beyond visions

The Hybrid-Humans

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Noelle "Benji" Aether & Naeemah "Viper" Meskhenet & Dante "Stalker" Foster

by @omerta, @13org, and @omerta

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_{Ft. Edgar E. Eisley by} @beyond visions

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Naeemah had a terrible morning. For some reason, she was shedding her skin once every two days. What it should be a painless process was extremely extenuating, painful and tiring. To top it off, they were making her take a pill every morning. They said it had something to do with her blood or something like that, but it didn't matter how much Naeemah asked, they never gave her any information about it. That thing had a terrible taste...

That day, more than the others, she was in a horrible mood. Todd also wasn't there to cheer her up, so she had a dangerous expression in her face, her eyes seemed to pierce those who looked at her. She had refused to train that morning. Those who went to her room to call her, were quickly greeted with a threatening, loud hiss and rattle.
Her usual stealth and ambush training could wait. She was by no means in the mood to keep striking moving dummy targets and sinking her fangs on that synthetic material, which had a horrible taste, making her brush her teeth after she was finished with her training, or risking having that plastic taste on her mouth the rest of the day.

Finally going out of her room, after spending the entire morning there, she went to eat something. She was specially hungry after shedding her skin. She needed to eat something. Taking a quick bath to take of the rest of the dead skin from her body, washing herself, and taking care of her appearance, she went outside. As she was told so, Todd wasn't there (otherwise she wouldn't be that irritated right now), but the other one who wasn't there was Clyde. That was indeed strange, but they could be training or maybe doing a medical checkup, which were being even more frequent those days...

Arriving at the mess hall, Naeemah grabbed something for her to eat.
Since the day she became a hybrid, she started wanting to eat meat even more. The breakfast, although it wasn't entirely composed of meat, it wasn't that bad.
With a big yawn, flexing her fangs inside of her mouth, she sat down, but the moment she would start to eat, Eisley came into the mess hall.

"What is he doing here?" she asked herself.

Something was off.
When he started talking, Naeemah became paralyzed. With only a few words, her world was simply shattered, completely broken.

"Based on animal testing, the injection was thought to be safe... However, now with human subjects, the serum has developed rapid carcinogenic and fatal qualities. And..." he spoke. Eisley was sweating, apparently afraid or troubled. But the way that the words got out of his mouth... so easily....

Naeemah would never be a mother. Her plans to start a family with Todd, living with him somewhere nice and quiet, her research as a biologist, they were all shattered, crumbling down under the heavy weight of Eisley's words. She simply couldn't think about anything. Her mind went blank. Everything else Eisley was saying was unimportant...
Except for one thing.

"... Clyde Aether is dead..." she heard him saying.

He said something about him dying while he was sleeping... So that's why he wasn't there that morning...
Dead... That word was still echoing in Naeemah's head. Death, the unavoidable fate that they were all doomed to have. Soon enough, all of them would be dead as well, because of him... Because of his mistake....

"Todd needs... to know about this..." she said in a monotone voice.
But the second his name got out of her mouth, she realized something.

Clyde was not there that morning because he died... That meant that Todd was also dead?

"What do you mean Clyde's dead?!?!" Noelle screamed, interrupting Naeemah thoughts. When she looked to Noelle, her hands were already around Eisley's throat. She was crying, blind with rage.

"I-I-I--I'm"
"... sorry!"
Eisley said, gasping desperately for air.

With a loud hiss, Naeemah darted towards Noelle, coiling her tail around her, immobilizing her.
The only sounds in the mess hall now were a loud, threatening his and the rattle of her tail.

"Eiseley, where is Todd?" she asked, in a menacingly low tone.
"Get out of this room, and bring Todd here RIGHT NOW." she said, trembling with rage.
"Do not show your face to me again." she said, her forked tongue getting in and out of her mouth as she looked to him with piercing eyes, still hissing and her tail still rattling, an obvious giveaway that he should get out of there as soon as possible.
"GO AWAY!" she screamed, with her eyes wide open.

