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Hidden 1 mo ago Post by Estylwen
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Estylwen The Villainess

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Ghost Corp Head Quarters, Inner Training Grounds


@SporkoBug, @Herald, @Qia




VV's jaw dropped as she watched A slide to the ground, stopped short only by Mimi's quick intervention. She was immediatly as A's side, shifting her off Mimi and rolling her on her side.

”It should keep her airways open, not choking on any of that.” She mumbled quickly to Mimi, raising a frantic hand to touch A's cheek, then her forehead.

She cursed under her breath.

Before she heard scribbling behind her. ”Some kind of blood manipulation. One instance. Also seems reluctant to hurt those she regards as friends…”

Doctor Willfreed looked up from her notes, ”However, I'm still missing your subjugation.”

VV couldn't believe what she was hearing. Her hands drew into her lap, curling into fists. ”You white coats… you're all the same.”

She looked up angrily, her red eyes flaring. ”Can't you see she needs medical attention?”

”From my initial assessment, she will survive her injuries. But I need to see your response to this stimuli.” The doctor said matter-of-factly.

VV's gaze darkened. ”My response, huh?”

She threw out a hand in the direction of the doctor, and a wave of darkness rose out, smashing into Doctor Willfreed and knocking her into the wall. VV could only stare angrily, before she felt a pinch in her neck. Confused, her hand reached upward, feeling a tranquilizer dart that had sank itself into her skin. Her eyes briefly glanced to the open window on the second level of the courtyard, seeing a guard with his spider rifle leveled right at her, before she fell over, passed out.

Le Frey ran over to their corner, exasperation crossing his face as he took in the doctor moaning against the wall, and the two Umbra girls out cold. ”What in the Dust…”

Doctor Willfreed shakily rose to her feet, clutching her chest, trying to catch her breath. ”Shadow Manipulation, incredibly defensive of her allies…” She huffed, locating her pen and scrawled on her notes once more.

Le Frey only stared for a moment, before he shook his head. He whistled, and four guards with two stretchers came rushing out from the courtyard gate.

Meanwhile, the general hadn't taken his eyes off Val's center mass. His gaze flickered to Val's hand as he fainted, before his own hands moved up in anticipation. In one quick grip, he had slightly moved back, hands clutched the top and base of Val's foot. He spun the foot hard, hoping to cause Val to spin with it and throw him to his knees. However, the movement had caused him to backtrack on to his cloak. The general's tongue clicked under his mask, and in the next instance, rather ruthlessly, flames rose from his feet, eating the cloak up in a matter of seconds, freeing up his footing.

Alas, instead of attacking back, he raised a hand up. The universal sign to pause.

”Your fallaway has crossed the line, it appears. I'd ask you take a moment to teach them some manners in the barracks below.”

His chin putted to VV's collapsed figure as she was being loaded onto the stretcher.

”It's best you're with them at this point, anyways. It may be their last evening breathing the Dust-filled air…” His voice hung in the air ominously, before the general turned, and withdrew from the courtyard.

Le Frey watched him go, before he sighed, and jerked with his thumb to the gates. ”Alright, let's get them below…”

***

VV woke with a start, lying on her back on a thin mattress. She was in a small cell, red lasers barred across the doorway. She, however, was the only one that was sealed, caged like an animal. As was justified for the one who attacked a non-subjugated so wildly.

The barracks was located below ground within the Ghost Corp Head Quarters. Val and and Mimi had been led down below, left to roam freely among the empty cells and long hallways while VV was the only one caged. A had been taken down in a stretcher, and was resting in a cell opposite of VV. Her door was open, and she would be free to move around the barracks upon her awakening, unlike VV.

At the staircase back up to ground level, two guards were stationed. And if Val, A or Mimi wanted to leave, the guards would only gruffly say, ”Have you taught that wild woman some manners yet?”

While VV had moved to sit at the foot of her caged door, Le Frey came down the steps, approaching the group. He had canteens of water and packages of rations. His masked face, however, seemed uncomfortable.

”I've uh, been instructed by the general to feed all of you except the black-haired Umbra girl. And uh… if any of you try to feed her, I've been told you'll ‘incur the wrath of the general’. His words, not mine.”

VV only managed an eye roll. "Is A okay?"

Le Frey didn't say a word, just held the foodstuff items out to Val and A. To Mimi, he had an open package of beef jerky he held out. It was likely made of birds, or bugs, but it was certainly some type of protein.

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Hidden 1 mo ago Post by Herald
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”It's best you're with them at this point, anyways. It may be their last evening breathing the Dust-filled air…”

Val didn't respond to the barb. There was no need to play games with the General when he had already made it very clear who's side he was on and what he would do if they were threatened. The only thing that stopped him from intervening with their actions against VV and A were that he could clearly see they were both collapsed on the ground, one receiving medical treatment, the other about to be hauled off to a cell undoubtedly. His blue eyes flicked back over to the General, Mercy's howls for violence and death echoing in his mind.

