#project: loyalty

[phantomswriting]

Random Project, Random Moodboard 2/? : Narcisse

She never know how to act around Eden so she ignores him and he says nothing. Sometimes he laughs of her and asks if she were raised by wolves

[valanthius-xiv]

Ceruleum Ignition

[ Ambiance ]

Piece by piece the complete picture of Revarik's life was pulled apart and given a splash of black. The unseen artist had erased the signature and one by one those within that world were removed from the frame. It was easy for one to say they tried and failed. What happened to those promises of overcoming adversity together? Why give in if you were not willing? Why not reach out and hang on while you were struggling? For a long time, he felt his grip had not been strong enough to hang onto them...

Slowly, his internal reasoning convinced him they had simply let go. There were others still fighting. There were others with conflict and loved ones in similar situations. Why could they not have been better? Why could he not have been more dependable? Was he too emotionally compromised to save them? Had his love been the blinding element that prevented him from acting sooner?

He thought so. If he had been more concise and strict with his emotions a great deal of the contention he felt now could have been avoided. Regret was a powerful sensation he promised himself to never endure. Yet, here he was, with that dark storm eroding what part of his heart he had left to give. Apology. He had never spoken them, and now, it was all he could think of saying.

I'm sorry for being too slow. I'm sorry for being too weak. I'm sorry for being incapable. I'm sorry I let you go. I'm sorry I let it happen. I'm sorry I wasn't strong enough. I'm sorry I couldn't save you.

I'm sorry...

             I'm sorry...

                      I'm so fucking sorry... 

Rage. Sorrow. Grief. Anger. These pieces of his mind and heart that were once blockaded by the cerebral guards had long since fallen. The result of forging friendships and relationships since his defection. How many more would become victimized by his inability? How much more pain could his heart take? Now, when he was alone, he just screamed. He yelled and he cried to the top of his lungs to the emptiness of the house.

Violent hands dug into flesh and hair. Teeth drew red at his lips and the veins beneath the skin opened to let such emotion and adrenaline run their course. He hated it. It all became such a soul-cuttingly deep violence that all he could do was clutch at his chest and breathe in what air he could from the gut-wrenching affliction.

His apologies became whys and what ifs. The tears that streamed down the soldier's eyes soon condensed their sorrow into resentment. Open hands found themselves clenching while his laments evolved into growls of fury.

This is what they wanted him to become. This was what they wanted, wasn't it? They wanted a lion at his most primal and out of spite the former Imperial turned his mechanical arm over. 

Together... Together... Together... Together, We Fight... 

His teeth gritted as he began to tear open the false epidermis to pry at the machinations beneath. 

Together, we rise. Together, we fall.

He was the only one left out of the Pack. Where darkness reigned they had followed. Promises were made not to do anything out of haste or emotionally charged. Other decisions had been adopted to prevent him from becoming more of a hazard to several organizations. 

"Praefectus Revarik sas Valanthius of Legion Thirteen, soldier unit 0-2-9-7-7-7.  Commence terminal shutdown for processes kardia and syneiditos. Prioritize logistical functions and survival operations. Sever aetheric observations, adaptions, and offense protocols. Code demand 7-0-7." 

He drew his back up against the wall and quietly waited in that dark room where life was once so vibrant and full. When the system charged enough where the ceruleum light in his limb beamed his good eye settled onto it without hesitation. 

I cannot help anyone... if I cannot help myself. I have let these desires and emotions cloud my decisions, but no more. I have been ineffective for too long. As a man, companion, and friend I have failed. Perhaps it is better to be replaced by the soldier I was designed to be. 

Maybe I'll be better in another life... 

            ... and with a simple click,

                                         ... it all went d a r k.

[synne-spades]

To Hold a Witch

It was careless of them, really. The guards hadn’t gagged her or bound the Witch’s hands in any way. They’d simply shoved her into a temporary containment cell off to the side of the encampment and locked the doors behind themselves, completely unaware of what exactly they’d let into their camp..

The air here smelled strange, but that was to be expected with so much corruption and impurity on the wind. It screamed of imbalance and an unnaturalness that made the Witch’s skin crawl. Whatever came after this place was not somewhere she wished to visit, nor was this current location somewhere she choose to remain. So, she decided it was time to go.

“I’ll be leaving now,” she announced in a calm tone, her velvety voice echoing against the slitted metal walls and sounding back. The guards outside just chuckled and shook their heads, one turning to survey the Weaver.

“Y’think you’re going somewhere, sweetheart?” He let out a mocking laugh as he stepped up to the cell. “You have the wrong idea about what exactly is going on here if y’think you can jus’ walk out. Maybe y’need to learn that lesson now so I don’t have a time gettin’ you back. I hate listening to whining and I hate repeatin’ myself.” A cruel smile touched the young man’s lips and Treva tasted the lie. He would very much like to hurt her over and over again for the smallest offense. It was how he felt powerful in his position - being cruel was the only thing he was really good at. The promise of violence was evident in his muddy brown eyes as the man reached for the keys to the cell and turned it in the lock.

