#Minor Canon Divergence

[gooberdraws]

I’m trying to make comics again, so stay tuned for a potential mini series on my stitchpunk OC, 10 👀

[blanze]

It feels good to be back.

(A more risque version under the cut)

[gothamite-rambler]

Penguin and Sofia unintentionally embarrassing the Dark Knight.

Penguin: I have to ask this, or I'll never get the chance. Why is the younger Robin… why is he brown?

Batman: The younger one?

Batman glanced over at Damian, who was in his Robin suit munching on a granola bar. The kid suddenly looked down at his own brown skin, gasping dramatically.

Damian (jokingly): Oh my God, I am!

Sofia: He’s funny; we respect diversity too.

Batman (monotone): My oldest son is Romani, but thanks.

Sofia: Really? Fascinating. Isn’t that right, Penguin?

Penguin: Eh, I still think he gave the kid the suit to use him as target practice.

Batman: Oswald, I swear I’ll stomp on your leg again if you bring that up.

Penguin: Which is why I won’t anymore. Seriously, why is the current Robin brown? I’m not trying to be rude, but he looks the same age as the first Robin and that's making me worried.

Damian: Awesome! I can’t wait to tell Nightwing. Father, father, tell them how we're related.

Batman (annoyed): His mother is Arab.

Sofia: Batman, you can’t say that! It’s Arabic. I thought you would know that.

Batman’s jaw clenched, struggling to keep his composure.

Batman: Robin, please explain before I curse her out.

Damian: That’s a bit of a misconception. Arabs are the people; Arabic is the language spoken. So while it sounds odd, he’s correct, my mother is Arab.

Sofia: Hm, well color me shocked. Oh! I mean…

Batman: It’s just a phrase; there’s nothing wrong with what you said. I hate both of you.

Penguin: We’re genuinely sorry. One last thing, though, how is he your son? We heard from Rays, or Ray, or whatever his name is, that's his grandson. You wouldn't be stupid enough to have a child with the assassin daughter of an assassin, right?

Damian: He called me his grandson? Aww, that makes me happy.

Batman: Trust me, if Ra's said it, he’s still a jerk. Oswald, you seem to have failed science class. When a white man and an Arab woman have a baby, a mixed child is born. That mixed child can be many shades, but he’s still my boy.

Damian beamed, pride lighting up his face.

Penguin (laughing, waving his hand): Wait, wait, wait! You actually… you sired a child with the assassin daughter of the man who’s a villain like me?! I can tell you want to punch me, but let me have this.

Penguin laughed loudly, leaning forward and placing a hand on his chest. Batman’s left eye twitched in embarrassment, a faint blush creeping onto his cheeks. Sofia shook her head, pointing at her cohort to signal she wasn't like him.

Batman: Robin, I do care about you; it’s just—

Damian (remembering the days when only his mom raised him): Trust me, I get it.

Penguin: Hold up, Talia is brown?! I thought she was white!

Batman sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.

Batman: Sweet Jesus.

Damian (curious): How did you know about her?

Penguin: We’ve chatted in the past, but I could’ve sworn she had fair skin.

Sofia: Told you she wasn’t white and even if she had fair skin, her lineage doesn't suggest she'd look like us. I got nosy and found out you’re related to her, then we talked with Ra's and learned more about you. So, Batman, you fell for her feminine charm?

Batman (wanting this to end): Shut up, shut up, shut up.

Sofia: I tease. Seriously, little Robin, Talia adores you so much. You’re lucky she hid any photos of what you two might look like together. Seriously, though, you hooked up with Talia and had a kid, Batman? I knew it would happen with her or Catwoman.

Sofia laughed, making Batman growl in offense. Penguin glanced at the ground, chuckling despite trying to hide it.

Damian: Hooked up? Father, what’s “hooked up”?

Batman: You didn’t need to hear that. But yes, he’s my youngest son, and he’s related to her. Now you know, and don’t criticize me for having him fight crime with me, he wouldn’t stay home no matter how much I begged.

Damian nodded, puffing out his chest proudly.

Penguin: Now see, I forget sometimes that she’s brown. I heard she was mixed with something, but it never crossed my mind that she could be brown.

