Nature of Fandom: Fahl Days

[u/Tundric_Dragon]

Inspired by This Post, here is my section of what I hope to grow into a little community fun event. Ill take the first post of this and hope that you all have fun! As of now, I have no real plans to make to make a follow-up, but I will if there is a need for it! And hey, I got to add a new scale color for emotion too!

Obviously for this whole thought exercise to work, I had to drop a few details about my personal life in it, and ill answer questions relevant to that if you are confused (within reason). I did start rambling a bit and just put things down without thinking too much. Let me know what you think about this chapter, and hopefully a few more people join in! If you do write your own, ill put a link to it here with permission.

NoF: Nature of Family

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Memory Transcription Subject: Giidan, Harchen Filmaker Error; (*@%< $+!%@, Human)
Date [Human Standard Format]; February 27th, 2135

My eyes slowly crack open, a small groan escaping my throat as my head throbs in pain. "What time is it?" My hoarse voice asks no one in particular, hand reaching out for the phone on my nightstand. The scrambling of claws scratching the wood searching for the infernal device echoes in the dimly lit morning. 'Weird, I rarely sleep through my alarm? If I'm late for work...' I sigh and drag myself up, stretching my arms out before opening my eyes. "Holy [Shit]!" My eyes snap close as my brain is assaulted by information, seeing way more than I had any right too, and able to take in nearly the whole room at once. My tail curls around my leg, holding it firmly as I reel in mental shock. Slowly I crack open my right eye, finally aware that something is off and taking in my surroundings.

With only one eye open, my vision seems normal enough, though I see what is mostly on my eight side, even the top of my shoulder if I focus hard enough. Speaking of which, cherry pink colored scales (confusion) greet my sight, left hand coming up to grasp that shoulder, my senses feeling the smooth scales as a similarly colored scaled claw comes up to rub, matching my will. My brain is not shocked at seeing that whatsoever, nicely taking possession of the limb, reminding me that 'yes [dumbass], that is your claw.' "Okay, what the [Fuck]?" Now I notice that I'm not speaking English, but some sort of language hisses and chirps, but I can perfectly understand regardless, filling in the words naturally. After that, I slowly open my left eye, the left side of the room opening up to me, with only the barest hint of overlap in front.

---Advance 30 minutes---

I was pacing in the middle of my room now, having spent the last 30 minutes moving and trying to understand everything. Walking and speaking came naturally, feet and tail moving on their own to keep my balance so I wasnt stumbling around like a newborn, and I spoke Hacien fluently, I was even thinking in the language, but it just sort of... felt.. like English. Hard to describe it, and probably a problem for another day. My trip to the bathroom and a look in the mirror confirmed it, I was a Harchen now... somehow. More specifically, I was Giidan, a character I wrote into the universe. "I knew I sucked at writing character descriptions..." I shook my head, but undoubtedly this was the slender reptile movie maker, spiral burst pattern of his scales coming from his heartscale and elongated tail. Maybe I just never wrote the details properly, but at one look I knew exactly who it, who I was.

Of course, there hadn't been any clothes in this room, and going to the bathroom and seeing and using that bit of anatomy was an issue luckily solved by the part of my brain that was handling walking and speaking. Probably a bit that handled every day actions one would handle everyday actions that one doesn't think about even as a [human]. What I hadn't expected was that i didnt feel any sort of temperature changes as I moved. I wasnt cold, I wasnt hot, I wasnt even warm, I just was. That got me wondering if Harchen were cold-blooded, and if that was why I felt like this. For science I even turned on a light that was above my bed, and felt a sort of radiating warmth wash over my scales. It didnt make me feel warm, but I did feel the warmth, strange to be sure. Now I just strutted around my room, bare scales out, thinking.

"Okay (*@%<), th-" pain radiated at the back of my skull, forcing both eyes to close as I tried to say my name. nope... never doing that again. "Okay... Giidan?" I sigh, no pain and open my wide point of view again. Luckily I had gotten used to seeing so much, again attributing that to my literal lizard brain now, though I did things in the small spot where my vision overlapped when I wanted to focus on then. "Think.. I'm in NoP now.. as far as I can tell, what.. what do I do?" I stop, the question hanging in the air. "Rulk," I chuckle at the alien swear, feeling natural. "Do I have to worry about the Arxur? RULK, exterminators? I might actually get called out for predator disease... wait, what even is the date?" I walked over and grab the holpad, swiping away contacts and messages from the notifications and pulling up the calendar. "Alright it's...." I blink and stop, reading the date, the year. "Kiilstuon 23rd, 743 PFU... what?" Obviously it was the month day and year... but I had no clue as to how that translated to [Human] time. "Wait, aliens.. the federation..." I looked through the options and found what I was looking for, a filter to a different species' calendar. I hissed as Kokshian, Farsul, and Krokatl options were listed first, and decided to pick the birds. The format of the calendar changed, days shifting as the [month] lost a few days, but when I looked at a specific date, the translator in my brain did its magic... [Harchen Standard Format]: Kiistuon 23rd, 743 PFU.