Unknowingly, he had just signed his own death warrant: his and the rest of his men’s. It wasn’t the guard’s fault that the man who’d taken the Weaver from her wood hadn’t cared enough to see her subdued. It wasn’t her fault that Wilhelm was focused on other things, and it certainly wasn’t Wilhelm’s fault that he hadn’t known just quite whom he had possessed for a short time.

Funny how things worked out.

As the guard stepped across the threshold, he found his muscles locking up tightly in protest of what... he couldn’t rightly identify, but it felt as if his very veins had turned to ice. The man couldn't move at all a few heartbeats later and that realization struck him a moment before the next, considerably more terrifying one did - the woman in the cell was smiling, showing pointed canine teeth in a feral smile. “Perhaps you did not hear me the first time, young man, so let me be very clear - I do hate to repeat myself -” The guard let out a sudden shriek as a resounding ‘snap’ echoed into the falling dusk, all of the fingers in his left hand now bent in the wrong direction. Treva’s smile grew.

“I’ll. Be. Leaving. Now. But since you were so kind as to show me your Truth, allow me to do the same.”  Another ‘crack’ sounded as the bones in his forearm shattered, seemingly under considerable weight or pressure. The soldier was crying in agony when the Weaver placed her fingers gently underneath his chin and tilted it upwards. The man fell utterly silent as his eyes rolled back in his head and whatever had held his body immobile released its hold. A lifeless husk slumped onto the floor of the cage as the Witch stepped out into the night.

The other soldier hadn’t moved an inch since his counterpart had entered the cell, his own muscles locked up just as tight as Treva approached him from behind. “I wove a shield of air around us before your friend opened the door - the same air that delivered you both into your stasis. You are experiencing paralysis brought on by a potent neurotoxin that operates by over stimulating your central nervous system. You will not be able to move unless I recall it....” She paused to drape her arm over his left shoulder, a hand coming to rest over his heart in an eerily possessive fashion, feeling it flutter against his rib-cage with unhinged fear. The Witch put her lips to the guard’s ear, standing on tiptoes to deliver her final message. “But you and I both know that is not going to happen. You can scream if that will make you feel better.”

With two bodies down and a couple dozen to go, Treva paused near the outskirts of the camp and waited. The Seer should be arriving at any moment… When Vielynne stepped through the tear in the world and appeared at the Wood Witch’s side, no words needed to be exchanged.They Saw one another, recognized them for what they were and acknowledged the goal ahead without uttering a syllable. The only words that left Treva’s mouth before they began were: "Make them bleed, girl.” 

Mentions: @mischiefs-mistress

[its-morphin-time-xiv]

Whisper Ridge Point: West Wing

“My dear little children...”

͈̹̹̱̗ͅ"͞W҉̙̻̭͖͈̳e̠ h͎͉̲̼av̭̝̥̭̀e̞̝̳̘̘̺̯͞ ̢a̶̰̹͖̻ ̲̞̳͔̭̳̘n̻̦̬̳̩͖̝͝e̸w̖̲͕͙̱ a͈͖̪͓d҉̤̦d̸̪͇͉̫͓ị̷̹̩̟t̹́ị̜o̫͔n ̸̠͇̤t̮̪ò͙͇ ̛̻͔ṭ̵̰̣͈̭̪͈h̴̳e͕̪̙͙ͅ f̥̖͙̱̗am̢̥͈̬̭i͘l̩̣̬̤͎͚̻y.̤̩.̢͍̟̯̮̱̜̹.̪͙́ͅ"̵

͕̩̯̤̭͝"̗̟͍͈̮̭͎͡o͕̝̦̤̠̟̤n̥͉̦̭͕e̠ͅ d̰̼̹o̲̤̘͈͇̤w̙n.̣̹̘̗͉̞͍.̯̬̗͉̹̮.̗̫ ҉t̹̤̦͚̗͕͎w̛͉o͙̞ ̙̼̩̗̩̰t̘̳̪͚̻̮͡o̵̺͓̺̤̫̩ ̗̬g͏̱͔o̴̬̟̠.͇̯̰̭.̲̬͉̤̬͟.̫͎̖͚̖͉̼"̙͘

----------------------------------------------------

Whisper Ridge Point

Assigned Crew - 86

Surviving Crew - 2

Newly arrived Guests - 1

-- Greetings User Belladonna, This is S-1-E-R-A, Siera pinging you through local intercom system within the facility. You are coming up to West Wing Entrance, it has been 56 minutes and 34 seconds since you departed from the main entry hall. The West wing has been reinstated and is now functioning at a stark 86% efficiency.

-- While the rest of the facility is still deactivated, it is worth of note that the demons of the [VOID] are located north of the West wing. All registered life-signs in that quadrant are offline. [ELIZABETH] and her horde have infected 100% of the detained demons, their transponders have been rendered offline.

-- You are now currently three minutes away from the West Wing Entry, it is strongly advised you make no stops on your way to the blast door.

"And why is that?"

-- There are currently four other lifeforms in the entry hall, excluding yours. They do not register as any of the surviving crew members.

".. That's fair."

-- Please proceed with haste. They have now been made aware of your location and are closing in on your position. The door is open, I do not have power to close the entry way. You will have to do this yourself.