"No!" Noelle's struggling was futile; Naeemah was much larger than her and had quite literally trapped her. "Let go of me, I'm going to kill him!" The words were meant to be malevolent but the sobs now wracking her body conveyed otherwise. Noelle was dead serious about Eisley, she'd never killed anyone before despite the practices taught in training but right now she wanted nothing more than to have Clyde back. Obviously that wasn't going to happen so she was aiming for the next best thing -to end the man who'd caused this to happen. He needed to pay for what he'd done. "Naeemah, let go of me!" she literally growled, the feral sound escaping from the depths of her chest as she continued to fight in the other hybrid's grasp.

An exit for Eisley did not exist, the doors were magnetically sealed shut. He was trapped, because there was no chance in hell that Cane would order those doors to be opened. To the Captain, the mutants were now animals. No, worse than animals, they were monsters. But at least, before he dies, he could leave Naeemah with hope. "T-Todd! You You-- want to know what h-happened to T-Todd! Naeemah, he's--"

Dante was already observing everything from the corner of the room, remaining quiet and motionless like he was getting ready to pounce. Refusing to touch the tray of garbage he had received. He stood up abruptly and sauntered toward the ongoing incident, staring at this wretched individual cowering for his life. Wasting no time and cutting him off mid-sentence, Dante violently speared Eisley through the back of the head with his tail, coming out of his mouth. Slicing through it like butter, recoiling his tail back while his head burst and blood erupts like the skull was hit point blank with a sawed off.

Seconds after Dante's tail exited Eisley's now lifeless corpse, a siren wailed all through the entire facility as alarm lights flashed red. It was obvious, the place was now put under lockdown.

Dante smiled the very next moment, staring at the two other hybrids.

"Please, let her go. Don't fight each other over such a worthless excrement. A knight will not sit back and watch such unnecessary violence." Dante pleaded in a calm and pleasant tone.

"Naeemah, let go of me!" Noelle growled, unsuccesfully.
Naeemah continued looking to Eiseley, her eyes burning with anger.
As much as she wanted to kill him, just killing him would be too easy... She wanted to make him feel exactly what she was feeling. She wanted to crush his future, to destroy all his dreams and hopes, to watch as he was left without a purpose to keep living.
Todd... he wasn't dead, was he? That thought clawed on the back of her mind.

Before the administrator could answer, Eiseley's head burst in blood, as something pierced the back of his skull. Naeemah was left speechless... What was he going to say? Was Todd really dead? The only one she loved... was he DEAD?!

"...You..." Naeemah whispered to Dante, too angry to be able to scream.
"Unnecessary violence..." she said, slowly loosing her grasp on Noelle, letting her go.
"Who do you think you are?" she asked, quite literally trembling with rage.
Her tail began to rattle rapidly once more. Hissing loudly, she opened her mouth, her fangs dripping with poison. Things were blowing out of proportion really, really quickly. That was a clear sign for Dante to back off.

Noelle stopped fussing the second Eisley was dead. Now that Naeemah had finally released her, she dropped to the floor without any effort to catch herself. She fell with a thud. "Oh my god, Clyde..." A whimper. The hybrid pulled her knees up to her chest and hugged them tightly, tunning out the rest of the world as she simply sat on the floor. Much like a child. Noelle didn't notice the blood staining her face and clothes, nor the sirens blaring, nor the commotion occuring right above her head as Dante and Naeemah conversed. Clyde was dead and that's all she could think of.

"I'm sorry that you had to see such a gruesome sight." Dante replied coldly, not even able to muster up the false sincerity he was used to masking his voice with. He simply took some steps backward, giving both of them a little distance and preparing to act if required. His tail casually swaying behind his head, he raised his claws in a stopping motion.
"I didn't need to hear another word spewing out his mouth, knights rule number eighty seven, Listen to what people don't say, if you want to get to the truth." Dante continued sounding completely confident in his words.
"Todd, is very likely still alive."

That was the only thing that Naeemah needed to know that moment. She didn't cared about Dante's insincere words, his twisted "knightly rules"... Even her hate towards him disappeared for the moment.

"Eisley wouldn't have even started speaking otherwise, but he also probably didn't know where he was, since he didn't just say it right off the bat. Your anger toward me isn't needed." Dante explained.
"The one in charge clearly already wanted him dead. This place is likely sealed off and impossible for humans like him to escape. So he wouldn't have been capable of leading you to him regardless."