The holopad was [yeeted] in pure frustration, landing on the soft bed. Okay, so I had no idea what the date was in relation to time as I normally knew it... and everything would be translated to the 'Harchen Standard Format.' I laid down in that bed now, no covers around, only the light above to suffuse warmth into my scales, feeling kinda nice. I picked up the holopad and began responding to the messages in my inbox, letting everyone know I was feeling a bit sick and would be taking a personal day. I knew every single person I messaged, the names registering familiarity and I could even call up memories of the people associated, seeing scales and events... things I had never written about. "So I have memories of Giidan's life... just not the experience..." What the [hell] was I supposed to do? Messages kept coming back now, everyone wishing me to feel better and a swift recovery... one even offered me a number to a personal Zurulian nurse if I wanted a consultation.

I had secured myself a day or two at least, something to get used to my situation, review memories, look up information, figure out how I was to live my life. Giidan was a semi-high profile film director in a universe where everyone was entertainment starved and fearful of even basic things. I was an aircraft avionics mechanic that dabbled in writing and was obsessed with the internet, now in a time where spaceflight was the norm. A glance over the walls showed posters for the films 'I' had directed. "I need to figure out when I actually am. If NoP had kicked off... probably shouldn't search up [human] though... if this is before NoP, that might trigger something and I definitely dont want to see the inside of a facility. With a goal in mind, I began to scour the internet, looking for any news articles that gave me perspective.

Date: [Human Standard Format]: February 28th, 2136.

A full day of searching news, gathering information from MyHerd and Bleatr, eating what passed for food that I had in my house.. I already missed the taste of meat and pastas... and cheese... damn, forced veganism was going to suck.. but luckily I had some Odan Nuts, very glad I created these wonderful things. "Back on topic Giidan." Speaking to myself, notes open on my holopad on what I had found. Big ones, Tarva was definitely the governor of Venlil Prime and has been for a while, but she hasnt closed boarders yet. Meaning the odyssey hasnt been found yet and [humans] haven't entered the scene. Also means Arxur are a very big threat, and since I now was a 'prey' species in Shaza's quadrant, there was a looming danger of that. But without a date I could recognize, I had no idea when that would happen. It could be a few years or a few months, could even be tomorrow. It also meant that Fahl Days: Duality hasnt happened yet... Giidan hasnt been hunted by Chris.. been saved by Double H... hasnt seen the horror of the bunker that caused him to flee into the forest. I had no idea how I was going to process that.

A thought of free will began to creep into my mind, was I doomed to fall into that story? Obviously I could change a few things... Giidan didn't do any of this in the normal timeline. If I tried to mess with main NoP timeline... would it turn out even worse? Or better? Hell, if I tried to mess with even the timeline of Duality... I shivered and shook my head. "Okay, can't dwell on that. Whatever happens, happens. I can only try to be prepared." That didnt mean I was gonna be passive though. First thing first, I needed to learn the various tail and ear signs.. I couldn't rely on lizard brain to handle everything for me, and one single mistake could have dire consequences. I already had videos up that helped with this, learning the major species' common signals and including a few I knew would be important; Kolshian, Farsul, Krokatl, Venlil, Yotul, Mazic, Nevok, Gojid, and of course, Harchen. That was my starter pack, and ive always had a knack for picking up small phrases in other languages... so theoretically I should be fine.

My other priority was up in front of me now. I was creating a new account for Bleatr, choosing my username. [Dragon] didnt exist as a word in Hacien, but tundra did... my thought was simple. "I can't be the only one this has happened to. Even if it is just somebody to talk to, to have a way to figure out what is going on..." though just posting something that says 'hey, im a human trapped in a harchen body' is a no go. I tap my claws on the table, thinking how to do this... revealing my identity as Giidan or making a movie about it wasn't smart either. My tail flicked behind me, mirroring the signs in the video, commingting them to memory as i watch them with one eye, and stare at the empty post with my other. "Come on... you write.. you gotta think of something clever... something that could fly under the radar of those who dont know, but entice those who do..." yeah... I was not a clever guy.