----------------------------------------------------

Within the dark and dim shades of red lights behind her, the heavy breaths of mutated flesh abominations could be heard as the four monsters set their bloodied sights on the lone woman. Her own pace picking up as her eyes widened upon seeing that the abominations carried deformed faces of the crew, their expressions agape, stuck in their last screams of agony. Their forced collective voices called out for their new would be victim.

Their claws, their mandibles, their tenticals all lashing out closer and closer as their distances closed. Bell broke into a sprint as she saw the lights of the entry way in-front of her, but from behind she could hear the voices of the damned, coherent and clear as the ardent black whispers reached her..

"̛Ş̱̥͔̦̮a̵̙̗͉̯̩̰v̯̺͉̫͕̩̰͜e͓͈.̫̗ͅ.͓͝ͅ ̸͙̟͙u͍̺̫̞͟ͅs͕̬̗͈͉͉̝.̞̝.̼̲͇̫͕ ͠B̼̫e̠̜͓͚̺͚̝c͓̤̥̙͡o̡m͕̟̹̫̞̥͖e͈͉͓̼ ̼̟̜u҉͎͈̣̙̯s̘̣͈.͘.̪̗͎ ̷E͍̜͕̻̥̫͢m͍͇͕͎̠̟̟br̥̰̫̗̪̯̲a̭͍c̯͈̯̣e͏̲ ͎̻̫̘͡d͏̝͎̙e̖à̰͖t̳̮̭̱h̙̥͍̣̙̞̬.̧̱̗̪.̘̲̦̲̬̥͟ͅ J͚̪̙̪͕̮͎o̯i̲̟̻͔͡n̨̩̦̖͉̼͓.̢̤̯.҉̩͓͓̣̮͕ ͔͕̣̖͎̞u͏̟̞͓̠s͔̮̼̥̦͡.͜.҉͖̤͕ ̴͖̬̦B͞e҉̳̯͔̩̖̳ͅc̦̻̟̗̺o̡̼̗͉͓̖̞ͅm̙e͏̟̣͓͔̭̣̰.͎̞͜.͎͇̫͉̟ ̛̞P̷̻͍͕̙u͓̤̤̱̳͖͡r͖̭̥̳͟ḛ̡.”̬̜̟̪̪̯̦

The highlander's heart pounded as it jumped and lurched in her chest, the ground shuddered beneath the weight of all the monstrosities calling and reaching out to her.

-- User Belladonna, locking pad is on the left side of the door from within the west wing. It is ready.

Amidst her flurry of vision her mind seemed to focus on the gentle nurturing voice of Siera through the intercom, leaping forward, the highlander bound off the few steps up to the door way. On the floor were puddles, her boots slipped upon contact, splashes of red painted the woman's clothes as she slid further into the open door way. Not too far behind her were the now colorful beasts of death. Their hundred eyes blinking, their mouths agape with teeth chomping on air, claws and hands grasping forward.

With a panicked scream the air grew silent as the doors slammed shut, the compression locks hissing as they stilled and sealed themselves...

-- Entry hall, sealed. Elizabeth Horde, routed. User Belladonna, Welcome to the West Wing.

With haggard breath, cold and tiring sweat seeped down the sides of her face. Her heart struggling to keep pace with the adrenaline that coursed through her body. Bell's figure was shuddering as she turned to face the rest of the room, her back against the wall while she listened for noise..

The only other things in the air were the fading communications from her linkpearl to the outside world and her quivering breath.

Before her the rest of the West Wing began to illuminate, the ceiling lights primed themselves, a low hum of neon blue filled the air as the room came into view. A large room, that could pass for a facility in it's own entirety. Pillars stretched from one side to the other, white and gentle blue flood lights casting their reach across the entire floor. A standardized laboratory, complete with testing tubes and chambers in it's entirety. Vials of swirling green and blue liquids lined several of the tables, their designations faded or scratched out. Several.. things dotted the floor, at first glance they were just rubble, but closer inspection revealed them to be bodies of the dead, cold and untouched. Their expressions laid blank and bare.

As if Siera had been tracking Belladonna's stare, she chimed in, describing each function of the devices she cast her gaze to, eventually standing to look at the machines and tables herself.

-- User Belladonna, after consideration of your previous inquiry, Omega 17 series serum is located further down in the West wing. It is important to note that due to the incursion of Elizabeth and her infection of the crew, much if not all of the available doses of Series 17 have been destroyed, in attempt to fulfill the [OMEGA] Security protocol.

-- The staff designated to carry out this task perished within this very wing. I have detected traces of untouched or otherwise undamaged doses. Please follow the blinking floor lights to their destination.

With a gentle nod, Belladonna began to take slow and painful steps throughout the wing. Her eyes glancing over the broken machines, their equipment stained in red. And as before, Siera would give an explaination to what she saw..

"Just like a museum tour.. except there's no end."

-Thump-

-Thump-

-THUMP-

-- [Warning] [Warning] North end of West Wing has detected a breach. Two unidentified lifeforms detected. User Belladonna, it is highly recommended in your current state to avoid these lifeforms at all costs. I will begin to deploy security drones to distract and lure subjects A and B away from your location as you proceed through the Wing to your destination.

----------------------------------------------------

-- User Belladonna, please proceed with caution.

