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Young Writers Society


Wake Me Up Inside



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Wed May 15, 2019 7:30 pm
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Mageheart says...



"I don't know," Quinn said right as the girl let out yet another sob. Azazel continued to hold her, rocking ever so slightly as he tried to calm her down. Quinn had never truly seen him interact with children before - it was an enlightening experience. "She just came out and started crying."

"Why are you bad?" Azazel softly asked.

Arin stared up at him from a red face, her eyes still very, very wet.

"Because I'm a murderer!" she said.

...Quinn wasn't sure how she was supposed to reply to that.

Azazel just stared blankly at the little girl in his arms, watching as she somehow managed to cry even harder than before.
mage

[ she/her, but in a boy kinda way ]

roleplaying is my platonic love language.

queer and here.





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Wed May 15, 2019 8:21 pm
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TheSilverFox says...



And now Tristan was stuck explaining the nuances of murder to a child. Great.

"Was it an accident?" he said. "It could've been in self-defense, or something weird happened, or something like that. I, know a lot of friends who've been in weird situations like that."
S'io credesse che mia risposta fosse
a persona che mai tornasse al mondo,
questa fiamma staria senza piu scosse.
Ma per ciò che giammai di questo fondo
non tornò vivo alcun, s'i' odo il vero,
senza tema d'infamia ti rispondo.

Inferno, Canto 27, l 61-66.





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Thu May 16, 2019 9:12 am
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Mageheart says...



"I don't know!" she wailed. "I can't remember! I've tried to! But everything's all wrong, and there wasn't a response, and now I'm all alone!"

She threw her arms around Azazel's neck and hid her face in his shoulder again. But her response wasn't done - her muffled voice continued to wail. "I'm really, really scared...I-I want to go home..."
mage

[ she/her, but in a boy kinda way ]

roleplaying is my platonic love language.

queer and here.





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Thu May 16, 2019 7:34 pm
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TheSilverFox says...



"I'm pretty scared too, honestly," Tristan stammered. He wasn't quite sure how to deal with a kid crying about murder, of all things. "But, uh, what do you mean by a response? What's wrong?"
S'io credesse che mia risposta fosse
a persona che mai tornasse al mondo,
questa fiamma staria senza piu scosse.
Ma per ciò che giammai di questo fondo
non tornò vivo alcun, s'i' odo il vero,
senza tema d'infamia ti rispondo.

Inferno, Canto 27, l 61-66.





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Fri May 17, 2019 9:39 am
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Mageheart says...



The girl said nothing for the minute that followed the question. She just stared at Tristan with wide gray eyes, her grip on Azazel loosening considerably as she continued to look at him. Then (unsurprisingly) a sob wrenched itself free again, and her grip tightened once more.

"I'm-I'm not Arin!" she wailed. "I killed her!"

"It's alright," Azazel softly said.

"No it's not!" she shouted. "I'm supposed to protect her! That's what best friends do! But I-I didn't, and she's dead now."

He was trying to wrap his head around what not-Arin was trying to say, but he thought he was finally coming to a conclusion. "...Why do you look like Arin, then?"

"I don't know!" was the tearful reply. "Arin and I were just playing in the field. That-That's the last thing I remember. But-But then we were here, and she's not talking, and everything's too tight and I don't want to be like this forever! I just want Arin back!"

...Too tight?

Quinn suddenly approached the two of them, coming to a stop right before not-Arin and Azazel. "What's your name?" she asked.

Not-Arin's lips quivered.

"...S-Sune..."
mage

[ she/her, but in a boy kinda way ]

roleplaying is my platonic love language.

queer and here.





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Fri May 17, 2019 5:25 pm
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TheSilverFox says...



Walking over to Sune, Tristan set a paw on their head. Not really the most comforting thing he could've done, but he was just anxious enough that good ideas were hard to find.

"Um, that sucks a lot, but horrible things can happen, and it's not really your fault that they do? I'm just, not sure how you look like her, or why everything is 'too tight'? I don't think you'll be like this forever, though - none of us were."
S'io credesse che mia risposta fosse
a persona che mai tornasse al mondo,
questa fiamma staria senza piu scosse.
Ma per ciò che giammai di questo fondo
non tornò vivo alcun, s'i' odo il vero,
senza tema d'infamia ti rispondo.

