So I found this youtube video where two VTubers, VildrArt and Inkiio, do a livestream interview with a man named William Lavelle, an American Midwest citizen with a engineering degree who is the founder of a new social platform in the works called “Haven Social.” You might have seen me reblog this before, but if you haven’t or if you’re interested, lemme share all I can.
Please note that this is a trimmed down version of the original which is just over 2 1/2 hours long. If you want to hear the full version where you hear parts of questions or even full questions that were cut for time, please go watch the full interview found here
Though, If you’d rather read it here instead of watching the video. I can easily transcribe a summary each question for you to have an easier flow to your reading pleasure. All of it will be found under the cut so that I don’t hog people’s timelines.
I hope you consider looking into this new platform that is in development and that you at the very least share it with your friends who have been looking for a place to seek refuge from all this AI slop. And if you don’t want to read the interview below, I’ll link the Kickstarter up here.
Social media that prevents AI from stealing your art, your biometrics, and your privacy.
What is Haven Social?
Anti-AI
Consumer Friendly
Protection from:
Facial Recognition Surveillance (think Clearview.ai and tracking your face all across the internet all cause a camera caught you walking on the sidewalk)
AI training platforms and programs
AI scrappers via AI poison
Algospeak (The reason this went from a school project to now needing funding to scale up what is now a developing social platform)
How is Haven different from other Social Platforms?
Protection from facial recognition mass surveillance
Protection from AI art scrappers
Protection from other platforms from forcing AI content down your throat
Fully transparent with how the algorithm works and not try to sneakily change it in the background
William Lavelle then makes an analogy where all current platforms are like washing machines where they use/require an app or connect to the internet, and so much attention is given to such features that the older washing machine models are better by comparison. Haven is one of those older washing machine models.
Then he says that every social platform today is run by a billionaire oligarch with ties to the current administration, which leads algorithms to shift in favor of their worldviews such as suppressing and pushing certain news articles and propaganda to align the masses to similar worldviews.
What will Haven look like, and how will it function?
A look and feel akin to Instagram or TikTok, favoring TikTok. He comments on how Instagram has a confusing layout.
Can Haven protect art/posts from AI?
Using the graphics cards of Will’s development team, you can poison your content automatically for free once posted to the site so that the users themselves don’t have to worry about their own as they use tools like Nighshade to do it themselves. This lays the groundwork for mass-proliferation of poisoned artwork, letting people not only defend from AI but attack as well via AI model’s fixed amount of poisoned data causing critical harm to an AI’s quality, as few as 250 compared to billions upon billions of tokens, no less.
How does Haven’s Anti-Surveillance work?
Basically, by using apps like Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, Youtube, etc., you are surveilled less due to Haven not having such features, themselves while also having ways to mess up facial recognition features like Clearview.ai.
How is AI detected or prevented by Haven?
They can detect AI by checking Syth ID. For ones that don’t have a Synth ID, Will claims that his team will try, but they can’t do much with detectors being a bit iffy which is why the money he raises from the kickstarter will go to funding better research for AI detectors.
Not only that, but they will be crafting a manual detection system where it incentivises users to report on AI slop and allows his team to pay creators unlike any other current platform.
How this works is that, once you scroll past a post, the system will give you a survey to ask staff like, “Was the post you viewed made by AI?” “Does this post break our site rules?” “Did this post have mature content but wasn’t marked as such?” With the survey complete, the user is rewarded with say a quarter or dime in which they don’t keep but can donate to any creative they find on the platform.
In terms of AI prevention, the main reason people post AI content is to gather a following to be monetized. To prevent this, William’s team has a person to manually review a channel for monetization with AI being a core reason to be denied.
Will Haven have any Core Values that which cannot be changed?
An example was given with Bluesky being vague on their NSFW content rules as they sneakily change them behind the scenes.
William does not have them written down at the moment, but his ideas are that
They want to allow as much as possible that isn’t hatful or illegal to own.
