Rise

A lowly maggot can make so many things possible [rp blog for nightmonsters] [please be advise there may be imagery of worms/maggots within this blog!]

[calliophies]

Jean Béraud - Symphony in Red and Gold & BØRNS - Holy Ghost

[augusst-deactivated20200928]

Murder Mystery (2019)

[bebemoon]

east of the sun and west of the moon, paolo sebastian couture autumn 2o19 .

[the-cinder-fields]

Alessandro Pagani, Untitled (Barry Lyndon)

[divinecrawl]

pureasdeath​:

the screens that kept snow separated from the open expanse of the shop obscured only vision, not sound, and in that manner eiji had come to the recurring joke that she was living a life that mimicked his own — one absent of sight and reliant on sound. it must be the envy was the preprepared response, parcelled out by snow each time the old man made the same light-hearted joke. 

but sound, as it would prove in the moment she rounded from her paper grotto into the foyer, was not as reliable as the memories grounded in vision. the voice of the woman in the next room had seemed to be of a stranger’s, but her face belonged in remembrance: a skinny girl, once double her age and twice her height, with a hand fisted in the back of her shirt to pull her close. please, sir, my sister and i — we have nowhere to go.

“welcome,” she answers. beneath the lengths of her sleeves, snow’s hands fold together like tightening cogs interlocking together to allow a bolt to fasten — barring closed either the safe of memory or the doors of the present. snow stays behind the dark oak desk, poised tall and unbending as a willow stalk. sukja. “how is it i can help you?”

Memory is a funny little thing. It can be so easily triggered by a scent or a color, or maybe even resurface in a dream. But they can be twisted and turned into something they’re not, simply degrading each time they’re remembered. It was fickle, or strong, depending on whatever your mind wanted for you that day. Conscious had no control, the subconscious played its own game. Sukja liked to believe that she was good with faces, that they imprinted and could be pulled from retention like intangible paintings. But time was a funny thing, time altered features like a painter’s brush not quite finished with its masterpiece. So with hollow eyes, she stared at the face of this woman before her, hiding the fine details of the little girl from her past. Only the subtle tickle in her mind like when you forget a word but it lays at the tip of your tongue, alerting her to a strangeness in the air. 

“Hello.” She smiled sweetly, for why wouldn’t she? “I’m looking to order a few cloaks. I hear there’s a seamstress here with impeccable skill. Would that be you?”

[divinecrawl]

northerndiarchy​:

“Do you think it could hurt us?” It was a question posed more about himself— he had yet to explore too heavily what his skin was capable of protecting from, one failed test would be a foolish death, but he knew that the same vulnerabilities that applied to his companion did not apply to him. He liked to pretend that he wasn’t afraid. He’d been taught to feign courage, how to make those around him feel safe under his lead, he hoped that it reflected well.

Careful not to tug her too hard, they moved through the street, his dark eyes trying to find anything that could serve as a clue for direction. “That’s what I worry,” he admitted, wondering if he had discovered his power to be more destructive if he would have gone down a similar path, burning a hole through the city in an attempt to serve his purposes. “They might need guidance, to know that they’re not alone.” Not everyone sought out community, relied upon others in the same way that he did, but he knew that loneliness seemed to be the commonality that linked all of the Night Monsters. The Renegades were a lifeline, Saint Reaper was a pulse that they all shared.

He was getting ahead of himself and Charles stopped when Sukja asked it of him. “I don’t like to think of what they’d do to them if they got them first.” His stomach turned at the idea of another monster dead due to fear or the emperors need for control. To some, they were monsters, but Yuna’s words rang in his ears. They were people too. What was a monster but something unlike oneself? Something capable of extraordinary feats, something that sparked fear. His jaw clenched and he peered around another corner, ducking back as soon as he saw the glint off of a familiar metal form. “Not that way.”

