Sakila

(It was supposed to be xD I kinda went overboard with it. I was in drama class xD Dramatic)

Xero is dead. Xero is dead, she thought. Xero is... Xero is... XeroisdeadXeroisdeadXeroisdeadXeroisdeadXeroisdeadXeroisdeadXeroisdeadXeroisdeadXeroisdeadXeroisdeadXeroisdead It couldn't be true, could it? It couldn't be. Xero. The one who taught her how to live in the Habitat. Xero. The one who comforted her when number 8 had died in an experiment gone wrong. Xero. The one who she considered family. The closest thing she had to family in the Habitat. He was like the older brother of all of them. He was the smartest. The kindest. The most understanding. The most logical. The most popular. The most rebellious. If anyone, anyone, could have survived the habit, it was him. But he hadn't. He hadn't. Xero was dead. Sakila slipped, almost dropping the swift. He looked at her quizzically before seeming to understand. They continued on outside. Once they reached the Habitat, they found Vivi and 100. The four continued on together. Sakila clutched the swift with one arm and a box of the purple liquid with the other. Her eyes began to get blurry with tears. Once they reached the exit, Sakila took a deep breath and stepped out. Back... to the outside world. Xero... I hope you're happy. You reached your goal, Xero. You set us free. But at what cost? ...What do we do now, without you here to guide us? (XERO DIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIED ;_______________________; )

Poke. Poke. Poke. Poke poke poke. Sakila stared at the swift unamused and he responded with a deadpan look. Poke. She returned to poking his forehead. "You're annoying." "This entire situation is annoying." "..." "..." "...If I wasn't exhausted to death right now...." "But you are." Poke. "...This is annoying! I don't wanna be left behind. If Hex comes back, tell her I went back inside." The security was tough in the front with squad cars everywhere, so Sakila snuck in through one of the back entrances the police had told her about. "Hex! Anyone here? Vivi...? No one?" "Hey! Can anyone hear me?" That voice... "Xero! Where are you?!" "Sakila? The far door, near the director's office!" She looked around but couldn't find anything. "Where is it?" She began randomly opening doors. Most of them were labs. Some were offices. "Over here!" She heard a thud come from the room three doors down. Swiping it open, she found the fox sprawled on the ground. Looking carefully, she found he was missing his usual fennec fox characteristics. "What happened?" "I... I don't... know. Over there, in the far cabinet. The purple liquid." Sakila sat him upright and inspected him for a second. Blood covered the front of his shirt. The wound seemed to have stopped bleeding but he was definitely in extreme pain. And with his animal abilities gone, he was facing it all as a mere human. Sakila ran over to the cabinet and found various containers of a light purple liquid. "What is it?" "Poison," he replied through gritted teeth. "But... it's strange. It was just supposed to kill me, but... it reverted me back to normal... Something in that poison... it can help us become human again. Fully human." "Xero, you know what you've done?! You've just succeeded in saving everyone! You found it: the cure! If we look into this a little bit, we might find something to help us become normal again. We can ask Webb or maybe even that scientist... Xero?" His body lay still. His eyes were glassy. "Xero...? Xero!" Sakila ran over to him, not believing her eyes. She checked him for any sins of life. She found none. Their leader had fallen. Fallen as a human.

(I'm just gonna come out and say it, KKLT: Back when Vivi was in college, SHE FELL IN LOVE WITH JAE. And then lost her memories of him. There.)