They don’t allow Gen AI whatsoever
William goes over the reasoning of the Bluesky example being caused by venture capitalist (VC) money, making them beholden to such people who only care about money. He will combat this by being self-sufficient via advertising (more on that later so don’t get angy) so that Haven’s core values can remain rigid and not be forced to change them via shareholders.
Will Scrapping be prevented on Haven?
There will be such as Cloudfare’s AI Labyrinth feature which is Will’s favorite where the AI is diverted to an infinite looping room of webpages that that have no value.
How do we know that Haven isn’t gathering pure datasets?
William says that gaining people’s trust on the internet is difficult, but he gives it a shot by starting off with him not being from Silicone Valley where startups happen often to try and make people’s lives worse. No, he’s from the Midwest. “Cornfields represent,” he says. Second, he brings up current social media owners have gone to places like Harvard (Zuck) or NYU (Dorsey). Not William, he went to Iowa State University, calling himself an engineer and not a techbro.
William then states that those two things may not be enough to gain people’s trust, so he opens an invitation to talk to him about it.
The VTuber comments on the fact that we still use platforms that we know aren’t trustworthy and that he’s willing to gamble on the potential of a new platform that has features he’s excited for.
How will Haven appeal to non-creatives?
William says that they will appeal to general people and not just creatives unlike Cara who only seems to appeal to artists. They way they would do so is that it'll work just like Instagram or TikTok, sharing photos of you and the boys and/or girls on a night out, photos of your vacation, or funny memes.
How will Haven overcome the Network Effect?
William claims the core way to reduce the network effect is all about the friction of switching platforms, posting all of your current content onto the new platform and advertising the new platform to your audience.
The way Will's team will deal with this is that they will do all the hard work for you. If you make an account on Haven and you prove that you own the accounts you say you own, they will go out to that account and gather up all of your content, stuff like timestamps included, and post them to your account for you.
To tackle the a user's audience, the platform will ask for your platform on other sites when you sign up for Haven. Once you fill that out, (from what I understand) you will have to do something similar on the other end. After that, you will automatically follow all the people from your...say... Instagram's follow and following lists, now on Haven. You won't need to go looking for who you follow and follow them, yourself, and your audience won't have to find you. All that is required outside of that is to accept "opting in" to this feature.
Can you monetize your content on Haven?
Monetization will work the exact same as Youtube. When you react a certain milestone on your account, you can apply for monetization. The reason they even have this is because they run advertizements on Haven, comparing to Cara, Art Station, and Bluesky who don't have monetization.
The VTuber co-host then makes a comment about how people don't have problems with ads but more so when ads are too invasive, bringing up the rise of ads on Pinterest as an example
You will be able to opt out of being advertized to by paying a subscription which that will be used instead to pay for a creator's monetization.
How will Music affect monetization on Haven?
the Vtuber host introduces this question via animation memes that earn basically no money at all due to copyright holders taking up to 100% of monetization revenue.
William then says that then will bend the knee and do the same only as a last resort. But it won't be 100% of the revenue. (just a guess on my part) There will likely be a hard limit a copyright holder can take.
How is Haven's algorithm different compared to other platforms?
William talks about how engagement bait and rage bait has been growing over the years and how current social platforms only monetize engagement in general, not accounting for hate speech. To fix this, he has two simple solutions
Comments don't count as engagement
Clicking/tapping a "dislike" button refunds all the engagement you gave the content, even your view, to counteract rage bait and engage bait.
Is Haven going to have an app?
Yes, it will be an app as well as a website
Anti-Censorship vs "Freespeech" vs Hatespeech
Haven is Anti-Censorship and ti about Free Speech, but he doesn't use the latter in his marketing due to the implication of "absolute free speech" which includes hate speech.
What he really means by anti-censorship and free speech is that he wants people to be free from using algo-speak and be protected from corporations and governments who wish to promote and supress certain topics. A good example is not agreeing with Musk getting you shadowbanned while having to call protests "music festivals"
Is gore and gore art allowed?
