Siren's Call: an RP

[Negative_Null]

1 hour ago, Channelknight Fadran said:

"Your Majesty," Trace whimpered, "please."

"Please what? Spare you? Spare her? You each had your chance. She threw hers away and you ruined yours. Your failure is secondary to hers, but rest assured, I'll have plenty of my anger left to direct at you."

The Queen set the crystal that contained Trace's soul down on the table.

"Now, child, all that's left is you."

She set a Voltaic crystal against Janice's skin, and it began sending a charge through her body, arcing between her bones and veins.

[Channelknight Fadran]

21 minutes ago, Negative_Null said:

"Please what? Spare you? Spare her? You each had your chance. She threw hers away and you ruined yours. Your failure is secondary to hers, but rest assured, I'll have plenty of my anger left to direct at you."

The Queen set the crystal that contained Trace's soul down on the table.

"Now, child, all that's left is you."

She set a Voltaic crystal against Janice's skin, and it began sending a charge through her body, arcing between her bones and veins.

Janice's throat was raw from screaming and crying, which made her next peal of vocal agony all the worse. Her muscles seized from the electricity, clamping her jaw shut so that all her words were buzzed by her clenched teeth.

"SIREN!!" She screamed. "SIREN, MAKE IT STOP! PLEASE!"

Despite the shocks keeping her mouth shut, Janice managed to release a blood-curdling cry of agony, completely incapable of any futher pleads for relief.

@ProfetessaOscura

[ProfetessaOscura]

1 minute ago, Channelknight Fadran said:

Janice's throat was raw from screaming and crying, which made her next peal of vocal agony all the worse. Her muscles seized from the electricity, clamping her jaw shut so that all her words were buzzed by her clenched teeth.

"SIREN!!" She screamed. "SIREN, MAKE IT STOP! PLEASE!"

Despite the shocks keeping her mouth shut, Janice managed to release a blood-curdling cry of agony, completely incapable of any futher pleads for relief.

@ProfetessaOscura

Vespyr heard none of this, happily changing into some clean clothes and upping their dosage of the nectar cocktail.  They were down a little bit, refreshing their supplies.  It was with a lighter, less exhausted step that Vespyr trotted back up towards the top of the tower, pack slung over one shoulder.  It hesitated apprehensively at the door, still cracked open, then pushed its way into the entrance.  Vespyr took a knee respectfully to the Queen, then paced toward the balcony.

[Negative_Null]

The Queen ignored Siren, instead seeming to revel in Janice's pain. "So, child." She said, removing the crystal for a moment. "Is all this worth it for you, still?"

[Fallapede]

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OOC, where is the Palace geographically? I'm just trying to wrap my head around where everything is

 

[The Ward's Guard]

14 minutes ago, Fallapede said:

 

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You and me both brother (or sister, I'm simply trying to quote something.

The person you wanna talk to is Null

@Negative_Null

[ProfetessaOscura]

Just now, Negative_Null said:

The Queen ignored Siren, instead seeming to revel in Janice's pain. "So, child." She said, removing the crystal for a moment. "Is all this worth it for you, still?"

"Is this all worth it for you?"

_______________________________

Damn it.  They were back there again.  A screaming girl, red hair flailing.  Vespyr's wardmate.  They had both known that the day would come.  Every year, a selection of the chosen were culled.  She had been... someone that had been terrifying to compete with.  They thought of her as a girl, even now, even when back then, no identity had been allowed.  She'd been terrible at following that tenant, ripping her clothes and styling herself as femininely as possible.  Perhaps that had been why she'd been culled, in the end, despite her skill.  

"Is this all worth it for you?!" She's called herself Rain.  She was the one who had named Vespyr, after their silent prayers through childhood.  It had been profane.  It had been secret.  It had been foolishness.  That name was the most precious thing to Vespyr.  "Raising us to be slaughtered?!  Is this the future you wanted?!  We would have been loyal!  You could have used us!"