Those flames... the General was also tied to a Wild. How many Wilds did Ghost Corps count among their number?

~~~~~~~

”I've uh, been instructed by the general to feed all of you except the black-haired Umbra girl. And uh… if any of you try to feed her, I've been told you'll ‘incur the wrath of the general’. His words, not mine.”

Val accepted the offered food and water, moving to put A's rations near her for when she was ready for them. He frowned when he saw that the rations were shorted VV's portion, but waited for Mimi to at least take a few bites of the jerky before he acted up.

Val reached out and took the rations meant for himself, uncapping the canteen of water and downing a mouthful before recapping it and tightening the lid down to make sure it didn't spill a drop.

"All due respect to the Ghost Corps," he said, looking LeFrey in his eyes, "last I checked the doc was alive enough to be scribbling, so incarceration is already a heavy punishment for striking a person interfering with a call for medical aid."

"Tell the General I said to go Dust himself. I'll await my ass kicking at his pleasure," Val finished, giving an over the top mocking bow, "and if I see a hint of green from you, Mercy has been screaming at me to come out and play." Unlike when he had been speaking of the General, there was a hint of regret when he leveraged the threat against LeFrey. The man was likely just following orders after all, and Val still owed him for getting them out of the grasps of the Ravagers.

He tossed the canteen between the laser bars, followed quickly by the ration pack. He didn't even think VV might be hungry, it was more about sending the message that he had no intention of following such a ridiculous punishment as starving a prisoner. Especially a prisoner that he was supposed to be protecting.

"Whoops, my hand slipped," Val said, still staring at LeFrey.
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Hidden 1 mo ago Post by SporkoBug
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SporkoBug The Cosmic Engineer

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Ghost Corp Head Quarters, Barracks

@Estylwen@Herald@Qia

Mimi rested on the soft bedding they were given after everything that happened in the Fighting grounds, they wanted to go make sure VV was alright, but they didn't want to get near the lasers.
They perked up a little when Le Frey came in to give food and water, Mimi moved quickly to take the jerky gently with their arms.

They stayed quiet as they listened, their feathers fluffed slightly before they looked over towards VV as she spoke before looking back to Le Frey. They stayed seated for a moment before Val moved to chuck things over towards VV, staring daggers towards Le Frey. Instinctively the dinosaur wild stood up between the two of them with a chirrup. "No fighting!" They mimicked what sounded like a mothers voice, looking between the two of them. "Fighting will get no where." They wanted to stop the tension before it even started. The air grew tense and now tasted wrong to Mimi.

"Tell the General I did it." Wrens' voice came from the doorway as he limped down the stairs and into the group. "I understand why she acted out, you know I did much worse when I came here." He said with a weak chuckle, wincing before he looked towards Le Frey, before looking towards VV in her cell. "The scientists here are... I wouldn't say thoughtless, they just... Lack emotional Depth sometimes."

Mimi moved quickly to Wrens' side, pressing themselves against his side. "Hurt? Injured?" They said quietly, Wrens' hand moving to pat the dinosaur wilds head gently. "Ithil'lan, faer'athen, lath'enor. (I'm okay, thank you little one)" He said softly to Mimi before returning his gaze back to the two males.
"We need not petty squabbles." Ferz spoke through Wren, causing Mimi to flinch at the sudden voice change and tone shift coming from her favourite feeding friend. "We all have anger or resentment towards Umbra in some way, but we will not learn how to take them down if we keep putting our teeth at each others throats." Ferz shot a look towards VV, crossing his arms before walking over to the front of her cell and looked to her.

"Even as a prisoner you shouldn't go unfed, unless Ghost Corp are harsher than the Wild King, himself." Ferz gave a glance towards Le Frey with narrowing eyes. "Speaking of which." The Wendigos eyes moved back to the dinosaur wild. "I have seen your kind before. When I was younger, before I was strapped to this man. Your kind follow the King closely, yet you do not seem to care much about him?"

Mimi's feathers prickled slightly, they shrunk down into themselves with their tail curling around their body instinctively. "You follow the King, no?" They asked quietly, "I... My pack does. Pack... Does not - Did not like Mimi." It was a soft subject for Mimi, and they didn't want to talk about it. "What of Mercy and Inu?" Mimi tried to turn the conversation around, looking towards Val and Le Frey, "You bind to human but... Does heart still follow the call of Wild King?"
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Hidden 1 mo ago Post by Qia
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Qia A Little Weasel

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In her mind, she floated in a strange limbo, a place caught between the gentle embrace of sleep and the bright light of wakefulness. It was like wandering through a thick fog, where the air felt heavy, and everything around her seemed to distort and twist. Voices drifted to her like whispers carried on the wind, soft and unclear, as if they were echoing from the depths of a distant cave. Though she couldn’t grasp the meaning of the words, the sounds painted a picture of mixed emotions—low and sharp tones, with the occasional rise of irritation or amusement.

Her limbs felt like lead, each one encased in an invisible weight. The sensation was akin to being submerged in water, where movement required a Herculean effort for such an unyielding body. The steady ache in her chest lingered, dull yet persistent and pressing against her heart each time she breathed. And though she yearned to stretch or turn her head, even the slightest motion summoned a tidal wave of dizziness that crashed upon her, leaving her feeling as if she were firmly anchored to the ground, unable to drift away.

The voices grew louder momentarily, one rising above the others—a rigid, authoritative cadence that felt like a command from on high. Solen? This name shot into her mind uninvited, igniting a tiny light in the dark corners of her thoughts. She fought to concentrate, to untangle the jumble of sounds surrounding her, but just as quickly, they began to fade.

A metallic taste clung to her tongue, sharp and bitter, reminiscent of copper. VV's urgent voice, the warm flow of crimson liquid trickling from her nose, and the heavy weight of another body below her as the world fell into darkness. It was all she could remember.

Her fingers twitched then, the faintest motion, but enough to confirm she still had control over her body. With a focused mind, she tried to latch onto that tiny flicker of movement, attempting to pry her eyes open. The first attempt was futile, however, her eyelids were too heavy to lift. She tried again, slower this time, and light began to filter through the haze. The world was blurry at first, shapes and colours twirling together in a ballet. Her head pounded in protest, but she forced herself to push past it, blinking until her vision cleared.

The gray walls of the barracks came into view first, a low hum filling the air, punctuated by the occasional click or whir of unseen machinery. She was lying on a thin mattress, its surface rough against her skin, and as her gaze shifted slowly to take in the rest of her surroundings, the red glow of laser bars caught her eyes.

A’s breath was as light as a feather, barely making a sound, as she gazed at the sight of VV sitting at the base of her barrier. All around her, the others engaged in conversation, but to A, their words were just a blur of sounds.

“VV…what…happened?” A said, her voice scratchy like sandpaper, hoping it was enough to draw her partner’s attention.

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Hidden 1 mo ago 1 mo ago Post by Estylwen
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Estylwen The Villainess

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Elhm, Central Spectral Woods





Deep in the heart of the Elhm Spectral Woods, in a room made of organic and majestic tree roots and branches, the Wild King reclined on a thrown wreathed in blue leaves. The Mimicraptor pack stood in front of him, heads lowered in his presence. Stalker was near the front, eyes locked on the Wild King, while Roose was off to the side, pointedly avoiding staring too much at Stalker or the Wild King.

The Wild King spoke, his voice echoed a thousand times by the restless souls surrounding him.

”Élearen sa teíran shae melda, así tha Umbrané eil syr’hanthi dané anorill. Anira halé narene sha’elatha… 'laithen serel’ ithal.' Si Umbrané aniral’ anelas sha’seren, thaléan dané serel. Si na… sha’thalen venor.

(I've heard through my loyalists that those Umbrans from the sky mean to destroy me. I want you and the rest of your pack to… ‘play nice' with the humans set to intercept them. If the Umbra group can be coerced to my side, save them. If not… Make them burn.)


Stalker tilted his head slightly, listening to his King's words as he mulled them over. 'Play nice' with humans? It would be harder than just slaughtering them, but he gave a small nod.

”Laithen serel será anarel. (Playing nice will be easy.) Stalker said with a sway of his tail, clicking his toe claw against the ground in anticipation.

The Wild King nodded back, shadowed chin resting on a propped fist.

”Ena ralé’an sha’elatha na Red Embers ven Shae Tharen. Dané thalenar’ shira sha’celen sha’Thal-Wyn amarill. Elea sha’enar melthi valis sha’emaré thalen. Si enra sha’elatha ve ralenar, amaril melira. Si elea sanar sha’Umbrané syr’hanthi anorill, dané venar sha’Elm shae serel sha’valeth ralén sha’verith. Sha’venar sha’Umbrané, dané selven ra’elra. Elesha saven talan. Si elesha sanar sha’eltra amaril cel sha’verith elea sanar sha’Umbrané, shiran sha’Shae Tharen ven Red Embers. Si sha’Umbrané ven thael serel…

Sha’valar sha’enar el sha’valir.

Anira Thal-Wyn thal’en el ralsha sha’valir, shae sanir ele’an shalath ven amaril sha’elena shira na’thal’anath.

(Their most prominent groups are the Red Embers and the Bears. Both leaders hunger for the power in the heart of a Wild. However, they hate me more. If you show up in numbers they will not attack you out of fear. If you press that the Umbrans mean to kill me, they may let the Umbras pass through Ehlm to these woods. When faced with those Umbrans, their greed may be too much. They are savages, after all. If they act on their greed before you can sweet-talk the Umbrans, kill the Bears and Red Embers. If the Umbrans cannot be swayed…

Simply add them to the pile of corpses.

I'll have other Wilds on standby to take the corpses, and we will feast and celebrate your victory.)


Roose listened carefully to the words of her beloved leader, before sending an anxious glance to Stalker.

Seems they had their work cut out for them.

The Wild King raised a hand, gesturing to the wide entrance, sending them on their way.

”Valaenar sha'elrith, Thal'sharen sha'Thaliraptor. (Good luck, Stalker of the Mimicraptors.)






Ghost Corp Head Quarters, Lower Barracks


@SporkoBug, @Herald, @Qia




"All due respect to the Ghost Corps, last I checked the doc was alive enough to be scribbling, so incarceration is already a heavy punishment for striking a person interfering with a call for medical aid.”
Val


VV shot Val a grateful look through the bar, while Le Frey’ eyes narrowed.

”She attacked a non-subjugated, a scientist, no less. You know they don't grow on blue fruit trees, right? The general spends a minimum of four years on their education before they can even begin to work in service to him. They're worth their weight in gold. So the general's response should actually be harsher.”

"Tell the General I said to go Dust himself. I'll await my ass kicking at his pleasure. And if I see a hint of green from you, Mercy has been screaming at me to come out and play."
Val


Le Frey growled, gritting his teeth behind his mask. ”You're making this a bigger deal that it has to be. Just tow the line and everyone'll be happy, alright?”

He did his best to ignore the threat rolling off Val's tongue. His muscles still involuntarily tensed up, though, and his stance lowered a little.

Then Val had the audacity to go against the general’s orders, and threw his rations to VV, who caught them in mid-air.

"Whoops, my hand slipped,"
Val


”Ohh, that is it!” Le Frey barked behind his mask, his right hand glowing as claws formed, about to lash out at Val.

About to- before Mimi stepped in.

”No fighting! Fight will get nowhere!”
Mimi


”Tell the General I did it.”
Wren


Le Frey stared daggers at Mimi and Val, before twisting his head to look at Wren. Slowly, the claws deformed, and he sighed.

”You realize the general is more clever than that, Captain.” He said to Wren.

"Even as a prisoner you shouldn't go unfed, unless Ghost Corp are harsher than the Wild King, himself."
Ferz


VV stared at the changed demeanor in the Ghost Corp captain, putting two and two together that his wild was talking. Regardless, she narrowed her eyes at him, making a show of taking a bite of the ration Val had thrown to her.

”I'd eat regardless if some general said I could or couldn't… Done with having people try to control me.” She muttered bitterly through the processed meat.

"What of Mercy and Inu? You bind to human but... Does heart still follow the call of Wild King?”
Mimi


Le Frey tilted his head, his eyes flashing green for a brief moment. ”If the Wild King were to call me, I would go. Much of the goal of Ghost Corp assist the King, as they thwart Umbra.” Inu's speech came through Le Frey's lips, speaking matter-of-factly.

Then, a new, weak voice cut through the conversation, attracting VV's eyes instantly.

“VV…what…happened?”
A


VV set her rations aside, crawling a little closer to the bars. A piece of her hair fell in the laser's path, immediately frying it. It gave VV enough reason to pause, though she hissed with frustration.

A pause, before she bit out as calmly as possible, ”The doctor wanted to know how I felt about you throwing the duel. I smacked her with the entity…

“Why did you throw the duel, A?”


