OTHER WORLDS THAN THESE!
Kin Name: Breathe You In
Preference List: water cat, forest cat, sky cat, bone cat, lion, cheetah, lynx
RP Link or Story: prompt 3

"What do you mean the Flitter ate it?" Breathe You In stared down at the little house cat sized dragon in his hand. The bones painted on his face rippled with the barely disguised anger in his voice, each twitch of his finger making those pained on bones move as well. It was a creepy effect he carefully cultivated. "I told you boss, the Flitter ate your runestone." Breathe took a deep breath, trying to center himself before he thrust the bright blue Flitter at the man.

"Fine you get to watch her, feed her, walk her, and check her scat for my stone." "Drit!" "Precisely. You're going to dig through her drit each and every time she produces any, and you're going to very, VERY carefully make sure my stone isn't in that pile of drit...and when it is you'll clean it off and bring it to me to finish cleaning it up to then purify. It's your fault she ate it, messing with my things like you were. So its your task to retrieve it once it finally passes through her and into her drit otherwise I'm going to feed you to her so you come out as drit. Understood?"

He walked away to the terrified yammering of his helper a migraine building. It was so damned hard to resurrect a good helper these days. Cracking his neck one way then the next, Breathe went back to what he'd been doing, constantly looking over at the reanimated corpse that kept having to steer away from the snapping teeth of the pissed off scaly housecat and the necromancer smirked. Good. Served him right. Let the little shit eat a finger or two off, see if he cared. Plenty more subpar corpses where that one came from, he could get more while he kept looking for a decent one to reanimate. One with more than a meager helping of brains left in it's rotted skull. Honestly.

He went back to sorting through his gear listening to growls of the Flitter, and the yelped cries of the man who was trying not to get his fingers and who knew what else bitten off by sharp teeth, it turning into background noise as he focused, fingers rubbing along runes and gems, a quiet incantation cast and before long the ground rumbled and a skeletal hand emerged, and before long the rest of the body there. With a sigh he waved his hand towards the scene behind him.

"Go help him. He's an idiot. Hopefully you're not. If you are well one of you is going to end up as Flitter drit. Understood?" he watched the newly animated corpse join the first the two trying their best to keep the little dragon contained and he couldn't help the low rumble of laughter watching this. He was still pissed off, rightfully so, if that worms for brains assistant of his hadn't fucked with his gear he wouldn't be here waiting. He needed that particular stone to finish a ritual he was setting up.

(518 words)

OTHER WORLDS THAN THESE!
Kin Name: Chosen One
Preference List: Glow ticket!
RP Link or Story:

He can see the shape of their souls.

When he looks at them, he knows. Their monstrous shadows spilling forth, revealing their teeth and their claws, the grotesque twisted parts of their heart. It’s gratifying to be proven right but his heart still aches.

So much the MotherFather blessed them with and they turned against it so willingly, perverted Her will, rejected her generosity.

He cannot see himself but he knows he remains unchanged in the shadows, a beacon of hope. He is all smiles, reaching out, offering them a place at his side and a solution to all the ills in the world. Together they will cleanse the Swamp and all will be well again.

When they shy away, he knows it’s because they’re too corrupted to accept him and so his smile grows wider.

It’s time for them to die.

OTHER WORLDS THAN THESE!
Kin Name: Light Fury
Preference List: lion, lynx, cheetah
RP Link or Story: Prompt 2

Light Fury shielded her eyes from the bright light and suddenly found herself in a world unlike anything she had ever experienced in the swamp. This time, she was not a kin, wandering through the place she called home; instead, she had taken on a more human-like form. The environment around her was a dreamy, soft romantic setting. A quaint coffee shop, nestled within the heart of a lush, mystical forest, the air filled with the soothing scent of blooming flowers and the distant melody of crickets.

As she looked down at her hands, she marveled at the warmth of her own skin and the dainty fingers that now graced her. Light Fury was dressed in an elegant gown, its fabric shimmering with iridescent colors that seemed to change with every blink. She brushed a strand of her hair away from her face and realized that it was a shade of silver and white, just like the stars twinkling in the night sky above.

Sitting at one of the cozy tables under the outdoor canopy was another figure, a mysterious character who had captivated Light Fury's heart. Their name was whispered through the air by unseen voices – Night Fury. He sat there, bathed in the soft glow of fairy lights hanging from the branches above, sipping on a cup of ethereal, luminescent coffee.

Light Fury's heart fluttered as she approached Night Fury's table. She could feel her emotions, more intense than anything she had ever felt in the swamp. It was a love story in the making, a romance beyond the limitations of their swampy existence.

"May I join you?" she asked, her voice a melodious echo in the forest.

Night Fury looked up, his eyes a shade of deep, emerald green. A warm smile graced his lips, and he gestured to the empty chair. "Please, I've been waiting for you."

They shared stories in this enchanted place. Light Fury and Night Fury discussed their dreams, their hopes, and the magic that seemed to bind them together. The coffee shop's ambiance made their hearts swell with affection, and as they talked, they discovered a deep connection that transcended that of their ordinary existence.

The rain began to fall gently, creating a natural canopy above them. They moved closer, sharing the same shelter as they continued their conversation. Light Fury's heart raced as Night Fury's hand brushed against hers. Their connection was undeniable, a love story that defied the limitations of the swamp.

