Remnants of the Earth

I think we did this in SotE ages ago, but...now I'm resurrecting it!

Okay! So the whole idea of this game is "be careful what you wish for." One person will make a wish, and it's the job of the next poster to grant that wish--but make it go horribly wrong--and then make a wish of their own. Then the next person corrupts their wish, makes another wish, and so on.

So for example, if I posted "I wish for a dog," the next person could post, "wish granted, but it has rabies and it bites you." Stuff like that!

So, let's begin, shall we?

I wish it would thunder and lightning here today. *_*

Bwahahah! xDD if you want to steal him you can you know! >8D

The more Mazz talked, the more dismal everything became, and yet, even as he said that she was just a number now, that TRIM could take away even her name and soul...no. She wouldn't let them. They could call her what they wanted and make everyone else call her what they wanted but as long as she still knew who she was, they could never take that from her. It was still hers, it would always be hers. They couldn't touch it.

Her clothes, her body, they could tear those to pieces. But not her--whoa! Teidra jumped when her bra and anklet in the bin suddenly just...fell away down a chute of some sort. Blinking rapidly and wiping away her tears to clear her vision, she leaned forward a little as though to see where it had gone, but of course she couldn't see a thing. So...her other clothes must have been put down something like that, too. Where were they going? Would she get them back? If fear wasn't keeping her mouth glued shut at the moment, she would have asked. Maybe it was stupid to worry about something so trivial now of all times, but at the same time...they couldn't expect her to wear just this gown...

Yes they could if they wanted her to, she reminded herself.

Any further thoughts on the matter were disrupted when Mazz touched her shoulder, making her jerk a little at the unexpected gesture. It would be over soon. She wasn't sure if that was comforting or not, but she gave a small nod nonetheless and sniffled. Not like she had a choice anyway. It was either this or the guards and at least Mazz seemed like he was trying to be soothing, whether it was genuine or just an act. Then Teidra blinked when he pulled out a comb and a small container, but she held still even as he moved behind her.

And started combing her hair?

What the--what was he...? Why was he brushing her hair of all things? For a second or two she was so startled that she even stopped shivering, though she did wince every now and then when the comb found a tangle--not something he could help, her hair was short but it was thick. It seemed odd that he'd want to pretty her up now, but she doubted that's what he was doing. He was probably checking her hair for lice or ticks or something--which she didn't have, thank you very much! If she wasn't so scared at the moment, she might have been a little offended, but before long it was over and he had put whatever it was he'd found into a container, come around to her front, and...pulled out a nail file. And said he was going to clean her nails.

She blinked again and reached up to wipe away stray tears as he went to work on her feet, and she just watched him. She was no longer really crying even if her eyes were still watering; something about this whole thing was just distracting...not to mention there was some strange, artificial hope that took hold as he scraped her hooves. Maybe this was all a big joke after all. Maybe he was just going to do her hair and nails and send her on her way. A forced manicure? Seemed odd and unlikely, but she needed something to hold onto, and the thought was so sickly amusing that it made her relax a little--except for the part where he collected everything in a container. It was only then that she was reminded that, no, this was for real.

Then he finished with her hooves and took her hand off her waist so he could clean under her nails, and after that it was a saliva sample, apparently, because he took her chin and asked her to open her mouth. Well, that ended the pleasant illusion of manicures and pedicures, yet it still hardly felt real...that she was really a prisoner. This was just what any doctor would do yet Mazz wasn't any doctor, he would have been testing drugs and chemicals on her if they'd been assigned to him today. By some miracle, like he said, he hadn't been assigned any today, though...that was the only reason she wasn't being tested on and was instead just being examined, and the thought instantly brought back that sickening, twisted feeling in the pit of her stomach. She opened her mouth and let him swab her cheek, though, and watched him put that sample away as well.

Right...just samples...that's all she was now to these people. Numbers and samples. She bit down hard on her bottom lip as the emotions started to swell back up within her--and the cold, harsh reality that she was, indeed, stuck here until she died.

Or until she got free. She was not going to give up...

Teidra actually whimpered when he announced it was time for the blood sample, and she instantly looked over at all the needles, her eyes wide and her body starting to tremble again. Many of those were huge and thick. Oh no, not one of those-- "Eep!" She gave a little squeak of surprise when, while she was so focused on those huge and scary needles, Mazz apparently took the blood sample. It wasn't that it had hurt--the most she'd felt was a pinch--and in fact, she'd reacted more just to the sudden feel of something cold against her palm than the actual pinch itself. Drawing her hand away from him, she examined her palm up close but couldn't even find the puncture wound. He'd already taken the sample?

