#project mute

[projectmute]

Omnia Vincet Amor

The follow up to Maverick’s misadventures. For clarification Maverick was going by Clarus back in the days of the Roman Empire.  TW: Eye Horror, Body Horror

He was about half way to Neapolis when he was found by soldiers who were on their way to see what had become of Herculaneum and Pompeii. It warranted enough that they sent him on his way with a few of their force to make sure he arrived safely. There were no questions they asked him that he could find the right way to answer; he’d washed the volcanic dust off himself after escaping from the ruins of what had been a beautiful place of culture. 

Just a half a day's journey later and he found himself in Naples being taken care of and questioned by a republic official. Certain details were omitted, but he was able to confirm what they had heard from a lawyer in Misenum who had been witness to the events from across the bay. After a day of recovery he was allowed to leave. The first thing he did was take a cart to Misenum.

It’s only when the cart jolts to a stop that he is knocked out of his headspace and back to stark reality. One of the soldiers gets out to look before poking his head back into the cart.  “It’s another caravan. They need to see the survivor.” The man nodded in his direction. Reluctant to get out at first, he conceded when he realized they won’t let them pass without seeing him. His sandals hit the dusty road and he rounded the carriage. The sooner this was over the sooner he could look for…

“Clarus!” One hundred eyes and he still hadn’t spotted him. There stood Nero without a scratch on him. It felt like a minute that he stood there, and then Nero crashed into him with his arms clinging tight. Clarus could feel the man’s body racking with sobs as his arms only wrapped tighter. It felt appropriate to raise a hand and rub it on Nero’s back in what was hopefully a comforting manner.  

Clarus perfectly expected to need to comfort his friend who had likely been grieving him. What he hadn’t expected was when Nero leaned back, looked right into his eyes, and then with the gentlest movement he leaned forward and pressed their lips together. Over the past couple millennia it hadn’t been rare that he’d found himself someone to live his life out with nor was it rare that said partner was a man, but this felt different in a way he couldn’t describe. 

The only way he knew how to explain it to himself was by surging back into the kiss. The comforting warmth of Nero invited him like none had before now. It wasn’t long before Nero’s hands moved over Clarus’ arms and back as if to keep him tied down to this reality. He felt one hand leave his back and in the small moment their embrace broke he was able to fully see the face that had been hidden in his own. 

Tear stains were left down Nero’s cheeks and the man looked as if he hadn’t slept soundly for far too long. But the way they stared at him told him that it was okay now, and when his eyes drifted down to Nero’s lips, they were positively bruised with the mans worries chewing at them. Or perhaps it had been Clarus who had been able to make them look as if they were welcoming him back to embrace. Either way he did, he felt Nero’s hand move to the back of his head and pull him forward for another brief kiss. 

The soldiers had left them to their private embrace, simply waiting for them to finish with their public displays of affection. “Why didn’t you come with? You could’ve died, Clarus.” Nero’s hoarse voice begged the question with a melancholy Clarus never wanting to let the other to feel again. 

“I’m alive, and I’m not leaving you again.” Clarus promised with all of his heart, a small smile playing on his lips. “I recognize the traces of an old flame…” He pushed his hand through Nero’s coarse hair, whispering the soft affection before he dared part from the other again. It took a moment to inform both caravans they would be heading back for Naples. Clarus had no belongings to take with him onto the carriage leading the small convoy Nero had been travelling with, so once situated they relaxed and took comfort in each other's presence. 

It was going to be okay. That much Clarus would make sure of.

[projectmute]

Our introduction to Maverick.  TW: Descriptions of Blood and Gore, Alcohol, Death, Eye Horror, Body Horror

It started with a tremor. These happened quite often in this region and nothing serious had come of it before now. It was a coincidence that he was here to experience the tremor as he’d been invited by a dear friend to spend a few weeks vacation in the coastal city. It’d been years since he’d so much as considered doing such. He was too caught up in research to spend time on luxuries and distractions. 

The first week in Pompeii proved surprising in just how relaxing it was. He spent time in the bathhouses and even went to see a running competition. Maybe getting out more wouldn’t hinder him as much as he thought it would. The tremor was an unpleasant surprise, but his friend reassured him that such a thing happened plenty and they shouldn’t let it ruin their fun. He agreed, and they got drunk on the local wine and all til noon. He traveled with his much drunker companion who clung to him and laughed as they went back to the bathhouse for another round of relaxation. That was when it happened. The ground began to shake again, but this time there was a mighty cracking and booming and the buildings around them began to shake. His friend panicked, shouting that it was impossible while pointing towards the mountain. He was awestruck by the horrific sight that lay before him. The mountain where vineyards grew aplenty was billowing smoke straight upwards piercing the clouds. Small rocks rained down onto the buildings and people started running in all directions. He grabbed his friend and brought him close. “Please, take a boat and go. I will meet you Misenum, hurry please and stop for no one and nothing.” He was soft-spoken as he moved away and watched his friend runoff in the direction of the docks. There was no time to pray to the gods for his safety. He had a duty to see this through. No less than a few hours later and he was standing in the middle of the city, staring up at Vesuvius as it billowed and roared. There were hardly any left in the streets, people hid in their homes and cried. The few who dared wander out were assaulted by a downpour of hot ash and rocks. More than one building had partially collapsed at this point and more would follow as the ground continued to shake. 

Counting the hours was impossible now. The clouds of ash were blocking out the sun and even if he could find a moment to try and figure it out he was busy watching as buildings burned and ash continued to bury what was once a beautiful city. The ash was up to his ankles now, and despite inhaling it continually the only burden was the sting it left him. If his friend wasn’t gone now, he’d be dead soon. 