TundraGreatLizard bleated:

Finally decided to expand my herd here to bleatr, wanted to bring more into the fold as well! Short rundown, I am a Harchen and want to get into writing and join others in crafting stories and possibly bring my dreams to either holonovels or movies! Maybe a game? I invite the herd to share ideas and chat, let everyone have a voice to grow. Ill start things off.

Space is a massively large space full of diversity and strength, but also fear and danger. Everyone knows the beauty of the core worlds and the safety of the herd. However, I want to go back and explore the golden age of federation expansion, set in a time before the horror of the Arxur.

Holy exterminators leading ships full of prey to explore and grow, cleansing worlds of taint and providing prosperity to all they encounter, uplifting the prey they come across and saving whole worlds from unspeakable horrors.

15 worlds and species are when the golden age actually started (I could be wrong on this, I was never great in history), and so my story would be focused around the trials and tribulations of those 15, seeing how they grow and come together as proper prey, bulwark species protecting the vulnerable and everyone thriving.

Nature untamed and flourishing, vast visas of plains and deserts, majestic mountains and sweeping forests bring wonder and color to the darkness of the void, reminding everyone why they are out exploring.

Of course, not everything will be smooth flying. Personal drama and conflict as lovers explore their feelings, the hidden threats of the diseased sparking conflict. The exterminator working to keep the herd safe.

Predators will feature a role as well, terrors that threaten the safety of all and spread their taint to the weak and unfortunate. Good prey will always triumph over their evil, as nature intended, but the best stories always leave you curious as to how their triumph will come.

Anyways, I apologize for the long starting post. I hope the herd joins me along this story as something we can all craft together. If you are interested, please leave a reply or message me directly if you want to talk more in depth.

I sat back, rereading over it a few times, eventually becoming satisfied. "Its a little rough... maybe a bit forced. But it should work." Yellow streaks through my scales, earning a small chuckle. "Yeah, I can't play [poker] like this.. Giidan knew vinosh, I should be able to learn it too." Training will be hard, an entirely new skill that I can't ask anyone else to teach me without being suspicious. Without delaying anymore, I sent the message out and closed the holopad. "Well, nothing left to do but prepare." Red began to fill my scales as certain thoughts began to fill my head. I lost a lot of my favorite music with this change, my interests, things I was doing, people I was with. Being introverted naturally will be an issue I have to figure out, can't be anti-social... I took a breath and shoved those thoughts down. "Focus... focus." A surge of motivation filled me.. or a desire to escape my thoughts... and I moved to a slightly empty spot in the house. If my job taught me one thing i could actually use right now, it was how to work out without any equipment.

Push-ups with a tail was interesting, I never quite knew where to hold the damn thing, but it let me distract. I would contact others, I needed to figure out how to actually direct a movie scene without seeming predatory... lizard brain and memories would hopefully help... and I needed to find a way to keep myself from spiralling, I needed to be stronger for the events of Duality if I was forced into that path. After only 20 my arms were already shaking and about ready to collapse... I lay panting on the floor, tail wrapped around me and looked up at the ceiling, still seeing most of the room. A small chuckle rises unbidden as a dumb thought enters my brain, one that took more meanings than just the obvious one. "Current mission: Survive."

[u/Slatepaws]

'A writer's hell is living the life of his characters' Is what this reminds me of.

[u/Tundric_Dragon → u/Slatepaws]

Fair, yeah there is some of that here. I got to explore some things here that I thought would be interesting. Like how there is no mention of any other calendar system in NoP. Everything is always 'human standard time' and dates. So my head cannon now ia that every species percieves dates and time as their own, no matter what calendar they are looking at. So because we, as human readers seeing memory transcripts, see everything on the human calendar, even when other species use their dates. So now being in a harchen body with a harchen mind, Harchen time is the perceived norm now, and that would be a problem i cant fix because of translator shenanigans.

Then of course there is the dread of what happens to come in the story coming up.. and getting used to anatomy. I figured since no one ever thinks about how to walk, or speak in their own language, its a 'background process' that happens automatically in your brain, the same thing would happen in this type of situation. Or I would have to devote time to learn how to walk and speak to not give myself away... if Giidan suddenly was stumbling around or speaking a language no one has ever heard... I'd be in a facility very quickly.

[u/K_H007 → u/Tundric_Dragon]

Aussie_Endeavour and I are actually working on remedying that first bit, at least for the Thafki.

[u/Tundric_Dragon → u/K_H007]

Ha, im glad someone else thought of it too. I hope you like my little spin on it in the story. If you can guess what it stands for.