William says here are content warnings, spoiler tags, and blurred images unless you wish to see it. With the gore, it all depends on the nature of said gore. Say you're a vetranerian who wants to talk about how to fix a wound and thjey have such wound all up and close to use as an example. That is allowed. animating a fight where blood is spilled or drawing a piece of body horror is also alloowed. But, they're not gonna allow such things as, and I quote from William, "Top 10 Cartel Executions Compilation." Basically, if it's something you'd post on Live Leak, it's not allowed on Haven.
Is Haven planning on working with other Anti-AI platforms such as Unvale or VGen?
William and his team are not currently planning on it, but he says he wouldn't be opposed to it. he even talks to the chat saying "if you work for one of them, hit me up." lol
How will Haven be financed?
They have the current platform as a small prototype and will use a Kickstarter to scale the project to support hundreds of thousands of active users.
Haven will also run advertisements to upkeep the cost for running the app, pay for its staff and pay for poisoning people's content for free. William claims that these ads will be more ethical and better than any other social platform by NOT SELLING THE ADVERTISEMENT DATA AT ALL. They keep it private, internal for their use only. He also says that they're not evil with how they target their ads and then takes a long time to talk about how evil targeted ads are that was sadly cut for time in the edited version of the interview. Next he talks about how he uses advert money to fund the development of AI poisoning tools as it stays up to date with anti-poisoning tools. He even says that it gives them an R&D budget to develop protections against AI attacks that don't have the tools to handle them yet. Lastly, he says that if you subscribe to HAven, they will get rid of any advert data they have of you there and then and blacklist you from their statistics and analytics.
How are you better than other anti-AI socials?
William answers that where other platforms are against AI, Haven is both against and protects against AI.
Next he goes on some conspiracy speculation about how DiVine and their devs "And Other Stuff" has this AI building and training tool named "Shakespeare." Meaning, this company is promoting both Pro-AI and Anti-AI topics. Likely to claim that DeVine will be used to help Shakespeare train AIs. Jack Dorsey, the head behind "And Other Stuff," also owns a AI training company called "Goose AI." He finalizes this saying that he's not too worried about DeVine as he thinks it'll implode within a few months, maybe even a couple years.
Is NSFW/18+ content allowed?
Yes, yes it is. Haven is for art, and nudity is a part of art. William brings up the Cysteine chapel and ancient Greek statues as examples. He then goes over the worries of how advertising will work with NSFW content being present. Here's the interesting part. They do mess around with that. They're a lot more flexible than one may think. He takes Game of Thrones as an example where advertisers were all up in that shit. GoT had tones of nudity, violence, gore, death, and vulgar language, and they were still fine with it. Another example they give is Twitter with how a scandal happens there basically monthly such as Grok praising Hitler and then Musk saying "hey advertisers, fuck you, you should pull your ads from Twitter." Even with all that, riskadverse brands still buy Twitter ads. He then says that "Yes, we have porn. Every site has porn, and you're fine with putting up ads on those other sites. You'll be fine."
Are there any age requirements and verification?
William says there is, but showing government ID is something he says that goes WAY too far. How he does it is the same as how bars and nightclubs do it. They. Do. Not. Let. Them. In. They are not the parents of any kids who are on the internet. How they go about not letting minors in is basically using every possible trick in the book, including Newgrounds's method of proving you're 18+. Only adults have credit cards. If you want Haven Premium to have no ads, it'll first be sold as a single cent. This will be used to prove that the user is an adult and not a minor. He doesn't want to use that method though.
Will there be a subscription system for creatives akin to Patreon (for N/SFW)?
William doesn't have this planned to add, but he finds it cool and will keep it in mind
Is "Dead Dove" content allowed?
To define "Dead Dove" content rq, it's a story contains dark, explicit, or morally reprehensible content that is exactly as advertised in the tags
This was a viewer-submitted question where they added the following note:
"Platforms have a bad habit of getting big because of NSFW artists and artists drawing "dead dove-"
"Those artists migrated there only to kick them out once the platform has enough other people to slowly adjusting which NSFW content is allowed and which isn't."
"Bluesky slowly tightening the noose to disallow fictional non-con and monster depictions where rules before were so vague that is was assumed it was allowed."