(Hahaha....Hahaha!....HAHAHAHA!!! XD *cough cough* Ahem!) Sakila ran out of the room, the ID still in her hand. The berserk animal was right on her tail. Sakila wasn't sure what it was. It looked like a mix between a horse and a rhinoceros. It stomped toward her, it's bellow echoing throughout the hallway. Sakila released all her pent-up energy, shifting her features back to their normal mutated state. Silently padding down the halls, she turned a corner only to run into a certain someone. "Sakila." It was muttered softly, but it was clear enough to her sensitive ears. Glancing at her palm, she realized she'd lost the ID card. She looked around desperately as the sounds of the berserk one came closer and closer. "What are you doing here?" "I'm looking... for...someth...." she trailed off. "Were you looking for this?" Sakila looked up to find the girl holding the piece of familiar plastic. For a second, the girl seemed entranced by the card. She was lost in thought before turning around and starting to walk away. She was about to mention the card when she heard a familiar sound. "Vivi! Run!" A short fight ensued, ending with the berserk animal dead and Vivi slightly injured. "Phew. You alright?" She extended her hand. Vivi placed the card in her hand instead and stood up herself. "I'm fine. I need to go now." "Wait!" Wasn't it better if they stuck together? " Where are you going?" "I need to find that scientist." "...Which scientist are you talking about?" Vivi glanced down at the card before flying out through the window. "...Is there...something...between... Hah! No way!" She laughed to herself. Sakila set off in the opposite direction, still relying on the card. She'd just opened another door when she came face-to-face with a familiar face. "Hex?! What's wrong?" (Contact~ Hope you don't mind~)

"Careful. Turn right here." "I gotcha, boss. Really, don't underestimate me. How did you guys get the blueprints to this building anyway?" Sakila spoke into the microphone softly, making sure she wasn't noticeable. Scientists walked by her casually. A woman leading a group of new recruits raised an eyebrow before shaking her head and walking away. Sakila kept walking. At the end of the hallway, she whipped out the ID card and swiped it. A new hallway greeted her, this one much more quiet and empty. "Left," the earpiece directed. "If my hunch is correct, you should find them behind the third door on the right." Sakila swiped the card agin and pushed the door open. The first thing she noticed was the stench of death. Inside, she found the rest of the experiments. Half of them were dead. Steeling her nerves, Sakila walked to every single cage and began opening them. "Sakila?" "Crest! You're alive!" "You've gotta get out of here! Now!" "Wha—why?!" She opened the dragonfly's door. He stumbled out and fell on the ground clumsily. "Y–you have to run! Get out while you still can!" "Crest, I don't understand—!!!" A large shadow appeared on top of his cage. It let out a bloodcurdling scream before jumping down. "RU—" The creature slammed its foot against Crest's skull before he could finish and then turned its attention to Sakila. "Sakila! Are you alright?!" The voice crackled through the earpiece. "Go! Now!" "You heard her!" Immediately, Sakila heard sirens outside. "THIS IS THE POLICE! WE HAVE YOU SURROUNDED!" (Phin made a cameo xD)

Sakila picked up the wallet and looked inside. The inside was simple. No tracking devices, no weird gas. Just an ID, some 20s and bit of loose change. And some... pictures? They were pictures of a few of the experiments being tortured. Did he know what she was planning to do? She smirked. "I intend to save them," she muttered. "I just gotta make a stop first." And what the heck was up with that thumbs-up sign? She laughed as she walked into the unfamiliar city. It took her a while to find it. The sights and sounds of the city sidetracked her for a minute or two sometimes, but she remembered her goal and continued. She took off the lab coat to seem less conspicuous, but kept it with her. She'd need it again. No one on the street stopped to look at her. No one noticed her. This... This is my goal. This is what I want to be. She found it soon. She walked inside and showed them whatever it took to prove she was telling the truth. She even let her ears and rosettes appear for a brief while. Once they were convinced, she was told to follow a strict plan. She planned on not following it. Soon, she was whisked back to the building, one last time, gripping the convenient wallet in her hands and grinning happily.