Immediately stopping hissing and threatening him, she ran to the door, knocking on his as strong as she could.
"Please, let me out!" she said, ignoring what Dante said about the place being sealed.
"I... I just want to be together with him... We will die anyways... I just want to spend my last days together with the one I love..." Naeemah said, falling on the ground, crying.
"Its... not asking much..." she said, slowly breathing in and out, trying to calm herself down.

F I N A L L Y - L I B E R A T E D

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Theo Callahan & Isabel MacGilios

Collab between @beyond visions and @Vashonn

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We Are The Ones- Son Lux

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First, it was a crisp clean breath of air inhaled as he planted one foot after the other. The beat of his heart matched the rhythm of the war drums. Except, no, these were not war drums, not tonight. With his eyelids sliding over the blue irises, he slightly swayed his head in the direction of these vanguard drummers. There was no doubt that they were combatants, pounding to the musical existence purposed to honor the majesty of their king.

The way everyone stood before the groom, rendering him their undivided attention while walking down the aisle, made Theo feel as if he won a war, like he some kind of hero. Raising his right fist, Cassie's palm was curled around his wrist. This was to symbolize her as his right-hand. To allow her to accompany him as he approached the arch, was an act to honor the second-in-command and to display her blessing in the superior's decision. Declan will do the same to the Renaissance, unless of course her right-hand forbade to give her his blessing.

With Cassie at such a close proximity to Theo, she could sense something... not right. Although he wore what appeared to be a neutral straight face, she could only barely hear beneath the sound of the drums, his rapid, nervous breathing and notice the slight shaking of his arm. Cassie could likely feel his accelerated pulse with her hand pressed against the vein in his wrist. It was fear blended in foreign forms of anxiety, it was rare to ever sense Theo's heart accelerating due to something other than adrenaline. But what was he scared of?

Once reaching the wedding arch, Cassie loosen and released her grip on Theo, retreating behind the arch but still only a few feet away from the Spartan. Now, Theo stood by the wedding officiant, a muse, as most marriages are orchestrated by the faction responsible for the festivities of Churchill.

The sun was setting, Theo could not help but be reminded of when the sun rose just that very morning, how he was just so confident then. Where is that confidence now? Then, he was able to just so easily scoop her up into his arms, twice. Though now, Theo could not help but repeatedly adjust his tuxedo, trying to force some comfort while reminding himself that he did not look like an overgrown child playing dress up.

Soon enough, the drums stopped...

The distinct whine of horsehair across stretched metal string bellowed into the still pulsing air, as an orchestra of violin, viola, cello, and bass cued in upon the last beating of the drums. A delicate timbre danced off the hairs of the audience gathered around Colony Square, many dressed in as well of apparel as they could manage, though it was quite obvious that a fair number of the Muses were better suited than most, thanks to Madame Saint-Claire's endeavors. Were it not the Renaissance's own wedding, many would argue that Madame had dressed the most lavishly, with a great billowing blue gown pushing outwards around her, forcing those seamstresses who stood beside her to stand a tad bit further, leaving the Madame with much more room so close to the wedding arch.

As the droning of the single chord grew and flourished, faces began to turn toward the mouth of the aisle, each one peering for a glance at the bride. A thousand of them were gathered there, each cramped between the aisle and each side of the street, some stood atop roofs, others watched from windows, even a couple who leaned from a balcony above the colony's lone casino, Jack of All Trade. Each one gazed to the rear of the aisle, the long white satin walkway stretching to where, now, stood the Renaissance.

The dress had been made from a mix of the finest crimson and silver silk ever spun by the seamstresses, perfectly fit around Isabel's body in masterful tailoring, modest in its display of her snow-white skin, though still accentuating the curves of her physique in a near-provocative manner. The train of the dress spread far behind the Renaissance by several yards, which was kept up from the ground by a single younger bridesmaid, who was surprisingly dressed delicately, as well. Isabel's hair had been unbound from its tight bun in which it was usually kept, flowing down to the edges of her shoulder blades; dark, wavy, shining, beautiful. Perhaps the only physical trait which had been left untouched from earlier that day was by the mask she wore, though it looked to have been polished and carefully treated to look as if it had just been crafted.

Though she kept her arm low, it could still be seen as they walked that Declan's hand was gingerly gracing Isabel's open right palm, symbolizing in the same fashion the importance of his position beside her as they walked. Isabel's mind churned and moiled, the tea she had drank only moments before already seeming to wear off, doing little to pacify her cascading thoughts.

