#stray fandom

For a while at least… Beryl became my baby and soon I found myself writing about her to calm myself down in between the times I could sit down at work. All I wanted to do was to dive into this world so badly, so getting back into an old hobby seemed to be my saving grace.

Jumping on to Twitter I found that other people online were making their own OCs. I found one particularly friendly person and I just had to play along with their character. I made a cute role-play comment and out popped this cute picture by @Lenny_lazyDraw of their character Cleo with Beryl.

As my fanfiction began to take form I began to chat more and more online with others of the fandom. To be honest, you guys have been the ones to keep me company for a long time, and I want to reassure you all that while I am not on the internet that much anymore I am still alive and well and still thinking about you all on the physical side of life. But as for my time on fanfiction, I also took some time on Discord. Discord for me was a place where I could have real conversations with people. If it was not face-to-face it was through text, and there was no pressure to have likes and to post pictures. You could truly be anonymous and somebody at the same time.

I was invited to a roleplay server called TheStraycord by none other than ThemSoundwaves. It started on the unofficial Stray server with us talking each other's ears off and finding we had some things in common. A love for writing, dubstep, and the silly. When she invited me over to TheStraycord I immediately made myself comfortable and dove into a role play. I was on that server every day, and soon I caught the eye of none other than a “Dumbfoundbot.”

Also known as ViralPenny on Twitter, Dumbfoundbot surprisingly loved the characters that I created, not knowing that I have made fanfiction of my beloveds. On Twitter, they asked for OCs that they could draw for people. My twin sister and I both volunteered and found later our characters had their portrait done.

I would not be surprised if he heard me scream in delight from my home in Florida all the way in the Philippines, because he for sure did not stop. Before I knew it a picture of Whitney was made as well.

Folks, to say I died would not be enough to express how happy I was. I could tell the feeling was mutual for the artist because when we were finished with the roleplay these art pieces popped in chat.

And they are adorable!

What a week that had been! I am glad that happened as well because for some reason this series of events kicked off my twin sisters’ inspiration like none other. Not only did she get into her Stray Oc character more over time, but she finally did a full-color character sheet of Beryl.

Just in time to show it off on her graduation day as well. And while I hope she draws more I hope even more that she draws for herself. Even her sketches I adore. Here is one she did on chapter 5.

While things have slowed down a bit, that being the Stray fandom on A03 and currently my time on this fandom, life in the real world has sped up. Having my first child and recovering from major surgery had taken a number out of me. But I am glad that everyone else is still moving forward. Heck, I am especially happy that ThemSoundWaves is finding time to draw as well. She gave me a phenomenal take on Dr.Mike and I look forward to adding his description more to future chapters.

Artists, I love all of your art. Please continue to love what you do and don’t let what is going on in the world stop you from doing what you love, especially with this AI nonsense going around. As for my readers, please go check out and support these artists. They deserve all of their hard work to be rewarded.

Automatic Heritage will continue. The next chapter is about to be completed, it just needs some time. I do know that this project will continue as long as I can see that there is interest, that being kudos and comments. Not that I am holding this story over my reader's head, but that I am going to use this as a way to see that there are people interested and to stay faithful to the few that are. No point in forcing myself to write when there is no activity.

Thank you again my friends, and may the sun shine warm upon your face.

*closes document* “ah… that should be it…” *gets notification from Discord* *opens Discord*

*screams in cute robot*

Art done by @Jesterdysphoria on X (aka twitter)

It had been a few days since the Walled City 99 opened up to the outside world. Despite their excitement, the outsiders didn't dare to venture too far from the city without preparations for a well-planned expedition. This new world was nearly alien to them, after all.

For the time being, they wandered the close surroundings outside of the walled city together, processing the unfathomable freedom they had been blessed with.

Momo was hoping to meet the little outsider again now that they were outside, but so far... No luck...

One day, Momo was standing outside alone, staring at the sun. It didn't hurt him in any way, having glass and image sensors instead of retinas, but he sometimes found himself mesmerised by the raw, powerful brightness of the celestial object, once only described in ancient texts...

"Mreow!"

The familiar sound sent an surge of surprise and happiness through him. He let out a high-pitched bleep as he quickly looked down to spot the cat.

Ah... But this little animal was mostly white, only some spots were orange, unlike the little outsider...

Although a little disappointed, Momo was glad to see a lifeform he considered friendly and trustworthy.

"Oh, hey there, cat..." He said with a small wave.

The cat didn't like that... This metal thing looked big and made unfamiliar sounds. The cat ran away into the greenery.

"Uh-... wait!... Do you happen to know an orange cat??..." Momo, in his excitement, clumsily stepped over bushes and crouched under branches to follow the cat, getting his coat and hat stuck to trees a few times...

Wrestling with the vegetation, the face on his monitor changed into a sad frown... And eventually into an angry frown.

After a few minutes, he made it to a clearing. However, after looking around him, he finally had to accept that he lost sight of the cat... He shook his head and dusted some leaves off his coat, letting out a low wobbly sigh.

But then a sound he didn't recognize made him freeze like a statue.