Another pause, VV's gaze dropping to the floor. ”A… A, let's leave. The doctors won't find anything good. It's just Umbra all over again. I'll destroy this door, and we can just… get away…”

Meanwhile, over the intercom, the general's voice sounded. ”Guardian, report to the inner courtyard for your… ass-kicking.”
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Hidden 1 mo ago Post by Herald
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As Le Frey's form glowed, so too did boiling red veins begin to pop up over Val's body. The transformation was still painful, but the pain felt good as his anger fed on it and in turn twisted and merged with Mercy's own violent urges. Only the strange actions of the smaller wild stopped him from leaping to the attack, the call for peace resonating within Val as he took a breath and stopped his posturing with Le Frey.

"What of Mercy and Inu? You bind to human but... Does heart still follow the call of Wild King?”

"Mercy does as he pleases, he looks forward to our deaths so that he can eat our corpses," Val said, shaking his head as it filled with dark laughter from Mercy, "he follows the King simply because the King is a superior monster.... no offense." He added the last part while looking at Mimi. Not every Wild was a monster, after all, despite their appearance. The veins across his body cooled, though he could still feel the burn radiating through him. Mercy howled in frustrated denial, more demands for the deaths of Ghost Corp spiraling through Val's mind and starting to give him a headache.

You are violating our deal human. You will never know peace. All you will know is blood and death and violence and I will FEED!

Val felt like his body temperature was rising again, and this time Mercy's protection wasn't helping him adjust. It almost felt like Mercy was simply going to boil away all of his flesh to be freed once again. To feed on these Ghost Corps minions and howl victory to the stars.

You want to feed? Trust me, I'll be in pain soon enough. Poeple who rule with an iron fist know only one way of answering such disobedience., Val thought, wincing as he brought up a memory of his training. The first time he had held his rifle and failed to his a glass bottle in a window nearly 500 meters away. His 'uncle' had beaten him for nearly a half hour, and then heated the spent cartridge in the fire and burnt him with it, a constant reminder of the price of a missed shot. He let the old pain radiate within him instead of stuffing it away, coaxing Mercy back into a state of calmness with the negative emotions. He only snapped out of it when he heard VV's voice.

”A… A, let's leave. The doctors won't find anything good. It's just Umbra all over again. I'll destroy this door, and we can just… get away…”

Val kept his eyes on Le Frey, fully knowing that any move against Ghost Corps would put them right back where they were before Mimi's interruption.

"Say the word. And we walk or we die," Val said, rolling his neck and looking over at VV with a slight grin. Despite the morbid statement, his confidence was nearly unshakeable when it came to fighting. What did death hold for him that could be worse than the Dust?

”Guardian, report to the inner courtyard for your… ass-kicking.”

Val looked up at the intercom, not really surprised that the General was monitoring the situation. Still, he was lawless, not Ghost Corps.

"Sorry, General, my deal is with the Fallaways," he said, "if they say walk, we walk. If they say stay... then I'll apologize in person for delaying my punishment."

"Unless you want to start things off Greenie?," Val said, raising an eyebrow as he looked at Le Frey.
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Hidden 1 mo ago Post by SporkoBug
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Elhm, Central Spectral Woods


Stalker kept his attention straight on the Wild King as he spoke, his feathers bristling for a moment before he nodded at the words. He listened about the plan to go to the Red Embers and the Bears, swaying his tail slightly before he nodded once in agreement.

Then the Wild King sent them on their way, Stalker gave a bow to his king before turning away and started to head out, he ignored Roose's anxious glance towards him. He stayed silent until they got out of the Kings Court. "Tae'lan nar elen'dor. (This will be interesting.)" He spoke, glancing towards his companion after a moment of silence.

"Na'lor seran doral'thel in'araen'shol.(I can't wait to have my teeth in their necks.)" He added on with a bigger grin over his maw.


Ghost Corp Head Quarters, Lower Barracks


Mimi instinctively relaxed as the tension dropped in the room. Val and Le Frey seemed to both relax, and Wren was back! But... Ferz was talking through Wren, and Mimi wasn't sure if they trusted Ferz as much as they trusted Wren.

Their attention drew towards Inu as she spoke through Le Frey, their tail swaying in mild fear. They didn't focus on the Falloways at the moment as they were thinking about their next words. Mimi looked to Val as he spoke, they were unphazed by Mercy's words.
They turned back to Le Frey for a moment. "If the King said to kill another wild... Would you?" They asked Inu, a serious tone to their voice with an undertone of fear.

"If you are heading out, I will come with." Ferz added, tilting his head slightly. He gave Wren back control of his body, indicated by a bit of a stumble before he turned to look towards VV and A.
"You don't have to trust me." He said quietly, away from the others. "I was once one of Umbra's experiments as well. I don't entirely understand how you feel, as I don't know how gruesome your 'creations' were. But I know how Harsh Umbra is."

Ferz stepped away from Wren for a moment, finally materializing himself away from the human, he was vaguely see-through, as if he was a ghost. "You are afraid of the Wild King for a reason, little Wild." He said calmly as he crossed his arms, looking towards Mimi. "You have backstory with the King too then?"
Mimi shrunk into themselves a bit more, giving a small nod. Ferz nodded slightly, almost cracking a smile on his boney-deer-like face.
"I do too, do not worry." He admitted gently, kneeling down to offer a spectral hand towards Mimi, inviting the dinosaur to come closer. "I was once a valued hunter. I was sent out to track down humans for food. My last mission was to track down humans who escaped."
Mimi had stepped forward slightly before they froze at the words of Ferz, their feathers fluffed aggressively before they stepped back in fear.

Mimi looked around the room slowly. Were they safe here? Would they turn them over to the King if they knew what they had done?
Mimi stepped back more, walking backwards until their back hit a wall and they crouched in fear, huddling under their feathered arms.
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Hidden 25 days ago Post by Qia
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Qia A Little Weasel

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Through her hazy vision, A noticed a movement. VV shifted closer to the bright, laser bars, and as A blinked slowly against the relentless pounding in her forehead, VV’s outline became clearer. The faint, unpleasant smell of burnt hair pricked at her senses and she also briefly registered the red beams of light casting soft, flickering patterns on the walls around them.

A tried to push herself up even further, but her arms shook under the effort, feeling heavy as if weighed down by stones. Her body refused to listen to her commands, and though the ache in her chest had lessened, it remained. Giving up for now, she allowed her eyes to wander, catching fleeting glimpses of the others. Yet, her focus quickly returned to VV, who had posed a question that A wondered herself.

“Why…” she whispered, feeling a fresh wave of shame wash over her as she recalled the outcome of her “duel”. The medication had numbed her feelings, that much she recalled, making her feel like she was floating in a fog. Perhaps, to fight against it, she had pushed herself too much, and instead of channelling her energy outward, it had spiralled back on her. “I didn’t mean to throw it,” she added, a little louder this time. “I wasn’t…in control.”

For once.

A hadn’t felt this lost since she first discovered her powers.

“A… A, let's leave. The doctors won't find anything good. It's just Umbra all over again. I'll destroy this door, and we can just… get away…”

A took a moment to really consider VV’s suggestion. Her eyes then darted over to Val, who chimed in with his support for whatever decision they might reach. There was something both disquieting and strangely comforting about his reaction, specifically how he seemed to calmly accept whatever dangers he might face with people he’d practically just met. As he rolled his neck, a smile appeared on his face, creating a peculiar contrast with the seriousness of their predicament.

The redhead shifted her position on the narrow mattress, her fingers weakly gripping the rough material beneath her. The thought of leaving this place behind was incredibly alluring, yet it also felt like trying to run away from a shadow, Umbra’s or her own A couldn’t exactly say. No matter where they attempted to flee, she knew the burden of being outsiders, from the Above, would inevitably follow them.

A soft crackling sound captured her focus then, and A instinctively winced a little as the commanding voice of the general boomed through the intercom. After he gave his brief instruction, A let out a tired sigh.

“Where…where would we go if we actually decided to leave?” she asked Val, her eyes wandering over to Wren after. “And if you’re anything like us, you already know that Umbra isn’t going to let us walk away without a fight.”

Which meant, they were surrounded by potential enemies with few allies.

“I think…I think we stay.” Besides, with her current state, how could she be of any real help?

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Ghost Corp Head Quarters, Lower Barracks


@SporkoBug, @Herald, @Qia




"Sorry, General, my deal is with the Fallaways. If they say walk, we walk. If they say stay... then I'll apologize in person for delaying my punishment.

"Unless you want to start things off Greenie?”
Val


Le Frey glowered, hands curling into fists. ”Yeah, you'd really like that, wouldn't you?”

But he was still softened by Mimi's influence, and instead huffed a long, drawn-out breath, leveling a tilted stare at Val.

”Nah, I'm good.”

"I was once one of Umbra's experiments as well. I don't entirely understand how you feel, as I don't know how gruesome your 'creations' were. But I know how Harsh Umbra is."
Wren


VV's gaze perked up between mouthfuls of ration, staring at Wren with new curiosity. And, new pain. To say Umbra was harsh was, well, a severe understatement. Umbra was responsible for wiping her and A's memories. She didn't even have the luxury of knowing what Umbra did to them.

"I was once a valued hunter. I was sent out to track down humans for food. My last mission was to track down humans who escaped."
Ferz


Le Frey watched with a flat stare as Ferz frightened Mimi an inch within its life. His eyes immediately narrowed at the Wild, and his voice was cross.

”Now look what you've done, Ferzy. I don't get paid enough to look after you, you know.”

And Le Frey approached Mimi, huddled against the wall. He stooped to one knee, trying to appear as relaxed as possible towards Mimi.

”Hey, no one's gonna hurt you. You saw how the General looked at you. You're safe here. If the General likes you, everyone likes you. Don't worry too much about your past; we uh,” He stammered. ”We all got rough pasts.”

If Mimi were to sniff his emotions, Mimi would notice the comfort he was trying to exude covered up a hollow spot that was often stuffed down - a childhood with no parents was a lonely existence, after all.

“I didn’t mean to throw it. I wasn’t…in control.”
A


VV froze mid-bite on a bit of jerky, staring at A with a grimace. She knew that tone. Their time in the sky taught her a few things about A, mainly that A processed her own recovered memories differently. If VV had to guess, the trauma was rough - A had never dared to once bring it up, but it was evident something ate at her.

Their shared curse, as these powers relished the pain…

“I think…I think we stay.”
A


VV stared a moment longer, before her head dropped a bit. She seemed to deflate, then shrug. ”It's probably for the best…”

Her gaze drew up again on A, and she nodded, despite her own fears. ”Alright, A, I'll follow your lead on this.”

VV finished the rations and water, before delicately pushing them through a space in the laser bars. She glanced up at Le Frey, who was still consoling Mimi, before her gaze instead moved to Wren.

”Your other friend seems occupied. Val hasn't eaten yet…”

Indeed, it felt as though things were winding down for the evening. The sun was setting, orange light glinting off the inside of the courtyard's pyramid glass. The General stood with his hands behind his back, casual in how he waited for Val.

He had a theory. He wanted to test it.

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Hidden 19 days ago Post by SporkoBug
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SporkoBug The Cosmic Engineer

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Ghost Corp Head Quarters, Lower Barracks

Ferz gave a sneer towards Le Frey at the nickname, but didn't speak. He rolled his non-existent eyes in its eye sockets before it looked over towards Wren as he listened to Wren as he listened to the two Umbra girls.

"It's a shame they didn't take your memories Wren. You might be a bit more Lenient on doing what I ask sometimes." Ferz added, getting a glare from the human he was contained within.

Mimi flinched as Le Frey got close to them, even with him trying to appear as relaxed as possible. They looked over towards Ferz and noticed his attention was elsewhere, instinctively starting to relax a bit before they looked towards Le Frey as he spoke to them.
"If the Wilds... stay with the Wild King.. They may attack if asked." Mimi managed to speak quietly, quivering, "I have caused the King problems in the past."

Their feathers bristled slightly before they stepped forward and pressed their head into Le Freys' chest. They trusted him, and even though Wren was tied to Ferz, they trusted him too. "I don't wish to ever have to turn against you, but I fear the Kings will won't let that never happen."

Wren glanced to VV as she finished her food, he glanced to Val before giving a small frown. He turned and headed over to the man and put a hand on his shoulder with a bit of a smile, moving to pull out some of his own rations.