Guidance. Something Sukja could provide, but undoubtedly not in the same context Charles imagined. Had she found them exploring the alleys by herself, it would have been easier to make a connection but now partnered, the possibilities were limited. “We don’t even know how old they are. They could be a child.” There was no science behind the appearance of marks, at least not yet, and so Sukja conceptualized the worse scenario. A poor child not even aware their mark had developed until a random scan from a sentinel. The fear triggering a chaotic escape and use of their power. She imagined if this thought was in Charle’s mind he might be even more sympathetic. 

She took a step back with his warning, quickly turning to round back to the alleyway they had quickly passed by. “They make it nearly impossible.” The woman couldn’t quite picture a scenario in which someone could escape those robots once they were on their radar. Then as if the gods she so mockingly worshipped had heard her words, there was a whimper. Small and weak in the darkness, echoing behind scrap metal and plastic trash. “Charles, did you hear that?” 

The woman moved towards the sound without a second thought, eyes adjusting to see a small figure huddled in the muck of Million’s Square. Dirt and blood-caked hair onto a tiny face, presumably injured by a stampede to safety when the sirens sounded.

[divinecrawl]

ghcstmcth​:

Usually Astrid would have resisted listening to directions but for some reason, she didn’t feel the need to question. Of course this didn’t mean her guard was left down but she was intrigued more than anything else. It wasn’t like she was incapable of defending herself either. Despite her fall, Astrid had done a wonderfully job maintaining her physical prowess. If anything, she had found new ways to train and maintain shape. 

“You have food?” Her stomach was rumbling for something to eat. Everything else the woman mentioned sounded decent. But the way she articulated her words were alarmingly perfected. She sighed, deciding to nod her head. Might as well stake out somewhere that would go unnoticed. “You sure it’s safe and un-targetable?” Her brow was raised. 

Sukja found the woman’s questions peculiar and intriguing; costs and food.  She didn’t sense the same fear that ran through the veins of the rest of the city. For a moment, the thought crossed her mind: Was this the monster the sentinels were seeking? Attempting to blend in with the rest of the citizens scrambling for cover. “Yes. If we don’t have enough for all, I’ll provide you something personally. It seems you need it.” At the very least, it’d be an excuse to probe her behavior a bit more. She chose her next words carefully, thickening the tone of secrecy as they crawled closer to the church’s doors. “We have been left alone thus far, I can only hope that remains the same for the next few hours; but I believe the chances are good. However should you feel safer with extra precautions, I can arrange that too.”

[divinecrawl]

griftercricket​:

Kaz pursed her lips. She had been more worried about shouldering the blame for any harm that came to Sukja’s followers, but if the offer was there, she wasn’t going to look a gift horse in the mouth. She needed shelter, protection, even, and Sukja was here and willing. “The fact I’m dangerous is what I’m worried about,” she pointed out, giving the other one more chance to rescind her offer. Her won gaze followed in the same direction, eyebrows furrowing in thought. “Yeah. Doesn’t mean they’ll turn down a two-for-one deal, though.” She wondered briefly how advanced these things were. Would they know, if they took down a Night Monster, that it was the right one? Or would the death of any of them see their job done, see them returning to where they came from. Kaz didn’t know. 

“Yes,” she answered, immediately, not even pausing to think about the question. There was a comfort in not being alone in a time like this. Kaz’s powers were useful, but not offensive. “We should both get inside, anyway. It’s not safe for either of us right now.” At least if they were normal humans, they would only have to fear a monster they could hear coming a mile off. It wasn’t the Night Monster that worried Kaz, in truth. It was the sentinels hunting it that made her anxious to get as far away as possible. 

“Everyone knows where you are, Sukja,” Kaz pointed out, her eyes returning to the woman’s face. “Why put yourself in harm’s way? If anybody wants to find you, they will. You should be there to greet them when they do. Not out here risking it all.” 