Damian snickered.

Batman (uncomfortable with this entire conversation): Her father is Ra's al Ghul.

Penguin: Wait… he is brown!

Batman: Can you please stop saying "brown"!

Damian: It’s fine. I feel like I’m going to hear worse later in life.

Sofia (sympathetically, her brows furrowing): Aww… yeah. Oz, I told you he’s Arab, not Arabic and he's also Chinese. No European person is going to have the last name Al Ghul.

Damian: That’s correct! Thank you, Sofia, for being wise about this.

Batman: Do not compliment her; she is a crime boss.

Sofia: A smart one too.

Batman: All right, we’re leaving now. Enjoy prison.

Penguin: We’ll both be out soon. Thank you for answering our questions. We’ve been curious about that for years. I almost reported you for kidnapping a little brown boy.

Damian grabbed his father’s arm, dragging him away before Batman could retaliate.

Damian: Let it go. We’ve heard worse.

Batman left with Robin, while the cops handled the crime bosses.

[archer-kacey]

Problems with erasing Bendy Book canon:

With the FNAF books, we were told they were canon-divergent fairly early on. For Bendy, this was never specified, leading many to believe this was all just straight-up canon information that they were running with for theorycrafting. For a long time.

Why the hell would you de-canonize the ENTIRE origin story of Boris? He's a central character to Bendy and the Ink Machine.

You're going to throw out THE ENTIRE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF YOUR MAIN VILLAIN? THAT'S.......NOT A GOOD IDEA!

(And before it's pointed out, no, we don't "need" Illusion of Living for "gay evidence." The point here is y'all released an autobiography for one of your two main characters and you're saying it's not canon. That's ludicrous.)

Things that were explained/brought up in the novels that apparently "aren't canon anymore": how Sammy got infected, Thomas's conflicting feelings about the machine he created, the origin of Boris the wolf, several instances of Joey's gaslighting and manipulative behavior and his slow descent into madness after Henry's departure, a look into Gent technology and the Gent experiments that took place after they switched over to "research", Abby Lambert (who SHOULD be in the mainline games all things considered), Joey Drew's ENTIRE AUTOBIOGRAPHY including his PHILOSOPHIES AND REAL ASS LIFE, ANDDD the themes of classism, racism, and sexism that were VERY present at that time in history. Among other things.

You're taking out several new characters for no reason. I'm not saying they all need to return, but it makes zero sense to introduce a bunch of new guys and then immediately abandon them...only to introduce a bunch of OTHER new guys.

I've seen a few comments in response to Mike that go along the lines of "oh thank goodness now I don't need to read the books to understand the lore!" No disrespect, but I think that's a fundamental misunderstanding of what the books do. They enhance your understanding of all the background plot. You don't need to read the books to understand the games. But that shouldn't mean erasing the existing information's canonicity because not everyone wants to read it.

Bendy isn't FNAF. Bendy has a much more streamlined plot. Not everything fits perfectly of course, but to take out such a large chunk of what we THOUGHT was the plot (or plot-adjacent) is headscratching to me. You claim to care about the plot, characters and worldbuilding and then you decide that some of the BEST written interpretations of these characters and their world just aren't "legitimate" now? .......All of a sudden?

I want to punch something

[paalove]

be whatever you need me to be

Bison is chewing.

He adds pork to the rice on the spoon, which means it’s for sure not meant for Kant, but he opens his mouth – really watering – and leans over anyway, because Bison wants him to be his dog today and Kant is willing to give him that, and he needs to see it in Kant’s eyes, now, no matter what Bison does next.

The moment stretches and the ocean waves grow louder as he stares into Bison’s reddened eyes.

In which Bison makes a slightly different call with the pork and the rice - they still end up in the same place, though.

my absolute favourite thing about kantbison's little beach escapade is that bison keeps kant barefoot and is constantly wearing sandals himself. this fic is not about that detail, except for how it is.