It sounded like an empty spray can being forced to exhale what little air it still held. A hiss? No, it sounded like something... bigger.

With a fearful expression, he turned his head to look in the direction of the sound.

It took a moment for his facial recognition system to see it, but right there, behind a tree, a face was staring at him with wide eyes.

But it wasn't a companion.

This face did not glow, almost part of the shadows of the trees. This face was round... It looked soft... a little bit squishy, hairless for the most part, and displayed such complex eyes, and a... a nose... None of these features shaped like the ones of a cat, no...

Yes, yes Momo was familiar with this facial structure... Well, sort of. The ancient posters and paintings he collected over the decades wouldn't lie to him, would they? He had almost no doubt... This being was... a soft one. A human.

Although he was mostly frozen in fear, Momo's monitor changed to display a speechless, surprised expression. He cautiously tilted his head, trying to get a better look, as he let out an sharp buzz of curiosity. It was kind of his way of gasping.

A human... The soft ones were still here... Could they really have been waiting outside, all this time?...

A long time ago, Momo and the outsiders once discussed the theory that some of the soft ones could still be outside, but that theory always felt more like fantasy! And yet, unless Momo was mistaking, it was right there before his very eyes.

However, the soft one in front of him didn't seem to like the attention. The human made a hushed high-pitched sound as their eyebrows lowered with fearful frown. They started slowly stepping backward, away from Momo.

"Oh... Oh no, please, wait!...." Shakily, Momo hurriedly shook his head and showed the palm of his hands, taking a step back himself.

He was so overwhelmed. What should he do!? This encounter could mean everything... it could change the world forever, both for the companions, and for whatever was left of the humans... What if he screws it all up??...

Zbaltazar would have done a much better job at handling this encounter. Momo just knew it...

He tried to remember everything he's ever read about humans, as fast as possible.

Although he could read and write in the ancient texts of humans, he didn't know how to pronounce human words... Audio recordings of humans in the slums were so scarce... Yet another human art the companions had lost over the centuries...

But he remembered something... an ancient poster of human times he used to own... The poster featured the word "peace" under a human hand holding up two fingers... It was such a colorful poster, he missed it.

Without wasting any more time (since the human kept slowly inching away), Momo held up two fingers on both of his hands, showing them to the human.

"Peace!... Do you understand?... Peace..." He said in his companion bloops and bleeps, as he nodded his head a little insistently. "Peace..." He repeated, as if it could help in any way.

The human stopped, and squinted their eyes at Momo.

Momo would be holding his breath, if he had any. He now put a hand to his chest. "I'm... Momo!... Uhh-..." He hesitated, then traced the human letters on his chest... "M-O-M-O".

The human blinked and opened their mouth to speak. "...Momo...?"

"!..." Momo let out a high-pitched computer tone of excitement. A human pronounced his name in the ancient tongue? A human pronounced his name in the ancient tongue!!... "...MmO-mO..." Momo repeated, twisting and adjusting his bloops and bleeps to mimic human pronunciation... his pronunciation wasn't perfect, but it was good enough. And then, his monitor turned into a blissful smile, as he nervously yet excitedly put his hands together.

The human was staring with less fear now, and even decided to take a step forward and mutter something... Sadly, Momo still didn't understand human speech.

Momo's expression turned from a blank one to a sad frown, as he shrugged apologetically.

"I'm sorry... I-... I don't understand..." Momo blooped.

The human raised an eyebrow at him, eyeing him up and down.

Momo tapped the tips of his index fingers together a few times, then pointed a finger up. "But I can read and write!..." He tilted his body a bit to the side and mimed the action of holding a pencil and writing on a piece of paper. "Write...!"

The human stared, visibly hesitating, then carefully traced the word "H-E-L-L-O" in the air.

Momo was tilting his head a bit, watching attentively. "...Yes. Yes that means hello! Hello!!..." He straightened his head and excitedly yet awkwardly waved to the human.

The human's expression softened, now fully replaced by curiosity, and a very very subtle smile. The human hesitantly waved back, and spoke again in the ancient tongue... "Hello..."

Momo's monitor once again displayed a cheerful smile, as he let out a high-pitched coo. "hEll-O..." He again tried to mimic human speech.

The human seemed to react well, although they still looked very confused.

But Momo could barley contain his excitement now. "This is amazing... I know you can't understand what I'm saying, but I have so much to tell you. We've come so far, and I have so many questions..."

Although the human didn't understand anything, they stared at Momo attentively with friendly curiosity, with a raised eyebrow.

"...Hah..." Momo shyly put a hand behind his head, realizing he probably looked a little silly. "Would you... follow me??... If- if we can just go get a notebook and a pencil...!! Please!..." He gestured the human to follow him, taking a few steps back, then put his hands together in a begging way.

The human frowned a tiny bit as they stared at him, glancing to the side just a few seconds, showing some hesitation... Then finally took a few steps towards Momo.

Momo let out another bloop of excitement as he nodded eagerly.

He didn't waste time, and started heading back to the entrance of the city, constantly checking on the human following behind. He even continued talking about how excited he was, about the companions, about where he was leading the human and why... Almost like he already forgot the human couldn't understand him right now.