Footsteps woke her up. It was dark.... It wasn't supposed to be dark. The fake moonlight always shone on the her favorite tree. What was this? Where was this? And then it all came back to her: Operation Jailbreak, the Jeeps, the gas... She'd been at the front of the attack, already outside the habitat. When the gas started to appear, she found herself ducking into a nearby lab and hiding in one of the steel cabinets. The gas must have leaked through the gaps and put her to sleep. She'd turned back into her regular humanoid form. The cabinet was much tighter now and she wasn't sure if she could stay there for too long. "That was close, wasn't it?" "You're telling me." A man an a woman. No doubt they were talking about Jailbreak. "What's the plan now?" "Dunno. The director has that guy taking care of it." "That guy?" "You know, that guy." "Oh..." Who was that guy? Oh, well, no matter. Sakila had to get out and get out fast. Kicking open the door of the cabinet, she pushed herself out and stood up straight. The surprised scientists turned around only to find limbs flying at them. Both were down in a matter of seconds. Now what? Looking around, she found no security cameras and no windows. There was a vent in the corner. Hmm.... Sakila switched into the female scientist's clothes. She raked a hand through her hair, freeing any debris before tying it up with the woman's scrunchie. She washed her face at the sink in the corner of the lab room before checking her appearance in front of one of the many reflective surfaces. Good. She looked like them. The only thing was... Concentrating, she reversed the mutation process. Slowly...slowly... Her hair and eye turned back into a natural black. Her claws and fangs shrunk to normal nails and canines. The rosettes on her skin disappeared and her ears shifted into normal human ones. She looked...normal. Was this how I'd look if I lived a normal life? Is this what I'm fighting for? She shook her head and returned her attention to the prone scientists. Taping them both together, she shoved the man and now-orange-clad woman into a closet before stepping out into the hallway. She stuck her hands into the pocket of the woman's labcoat and found an ID card. It opened the door at the end of the hallway and Sakila found herself in the hubbub of the scientists' sanctuary. Which way... which way... And that's when she saw it. Was that...outside? She didn't hesitate. She didn't think. She didn't remember anything about all the other experiments who needed her help. No, she had to be selfish. Just for now, she had to be. Sakila walked straight toward the door and opened it. Fresh air greeted her and she breathed in as much as she possibly could. This was it. This was the real world. Without a thought, Sakila slipped out of the building and into the city.

Operation Jailbreak. The largest, most intricate, most dangerous plan created by the experiments living in the Habitat. The council in charge of it consisted if the Top Ten—the first ten people placed in the environment. There were nine left. 8 had died two year ago during an experiment gone wrong. Everyone had been debriefed on Jailbreak, but only Xero, the older members, and the first line of attack knew of the exact details. The first line of attack consisted of the special 19 who had learned to willingly complete their mutation. Sakila had been one of them. A few years back, Dr. Webb had a group of outhouses built near the far edge of the Habitat, secluded from the prying eyes of the cameras, saying something about how some things shouldn't be monitored. That area had turned into their training ground. Day after day, the experiments practiced shifting their bones and growing new body parts. Their hearing and eyesight increased. Their bodies sprouted fur or feathers or scales. This would be their ticket to freedom. Operation Jailbreak was their do-or-die option. No turning back, no backing out. Sakila understood that. She had been afraid, though. What would happen when the time to initiate the plan came about? Letting out a low rumble, she leapt forward, realizing that the only feeling she had was one of thrill. If she ever needed to give an example of feeling alive, she would've used this example. The first Jeep came to a stop right near her. The men were shocked but immediately readied their guns. But the power that came with being full animal was too overwhelming. Jumping on the driver, Sakila grabbed the gun with her mouth and knocked it out of the way before scratching his face with her claws. Batting him away, she went on to the next man—a scientist and knocked him unconscious. The plan was to take them down, not out. It would take less time and time was, of course, of the essence. All around her, there were wild and beastly noises and screams of pain. Some of the birds had really strong talons. And most of them had killer teeth. Soon after she found herself at the entrance. She took a breath and jumped outside, feeling the smooth floors beneath her paws instead of the sand near Xero's den. She had to keep going. She couldn't stop now. She was supposed to clear the way for the others. Xero had already dispatched the second line of defense. Everything around her was a blur. There was Ziva... And Alana... And Scar... And Crest... And... And? And who was that? There was no way, right? That wasn't who she thought it was, was it?

