right?”

He seems a little surprised by my response, but recovers quickly with a raised eyebrow. I can’t tell if he’s surprised I could understand him, or by my... unique personality.

“Most wouldn’t describe them as such. You aren’t suspicious of them?”

“No, not really. They’re just curious after all- As far as I’m aware, they haven’t seen anything like me or my room before. I don’t blame them, if I’d never seen a computer before I’d be confused too.”

“... I’ll admit to some curiosity myself. A... computer?”

“The black square thing on that desk over there.” I point to the other side of the room, across from where I’m sitting on the bed. Huh. “You’re not asking about how I know they’ve never seen anyone like me before?”

He turns back to me after inspecting my desk. “I didn’t expect you to answer.”

“Why not? I don’t mind. I already told the others- or... tried to tell them I had information to share. Go ahead and ask!”

He looks at me perplexed. “You’re certain? Why share personal information with someone you know so little?”

Time to store the pot a bit, I guess. “First of all, that’s how meeting people goes, isn’t it? Everyone’s a stranger at first. Then you exchange tidbits about each other to get to know people. Then those tidbits get bigger and more important until you can say you really know someone. Second, I already know quite a bit about you guys, so. It’s only fair, right?”

He narrows his eyes. He took the hint, I think. “... Is that so? How, exactly, do you know me- us- so well?”

“I have some prior knowledge about what’s going to happen. I kind of want to wait until everyone’s in the loop to share it all though, if that’s ok. It’s only fair, if it involves everyone, right? Suffice to say, I like you guys and I want to make sure everything ends up in a good way.”

“How do you classify ‘a good way’ in this case? There’s a hole in the sky. Is the best case for you the closing of the breach?”

“It doesn’t end there, but that’s definitely part of it.” I snort. “I know you’re trying to find out how much I know. I don’t intend to share secrets without the express permission of the person who they’re owned by, unless that person is an irredeemable ass waffle, in which case I really couldn’t give less of a shit what the striped stockings corpse man thinks.”

He raises an eyebrow. “... Striped stockings corpse man?”

“The Elder One. The guy who probably brought me here in the first place. And before you ask if I think I’m here through some divine will slash ‘providence’ as Cassandra puts it, I don’t know. I’m keeping my options open, I guess. Just because Corypheus brought me here directly doesn’t mean no one guided that to happen indirectly, you know?”

I can’t read that expression. “You aren’t andrastian, I take it?”

Snrk. “Hells, no. I’m not a member of any organized religion to be honest. At least, I’m not part of any widely recognized group or church. You could say I’m agnostic. I believe figures did or do exist, but I have no reason to believe any of them are solely in charge, or that any of them aren’t the same people.” I pause to take a breath. I probably don’t need to though, this is a dream. “But... I am a witch. I do have one entity I kind of... ‘follow’, I guess. It’s more of a partnership than a worship thing though.”

“And what entity is that?” At this point, he sits on my desk chair. He gets a little startled when the chair moves a bit more than he expected, and I giggle. No one here has experienced chairs with wheels, I guess.

“Where I’m from, she’s called Baba Yaga. She’s more of a mythical creature than a goddess, a lot of people call her a witch of the wilds. She shows up in a lot of old legends and tales as a character with various names, who either tries to trick or teach the hero lessons, kind of a trickster. It’s not just in one culture either, a lot of places have similar stories just with different names.”

“Speaking of culture, you seem rather out of place here. Where are you from, beyond the sea?”

“To be honest, I have no clue if that’s true or not. Where I’m from, people have already found at least 90% of the land of the world. The only places we haven’t looked are under the oceans and past the stars.”

“That far? Your people sound well travelled.” He sounds intrigued.

“I guess? But to be honest, it’s not really a ‘my people’ sort of accomplishment. We have various cultures back home who discovered places mine hadn’t. And it’s not exactly... the process wasn’t exactly peaceful.”

“Oh?”

“I’d assume war is a pretty common thread in many worlds. And empires.” I pet Cat a bit more. “And bigotry. And manifest destiny. Do you guys have a word for manifest destiny?”

“That depends on its definition.”

“People saying they have the right to take whatever they want because their god- who they also claim has ‘chosen them’- says they can.”

“Ah. Yes, that’s happened before.”

“Yeah.” I sigh. What a long and exhausting conversation to have after not being able to have one for a while, sheesh. “That got... a bit heavy. Sorry, I went on a tangent.”

“No worries. The conversation was quite enlightening, in fact.” He stands up from the chair.

Hells, I’m sure it was. Oof. “Hey, before you go- I know the little one next to me is a wisp, but do you have any idea what this one’s name is? I’ve just been calling them Cat and it feels a bit rude.”

“Oh?” He inspects the spirit currently purring on my lap. “It seems to be a young spirit, perhaps recently formed. If I had to guess, I believe it’s a spirit of Repose.”

“Repose? That means calm, right? Fitting!” Hmm. “That’s a pretty formal sounding name for such a young one though. A nickname might be nice. Oooh! Posey! That’s perfect!”