And just like that, she was staring back at the rock, the other kin, and the doe. Though she couldn't remember the specifics of this world once she returned to the swamp, Light Fury knew that their hearts had touched something extraordinary.

OTHER WORLDS THAN THESE!
Kin Name: Night Fury
Preference List: Lion, Lynx, cheetah
RP Link or Story: Prompt 5

Night Fury, a stoic and enigmatic kin, found himself at the heart of a mysterious and surreal alternate universe. He stood next to the glowing heart-shaped stone, the sole source of illumination in a world shrouded in inky darkness. This place defied all the conventions of the swamp, offering a reality that was both intriguing and disorienting.

As Night Fury gazed around, he realized that all the kin present were little more than indistinct silhouettes, their true forms hidden in the obscurity of this bizarre dimension. It was as if they had stepped into the realm of dreams, where boundaries blurred, and the ordinary gave way to the extraordinary.

Night Fury, typically a slender and sleek figure with his dark, scaled hide and piercing, radiant eyes, now found himself transformed. In this surreal setting, he had taken on a new form. His silhouette was warped, elongated, and monstrous. His once graceful limbs now resembled twisted tendrils of shadow, and his body had contorted into an eerie, monstrous shape.

He was not alone in this transformation. Other kin had also changed in this strange world. Some of them had become nightmarish creatures, monstrous and unrecognizable. Others had taken on the guise of animals, with fur, feathers, or scales covering their silhouettes. It was a startling contrast to the usual appearances of the kin in the swamp.

Night Fury had no memory of his true self, his past, or the swamp. All that remained was a vague sense of unease, as he tried to make sense of the shifting, ever-changing shadows around him. The heart-shaped stone's glow provided little guidance, casting eerie and unsettling shapes that danced on the edges of his perception.

Despite the disorienting nature of this alternate universe, Night Fury felt an inexplicable connection with the other kin. They communicated not through words or gestures, but through a telepathic link that transcended the boundaries of their strange forms. It was as if they shared a deeper understanding that went beyond the limitations of their distorted appearances.

And just like the tendrils that faded away from his body, this dream too faded back into reality. Staring at the shadows of those around him in the lasting glow of the light and he wondered if he needed to go sit down because he suddenly felt quite uneasy and had a residual tingle in his spine.

OTHER WORLDS THAN THESE!
Kin Name: Rain Crow
Preference List: water cat, forest cat, sky cat, bone cat, lion, cheetah, lynx
RP Link or Story: prompt 4

"Tell me Obelisk how far out are we?"
We are two hours away Crow

Crow sat back as he let Fortune continue piloting the ship towards his destination, a low yawn coming form him. He'd just come out of cryo sleep less than a half cycle ago and he felt like he was still trying to wake up mentally and physically. Thank the stars for hyper intelligent AI's that could fly hunks of metal that were several thousand ton's and handled like a brick in the wind.

Rubbing a hand over his face a moment Crow began pulling up the holo's on the planet he was docking at soon, to take on new passengers, cryo them and take them to another part of the system quite a distance off. He was in the Matope system, and landing in a sector that was mostly cave like. He'd been warned the people of this area would have a hard time seeing if he kept the lights higher than just running lights, and even that might be too much. So he'd had Obelisk turn things down as low as he could. He knew his ship so well he could navigate it in the dark, he didn't think the several hundred souls he was about to ferry across the expanse would feel the same.

Yet when he found himself docked at the C.A.V.E. planet some hours later and his living cargo was stumbling aboard shielding his eyes he wondered if he'd been incorrect in his assessment. Once the last one was aboard he eased to his feet, the bioluminescent tattoo's he'd had done back several hyper jumps ago standing out in the dark, making him a beacon for all those light sensitive eyes he realized that just maybe they could do this in the dark.

"Listen up. I'm Crow the captain of the Obelisk, I'm going to help you all get into your cryo-pods and get you set up for the jump through the expanse. It will take us roughly 10 thousand rotations to reach the S.W.A.M.P. planet I was told you're relocating to. All of your gear and belongings have been stowed within Obelisk already, so don't you worry about that. Everyone find a pod and get yourselves laying down. Obelisk will be helping me with most of the steps, while I go around and check everyone before pushing your buttons to put you to sleep.

In case of an emergency like my sudden and untimely death, Obelisk will bring a few of you out of cryo on her own, and send out a distress signal. Good luck and may the MotherFather watch over our trip through the expanse." once he'd finished his speech he heard the people aboard climbing into their pods, parents helping children, and he made sure the kids were handled first, to allow the parents peace a note of "Obelisk, do not revive the young in the case of emergency." Understood Crow. a quarter of an hour later and he'd gotten everyone hooked up, and their pods were now all frosted over. Good. "Alright Obelisk, lets ease outta here slow and steady. Once you get us back into the expanse, I'll do a few checks and head back to my own pod. Revive me if there's anything needing my attention." Understood Crow. Have a good sleep. I'll get you and everyone else there in the blink of an eye." "I know you will Obelisk. I know you will." he patted the control panel lightly before he stood with a light groan. Time to do his checks before he went back down for another long sleep, glad he'd had a button installed on the inside of his own so he could sleep through the long jumps and not slowly lose his mind out here all alone.