Hello hello~ Welcome to DCW! Why don't you tell us a little more about yourself? This is a really awesome site, but in order to truly appreciate its awesomeness, you must become active! Because being active is awesome! Hope you meet lots of new people and have fun! And I also happen to have a very cute little puppy strapped to a bomb that's set to explode if the number of active users goes down too much. Jus' sayin'. xDD No, but seriously, welcome to DCW~ Hope to see you around!

Xero came out of his den, smiling. "Ah, Vivi, you're he--what's wrong?" "Hex says they're sending jeeps." "What? Now? Why now? Their large-scale experiments are over for the day." "This doesn't make sense. Why now?" "Didn't they already test 99?" "This isn't good." Xero looked at the ground, thinking as the murmurs around him increased. Suddenly, his head snapped out. "Everyone! Gather around! I need every single person here, from 2 to 99! Immediately!" The experiments began moving right away and Sakila was amazed at his authority. "What's going on here, Xero?" "We're launching Operation Jailbreak. Now." "Wh-what...?" "Now! On the front lines! Get ready!" "Got it." With that Sakila leapt forward toward the main entrance of the Habitat. She closed her eyes and concentrated. She landed on all fours as her bones began to shift. Her shoulder blades push back and her body became more streamlined. A thick tail erupted and fur sprouted everywhere. Her face reconstructed itself into one of a feline's. She shook her entire body to get used to the effect. Morphing into a full snow leopard always made her slightly dizzy for the first few seconds. After finally getting her bearings, she leapt into view of the entrance. She heard the rumbling long before the door opened. "Alright! First line of defense! Steady..." Sakila heard all sorts of scuffles around her, all sorts of calls and roars and shouts. Her peripheral vision revealed a great Barbary lion and fierce eagle. He'd been planning it for more than a decade. They'd all been planning it: their ultimate plan. It was now or never. The door opened. "...Attack!"

(Hmm....can I write a follow up post to KKLT? I'll be able to do that in an hour or two and then I'd say go ahead~ EDIT: Alright, so after this, guess we're good?) Sakila was ready to go when she heard the girl say, "Wait." So I did get through to her? Whew.... For a second there, I thought I was losing my touch. The bird next to her lifted an eyebrow in surprise. Sakila simply smiled. "Tell me," she continued. "What do you know about 100? How do you know anything about 100?" That's what set her off? After I gave that entire long speech/narrative about my family? Which was, in fact, all a complete lie. Her entire family was completely alive and intact the last time she'd seen them, before she'd gotten lost at the airport and brought to the Habitat. She had been the eldest, not the youngest. And her family had been upper middle-class. In fact, her life had been so normal up until her abduction that she was surprised she'd been captured. Can't believe she didn't even flinch after my perfectly horrid fake life story Xero and I came up with to rally the troops but reacted to the number 100. Should've just done that from the beginning. Shrugging her shoulders, she simply responded, "Xero will tell you more about it, if you like." "What else does the fox know?" Okay, that's worse than calling him a number. "It's Xero," she corrected. Come to think of it, what kind of name was 'Xero' anyway? Was he one of the many experiments who'd forgotten their names and made one up? It was hard to think of Xero as 'one of the many' anything; he was just so different, so unique, so above all of them. "Same difference," came the reply. Yeah. Okay. Sighing, she continued, "I'm sure he knows a lot about 100. If I'm not mistaken, one part of the plan also involves 100... Oops. I'm not supposed to say that much. Excuse me." There goes the bait.... She paused for a while. "Sakila." It's circling around it.... "Oh. You finally called me by my name." "Yes." Circling.... "I'll have to talk to Xero," she finished. Snap! Caught it! "Right. I'll bring all of you guys to Xero after I announce--" "Now." Fiesty, eh? Forcing a smile, she said, "Alright... since you agreed to come. This way." "Thanks." Well, that was a first. They made their way over to his den once again. Sakila noticed someone standing out immediately. "Hex? Something up?"