That sense of selflessness. That was something Sukja couldn’t relate to. For so long it had only been her, always her. Even in her strongest relationships, she found a way to indulge in her selfishness. Perhaps that’s what made her a good liar. “Kaz, I do not give my patrons a questionnaire upon walking through the doors. For all I know, they may all carry the mark the emperor is so foolishly terrified of.” Sukja was always careful to never divulge her own power, allude perhaps, but never straightforward. Only a few outside the inner circle of the church had knowledge of her power or witnessed it but some rumors surfaced every once in a while. Whatever her public standing, the church made clear they were accepting of all which meant those who entered the doors knew the risk. “Come with me, it’ll be alright.” 

Her words may have sounded caring and she may have developed a fondness of the woman over the years, but that ulterior motive stayed at the forefront of her mind. She was necessary. Sukja took her hand to guide her, perhaps this grip the physical manifestation of that need. “We’ll be safe inside, the sentinels haven’t bothered us before.” She knew this was different but hoped that barrier remained the same. 

Their location had made it easiest to pass through shadows arriving in the back alley of the church. A door that both lead to the main hall and Sukja’s living space. The maggot ushered her into the hallway, locking the door behind her. “You’re right. Most will.” She respected Kaz’s intelligence, she truly did but that never stopped Sukja from spinning silver on her tongue. It came more naturally than anything else. “Some won’t. Some will get stuck; trapped and terrified. The emperor has promised the sentinels only eliminate those who are monsters or criminals. No one here on the streets or from the gutters truly believes in the flawlessness of that technology. They’re afraid, and rightfully so, he’s let them rot before.” She pressed her hand on Kaz’s upper arm, comforting. “That monster may be a child, barely aware of what any of this means, and those robots can’t tell the difference. I wanted to find them as well.”

[divinecrawl]

pcperxian​:

It’s been… well it’s been too long, to be fair. It seems like all his friends were destined to leave him and not reconvene in years. Life had been difficult for everyone involved - but, since he started “working” ( the term implied free will - and, in his case, there was none ) for the Emperor, he didn’t exactly go to great lengths to find the few friends he’d had since childhood - it was probably smarter and safer for them to keep their distance - both Jin and Sukja; but, at least he didn’t really fall apart with the latter as badly as he did with the former. Still, it’s been far too long for his liking - they were both already deep in their adulthood; reaping all the problems they had sown since teenagehood ( and what was a man of 22 years but as foolish as a teenager? he never should’ve been allowed to make that decision on his own - but, he was young and foolish and full of desire to prove himself as good, worthy, talented and hardworking. now he’s certain all those things could be summed up in a single sentence - he was one dumb idiot and he’s still paying the price for it - and will probably keep paying it until his death. ).

She recognised him - the woman that’s been like a big sister to him for all his childhood, until one day she vanished. He came to suspect, many years later and not that many years ago, when his own powers developed, that it might have something to do with it all. But, now he was just happy to see her and his lips stretched into a wide smile. “It’s been way too long. It’s good to see you.”

“I was just leaving the office.” He replied, forgetting the horror around them for a moment - and the sirens. Right now, he was just way too thrilled to see her and, had it not have been for the general commotion around them ( or the fact that they should not be outside right now ) he would’ve suggested they headed for a drink to talk and catch up, but reality was a bitch, especially as she spoke again. But, the sisterly tone in which she spoke made Xian softly chuckle. “I’m too old for curfew and bedtime, A’Ja.” But, he turned serious and gently frowned, eyeing her carefully, looking for any signs of distress. “We should get going. It’s not wise to be caught in the streets right now, not with them and the Sentinels around.” He agreed, then offered his arm to her; “Where are you heading? I’ll walk you.”