(640 words)

OTHER WORLDS THAN THESE!
Kin Name: Spring's Passing
Preference List: water cat, forest cat, sky cat, bone cat, cheetah, lynx, lion
RP Link or Story: Prompt 1


Spring's Passing had forced herself once again to join the large groups working together, once she'd gotten herself calmed down again, and had decided to work with the salamanders. Not because the doe was tired of talking to kin, though truly she really really was, mostly because she was already way past her limits comfort wise and doing something she was comfortable with (talking with familiars) was doing quite a lot to help with that. Sighing the doe turned to the salamander and gently requested it's help after slowly pouring the water into the crack. "Yes, perfect, we'll just need to freeze this right here... yes, you're doing perfect, this is exactly where you need to be-" at which point the light shone ever brighter through the now partially frozen water, blinding her.

Smoke filled her nostrils as her eyes readjusted to her surroundings, "I asked for fire, but not that much!" she coughed again, sliding her hair back behind her long ears and squinting for any stragglers that may have been burned as she did so. The salamander peeped out a happy 'sorry' to which she just shook her head. "It's fine." A couple strands seemed black, though luckily she'd had her ears pulled back when the flame shot up so that fur was probably fine, but her face still felt a bit weird. Hopefully none of that fur had caught fire again, but at least it didn't feel like she'd burned her nose again so it probably wasn't too bad, considering her nose stuck out from her face quite a bit. Coughing once more as she waved away the flames, she heard chuckling behind her. "I thought she said she could control animals, some control that is." Another one of the boys laughed loudly, "I can control my own flames better then that!"

Sighing to herself she mumbled, "I said I could talk to animals, not control them..." While she tried to ignore them, and despite what other people often said she wasn't particularly jealous of their powers, she was a bit jealous of their lack of fur, and normal 'human' faces. Her appearance seemed closer to that of a doe or some kind, with a protruded face and long thin ears off the side of her head, and her whole body was covered in a short and soft fur. While she wasn't particularly bothered by her appearance, she rather liked it (though she disliked the comments her and others who's powers also manifested with be features god), the part she was envious of was the fact the boy couldn't burn his fur off (unless he lit his hair on fire) simply by having a small mishap. The smell of burning hair was going to take HOURS to go away... she sighed again, and looked down at the dancing salamander before her. "Next time at least warn me before you shoot out fire like that okay? So I can tie my hair back. We're supposed to be practicing small fires today."

The salamander turned around, eyes wide. 'But I want to explode! I'm bursting with energy! Maybe I can light the fires in the furnaces now that I'm bigger?' Her ears twitched as she thought it over. It was technically free study, and part of her current project was supposed to be helping train some of the younger creatures to begin their work, so... "Maybe? I can ask. You're still not big enough though so that probably won't work. But maybe if we make it a field trip with some of the others we can at least stop by?" The salamander practically jumped into her arms, shouting 'Go go go!' as she laughed. "Let me gather my things first! Then we can go ask the caretakers." Sliding the small creature into the pocket on the front her apron (which was thankfully fire proof, water resistant, etc. as it was specifically created for caring for abnormal creatures) she quickly shoved the contents of her desk into her bag and wandered down the hallway, discussing the possibilities with her rather excited companion.

"Oh! If you're heading to the caretakers can you bring this one too?" One of the boys near the door stopped her with a smile that showed a few shark fangs. "Oh- uh- I, yes." She managed before the other kid happily slid the adult water salamander into her arms before heading out the door with a genuine "Thanks!" while she mumbled behind the hair that had slid over her face again. 'You know, you really need to work on talking to the humans.' She looked down at the salamander that had been handed over, it was a gentle suggestion, but a hard one. "I know not all of them are... scary. But... well..." The salamander sighed, a short snort of breath. 'It's scary?' She nodded as she continued down the hallway, keeping the adult in her arms, as the young was was bursting flames now and then and she didn't want her to get burned. "I'll work on it. I promise." She said eventually, turning a corner and stepping outside into the light, squinting as it washed out her surroundings for a moment.

"Ah." The doe squinted again, blinking a few times in confusion, the images and sensations swirling around her leaving her dazed. She went to speak for a moment, but honestly couldn't even begin to describe what she had seen. She tried to formulate the thoughts, but anything other then the barest details seemed to slip from her mind the moment Spring's Passing tried to grab them. After a few, confused moments she settled down, tentatively encouraging the salamander again, and watching the ice warily. For now, she just wasn't going to focus on it. It didn't seem particularly bad, like last time... just confusing. Maybe she'd take this opportunity to speak with Shadowed Moon when she got back. He'd probably have some advice on how to deal with these sorts of... things after his experiences.

Either way, she definitely wasn't going to go out for a while after this, that was for sure.

OTHER WORLDS THAN THESE!
Kin Name: Shadowed Moon
Preference List: water cat, forest cat, sky cat, bone cat, cheetah, lynx, lion
RP Link or Story: Prompt 2


The stone was bright enough it almost seemed like the moon had fallen into the swamp, though considering they'd seen the moon in the sky now and again regardless of the darkness (though not lately, especially with the light of the stone making the darkness around them seem almost darker) it was simply a passing thought. Besides, it seemed too... small? to be the moon. The moon must be larger then this, if it could be so far away and yet so visible. After all, tall trees seemed small in the distance. Well, either way Shadowed Moon was obviously happy to help examine the stone, he'd never seen one glow like this before, and if they found a small crack all the better. However, before he could even begin to look he found himself blinking as the light filled his eyes and left him blinking to try and see anything.