William answers this by saying that Bluesky did this due to being funded by cosmetics and Venture Capitalist (VC) funding and having to adhere to VC demands due to those people only caring about money and making more of it. He then says that due to be self-sufficient, Haven won't be adherent to the demands of shareholders.
He then says that, with full transparency, that he will have to use the funding to do some funding rounds, but with that, he says that unlike Bluesky and Patreon, they will do it as absolutely minimum as possible. With them buying back the stock from those funding rounds, they will be free to adhere to what they believe in.
How can you support Haven Social?
He runs a kickstarter. I'll link it here so that you all can go donate like I did with their highest pledge at $90 with adding $210 more to make a total pledge of $300
Social media that prevents AI from stealing your art, your biometrics, and your privacy.
An Archive of Our Own, a project of the Organization for Transformative Works
Chapters: 2/?
Fandom: SCP Foundation, Gravity Falls, The Owl House (Cartoon), Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, Wings of Fire - Tui T. Sutherland
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Additional Tags: Crossovers & Fandom Fusions, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Canon-Typical Violence, Canon Rewrite, Character Death, Implied/Referenced Character Death
Summary:
“ The worlds are shifting, old wounds reopening, they couldn’t be left closed for long ”
The tides of time and space are changing, and a great time of unrest, struggles, discoveries and conspiracies is coming. The rifts between the worlds, wounds shared across realities, are opening, and people are falling in and out of them, landing them in lands never known by their own. As a king dies and a country falls into a civil war, as creatures flee their cages only to hide in another, as one recieves visions while others are blinded, as machinations are keeping kin and friends appart, and as two walk back into a world of curiosities and danger, it’s to wonder how will all of this end ?
And now, last part of the prologue before I reorganise and edit it !
It was the last week before they would go back to Jade Mountain Academy, and the little group had decided to meet up and spend some leasure time together, tonight, they had gone camping. Kinkajou was leading along a reenactment of some old rainwing play, Turtle and Carnelian doing their best to play along, to the amusement of the rest, the campfire crackled, and for an instant, everything was right. It was af if they hadn't lived through war, lost siblings, fought agaisnt legend crawling out of depts. They were just a group of dragonnets having fun.
Moon got up, telling the other she was gonna catch them dinner, taking suggestions, most opting for a mountain goat. She flew off into the night, letting the hills pass under her, her eyes looking up to the moons. Then, in a blink, she was flying through pitch black darkness. She stopped in her tracks, surprised, then, she heard it, whispers. She turned, a silhouette, dark, tall and antlered in white was sitting alone. It spoke, to itself or to the nightwing, that couldn't ne known.
" Soon, I can feel it. "
She called out to it, but couldn't hear her own voice.
" The worlds are shifting, old wounds reopening, they couldn't be left closed for long. "
She tried, louder, and the things shifted, turning to look at her. Seven black, empty eyesockets fixed on her. The face bony, fanged and almost smiling.
" You are not my brother. The thing said, it almost looked like a dragon. Those words aren't meant for you, go back. "
The whispers stopped. The darkness slipped away. She was lying, starring at Perception hanging in the starry skies. The sounds of water filling her ears. Her back and wings were soaked. She shifted to her side and got up, walking out of the stream she had crashed in. She felt sore, but was pretty sure she hadn't broken anything, thankfully. She shook off the water from her mane, grumbling. The memory of what she had saw were already fading away, leaving her confused and annoyed. She took off again, keeping her eyes to the ground bellow, feeling watched.
When she came back to camp, it was while dragging behind her the carcass of a mountain goat, upon which rested a few fish and berries. She layed down with a grunt next to Winter. The entire group had now been surrounding the campfire, talking amongst themselves Turtle looked what she had brought back, and smiled.
" Wow, thanks Moon ! The seawing said, gratefully. You didn't have to catch those for me ! "
She gave him a smile as Qibli and Umber dragged the goat to the fire, starting to cut into it and place the meat upon some flat stones. Carnelian gave her a look, orange eyes gliding over her.
" Hey, are you okay ? She asked, voice raw. You are soaked.
- And shivering. Added Winter, turning his head to Qibli. Hey dumbass, take my place, I'll help with the food.
