❛ SYNTHETICWEALTH. / 𝖗𝖆𝖎𝖘𝖊𝖉 𝖇𝖞 𝖗𝖊𝖛𝖔𝖑𝖚𝖙𝖎𝖔𝖓 . . .
and if one day the world was engulfed in scarlet hue, resounding in an unholy gospel of carnage, would it have been her fault ? no. no, no, no. it could not. she never would. this was not her ! darling phoenix, in all her blazing glory, never were such flames meant to devour — not again. ( a name and face. michael. memories steeped in a sludge of terror and grief, buried as quickly as they surfaced ) she promised : nurture and revitalize, burn only to cauterize, not hurt.
but where do you draw the line ? for how long will you be able to draw one ? the beast will take your fire and with it drown the world in a raging inferno. what, then, remains of you ? is it better to fade away like the ashes left in the wake of chaos or fight it all to the last at the cost of own sanity ?
it all seems such luxury now, the self : the privacy of simply being. to share it — willingly or otherwise — had always seemed such a fantastical thing, reserved for storytelling and hypotheticals. amusing what ifs, flung around with little consideration of its realization. it was fun at the time, innocent debate without danger. now ? not so fun. not with this one. ( but what were the chances of benevolent aliens, anyway ? hell, even common make — believe would have them as naught but violent enemies. )
denial grows ever more tempting, a holy beacon of comfort amidst the depths of tartarus. and when a voice — audible, different, REAL — echoes from within, a part of her already knew. who and what, how and where. a miniscule part, one she knows not whom it truly belongs to. knowledge shared ? curiosity unwelcome, yet so ingrained. as hands — on as this engineer prefers to be, observation surely seemed preferable. perhaps if she had stayed at the facility longer — if she had bothered to look into the eddie brook disaster. ( how do you even ask such a thing ? hello sir, can I ask you some things about the alien inside you ? )
little bird knows of only one person who could possibly have answers — one person who knows what this is like. and yet she thinks it would be unfair to pull him back into it — if he indeed got out. let this be her own problem to manage.
so disconnected from haunting voice inside own head, still does pulse spike and instincts flare. little doe indeed, every inch screams for her to run — but where to ? they say you cannot run from yourself, and oh how she loathes the phrase. and if running is not an option, let it be met with insolence instead, ever defensive.
❛ that’s viktoria to you, satan, ❜ and it feels like lead ‘pon her tongue, a name given by those who would forsake their own fledgling. good. let it be heavy, let the pinch to a bleeding heart keep complacancy at bay. the devil has no right to any other name. even when violent churning ‘neath skin and bone begins to settle and scalding heat retreats, it is only cause for more concern. ( do not get comfortable / do not normalize this ) but at least she can breathe again. still, opting for the kitchen’s tiled floor to be her best friend for now, golden prodigy allows an exhausted body to collapse, rolling onto her back and fighting the urge to quite possibly devour half her fridge.