Apparently so because then he was talking about MRIs and making her lay down. "That...that was it...?" she asked as she scooted up on the table and laid her head on the pillow. Maybe she could fall asleep like this. Maybe when she woke up she'd be back on the Cancer.

Shutting her eyes, she listened to Mazz fiddle with the equipment, press buttons, talk--

Her eyes snapped open when she registered the whispered words. "Wh-what...?" But if she thought that she'd maybe heard him wrong the first time, or maybe she'd been hearing things because she was hoping so much for something like this to happen, he just continued right on. He was going to try to help her. She might not be freed, but he was going to get them to stop experimenting on her. For a few long moments she just stared at him. She...wasn't sure what to make of that, though. He was whispering, so obviously he didn't want anyone to overhear, but...did he mean that?

Or was it some experiment to gauge her reactions?

But then she thought back, remembered how miserable he'd looked and how careful he'd been this whole time...and then realized he'd actually said her name just then. God, she didn't know if he was really just toying with her or not--she wasn't feeling very trusting--but that thread of hope was being dangled right there in front of her nose and she was certainly going to bite. It was all she had now. She didn't know why he would say that or why he'd want to help, but...now wasn't the time for whys.

Mazz's face began to go out of focus and she blinked several times to clear her vision. "You...you mean that...? I...you...th-thank you...thank you..." she whispered, and she reached up with a shaky hand to brush some of the white hair away from his face. It was an affectionate gesture, or supposed to be; she didn't know how else she could really show her gratitude. Besides, she also sort of just wanted to touch him to make sure he was real and actually saying that to her. But he looked and felt real, and this close she actually got a good look at his face for the first time. Sure, she'd looked at him before...but she'd never actually looked at him. He really did look sympathetic...

Maybe it had been a good sign that he had her eyes and hair.

But then, as though realizing what she'd done, she quickly drew her hand back, brushing his nose in her haste, and laid her arm back down on the table. "Sorry," she whispered, suddenly embarrassed. He was a human. Humans, she'd learned, could be very weird about the whole touching thing, whereas her people were very physically affectionate. It wasn't unusual to kiss someone in greeting, or at the very least nuzzle noses or touch horns.

And she wasn't free yet. She was still on a table in an examination room.

But suddenly, things weren't quite so dismal. He was going to help her. She still wasn't sure if he really would, but...still...

Suddenly she didn't feel quite so alone.

I drew mah character Teidra. <3

Ain't she cute? xD

Dunno why she has a flower. Well. Actually I do. I had no idea WHAT to do with her arms, got frustrated after drawing them 864736991232 times, and then was just all, "screw it! She'll hold a flower! And...uh...her other hand...er...she'll scatter crappy petals! YEAH!" So there ya have it. xD

Ahem. >_>

I do have a bigger version, but photoshop resizes it of course. But it's okay! xD This version hides some of the insane sketchiness.

Haha! Well, he wasn't a literal bunny! But he was called a snowbunny because they were doin' it in the snow! *snickerfit* >_> I saw the thread. THAT one was off SotE. But I think I still have the link somewhere. Because I like to torment Draco and remind her of it. >8D She gets so embarrassed. Like so. *cackles*

Ahaha! Right! No mentioning of our thread! Which already has so many views for some suspicious reason. Couldn't be because of the strip chess and coffee. Oh no. x3

Insane? Whatcha talkin' 'bout?

We're normal! It's everyone else that's weird!

:3 Welcome Miss White! It's spamtabulous to have you here! Don'tcha be shy, now! Everyone here is awesome! <3

What the heck? xDDD

That is SO weird!

At first, there was a wave of relief as the doctor told her she wasn't sick. When he first sat down beside her, looking all distant, her heart had skipped a beat because, well, that was usually what they did when they were about to give the patient some very grave news like that they only had five days left to live or something like that. But then he spoke, and for all of three seconds those words were the greatest ones she'd heard that day--until he continued.

And told her she no longer had a name. Just a series of numbers.

It was like a sudden punch in the gut, except there was no physical pain. Her breath caught in her throat and she just stared at him, unblinking, as he spoke and she tried to absorb it. But that was strangely difficult. She saw his lips moving, heard the words, but it all sounded like one big, sick joke. Research center? Tested on mages? Tested drugs and tonics and chemicals on mages? Caught? Sell people? What? Her eyes began to burn from not blinking so she finally did so, but she was still staring up at him blankly, not really registering what he was saying even as he apologized and stood up. But her body had gone cold all the way down to her hooves, the blood pounding in her ears, as it slowly began to sink in. No name. Bounty hunter. Caught. Testing.