- I'm fine ! Assured the nightwing. I swear, I just fell in when I was fishing.
- Aye, that's okay. Reassured the sandwing, as he sat down next to her and covered her with a wing. Winter just wants an excuse to show off his cooking skills.
- I've done my part in telling a story, and Turtle and Carnelian helped me. Pointed out the pink and yellow Rainwing. So I think this is Umber's turn ! "
Umber raised his head, surprised, before seemingly going back to cooking, deep in thought, the group waited patiently for him to find something to tell. Suddenly, his eyes lit up.
" I know ! He almost yelled. The queen of fog !
- Fog ? Inquired the icewing, who had almost jumped out of his scales at his co-chef's outburst. You mean frog ?
- No, no, you are thinking of the Prince Frog. Explained the mudwing. No, the queen of fog is a legend from a long time ago, I think there's traces of it dating back to ... well before the Seawing's summer palace was built !
- Well, that sure is old. Mumbled the fire-scarred skywing. Go on then.
- I think the story goes like this. He said, before clearing his throat. Thousands of years ago, there was a great, albeit short, war, it didn't lasted more then a year, during the end of each battle, rolled in the fog, and those who got caught in it felt as if warmth left their bodies, all while something stalked in the mist, the queen of fog herself, taking the deceased soldiers with her, no matter which faction they belonged to, the thing was, it wasn't only their souls that followed her, but their bodies, raising up from death, and legend says she never stopped, and that she doesn't only take the deceased warriors, but that if fog rolls into a village, young dragonnets have to be watched, less they walk away with her too !
- Wow, okay, that is creepy. Noted Kinkajou, before chuckling. Didn't know you liked spooky stories, you're to sweet for us to guess !
- Now that I think about it, this does sound a lot like our version of Lady Death. Qibli said. Though ours is called the Bone Lady, she appears at dusk, and she doesn't do all that kidnapping, and she flays corpes before taking them so it's ... huh ... kinda bad too actually ! "
As the night went on and the grouped moved on from legends to old memories, Moon couldn't shake off the strange sensation she had, as if Perception was the eye of a giant dark dragon, observing her and her friends. Words resonating in her head.
" The worlds are shifting, old wounds reopening. "
It was the 17th of Midyear, a storm was brewing, it was warm or at least as much as nothern Skyrim could get, and High king Torygg was anxiously waiting for an esteemed guest. As it was, he was sitting in his throne, having just dismissed General Tullius after listening to another one of his reports. He gave a look to his left, Falk, Sybille, Bryling and Elisif were in some sort of hushed conversation, though upon his gaze landing on them they quieted, his wife giving him a warm smile before walking over to him, softly putting down one of her hands on his shoulder and stroking it.
" Do you feel alright dear ? She asked. You seem elsewhere ...
- Do I look like I am growing fur and a tail ? He joked, before the insisting gaze of his beloved made him lower his eyes and sigh. Is it that obvious ?
- No, but we wouldn't be maried if I couldn't tell. She pointed out, before moving her hand to the side of his face. Do you wish to speak about it ?
- Maybe later, I still have one last person to see. He said, taking her hand in his. Go back to the court, keep Falk and Sybille from stabbing eachother ... "
She nodded, smiling, before turning and sitting once again with the little group, he kept his gaze on them, smiling despite himself. He was still somewhat green to the whole "rulling" affair, and he couldn't imagine a world where he could keep the head above water without their help. Between Elisif's love and support, Sybille's wisdom and experience, Falk's organisation and diplomacy, as well as Bryling's loyalty and grounded approach to problems, then there were the other members of the court and the other thanes, as well as the castle's staff. Even the jarls, though not always happy with the decision of the empire, and all being older then he was, still seemed to listen to him and mostly obey. He didn't need any Midyear celebration, especially not one tarnished from missing one of it's divine, to feel blessed.
A guard approached, the young king turning his head to look at him, pulling off his helmet, getting on one knee, one hand rolled up into a fist agaisnt his chestplate. A imperial man, in his early 30's, with emerald green eyes and black hair, he had seen him around town, if he recalled right, he was the son of a legionnaire and owner of Proudspire Manor.