❛ and you better fucking watch it or I’ll evict your edgy ass from this planet before you get a single bite out of it. ❜ bravado, bravado, but never resignation. a flare of pride in a voice still weak, dancing precariously ‘pon the edge of HUBRIS. an animal cornered barking at apex predator. terrified though she remains, there lies conviction ‘neath fiery marrow. this ‘ weak, malleable girlie ‘ will bury her claws into hellish demon and become the orchestrator of both their demise if deemed necessary. ( she tells herself, because she must. but what melody will nightingale sing once the edge draws closer ? )
𝐒𝐇𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐂𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐒 𝐎𝐅 𝐀 𝐁𝐎𝐃𝐘 𝐖𝐎𝐑𝐍, ( 𝚒𝚗 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚢 𝚜𝚎𝚗𝚜𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚖, 𝚌𝚎𝚛𝚝𝚊𝚒𝚗𝚕𝚢 ! ) the struggle of malleable host body giving way. 𝐒𝐄𝐓𝐓𝐋𝐄 ! 𝐒𝐄𝐓𝐓𝐋𝐄 ! if only for a moment, and he ! the fallen son, most hated, and let him be. the calls of those who would rather be slave to the monotony of life. 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐎𝐍𝐋𝐘 𝐖𝐀𝐘 𝐈𝐒 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐎𝐒 ! 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐎𝐍𝐋𝐘 𝐂𝐎𝐍𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐋𝐘 ! what could be trusted in but that ? 𝖆𝖓𝖉 𝖍𝖊 ! o’ intruder to this world, this form, sinking deep, deep, deep down below. unto her form, a sort of thing you could ne’er wash out, ichor of an anchor left within her. a safety net of sorts. enough people to gather with what was left over of him, and . . . an entire body to be remain. mourn the loss now of yourself alone, young phoenix, 𝖋𝖔𝖗 𝖍𝖊 𝖜𝖆𝖘 𝖍𝖊𝖗𝖊 𝖓𝖔𝖜. intrinsically bound for all of her life, his gospel of blood ‘pon his tongue and stench of that copper in the air, all heated and wrath filled when he screams it to the heavens from the depths of her : 𝐈 𝐀𝐌 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐂𝐋𝐎𝐒𝐄𝐒𝐓 𝐓𝐎 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐕𝐄𝐍 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐖𝐈𝐋𝐋 𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐑 𝐆𝐄𝐓. empty before me, and empty after. ( 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚖𝚢 𝚐𝚘𝚍 𝚑𝚘𝚠 𝚠𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚒𝚝 𝚏𝚎𝚎𝚕 𝚝𝚘 𝚋𝚎 𝚕𝚘𝚜𝚝 𝚝𝚘 𝚑𝚒𝚖. 𝚊 𝚜𝚠𝚊𝚝𝚑 𝚘𝚏 𝚌𝚊𝚛𝚗𝚊𝚐𝚎 𝚕𝚎𝚏𝚝 𝚋𝚎𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚍, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚙𝚘𝚒𝚜𝚘𝚗 𝚑𝚎 𝚏𝚎𝚍 𝚠𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚋𝚎 𝚓𝚞𝚜𝚝 𝚜𝚘. )
𝐈 𝐀𝐌 𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐀𝐆𝐄, 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐀𝐑𝐄 𝐌𝐈𝐍𝐄. was not any solemn promise or oath to be purred and held fast to. no sweeping bound of melancholy could settle what he knew to be true : 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐎𝐍𝐋𝐘 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐎𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐈’𝐌 𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄 𝐈𝐒 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐊 𝐇𝐀𝐕𝐎𝐊 ! feed and feed and feed, but what was the fun in simply surviving when there was more to revel in? ( 𝖜𝖍𝖊𝖓 𝖙𝖍𝖊𝖞 𝖈𝖔𝖚𝖑𝖉 𝖇𝖊 𝖒𝖔𝖗𝖊, 𝖙𝖔𝖌𝖊𝖙𝖍𝖊𝖗. ) 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐘 𝐇𝐀𝐕𝐄 𝐍𝐎 𝐒𝐄𝐂𝐑𝐄𝐓𝐒, though none to be shared through quiet nights and hushed whispers, softened kisses and promises. no, no, no! rather ripped away and held in rapture to be used and twisted for his own gain. held in those hands that did violence with such ease and joy, while his own intentions and thoughts remain untapped. [ 𝖜𝖍𝖆𝖙’𝖘 𝖒𝖎𝖓𝖊 𝖎𝖘 𝖒𝖎𝖓𝖊 𝖆𝖓𝖉 𝖜𝖍𝖆𝖙’𝖘 𝖞𝖔𝖚𝖗𝖘 𝖎𝖘 𝖆𝖑𝖘𝖔 𝖒𝖎𝖓𝖊 ! ] o’ gleeful assurance that there was no more viktoria in this equation, and if so, not without HIM. to lay claim to another who could not shake you, no symbiotic relationship to be had -- more of a strained tug o’ war with something far beyond her comprehension. sickness seeps to rage : 𝐇𝐎𝐖 𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐋𝐃 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐇𝐎𝐏𝐄 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐁𝐄𝐀𝐓 𝐌𝐄 !