Dear Anonymous, I'm not gonna lie, I was depressed about it for a while. In fact, I've been depressed about it for so long now, I can't even... Anyway, I saw it the other day. Or heard it. Or... realized it? Actually, did you ever hear it yourself? Wait, now that I think about it... does that mean...AH! Getting carried away! BUT. Butbutbutbutbut, all this time, I've been wondering about it. What is it? Well, what WAS it, I guess? I experienced it for just a second, but I understood where you were coming from. But that's not me anymore! I will try my hardest to ignore it, you know? I have absolutely, definitely moved on! I'm a new person! I'm not anchored down because of that anymore. You know, now that I look at from a more objective point of view, did I actually know you? Like, KNOW YOU know you? Ah, now that I think about it, did you know me? Hopefully, there are no relapses, you know? But thanks. You were--ah, I mean, ARE awesome. Signed, Sakila ^^

"VIVI!" She called behind her, her hands clenched into fists, her claws digging into her palms. "The real world... it's not like that! Not too many people in this environment remember it! But the real world... it's beautiful!" Sakila took a deep breath and sat down in the shade of a tree. Noticing that the owl wasn't gone yet, she closed her eyes before saying, "You probably don't wanna hear all this but you know why I want to escape?" "Sakila! Look, it's a rainbow!" "Wow! Mom, can we come back here next year?" "Sure, why not?" "My mother was in a car accident when I being brought here. I remember her voice. I remember her smell. I remember the color of her hair, the color of her eyes, the complexion of her skin, but for the life of me, I can't remember her face. I don't know what she looks like. Even though she's the only family I know of. "My older brother, sister, and father were murdered in a robbery gone wrong before I was born. Due to the fact that my father had a bunch of unpaid debts, we were evicted from our home. Mom had to get two full-time jobs and part-time job so we could live in a one-room apartment in one of the most broken-down, dangerous areas in town. I remember she got fired once when she had to stay home and nurse me because of a 104° fever. Most of the time, I was left with my neighbor who honestly forgot to feed me sometimes. On more than one occasion, she left me behind in a store or office. "After a while of living here, the harsher experiments stop. Three square meals a day. A place to sleep. Medication to prevent you from getting sick. Honestly, they do whatever they need to keep you alive. So why? Why do these people want to get out so desperately if the real world really is as bad as in here? "Because they all have someone they need to see, someone they need to find." "Mom, I feel really tired..." "I understand, honey. It's just a little while until we get home. Once we're there, I'll make you whatever you want, okay?" "...Okay." The rain was pounding on the windshield. The humming of the car had been lulling her to sleep when suddenly, it sputtered and died out. "Mom?" "Tch. Did this really have to happen now?! What am I going to do now?" She pulled out the umbrella with the small hole in it and stepped out of the gradually-cooling car. The rest of the night was blurry. There were bright lights outside and sudden screeching sounds. And then everything went dark. ... "What do we do with her? We can't find anyone willing to take her." "I'm sure he'd want her. He's been looking for kids like these." "Guess so. There's not too chance much of her mother waking up anyway. Bet she croaks within the day." "Haha, my bet's on the hour." She couldn't see who they were. But she was sure that her mother was still alive. "When I woke up, I was here. The first few years were tough. But they've loosened up a lot. But if there's even the slightest chance that my mother is alive, I want to be with her. I'd rather die outside freezing to death than die in here from old age. Every single person in here has someone they're looking forward to seeing in the outside world. Or they're waiting to meet new people in the outside world. Don't you have someone like that, Vivi? Don't you have someone you want to see?...Someone like 100?" Sakila gauged the owl's reaction before jumping up. "Think about it, will you?"