" My king, Jarl Ulfric Stormcloak has arrived from Windhelm. He said, sparing a glance at the court, before looking back at him. Shall we let him in ?
- Yes, of course, He informed me of his visit. He explained with a nod. Do not make him wait any longer ! "
And so the guard walkd off, and the discussions of the court stopped, as they curiously watched. There was the sounds of footsteps, belonging to a man of great stature, then he, himself, came into view. Dressed in fine fabrics, leathers and furs, the battle-worn noble made his way towards the first steps leading to the throne, stopping in front of him, face devoid of any expression. The young king smiled, standing up.
" Welcome to Solitude, it is an honour to have you here ! Said Torygg, blue eyes gleaming with admiration. Now, what brings you to us ?
- I will not waste any more of our time. The man spoke, voice rough but calm. I have come to issue a challenge to the death, for the throne of High king. "
For a moment there was silence. The king had heard him, face contorting in horror and bafflement. But he wasn't the first to object. Because he knew he was trapped. He couldn't accept, but couldn't refuse.
" What, no, no, Ulfric you cannot be serious ! Cried out Elisif, alarmed. It's ... it's treason, even if you won no one would accept you !
- It isn't. Said Ulfric, not looking away from Solitude's yarl. It's in our tradition, and the damned empire's. "
Ah, and there was the motive. To late to change the tides now. He closed his eyes, breathed in, breathed out, and opened them, staring right through him, and speaking in a voice never so sure and steady.
" I accept your challenge. "
His beloved got up, yelling out her disagreement, she would have stepped in, if it wasn't for Bryling pulling her back, as well as slowly stepping back, pulling Elisif and Falk with her, out of the way. He saw Sybille's hand shooting up to her mouth, her eyes, burning that strange orange sheen, filling with tears, she knew she wouldn't be allowed to intervene.
He was handed his sword, Ulfric pulled out his own. The veteran let out a cry filled with rage, as he charged the king, who barely dodged, blocking the older man's sword with his own. One swing of Stormcloak's arm and he was pushed back, taking the opportunity, the young man used it to move to his opponent's side, he tried to take this opportunity and dig his sword under his role model's ribs, but now it was his turn to parry steel with steel.
And even over the sounds of battle, he heard their voice, his court, pleading and encouraging. And Torygg tried again, this time aiming for his opponent's shoulder, the one whose's arm carried his sword. But once moee, a sword parried his. And his enemy's voice filled his ears.
" Zun Haal Viik "
Without even meaning to, his hands unclenched, letting the king's sword clatter to the ground. Before he could try to get a hold if it, other unworldly words filled the room.
" Fus Ro Dah "
And the young man was thrown across the room, his enemy chasing after him, digging his sword into his chest. Torygg coughed, blood filling his left lung, his eyes fixated on Ulfric's. There was guilt, resolve, all swimming in a sea of green, pupils shrunk in madness or shock. He had ment to stab him in the heart, the king knew, and he had failed. He heard one thing, before the palace's doors opened to let in the guards, before the bear of Markarth used the way of the voice once more, this time in an attempt at mercy. Elisif screams. He was leaving her all alone, to face tomorrow. He had no time to regret though, not in life at least.
Luz stared at the celling, the last rays of dusk's sun passed through the stained glass window, showering the room with pinks, oranges and gold hues. She could hear voices driting from downstairs, the other inhabitants of the house chatting lively amongst themselves. She had told them that she was tired, after going through the portal. She had told them that talking with her mom had gone well. She had lied.
She had promised her mom to come back and never leave again. The corners of her mouth twisted in a grimace, that too felt like a lie. She loved the isles, she loved being able to train to become a witch, she loved Eda, King, Amity, Willow, Gus, Hooty and the others. But she loved her mother too, and she couldn't abandon her after-
She choked up a cry, shoving her fist agaisnt her eyes to dry any traces of tears. Took a big breath, got up, walked to the window and pushed it open, breathing some more, watching the sun drown into the sea and paint the sky bloody hues.