[gunpowder-gemini]

Eyo finally settled on a design I like for my Rito OC Cirra! I have gotten so much practice drawing braids now lmao. She's got a dad, 4 little sisters and a dead mom I'll draw (eventually)

I got the sheikah brush pattern for the background from @/ezlo-x here

[profoundbondfanfic]

A Fabulous Evening’s Apocalypse

A Fabulous Evening’s Apocalypse by MrBotanyB @mrbotanyb Rating: Teen and up Word Count: 62k

Look at it this way: Their trip to the far end of space and time to chase a (very) long shot at freeing Dean from the Mark of Cain could have ended a lot worse than it did. It wasn't even the worst idea they'd ever had. The so-called Restaurant At the End of the Universe loops endlessly in time through the final hours of Creation while guests dance, eat, and drink until the very last of last calls. A consequence of it being a time loop is that anybody who visits can meet everybody else who was ever there. Even a centuries-dead witch who likes the challenge of lifting unbreakable curses. It didn't work out like they'd hoped, but they didn't die. And Cas did get stranded there for a bit but they got him back. Eventually. So it was fine. That was then. And now, Sam and Dean are out of ideas for getting Cas out of the Empty. Dean has been thinking a lot about realizing important truths too late, and missed chances, and (very) long shots. And he wonders if the key to rescuing the Cas he lost might just be enlisting the help of the Cas he left behind nearly ten years ago. If it doesn't work, at least he'll get to see Cas one more time.

I'll admit I am the number one target audience of this fic. I am a massive Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy fan. That being said, you don't have to love that series to enjoy this story.

Expect Dean and Cas in increasingly ridiculous surroundings, fun aliens, working conditions that would make OSHA weep, and some timey wimey ridiculousness that is really quite clever and fun. Also pining. So much delicious pining.

The OCs are a treat as is the setting at The Restaurant at the End of the Universe aka Milliways. If you ARE a fan of HHGTTG, you will also have fun spotting the references.

And, of course, like any good fix-it, we get a happy ending for Dean and Cas.

[steddieunderdogfics]

we can be heroes by hairstevington

@hairstevington

Rating: Not Rated

70,129 words, 20/? chapters

Archive Warning: Chose Not to Use

Tags: Fix-It, Eddie Munson Lives, Eddie Munson Needs a Hug, season 4, Slow Burn, Found Family, Hurt/Comfort, Mutual Pining, Deaf Character, Deaf Steve Harrington, American Sign Language, Minor Maxine "Max" Mayfield/Lucas Sinclair, Minor Character Death, Canonical Character Death, Chrissy Cunningham Lives, Chrissy Cunningham & Eddie Munson Friendship, Robin Buckley & Steve Harrington Are Best Friends, Drama & Romance, Everyone Has Trauma, Angst with a Happy Ending, Plot Twists, love conquers all and all that jazz, Idiots in Love, Period-Typical Homophobia, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, like please know this fic does diverge from canon QUITE A BIT as it goes on, Vecna's Curse (Stranger Things), Not Canon Compliant

Summary:

Eddie’s got a bad habit of running away from things when they get too complicated. But when it comes to Steve, he always finds his way back.

Thanks for the rec! This recommendation is apart of our Writer's Wednesday! All of the recs today are written by @hairstevington. Want to nominate an author? Fill out this form!

You can submit fic recs to our asks or the submission box!

[lithiumrev]

here, have a blurb of the collab™️:

`“You three are here too?!” was the first thing the trio heard, “Are you sure Raya should be here?” “I have to do this.” she shouted, her gold green eyes filled with ferocity, “"Hush now, Emeric. Your death matters little—there are other kings. It's this one I wanted. The one who's been holding the Covenant together at every turn. The vestige from Coldharbour." they turned to see the Magus General herself: Septima Tharn. “I see you have friends,” she was taunting Raya, “Oh! And a budding family! Too bad you will be stuck here.” just then the keeper of the hall appeared. “"Insolent necromancer! The Far Shores is no prison in which you can place your enemies! You dare to come here and then expect to leave freely? I think not." he shouted, “You three are no less of fools, honorable fools, but fools nonetheless. Hm. Very well, I have an offer: slay this wretched bitch and you and your liege can return to Mundus.” “I'll leave whenever I damn please … but I'll enjoy teaching you both a lesson in power first." “Now, now, Septima, dont get cocky.” it was Raya’s turn to taunt her. Darien charged, making the Tharn focus him. Activating quick cloak, and hitting her with Cepiliarch’s Flail. Bastian was behind them with his healing staff, giving them healing shields left and right. “Activate the book!” Darien yelled, as Raya hit her with Pragmatic Fatecarver, taking her down. “I hope you have the day you deserve in Coldharbour, bitch.” Raya exclaimed, as they were making their way to Emeric, “Well, that was demoralizing, wasn't it? ```"Your death matters little, Emeric." I can't believe she said that! I don't know though. Is it true?" “No, dad, the Daggerfall Covenant needs you.” she paused, “I need you.” “That's a relief … I suppose. There's some part of me that wants to stay here, but I'd have regrets for all eternity, wouldn't I? Since I am in the fortunate position of having a choice, I think I prefer you take me back.” “Of course!” she began, “We will take your soul back.” as they made their way to the keeper, Raya was quiet. “Are you alright, doll?” Darien’s face was lined with concern, “Im exhausted, Im starving, and I have to pee really bad.” she let out shaky breath, “But I will be okay.”

[lockwood-fic-recs]

Rubbish At It

by imacrazyangel13 on ao3

Rating: U | Category: F/M | Relationship: Lockwood/Lucy

A collection of one shots and things I wish we could've seen in the books and the show that was tragically canceled. Or alternatively, if Lucy and Lockwood had kissed like they almost did after they jumped into the Thames.

[aravenlovesfanfiction]

<- prev [star wars fic] next ->

Masterpost

[thesnailtail]

;; proper clover and ice references!!! finally... it's only been five months..

[the-24-7-lawlu-library]

Hello! I have a request

I recently forgot to bookmark this specific story and I erased my history before I even noticed. :(

I was wondering if you might know what the name is:

Law used the immortality surgery on Luffy during battle knowing he would die, but ended up surviving because I believe he had luffy's heart in his chest while Luffy had Law's in his own. If it helps Luffy was in gear 5 during battle.

Hey there, we got you!

Hearts Spring Eternal by riverofnara (E) Law swore he'd never perform the Perennial Youth Surgery. But in a desperate moment during Luffy’s final battle against Blackbeard, the opportunity comes and Law doesn't hesitate to take it…only to wake up alive afterwards. He deems it a failure, though in the end it doesn’t matter - Luffy still defeats Blackbeard and becomes the King of Pirates. But Law’s fateful decision that day leads to consequences he never could have imagined. And as he faces the rest of his life, he realizes he can’t escape what he’s done…nor the man he did it for.

-Mod Raiya

[hp-fanfic-archive]

Locked Away by lemonchase Pairing: Gen, Harry & Sirius Rating: T Word Count: 3k “You cannot throw a ten-year-old into Azkaban, minister!” “We aren’t throwing him anywhere. Besides, it’s just a temporary-” “You cannot punish a child for their accidental magic!” “How sure are you that it was an accident? For all we know, he could be dangerous. He killed three people and doesn’t show any regret.” “Of course, he doesn’t! Look at him! He’s in shock! I’m not even sure he can hear us.” Harry blinks and closes his eyes. Why do they need to be so loud? Why can’t they just shove him into a cupboard and leave him alone? He’s so tired. The adults keep talking, but Harry doesn’t try to listen to them anymore. Why bother? They will do with him whatever they want, either way. That’s how it will always be.

[kimium]

Chapters: 4/7 Summary:

God AU. Multiple/Switching POVs.

"Every thing has to have an origin story. Even gods."

An AU where all the housewardens are gods and require an origin story. (In where the answer to "How to Become A God" is "Get Possessed".)

~

Kalim's Story.

"Kalim smiled warmly. The duty thrust upon him at an early age was fulfilling but it left him without people to call true friends. Jamil, who was the son of one of their high ranked workers had grown up alongside Kalim due to being the same age. Their friendship had made the lonely days and nights not allowed to always play with the other kids a little less painful.

“Jamil!” Kalim greeted brightly.

“Your parents were looking for you,” Jamil said with a narrowing of eyes. “It’s time for your lessons.”

“Oh…” Kalim glanced around the room and found a clock hanging on the wall. The hands indicated he was twenty minutes late. “Oops. I’m sorry. I was distracted.”