Raising his hand to block out the sun, he stepped outside into the yard, taking a quick look around at the play structures before turning back and opening the door to let the children outside. During the summer the sun always took him by surprise, no matter how much he tried to prepare for it. Chuckling at the thought, he stepped over to the sandbox to set down the child in his arms, who happily began to play in the sand. Before another moment passed, the children had all run outside and begun to run around, screaming and laughing. The other teacher smiled and waved and she lead the last of the children outside, and he nodded to her before turning back to watching the kids himself. They'd been quite energetic today, so everyone was overjoyed it was finally time to go outside. He chuckled again, before turning to the little one tugging on this sleeve and beginning to create a sandcastle with the children who'd joined them in the sandbox.

The rest of the day was similarly uneventful, though he was glad for it. After all, an eventful day at a daycare usually meant someone got hurt, or the kids had started fighting, or some such similar event. All things he was glad to avoid. Maybe now that he was getting old he'd see about getting transferred to take care of the infants instead of the toddlers... but for now things were fine as they were. He enjoyed watching any of the kids, so either way it worked out, at least for now. So long as his back kept itself together there shouldn't be any issues. Heading back inside now that the last kids had been picked up, he went to his locker and prepared to head home. Having stumbled upon a new out of the way café on the way to work, he'd decided to stop by on the way home since they weren't open when he'd gone past this morning. It had seemed like there was quite a lot of greenery inside, so he was excited to see what it was like.

Once he'd arrived it had begun to drizzle, so he stepped inside quickly and shook his coat slightly before stepping off the mat at the front door, and taking in the surroundings. It really was quite green inside, there were much more plants then he'd been anticipating. There were also bookshelves, with a lot of communal seating aside from the counter and a few corner booths, so it seemed like this was more of a relaxing hangout spot for reading and quiet talking, both things he was partial too. Stepping forward to look over the menu he decided to go with a drink for now before grabbing a book and seeing how long the rain would last. If it lasted for another hour or so he'd probably grab some food but he wasn't that hungry yet since he'd been able to eat something not to long before he left work. Telling the barista his drink order before heading over to the bookshelves he pursued until his order was ready and grabbed a book that caught his eye but he hadn't read before as he head over to a table in the middle of the room so he could keep an eye on the window.

The table he was aiming for already had someone sitting in one of the seats, but since it was obviously a communal table he decided he'd ask them if they cared for any company before he tried another set of chairs. Heading over he stopped next to the chair on the opposite side from the woman and waited for a moment before speaking. "Excuse me." She looked up, "Mind if I sit here?" She seemed to look him over before her eyes settled on the book he was holding and after another moment, during which he began to wonder if he should just leave, she nodded with a smile. "Go ahead. I rather enjoy that book by the way, I think it'll be a good read." Smiling back with a bit of relief (he'd started to worry he'd made her uncomfortable) he set his drink down and draped his coat over the back of the chair before settling in. "Really? I've never heard of the author but the synopsis seemed interesting, good to know I made the right choice." He added with a slight laugh before taking a sip of his drink and glancing at the cover of the book again.

Startling a bit as the hot liquid touched his tongue he let the air flow over this tongue, pondering whether or not be burned himself before blowing into the cup a few times and tentatively taking another sip. The woman chuckled from the other side of the table. He glanced up and returned a sheepish grin before they both returned to their books. Over the next few hours the rain picked up, and so did their conversation. Eventually their books were left behind as their conversation continued over a small meal, and carried on long into the evening. It wasn't until the barista politely informed them of the time they realized how long they'd been there. "I'm so sorry, we lost track of time. We'll get our of your hair." He said with a sheepish chuckle before turning to the woman he'd been talking with all evening. "I'll be here tomorrow as well," she told him with a smile. "if you want to talk again."

"Of course!" He said almost too quickly, catching himself and blushing a bit. "I'll be here." The two of them stepped outside and went their separate ways, and he was left with a sense of excitement for what might happen next time. "Tomorrow..." He mumbled as he glanced up the street, the lights of an approaching car shining brightly in the rain, and he raised his arm to block the light the shone into his eyes.

Squinting again the buck paused, confused for a moment. He'd had visions before, but this felt more... ephemeral somehow, even more out of place and unusual then the impossible sights he'd seen on his travel through the Obelisk. He couldn't even say way, as the images and thoughts seemed to float just past understanding. He'd had... a meeting, of some kind. With a lovely... doe perhaps? That still didn't seem right but was close? After a few more times trying to remember what he'd seen, the buck shook his head. Trying to piece it all together was surprisingly difficult, and at this point was clearly impossible. Sighing he squinted back at the rock, trying to both block out the light and spy any small cracks, while thoughts of this strange and impossible vision floated at the edges of his mind.

OTHER WORLDS THAN THESE!
Kin Name: Will Wait Forever
Preference List: water cat, forest cat, sky cat, bone cat, lion, cheetah, lynx
RP Link or Story: prompt 4

"Boooorrriiiing. Most of us in this room right now know how to handle water. Why not teach us something more interesting like fire, or earth? Even air would be more entertaining than this."