Solas chuckles. “Varric was right. It’s hard to tell your age- you seem older than you should be one moment, then have a moment of childlike innocence the next.”

“Yeah, yeah. I know, I look more like a weird, sick-looking child. My eyebags could hold barrels. But I swear, I am 21. I just have some... mental and physical issues that make me uniquely weird.”

“Such as?”

“Where would I even begin? Besides, I don’t know how long we’ve been here, but I have a feeling it’s almost time to... ‘wake up’?” Wiggle brows.

His expression becomes more serious for a moment, then he sighs. “You’re certainly an odd person, Pristine. Though I suppose you’re right, I will need to wait to learn what you know.” He gives me a narrow-eyed look. “Understand, however. I will learn what you know eventually. And if you intend to endanger-“

“Solas. Dude. You’re getting a little intense here. I literally just said I’ll be telling everyone what I know- so long as I have the permission of the individual it belongs to, unless they’re an asshole like Corypheus. I’m not going around blackmailing people here.”

He’s silent for a moment, as he holds his look. Then he raises an eyebrow. “... You are very sure about this, aren’t you.”

I laugh. “Hells, no! I have some inkling of what I’m doing but specifics of each bit of the plan? Fuck no. Now, is there anything else you wanna ask before I wake up? Cus. If I sleep in, my sleep schedule is going to go back to nocturnal mode and that won’t end well.”

He chuckles, as he stands up. “No. I will leave you be, I’ve intruded in your space long enough tonight. Though, I do have a request.”

“Hm?” I start petting Posey again.

“Tell me more of your world in the future. It makes for an interesting conversation topic.”

I snort again. “Sure. I have no doubt it’s going to be a very popular one in the coming days. Especially from Varric and some others- Oy vey he and Josie are going to be insatiable.”

He nods, and disappears. For a while longer, I relax with Posey and the wisp, humming in relative silence. Other than a few curious spirits who watch from a distance, no one else visits. It’s a pretty satisfying night.

And then I wake up.

———

While I wait for the rest of the inquisition to finish setting everything up, I have time to think about how I’m going to explain myself. Because a lot of other people would, in my place, hold off telling anyone what they know until much later when they think it’s safe, or when the information is forced out of them. In another world, like Naruto for instance, I’d probably do just that. In that world it wouldn’t be safe to share what I know until I’d be sure no one would spread the information around willy-nilly, too many people behind the scenes would eavesdrop, kill me for knowing too much, or try to kidnap me for their own agenda.

Here though, it’s different. I have a filter through Shiloh, who I trust with my entire being, as well as a position of some importance to the inquisition and therefore protection. I trust it’s safe to tell them because they can’t risk losing my mark, and they’ll have to work with me until the breach is sealed at least. There’s also the whole “Herald” thing- while I’m not sure Andraste is the direct reason I’m here, a lot of people here do. It lends some credence to my other-worldly story. If I was sent here by the Maker, who’s to say they didn’t give me prior knowledge of what’s going to happen? And even if they don’t believe me, the events coming up will definitely help me convince them somewhat.

That isn’t to say I’m going to reveal everything I know- I’m not showing what I know about some people to everyone else. I fully believe they should be the ones to tell people themselves, it’s not my place. Also, I want to at least talk to everyone individually at some point- hopefully convincing some of them to change their minds about certain things. Looking at you, Solas.

Of course, there’s also the other inner circle. The characters only I really know back in my world. They’re going to be a bit... tricky. I’ve met Shiloh and Osiria, they’ll be very helpful, and they have similar goals to me. The others- I’ve seen one or two of them around Haven, but I haven’t approached them yet. I know I’ll meet at least two or three of them soon, the Trevelyans usually stick together after all, and Jaimie is going to be important to the Inquisition with her mages. Haven’t seen the Lavellans yet, but they should be ok. In my story, they evacuated the Conclave before it blew up after being warned by Shiloh and set up camp further down the mountain with Cadash. And since Jaimie and her group got the same warning from Shiloh and they made it out, I know Sahrel and Olivia are safe and with Elisa.

Then there’s the Valo-kas. Osiria had left the group before the conclave was even arranged and kept in touch. They weren’t even in the temple before it blew, and they left after rightfully assuming it was too dangerous to stay. We might be able to recruit their help later. I hope so, my Shokrakar and Cassandra are so cute together.

The game’s inner circle will be recruited as normal, of course. I plan to reveal the knowledge I have multiple times as we take them in, repeating what I know is better than keeping some out of the loop, or worse making everyone wait until after the breach is sealed the first time.

Thinking about everyone we’ll be bringing in brings up another point- no not the mage vs templar thing that’s a different point altogether. An important point, but still. I wonder if the fact I have multiple Hawkes and Wardens will change the story at all? I know Gerard would never leave Anders and Fenris behind. And Aahil isn’t one to let Morrigan and their son go so easily. Then there’s Abeera as queen... Oof, my head. This is emotionally tiring me.

The point is moot for now, anyway. I watched Cullen put up the sign on the Chantry door today. I’m going to have to pull my social skills together soon. Time to explain myself.