Kalim may be a bit lonely growing up but at least he has Jamil, his best friend at his side.

~

Hello everyone!!! Here is my chapter for Kalim! This one was one of the harder ones to plan but I’m so happy where I landed! It’s also the longest chapter so far... oops. Anyways, I hope you like it! Let me know!!!

[ranchracoon]

"Make Me Yours" Ch. 2 The Dream

Chapter 1

Everything is white. The wind howls wildly and becomes deafening to the point she must cover her ears. The only break in the colorless sea is a blurry black dot. She takes a step forward but sinks into the ground to her mid-calf. Each forward step she takes, she sinks, having to sacrifice her hearing to push out with her arms. She trudges closer until she is nearly on top of it. She brushes away the slurry of flakes around it and picks it up. It's metallic, a pin of sorts. She examines it for only a moment before a bird swoop down to take the pin.

Carmen startles awake on the warm, volcanic rock, jabbing her elbow into a nearby stalagmite. She hisses and cups her elbow into her opposite hand and rubs viciously to try and soothe the pain. After the pins and needles disappear, she wipes her hands over her face and groans lowly. Her whole-body aches from sleeping on the rock, and she's drenched in a layer of sweat and morning mist. She jerks herself to her feet, frantically searching for some indication of the time; a futile endeavor once she realizes there's no clocks. She sprints outside to see the sun already above the horizon. After a quick curse, she drops and becomes one with her wolf form. The freshly brewed dream poured from her mind into the abyss of forgetting.

She sprints down the mountainside toward the center of the island, her heart and breath racing with her feet. Once she is within eyeshot of the central hut, she decreases her speed to a speed-walk while simultaneously shifting back into a human. Carmen sneaks in through the crowd to get her breakfast; easier said than done when everyone else keeps eyeing her with a smirk. She nabs a plate before her mother can see her, and retreats to the safety of her closest friends.

"Well, looks like someone had a late night." Teases Neyla.

Carmen raises an eyebrow in confusion, when Neyla points downward Carmen follows her finger. The realization strikes; she is still in her clothes from last night, and she sweaty. She rolls her eyes and scoffs before bowing her head to hide her face. She swallows the food with minimal chewing, only just realizing how hungry she is as she shoves another mouthful.

"Please tell me you weren't with Tess. You know she's nothing but trouble and you promised!" Begs Diana.

"I wasn't with Tess." Carmen mumbles.

"So then, who were you with?"

"No one."

"Ah. Classic 'sleep it off in a bush.' Been there. Would explain the clothes, but not your late arrival or flustered skin." States Alo.

"I wasn't sleeping in a bush either!" Snaps Carmen.

"Okay there's no need to get snappy." Neyla raises her hands in defense.

"I'm sorry. I'm just tired, I didn't sleep well last night."

"Well, if you weren't in a bush, nor at Tessa's, and didn't sleep well. Where were you? What were you doing?" Asks Diana.

Carmen looks up at them, she chews the inside of her lip before stealing a glance over her shoulder. She sees Ben and Clara sitting and talking with some tías (aunts). She swallows thickly then turns back to her group, all of them looking at her expectantly. After a moment of debating she sighs defeated, they'll find out one way or another.

"I-I went up the mountain." She mumbled.

The three of them scramble closer, screaming out "what?!" In perfect unison. Others glare their way but return to their meals when Carmen shushed them and motioned with her hands for them to sit back.

"What did you see?!"

"Nothing. Just like last time." Carmen said bitterly.

All of their shoulders collapse in disappointment. They look toward the table before Diana reaches out to take Carmen's hand. She retracts from the touch and hugs herself tightly. They say nothing but she can feel their sympathetic stares burning into her, the same stares she gets from everyone else.

"However..." She starts.

They lean over once again, the table squeaking lightly from their collective weight.

"I did have this strange dream but whenever I try to remember it's all fuzzy." She states.

Neyla gasps loudly and slaps her hands on the table. The others startle as Carmen stares at her before her eyes widen and she shakes her head.

"No. I know what you're thinking -"

"We need to see abuela!" She exclaims, cutting Carmen off.