No, she wouldn't abandon this place, but neither will she abandon her mother, she would show her, and maybe once she would see it, she would understand, and maybe she would let her visit from time to time. Or maybe she could even want to stay. And Vee would come too. And she would have family and friends both in the same realm. And she wouldn't have to give up anyone.
" Luz ? Asked a small demon, making Luz turn her head towards him, he was standing in the doorway, head tilted to the side. Are you okay ?
- Yeah- of course, just a bit tired, you know, dimensions hoping and all that. She said, with a chuckle she hopped seemed more honest then she felt. Did you need anything ?
- Eda told me to tell you dinner is ready. Said King, looking not so convinced. You feel well enough to come eat with us ?
- Of course I do ! She couldn't just let the time she had with them fly by her, she had to make the most of it. What's on the menu ?
- Roasted mandrake with a side of fairy bread. Said the little demon, happily turning a both youngsters came out of the room. And dried wyrms !
- Wow ! She said with a chuckle. We are definitely spoiling ourselves here ! "
Luz let her worries subside, as she climbed down the stairs alongside the cutest little beast in all of the isles. She walked into the living room, where Eda had set up four sets of plates and a scrying ball, the teen girl sat down next to her mentor, trying to enjoy the evening.
In another world
Outside, rain pelted the windows as Jacob hastily grabbed his things and threw them into a bag. Fuck this boring, thankless job, fuck Gravesfield and in fact fuck the entire state of Connecticut, if not the entire east coast. He should have never left Caliente. But then again, he wasn't planning on going back to Nevada either. Because he had one specific place in mind.
That little backwater town in Oregon, many fans of cryptids and folklore have heard of it, he himself was told stories of it by his parents. He had planned to move there after solving the "Gravesfield", but now ? This town could be invaded by aliens for all he cared. And Gravity Fall had more interesting cases anyway, they have multiple of them even !
But there, he planned to work on one case specifically, the recent uptake in disappearances, all tourists. Officials blamed wolves, bears and mountain lion, or even just the terrain, but a few images of the crime scene had leaked. Once there he would contact the whistle blower. Having an ally, and possibly a place to crash to, that what he needed.
So he threw his laptop into the bag, a few clothes, money, and one of his daggers. He hoped he could book a flight to Portland, even if it had to be done last minute. If he had to sleep outside then so be it. He had enough of seeing people laughing behind his back, looking at him with false pity as if they weren't the ones that are blind.
He walked out, into the grey evening, looking even more like a maniac then usual. His mind was running in circles between curses for this place and hopes for the future. Slamming the museum's door behind him without even making sure to close down the building, he hopped into his car and departed for the closest airport from where he was. His mind drifting from the monotony of roads and highways to the case.
Since the start of the summer, tourists have been found dead, it was unusual, yes, but definitely plausible, could have been some rabid animal. But a month ago, there was an uptake in those dissappearances, especially in the deeper parts of the woods. He didn't know what was the deal here. But he would find out, one way or another.
Darkness bathed the world around him, the trunks, branches and tops of the pine trees barely contrasting with the sky, where so few stars twinkled that he could imagine being underground still, being trapped still. The night was silent. It seemed that even in that forest, where creatures roamed, he and his group wouldn't belong, that nature, like humans, othered them. And while some, including himself, definitely deserved the scorn, they were still many who didn't.
Murmurs were few now, discussions had died the days prior. Travel had been long, though kind, to him at least. Then he felt her come to a stop. A low, rattling, growl climbing up her throat, he turned, from lying, his back to hers, to lying on his side, trying to peer ahead. Murmurs came back, at least from those who stood closer to him, those who could see what at made the fur, feathers and spikes rise along his friend's back.
He carefully climbed down, careful not to tug at scales or flesh, before approaching, all while brushing the side of her neck, hoping to bring her some confort. He, too, stopped right in his tracks when it came into view. In the darkness stood a grand, metal door, rusted in some parts, slightly opened, though not enough to peer inside. And even without insignias, they knew what was behind those doors. He turned his eyes to her, his friend's rage came out not as a roar, but at words, spoken in bitterness.