It was amazing how in so few words Teidra went from viewing the "doctor" as a kindly man trying to help her to a monster that was there to hurt her.

She jumped, wincing when she bumped her head on the top bunk, when he told her to stand and follow him, and that seemed to be about the time she woke up from her dazed shock. With a gasp, she scrambled to her feet, slipping awkwardly on the tile, but she made no move to follow him. Quite the contrary, she snatched up her clothes and scrambled as far back in the room as she could get, her back bumping the wall next to the bunk bed. "Y-you're joking...th-that's not funny. This...is a joke, right?" she said far too quietly, looking around the room desperately for some way out, and she jumped again when she saw him do something with his pad. Her heart felt ready to burst out of her chest. "W-what are you doing? What did you just do?"

That was when two armored men entered the room, complete with stun batons and everything. Teidra didn't even hear what Mazz said at that point, didn't even see him leave the room. Cold panic gripped her as the men approached, each twice the size of her at least, and all she saw were faceless predators coming right at her.

Instinct kicked into high gear.

With a small cry, she abruptly dove to the side, landed on the bottom bunk, and launched off of it in a wild attempt to get around the guards. But the moment she landed on the tile she started to slip and pitch forward, and it didn't take much at all to catch her--she practically did their job for them by falling right into them. Still she struggled wildly, hissing and twisting and trying to claw and bite them, even managing to land a kick to one, but all that accomplished was earning her a broken claw, a throbbing leg, and a warning that if she didn't calm down, they'd have to stun her. She didn't even leave a mark on their armor.

The threat of being stunned seemed to subdue her, though--or maybe it was just that she'd finally accepted that struggling was useless. But shortly after they said that, the fight just seemed to leave her as quickly as it had arrived as the futility of the situation sank in and an odd sort of shock, a strange numbness and acceptance of the situation, flowed through her. It was an odd feeling, and in a distant sort of way she recognized it for what it was; not quite shock, but a psychological defense mechanism in her kind. When there was no way out, no possible escape, all that was left was a strange, almost blissful surrender.

It was a small mercy, really. If you were about to be killed, the endorphins ensured the death wasn't too painful. If you were just hopelessly trapped, it ensured you wouldn't have a heart attack or a complete breakdown.

But by the time she'd been through the sterilization chamber, brought back out, and taken to the examination room, she slowly began to come out of her stupor as her body began to register that, no, this wasn't a life or death situation--yet. She began to shiver and perspire as she started to come back to herself, and by the time they reached the examination room and she was lead inside, Teidra was quite aware again and trembling from head to hoof, looking quite like, well...a deer caught in headlights. The sight of the examination room did not soothe her frayed nerves any, though, especially when the first things she saw were a multitude of needles and strange instruments that she didn't know the names or purposes of. Maybe it was her imagination leaping into overdrive, but they looked like medieval torture devices to her at the moment. She'd read about stuff like that in the literature other Tuathi brought back from their travels to other worlds...

And then her eyes fell on Mazz. The person who had looked like a kindly doctor at first, even had her hair and eyes...and now...now...

She still looked a little dazed and defeated as he spoke, watching him dully. No drugs today...drugs...no, she didn't want to be tested on...she just wanted to leave...

Then he was saying something about bras and metal clasps and telling her to get on the table, something about magnetic resonance...somethi ng. About rings and metal and something being fatal.

Teidra mostly registered the "fatal" part.

There was a long pause as she just stood there, blinking. Then she slowly met his eyes and shook her head, instead taking a careful step away from the table. Clearly she had no plans of listening.

"No..." She glanced around the room like a cornered animal before she once again locked her eyes on him, then acted like she was about to grab something, but that was when she remembered, vaguely, that the guards had taken her clothes away. She lowered her hands back to her sides and curled them into fists.

"You can't do this...you can't..." she whispered. She gave another fearful look around the room and took a few more steps away from the table and away from Mazz. Though coming out of it the more she moved and spoke, she still looked fairly shocked. "Father said human laws were like ours...you can't just capture people and do things to--" And then she cut off, a horrifying thought crossing her mind right before she could finish the sentence. Unless these humans were the predators of their kind. It sounded like it. The way he spoke, it sounded like they preyed on their own people, too. If that was the case, it wouldn't matter what the laws said.