"You'll need to eat to gain strength if you're gonna give the Captain a run for his money." Wren said with a small smile, "Honestly I'd pay to see a fight like this, but... Just don't get yourself killed, alright?"
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Hidden 17 days ago Post by Qia
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Qia A Little Weasel

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A
Interactions/Mentions: VV-@Estylwen, Wren-@SporkoBug, Val-@Herald

A noticed the subtle change in VV’s demeanour, the way her head inclined slightly and her shoulders hunched with a weary surrender. It wasn’t outright defeat, not exactly, but it bore the sombre essence of someone acutely aware of the futility that enveloped their circumstances. A's heart constricted at this poignant revelation, guilt creeping insidiously into the corners of her mind. VV had always epitomized strength—steadfast and unwavering—and now it seemed that A’s own doubts had quietly eroded that formidable resilience.

“Thank you,” A uttered softly, her tone barely above a whisper and laced with tremors of emotion. Her gratitude was genuine, a heartfelt acknowledgment of the sacrifice being made. Trust was a rare commodity for both of them, painstakingly cultivated over time, and the mere fact that VV chose to place her faith in A, notwithstanding the myriad challenges they faced, felt like an invaluable treasure—one A grappled with feeling unworthy of possessing.

A tried to push herself upright again, her trembling arms barely cooperating. The effort left her breathless, but she managed to shift enough to rest her back against the wall, her gaze following VV’s toward Le Frey and Mimi.

“Did they say anything after…the incident? You know, when I passed out?”

VV stared, easily seeing A's weakened state. Her red eyes narrowed, feeling an uncomfortable twist in her gut. It didn't sit with her well at all - it was her fault A was like this.

She gestured to the canteen and ration left beside A, ”You should have something to eat. I'll explain meanwhile.”

A’s gaze drifted toward the canteen and ration pouch resting at her side. For a brief moment, her fingers hesitated in midair, suspended by indecision, before they wrapped around the canteen’s cool exterior. She unscrewed the cap and raised the vessel to her lips. As she took a small sip, the tepid water offered a modicum of relief against the abrasive dryness in her throat. While the liquid itself was not invigorating in the slightest, it did manage to give a bit of comfort that prompted her to indulge in a more substantial gulp.

After placing the canteen aside, her focus shifted to the ration pack lying in her lap. The packaging crinkled as she peeled it open, the unremarkable aroma of bland protein wafting into the air. She broke off a fragment of the dense, unappetizing bar, her teeth chewing through it in a rhythmic, almost mechanical fashion. The flavour was uninspiring as she had anticipated, yet her body craved the nourishment, driving her to consume it regardless of its unappealing nature.

With another bite in her mouth, she cast a sidelong glance at VV. “Go on,” A said, her voice taking on a steadier tone, shedding the hesitance of before. “What happened?”

VV nodded, feeling a fraction of satisfaction and relief. She scooted a little closer to the laser bars, hands resting in her lap.

”The doc is smart, I'll give her that. Somehow, Just by looking at you, she was able to tell that you control blood.”

VV's face softened a bit. ”She… also noted your lack of ability to hurt your friends. So, I uh, don't really have a right to be mad at you for throwing the duel. It's not your fault.”

A pause, before she nodded, a slight smile on her face. "Despite everything, we are friends… aren't we?”

A paused mid-chew, the words sinking in deeper than she expected.

“She figured that out just by looking at me?” she asked in mild disbelief. When VV nodded, A exhaled, her shoulders slumping as she tried to process what that meant. She wasn’t sure why she felt the way she did. Perhaps it was because it hadn’t been obvious to her way back when. Or maybe it was because she didn’t even know herself entirely, yet here was this person who had figured out something significant about her in less time than it had taken her to hit the ground.

Thankfully, VV’s question drew A’s attention back to her. “Yeah,” she said after a long pause. “I think we are.” She stared for a bit before shifting her gaze to break the intensity of the moment.

“But that might not be as great as it sounds.”

VV couldn't help the grimace that crossed her face. A tried to show that she was strong, but she was a lot like her. There was pain under the surface.

”It smells delicious.” The entity in VV's mind and body chimed in.

”Shut up.” VV chimed back in her mind, not missing a beat as she shifted a bit at the bars of her cell.

”Well, not that I really get this whole ‘fallaway' thing, but perhaps… we’re a bit lucky? Val is sticking his neck out for us. And Wren-” She glanced over at the man, ”Even wants to come with us. Maybe, things are looking up.”

She laughed a little sarcastically, trying to make a joke. ”Makes me almost forget about the spacey laser cannon aimed right at us if we mess up, eh?”

A chewed thoughtfully, her gaze flitting to VV’s pained expression before resting upon the meagre ration clasped in her hand. Her laughter after her optimistic words, which should have lightened the atmosphere, seemed too faint and laced with sarcasm to resonate with A’s ears.

“Lucky…” she echoed softly, as if savouring the syllables upon her tongue. After a contemplative pause, she acquiesced with a reluctant, “Maybe,” though her tone unmistakably hinted at her lingering doubts. Her gaze shifted toward Val and then to Wren, observing their expressions as she wrestled with her emotions. The notion of others electing to stand by them—choosing her—should have instilled a sense of comfort, yet it only served to tighten the constricting knot in her stomach. It transcended mere trust; it encompassed an overwhelming sense of responsibility, an acute awareness of the burden of not disappointing them amidst the bleakness of their shared plight.

“We have people who are genuinely putting themselves on the line for us, don’t we?” A expressed with a resigned tone. “But what happens if we mess up again? If I mess up again?”

The screech of tires echoed in her ears, unbidden, the memory surfacing with cruel clarity. The wind in her hair, the laughter spilling from her lips, the carefree chorus of their favourite song—before everything went wrong. She could almost experience the jarring lurch of the vehicle as it careened, the ear-splitting sound of glass exploding into a thousand shards. A tightness constricted her chest, reminiscent of her terrified grip on the seat, knuckles turned bone-white in distress. The world around her twisted in a chaotic whirlwind, an alarming amalgamation of sky and earth, until the catastrophic collision occurred, the repulsive crunch of metal contorting and fracturing.

A blinked rapidly, her focus slipping back to the present, but the phantom scent of asphalt and gasoline remained in her mind.

“You know…” she started, her voice faltering for a moment. “I’ve screwed up before, and people got hurt. Someone I cared about…” She trailed off, the haunting image of her best friend’s lifeless form seared vividly into her memory. A’s hands balled into trembling fists resting in her lap, as she summoned the courage to meet VV’s gaze once more. “It’s not just about messing up. It’s about… not being able to fix it. Watching it happen and knowing you can’t do anything to stop it.”

She exhaled shakily, her voice dropping lower. “That’s what scares me. Not the fight, not the pain—just… letting someone down again.” After she'd said this, A couldn’t bring herself to meet VV’s gaze. Instead, her eyes fell on the ration bar she had set aside. “So yeah, maybe things are looking up. Maybe this is lucky. But luck doesn’t last. Not for people like us.”

”It's true.”

Immediately, A would feel a suffocating, clawing, choking presence surrounding her. It bit at her edges, as if trying to choke her and drown her at the same time. Her vision was taken, and instead of the Ghost Corp barracks, she instead saw a grey and dismal expanse, with stones floating in the air, and a moon hanging in the gray. There was a figure staring down at her. It was hard to tell, but this shadowy, colossal being, easily could have been the size of a mountain.

"You are cursed to meet me. Cursed to bring my darkness into the world. Cursed to have a fate that some may call… worse than death.

“Struggle. Delay. Drown in apathy. It doesn't matter what you do. These feelings, this pain, opens the doors to my domain. Opens the doors to me. And you will be my harbinger.”


And, in the next instant, the collosal titan was gone, as well as the grey expanse. A was back in the barracks, VV's mouth moving at her.

”A…? A? Did you hear what I said?”

A blinked rapidly, her eyelids fluttering as her vision coalesced to reveal VV’s worried visage peering intently at her. Her friend’s lips continued to move in a flurry of words, yet the sounds remained frustratingly elusive to her ears. With a palpable dryness in her throat, A swallowed hard, summoning every ounce of her willpower to anchor herself to the present moment.

“I…” she began, her voice momentarily faltering and cracking like fragile glass. She cleared her throat, striving to regain her composure and try one more. “I’m fine,” she uttered in a tone that betrayed her insincerity. The haunting phrases from the vision clung relentlessly to her mind, gnawing at her consciousness.

“This pain opens the doors to my domain.”


A’s thoughts surged forward with reckless spontaneity, even as she futilely endeavoured to suppress them. Had it been a figment of her imagination? Had the Ghost Corps played some kind of nefarious role, or was it her own psyche conspiring against her, excavating fresh terrors to augment the weight of past nightmares? In her heart, she longed to dismiss it as a deceptive trick of her fatigued mind, but an insidious doubt festered deep within her.

“What did you say?” A finally inquired, grappling with whether she was directing her question at VV or merely seeking reassurance from herself.

VV stared with a bit of concern, before she shook her head, trying to smile. “I was saying, you look kinda tired, A. Maybe we should call it a day. Fates know what tomorrow will bring…”

Hidden 15 days ago Post by Estylwen
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Estylwen The Villainess

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Barracks, Ghost Corp





Val felt an unexpected softness when he heard the little Wild speak, but he permitted nothing to show in his body language while he was facing down Le Frey. He felt an even bigger pang of guilt when the Ghost Corps soldier went to comfort the creature, something Val would never have had the guts to do himself. Emotions meant holes in your armor, holes in your armor made you vulnerable. Vulnerable in the Dust, made you dead.

Distantly, he heard the girls agree to stay for the time being and let out a long sigh of his own. He had been half-hoping they'd make a break for it, but they were willing to give the Ghost Corps another shot which meant Val could either break his word and leave on his own... or go have a chat with the General. His fingers itched for his weapons, but he doubted any Ghost Corps was going to give them to him without an order from Le Frey or the General.

”Your other friend seems occupied. Val hasn't eaten yet…”

"You'll need to eat to gain strength if you're gonna give the Captain a run for his money." Wren said with a small smile, "Honestly I'd pay to see a fight like this, but... Just don't get yourself killed, alright?"

Val couldn’t help but grin a bit, at first thinking of turning down the ration to avoid causing trouble between Wren and Le Frey. However, technically the order had been given that VV was not to be fed, it said nothing about sharing with Val and if it was offered as some kind of olive branch well… it might be wise to accept it. Rather than eating it, he tucked the ration away in his pocket for later if it survived whatever the General had planned.

"Val shouldn't eat before a fight anyways, tends to make the food come back up," he said, referring to himself in the third person almost as a joke.

"I'm heading to the General now. I'm trusting you three there won't be any problems before I get back," he said, directing the words to Le Frey, Wren, and Mimi. His eyes lingered on Mimi a bit, still surprised by the sympathy he felt for the creature. Sympathy that only stoked Mercy's ire inside of him.

Good, little Val. Choose violence. Peace will get you nowhere in these lands, Mercy's laughter echoed again in his mind.

Without any further word he moved to the end of the hall, looking back and giving a confident grin back towards the fallaways.




@SporkoBug

Le Frey watched as Mimi nestled in his chest. Hesitantly, he reached out, and gave them a soft pat on the head. ”No one is gonna hurt you now, I swear it. Or they'll have me to deal with.”

His righteous anger smelled like desert and sunbeams, but it was soft. Colored in hope and confidence, like he wanted to give what was best to Mimi.

Le Frey’s head stooped down, trying to catch Mimi's eye on their level. ”And if you were to kill me because the Wild King asked, I wouldn't be mad. I've lived a good life, under the gaze of the General.”

His emotions, again, were clear, and comforting.

As Val headed upstairs to face the General, ans as the girls were softly talking amongst each other, Le Frey gave a glance to Wren and Ferz before glancing down at Mimi.

”Hey. What do you say about raiding the Mess Hall, seeing if there's any synthesized chicken for ya, mm?”

And he started coaxing Mimi upstairs for food and decompressing.




Inner Courtyard, Ghost Corps


In collaboration with @Herald




Val walked out into the courtyard, unsurprised to see the General alone and waiting for him. Already he could feel the adrenaline surging in his veins, and Mercy straining against his will to be let free to wreak havoc on the Ghost Corps. It was still a tempting option, if there wasn't an eighty or so percent chance of Val's death involved by his guess. Mercy was powerful, but Le Frey and Wren had Wilds of their own.

"Sorry for the delay, we were having quite the conversation when you asked for me to come up here," Val said, fulfilling his promise of apologizing while also barbing the General that he couldn't really give Val orders. Threats, bribes, conditional agreements, and favors, sure. But never an order.