Before long it was the next day. Everything was buried in toxic ash and the few that were miraculously alive wouldn’t be for long. He couldn’t tear his eyes away as the burning death of thousands of people rushed down from the mountains. It was all he could do to stay standing as the booming noise assaulted him. Then the city was engulfed in the flow of toxic ash and all remaining life was snuffed out in less than a dozen seconds. Hours later, a once-great city lay in ashes. Nothing was left. Not a soul could be saved from such devastation. None except for his own. His hands breached the surface and he pulled himself out of his grave. If anyone had been alive to see him, they would have called him a wandering spirit. Ash caked his entire body. Yet he was as impossibly alive as he always had been and always would be. “How beautiful,” he spoke, his one hundred eyes staring up at the spent volcano that had destroyed so much. 

[projectmute]

Daybreak

A little peek at the life of Seth, maybe you’ll see them again.  TW Content: Descriptions of Blood and Gore, Animal Death, Kidnapping, Body Horror. 

It’s still morning, that kind of morning where no light pours through your windows. The sound of rain showering against the glass all too familiar, and much too sedating. It was going to be another busy day and the weather had absolutely no business being so calming that it makes him sleep through three of his alarms. What wakes him is the harsh ringing of an incoming phone call. With being awake he has the sense to answer the call only for a scolding to be handed out to him. He’s late once more, and they’ll skin him for it, they say. He replies he’ll be there momentarily, which seems to get them off his back for the time being.   

The phone is dropped at his side and with that he rolls over and sits up, reaching out and patting down the bedside table looking for something. He finds the case and pops it open retrieving his glasses which are promptly put on before he tucks his hair behind his ears and pulls off the band on his wrist to put his hair up in a ponytail. 

After splashing some water on his face he gargles some mouthwash before drying himself off with a towel, he gives himself a look in the mirror and looks pleased with what he sees. He quickly brushes his teeth and cleans up the counter before making his way back to his bedroom to find his work clothes. Unsurprisingly he finds yesterday's clothes strewn about on the floor. 

Work clothes first he decides, going in his closet and pulling out his outfit for the day. After putting on the incredibly comfortable dress shirt he gathers up all the clothes and throws them in a pile on his bed. Somebody will probably come by to clean them for him, and if they didn’t he’d find someone to do it.  It had been about ten minutes since he woke up and he figured he better get down to work before they started floundering about without him. When he approaches the door to his humble abode it slides open, a pleasant hum letting him know the scanners were still in working condition. Someone passes by in the sterile white hall in what seems like a hurry, nobody he knows so he doesn’t concern himself with it. Instead he walks the opposite way to head to his current station, the others at Lab 3 knew better than to start without him. It only took a few minutes of walking around the corridors that would all look the same to someone who’d never been here before until he reached the door, a couple guys dressed in blue walked by and avoided his gaze. Typical, he ignored them and walked into the lab fully expecting everyone to be bumbling about like the idiots they were. To his surprise everyone seemed rather tense, perhaps because of his presence. Then he saw through the glass into the active test chamber and recognized a person he hadn’t seen before.  He ignored the welcome one of the others gave him in favor of making his way over near the chamber currently occupied by a young-looking woman, taking note of how she looked more annoyed than anything. One of the newbies hands him his coat which he puts on, taking note that you could hardly tell it had been ripped into yesterday. There’s some shuffling and then someone clears their throat, glancing to his side he sees it’s the cute assistant he’d had for the past few months, come to hand him the papers they were to go over today. He thanks them and gives them a pat on the head, garnering a little smile from the other. 

He goes over the papers, flipping through a few pages before he seems to get the gist of it. The subject's name is Ieva, recovered from Lithuania a couple months ago and transferred here last week. Subject hasn’t been fed in three days and is starting to suffer from some sort of iron deficiency. There’s a few things here and there smudged out with marker which is rather annoying, instead of bothering with that he flips to the tests they had ready for today.

“Alright then, are we recording?” He turns, looking to the technician on hand who gives him a nod. Clapping his hands he points to Nathan, one of the few people here he bothered to know anything about. There’s a buzzing noise and a slot in the wall of the test chamber opens up and rapidly pushes a rabbit in with the girl before she even has a chance to react, he notes her reaction time in the papers and continues observing. The girl stares at the rabbit, not moving for a bit. He has to squint but he swears he sees her skin rippling, and before he can note it she lunges at the rabbit and grabs it’s head twisting it off with one movement. The way she moved was abnormal, something in her was helping her move quicker than any regular person could. Then of course there was the fact that she opened her mouth and let the rabbits blood drain into her mouth before tossing the head aside and ripping away at the rest of the rabbit with her teeth. The bloody mess on her face started moving, acting as knives and tearing into the rabbit so she could better rip it open. Then it retreated into her mouth as she chewed at the raw meat, any blood that got on her skin seemed to fade into her skin and vanish. It was certainly fascinating enough to watch, he made sure to write down all his observations as he continued peering at the girl. In just a minute she had completely eviscerated the animal and drained it of blood. He swore she was staring through the glass at him now, even though he knew it was one-sided. “Alright Nathan, send in convict 25532.”  

[projectmute]

I have the second part of Maverick’s short story written up but Idk if it’s ready to post.

[kfc-murder-chicks]

Seth feels way to sorry for himself for how much of an asshole he is

[kfc-murder-chicks]

Ieva eating her fourth rabbit in a row: I just love the cronch

[kfc-murder-chicks]

Abel is that type of bitch to try and get people to call him pretty. And when it backfires he gets upset about it.