It had seemed to be a great while to her before they had arrived at the end of the aisle when Declan removed his grasp of Isabel's arm, leaving the young bride to walk the few short steps before she stood beside her groom, such a great height above her. In that short time, the strings of the orchestra were drowned out by a sudden rush of thoughts to the girl's mind, a festering of untouched ghosts suddenly jumping to the forefront, jabbing at her with a vile hatred.

You'll never find love.

Just then, Isabel blinked, a strange numbness jumping into her head as all of the thoughts seemed to ease and drip away. She turned her head to gaze up at Theo, who had seemed so confident prior to their parting, yet now stood in a shrunken manner, though it wouldn't have appeared obvious to those who weren't standing as close to the Spartan as she was. She was perplexed then, in that moment, though perhaps the mask upon her face had covered her confusion, but the feeling was cast aside as she stared again into his eyes, and she spoke softly to him,

"You would give me your heart..."

There was a lull in the orchestra, before finally, the music ceased, and there were no other sounds to be heard, but one, by Theodore.

"And so I give you mine."

With his jaw tightened, teeth clamped over each other and not lip moving, Theo squeezed the single sentence from his throat, "I will honor that..." To anyone at distance, even the approaching officiant would only have heard grunts from the vanguard, yet with Isabel at such a close proximity, his words were audible enough to be received accurately.

"We have been invited here today to witness and celebrate the uniting in marriage of Renaissance Iseabal MacGilios and Spartan Theodore Tobias Callahan. They are taking the first step of their new beginning-- their life together..."

As the well-suited officiant eloquently recited his introduction, the reality of this bond between the two factions morphed and transformed into the personal bond between two people- a man and woman, intertwined through marriage. The very voice of this officiant blurred from Theo's ears as he could not resist the battling thoughts that bubbled in his head. These thoughts considered an action that would prove to Isabel his declared honor, yet it may sacrifice a portion of the respect the vanguards have for their king...

"Spartan Theodore Callahan," Just as the officiant called his name, Theo retained focus on the wedding, tearing him away from his wandering thoughts. "Do you take Renaissance Iseabal MacGilios to be your wedded wife, to live together in marriage? Do you promise to love her, comfort her, honor and keep her for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and health, and forsaking all others, be faithful only to her, for as long as you both shall live?"

The most interesting part of this ceremony was Theo being asked these questions. Documents and contracts were already signed to promise and declare this alliance, yet this wasn't just an alliance. It was a marriage, something that allowed Theo and Isabel to unite their factions beyond just their lifetime, since this meant that the two could create an offspring that would lead the two factions further to unity, just as his or her mother and father did. In fact, this marriage makes it possible for Theo and Isabel to function like a royal family, even to the point that their descendants may only distantly remember when their was a separation between vanguard and muse.

Yet this ceremony was not about dominance, control, and power, a document could simply declare that. This ceremony imitated one that many rehearse in declaration of love. It was a wedding, an artificial means to generate an authentic emotion. Love, did he feel that yet? Not yet, but loyalty. Does he feel that now? Yes. He will give her his heart, and so she will give him hers. Yes, they have loyalty, thus they will be bound for love-- with every part him, he believes that.

"I do."

"Renaissance Iseabal MacGilios, do you take Spartan Theodore Callahan to be your wedded husband to live together in marriage? Do you promise to love him, comfort him, honor and keep him for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and health and forsaking all others, be faithful only to him so long as you both shall live?"

"I do."

She hadn't thought much of it, having only mimicked Theodore with those two simple words, yet as they eased their way from her lips and made passage into the air, Isabel felt the rest of the world slip from her focus, her mind shifting away once again to deep, dark thoughts. She remembered disgusted slurs, absolute abhorrence, spiteful stares that would stab past her as if she were a vicious animal. In a moment when all was meant to be a part of happiness, the Renaissance thought only of being enveloped in hatred, sickened by it, swaying just slightly on her feet before steadying herself in recognition of her surroundings. Carefully she swept away each thought, replacing herself in the moment, each time drifting back again to another time of darkness, until finally there were no more memories to bring forward in her mind, and she once again stood in a blank trance, tilting her head just so to stare up at Theodore's own gaze. For a moment then, she felt a sort of warmth fill her chest, which she couldn't help but reply to with a smile.