"So how does Ghost Corps handle insubordination," Val said, taking his hands out of his pockets and holding them wide as though to show he had no real intentions of resisting just yet, "am I looking at thirty lashes or should I scribble the words 'I'll never ignore the General orders again' a hundred times on a piece of paper?"

The General turned to look at him, the orange light of a dying sun glinting down. Slowly, shadows began to crawl across the sandy courtyard.

The General still lacked a cloak, and the courtyard appeared completely empty this time around. There was a slight hiss of filtered air as the General breathed through his mask, as if in anticipation.

”No. Nothing like that. Instead, your punishment will be demonstrating your resolve to me. Your resolve to those fallaways.”

His feet spread apart a little, but besides that, his stance was relaxed. A gloved hand reached out and curled at him, beckoning Val forward.

”You have permission to use your Wild here.

“Try to hit me. For real this time, Guardian.”


Val’s eyes narrowed as he wondered why in the Dust the General would care to measure his resolve. The General had little to gain regardless of Val’s ability to stand his ground and keep faith with the fallaways. If he thought the General would answer him, he would have asked, but he recognized a game when he saw it.

"I don’t need to prove squat to you," Val said, "either you believe my word, and the fact I am clearly at least willing to piss you off for no other reason than their general health. Or you believe I am weak, in which case you must have something more in mind for the fallaways anyways."

"That being said, I’ll play this game, but with a slight change to the rules," Val said, rolling his neck and shoulders and already trying to read into the General’s stance, "I’ll play for VV’s freedom. If I can knock you on your ass, you let her out of the cell effective immediately."

Mercy was already biting at the bit, sensing the impending violence building up and Val’s willingness to unleash it. If it was going to be a fight, then it would be a fight. He wasn’t ready to risk a transformation just yet, but already his body and Mercy’s power were adapting to each other, both sides influencing and changing the other. Val’s skin reddened, and slight wisps of steam leeched from the exposed parts of his skin. Despite that, Val still felt calm and in control, able to hold a small piece of Mercy’s power without succumbing to the Wild’s destructive nature. Not yet anyways.

A single nod. ”I agree to your terms. That is, if you can ‘knock me on my ass’.” The General said.

Val drove himself forward in a rush, letting Mercy’s excitement for violence fuel his body. The same as the first time they had clashed, Val feinted with a right hammer punch, but this time followed it up with a flurry of punches, trying to maneuver one of his feet behind the General’s lead foot to trip him backwards.

Val could practically feel the smile under the General's mask. As Val moved forward, the General moved backwards. And as Val attempted to trip up the General's feet, the General's hand glowed a frosty white, and the sand under Val's feet crusted over in slippery ice.

At the same time, the General did a downwards block of any remaining punches, his wrist twisting to wrap and try to attempt to trap Val in his grip. If he was successful, he'd pull, quick and hard, to encourage Val to lose his balance on the ice and fall.

Val’s eyes widened a bit at the sudden ice beneath his feet, confirmation that the General had a Wild connection of his own. The tug pulled him off balance and he fell forward, already twisting his body to keep from eating a face full of dirt. Fighting from the ground was harder, but Lawless were used to murder work in their fighting style, combat with massive disadvantages on either side.

Normally, Val would have scooped up some dirt and thrown it up to blind his opponent, but the General’s mask would have prevented the worst of such tactics. Instead, he pulled his arms up and crossed them over his own face protectively as his leg pulled up and lashed out hard at the General’s knee.

He met unexpected resistance as the General's knee coated itself in a thick casing of ice, protecting from the attack.

”If you don't use it, I'm going to force you to use it.” The General said in a surprisingly calm tone as he lept back, ice falling away from him.

His hand raised, and sparks of lighting arced forward, aiming to give Val a powerful, and certainly a bit painful, jolt.

Laying prone on the ground, Val had no method of rapidly moving himself away from the shot and so he turned his body to take the bolt on his left shoulder. The lightning arced through his arm, causing it to seize up momentarily as he curled up from the pain. He planted his right arm hard against the ground, regaining his feet.

Fire.. Ice… now some kind of electricity? What the dust am I up against?, he thought to himself.

“Maybe old man,” Val spat, but from the way his eyes were turning molten red and the way his veins stood out on his skin it was clear Mercy was far closer to the surface than he was willing to admit.

Not yet, not fragging yet., Val stubbornly tried to force Mercy back, but the distraction was costing him open windows of attack and counterattacks. Val viewed Mercy as a trump card, to be called upon only when the need was dire… because he was still afraid of what might happen if Mercy took control. Val was already a weapon, forged in the blood and dust of the world. What use was he if he couldn’t even push a Ghost Corps into breaking a sweat.

The General’s ability to shoot lightning meant Val could no longer afford for this fight to be kept at any degree of range. He closed the distance hard again, feinting a straight punch towards the General’s nose, then pulling back and raising his foot to stomp against the side of the man’s knee. If the ice was again called up as defense, he intended to use it as a stepping platform to launch a flying knee into the General’s chest.

And that was Val's ticket to gaining some ground. Indeed, the ice was formed to block. However, the General didn't foresee the flying knee.

”Mmrph!” The involuntary growl escaped him as his diaphragm seized and he was knocked back. Finding his feet, he twisted, his boots digging into a circle around him. If Val was close enough, he intended to trip him up and knock him back. If he was far enough, the movement caused fire to roll up from his foot. It created a vortex shape, spilling out in all directions. Val would see a disc of hot, condensed flames racing towards him.

”Use it!” The General's voice was ragged.

Val tried to press his attack, but the flames springing up made him flinch and that once again cost him his momentum. The heat seared against his skin, but to Mercy it was a siren’s call to violence.

”COWARD! WEAKLING! KILL OR BE KILLED,” the voice that ripped free of Val’s throat was no longer his own and Val could finally feel the searing heat of his Wild passenger ripping it’s way through his will and forcing the transformation on him.

Val’s veins glowed like magma tunnels, steam pouring out of his clothes as he surged in size. The transformation was easier this time, his body having some clue now what to expect as the Wild’s power overwhelmed his humanity. Thankfully there was no roof above him to stunt the growth this time or endanger his comrades.

Heat waves billowed off of Val’s new form, a duller red than the original Mercy but still radiating incredible heat that would scald the skin of any regular human. He towered over the General now, even reduced to hunching forward like some kind of ape that used it’s hands to run as much as it’s feet. His eyes were now the striking red slits of a predator, but the very center of them radiated the cool blue of Val’s original eyes indicating this new creature was still some kind of symbiosis of the two, even if the metaphorical driver had been switched.

”YOU SEE MERCYVAL, GENERAL. LET YOURS OUT OR BE DEVOURED,” the creature demanded, but even the demand for a worthy kill would not stall it’s need for violence. It immediately launched itself bodily at the General, its arms sweeping across a great swathe of the courtyard as it attempted to reduce the man to a fine paste beneath it’s limbs.

There was a great electrical static that coated the sand, causing fine dust particles to arc into the air. It was this cloud of dust that MercyVal swiped their arm through. And, just as suddenly as they swiped, they hit resistance. And teeth.

The transformation was not as striking as MercyVal’s, but it was quick. A three-headed cerberus rose out of the dust, the red-coloured dragon head digging it's teeth into MercyVal's arm, trying to pull him off-balance. The other two heads opened their maws, one leveling a beam of ice at MercyVal, the other leveling arcs of raw lightning, much stronger than before.

BE DEVOURED IN YOUR ULTIMATE FORM, MERCYVAL. The two heads growled, before sending more elemental breath at him.

For Val it was like being suspended in a void, a thousand tendrils attached to a thousand different nerve endings that fed the same sensory information he knew Mercy was experiencing. He felt like he was running an intense fever, but he could also feel the dirt beneath Mercy’s claws, the teeth digging into Mercy’s… his arm, and Mercy’s savage rage. Finally it had broken free into the world again. Finally it had found a target worth devouring.

Val could feel the intense cold frosting over Mercy’s side, the behemoth’s movements shattering the ice and causing it to fall in sheets across the ground. His shoulder felt the cracking impact and burn of the lightning. Any man, hell, even most of the smaller wilds would have disintegrated under such force, but Mercy’s hide was strong. It roared in defiance and planted it’s feet.

No, let it pull you close, the heads ca-

DO NOT SPEAK, I WILL NOT BE DENIED ANOTHER MEAL VALENTINO

Mercy’s teeth snapped at the nearest head, but it could not reach it’s target with it’s arm restrained. It turned it’s fury against the head biting into it’s arm and swept a claw to try to rake along it’s neck and face.

That claw that tried to rake was exactly the opportunity the General was looking for. The white dragon head reached out with its teeth, aiming to have that raking arm slide right into its jaws, which it would quickly snap down on. Then, the head would unleash a devastating blast of ice that would slowly creep up the arm, cooling the molten lava form and slowly turning the arm blue, bit by bit.

Then, the yellow dragon head glared right at MercyVal, and unleashed a volley of electrical breath from its maw. It was thick and strong, aimed to blind MercyVal, and fry his eyes. At the same time, the massive forearms of the General’s form reached up. For a moment, he was on his hind legs, before shoving forward, aiming to body MercyVal and knock him to the sand, and pin him there with heavy clawed paws.

It was a disturbing feeling, the arm growing cold and locking up. Val could swear he could see his own limb blackening with frostbite, a sheen of frost covering the limb. A horrific image of a flex of the fingers shattering the entire limb.

Strength isn’t enough here Mercy. Whatever this Wild is, it clearly has more experience and more methods of attack.

I AM THE DEVOURER

You’re going to GET DEVOURED if you don’t start listening!

Mercy turned it’s head, protecting it’s vulnerable eyes from the lightning but still taking his eyes off of the other Wild for entirely too long, by the time it looked back the other Wild was past the point of vulnerability when it stood up and already crashing forward. An image of the Wild pinning Mercy to the ground and breathing until it’s head was gone formed in both Mercy and Val’s minds.

FINE!

Val felt the threads surge with energy, and Mercy’s eyes became blue flames.
WE are damaged. WE do not know if we can win. But WE WILL LEAVE A SCAR.

Mercyval read the attack for what it was, a crushing rush that would put him at a critical disadvantage. He had no choice but to take the strike at the chest, but his knees bent and he hauled hard on the arm held in the fire heads teeth, yanking it into the path of the attack and using it as a shield against any further breath attacks.

He crashed hard onto the ground, but the moment his weight was off his own legs he coiled them both and drove them hard up into the Wild’s belly, claws aiming to dig in on anything they could find purchase on and rip it away from the other Wild.

The General had anticipated this, and when they hit the ground, the General had shifted his body at an angel, MercyVal's clipping his side. Claws raked the skin, but the General didn't make a sound. Instead, he shifted to be more perpendicular. While the red dragon head and white dragon head continued to dig down on MercyVal's arms with their teeth, despite MercyVal's move to shield himself, the General used a move that was hundred of years old.

His own left forearm wrapped around MercyVal's right hindleg. Then, the General's right forearm found purchase around MercyVal's neck. Then he squeezed tight, aiming to draw the hindleg up and away from the power source of the body, and aiming to cut off the molten blood in MercyVal's neck veins. An ancient move: the Cradle Pin.

The white and red dragon heads thrashed with their purchases, attempting to tear hide and cause pain so MercyVal would more obediently lay them flat on the sand, allowing the General to increase the hold of his pin.

Then, the yellow dragon head rose up, looming over MercyVal. It rumbled, mouth glowing with the preparation of another round of electricity.

”SHOW ME YOUR RESOLVE!”

Mercyval’s free leg lashed up and slammed down hard on the leg that the General was attempting to pin to his chest, kicking hard and straightening his body. The effect was dampened by the head’s hold on his arms, but it raised his body enough over the General’s arms to allow him to twist away and fall with all of his weight dragging against the hound heads.

[“WE WILL SHOW YOU OUR TEETH!”, Mercyval screamed and hauled again on the fire hound head to expose it’s neck to his fangs, spinning it’s body and lashing out with a clawed foot to the General’s chest. The combined movement was intended to offer the General two choices, release the arm or have one head ripped away from it’s body.

Of course, the arm was released. Both arms were released. And, as the General was pushed back, sand scattering at his feet, he straightened his pose, heads poised and moved over MercyVal, ready for another strike…

Before the heads snarled in what could be called an attempt at a smile.