He watched intently as the arrogant young man started to interrupt the instructor, running his mouth about how good he was at what elemental magic and didn't need this lesson. How it was boring, etc. And stifled a laugh as another student put him in his place stealing the air from his lungs and taking him to his knees, making him eat a little slice of humble pie.

Turning from that monitor his eyes focused on another one.

Ah this was interesting. It looked like a montage of experiences happening. Of two men meeting, and slowly befriending one another. Their orbits becoming more and more intertwined. Travel for work, work related scares, a friendship slowly becoming more at least for one of them though he could see that the man he was watching could tell the other man cared, perhaps even loved even if he didn't know how to say it.

Watching as the other man showed his feelings brought a light smile to his face. The scenes were honestly a bit heart warming. Especially as he watched the surprise train trip, the fall foliage. The feelings from the younger man that day intense, the love he felt almost smothering with it's strength. But it was a good sort of smothered he realized.

Looking away as the pair and a dog returned home on the train, the birthday boy's head resting against the others shoulder and resting the last he saw there. It was sweet but not what he was looking for.

Leaning forward he steepled his fingers slightly resting them against his mouth as he watched the next one intently.


"Fine you get to watch her, feed her, walk her, and check her scat for my stone." "Drit!" "Precisely. You're going to dig through her drit each and every time she produces any, and you're going to very, VERY carefully make sure my stone isn't in that pile of drit...and when it is you'll clean it off and bring it to me to finish cleaning it up to then purify. It's your fault she ate it, messing with my things like you were. So its your task to retrieve it once it finally passes through her and into her drit otherwise I'm going to feed you to her so you come out as drit. Understood?"

There was a low laugh as he listened to the inventive threat, making a few notes. That was certainly colorful and he loved it. He pressed a few buttons flipping through several more feeds stopping when he finally found the one he'd been looking for, settling back to watch.

"Listen up. I'm Crow the captain of the Obelisk, I'm going to help you all get into your cryo-pods and get you set up for the jump through the expanse. It will take us roughly 10 thousand rotations to reach the S.W.A.M.P. planet I was told you're relocating to. All of your gear and belongings have been stowed within Obelisk already, so don't you worry about that. Everyone find a pod and get yourselves laying down. Obelisk will be helping me with most of the steps, while I go around and check everyone before pushing your buttons to put you to sleep."

Yes this was exactly what he needed. The slightly information on the C.A.V.E. planet would be important, the broader information of the S.W.A.M.P. planet...the inner workings of Obelisk it was all in his grasp now. A grin crossed his face and he rubbed his hands together and went back to the beginning of the recording the start of the simulation.

Will Wait Forever was tired of waiting. It was time to find his partner and bring him home. The answer was somewhere in these recorded simulations and he was sure of it.

"MotherFather play that back at half speed, zoom in on the second resurrected if you would." the ship did as he bid and he watched intently. There, he knew he'd seen something there. Perfect. He knew scanning the dreams of his passengers, having them be in these simulations would net him answers.

"MotherFather set course for the Plains planet quadrant three, max speed."

Wait sat back as the ship corrected course and got him going in the right direction. He'd find his partner, and everyone who was keeping them apart would rue the day.

"I'm coming baby."

(770 words)

OTHER WORLDS THAN THESE!
Kin Name: Grained Melon
Preference List: forest cat, sky cat, water cat, bone cat
RP Link or Story: Prompt 4 – Cunning
Light! Brighter than any ray of sunshine Grained Melon has ever seen.

The blindfold was supposed to protect him from the rays, it was said, but then why was everything so bright? Did something go wrong? Didn't the blindfold help?