"Sakila. Not 7." "Same difference." "No, not same difference. Unlike some people, I actually remember my real name and preferred to be called that. I'm not sure who gave you the name Vivi, but you should cherish it." "We had a deal. No more meetings." "That's before we found out that you could complete your mutation. Now, you can help us on the front lines. We can get out of here. Don't you want that? Don't you want to experience the real world? Don't you want to live freely, in a place where you don't have to be pricked, prodded, beaten, bruised, and have to face pain daily? That kind of world exists, you know. A place where we can all be human." The owl stared at her for a while. "Will you help us? Vivi?"

Xero walked into the den to find Sakila sitting crisscross-applesauce style on his "bed". "That's a nice face," he remarked, noticing her glare. "You. Did. Nothing." "Hm?" "You did absolutely nothing while she was being taken away!" "Neither did you." No. She hadn't. She hadn't done anything either. But Xero usually always protested or said something. It was unlike him to just become a spectator and let the other experiments fight them. "Oh, right, I forgot. That mutant was there and scared you stiff." Sakila's eyes widened before she turned away, her glare returning. The mutant scientist. To her, he was even worse than them. At least they had been mixed with another living being. He'd been mixed with metal parts—according to what she'd learned. Was that their eventual fate? To become as inhumane as him? It scared her. Oh, and not to mention she had a pretty nasty encounter with him back in the day. "There was nothing I could do by interfering then. And I won't be able to do anything in the future. With this new information... I've decided to launch Operation Jailbreak. "YOU'RE WHAT?!" She jumped up, shocked. "Calm down, Sa—" "What in the world are you talking about?! Only a few experiments have learned the procedure and have the potential to complete it. You're not honestly thinking of going through with it, right? Only 19 of us know how to—" "20." "What?" "20 of us know." "You don't mean..." "Oh, yeah. Vivi knows how to do it now." "That still only makes 20 people. That's not enough." "I'll be the judge of that." "Xero, this is too fast! I don't think we can—" "7! There's a reason you carry that number! There's a reason you don't make the decisions around here. I'm doing this for the good of the community. I think I've been around long enough to know what to do and when to do it. Now why don't you be of some use and go tell the others who are capable of completing the procedure to meet here tomorrow. Operation Jailbreak is ready to go." "Tch." Sakila stalked past him and leaped into one of the nearest trees. She'd been in the warm region long enough. As soon as she told the others, she was off for a nap. The first one was easy to spot. "Hey! Message from Xero. To all the people who can complete their mutation and become fully animal, we're meeting tomorrow outside Xero's den. Apparently, we're going to launch Operation Jailbreak." (The "nasty encounter" is from two lifetimes ago aka IRL 5 xD)

Tamago no Kimi (oh, Souryou, you~)

Dear Anonymous, Humans are beautiful. Humans are wonderful creatures. Their will to live is so strong. They live every single day, perform every action with such beautiful hope. R.I.P. to the victims, blessings to all the survivors, and love to all the loved ones. -A fellow countrywoman

(Apparently, the NPC is a "he" but I'm an "it" ) There was only one real window inside the atrium. It gave a view the scientists a grand view of the entire Habitat. There were tinier windows, of course, but they were one-sided. The experiments only saw their own reflections. The large window was closest to Xero's den. As soon as Sakila entered the hotter region and saw it, she started bent down on all fours and leapt the rest of the way. She was a bit uncomfortable now. Despite the fact that she hadn't grown any extra fur, she felt more comfortable in the cold. "Xero?" "What? Sakila? It's unusual to see you awake at this time of night." "There's something going on. Where' s Vivi? They're in trouble." "Find her immediately," he ordered. Sparing a glance at the scientists looking through the big window, Sakila went off to find her. She wasn't too hard to find, considering there was a large trail of blood nearby. Recalling... recalling... Name: Vivi. Gender: Supposedly female (according to Xero's observations). Species: Pygmy owl. Signs of mutation: None visible. Number: 99 "Hey! You two! Ah! Vivi! We need to get over to Xero's ASAP!" All she got in response was a glare. "Uh... okay. Please accompany me to Xero's den at this moment if you would be so kind?"