”So it's true… You really are the one.” All three heads rumbled in unison.

”Reign your Wild, Guardian. You have passed my test.”

Mercyval roared in defiance, it’s frost-blackened arm hanging limp at it’s side and molten blood raining from the other. Val could feel it all, but beneath the pain was the endless ocean of Mercy’s need for violence. His legs tensed, ready to spring back into action and finish this fight one way or the other.

Mercyval’s eyes danced from blue to red and back again, but his body was tired, and Val was offering himself a way to feed another day. He would remember this Wild, and next time they would fight with both sides invested in the battle from the start.

Val felt the threads attached to him snap, at first just a few, then by the dozen until he felt himself falling. He landed hard and went to his knees, dry heaving specks of blood and looking at his arms. Their were marks there from the wounds Mercy had suffered, but the effects seemed largely cosmetic. As the adrenaline faded, it sucked the strength right out of him and he couldn’t get back to his feet just yet. So instead, he stared up at the still Wild formed General and waved with what he thought was his ‘good’ arm.

“All due respect General, what the Dust are you talking about,” Val said, breath heaving from the effort of transformation.

Mist started pouring off the General's form, the cerberus body and dragon heads slowly losing their solidity, melting into fine particles that disappeared into abyssal energy.

Eventually, it was just the General there, kneeled in the sand. His gaze was focused, staring almost through the Guardian.

His voice carried, though it was easy to tell there was fatigue in it. ”There's… well, not that the people of Dust put a lot of stock in it. But there's a prophecy.

The Guardian of the Sky Children
Blood Brothers of Nature
Will Cause the King's Throne to Empty,
And the Water will make a Verdent Glen.


“There hasn't been anyone to come down from the sky since the Perishing, over a hundred years ago. So I had to be sure.”


The General winced, holding his shoulder. His voice became a bit pained. ”I had to know… if you were the one.”

A pause, the midnight sky hovering over the precipice of the pyramid.

”If I'm right. The tests for those two will come back negative. After that, the Ghost Corp will be at your disposal, Guardian.

“To fulfill the prophecy.”


Val stared at the General as though he had just pulled a rabbit out of his mask. Slowly, he struggled back to his feet.[color=f26522][b]”Great, I just got my ass kicked by a nutjob,”[/color][/b], Val said, shaking his head. Everyone’s crazy uncle or grandparent had a prophecy in the Dust. Some said the world would end when a hole ripped the sky asunder again. Others said great armies would meet on ancient battlefields in a match of some universal good versus evil.

[color=f26522][b]”I won’t pretend to know what’s going on, but I think I need a drink. Any of that coffee left?,”[/color][/b] Val asked, already turning to limp his way back into the facility, the prophecy still echoing strangely in his head. He might not believe in such things, but fate didn’t require you to believe in it for it to work its own will.

The General didn't move. It may have been a situation of couldn't move. But he said easily enough. ”We have blue alcohol in the mess hall. Just ask one of the cooks.

“...Goodnight, Guardian.”







The Next Morning







Briefing Room, Ghost Corps


@Herald, @Qia, @SporkoBug




The morning greeted them with feelings the group wasn't used to feeling.

Hope.

VV had been let out of her cell moments after the General ended the fight. And, after everyone had a restful sleep, they had gathered in the Mess Hall for lab-grown muscle: steak seasoned with salt and water. It was a gourmet meal unheard of in all of Dust.

Afterwards, they had been gathered in the briefing room, a room made of steel and leather. They all sat at the oval table, eyes on the door. Until, finally, the General walked in, and new cloak adoring him. And behind him was Doctor Willfreed. Her blonde hair was tied back in a ponytail, and she seemed to be a little self-conscious, glancing at A and VV every so often.

The General looked over the group, before he nodded to Doctor Willfred. ”Give them the news.”

The doctor nodded and stepped forward, reading off her metal clipboard. ”After we conducted our tests and analyzed the results, we have concluded that…

“A and VV do not fit the description of the super soldier we found in Umbra's abandoned research notes. Their hearts are made up of several slivers of Wild hearts, yes, but not the thousands of slivers we were expecting. There is also a lack of black-hole-like AE that would denote the subjugation of thousands of Wilds.

“So, looking at this data analysis, A and VV are cleared of their suspicions and are free to go.”


The General nodded at that, turning to A and VV. ”Congratulations.”

His gaze landed on Val. ”While Val and I were… discussing, last night, I have decided to put my efforts behind you and your mission, Fallaways, Guardian, and Mimi.”

He took a breath, before laying out some hard news. ”If your goal is the central spectral woods, we have detected a high level of activity on the eastern side, where you would enter. It appears there is a force out there preparing to block your path…

“I will send my men to accompany you, and ensure you reach the Wild King safely. After that, you'll be on your own.”


Before his head tilted, glancing at Wren. ”I overheard you wanted to accompany them, captain? You have my permission.”

While he spoke, Le Frey moved around the edge of the briefing room, presenting Val his arms once more. And, if Val were to inspect his rifle, he would find it to be spotless and dust-free.

Le Frey gave the man a cheeky smile, hidden under his mask. "Congrats, Guardian."

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Hidden 12 days ago Post by SporkoBug
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SporkoBug The Cosmic Engineer

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Outside Ghost Corps


The air was dry, it always was. It always will be. Augh.
Ebony drew their hood over them a bit tighter, they narrowed their eyes as they focused on the doorway of the Ghost Corps base.

Sneaking in would be hard, this place was guarded almost as much as an Umbra Corp lock up was.
They snuck closer, staying to the shadows as they got near the door. Almost almost.
”What do you think you’re doing kid?” A voice came from behind them, causing Ebony to almost jump from their skin before turning to face the armored figure with a gun trained on them. ”Come calmly with me, and we won’t hurt you.”
Fuck.

Barracks, Ghost Corp

Wren couldn’t help but frown at Vals’ words and actions before he stood up, telling them that he was heading up to the top of the base to see the General. He really wanted to wish him luck, but Ferz held his tongue.

Mimi felt the stroke on their head gently, breathing out a shaky sigh at Le Freys’ words, pulling away to look at his eyes as he spoke about if they had to kill him if the Wild King asked, their tail flicked slightly before they glanced towards everyone else as Le Frey looked away as well.

Mimi’s feathers pricked up as food was mentioned, Synthesized chicken sounded lovely right now. They nodded and followed Le Frey up the stairs and towards the mess hall.


Once it was time for everyone to go to bed, Mimi was left with a rather hard decision. They trusted Wren enough to sleep in the same room as him, but with what Ferz said earlier; they were unsure about doing such a thing.

They decided to sneak into Le Frey’s room, having grabbed a couple of pillows and a blanket and curled up on the floor at the end of the bed, making themselves a little nest before falling asleep.
Mimi lifted their head up as they heard the rustling of leaves. They stood slowly. The Wild Forest, this is where they were born…

Heavy footsteps echoed behind them. They flinched slightly before they turned to watch as the rest of their pack broke through the bushes. Stalker, Mangle, Snapper, and, of course Roose.
“Traitor.” Stalker rumbled angrily, stepping forward from the Pack Line. “You disobeyed the King. You broke the one Law the Pack relies upon.” He stomped closer, baring his teeth down to them.

Mimi collapsed down onto their side, rolling over slightly in fear as they moved to curl up. Stalker was ready to dig his teeth into Mimi’s throat, ending her life right there.
“You are to be thrown from the Pack.” Stalker hissed, the other three Pack members all chiming in with ‘Thrown!’ as Stalker moved a foot above Mimi, ready to slam it down on their body. “If you come across the Pack in any way in the future. You will be slaughtered like prey, and I will revel in the horror flooding from your body.”

He slammed his clawed foot down onto Mimi’s body, causing them to yell out in pain as his claws dug deeply into their skin before Stalker slid his foot down, causing a deep gash in Mimi’s body before he turned to face the Pack, giving an authoritative snarl before heading back into the trees.
Roose and Snapper followed Stalker instinctively, Mangle hesitating as she looked towards Mimi. An Egg Sibling being kicked out from the Pack like that wasn’t anything that had happened before.

Mangle hesitated more, looking as if she was going to step forward to comfort Mimi, the scorned Mimicraptor could feel the worry and hurt coming from her sister, but Stalker's voice ripped from the forest.
”Sister Mangle, Leave the weakling to their death. Or join them.” He rumbled, Mangle looking towards Mimi again hesitantly before turning away and running into the forest, away from Mimi.

Mimi laid in the forest as it grew darker around them.


The Next Day

Briefing Room, Ghost Corps

Mimi had woken up a few times during the night, a recurring nightmare about their old pack. But in the morning, they felt something different across everyone, they smelt hope.

They tried their best not to feed on the raw emotion they felt, especially without the go-ahead from everyone around; their tail slowly wagging as they waited after the breakfast everyone got.
The lab grown meat was fantastic, they might not get anything like that ever again, but they weren’t going to complain - Especially with the sweet honey-like smell of hope in the air.

As the door opened and the General entered, Mimi moved to run around him slightly, pressing themselves into his side softly, almost like a hug, before returning to Wrens’ side as General spoke to him.

Wren gave a small smile, nodding his head. “Thank you, sir.” He said before he looked down to Mimi, moving to rub their head. “Looks like you can’t get rid of me, huh?” Wren chuckled, Mimi gave a soft chirrup in response.

While everyone was listening to the General, a knock came on the door.
”Apologies General, Captains.” A soldier said as they stepped through the door, two other Soldiers following behind, each holding the arms of Ebony as they struggled against the much stronger men.
”We found this kid sneaking around the base last night. We wanted to know what you wanted to do with them?”

“Unhand me!” Ebony yelped, struggling a bit more, which caught the attention of Mimi as they smelt the fear from the child. “I’m not a kid! Let me go!”
”They had a… pretty shabby Knife, tried to cut my suit when I tried to grab them.” The first soldier said, ignoring Ebony’s words as they wriggled aggressively, trying to kick at the soldiers holding them, but their kicks hitting their legs did nothing to them.

”The suits okay, the knife is blunt and looks like it’s made out of scrap.”

The General tilted his masked head at the kid, staring at him for a moment. He glanced at Le Frey, who immediately shook his head. A bit more relaxed, but still severe, the General spoke.

"We don't take trespassers lightly, child."

His head nodded to the guards. "Take him down to one of the interrogation rooms in the barracks. See what you can get from him before I or Le Frey get down there."

Ebony struggled even more, ”I’M NOT A CHILD.” They yelled, before the mention of Interrogation Rooms caused them to pause and stare at the General wide eyed. “I..I promise I’m not here to hurt anyone!”

Wren tilted his head as he watched the child, looking to Le Frey and then to the General. Instinctively he went to hold onto Mimi to hopefully calm them down as they could feel them twitch under his hand, but Mimi… Wasn’t there?

Mimi had left Wrens’ side, moving over towards the General and looked towards the new figure with a tilt of their head.
”Little?” Mimi chirped, causing Ebony to try and jolt as far back away from Mimi as they could, staring at the Wild with wide eyes before they looked up towards the General.
“Y…You’re gonna let that thing eat me, a…aren’t you?” Their voice cracked as their eyes filled with tears. “I…I was following you cause of the Umbra drop. I…I just wanted supplies, I.. I don’t want to die.
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Hidden 11 days ago 11 days ago Post by Qia
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Qia A Little Weasel

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A
Interactions/Mentions: VV-@Estylwen

A sat rigidly in her chair, her fingers delicately brushing against the frigid, glossy surface of the oval table before her. The steel walls of the briefing room emanated a clinical, impersonal ambiance that sharply contrasted with the flickering ember of hope igniting within her chest. This sensation was alien to her, leaving her confounded on how to navigate its complexities.

Her thoughts meandered aimlessly, uninvited, to the dark entity that had haunted her the previous night. In hindsight, its utterances resonated within her like a foreboding pronouncement—one she neither desired nor fully comprehended yet found herself unable to entirely dismiss. What disturbed her most, however, was not so much the dark figure itself but the pervasive sense of inescapability that accompanied its presence.

Resistance, procrastination, succumbing to indifference—none of these things bore any significance. Such was the essence of its chilling message.

To the shadow, hope appeared as a delusive endeavour, an exercise in futility.

she was losing her mind wasn’t she?