"They have formalized the existence of the bond between them with words spoken. Therefore, it is my pleasure to now pronounce them husband and wife. You may now kiss your bride!"

And so it came time to confront the very action that seeded fright in him. What he wished to do could gain respect from Isabel, yet disrespect from his faction. The vanguards would assume, and perhaps even accuse their king of grovelling to the muses. But was he even a king at all if constantly in fear of what his own vanguards may slander about? No, he was purposed to ensure the security of the colony - as for how he chose to honor his wife, that was up to him. This wedding, this entire day, was not a day about Muse and Vanguard. It was about Isabel and Theodore, two people who happened to rule over a faction. Whatever the Vanguards may assume, it no longer mattered to him. Because in the end Theo acted by the will of his passion. It is the reason why he can become impulsive, yet heartfelt.

Theo dropped to one knee, taking Isabel's right hand and slowly drew his lips upon it, kissing her as if he were a loyal subject addressing royalty. Then in that moment, it was quite ironic to reminisce that just during sun rise, he spoke of giving Isabel a real kiss. To the Vanguards, nothing was more unreal than to witness their towering commander and king fall to his knee below the Renaissance queen. The faces of these soldiers turned from comfort to frowns of disgust or disapproval in reaction to such controversy.

But as for the Muses, it was a surprise, to say the least. Though perhaps, a good one, a surprise that proved Theo being capable of humility. This was something no one would forget about, especially not the Muses, as near the wedding arch an artist stood present, recording the scene with a stroke of his brush. To Theo, this was a matter no longer concerning submission and dominance, but sacrifice; showing not the Muses, but to Isabel, that he is humble.

A stunned expression fell over the Renaissance's visage, pulling at the simper which had previously been fixed upon her lips, tugging them open in a subtle astonishment. Below her now kneeled the same man who, throughout their meeting that same day, had flaunted his size and strength, yet before the entire colony, was showing a docility that had perhaps never surfaced before. Though she couldn't help but feel flattered by her groom's demure, Isabel's mind viciously tore her trance away.

This will not bode well. Closing her gawked jaw, Isabel swiftly fixed a feigned smile in an attempt to allay any discussion from the other colonists, of which there was sure to be plenty among them in whispered words.

Theo was not sure if she approved of his action, or if she disapproved of it. Her expression seemed to accept it, yet he was still worried because there was the chance that Isabel found it inappropriate. Theo rose to his feet, wishing to kiss her again, this time either on the lips or at least on the cheek. But since he was not sure if Isabel was disappointed in him, Theo decided to simply keep silent, hoping she had anything to say while he folded his arms, ready to escort her down the aisle.

Graciously, the newly-wed wife raised an arm to grasp at her husband's elbow, while the officiant announced the consummation of their marriage. Staring out at the crowd, Isabel watched as the Muses gathered around applauded in praise, many of which she had suspected to be deterred from any celebration of the event, which made her smile. Yet, there was a strangeness in the air, as if something weren't quite right. Some Vanguards were applauding, yet those who were lacked a deal of enthusiasm, and what seemed to be a greater number had yet to lift their hands at all, some pocketing them in a sort of protest. She felt Theodore's arm tense, clear to her that he had noticed it, too. Silently, they strode back down the aisle together, Cassandra and Declan following shortly behind them, leaving the room needed for the bridesmaid to carry the bride's train.

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In The Event Of A Sudden Loss- Greg Haines

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The Painting Room was at the rear of the Theatre, purposefully sectioned away at the end of a hall between the other more delicate hand crafts and the aural composition halls, to ensure there was a near absolute silence to be had for those who were busily brushing their conceptions onto canvas. It was here that one was left to think by themselves, and it wasn't uncommon for the Muses here to be driven mad by their own minds. Perhaps that was the appeal of the place for some, for it was only in complete silence they could finally let themselves think, lest the chaotic sounds from the world outside further jumble their scattered thoughts.

At the center of the room, there sat a lone painter, gingerly dipping his brush between the pool of water he had beside him and the various array of acrylic he had spread across his palette, tapping away at his canvas. Before him stood his subject, the pair of newly-weds, which he would glance to occasionally to study before returning back to his work.