Inferno, Canto 27, l 61-66.





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Sat May 18, 2019 5:56 pm
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Mageheart says...



Sune didn't say anything in response - all that Tristan got was a tearful stare and a hesitant shake of the head. "I'm not supposed to say," Sune said, lips quivering. "You would say I'm a monster, and then you'd try to kill me. And I don't want Arin to die!"

The comment was all that Azazel needed for confirmation. He crouched down to the ground and put Sune down right in front of him, looking into the tearful hazel eyes with as reassuring of a look as he could muster being stuck like this.

"Sune," Azazel softly began, "are you not human?"

Sune froze.

Azazel moved into a sitting position. "I'm not going to hurt you," he promised. "I'm not human, either."

The hazel eyes narrowed, and the sadness was lost to suspicion. "You look like you are."

"Most people who aren't human do," he said.

"The planes say you're human," Sune replied. "I checked everyone. You're all human, except him!" A pudgy finger was thrust in Tristan's direction, only to be lowered a few seconds later. "...But your face looks funny..."

"That's because I'm a robot," he explained. Sune immediately perked up at the comment. "Although I'm a little more than that, too. I'm a demon possessing a robot. I'm not sure if we're the same thing, but are you possessing Arin?"

Sune hesitated again before giving a nod.

"I am," was the quiet confirmation. Sune's voice wavered. "But I don't remember possessing her! I promise I'm a good person! I really, really am! Arin's my best friend in the entire world, and I would never ever hurt her."
mage

[ she/her, but in a boy kinda way ]

roleplaying is my platonic love language.

queer and here.





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Tue May 21, 2019 1:36 am
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TheSilverFox says...



It felt a little odd for someone to point out that Tristan was the only nonhuman (or, the only obvious nonhuman) in the group. Sune wasn't wrong, but Tristan couldn't help but feel a little more self-conscious about his fur and whiskers - he took a couple steps back.

"From what Taber told me about possession," Tristan piped up, though quiet enough that he wasn't sure everyone could hear him, "Arin should be fine? I don't think she's hurt or in danger. I don't know if you can undo it right now, but maybe when you get older? Which shouldn't take too long in this place."
S'io credesse che mia risposta fosse
a persona che mai tornasse al mondo,
questa fiamma staria senza piu scosse.
Ma per ciò che giammai di questo fondo
non tornò vivo alcun, s'i' odo il vero,
senza tema d'infamia ti rispondo.

Inferno, Canto 27, l 61-66.





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Tue May 21, 2019 8:44 am
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Mageheart says...



Sune frowned.

"I don't get it," he said. How could getting older make this any better? He'd still be possessing (if that was the right word) Arin! And he didn't get how growing up wouldn't take long in the forest. Did it make people really old really fast? Because if it did, he really needed to get out, or Arin would be an old lady before he was even ten.
mage

[ she/her, but in a boy kinda way ]

roleplaying is my platonic love language.

queer and here.





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Tue May 21, 2019 4:56 pm
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TheSilverFox says...



Ugh, he wasn't going to be able to explain this, was he? Tristan took a deep breath. Sune had focused on him, and probably wouldn't be too happy if Tristan pointed him to someone else. "It sounds like the forest has been turning us into kids and taking away our memories? And if we remember enough things, we turn back to normal. Or something like that."
S'io credesse che mia risposta fosse
a persona che mai tornasse al mondo,
questa fiamma staria senza piu scosse.
Ma per ciò che giammai di questo fondo
non tornò vivo alcun, s'i' odo il vero,
senza tema d'infamia ti rispondo.

Inferno, Canto 27, l 61-66.





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Tue May 21, 2019 11:56 pm
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Mageheart says...



Sune crossed his arms, but didn't say anything for a minute. He just stared at Tristan; what he was saying sounded impossible, but also not. He had a really weird feeling that he knew of other strange things like that, but it didn't make much sense. Maybe he heard about it in one of the stories Arin and him had been learning to sing?

"...Are you a kid?" he slowly asked.
mage

[ she/her, but in a boy kinda way ]

roleplaying is my platonic love language.

queer and here.