"Up with you!" rumbled a voice.
Grained Melon opened his eyes and blinked. He was in a small, bright room, equipped with a bed on which he lay and a table, without a chair. The room was open on one side of the wall, and a large, beefy figure stood in front of it. "Do I have to repeat myself? Get up! I don't have all day, you must have been at work for 5 minutes."
Work? Which work? Where was he?
He quickly stood up, the figure made room for him and he slipped out of the room into an equally white hallway. The figure turned out to be a Minotaur.
Pushing him forward, he told him to hurry up.
He hurried down the corridor as quickly as he could, to his right and left there was one white room after another, all with the same furnishings as he had.
When he reached the end, he found himself standing in front of a wall that glowed dull red. "Where to now?" He asked the Minotaur. He just grumbled, pulled out some kind of card and pulled it through a slot in the wall. The wall faded and finally disintegrated. The Minotaur then commanded “Forward.”
The corridor split into several intersections. A scream sounded to his right "NO! LET ME! PLEASE! NO-" He fell silent as quickly as he had come. Grunting, the Minotaur pushed him forward through a maze of passages and doors.
He stopped in front of one of these doors, took his map and pushed Grained Melon into the now open space. "Your work won't do itself, get started!" With those words the door closed and Grained Melon was alone...well almost alone, he turned around and was frightened, one part of the actually white room was covered in blood spatters and bodies were hanging on rakes from the ceiling. A shiver ran down his spine, what had he gotten himself into?!
He turned around and rushed to the door... locked of course... he continued to walk around the room, hoping to find something that could help him get the door open, avoiding the red area.
When this was unsuccessful, he cautiously approached the bodies. Just before he could step on the first splashes of blood, a voice rang out. "Welcome User 2001, today's work consists of cutting up meat. Good luck."
He spun around and a metal table appeared from the ground with a legend in the middle.
“Please put the first piece of meat on the table,” the voice sounded again. At the same time, one of the rakes drove towards the table and stopped just in front of it.
Should he really be sawing up corpses?!
"Please put the piece of meat on the table." The voice rang out again.
He hesitated.
“Refusing to work has consequences.”
"Where am I?"
“Refusing to work has consequences.”
"Who are you?"
"User 2001 does not follow instructions. Penalty will be carried out."
A sharp pain shot through his body and he collapsed to the ground.
"User 2001 successfully received punishment for disobedience."
He lay on the floor panting, what had he gotten himself into?!
"Please put the piece of meat on the table, further refusal will result in a higher punishment."
He picked himself up and approached the table. When he reached it, he recoiled from the dead body. A real corpse, he thought.
He gently tugged on the foot, the body moving with ease. Once above the table, it lowered automatically.
"Very good, you have successfully completed the task!"
He breathed a sigh of relief.
"Now please separate the limbs from the body and take them to the other side of the room."
He stared with wide eyes at the saw that had started moving... corpse... sawing through?! Never! That just could not be the case.
Another jolt of electricity made him jump.
"I.. I can't!"
The saw continued to rattle away.
"I can't!"
“Disobedience leads to punishment” and the next electric shock followed.
He stood trembling in front of the table. "I.. can't.."
"Insubordination has been heard. Persuasion efforts are being initiated."
A moment later there was a buzzing sound on the other side of the wall. Grained Melon turned around. An image appeared. His parents cowered in fear on the ground, flanked by two miniatures armed with axes.
"Mom? Dad?"
"Punishment will be carried out."
A Minotaur pulled Grained Melon's father forward by his hair, shoved him back to the ground, and raised his axe.
"What?! NO! WAIT! NOT MY FAMILY! I HEAR I HEAR! I'LL SAW OFF THE ARMS, LOOK!"
In desperation he drove the body back and forth under the saw, cutting off the arm, but it was too late. Just as he looked up, the Minotaur swung the ax downward and -
Gasping, Grained Melon opened his eyes and saw the head of the creator above him, behind him on the wall there was a painting of two miniatures...

OTHER WORLDS THAN THESE!
Kin Name: Fisheye
Preference List: Lion
RP Link or Story: Fisheye listened to the instructions carefully. She found the idea of breaking a rock with water fascinating. She knew that water was an absolute beast when it wanted to be but she had never experimented such as this. You put the water in the crack and it should break it when the water freezes inside? That could be useful when she returns back to the Cres.

Following the instructions, Fisheye is blinded by a flash which leads her to a vision.

Opening her eyes from the blinding flash, she finds herself back by the sea. On the beach, she looks around. They’re on the cliff side in a large stone school standing proud with a stone staircase leading up to it.

She approaches the strange structure, carefully walking up the stairs. There are magical paintings with eyes that follow her as she walks, decorating the walls of the cliff side staircase. As she walks, large creatures on two legs pass her.

“Professor,” they say as they pass by, bowing their heads respectfully as they continue on toward the beach.

Fisheye stops in her tracks. Not only are the creatures strange and unknown to Fisheye, they speak to her in a familiarity that she becomes concerned over. Just why are they addressing her like this? They’re all so respectful as they address her and pass by.

She feels her thoughts blur as she reaches the top of the stairs. From here she can see the far reaches of the sea. She can see it along the sky, swirling around them like magic. She feels as through she is dreaming, a dream from the Motherfather themselves.

The ocean is devoured by the stars as the tower climbs into the sky. Her eyes watch as fish swim around the sky, through the ocean and up into the sky. They jump around and out of the water to become constellations in the sky.

“Professor?” A voice called to her, drawing her eyes back. “Will we be down by the shore today?”

The shore. What’s where she belonged. Snapping back to the swamp, she looked at the rock with intrigue. What happened? She couldn’t remember very well. Ocean swells and stars…

OTHER WORLDS THAN THESE!
Kin Name: Strange Creature
Preference List: Lion, Cheetah, Lynx
RP Link or Story: (Prompt: Darkness)

OTHER WORLDS THAN THESE!
Kin Name: Strange Creature
Preference List: Lion, Cheetah, Lynx
RP Link or Story: (Prompt: Knowledge)

OTHER WORLDS THAN THESE!
Kin Name: Strange Creature
Preference List: Lion, Cheetah, Lynx
RP Link or Story: (Prompt: Cunning)


Strange Creature smiled as she sighted another settlement in the distance. Her grimy binoculars, an old-world treasure, showed her a sleepy little collection of shacks surrounded by rough, rusty sheet metal fencing. There were a few adults tending brahmin, a couple of kids playing in the dust. In other words, a nice, soft target.

However, all was not well for these dusty dirt farmers. Deathclaw, twelve o'clock, and coming in fast. It roared furiously, charging the fence and hopping over like it wasn't even there. The result was immediate. The kids ran inside, while the adults tried to cut the least valuable cow out of the herd. A sacrifice to the massive beast savaging them, and hopefully it'd leave the rest of the herd alone. A smart tactic- but if Strange Creature played her cards right, there wouldn't be any brahmin lost today.

Sprinting into action, she knew she didn't look quite like an avenging hero. She'd need a vault suit and a Pip-boy for that. Those Vault Dwellers were always showing up, doing something heroic, and then disappearing. She didn't know what they out in the water down there, but it must be something, because they had superhuman... everything, really.