It had been long, far too long. That life seemed so far away like a thousand years of reincarnations. It was as if the night she ran away, the night she was supposed to die, she actually did. Everything that had happened before had been forgotten, pushed from remembrance in order to adapt and survive. It was a rebirth but now those memories fluttered to the surface for a breath. His presence shouting that not all times throughout her upbringing were bad. Though absolutely baseless, it was as if her subconscious believed the emperor had eliminated every bloodline that threatened his throne, not just hers. That he stood there in his court bloodthirsty and all-consuming. So the fact that Xian stood in front of her, a grown man and not a child trapped in the timewarp of a memory continued to shock her. 

“I can’t believe—” A soft whisper under her breath as the sound of his nickname for her entered her mind. It ignited a sense of caring she hadn’t felt in over a decade, but she didn’t let the teasing that came before it go gently. “We’ve only just reunited and you’re already giving me sass?”  She lightly patted his arm before taking it. “We’ll go to the church, we should be safe there. At least for now.” 

She paid no mind to whether or not he had the notion of the church she was speaking but instead, her mind wandered to the possible irony. If he lived nearby and this was his path home, how often had they crossed paths in crowded streets prior to this night? How often had they been one corner away from one another? 

Sukja hurriedly led him the few blocks, thankful most Sentinels seemed to know the general location of the prey they were seeking, quickly zooming past them. Shuffling through the threshold she instructed the patrons nearby to close the doors. “We’ve done what we can, it’s time to protect those already inside. Give tea to settle their nerves.” She looked to Xian. “You’ll be staying until the sirens end?” It was a question but with a stubborn tone. She didn’t want him reentering the streets, not with the danger and especially not with so few words exchanged between them. This was a rare reunion she wouldn’t want to cut short. 

[divinecrawl]

therencgade​:

When the sirens blared the first time, Jin had been with Xian at the pub still deep in their conversation going nowhere. But as soon as they were given the warnings, they had made up their mind about what to do next. They were going to try and locate the escaped Night Monster and rescue them if they can—no, they must. Because if not them, if not the Madhouse Renegades, then who? Within minutes of the hunt commencing, Jin had sent out a text to their circle; Minimize damage. Save them if you can. Kill only if you must. And they left Xian and the security of the bar with only a backward glance and a nod imbued with one farewell—stay safe. And that was that.

Outside, Jin moved against the flow of pedestrians hoping it would better lead them to their target. At first, each turn and alley was saturated with whimpers and cries for help, people clamoring to get into the nearest open store or unit they could to avoid suffering the fury of the Emperor’s sentinels. But after a while, the tumult dulled down to the occasional sounds of people darting across street corners to find their own shelters for the night. Within a half hour, it suddenly felt as if the whole district had been fully evacuated. Windows were closed and doors were all shut. Anyone who were locked outside had no choice but to flee farther down the streets, away from Millions Square. 

Sweat was starting to bead on their forehead and the back of their neck when they entered a darken pathway away from the metal golems now inspecting the avenues. Easily, they use their heightened auditory powers to stay a safe distance from any flying sentinels while still making their way towards the center of the district until a voice catches their attention from around the next corner.

“The Black Sun. You’ll be safe there for now.” They know that lilt anywhere.

Hearing her footsteps grow louder in their direction, Jin waits in the dark to catch Sukja passing by knowing full well that she would also be on the same hunt as they are. Once reunited, she speaks not knowing it was them. Jin whispers back. “I’ve been to the Black Sun but I’m hardly a patron.” 

It’s been a while since they last saw each other but meeting Sukja, even under these circumstances, seems to ease their dread just a bit. Just enough for them to let go the breath they hadn’t even notice they were holding. But there was no time to linger on those feelings. Jin’s ears pick up the sounds of hovering wings and motions to Sukja to shrink further into the dark with them just as a pair of drones whizz by up the street. “Any idea who it might be they’re looking for?” 