"You're not the two I've been looking for.. my sweet.."

̨̰͎͈̝"̴͕̱̬̗B̗u̟̘̣t̯̤̹̠̮͢ ̪n̠̖o̵̙̪̙̱ͅw͈̖͝ ͖͍̼̲̤̼̻y̻͇̬͙͍͕̼o̝͝u҉̱͍͚̰'̷̖̬̠͙̲̰ṟ̨̲e̛ t̰̲͔̣h̛ȩ̘̤͙͈̱̯ ͖̭̥̪̦o̸̥̼̬̗͙n̙̗̘̭̟̺͟e͇͓͔ ̫͙̱͎̻t͇̱̯h͉͙̟̲a͈̞̠t̫̘ ͉̭̹̭I̮̹̞̝͈̠̭ ͡w͖a҉n̩͓̩ͅt̻̭͖̭͍.͜.̦̖͙̻͢.͓̰̞̹͍͠"͖̗

[valanthius-xiv]

E n g a g e

[Ambiance] || 1.occupy, attract, or involve (someone's interest or attention).

      Revarik had been settled onto the couch that Defiant Bride had allowed him to utilize with the assistance of his brother in arms, Caelric. The recent retrieval mission of the Glass Network had been successful, but the mode that had to be engaged had started an unfavorable chain reaction. The most notable among them Enambris, but now it was no secret that his kill switch could still be flipped and it altered the tide of morale amongst the leadership. Fortunately, Caelric still knew those codes and managed to salvage the Lion from his initiated state of a Loyalty soldier. 

       Hours had gone by and all within the refuge that Defiant had allowed him to utilize had been quiet. Food and water had been plentiful. Sleep was a necessity after having siphoned the overwhelming amount of aether from Enambris and utilized to reinforce the last resort in reclaiming Ruka from the clutches of Ana. Although, there was still a loss in Araris and the mind of the former Praefectus weighed in on it. 

    Flashes of memory erupted like fireworks within the mind of the resting Lion. Everyone was gathered around the table awaiting instruction and orders. A reflection of a time before the commencement of another raid. They mirrored each other to a degree that may have been terrifying to one capable of feeling the emotion of fear. The data downloaded, the protocols set, and the operation was set into motion. The only difference this time was the cookies that Koko attempted to offer to the masses. 

  Oliver and Serris’s face came into view briefly. Their connection with the Fool’s Covenant had been another solidifying moment of recalling pivotal moments of action. Samara and Ulan were also recent additions and while he attempted to settle his thoughts on their occupying reason within the Network more details were organized for easier access to his cerebral files. It seemed the Network was growing exponentially and expanding their resources.

    It was these little pieces of detail within the fragments of his thoughts that was able to separate the two instances most. His awareness of his surroundings replayed moments. Lydia throwing the treat behind her against the wall. The towering Titus and Avidia passing them back and forth to avoid touching them. Some sweeping the baked goods beneath the table and the brave few who did devour them such as Ibahka.

    He understood why the Auri woman was so rattled. Ibby had lost an arm, lost a friend, and making deals with devils like the Tooth Fairy did little to settle nerves. It had been necessary with the time frame, but despite Ibahka’s experience and strength, her emotional compromised position made her difficult to predict. Yet, even so, his main focus was on how Astra handled her position and the challenges she was about to endure. If she was to be a leader there were certain aspects of her nature he needed see come to fruition. They still needed to talk and he knew he had answers she sought.

   Fast forward in an attempt to keep track of what had happened and when it had all gone dark. Through a wonderland of flesh and unsavory twists of defiled life, the Network marched until they held firm at the offered gate into the next realm to retrieve their comrade, Ruka. Althea was on standby as a healer and charged with her protection was Toshiro. Enambris had authorized that choice, but Revarik recalled not letting the man’s hasty words derail his focus on his primary mission. 

   Again, another flash occurred. The closeness of Enambris, the sudden rush through the gate, Fabius blowing through the doors, and the addictive feeling of having so much energy and adrenaline rushing through his veins. The battle high he had only encouraged him to completely eradicate Ana’s devotion to shattering the Network in her home. He did not recall what he had said, but he did recall feeling himself up to his neck in a substance he couldn’t break when the Drowned Queen had had enough of his provoking statements. 

   That had been his purpose for taking a different direction than the main forces, after all. Draw her attention and the second half is where it went wrong. Too long. Time ticked on and he found himself beneath Ana’s heel. The internal scans attempted to recover more bits and pieces to the moment. Flicks of picture caught Enambris being stabbed, Titus being charged by Avidia, the head of Charis being crushed, and the chaos that was following in the wake of the Drowned Queen’s rage.

   He should have vacated before that point but one word echoed...

   Coward... Coward... COWARD

    There were some who already believed him to forsake his people. The Network had already suffered losses and setbacks. He refused to have that title attached to his name and with that prideful behavior he continued to antagonize an entity that could easily have eradicated him. He should have been gone, but he had yet to hear word by the time it was too late to turn back. Thus, if it had been that moment he was to face death... he would have done so gladly, with a smile on his lips, and spit in the eye of the reaper. 

     But something worse happened... 