Someone threatened her with a gag, but the Queen raised a hand and stopped the action. "Is it?!" Rain continued.  She had kicked, shouting defiantly as she'd been dragged to her death.  Vespyr had known her for fourteen years.  It was the final culling.  They'd seen so many children die, so many be deemed inadequate for service.  Vespyr had never truly believed that Rain would be one of those.  She'd been powerful.  She'd been good.  Nearly as good as Vespyr had been.

"Vespyr!" Rain had shouted to them, "make it stop!  You could stop them all!  Kill them all!  Save me!  Save us!"

"Vespyr?" The Queen had asked, so many, many years ago.  She'd turned to them then, accusation in her eyes.  "What is the meaning of this?"

Rain looked to Vespyr from the Queen's side, standing stalwartly, not even trembling, despite her lack of nectar, despite death's hand on her throat.  Rain had trust in her eyes, those eyes that burned gold like two suns.  Rain expected Vespyr to defend her, to explode into light, action, destruction, and salvation.  Vespyr was her prayer.

"I am a tool," Vespyr had whispered, "Not a voice."  Shame billowed within, but Vespyr hid it expertly.  To fight would have been death.

Betrayal flashed in Rain's eyes, paralleled by the knife that painted a scarlet ribbon over her throat.  She pawed at her throat, but was kicked into the pile of the other culled.  She spasmed, and Vespyr stood, relaxed and seemingly at ease.  The Queen had turned away.  There was nothing more to fear.  Not from this day.  "How... disappointing," she finally said.

They came for Vespyr, next.  They came for Vespyr's eyes.

_______________________________

Vespyr stopped at the door of the balcony, hand centimeters from the handle, fingers trembling.  The memories poured forth unbidden, unwanted.

But they were there, and Vespyr could not shut them out.

[Negative_Null]

3 hours ago, The Ward's Guard said:

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The person you wanna talk to is Null

 

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The Queen lives in a Qhoral Hive (a place covered in huge amounts of the stuff) close to the South Pole. It's not too cold down there because Siren's smaller and closer to their sun than Earth, and all the Qhoral raises temperatures around it, by the Queen's design.

Also, Jay will not be leaving, due to public demand. I will however, keep the Chekov's gun and just retcon what he said.

"Listen. We keep getting separated, and I won't leave you without a way to defend yourself. I should have given it to you earlier. If you break this open, you'll get some kind of help. The device can detect danger somewhat, and will send you whatever aid that it thinks will be best."

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This Queen scene is literally the end of Return of the Jedi, just saying. I even picked Voltaic Qhoral to match the aesthetic.  

The Queen pauses, not waiting for a reply, and looks toward her shelves and shelves of crystals. "What next, child? I'm having too much fun to stop with just one." Finally, she selects a piece of Animate Qhoral. "If you were in a questioning mood, I might expect you to ask how the essence of life will cause pain. Since you aren't in the proper mindset, I'll just have to demonstrate."

[Channelknight Fadran]

Spoiler

9 hours ago, Negative_Null said:

The Queen ignored Siren, instead seeming to revel in Janice's pain. "So, child." She said, removing the crystal for a moment. "Is all this worth it for you, still?"

 

9 hours ago, ProfetessaOscura said:

"Is this all worth it for you?"

_______________________________

Damn it.  They were back there again.  A screaming girl, red hair flailing.  Vespyr's wardmate.  They had both known that the day would come.  Every year, a selection of the chosen were culled.  She had been... someone that had been terrifying to compete with.  They thought of her as a girl, even now, even when back then, no identity had been allowed.  She'd been terrible at following that tenant, ripping her clothes and styling herself as femininely as possible.  Perhaps that had been why she'd been culled, in the end, despite her skill.  

"Is this all worth it for you?!" She's called herself Rain.  She was the one who had named Vespyr, after their silent prayers through childhood.  It had been profane.  It had been secret.  It had been foolishness.  That name was the most precious thing to Vespyr.  "Raising us to be slaughtered?!  Is this the future you wanted?!  We would have been loyal!  You could have used us!"

Someone threatened her with a gag, but the Queen raised a hand and stopped the action. "Is it?!" Rain continued.  She had kicked, shouting defiantly as she'd been dragged to her death.  Vespyr had known her for fourteen years.  It was the final culling.  They'd seen so many children die, so many be deemed inadequate for service.  Vespyr had never truly believed that Rain would be one of those.  She'd been powerful.  She'd been good.  Nearly as good as Vespyr had been.