As Doctor Willfreed articulated her reflections, A's gaze shifted to the striking blonde woman, attentively noting the discreet yet repetitive glances exchanged between her and VV. The doctor’s demeanour emanated an unmistakable hesitance as though she were maneuvering along a precarious tightrope, delicately balanced between the realms of professionalism and a profound sense of remorse. When the phrase "cleared of their suspicions" reached A’s ears, she experienced a constriction in her throat, her heart thundering an erratic rhythm against the confines of her ribcage. This revelation was undeniably fortuitous—surpassing her most optimistic expectations—but instead of igniting feelings of relief, an inexplicable weight settled heavily in her stomach.

Cleared. Unshackled.

A once again found herself grappling with her sentiments, unsure of whether she could embrace this fledgling sense of optimism. It ought to have been a fountain of solace, yet all she could perceive were the unspoken reservations echoing relentlessly in her mind. Her fingers instinctively clenched into a loose fist upon the table, her nails carving pale crescents into the tender flesh of her palm. Gradually, however, the tension that enveloped her began to dissipate as VV’s familiar silhouette crystallized beside her, providing a semblance of comfort.

“Looks like everything's going to be ok,” A remarked softly to her before looking down at her lap, once more lost in her thoughts.

...

What the hell was that thing?

and who the fuck was she kidding?
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Hidden 9 days ago Post by Herald
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Herald

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“A and VV do not fit the description of the super soldier we found in Umbra's abandoned research notes. Their hearts are made up of several slivers of Wild hearts, yes, but not the thousands of slivers we were expecting. There is also a lack of black-hole-like AE that would denote the subjugation of thousands of Wilds."

Val's eyebrow arched up so fast it was a wonder it didn't rocket off of his face. He glanced over at the General, this was the test he had been so nervous about? What the hell else did Ghost Corps know and even worse... what the hell else had Umbra been up to? For Dust's sake, he had enough trouble keeping Mercy in line. He couldn't imagine keeping more than a half dozen in check, even if they were small and easy to get along with like Mimi.

”If your goal is the central spectral woods, we have detected a high level of activity on the eastern side, where you would enter. It appears there is a force out there preparing to block your path… I will send my men to accompany you, and ensure you reach the Wild King safely. After that, you'll be on your own.”

Val frowned. He doubted it was a coincidence that Wilds were on the move in the same areas they just so happened to need to bypass. He was still learning the capabilities of Wilds for himself, but extraordinary didn't even begin to cover it. Could the King have somehow sensed their presence? And they called him the King for a reason, right? How many Wilds did he have at his direct command?

He reached out to take his rifle from Le Frey, instinct causing him to immediately check the weapon and ensure it's combat readiness. He nodded at Le Frey as he inspected the weapon and gave a sharp whistle. "Hell, any cleaner and this fine lady might just leave me for you, Captain," he said, unable to help a small smile cross his face at the familiar weight of his rifle. It might not be AE tech, but it was probably his most important piece of equipment. As he was slinging it back over his shoulder the knock at the door came and three soldiers escorted in a kid that looked like they were malnourished and yet kicked about like they thought they might actually be able to break free.

”We found this kid sneaking around the base last night. We wanted to know what you wanted to do with them?”

"We don't take trespassers lightly, child. Take him down to one of the interrogation rooms in the barracks. See what you can get from him before I or Le Frey get down there."

Mimi seemed to take an interest in the child, which in turn sparked Val's interest as he turned towards the kid. Their tears meant nothing to him, Val had killed a half dozen of his fellow lawless by the time he reached the kid's age and seen many die that were much younger for stupider reasons than poking around Ghost Corps.

"No weapons worth a damn, and pretty much instantly caught when you entered the perimeter? You got a death wish, kid?," Val said, though his tone didn't sound like he was trying to berate them, more simple curiosity. Using younger adults, even children sometimes as spies was common enough among the lawless, the spies relied on the sympathies of their captors and the underestimation of their abilities to be able to report back to their bosses. Deployed against other lawless it rarely worked, but it gave those too young to fight an excuse to keep being fed. Even with that logic the 'kid' still seemed to be old enough to have aged out of that category. Either he had gotten himself caught on purpose in which case... why? Or they just lacked the proper skills or luck, in which case they would know nothing of value and scaring them was pointless.

"Relax kid, I'm more likely to eat you than that one," he said, nodding towards Mimi, "just tell the nice men here who you are, why you're here, and what kind of Dust you've been breathing that made you think this was a good idea. Then do yourself a favor and the minute you breathe fresh air again, forget this day ever happened."
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Hidden 7 days ago Post by Estylwen
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Estylwen The Villainess

Member Seen 4 hrs ago




Briefing Room, Ghost Corps


@Herald, @Qia, @SporkoBug




“Looks like everything's going to be ok,”
A


VV nodded, her gaze drawn towards A. But there was something bothering her at the back of her mind. A felt… off. There was something bothering her, something she wasn't telling VV.

Maybe when she's ready… VV thought, lips pursing a bit, before she brought her attention back to the briefing.

"Hell, any cleaner and this fine lady might just leave me for you, Captain,”
Val


Le Frey chuckled at that. ”Not likely. You know these things are more of a ‘bonded for life’ type of deal.”

The sudden interruption of the child escorted by Ghost Corp was unusual, but not entirely out of place. The General said he'd handle it. And, satisfied, the two guards escorting the kid took their leave, presumably to take the kid downstairs.

Meanwhile, the General shifted his gaze back to the group. ”A convoy is being prepared for you. You'll head out in a few hours. Once again, I wish you the best.”






Lower Barracks, Interrogation Room, Ghost Corps


In collaboration with @SporkoBug




After the meeting upstairs had adjourned, the General cracked his neck.

It was time to make some kids cry.

Well, maybe not make them cry. But trespassing on Ghost Corp grounds was a very grievous mistake. And as for the why, he'd get down to the bottom of it.

The General made it to the bottom level barracks. Near the back of the floor, there were a line of interrogation rooms. He peeked into the little window in the door, eyeing the kid sitting in a metal chair with his arms tied behind his back, sitting across from one of his men.

He was about to enter, when he heard footsteps. He turned, confused, when he saw Mimi had followed.

"...What do you need?" He asked.

Ebony had been moved to the interrogation room, he was moved so he was tied back to the chair so he couldn't escape even if he wanted to.

They were worried on what one of the men said about trying to get out of here after what would happen here. They watched the Ghost Corps men in front of them before they breathed out slowly as they closed their eyes, trying to relax their heart beat as it felt like it was beating out of their chest.

Outside, Mimi had followed the General; leaving the humans and their bonded wilds behind as they walked into the barracks. The general turned to face them, they didn't seem startled by the General turning to them before they tilted their head gently.

"Check up, little human." Mimi chirruped gently, "Not used to seeing, little ones. Want to observe." They continued before they flicked their tail a little, "Will stay out of way.”

The General gave Mimi a careful look, before he nodded, and opened the door for them. "Follow me."

He entered the small interrogation room, and gestured for the Ghost Corp already talking to the kid to leave. "I'll handle it from here."

When it was just the three of them in the room, the General took his seat across from the kid. He sighed, eyeing the kid, looking for any indication of his mental state.

"Well. Why don't we start with something easy. Do you have a name?"

Mimi nodded at the Generals' words, moving into the room with a small flick of their tail.
As soon as Mimi entered the room, Ebony froze up and stopped talking to the Ghost Corp already in there. Ebony didn't notice the other worker leave and the General enter before he sat down across from them.

Ebony kept their eyes on Mimi for a moment before slowly looking towards the General as he sighed and started to speak.
"M...My name is Ebony." They managed to get out, "I...I don't have a last name."
Mimi stayed on the Generals' side of the table, watching Ebony carefully with a small tilt of their head before they inched a bit closer, causing Ebony to wince at the action.
"Little." Mimi said softly, swaying their tail.

The General gave a nod of their head. Compliant so far, that was a good sign. He side-eyed Mimi for a moment, noting their parental side coming out. Strange, in a word such as the Dust. The kid could very easily be part of some bigger ploy, and he was determined to find out.

The General laid out Ebony's effects on the table, a shabby knife and a plush toy. "We found these on you. Care explaining what they are?"

When Mimi spoke about Ebony being little, they flinched, pushing back into their chair slightly before the General put the knife and plush toy onto the table.

"T-They're my only things." Ebony said softly, "I made the knife myself, and the plush is Chirp - I've had him since I was a baby." If their hands weren't tied up, they'd reach out to take Chirp, they wanted them in their hands; their shabbiness was a sign of being well loved, and Ebony wouldn't mind squishing it to get rid of some anxiety.

The General watched Ebony carefully. It would appear the child was sentimental, so they were obviously not a hardened, soulless solider that someone like the Ravagers would through at him. Umbra was psychotic enough to strap a bomb to an unknowning child, however, in the hopes of undermining him.

So he pushed for the breadwinner.

"Alright. Can you tell me why you thought it was a good idea to trespass on my territory? And why you're following the Umbra drop?"

Ebony almost slunk back as they were asked the questions, there was silence from them for a moment. Instinctively their eyes went to Chirp; keeping their eyes away from the Generals pointed stare.

Did they have a good reason for why they did what they did? No, not really. It was admittedly irrational.

Ebony breathed in slowly, closing their eyes.
"I don't have a good response, sir." They admitted. "With the Umbra Drop, I was hoping there was some supplies; and I was hoping to try and barter with you about getting some medical supplies if I could." Ebony looked back to the General with an embarrassed look, "I expected to be a bit sneakier, I didn't expect someone to see me enter and silently follow me. You have some good soldiers."

Mimi tilted their head as they stepped around the table, sniffing at the little one. They smelt strange, under all of the fear and worry; there was a hint of hope, a fighting spark.

"Little warrior." Mimi said suddenly, causing Ebony to flinch as they realized the wild was close to them, they moved to try and put their hands up- forgetting for a moment that they were tied up.

"Please don't come near." Ebony said, fear through their words, "I don't want to become food, not like my father."

Ebony paused as they realized what they said, shit.

"An aversion to Wilds, huh? Reasonable." The General said, not batting an eye. His mask whirred quietly as he leaned back in his seat, observing Ebony and Mimi.

He could sit here and stir the pot. He could stir for hours. But he also saw another way, especially with how - his eyes flicked to Mimi - Nature could possibly fit into all this.

So, with a sharp inhale, the General upholstered his AE pistol, and leveled it at Ebony point blank.

"You got a believable cover story. I'd believe you, if it wasn't my first time around the Dust. You see, I'm a man that doesn't like leaving loose ends loose. And, even if I do let you go, you've already seen too much."

"So choose, you want it between the eyes, or in the chest?"


Ebony gave a small laugh at the General's first sentence, "I'd say more of a preservation of wanting to live, more like it." They said as they flinched away as Mimi leaned forward to sniff against them softly. "I watched my father be mauled by something like this one; I'd rather not end up the same."

They heard the click of the pistol being upholstered; both of them- Mimi and Ebony- and both of them moved to look at the General as he leveled it to Ebony.
The young human yelped and tried to push the chair back from the table to try and get away from the weapon, especially as the General asked where they wanted to get shot.

Mimi reacted in a different way, instinctively they fanned their feathers out and leapt up onto the table, fluffing themselves out to completely block Ebony's body from the gun. The mimicraptor moved and grabbed the barrel of the gun with their mouth, not trying to pull it from the Generals' grip, but as a way to attempt to move it to point towards the table.
The dino-wild let out a low rumble from their chest, something that the group wouldn't have heard from the normally-passive beast.
"Do not harm the little one!" They rumbled as they stared the General in the eyes.

"You think it is a story. I can smell the sadness on them." Mimi said, moving the gun from their mouth as they moved a hind leg over to keep it pointing to the table. "It's the same smell I smelt on Le Frey last night, they are not lying. We have all lost, I do not believe slaughter is the way to go. Lest we be as bad as Umbra." Mimi's eyes trained on the General as their voice was steely, a voice and tone that the General wouldn't have heard before.

The last line had been said to them in the past, by the humans they had saved from the King. If the General would listen closely, Mimi's voice sounded almost completely similar to Wrens' voice, although more feminine.

Ebony watched the Wild talk back to the General, the Wild was... Defending them? Why would they do that, surely it was a tactic to try and get them to admit that they were a spy, even though they weren't a spy in any way.