     Phrases that were embedded deep within the engineered male had been the ignition to the gears that suddenly spun to action. Caelric uttered those damnable words and as Revarik tried to process it he was faced with another confliction. He had lost control and Loyalty had been engaged. The immediate threat and preservation of the Network’s General had signaled for every onze of aetheric pressure he had stored to go into overdrive.

     Faces of worlds long demolished echoed in his memory, the howls and fearful cries of lands decimated rang loudly, and the murderous visions of kingdoms conquered replayed in a vivid light. This is what he tried to avoid. Loyalty did not let him forget. Loyalty did not let him go. Loyalty was manufactured beneath the flesh and disgust started to rattle within Revarik. The urge to peel his skin off of the bone was strong as he tried to weather through the rush of unfiltered sights and sounds that clouded his mind’s eye. 

     Modified teeth gritted as he growled and hands clenched strongly to whatever he could grab nearby. The white crown of the Pureblood whipped to the side violently as he arched in his place of rest. More faces began to line his vision for what felt like malms upon malms of expanse. Their names, their families, their lives, their files, and information overloaded the brain’s mainframe-like setup.

    Those that served beneath him as Praefectus, those that had fallen in the wake of his orders, and beyond yet to the lives that had been struck down by his decisions for as far back as the man’s mind could recall. Death followed him. It existed within him. It warred with his philosophy and reservations for life. Each time Loyalty was revitalized he was gifted that wretched reminder and each time more were added to the cycle of knowledge of who could have been saved, who could still have been here, and who was responsible for taking that opportunity away.

   Wave after wave of unrelenting feelings and repressed emotions bombarded him until he could no longer take remaining still. The Lion staggered to his feet soaked from the sweat that was produced by the impressions of the past. He felt all of their pains, all of their aches, their woes, and their pleas. He had to get some air before he had a meltdown in Defiant’s home.     Shirtless, mask left behind, and barefooted without regard to anything else at that stage. He needed a measure of solitude, a measure of stability, and a means to relinquish every bit of that accumulated frustration before he went nuclear.     This was a product of Loyalty and the fruits of their war, but all the poor creature wanted...                              ... was peace.

Story: @givethemtothegallows

PoV: Revarik Valanthius

Mentions: @charm-in-spades // @enambris // @ascalonffxiv // @quick-n-silver // @lizardwaifu // @accaliadecorus ... gonna be here all day taggin’. @bride-and-bride // @titus-kagimake-ffxiv // @el-v-i-s // help a brother out here. @lydia-ffxiv // @olisnark // @polymorphologist // it is very late. Someone tag the rest.

[valanthius-xiv]

"Project: Loyalty was a stain on what the XIIIth stood for. The Legion was modeled to maintain honor, integrity, and bring glory to the Empire. Where is the honor in turning civilians and conquered nations into unwilling slaves of war? Make no mistake, I love my country and I love her people, but I will be no part of an operation that eliminates the soul and will of its people for lands of emotional emptiness. I made my choice to risk my life in leaving the Empire to eradicate and prevent future generations from succumbing to those very elements. The men and women who were ordered to follow after me were doing their jobs and enough blood had been shed. I have no desire to kill or decimate the humanity that remains within the walls of Garlemald for it is what is left of what I love. To slay it is to slice my wrist and watch the life I poured into it bleed onto the ground." -- Revarik Valanthius

RP Snippet with Dawn Flaresong // @ascalonffxiv

[charm-in-spades]

ᑭᖇᗝᒎᗴᑕ丅: ᖇᗴᑭᗝ .||

cнαρтεя ιι: gεηεsιs

Part 1 here [X] | Vibes [X] | Mobile Version [X]

ᑭain. He had grown accustomed to it. His life was surrounded by it. This, however, was a caliber unlike anything he had ever experienced...

ᗝᑎᗴ ᗯᗴᗴᛕ ᒪᗩ丅ᗴᖇ...

"gιve мe a ѕтaтυѕ υpdaтe." “vιтalѕ; norмal. нearт-raтe; ғorтy вpм. мυѕcle мaѕѕ ιncreaѕe oғ тнιrтy-тwo percenт. condιтιon; ѕтaвle.”  “waĸe нιм." 

Ꭵn a state of semi-consciousness he could hear them. The constant rush of water muffled the tones but his senses had been increased dramatically. Much like this shell of skin and bone, the mind had grown to accommodate the new extent of his processing capabilities and he understood the measure of what was being said in a way that many were not able, for years ago, Wilhelm had been in the place of the scientist. Now, he stood the subject. And he had never felt better.

ᗯhen the water had fully drained, the door to his pod was opened and the steel shackles at his wrists and ankles were undone. Wilhelm rotated his hands to ease the stiffness that the containment had caused, and sat up with feet hanging over the edge of the experimentation table. His first instinct was to look himself over. 

ᗯhere once there had been scars, his body was now remarkably free of such mars. It led him to bring a hand up to touch along the left of his visage, and Wilhelm could hardly contain the grin that followed. The pinkened flesh that had scarred the left of his face after a vicious encounter with a vengeful midlander no longer existed and it appeared that his body had become whole once more in the process of his genetic reconstruction. 