little bird who beats the bars of her cage, how could you hope to escape? simplicity in the way she struggles against him, and entertainment. [ 𝐒𝐎 𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑𝐄 𝐈𝐒 𝐒𝐎𝐌𝐄 𝐅𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 𝐈𝐍 𝐘𝐎𝐔. ] that hidden though but a hand shown in the lilt of chemicals shared : 𝖈𝖚𝖗𝖎𝖔𝖘𝖎𝖙𝖞, 𝖆𝖒𝖚𝖘𝖊𝖒𝖊𝖓𝖙, 𝖎𝖓𝖙𝖗𝖎𝖌𝖚𝖊. twist of hunger rattling those systems again, a demand of the ageless creature likened to that of a spoiled child : 𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐄 ! 𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐄 ! 𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐄 ! starving for some violence, flesh and bone and brain, lest she be all too willing to be the next meal. a question of will and terror as the wolf is at your door : 𝐇𝐎𝐖 𝐁𝐀𝐃𝐋𝐘 𝐃𝐎 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐖𝐈𝐒𝐇 𝐓𝐎 𝐒𝐔𝐑𝐕𝐈𝐕𝐄? revels in how she lies there ‘pon cool tile, the world begins to stop it’s thrashing spin --- much to his chagrin. [ 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚕𝚍 𝚒𝚜 𝚜𝚙𝚒𝚗𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐, 𝚛𝚎𝚟𝚘𝚕𝚟𝚒𝚗𝚐, 𝚝𝚑𝚞𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚘𝚗 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚘𝚗 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚘𝚗 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚗𝚘 𝚌𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚕𝚒𝚏𝚎 𝚘𝚛 𝚖𝚎𝚛𝚌𝚢. 𝚘𝚛𝚍𝚎𝚛 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚍𝚎𝚕𝚞𝚍𝚎𝚍 𝚍𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚖 𝚘𝚏 𝚖𝚊𝚗𝚔𝚒𝚗𝚍 ]
slinks forth fueled with all that newfound vengeance, that impulse and need to rip and tear with a grin to boot that matches just so. clever as the devil and twice as pretty, voice deep calls to her now in a physical form. something she could not turn away from, forced to look upon something she could not ignore. 𝐒𝐀𝐓𝐀𝐍. 𝖔’ 𝖍𝖔𝖜 𝖋𝖎𝖙𝖙𝖎𝖓𝖌 𝖆 𝖙𝖎𝖙𝖑𝖊 , how fun she would be.
❛ 𝐈 𝐊𝐍𝐎𝐖 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑 𝐍𝐀𝐌𝐄 , i know all about you . even those dirty little secrets you’d rather forget . trying to hide your nature , as if you aren’t 𝖍𝖔𝖑𝖑𝖔𝖜 , like me . eddie could have told you all about 𝐌𝐄 . that is , if you had the 𝖌𝖚𝖙𝖘 to ask him . but i can fix that , 𝐖𝐄 can fix that . ❜
a genuine laugh, the worst kind to hear erupt from a creature of his ilk. giving way to his perking curiosity as he rumbles lowly, jaw chattering gently as he does so. like the maw of a creature bent, ready to strike.
❛ i’d like to see you 𝐓𝐑𝐘. ❜
a challenge, call to action. one that would surely go unanswered. she was not on intimate terms with bravery, no impulse great enough to get her to move. so he would drag her dreaded form, all drenched in red to the precipice of change. show her there was no eye of this storm. lurch of movement, 𝐁𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐓 𝐅𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐘 𝐒𝐓𝐑𝐈𝐊𝐄𝐒 ! ‘o his mass like damned flesh, drags her skull to face him and held firmly to the tiles beneath them. no wound he could not fix, but would demand her attention now as he hisses.
❛ i’ll teach you to hold that tongue , wouldn’t want to have to eat you up to grow you another 𝖓𝖔𝖜 𝖜𝖔𝖚𝖑𝖉 𝖜𝖊 ? --- now listen up 𝖌𝖎𝖗𝖑𝖎𝖊 , you didn’t find me . I found 𝐘𝐎𝐔. ❜