The General stared for a moment, eyes narrowing at Mimi. In fact, Mimi's reaction also Mt seemed to caused excitement to seep off him. However, that didn't show on his face, or in his tone. No. His next words he uttered were spat, growled out.

"Defying the highest Ghost Corp authority in their investigation is treason."

His free hand raised, bright sparks of electricity gathering in his palm.

"The punishment is death. Join them, and die, both of you."

And his hand swung towards them, unleashing a powerful bolt that enveloped them both.

Mimi didn't stand down as they heard the words leave the General's mouth, ready to speak back to him about being honoured to die protecting the innocent; but as the bolt of Electricity arced past them and into Ebony first, the young human let out a loud yell of pain.

Mimi's instinct to protect overrode their instinct of self preservation, moving to leap from the table to where Ebony was tied up against the chair, the energy rippling through their body as they struggled to try and escape, Mimi fighting the electricity as well before moving to bite through the restraints and knocked the chair over, moving to cover Ebony's body with their own; hoping to take the electricity away from them.

Ebony felt strange all of a sudden, the feeling of goosebumps ran over their body as they glanced up to the underside of Mimi as the electricity arced between them; a Wild using themselves as a shield for them? Were they trying to actively save them?

"I'm sorry for making you defy your leader." Ebony thought towards Mimi, not knowing that they were slowly linking together; Ebony's heart beating quickly as the Darkness from the Wilds heart started to bond with theirs.

"Do not be sorry." Mimi replied softly with their mental voice, moving their head to gently press it against the little humans chest. "I strived to protect humans until I passed, and this is a Valiant way to go." They continued, "I just wish you could use your strength to help against Umbra."

The Electricity suddenly stopped, Mimi expected to see the white mist of the afterlife that the King had told them about, but they were surprised at the sight of the thrown chair and the interrogation wall.

Ebony was breathing heavy as their muscles twitched from the energy that was flooding out of their body. "Death, huh?" They asked from under Mimi, suddenly mimicking the Generals' voice from his previous sentence. They coughed slightly before they moved their hands up to gently push Mimi off them and felt their soft feathers. Mimi complied without question, as if knowing what Ebony wanted without being asked.

Both of the newly bonded body's felt like they were tingling, but neither of them knew if it was from the Electricity or... Whatever happened.
Mimi didn't look to the General until they moved to get Ebony up to their feet, instinctively moving to grab Chirp - leaving the knife on the table - before returning it to Ebony and moving to put their head under their hand. Ebony hesitantly pet the Wild beside them, they could feel their protective feelings towards them before they looked towards the General.

Mimi followed their gaze before their tail swayed for a moment.

"You planned this." They said, their tone wasn't angry or accusatory, there was a sign of almost humour to it. "Le Frey said you took a liking to me."

"You are fluffy." Ebony added quietly, moving their hand through Mimi's feathers. "I can see why people would like you. Plus you smell like moss." Ebony added, unknowing that it was only because of the bonding that they could smell the 'mossy' smell.

The General sat, unmoving in his chair, glancing at them before his gaze was drawn to the leftover electricity on his hand. His hand flexed, and it sputtered out. There was a humorous lilt to his tone as he spoke to Mimi, his voice low.

"Blood brothers of Nature... You and everything you touch is meant to be. And a Wild isn't complete until they bond with a human, I believe."

He stood, holstering his pistol. "Well, I would say congratulations are in order. But the convoy moves for Ehlm. And you'll want to be on board."

He shot them a knowing look behind his mask. "It's your destiny, after all."






Outside the Ghost Corp Headquarters


@Herald, @Qia, @Sporkobug




Le Frey oversaw the distribution of men, weapons, and supplies on four separate jeeps. Ghost Corp men were rapidly moving back and forth from the open doors of the base, lifting bags, boxes, and other supplies into the jeeps.

As the group gathered outside, he turned, seeing Mimi and Ebony hesitantly walking out of the base. He waved them over. ”Looks like you made it, all the better, eh? The General's already informed me of your situation. Come here.”

He turned to Val, A and VV, hands on his hips. ”Well, little Mimi here has some exciting news to share with all of you. They're now officially joined. To the kid, Ebony, no less. And apparently it's the General's wishes that they join you on your adventures to the central woods.

“If everyone's alright with that, head over to the first jeep and find a seat. You'll be heading out in ten minutes.”


He stood there for a moment, before he seemed to get a bit of dust in his eye. ”I'm not, uh, joining you on this leg of the journey. Got work to do here, ya know?” His voice shook a little, ”So, you know, take care of yourselves, don't kill each other, don't get killed, all that good stuff.”

VV stared with an empathetic gaze. ”You really stuck your neck out for us, despite everything. Thank you, Captain. Maybe our paths will cross again.”

Le Frey nodded, a little too choked to speak. VV took that as a cue to ease attention off him, and turned her gaze to A, ”You got those pills from the doctor, right? Should be in your pack.

“You feeling alright to head out?”


Before her gaze turned to Val. ”Kinda strange to call you a Guardian, but it's got a nice ring to it, doesn't it? I uh… thanks. You won your little battle with the General, didn't you? They let me out right after.

“If you're still okay with guiding us, I'd… we'd be honoured if you stuck with us a little longer.”


Then her eyes glanced to Wren, ”You uh… are you sure you're alright, coming with us? It's uh… well, it's not a stretch to say this is a suicide mission…”

And, lastly, VV turned to Ebony and Mimi. ”Congratulations. I don't think it's quite safe for a kid to be coming with us, but… Mimi has camouflage abilities, don't they? You should be fine, as long as you promise to stay back if there's a fight, okay?”

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Briefing Room, Ghost Corps


Wren watched the child carefully, before his attention was drawn to Le Frey and Val started to talk. He stayed to himself quietly as he crossed his eyes and closed his eyes for a moment, breathing out a small sigh.

We’re going back to Elm then. Wren spoke mentally to Ferz, who gave a soft grumble in response.
Straight to the King himself, yes. The Wendigo Wild replied, there was unease in his voice that he only let Wren to hear.

The guards moved to take the kid down to the interrogation room, May the stars be kind to him. Wren thought to himself before he looked over to the General as he spoke to the group.
Right, the Convoy. This will be… fun to say the least.
Wren didn’t notice as Mimi moved to follow the General out of the room as well as he moved back to close his eyes, continuing to talk to Ferz.

Do you think he’ll be happy to see you?
The King? Stars… Who knows, he’ll either be interested to see who I bonded to - You, of all people -
Yeah yeah, I know. ‘Run away’ feed from the King. You’ve told me before.
Oh Hush.
Ferz replied with a small laugh, Or he’d just be good to see me still alive. We had a strange relationship; I’m definitely not a favorite in any means, but I was good at what I did.
Hunted and killed Humans, yeah.
Wrens rolled his eyes before he opened them slowly with a bit of a sigh.

He should get ready if they were to get anywhere safely with the convoy. He glanced to Le Frey and motioned that he was going to head off and grab his things before he headed off to his room and started to pack.


Outside the Ghost Corp Headquarters


He had to admit, not seeing Mimi in these few hours between when she disappeared with the captain and to when they were waiting for the Convoy to head off made Wren worry.
Ferz would say that the beast would have just disappeared due to fear, and the other Wild honestly didn’t blame Mimi, knowing how they reacted to hearing about the King and his relationship in the past.

Surely there was something more to Mimi’s story, they were acting a bit off this morning and now they had disappeared when a new human showed up, a child no less?
He glanced over to where Le Frey was looking and noticed the little Wild and Child heading over to them.

He was also told about the new bonding between the two of them, admittedly Wren was unsure when it came to Ebony’s apparent distaste towards Wilds.
He looked at Mimi gently as they got to the group, Mimi nudging Ebony for a moment before giving a small chirrup towards Wren, who gave a thumbs up and a smile.

Mimi looked to Le Frey as he started to speak about their bonding with Ebony, instinctively stepping towards their Bonded Human almost proudly, “I protect the little one, yes.” Mimi said with a small nod, looking to Ebony and motioned to them softly. “Introduce; They do not bite. Well, Mercy does.”

Ebony winced slightly at Mimi’s words, but could feel that they didn’t mean it too literally. They had seen the memories of the little dinosaur after they had bonded, and Mimi saw Ebony’s.
“My name is Ebony, as he mentioned.” They said softly, motioning towards Le Frey for a moment before they cleared their throat “I’m… Excited to join you.” They gave a small smile.
Yes, they were excited; but they were also really fucking scared.

Wren gave a small smile to Le Freys’ words, knowing how he was choking up before he waited for them to finish before he moved to grab Le Freys’ hand to shake his hand firmly.
“Keep the General under wraps yeah?” he said with a laugh, “I’ll look after them, you have my words.”
”And mine.” Ferz spoke through Wren quickly.
“Just, don’t die either, okay?” Wren said with a grin before he heard VV spoke to him.

“Escaping Umbra when I did was a Suicide mission on its own.” Wren joked to VV with a bit of a chuckle, “I’m interested to see the King, and Ferz doesn’t want to turn down the chance to go back home; even if it’s while he’s within my body.” He continued before he waved a hand and shook his head, “I’m more than happy to come with anyway. Someones gotta keep watch on you guys.”

Mimi’s attention was brought to VV as she spoke to the both of them. “I will protect.” They said with a small nod, “Camouflage abilities if needed. I have teeth if needed for fights.” Mimi looked down to Ebony and nuzzled them gently, “Little one smarter than looks. May come in handy!”
Ebony gave a small laugh at Mimi’s words before they looked to VV and nodded once, “I’ll stay back if anything goes wrong, promise.”
Mimi nudged Ebony for a moment, “Stay.” They said before they moved over towards Le Frey.

“Friend.” Mimi said to the taller male with what could be seen as a smile on their lips, “Wanted to thank you. You were kind to me, I will not forget. If we come back, I will bring trinket; as thank you gift.” They said with a nod before moving to gently press their head into Le Frey’s torso; in a way as a ‘goodbye hug’.
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Hidden 3 days ago Post by Herald
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Herald

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”Kinda strange to call you a Guardian, but it's got a nice ring to it, doesn't it? I uh… thanks. You won your little battle with the General, didn't you? They let me out right after."

"'Won' is a bit of a stretch I think... but I made a pretty strong case for your release," Val admitted, surprised at the warmth the flushed to his face. Thank you was a pair of words almost forgotten among the Lawless in the Dust. Usually they showed their thanks by not shooting you in the back when you walked away. The arm that had shared the freezing damage with Mercy's form rolled a bit subconsciously, remembering the multiheaded creature and the near defeat he had suffered. Mercy had been quiet since then, and Val had not reached out to bother the Wild. Perhaps the creature was beginning to understand the value of a partnership.

He looked over at the two new faces in their group, one of which was welcome enough. Wren and his Wild were an interesting mix and were probably much more closely bonded than Val and Mercy. It even had sounded like Wren's Wild might actually be okay with fighting their King, whereas he knew Mercy still considered this a fool's errand that was likely to get them all killed. Hoped for it maybe, since then Mercy could devour their corpses.

'You think you have a chance against the King? He is mightier even than the General's Wild, or myself for that matter,' Mercy's voice rumbled in his head.

'I think when the time comes, you'll fight just for the chance to devour a King', Val shot back.

'Let us see you make it that far, little Val,' Mercy replied, dark laughter echoing behind the words.

Val turned his eyes on the kid, Ebony, his frown deepening. "For the record, I am against this decision. The kid is an unknown wild card in a hand we're already playing way too far past the point of safety. You're not a fighter, not a scout, you're another mouth to feed and another body to shield," he said, his voice even and emotionless as though he was rattling off the contents of his backpack, "I'd probably be doing everyone, including you, but excepting Mimi, a favor if I threw you off the vehicle the minute we passed outside of Ghost Corps. Dust if I know what the General is thinking with this call."

"But Mimi and Wren stuck up for the fallaways, and even put up with my sarcastic shi- crap. So if they say you're going, this is the last complaint you'll hear from me about this. Just follow orders when they are given, and get some training in. Wren could probably help you the most with your bond with Mimi. Anyone here can show you how to shoot a firearm or use a knife," Val said, "as much as I'd love to promise you'll be able to hide from any danger we come across, I'd feel better about all of this if I knew you had some training."

Val moved his rifle to an at-ready position, turning and walking towards the first jeep. "Aside from that, it's time we were on the move."
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