"ᔕubject Zeta. Can you state your full name for the record, please.” The words snapped him from this reverie and the highlander’s stare settled fully upon that of his handler. A short, mousy individual with spectacles. Text book scientist. “Wilhelm Eronius Brawn, of the Thirteenth Legion. Son of Gregarius Brawn. Father of one. I’m more than fine Alphus nan Fuller.” The man leaned forward, in a manner that was almost challenging, his toxic yellow gaze boring into the smaller Pureblood. 

ᑕoherency was apparent and Alphus nodded quickly, jotting a few notes down upon a clip board as Wilhelm gathered himself and his surroundings. Wires and needles existed along his body and he proceeded to rip them free of his skin. The result was a series of mini lacerations that quickly knitted themselves back together and the man flexed a forearm to watch the procession of healing. 

" ᖇemarkable.” Fascination manifested within his gruff baritone and a soft grin established itself across his lips. “Indeed, it is.” The words drew Wilhelm’s gaze towards the corner of the lab, where Romulan stood, his massive frame casting a shadow. “Welcome to your rebirth.” A congratulatory smile formed, like a crack breaking within an iceberg. The blue skinned specimen’s gaze was a quizzical one. “How do you feel?” 

ᗯilhelm assessed himself. “Alive.” Alphus spoke up then, his voice timid when compared to the powerful basses of the men before him. “S-subject Zeta, it is...i-imperative that we run s-some preliminary t-tests t-” He was silenced with a look. “Wilhelm rem Brawn. Or better yet, why don’t you just call me ‘Sir’.” It was the agreement made between himself and the new leader of Project: Loyalty and Wilhelm looked to Romulan for confirmation. 

ᗩ resolute nod was made in response, and Alphus seemed to pale considerably. “S-sir, then.” A condescending pat to the cheek was made by Wilhelm to the scrawnier man and the muscled highlander chuckled. “Good, buttercup. Go get me my pants, and the files from my procedures. I’d like to look them over, and while you’re at it, call me in a hot meal. I’m famished.”  With that said, Wilhelm turned to Romulan. “It’s been too long. I’ve a few field tests I’d like to conduct on my own to see the extent of my capabilities.”

ᖇomulan offered a dip of the head. “In due time, Wilhelm. Reconvene with me in an hour. We have much to discuss.”  

Tagging:

| @valanthius-xiv | @vitaliamagnus​   |

More to come. Mobile version lacks the funky text. Enjoy :) 

[its-morphin-time-xiv]

Whisper Ridge: Danger Close

"̣͙̞̮̲̺̯S̟̯̹͔̙̱͖o͎̼̮͉̦̞ͅ ̥̫m̵̯̺̠u̴̱͓͍̺͚͓͓c͔̖̟̫h d̥̳̞̬̲͔͍eą̣ṱ̰̪́h͜.̙̬.̖͇̦̥̜̮̯"͖̖ ̞ ̺̳͚̦̱̰͙"̺̳͓̫͓S̬̻̪̯o̞̣͚͙͜ ̨̙li̯͝t҉̙͚͚ͅt͕̟̣̘͈̖͙l̼͚̪̳͢e̖̝̹̫̫͇ ̶͎̘̭̭y̶̖͇͓o҉͙̫͉ṳ͍͈̫̭̯ ͏c̨̹͕͙̮̩a̛͖̳͚̫n̦̲ ̹͚͔̤̫d̫o͙̻̫͖.̥͕͉̬͍͡.͏̼̘͖̭͍͙"̢̩ͅ ̰̫͇̥̼͖͜ ̥̹͚͇"̞̳̭͔Ń̥̣͉̖̩͉͕o̞͜ ̴̹͎̦̦̟̠͍m̡a̷͉̫͓̟̝̭t̯te̮̤̩̣͖̞̜ṛ͎͔̰͎ ̷̜w͇̟͎͙͉̠͓͞h͎͈̰̞a̵͚̘ṯ̯̣̝̩ ̵͉͈h̪a͈̼̫͔̞p̮̗̝̰͙͈̭p̝e̗͕n͚͝s͟.̰̪̗̭̜͘.̼̖̺͕̠͎ͅ ̦͘I̯̪̫'̪̘͍̝͇͘ḷ͕̤̝̙̟̺l̠̭ ͉͓̮̺a̡͍̼̬̞͖͇͕l̸͇̘w̸̦͙͙͍a̶̰̼̥̯̻͇͇ys̳͉̪̻̯͚͙ ̼̞̦̗̥̕f̣̩͕̤i̡̼̝͔ͅn̹d̴̤͈̰̙̞̬ ̠̞̣͞ͅy̯̲̺̩͓̩̹ou͏̟͖͚̰͚̣̣.͈͙.͙"̛͉͎̹̻͚͔̫

-------------------------------------------------

[Surprise! Mood music here!]

-- User Belladonna, I recommend you hurry to reach your destination. Subjects A and B have reached West Wing's Entry hall.

-- You are currently 100 meters away from your destination. Please continue down the highlighted corridors, i will continue to attempt to route the Subjects away from your location.

The air was sickly quiet as it hung still. The only other noises were the occasional shifting of the ventilation fans or a distant machine whirring back to life by some of the routine drones now on patrol. The metallic echo of steel steps rang out as they patrolled through the more concerning halls where the beasts were located.