"Vespyr!" Rain had shouted to them, "make it stop!  You could stop them all!  Kill them all!  Save me!  Save us!"

"Vespyr?" The Queen had asked, so many, many years ago.  She'd turned to them then, accusation in her eyes.  "What is the meaning of this?"

Rain looked to Vespyr from the Queen's side, standing stalwartly, not even trembling, despite her lack of nectar, despite death's hand on her throat.  Rain had trust in her eyes, those eyes that burned gold like two suns.  Rain expected Vespyr to defend her, to explode into light, action, destruction, and salvation.  Vespyr was her prayer.

"I am a tool," Vespyr had whispered, "Not a voice."  Shame billowed within, but Vespyr hid it expertly.  To fight would have been death.

Betrayal flashed in Rain's eyes, paralleled by the knife that painted a scarlet ribbon over her throat.  She pawed at her throat, but was kicked into the pile of the other culled.  She spasmed, and Vespyr stood, relaxed and seemingly at ease.  The Queen had turned away.  There was nothing more to fear.  Not from this day.  "How... disappointing," she finally said.

They came for Vespyr, next.  They came for Vespyr's eyes.

_______________________________

Vespyr stopped at the door of the balcony, hand centimeters from the handle, fingers trembling.  The memories poured forth unbidden, unwanted.

But they were there, and Vespyr could not shut them out.

 

5 hours ago, Negative_Null said:

"Listen. We keep getting separated, and I won't leave you without a way to defend yourself. I should have given it to you earlier. If you break this open, you'll get some kind of help. The device can detect danger somewhat, and will send you whatever aid that it thinks will be best."

The Queen pauses, not waiting for a reply, and looks toward her shelves and shelves of crystals. "What next, child? I'm having too much fun to stop with just one." Finally, she selects a piece of Animate Qhoral. "If you were in a questioning mood, I might expect you to ask how the essence of life will cause pain. Since you aren't in the proper mindset, I'll just have to demonstrate."

 

Janice shook and shivered on the table. Her sobs were like of a child's; there were no more painful screams to be heard. Great, pulsing sobs.

"Please no..." she cried. "Please. Stop it... please stop it... Siren... help..."

[ProfetessaOscura]

1 hour ago, Channelknight Fadran said:

7 hours ago, Negative_Null said:

Janice shook and shivered on the table. Her sobs were like of a child's; there were no more painful screams to be heard. Great, pulsing sobs.

"Please no..." she cried. "Please. Stop it... please stop it... Siren... help..."

Siren. 

Screams became a song for Vespyr. It had always been a way to survive the slaughter, survive the way it could break someone. Drown the screams out with music. Let them hear a lullaby as they made their peace with the eternal sleep.

Vespyr had killed children before. There were usually children acting as servants or apprentices to various crewmembers.  Janice’s death shouldn’t bother them this much. If... If only the girl wasn’t quite so much like Rain.  If only the Queen would just run her through and be done with it.  Something quick and sensible, like before.  Vespyr could survive that much more easily.

Vespyr took a deep breath and stepped outside, gathering the winds in an undulating ring around them. Foolishness. To protest was to invite torture. To act was to die.  It had survived Rain’s loss, it would survive Janice’s. Vespyr prepared to leap into the sky, but felt something change within its ring of perception.

It heard Janice break. A whimpering, simpering sob of hopelessness. Helplessness. Pain. It could feel the despair that made her breathe more shallowly, frantically. It was... just like Rain. Rain, bloody on the floor, alive and dead at the same time, heaving in despair and betrayal and agony, trying not to die. Futile.

Damnation.

Vespyr whipped around and sent the wind lashing through the Queen’s chamber.  A desk ripped from the bolts holding it to the floor, contents scattering, and slammed into the Queen, pinning her to the wall. It stayed there under the force of a whirlwind. Hopefully, that would be enough to hold her. It was too much to hope that it would knock her out.