The veil of her hood had obscured her vision, fingers pulling it down as the voice of a friend trilled through her ears. “Jin.” A small pang of guilt touched her heart as if she had just been caught passing notes in a classroom. Sukja had been far too occupied with curiosity to receive the text from the person that stood beside her, but she could predict their intent without it. Save the monster, and while the maggot’s end would be the same, the means differed greatly. She slithered through the streets tonight as neither knight nor noble, but rather a purely selfish hunter. While they were on a more righteous path. This is what caused the subtle strife within her. After all, Jin had given Sukja a means to an end years ago when she had stumbled from royal gardens into the gruesome realities of the world. Join the Madhouse Renegade, see the Emperor fall. 

If that had been the extent of their relationship, perhaps Sukja could face them with the same mock professionalism she paid the other renegades. Actuality, on the other hand, combated her instincts. Tangled together in bedsheets rather than just war strategies, Sukja had developed a reservoir of emotions that felt impossible to psychoanalyze. Of course, that fondness and respect sprouted overdue. Blinded by egocentric experimentation, she had destroyed any semblance of a foundation with manipulation and lies; and exposed her own distasteful nature when her trials had given her the results she sought. Some may describe this as plain immaturity, but that would imply Sukja had evolved from this behavior. 

 It was months later that she realized something had flowed over from the controlled, like a tiny red thread tying them together. No longer goal-orientated, she could see Jin as they were. Strong. Powerful. Their human nature shining through the dark underbelly of Ilbern. The maggot felt no remorse for what she had done, but a thought tickled in the back of her mind during those months. Maybe if she did have the opportunity, she would have changed things. She wasn’t incapable of love, or embellish something close to it, but putting anyone other than herself first was next to nearly impossible. 

Still, the years had only refined her respect for Jin. To her, the elegance of leadership radiated naturally from the other, and suddenly, she felt grateful for their encounter. Though swift, Sukja was far from a frontline warrior and their presence made her feel much better about avoiding the sentinel’s detection.  “I was hoping you’d have that answer.” She whispered still backed further into the darkness as they had instructed. “Have you not heard anything from the higher-ups? Surveillance footage?”

[stormbun]

persephone; goddess of spring, queen of the underworld

[divinecrawl]

;0007 Uniform 

Sukja was never overly interested in fashion, at least not until she realized its power. Now she adorns clothe as if it were a weapon. Purity, power, death, they can all be painted onto skin. Her outfits are monochrome but sometimes bold; each its own significance. It is mostly inside the church walls that she wear white. Yes, a partial representation to purity but it runs much deeper than that. White is a blank canvas, a new page, a new sight. The perfect medium to paint the colors of decay and rebirth. 

[okkulten-deactivated20240117]

[divinecrawl]

ghcstmcth​:

If she didn’t know any better, it sounded like the woman was selling a textbook advertisement for a retirement home. Or at least, a very appealing offer for the homeless. Though judging by appearances alone, it didn’t sound like a complete trick offer. Naturally there would be caveats. But the time didn’t seem right to be pondering over such things when a wild night monster and the emperor’s sentinels were on the loose. 

Astrid mumbled the words in repeat. Well, if it was free, that meant she could take whatever she wished right? She did enjoy the sound of generosity for her own beneficial self. There wasn’t exactly an avenue with other offers at the moment and thus she decided to go along with it. Worst come to worst, she’d simply ghost off. “Yes and yes, but I also need directions.” She nodded. “By the way, since you mentioned free. What exactly is free?”

Sukja began ushering her in the direction as soon as the words fell from the girl’s lips. An air of urgency, not only because the maggot wanted to continue her search but for the stranger’s sake as well. “It’s this way, let’s hurry.” She had succeeded thus far staying off the emperor’s radar, or more likely, staying out of his path of annoyance and she did not want to chance a scan on anything other than the monster being hunted. She gently guided her company in and out of shadows along the path to the church. 

“At the moment? Sanctuary from the sirens and whatever danger they bring. Many in this part of the city don’t have homes to shelter themselves. Our doors stay open every night, so tonight will be no different.” She paused under the covering of an awning as a sentinel flew by. “We can only offer our pews and a roof, but that’s better than a cold ground, isn’t it? You can stay until the sirens end, or longer if you want.” 