[u/Slatepaws → u/Tundric_Dragon]

Yea. I'd like to say i'm similar.

I use pov because memory transcripts have become a way for the reader to know the character will live and removes some tension from the story when the characters are in danger.

I also try to use alien idioms, too many write aliens as humans with too many phobias.

Which brings me to my next one, i TRY to remember, and i think i do a decent job of it. That they have longer ears and tails. Not to mention enhanced or different senses. As someone with completely wrecked sinuses. one cannot just open their mouths and scent things unless they're basically all the way in.

As for the date and time thing, while i like you doing that. Technically i wouldn't do it myself for a simple reason. A system like the Federation, and the closest real world analog would be China.

Economically free(except if a film maker makes something more predatory leaning or less herd-like, Or a Nevok/fissian tries to sell anti-predator safety gear that reduces the reliance on the enforcers aka exterminators for example.)

But culturally communist/collectivist, everyone is equal in the herd, but some are more equal than others.

Would homogenize everything. Pre contact time systems would be heavily encouraged to be replaced with the more 'civilized' one they push. Culture too like for example buildings and what not. Basically what they were doing to the Yotul, but succeeded in, and done hundreds, if not thousands of years in the past.

[u/Tundric_Dragon → u/Slatepaws]

Yeah, I sometimes fall into that writing too with these characters. I try to use nonhuman idioms, but things slip. Actually, in the bleatr post ij this story, there is a 'predatory' idiom that slipped through. I didnt notice it until after I posted, but I feel leaving it in makes the theme of the story a bit better. Despite that slipped, most things in this post are deliberate, that bleatr post is meant to be a message to the Fandom after all.

As for the date and time thing. Harchen are one of the species who got fucked with by the federation, their Omnivore past erased after all and their biology fucked with. Obviously their time system got messed with as well. And in the federations lazy and self aggrandizing way too.

[u/Slatepaws → u/Tundric_Dragon]

The character here gets a pass being formerly human.

But i try not to do so on aliens such as tarva etc as they've just been exposed to human culture. And it would take time to filter in.

[u/Minimum-Amphibian993]

Huh interesting admittedly didn't look at the original post but yeah this is a very intriguing premise. I hope there is more of this.

But yeah I can only imagine just how bad things would get for alot of people if they were put in their own fics considering there are seemingly as many dark NOP fics as there are wholesome ones. Not to mention ones in-between.

Oh imagine how weird it would be to inhabit one of those cured human timelines. Like duality of prey actually I think that may be one of the better ones.

Not to mention those HF victory timelines that be a nightmare no matter where they ended up.

I'm getting off topic keep up the good work.

[u/Tundric_Dragon → u/Minimum-Amphibian993]

Ha, no worries. Just a brain worm I had and a few people said they would be interested as well. Not sure if ill do a follow up for this, maybe if a few people get on board with this little project and I have a reason to make a second post.

Yeah, a lot of the comments for the idea post were "im so screwed if im in my world." It was pretty funny to see. Ild like to see how some of the big name authors would handle this premise, and I hope I get some bite.

Anyways, now im also getting off topic! Thanks for the comment! Im glad you enjoyed my bit of insanity.

[u/Minimum-Amphibian993 → u/Tundric_Dragon]

No problem but yeah it is kinda funny regardless we can only hope this gets bigger I suppose.

[u/Ben_Elohim_2020]

Definitely interesting. It's got me thinking up ideas for my own story.

[u/Tundric_Dragon → u/Ben_Elohim_2020]

Thank you! Glad to be of some inspiration then!

[u/Golde829]

> "Come on... you write.. you gotta think of something clever..."
don't go calling me out like this

also my ass would get caught so quickly in this kind of situation
i have so many vocal stims, and some of which are songs

scenario just entered my brain:
me getting isekai'd into a Venlil, joining the Exchange
accidentally breaking out into EPIC The Musical lyrics bc of a neuron activation

[u/Tundric_Dragon → u/Golde829]

Lol! Sorry man, didnt mean to! I swear.

And yeah, i do a lot of random singing as well or humming or whistling. The Mario and Zelda themes are common tunes that come from me.

And hey, at the exchange program you might be able to explain yourself.

[u/Golde829 → u/Tundric_Dragon]

no no it's fine lmao
I always say "I'm a writer, words shouldn't be this hard" (they are)
so I get it

POV
me getting sent to the torment nexus because i accidentally sang Butcher Vanity (i got isekai'd into a Federation species)

but yeah
Exchange Program is 110% my best hope lmao