Before Carmen can scurry off Neyla grabs her by the arm forcefully and drags her off. They make a pit stop at Carmen's home so she can change and look presentable. Abuela is very particular when it comes to how one represents themselves, and Carmen is the exact opposite of that expectation. She has to wear long sleeves and pants to cover her full-length tattoos, and hide her newest addition. She takes some soft nipple pads to put over her nipple piercings then wears a padded bra instead of a sports bra.

After she changes, she takes some concealer to hide the smaller tattoos behind her ears. Her neck tattoo and hands take the longest to cover, she has to make sure the makeup is blended well and unnoticeable. She does a once over to ensure everything is covered and that her piercings aren't visible. The final part is she removes the piercings from around her ears, leaving the studs on the bottom in. Then she begrudgingly wears closed toed shoes. She feels claustrophobic as she picks at her clothes to loosen then from her skin. It does very little to appease her.

Carmen only attempted to escape once but Neyla beat her to the punch by waiting for her outside her bedroom window. They walk together toward the southern side of the island where their elders like to gather to share stories, play games, and watch the littles. Carmen grumbles under her breath, it's not that she doesn't like her abuela but she knows exactly how to get under Carmen's skin. Unfortunately Neyla is correct, if anyone can help her with her dream it's their abuela. The front of the community center is completely open with tables and chairs out on the patio. Little kids run around in the grass, some of them are in their pup forms unable to transition on their own.

Carmen waves to the attendant who smiles back and points toward the hallway leading toward the central gardening area. The garden is where rare and endangered plants are kept in prestine condition. For some, this island holds the last of their species. In the center is abuela, she's hunched over a smaller bed of germinating seeds. Carefully replanting them using surgical like tools to avoid crushing the delicate pods. She looks up and smiles widely, after setting her tools aside she stands and hugs Neyla.

"hola mis amores. ¿Qué te trae por aquí?" (Hello my loves. What brings you here?)

"Hola abuela, en realidad vinimos a verte-" (hi grandma, we actually came to see you-) Neyla starts.

"¿Carmen finalmente encontró a su pareja? No pensé que esto sucedería mientras aún estaba viva." (has Carmen finally found her mate? I didn't think it would happen while I was still alive.)

Carmen groans and rolls her eyes while crossing her arms. Neyla hits her on the arm to knock it off but it's too late. Their abuela scoffs and takes off her hat. She waddles over to the gardening shed to put her tools away for the day, while they follow her.

"Ah clásico. Sabes que esa actitud es la razón por la que aún no has encontrado pareja y esos tatuajes. No creas que no sé nada de ellos. Las chicas hablan, ¿sabes? Nunca conseguirás que un hombre luzca así."(ah classic. You know that attitude is why you haven't found a mate yet, and those tattoos. Don't think I don't know about them. The girls talk you know. You'll never get a man looking like that.)

Carmen trembles, she wants to leave so badly but Neyla puts a reassuring hand on her arm. Their abuela does this every time, has done it since Carmen failed the first time. At first she could be the bigger person and ignore it, but it's really starting to get under her skin. All the passive aggressive comments about her weight, her attitude, her body. She huffs and sucks in a sharp breath to calm herself.

"Por eso vinimos a verte abuela. ¡Carmen lo intentó de nuevo y vio algo en la piscina! Sin embargo, necesita un poco de ayuda porque no podía distinguir qué era." (That's why we came to see you grandma. Carmen tried again and saw something in the pool! She needs a little help though because, she couldn't quite make out what it was. )

Neyla splurged on the details a little but it was enough for their abuela to gasp loudly. She hobbles excitedly from the garden to her room where she digs through an ancient looking chest. She takes out a book, some candles, and a string of wooden beads. She motions for them to follow her, and she leads them from the community center to their burial site to the far west.

Their burial site is not a mound full of headstones, rather an exquisite plant and flower garden beside the mountain. Every person is buried with their choice of flower, and the path is marked on each side with moonflowers to guide the souls onward. In the base of the mountain, there's a man-made cavern where an ofrenda wraps around the inside so those who no longer have family will always be remembered. Two elderly women are inside keeping the candles lit and praying to the goddess. They leave upon the arrival of the trio, carving a path through the Cempasúchils that blanket the floor.

