AlphaBlueWolf
Moonchaser
I'm loving everything about this! A grandma-like figure for the kids that helped out Amanda whenever she needed it, someone who already went through the trials of parenting and raising a child and could help with the handful that Amanda took care of with no experience. I could see Amanda going to her for advice a plethora of times, unsure about this or that aspect of parenting because she never got to raise her daughter. And she would 100% be willing to help Louise get her granddaughter out of Shambala, as a way to repay her for everything she's done, and to show kindness to the woman who had shown her and the kids the same dozens and dozens of times. And because Melissa and her second child would be in grave danger if the child came out to be a mutant. Hearing about what Shambala does to mutant children would make her blood absolutely boil and remind her of old military practices. She'd likely be keeping her eye out among her contacts for any signs of mutant kids in Shambala. Amanda would do everything in her power to help Louise, Melissa, and the baby.I absolutely adore your additions. Stellar stuff. I can see the prejudices of the Congregation coupled with their staggering number of enemies hampering any real attempt to unearth the culprit behind the abductions; easier to blame the apostates or heathens and move on. The Constabulary being rather hands off with the sect would offer no real assistance to them in this matter further driving a rift between the two. Cooked up a potential starting point love to hear your feedback.
Louise Baxter is octogenarian who donates her time and meager earnings to The Sanctuary; she turns no request for aid down. She knows that raising children is not all roses; she has cleaned up her fair share of throw-up and changed a plethora of diapers in her day. She absolutely adores the mutant children and insists they call her Nana; when allowed she enraptures them with stories of what life was like back in her day. Despite her advanced age she is feisty, cankerous, and full of vigor. One day Louise is not as vivacious as normal, when pressed on this issue she finally relents that she received news her granddaughter Melissa (Spiritual name: Urjasvati) is once again pregnant. While, normally this is celebratory news Louise relays that her granddaughter is part of an authoritarian cult that exists on the outskirts of the Safe Zone. Her granddaughter joined the organization of her own free will and was quickly arranged to marry a devotee that she had never met let alone had romantic interests in. Melissa had attempted to make the relationship work, but it was doomed to be in a loveless marriage. This did not deter Urjasvati’s faith in her spiritual master, and she often told herself that her unhappiness must be a test of her devotion. However, she lost all faith in the organization and Amaruna after her first pregnancy. Her first child born suffered from severe mutations and supposedly died shortly after birth; Melissa steadfastly refuses to believe her child died that day, but was instead euthanized as those suffering from mutations were considered an affront to Amaruna. Melissa thought she would find sympathy from her community having lost her child, but everyone including her husband said she should be overjoyed as Satguru delivered her a blessing; mutants were the reincarnation of those suffering from bad karma and it was a curse to have to raise one. In fact, they alleged she must have harbored doubts about Amaruna for such an evil spirt to enter into her womb in the first place. Questioning everything, she reached out to her remaining family, which in the intervening time since she cut contact with them whittled down to just her maternal grandmother Louise. Unable to escape and pregnant once again Melissa fears that if she gives birth to another mutant, that child might die under mysterious circumstances again; even if the child is normal, she would be forced to raise it under a system of belief that she now knows is abhorrent. Lousie hates to ask for help, but the Constabulary refuses to do anything regarding the matter citing those in Shambala are free to practice their faith how they choose.
She'd be completely sympathetic to Melissa and be one of the best people who could help her through her trauma and brainwashing. Her circumstance is similar to Mandi's. Her first born was born a mutant, taken away by people who deemed the child wrong, and told the baby had died due to its complications, but they both feared a different scenario. Now, Melissa got the chance to be a parent once more, but the baby would either die a mutant, or grow as a regular human under a society that perpetuated the hate of mutants and other ludicrous ideals. It was not a safe environment for any child, no matter what the baby was born as, and went against the things Amanda believed in.
After sneaking her out of Shambala, Melissa would be wholeheartedly welcomed at the Sanctuary, where she could give birth without worrying for her child's safety. And after the birth, the family would be welcome to stay as permanent residents of the Sanctuary where they could raise the baby the way they wanted to, as long as they could stand the prying eyes of the kids trying to get a look at the new baby. And even if the child born wasn't mutant, they would still be allowed a home within the Sanctuary. The goal of the Sanctuary is to keep children safe and give them a loving environment to grow up in. Right now the threat happens to be to mutant children, and they're a priority because they tend to have worse circumstances, but any others who needed a loving home to grow up in would be gladly welcomed. Love the entire idea.