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Wed May 22, 2019 12:31 am
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TheSilverFox says...



"I'm not!" Tristan blurted out. Whoop, that came out a little louder than he wanted it to. Lowering his voice and trying to ignore how much his cheeks stung, he said, "I'm kind of short, and a lot of people who aren't used to otters say stuff like that, but I'm an adult."
S'io credesse che mia risposta fosse
a persona che mai tornasse al mondo,
questa fiamma staria senza piu scosse.
Ma per ciò che giammai di questo fondo
non tornò vivo alcun, s'i' odo il vero,
senza tema d'infamia ti rispondo.

Inferno, Canto 27, l 61-66.





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Wed May 22, 2019 11:55 am
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ScarlettFire says...



Ethan watched the little girl and Gabriel, slightly concerned. Nich was still hovering nearby as Arin-now-Sune cried and muttered about being a murderer. He really hoped that Nich wouldn't listen to that too closely--or remember it when he returned to himself. Not that he had much hope of anything, to be honest. He sighed and moved in to scoop up Nich.

"Et'an!" Nich exclaimed, sounding put-out, but not by much. He glowered up at Ethan with a little pout, but didn't do much else. "Put down!"

"No," Ethan whispered, adjusting the way he had Nich settled on his hip. "Now hush, Nich. Let's just listen for a bit, okay?"

"Otay," Nich muttered, and moved to lean into Ethan, his face pressed right up against Ethan's neck. He hoped that Nich wouldn't try to bite him again, because that had freaking hurt and he was pretty sure there would be a nasty bruise there if he could check it out in the mirror. "Et'an smeell nice.... Like..."

Ethan shifted uncomfortably. God, Nich was a lot more honest as a kid, and way more prone to speaking his mind. Ethan tried to ignore it, but he stashed the knowledge away for later. He'd definitely be teasing Nich about it later, when Nich was himself again.

As he listened and watched, he heard what Tristan said about the forest and sighed, deciding to add to and confirm it. Ethan stepped forward to join the main group, making sure he wasn't going to drop Nich anytime soon. Man, he was a heavy kid, but Ethan was a dhampir, so he'd be able to handle it. Gotta love the vampiric strength, he thought with a small smile.

"Tristan's right," he said, turning slightly to meet the little girl's eyes. "The forest has been turning people into kids. Just a few minutes ago, I was a kid, and Nich here... Well, he's definitely not a kid." He shrugged, twisting to look down at the top of Nich's mop of brown hair. "He's really a three-thousand year old vampire in a teenagers body, but look at him right now. He's what....four? And, apparently, human." He smiled slightly. "Weird forest, huh?"
"With friends like you, who needs a medical license?" - Paimon, Aether's Heart


“It's easier to ask forgiveness than it is to get permission.” - Grace Hopper.





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Wed May 22, 2019 11:32 pm
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Mageheart says...



Sune frowned and ducked his head down when he heard Tristan's response.

"I'm sorry," he apologized. "I didn't want to hurt your feelings, but I've never met someone like you before..."

Then the other man - the one with the little boy - spoke, and he raised his head again to meet his gaze. "But I don't feel like I'm older," Sune protested. He crossed his arms and tilted his head ever so slightly to the side. "I feel like I'm little."
mage

[ she/her, but in a boy kinda way ]

roleplaying is my platonic love language.

queer and here.





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Wed May 22, 2019 11:41 pm
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TheSilverFox says...



Tristan stared at the ground. "That's fine," he said. Ugh, he'd overreacted around a kid who didn't know any better, and he also had to keep dealing with people who didn't recognize he was an otter; it wasn't fine. But he didn't want to admit something that was already obvious in his face. "I've been getting that a lot here. And, uh, that's kinda the point of this place taking our memories away? We don't feel like we're old because we don't remember being old."
S'io credesse che mia risposta fosse
a persona che mai tornasse al mondo,
questa fiamma staria senza piu scosse.
Ma per ciò che giammai di questo fondo
non tornò vivo alcun, s'i' odo il vero,
senza tema d'infamia ti rispondo.

Inferno, Canto 27, l 61-66.








When a good man is hurt, all who would be called good must suffer with him.
— Euripides