Most Wastelanders weren't so lucky. She was one of the not-so-lucky ones. Born into an offshoot of the Fiends, she'd found out that she was an absolutely miserable raider. She didn't like violence or chems all that much, and she wasn't enough of a nihilist to deal with that lifestyle all that well. And the wastes usually beat the gentle right out of you, but she wasn't going to let that happen.

Still, you had to do something to survive. Laser rifle at the ready, she yelled at the townsfolk to get out of her way. The Deathclaw was kicking up a ton of dust, and she shot her rifle wildly, aiming at everything. She didn't stop until the creature was down. The brahmin, still panicky, were calmed- and she waited for the grateful townies to press caps, food, and other tokens of their appreciation into her hands. It always happened. These people had no way to defend themselves against something as heavily armored and savage as a deathclaw, and they were more than happy to pay tribute to their mysterious savior.

Now came the hard part: dragging it off. Deathclaws, even small ones, were heavy, and the carcass was easily a couple hundred pounds of dead weight. She hitched ropes to its legs and tail, making sure the knots were sturdy and secure, and waved to the townies.

As she rounded the hill with her quarry, she stopped, dropping the ropes. "I swear you get heavier each time we do this." The deathclaw blinked a few times, rising to her feet and kicking off the ropes as the human untied them. She looked at the human questioningly and pointedly, until Strange Creature groaned and threw her some jerky. "For brahmin farmers, they sure didn't give us much meat. Lotsa caps, though, and some energy cells. Enough for the next raid, for sure." She chewed on some dried two-headed cow of her own. "Think we should push further north, though. We don't want to wear out our welcome, or get people talking. Our cover's a good one, and I'd hate to blow it." She always stuck to her story- she was a traveling hunter and had been tracking the beast, and she had to act when she saw it going towards their town. The townsfolk were always so happy to be saved that they never really questioned her.

After she left her family, Strange Creature wandered the wastes. She left with little but her skull helmet and a few necessities, not really sure what she wanted to do. Her initial thought was find a settlement to join, but the prospect of being constantly at risk of raiders wasn't a pleasant one. Her wandering was fairly aimless... until she found Trouble,

Deathclaws lived in packs, raising their offspring communally. Finding a baby without its parents was highly unusual, and her assumption was that the pup had hatched after its parents had been killed, or otherwise forced to abandon their territory. She wondered why the hunter didn't take the egg- if it had been another deathclaw pack that drove them off, they would have smashed it. The little monster was extremely small, extremely ugly, and extremely hungry- and even though it was a baby deathclaw, Strange Creature felt pity for it. She knew what it was like, coming from violence and suspicion- and it was even a little cute, once she looked at it long enough.

She didn't realize how strongly deathclaws imprinted on the first thing that fed them. And as the baby followed her around like some kind of enormous duckling with six-inch claws, she started to really enjoy her company. At least, she thought she was a her. She didn't really know how to tell with deathclaws. Her ugly baby grew up into a big ol' monster within the first year, and at no point did she ever feel threatened by her enormous child. Everybody else did, though, and that's when Strange Creature began to get an idea. It wasn't the kindest, most honest idea- but it was certainly better than raiding, and nobody had to get hurt.

All she had to do was teach Trouble to play dead and to restrain herself around cattle. Fortunately, deathclaws were smart. Like, aggressively smart. Trouble learned quickly that restraint meant more and better food later, and was always happy to tear into wildlife to feed herself. Like now- after this, they'd need to go out hunting for actual food. And a town or a trader- there were enough caps here for Strange Creature to buy a better tent and upgrade her armor. (Her garbage-can shin pads were getting more than a little dented.) She stood up, dusting herself off, and scratched the deathclaw behind what she was pretty sure was an ear. "Come on, Trouble. Time to hit the road."

OTHER WORLDS THAN THESE!
Kin Name: Enchantress
Preference List: water cat, forest cat, sky cat, bone cat, cheetah, lynx, lion
RP Link or Story: Prompt 4


"I'm blind, completely! Can't see anything, light, colors, nothing! Nothing reflects in my eyes~" Enchantress chimed happily (remembering a funny phrasing Deep One's Blood had told her once) as the buck began fitting kin with blindfolds, "but I can wear one if you want!" She ended up with one regardless, mostly because she seemed weirdly excited about it and kept following him around asking about them, and bothering other kin about what it felt like not to be able to see. Whether he did it just in case, or to get her to leave him alone didn't really matter to the doe, who happily trotted over to the in the direction of the voices and sounds before jumping directly onto what turned out to be stone! Her hooves clicking across the surface as she danced forward across what she assumed was the glowing rock, she felt an odd sensation as her thoughts seemed to blank for a moment as she stared forward.

Looking out the window toward the planet floating before her she sighed again. It was crazy. Not like they had any other choice. While it would have been much easier to solve the problem of the mining camp themselves, it would simply push the natives culture that much closer to extinction, and the miners weren't exactly at the point of contact either. Besides, if they simply removed the miners what was to stop them from just coming back after they left? This was the best way, regardless of how... uncomfortable it made her. Or how unlikely it seemed. Well, she needed to make it work, regardless of the difficulty. After all, any other options they had were much worse options in the long run. She was both happy to be given this assignment and regretful all at the same time. It was a bit embarrassing really, this type of make-believe. Playing some magic woman giving out prophecy and gifts...