If it was at all physically possible, Teidra would have paled. But her face was already white, just like the rest of her body. She did, however, start to look ill. "What...are you going to do? What's a...a magnetic...what you called it? What does it do? How many days do I have to stay here? Will you let me go if I do the tests? Nothing...nothing is going to be...permanent, is it? I...I don't want to do this. You can't...and I'm not 'Subject'...I have a name, it's Teidra..."

Huddled on the top bunk in an otherwise empty cell, Teidra hugged the single crisp white pillow tightly to her chest as she stared at the door, waiting for...well, she wasn't quite sure. The whole day had been one big mess of confusion and so much had happened that she didn't even know what was going on anymore. The last thing she really remembered was walking around on some space station...the...Can ker? No. Cancer. Yeah. Hm. Same difference, she supposed. Anyway, she remembered that...she remembered talking to a few people, remembered talking especially to this one woman...and then...

Everything got sort of fuzzy after that, and the next thing she knew and she was being woken up, being escorted down sterile hallways until, finally, well...here she was.

One of the first things that had come to her mind while she was still groggy was that she was in a prison. It seemed likely when she was lead into her cell. The place looked like something she'd expect in a prison, the bunk bed against the wall, the toilet and the sink, except it was still so clean, not a speck of dust anywhere. Something also told her that prison wardens didn't typically wear clean white lab coats and carry clipboards around with them, and the beeping sound in the background, reminiscent of medical equipment, sounded really out of place, too.

Shifting a little, her right hoof caught at the sheets and she winced as the fabric tore with a resounding rrrrip! Oops. She always forgot that sharp hooves and cloth just didn't mesh. Feeling restless and deciding that sitting up here while restless would be a bad thing, since she'd probably end up tearing apart the mattress with her fidgiting, she set the pillow aside, sat back, held both legs up, and scooted awkwardly to the edge of the bed. If anyone were watching, it probably looked quite humorous but it only took a few seconds. Lowering her legs over the side, she simply hopped down from the top bunk and--

Well, she would have landed gracefully if it weren't tile. Another little detail she was too distracted to remember.

Her hooves hit the smooth tile and her legs immediately shot out from under her as she slipped forward with a little yip of surprise. A second later and she'd landed hard on her rump, legs splayed awkwardly and grimacing as her bottom and tail ached. Owww...darn it...tile. She hated that stuff! Never agreed with her, and it wasn't like ice at all. Her home world had a lot of ice and a lot of snow, but she had no problem walking on that; her hooves were sharp and actually had good traction on the bottoms specifically designed for gripping ice, and the toes spread to help her walk through snow. But you couldn't exactly dig into tile, so that failed miserably.

With a sigh, she drew her legs in and clambered awkwardly to her feet, slipping a few times before she managed to stand. Then she just...stood there, anxiously brushing her white hair out of her face--well, white except for the strips of black in the bangs. All right. What now?

Well...now she supposed she just had to wait. She felt awake now, finally, and once someone finally came she had a lot of questions to ask that really needed answers! If this was some freaky jail...she hadn't committed a crime! They couldn't just keep her here! Maybe it was a mix up. Or maybe she had really done something wrong...she'd been staring a lot at the humans on the Cank--Cancer--but that was because she'd never really seen any before. Maybe that was considered rude? Maybe she'd made some people mad...she hadn't meant to do that...but the humans had been staring at her just as much! And she understood that. After all, she hadn't seen any others of her kind around, and she supposed she was rather odd to a human. All white skin with black stripes down her spine and the backs of her legs and arms; fluffy white hair; two golden horns, the left one broken off; a little black and white tail; legs that were human in shape until just below the knee, where white fur grew and the legs tapered off into cloven hooves, partially hidden by long black fur; long, pointed ears.

Aside from that, she looked pretty much like them! She even dressed like them! Some human styles had reached her homeland from those of her people that had ventured out there before. She'd made sure to dress appropriately and everything, emulating human styles as best as she could. She couldn't wear pants like them, though, she had to wear shorts cut off above the knee because pants just didn't work for her legs. Too awkward.

Still, she knew she was different and she could understand them staring. She didn't mind. It just made her kind of happy because they seemed to find her as interesting as she found them.

Pawing absently at the tile and lightly rubbing her aching bottom, she bit her lip and stared at the door with wide green eyes. She'd just have to explain. That was all. They'd understand, right?

NEEDS MOAR TENTACLE SMEX.

Kidding, kidding.

xD You already know I love the piccies!