" It has to be a joke, a moronic and cruel joke, he can't expect us to enter this place willingly, can he ? " She said, turning her bloodshot, yellow eyes towards him, her massive head twisted into disgust.
He did not answer, at a loss for words, his friend already having spoken them. Turning to look at the door, the gate, to what seemed like one of the foundation's numerous abandoned complexes.
" - It may not be so wrong of an idea. Came a voice, slightly accented, from behind him, the masked individual slowly walking to stand next to both friends. They wouldn't expect us to hide together as a group, they especially wouldn't expect us to hide in one of their sites.
- So unexpected that it becomes the expected. Responded the lizard, snearing, her eyes fixated on the door. It has to be a trap, he was not like us, he wasn't a prisoner.
- If they expect us to be on site, it would be the ones we already stood in. Pointed out the doctor. Travelling to another site, one that no one has been to in years, that would look like an option no one would consider.
- I will go first. He finally spoke up. Our benefactor contacted me, I just need someone to open the door. "
His friend nodded, slowly walking up to the gate before closing one of her clawed talons around one of the doors, prying and bending it open in a cacophony of metallic noises. And when finally she stopped, he walked foward. Into the maw. From the woods into the labyrinth of white and grey corridors. This entrance couldn't be one of the main gates, not enough space to keep vehicles and crates, which meant there must be other ways to get inside, he would have to map the area and close some of them, if they stayed here.
At the end of the first hallway stood a door, tall, imposing and much less rusted then the first one, opening it was surprisingly simple, considering the state of the place, and behind it was a room, lined with doors leading to other corridors, but it wasn't what made him stop. In the middle of it, incomprehensibly untouched by the elements, stood a desk, and behind it, something that made him take a step back, it's serpentine body covered in shimering, metallic, scales.
"It", for he refused to lend identity to the illusion, chuckled before taking another appearance, one who tood on two legs, face shrouded in darkness, smile gleaming with sadistic amusement. It spoke in a voice sweet like honey, which made him shiver as if it were ice dripping down his neck, it stretched out an arm towards him, beckoning him foward with a flick of it's clawed fingers. He nervously obeyed, starting to think that hi friend had been right and that it had been a trap.
" Ah, hello dear, come on, let's get this deal over with. It said as it saw him, only continuing once he approached closer. As you know, favors come at a price, not that I could choose it this time, you want safety for our group, being hiden from our old captors, is that right ?
- Yes, it is. He said, voice cracking with anxiety. And in return ?
- You would have some tasks to do, such as keeping people away from the rifts. Explained the thing behind the desk. Other tasks may be given by the benefactor though.
- The rifts ? He asked, brows furrowing and eyes narrowing. What are you talking about ...?
- He left explanations for you, they are in the intercom and monitoring room. It said, seemingly already loosing it's patience, handing him a hand to shake. Now, do you accept or not ?
- I don't think I have much of a choice now, do I ? He sighed, shaking the things hand. I accept. "
And in the blink of an eye, the on he was holding a hand with was gone. He sighed, once again, and turned his head to something hanging on the wall, a map of the site. He walked up to it, searching where the monitoring room might be. All while thinking as he saw the name of the site.
This place had been abandoned not long after opening in the 80's, that was all that he knew, it's number had then been used for another site, though that one wasn't in the states, but rather, if his memory served right, in New Zealand, he had never learned why it was left to rot. He certainly didn't knew how the benefactor had learned of this place either.
Not any sound reverberated down the halls as he walked to the room, such a lack of life and light, that he couldn't help but jump slightly, when he opened the door, and saw that the monitors were turned on. He noticed some sort of notebook left on the desk and rolled his eyes, before turning back and closing the door. He had two good news to share and wouldn't make them wait any longer. He turned, walking back to the entrance, emerging into the night, he smiled slightly, simply saying.
I plan on making a long post on day 170, incase any of you are wondering! I'm a bit tired, so I'll keep this post short, and I hope you're all having a great day!
Don't forget to spread the word, it would help me with this movement so much! #protectasgore !!!
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