The initial wasn't particularly difficult, though trying to match everything to their level of development wasn't exactly easy. Luckily (if you could call anything about this situation lucky) the natives had already seen the 'monsters' destroying their lands, so it's not like they had to convince them of the threat, but playing the roll of the magic prophet kept throwing her off. Trying to find the words to sound both mystical and inspiring, gently poking them along without guiding them too much... she wondered if she was doing it right. It didn't help that the man they had chose was... strangely intelligent for someone in such a place, and she found herself developing quite the unexpected connection with him. Enough that the role began to feel less uncomfortable, and she found herself quite invested in his journey. More-so then she would have expected, and enough that she started to feel regretful it was coming to an end...

Perhaps, he could go with her? When she returned to her ship? His mind was beyond what anything on this planet could hope to sharpen, and despite all their rules she wanted to tell him there was so much more... however, the truth of the matter left her with only pain, her father spoke the truth. While their hearts had connected on this journey, his journey to slay the beasts and save his planet, while he might be a man beyond any on his own planet, he would be less than a child on their ship. Did she truly want to condemn him to a life of being less than, suffering his lack of knowledge, as others looked down on him just so they could be together? Or would she leave him there, a hero of his people, with simply the found memory of their travels. Truly there was no choice, but... she had to see him, one last time.

She closed her eyes as the light surrounded her to return her to his planet for their final meeting, so she might say goodbye.

The doe blinked a few times as the blindfold slid of her nose, her hooves no longer clicking against the rock beneath her feet, and the smell of the swamp and the kin around her filling her nose. How strangely nostalgic! It was as though she had experienced her naming dream, truly for the very first time. Despite the details becoming unclear to her, meaningless in the passing of time, she knew that for once she had understood them. Their meaning had been clear, not simply a vague image of something beyond her understanding. She truthfully didn't even care if she couldn't remember it anymore, beyond what she had always known, for she finally understood!

For a moment, she truly understood the meaning behind her name.

OTHER WORLDS THAN THESE!
Kin Name: Enchantress
Preference List: water cat, forest cat, sky cat, bone cat, cheetah, lynx, lion
RP Link or Story: Prompt 5


In her excitement over this new revelation, as fleeting as it was, Enchantress found her hooves carrying her away from the sounds, into the quiet to bask in this feeling of fulfillment. The silence filling her ears as the sounds of those gathered around the stone fade away for a while...

The darkness swells up before her, strangely silent now that she had stepped away from the others. Their muffled noises, despite being only a few steps away now hidden by the darkness around them. She needed time to think. No one believed her when she said she'd seen the light at the edges of her eyes. The potential for true sight in the sparks that flashed for less then a second, the glints that seemed to sparkle with colors beyond imagining if you looked close enough. But she knew, she knew it was there. And she was so close to finding it. Regardless of if it was a dream, even if she could experience it for only a moment, she found herself chasing after those glimpses of sight. While others chastised her for being so insistent on having to know what everything looked like (after all, everyone knew that what a thing seemed was never as important as what a thing WAS) that really wasn't the reason, but they never seemed to understand.

She just wanted to know. To experience something beyond what anyone knew was possible, even if she could never describe it. To know the unknowable. She'd been trying to find more of those hints, to the point where she'd began to do some potentially dangerous (but more annoying for those around her) actions in the pursuit. After getting chastised again for being underfoot and told to help out a bit if she was going to hang around, she quickly retreated away with a sigh. She really didn't mind helping, but couldn't they let her try things just a little before hand? Well, she'd take a bit more time for this then she'd come back and work. She wasn't lazy after all, just... determined. A bit more 'free' time wouldn't make or break anything they were working on after all.

It started as another glint out of the corner of her vision, just beyond sight, but when she turned to it it didn't disappear. The light remained. Almost too scared to even blink, she stared for a few moments before tentatively moving toward it, wondering again and again if this was really real. The light slowly got bigger before her, growing as she approached until it filled almost the entirety of her vision. She stood at the precipice, the edge of what she knew, and just one more step would take her beyond... she waited a moment, basking in the awe over this impossible event, though her own excitement and concern it might not wait for her pushed her forward into this new world before her.

Flashing lights and colors swirled before her eyes, shapes and patterns, designs, things she never even imagined. So many things, bound together in solid shapes that merged from one to another, each distinct and yet combined. Some moving across others, colors fluctuating and changing against a wiggling background that seemed to go on forever. It was enough to make her cry, tears of fear or joy she was not sure, but they streamed down her face all the same. In awe she stared, looking around her slowly at everything, sounds beginning to build up in her ears, everything near and far echoing around her, sounds so clear despite being so far away...

The doe stepped forward again, hooves clicking against the rock as the smells heightened around her once more, face wet with tears. "I could see!" She said, dancing across the rock once more. "I could see! I couldn't explain it even if I wanted to but I think I could see!" It had to be that, after all, what other sense of hers would be so nonsensical if not sight? The one she'd never experienced? She knew the concepts of it, it had been explained after-all, and her naming dream obviously showed her some of it, but she'd never really experienced it herself. Her naming dream, that strange dream of another world, always felt like seeing through the eyes of another, an ephemeral experience.

But this? This was her. It was REAL.