Theo was posed facing slightly side-ways with his left arm wrapped around Isabel's waist. Though with his right hand, Theo repeatedly kept shifting from his hand resting in his pocket, to readjusting the collar of his tux. But seemingly enough, the tight-fitting suit no longer bothered him, well, not as much as their wedding ceremony did, more accurately his approach to kissing his bride. Theo could tell the artist was becoming quite annoyed with his fidgeting, though Theo was extremely worried about what Isabel thought. All this night, Theo hoped that kissing her the way he did, would please and honor her, yet now he feared that he did the exact opposite of that.

With each adjustment of Theo's collar, Isabel's own jaw tightened, knowing that sooner or later they would have to speak of what had occurred. The walk to the Theatre was shrouded in silence, and had stung at the front of her mind with every step. There was clearly something eating at Theodore, and Isabel knew fully well what it was, but struggled to find the words to begin.

Finally, the words fumbled forth, feebly carrying their message with them. "I'm, ehm, flattered you decided to wear the suit," her mind was instantly flooded with regret. How could she have started with something so trivial as a suit? Granted, the Madame had tailored it herself, though Isabel was certain there was some sort of ploy behind her sewing it so tightly, whatever it was.

"Oh," Theo wished Isabel said that sooner, like when it was a concern to him before he knelt down and kissed her hand. "Eh, thank you," he whispered back, holding his smile for the picture. "Um-- Isabel... Can we... can we talk?" Theo broke away from his pose, sliding his arm off of Isabel. "I just need to know... What I did back there-- Was that wrong to do-- it's not something traditionally done... Did I ruin the ceremony for you?"

Isabel cleared her throat, placing a gentle hand around the Spartan's wrist, pulling it back into place around her waist as the old painter behind the canvas peered around with a rather miffed expression. "Theodore..." she let herself trail off, pulling together the words of her next sentence. "I... Don't know how I should feel about it... The way your Vanguard reacted, the way they stared... Theodore, you honored me, in front of the whole of Churchill... I'm touched, truly, yet..." Her words began to strain in anguish and confusion, her expression turning forlorn and grim.

"I..."

She pulled away from him, storming toward the exit into the hallway with the back of her hand gracing her lip, a tear beginning to stream down her pale cheek. The oaken door swung open, and she quickly passed through, the tail of her dress pulling along behind her.

Theo did not want to be assertive, aggressive, the way he was in her war room. His skin was squeezed against a suit he has surrendered to for her sake. And now his wife was fleeing from him-- instantly, it was as if time itself slowed down, and as for sound, he heard no other but the sudden soft sounds of his humming. He specifically only hummed through the intensity of one emotion, and this time it was not rage. In sorrow, more accurately, when experiencing loss, humming was his means of breathing. To cancel out all commotion, in exchange for silence through a memorized symphony borrowed from a childhood lullaby, the one his mother once sung to him. The earliest memory of family was the only resource he knew possible to save him from the ever consuming void of loneliness. The void of loneliness, it acts like oblivion- the state of being unaware or unconscious of what is happening, almost as if you do not exist, because no one identifies that you do. You only identify something or someone, if you care about it. And though his conscious mind could not understand these concepts deeply, Theo felt them, internally.

Even as he hummed, the familiar lyrics of his mother's lullaby was now replaced by Isabel's words, the ones that swore her heart be given to him. If Theo believed she was lying to him, he would not be sad at this very moment, nor would he have said, 'I do' under the wedding arch. Instead, that drew him to only one conclusion, he lost her heart. Why Theo lost it, he did not know. But neither was Theo going to allow his question to be left unanswered. If anything, he at least deserved a reason.

Bursting into a sprint, suit began busting at the seams. He chased her, but he was not charging at her. No, because as soon as he was within earshot of her, he cried out, "Wait! Isabel, let me at least know-- Did I-- No-- I did-- I did this to us, didn't I?"

Already toward the end of the hallway, Isabel turned her head to stare back at her husband, glistening streaks flowing across her cheeks and dripping down onto her chest. For a moment, she stopped, staring back at Theo, her thoughts racing as she thought of how scared she was for the future. All in one day, she had become overwrought with uncertainty and terror. Now it finally bubbled to the surface, and she only thought to flee lest it be seen.