Neyla waits outside as their abuela orders Carmen to lay in the center. She lights her candles, mumbles a prayer to their ancestors and goddess for guidance. Then she opens her book and chants another prayer before ordering Carmen to close her eyes.

Everything is white again, but she makes out the horizon in the distance. The sky darkens to night but she can still see clearly. The wind howls wildly once more, surrounding her in a flurry of white specks. It's snow. She hugs herself, now feeling the biting cold sink into her bones. She takes a step forward but sinks into the ground to her mid-calf. Each forward step she takes she sinks, but she keeps moving toward the black dot. She trudges closer until she can reach out and pick it up, this time clutching it close but there's no bird.

She examines it closer, it's diamond shape, with a full bloomed flower in the center with two rapiers crossing behind it. She brushes her thumb over the design, committing the feeling to memory. A laugh catches her off guard, she looks up and sees...a woman? She's more bird than woman. The entire body is wrapped in feathers, and she's wearing some sort of golden, bird- like mask. The woman laughs loudly and dissolves into a murder of crows all gunning for Carmen.

Carmen startles again, this time sitting up violently as all the candles surrounding her blow out. Her abuela clutches her chest in fright, falling backward onto her butt. Neyla runs in to help as Carmen breaths heavily. She has to draw that symbol before she forgets. Although, she can't draw to save her life but she knows someone who can.

Carmen shifts and takes off without a word to Neyla or abuela. She's ten times faster in her wolf form, running full speed and barely avoiding those walking around. She comes to a screeching halt and shifts back when she gets to her destination. The tattooist. The parlor is a gazebo made from the trunks of palm trees with the branches and leaves woven to make the canopy. There's a large, extremely built man, covered in more tattoos than her. He's bald with every visible inch of his skin covered in ink or piercings. He looks up from his drawing and smiles widely.

"Carmen!!!" He bellows.

He hugs her tightly and lifts her off the ground with a spin. He sets her down on the ground and holds his hands on his hips.

"What can I do for you Chica? Judging from the getup and make up, you just visited the abuelas and abuelos."

"Yeah. I'll tell you all about it but I need your help." She pants. 

Carmen and the man sit underneath the canopy where he flips his pad to a fresh paper and listens to her tale. She tells him about her dream, forgoes the part about going up the mountain, and that she, unfortunately, had to seek help from her abuela but now needs help drawing something from her dream. He listens intently as she describes the pin in as much detail as she has the words for, only making minor changes when he shows her a finished product. Then she describes the bird mask the woman was wearing; it was gold with a long beak that goes past her neck with the entirety covering her face with golden strings attached from the beak to the mask. He finishes the drawing for both pieces and hands her the paper with the final products. They're perfect. 

"Gracias Aleki! This is perfect." She praises.

"Not a problem. Anything for you Carmen. What do you plan on doing with them?" He asks.

There was only one thing she could do: she had to find out what this symbol stood for. After a brief conversation with Aleki, she makes her way to the library where she settles down behind one of the few computers the island has. The internet takes ages, hence why she wrote letters to Ben instead of emails, because the letters would get there faster. While she waits for the computer to turn on, and load, she begins her search with books. She starts with family crests but there's not much outside of the island's history of notable families. By the time the system loads, she continues her search into crests having a feeling that's the right track.

Nothing. 

She huffs in defeat but then sits up and hits her forehead as a stupid idea comes to her: image searching. She scans the drawing and uploads it into an image finder for anything similar in design. Then she sees the exact replica after countless minutes of scrolling. She clicks the image and follows a trail of links until she comes upon a review website that she reads aloud. 

"Dimitrescu wines, the finest wine made in the heart of Europe. For hundreds of years the Dimitrescu family has cultivated award winning wine for all tastes. Their most popular line having rich notes of - "

Carmen stops reading and switches her search into this Dimitrescu family but only finds how to purchase the wine and more reviews. She sits back in her seat and sighs. She's happy that she at least has a name and a starting point, but also defeated that Dimitrescu might not be real with how limited information there is. One thing she does know, is she has to go to Europe which makes her groan in despair. She hates the cold. 

Chapter 3