Deciding she had nothing better to do, Sakila walked over to one of the sunnier areas to eavesdrop on the scientists. It was a small vent in the far wall that Xero had discovered six years ago let you listen in on some of the scientists. One of their labs must have been close by. Ever since it's discovery, a committee within the Habitat had it constantly under surveillance. Occasionally, Sakila would help out. "Hey, hard at work, I see?" "Oh, hey, Sakila. Nice to see you here. It was 19's shift today but she's been called out for suddenly. We're short on surveillance. Are you here to help out?" "Yep. And come on now, doesn't Xero ask you guys to call each other by your real names as much as possible?" "Uh... 19 and I don't talk much..." "Alana." "Thanks. Bye!" The other experiment crawled off. He was mixed with chameleon and was giving into his animal nature more and more. It was sad to see. With a sigh, Sakila sat down on the leaves in front of the vent and began to write down what she heard. The paper and pens they'd swiped from one of the scientists' rooms. "...Maybe we should give it another go..." Sakila wrote it down. She was one of the few who remembered how to read and write and often tried to help out the younger kids who wanted to learn. "...The last one didn't work out too well, remember?" "...Director really liked that one... thought it would be a good idea if they had a control too..." "Wait, you're not thinking... but that one isn't...mature enough..." They were starting to walk away and Sakila strained to hear. "... Why not?" "...Well, let's wait a few days to see her progress...then we'll bring her in for..." "...I honestly don't think she'll...handle it..." What? Handle what?! And who is it they're talking about?! "The last one couldn't... but I think... Yeah, 99. Definitely." She heard that loud and clear. Alerting a nearby bat in the committee, she ran to report it all to Xero.

"Yeah, this one is good for today. Escort Seven back to the Habitat." Sakila narrowed her eyes at the scientist they called Hunt--Patrick Hunt, if she recalled correctly. And she always recalled correctly. Ignoring her glare, the scientist rolled his eyes and moved on. One of the men without lab coats, but with a tranquilizer gun slug across his back walked around the table and grabbed her upper arm, roughly pulled her off her chair. Sakila noticed the fact that he held the "clean" arm and not the spotted one. They tended to that. "There. Get in." Sakila held in a growl and stepped inside the artificial landscape created for the experiments. It was a large atrium with a lights above the high glass roof to imitate sunlight. Sakila hated it. There was an area reserved for every experiment and it all meshed together quite well into a mysterious man-made forest of sorts. There were trees for the ones who liked to live in them, water for the ones that needed to swim and plenty of room above for those with wings. It was also divided between different climates. Sakila remembered overhearing something about the setting helping them get more accustomed to their animal instincts four years ago. "Sakila!" "Yeah? Oh, Xero." The fox motioned her over. "What did they do today?" "Just the usual, inspecting the rosette progress." "I see... some of the others said they got a shot today. We're trying to see if it has any effect." "Gotcha. I'll let you know if I find out anything." "Thanks." "Yup." Sakila walked back to her area near the opposite end of the Habitat. A large squawk erupted above her head and she ducked. Birds, she thought annoyingly. She couldn't stand them. She continued on to the colder region of the atrium, sighing. It had already been over a decade since she'd been here. And she was sick of it. Very sick of it.

Dear Anonymous, "Hate is a feeling. Some people don't even deserve hate. You're one of them." ...Is what I want to say. I'm such a coward. Signed, Sakila

Dear Anonymouses, Wait, wait, wait, wh-wh-what? Why are you...? But, wait...why are you mad at each other? Whose side am I supposed to take? Let's just all take a deep breath and step back to look at this... Uh-oh.

*likes your library* *only has naruto, yughioh, and dbz at her library* Just finished Nisekoi (development's in too slow for my shoujo-encrusted heart <3)

Not, saying that it is--whitewashing's just the term for it.