"It isn't about what you did," her voice was strained and her words cracked. There was a pause in her speech, letting her next few words sink into Theodore's thoughts. "It is about what will happen next." She turned away, leaving the Spartan to stand alone in the hall, the seams of his suit having split and torn, the clarity he had sought being cast into ambiguity, stirring up a biting, fierce bitterness inside of him.

F I N A L L Y - L I B E R A T E D

WE LIVE!

Don't worry, guys the wedding collab between Vashonn and I should be coming in soon also. Then we'll get things for sure rolling.

The Hybrid-Humans

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Noelle "Benji" Aether

by @omerta

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_{Ft. Edgar E. Eisley by} @beyond visions

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Zack Hemsey - "Nice To Meet Me"
_{"That monster brought the seed of life, well now I have become it."}

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It was actually quite rare to find the administrator of Maximation make such a casual appearance at the facility's mess hall. No one ever sat alone there, well, unless you purposefully wished to outcast yourself by pulling a chair away from the populated table in order to retreat to a lonely corner. Lunch was scheduled after solo training, this was done with reason, since after spending time alone to practice one's craft or skill, he or she could reconnect closely with the other Hybrid-Humans. At the end of the day, they are all suppose to be on the same team.

All of the mutants were there, well, all but Mr. Buchanan and Clyde. Todd had to cut his stealth training short today, he had another messy nose bleed and started aching again due to the type of raging sinus pressure that can make a man go mad. He was given some pressure and pain relief medicine, in hopes to feel better in time for lunch. Though now, he was in the bathroom connected to his dorm room, doing whatever to soak up all the blood draining out of his nostrils.

Todd or no Todd, Eisley believed that they had the right to know everything, especially since one of them is dead now, Clyde was dead. The tissue meant to form fish gills within his neck, eventually grew to the point of slowly suffocating him in his sleep. At first, Eisley found that tragic, but once discovering that all of the mutants are bound for that same kind of disastrous biological doom, he was mortified. Just as they will be.

Before a single word, Eisley released a disappointed sigh while taking his spec off and staring down at the concrete floor, "I failed all of you..." There was no beating around the bush for Eisley, he was coming clean and honest. The magnetic door behind him sealed shut and locked, just as he wanted. Captain Jaymes Cane was persistent on Eisley being accompanied by fully-geared Maximation soldiers, but Eisley declined before arriving at the mess hall:

---

"N-No soldiers, no, I don't want to rush to hostility. Captain, the Hybrid-Humans, they have been trained and tested to be heroes-- men and women who know how to make the right choices, not animals. I don't want to treat them as if they are these savage beasts! If you wish to lock the door behind me, then so be it."

"You're walking into the lion's den, all because you have had an naive faith in humanity. Except, they are something a lot worst than lions. Sir, it is my duty to protect your safety--"

"Forget my safety! I killed Clyde Aether! And the rest of them are dying because of me..."

"Eisley, you take this experimental mishap far too personal... But so be it, their aggression is on your head."

---

Drops of sweat could be seen dripping from he surface of his forehead and down to the temples, "There is a reason why we have been recently retesting all of you, putting you all through even more medical examinations..." His palms were sweaty and shaking, even while he held his glasses. "Based on animal testing, the injection was thought to be safe... However, now with human subjects, the serum has developed rapid carcinogenic and fatal qualities. And..."

Eisley held his breath for a moment, closing his eyes, considering how he would phrase his next sentence. But he simply chose to be direct, though he still was not even prepared to face whatever may come to him, "One of your fellow Hybrid-Humans was injected through the neck with a serum that would morph tissue in order to develop fish gills. The tissue... suffocated him... in his sleep... Clyde Aether is dead..."

---

She should have known it was too good to be true. Only a fool would believe otherwise.

When Noelle had woken up today, nothing seemed particularly out of the ordinary. Her left leg felt numb and prickly but she didn't find that at all concerning and simply massaged the limb until it felt normal again. She yawned, stretched, and rolled out of bed to begin her morning routine. Being the early bird she was the woman was able to take care of her needs and still had some extra time to spare. Clyde appeared to still be sleeping when she stopped by his dorm so she decided not to bother her brother just yet. There was breakfast, she stretched a little, and even got to finish another chapter of that book she was currently reading -all before it was time for her daily training. Her lessons passed without incident. Today was just the basic stuff, stamina training on the treadmill. The machine's speed had been raised but she kept up easily enough and performed as expected. Once that was done with, Noelle headed straight for the cafeteria. A shower could wait -right now she felt like she was starving.