On occasion the creatures would cry out in their mangled voices, whether it be from pain or a scent, regardless of what Siera could pick up, Belladonna could only hear the whispers in her ear. Their voices crawling up the back of her spine, the chill of an ever-cold grasp, trying to hold onto what was left of the living...

"̫̲̻R͍̥̳͔̝ụ̺͖̳͇̥n̴͔͙̗.̶̝̗.̥̝ ̜͓̞̺̤̮͕Ẹ̼̦̰̰s̸͚̳̲̼͔̪̠c̫̮a̢͇̱p̻͈e̘͟.̜̘̰͓.͏̞͓ ̨̙͎̯H̵̪̖̰͕̘id͎̼̻̦̀ẹ̕..̵̜̠̭̭ͅ ̸͇̖̖͕͔ͅH͙̘͉̻͈̼ͅíd̤̩̮̼̣̫̤̀e̱̳̫̠̠̻ͅ f҉̩͕͕̯͚̖r̥͇̞ͅo̳̻̭̪̰̟̗͝m̱̻̝͙̳̞̬ ͏̮̮̞ų̱̦̤̙̼̲̥s̟̻̝.̻.̕ H̵̫̟̪͚͎͕̣i̧̱d͇͚̩͞e̱̣̤̯ ͉͈f̫͙̤͓͉̝r̩͓͓̳̹͜ͅo̶͈m̩̭̗͓͜ͅ ͚̝̤̜̕ͅH̻̫͟e̗̪̯̯̗̲͉̕r̙͙͓̜̖̀.̩͇̠͈̺"̟̫͉̞ͅ

The whispers were all in her ear, her heart racing once more, barely able to keep pace with her fears. Every step down a corridor garnered her to stare back into the halls behind her, watching for movement, letting seconds turn to possible minutes before moving once again. Further and further she stepped, the more she grew to fear the darkness around her. Every step seemed to amplify in the metal and empty halls, her own breath was at a startling pace.

-------------------------------------------------

-- User Belladonna, it is advised you take the next door, and remain hidden.

Without even a moment passing the door before her slid open, its compression hissing white puffs of air into the frame. Within the small room was a large wooden desk, several chairs and crates off against the wall. It was a personal office, it hadn't seen use in weeks and that meant good things.

Breaking into a hurried yet hushed dash, the highlander slid beneath the desk, caking care to tuck her frame behind the shadow of the table. Her hands gripping her coat and scabbard as sweat dribbled down her face. She read the reports.. she wouldn't be able to fight.. No matter how much she wanted to... There was little to be had here.

From outside in the hall, metallic footsteps followed by the thumping and crunch of misplaced and deformed bones could be heard. One of the two beasts in the West Wing was tailing a humanoid machine.. No doubt controlled by Siera. Across the open air from the left there approached the machine, its torso pointed in reverse, a blinking blue light flickered on one of it's fingers. The beast that followed seemed enamored by the blinking wonder.

There was a shuffle as Bell's boot slipped from a tensed position to go across the floor.  Belladonna cringed, as she clutched herself, the beast turning it's nigh near thousand eyes toward the small private office. It's voice gurgled as the abomination gave out a curious cry. Tendrils flicked into the air around it, as if tasting, sampling the salt laden air. Thousand upon thousand eyes blinked, never in unison as it gazed. Claws outstretched into the space around and before it idly as if it were simply just muscle spasms from the collective heads it carried within it's supposed bosom. Tears began to slip from the brim of her eyes as she fought herself not to breakdown.

"B.̧.̨̗̘͎ ̴B̻̖̬e̠͡l̫͉̝͇l̦.͏̮̟̮̠͓̭̗.̨͚̰ ̺̹̗͍͕͉Ḇ͚e̤l͈̠̻̠̮ĺ̻̤̪̠ͅà͇d̲͖̕on̵̝͎n̘͙̬̦̝̩̫͠a͍͖͝.͇̭͓̖̣͍͔.͚̠̪͞ ͏̪͙͎T̝̖̱͠ͅhe͕͍r͚e͓̭̭̘̘̜͕ ̘̰͈̥i̡̫̜s͓ ̘̪͚͜n̡̝o̴͎̦͓͙͔̻͇.̛̮͓̮͓̞̘.̲ ̹̩̥̟̲E҉s̭̯̳̞͢ç̺a͉͚̪̟̘͓̗p̱͔̱͇͙̤e̮̯͝ ͈͙̘͓͇̳͉͜f̡̥͇͎̥r̲͇̗o͕͚̹̞m̜̘͜..̨̥̗̻͈̲͉ ̘̪̼̺͝ͅu̪̰͈̮̯̗s͉̜̜.̻̺͈̞̰͈͍.̫͓͈ ͙f̟̼̹̠͕r̦̫̥̙̞o̮͍̙̤̰m҉̘̻̟̣͈̥̝ ̶̬͇̣h̟͙̪͉͢e͎̭͈̲͚̦̙r̭̘͈̪̩͔.͓̞̩͎.̠͇͖̳̺̘ ҉͍f͞r̞̗͔̣͔̯̭o̵m̯̙̺̣̼̞ ̶E̤l̠̮̟̩̦̀iz̺̤ͅa̤͈̫̯̻͡b̮̝̭̩̖ȩ̥̰̘t̲̱͚̯h̡̖̩̣̙.͏͚̙͖̦̼̥"̣̼ͅ

The seconds ticked by as second set of machine steps could be heard. A low zap followed after, causing the creature to rear it's head back forward. Only to become entranced by the flickering blue light once more. And with that, the monstrosity lumbered on forward once more, being escorted away by the first machine.. Their footsteps fading out into the distance, cut off by a door's compression hissing and slamming shut.