[divinecrawl]

pcperxian​:

It was a difficult evening even before the goddamned sirens started blaring. His work was a menace and he was mess, but he had not felt calm, composed and collected ( and, if he’s honest with himself - sane ) for four years now. He was always on edge, always tense, double-triple-quadruple checking everything and everyone. He hated his office, hated the Emperor, hated his dense, obedient minions, but above all else, he hated himself the most, for falling headfirst into the lies and deceit, for falling for any feigned kindness and soft smiles they showered him with - or the praise.

Once, those first few months, when he had just started working for them, their praise actually meant something to him - it made him feel high, and accomplished, and gifted. But, then he began noticing what their did to his words - how subtly they edited his pieces, how their smiles turned sharper, turning into velvet sheathed daggers, and how that honeyed praise turned into slow poison - and after a year, when he had politely sat down with one of the “supervisors” to tell them he wants out and that journalism maybe isn’t the right path for him… the poison turned into a gun, pointed straight at his parents’ head ( metaphorically speaking, of course, since at that time they were in his office and his parents relatively safely at home ). That was when he realised he was a fool; an idealistic fool and clenching his jaw tightly shut, he attempted to stay calm. Composed at the face of danger.

He failed, miraculously, but he’d gotten a lot better at it since then.

Coincidentally, that was the last time he ever felt calm or composed.

He was heading home, locking his office and praying someone - or something - bombs it tonight; but, he’d been internally uttering those prayers to himself every night after leaving, and every morning before going to work.  As usual, he didn’t expect any response - or any miracle, since there were none - other than the sudden, blaring, migraine inducing yell of the siren. Hurrying down the street, Xian rounded the corner, his mind already at home, in his flat, feeding Umbra and letting her purrs relax him as she curls in his lap, when he collided with someone. An apology was already ready on his lips, when he registered the words and the familiar voice.

He turned around, soft frown etched into his features, his fingers curling around the woman’s forearm, to prevent her from hurrying away. “The - Sukja?” He called, squinting in the dim lighting to make out her features - piecing her face with the voice and the slender, petite figure.

An aptitude for faces, or at least those most important to her. Those details swirled like phantom paintings within her mind. A shimmer in someone’s eye, the peak of their lips, the way one eyebrow always seemed to raise just slightly higher than the other. Maybe it was the fairytales that caused her to romantized those around her. 

But lately, she had let faces pass her by. They were blurred and bland, a physical manifestation of the boredom she now felt in a very tedious routine ( ignoring the poetic comedy of calling her own religious secular mundane ) . Her hands touched shoulders as she walked the streets but she no longer paid mind to what was attached. Their images entered and then exited her vision within the next breath. Most, a means to an end, other’s just...there. Even as she passed through the streets tonight, only the mysterious monster truly occupied her mind. The rest of her shuffling and words, just an act. It was this that caused her to look past this man’s face, only observing his behavior to determine the danger until he spoke. 

Had the curling of his fingers around her arm not surprised her, she might have been able to instantly place it; but it was a flash of passing lights that illuminated his features just enough for an echo to float to the surface. “Xian?” At first she noticed the sharp jaw that had replaced the tiny round chin of a boy. Then the high cheekbones that grew from what was once ruddy and plump. It was the eyes, though, that would always remain the same. 

Feverishly and uncharacteristically, she felt the need to through her arms around him in a hug but withheld. Sixteen years ago she had enthusiastically abandoned the life her parents had created for her, and along with that, him. Perhaps her only friend. “Xain? What are you doing here?” In the dirtiest corner of the city nonetheless. A sense of protectiveness overcame her, the reality of the situation they were in crashing down. She couldn’t be scanned by a sentinel during this reunion, and the unpredictable nature of the whatever night monster they were chasing put him in danger as well. “Why are you outside?”

[dehlicatepeople]

[emberizidae-deactivated20201230]