At this point she was functioning on auto pilot. Noelle filled her tray with over-sized portions of the offered meal options and then picked a random seat at the main table. She had no intention of striking up conversation at the moment so she didn't worry about who she sat next to. Noelle just wanted to eat right now. Keeping her manners in mind, Noelle tried not to wolf down her food like a savage as she brought up the first spoonful to her mouth and gratefully chewed. She swallowed, sighed with relieve, and then fed herself another spoonful. That's when she finally noticed three things that are out of the ordinary.

The first thing is that two members of the usual gang are currently missing; Todd and Clyde. Todd she wasn't really worried for but where was her brother? She vaguely wondered if he was still sleeping but the promptly dismissed the thought and assumed he was probably hanging around somewhere. Maybe even still training, although that seemed unlikely. The second thing Noelle picks up on is the unfamiliar presence in the room. That Eisley man is here but... why? It's not like he was a total stranger but the man didn't often show his face around here often enough and Noelle wondered if he was here just because or if there was an ulterior motive. Her unspoken inquiry was soon answered when the man caught everyone's attention and began to speak up. Pricking her ears to listen, Noelle set her spoon down and straightened up in her seat. Finally, is the third part of today's streak of peculiarities; she cannot understand what he's saying. Eisley's lips are moving and Noelle can hear him, she knows the meaning of the words he's saying but for some reason everything is just passing through her ears. He mentioned something about death.

"Who's dead?" The silence in the room following Eisley's announcement is deafening so Noelle's voice, though a quiet one, resonates the room as though she just used a megaphone. Clyde. What about Clyde? For some reason Eisley mentioned her beloved older brother but nothing's making sense, it's simply not sticking together in her head. Why's Eisley talking about death and Clyde? A moment passes. And then the reality of the situation finally hits Noelle. Hard. The shock clogging her mind finally clears and she's suddenly painfully aware of everything. Maximation's administrator's words finally have a definition. Clyde is dead. The woman doesn't even realize she's crying until the tears running down her cheeks begin to leave a wet path along her throat. "What do you mean Clyde's dead?!?!" she snarls. She reacts without warning, tearing herself from the table and lunging for the administrator.

Like a barbed-wire fence, Eisley felt her fingers surround his face, those ebony claws pressed almost to the point of piercing his pale flesh. Clutching his cheek, his left ear was slammed first against the metal table, while his lower jaw and chin dipped deep down against the raw meat that filled Noelle's tray. "I-I-I--I'm" With each piece of him, Eisley wrestled to assemble a single sentence amidst his panic. As each second passed by with him stuttering, the meat became squishier, Noelle pushing him harder against it, while the claws began to break flesh."... sorry!" It was all he could gasp in the moment, eyes both widened in a horrified stare that his head could add to the pile of raw meat on her tray.

---

The Hybrid-Humans (Mutant Roleplay)(TWO SPOTS LEFT)

@SleepingSilence Thank you so much for telling me, sending you a PM now because I really see Dante having a major part in our first scene.

The Hybrid-Humans (Mutant Roleplay)(TWO SPOTS LEFT)

Alright guys, I had quite the hectic day yesterday traveling, but I'm back. Just read over everything you guys posted here since then, while also working on the first post in the IC. And it is most likely going up TODAY.

The Hybrid-Humans (Mutant Roleplay)(TWO SPOTS LEFT)

@Ambrose Yes, it is available, and here is a link to the OOC: roleplayerguild.com/topics/163970-the…

@athanshadow Is there any other animal you would like to reserve?

The Hybrid-Humans (Mutant Roleplay)(TWO SPOTS LEFT)

@Ambrose There is definitely an open spot, what animal would you like to claim?

The Hybrid-Humans (Mutant Roleplay)(TWO SPOTS LEFT)

@Ever A rat would be awesome.

The Hybrid-Humans (Mutant Roleplay)(TWO SPOTS LEFT)

@Fruitymentos Actually since we already have a snake hybrid, it will be best to pick another animal.

Actually the octopus has also been taken.