-- Subject B has been escorted away from West wing. Subject A has been routed to the opposite end of the Wing. User Belladonna, it is recommended you are escorted by Clockwork drone 334-B. This drone will walk with you and assist you, should you fall.

-- I have taken the liberty to scan your person for vital registry and tracking. Please, proceed with caution.

-------------------------------------------------

As the moments turned to seconds and second to minutes, the halls became more barren, more empty. The echoing of boot and steel side by side was all that rang out.. Weak breaths for air were met and overcome by the cries of the blood beast that remained within the hallways somewhere in the West Wing.

The shuffling and trundling of the abomination would on occasion seem to grow closer and closer. As they reached a cross section, on one far end of one of the halls stood the abomination... Laying still, waiting. A concerned blip from the Drone halted both itself and Belladonna as it cast it's gaze toward the beast's direction. It hadn't noticed them yet.

"̨̪̣̥͖Ẃ̺͎̲h͏̫̜̮e̖̘r̤̲̯̪͕̖e̡͈͍̝̖̠.̛̯̝͚̮.͖̣͔̜̼.̩̟͇̳ ̹̫̱͔̬W̧h͈̳e̴̻̞r̕ę͈̮͍̼͚ ͞a͔̹͇͡r̷̖̼̘̰͔̥ȩ̣̣ ̝y̶̗͔̦̜͕̲͓o̵͓̲͍̙u̻͞ ̟̻͙̟̱̤Be̜͓͍̘̮̬l͢l͔̮̫͜.͍̖.̝͇̯͕̣̻͠ͅ.̫͙̝̗̬?̬͈"͝

It's voice morphed and changed actively as it spoke out the words, one at a time.. each word spoken by a different tone, a different person... It was clear that more than one person made up that abomination but now it was confirmed. The beast let out a low chirp, it sounded like a child's giggle in the dark end of the hall way. It's breath haggard and heavy as it called out again.

"̩̲B̤̩͉̼̬̤e̹͕͇̼lḻ̶̣͎̗̘̙̪.͉̗͠.͇.̤̺̗͚̜͍̖͝ ̵̬̱̟̺̥̭̬m̛͎̭͓͓͍ͅy̳̳̖̹ͅ ̞̟͓̘̙ͅd͍̠͖̝͉̀e̙͚͍͍̠͔ͅa͝r̹̲̲̝̜͜ B̪͈̮e͚̞l̟̲͈l.̰̰͍̼.̘̘̯͓͍̺̕.̦̕ ͔̤W̧̪̫̖ḥ͚̜̙̲̰e̪̩̯͖͙r͇̤̥̭̬͙͜e͚̹̙̗ ̞̲͘a̘̹͎͔̪̰̖r̨e̼̖̲͕͙̮ ̞̞̕y̰̭̩̳͘o̵̻o̥͘o̙͇̤̼u̥͜u̼̼̣̳̩̥̮u̧̺.͈̣.͓̰͔̩̗̼̖.̖̫̰̰̺̪"̺̥ͅ

After only silence in the dim and dank halls did the beast lurched itself right, down another corridor and further away from the Drone and Hyur. There was another set of shuffling some few seconds after. A duo set of other Drones came from the left end of the hall, to follow the abomination as it lumbered away.

-- Immediate threat gone, Please continue onward.

-------------------------------------------------

“All alone..”

“You’re all alone..”

“There’s no where to go..”

“̯̻̝̻ͅṆ̜͚͍̕o͓̹͎̲͞ ̧o̱͖n̢͉̪e ͎̙̼͉̼̻t̛͙̜͎̫o͖̟ ̯̪̺͉̠̻̪tal̲k̜̺̻͚̙͍̫ ͢t̺̥̲̻̲͎̻ò͕̦̯͍̬ ̶̲̲m̱͖̹̖̖̞̙y̝ ̗͕͖̫͎̘͚d̟̬͓̬͎͇͢a̮̜ŕ̝̳̼l̝͎͓͕̝̻̫i̯̳̝̹̖ͅn̖̬̰̦̤͈̭g͔̭͖̖̮̹͇.͚̬̪͖͘ͅͅ.̬̪̺̰̞”̺ ҉̣͙͔ ̵̱̻̩͚̭̺“͖͖̻͎̠̜̫E͎x̮c͏̲̗̘ę̻p͚͍̫͉̟̖͝t̠̣͠ ̤̳f҉̰̗͎̳o͏͕r̖̙͈͇͖͕̫ ̫̦̺m̧e̖̘̲̤.͔͚̦.̼̪̹̜̳ͅ.͇͎̫͍̫͘”̬͉͇͓͔͕