Vespyr shot into the room and touched each of the locks in turn.  The metal began to vibrate wildly.  The locks clicked open, and Vespyr scooped the child onto its back. She could die somewhere else, on its own terms. Vespyr just wouldn’t let the stupid little thing die now, not on the monster’s fragment of a conscience.((If you want to save the rock that is Trace, grab it in your next post.  Vespyr knows nothing of it.))

Vespyr’s winds spoke, and Vespyr didn’t even think about what they were whispering on repeat, a mantra of the soul.  “I am a voice, not a tool.”

Vespyr shot out of the room through the balcony doors on a gale of wind, not touching the doors, ground, or railing.

Thunder struck in a sea of clouds.

It began to rain. 

Edited January 19, 2021 by ProfetessaOscura

[Channelknight Fadran]

Spoiler

6 minutes ago, ProfetessaOscura said:

Siren. 

Screams became a song for Vespyr. It had always been a way to survive the slaughter, survive the way it could break someone. Drown the screams out with music. Let them hear a lullaby as they made their peace with the eternal sleep.

Vespyr had killed children before. There were usually children acting as servants or apprentices to various crewmembers.  Janice’s death shouldn’t bother them this much. If... If only the girl wasn’t quite so much like Rain.  If only the Queen would just run her through and be done with it.  Something quick and sensible, like before.  Vespyr could survive that much more easily.

Vespyr took a deep breath and stepped outside, gathering the winds in an undulating ring around them. Foolishness. To protest was to invite torture. To act was to die.  It had survived Rain’s loss, it would survive Janice’s. Vespyr prepared to leap into the sky, but felt something change within its ring of perception.

It heard Janice break. A whimpering, simpering sob of hopelessness. Helplessness. Pain. It could feel the despair that made her breathe more shallowly, frantically. It was... just like Rain. Rain, bloody on the floor, alive and dead at the same time, heaving in despair and betrayal and agony, trying not to die. Futile.

Damnation.

Vespyr whipped around and sent the wind lashing through the Queen’s chamber.  A desk ripped from the bolts holding it to the floor, contents scattering, and slammed into the Queen, pinning her to the wall. It stayed there under the force of a whirlwind. Hopefully, that would be enough to hold her. It was too much to hope that it would knock her out.

Vespyr shot into the room and touched each of the locks in turn.  The metal began to vibrate wildly.  The locks clicked open, and Vespyr scooped the child onto its back. She could die somewhere else, on its own terms. Vespyr just wouldn’t let the stupid little thing die now, not on the monster’s fragment of a consciousness.((If you want to save the rock that is Trace, grab it in your next post.  Vespyr knows nothing of it.))

Vespyr’s winds spoke, and Vespyr didn’t even think about what they were whispering on repeat, a mantra of the soul.  “I am a voice, not a tool.”

Vespyr shot out the balcony on a gale of wind, not touching the doors, ground, or railing.

Thunder struck in a sea of clouds.

It began to rain. 

 

Broken.

That's what she was. She was broken.

Janice sobbed as Siren took her away. She left a river of tears indistinguishable against the rain.

She couldn't speak; she could barely breathe. Her cries took all the strength she had left.

Was there anything worth living for anymore? How could she go on after such horrors had happened? How could she go back?

Janice dropped her tear-filled eyes onto her arms, sobbing muffled and tears soaked. The phantom pain was still there. She could feel the agony.

Aryanna... Cadenza... She tried to speak. The words were trapped in her mind. Jay, Lloyd... oh, Cruz, what am I going to tell you?

[I Am A Fish]

On 1/15/2021 at 1:44 PM, Negative_Null said:

Pearce nodded slowly. "I see. I did have... some degree of success. My records and data were mostly destroyed, however." He looks at Xenia with a searching glance. "Would you mind adjusting these cuffs? They are rather tight, and certainly aren't helping my carpal tunnel."

Xenia gave him a patronizing look. 

"I'm sure you'll survive." She then lifted up the gun off the desk, and began inspecting it, keeping the barrel pointed at Pearce.

"This weapon was designed to take down dusters, and I've found the results it yields to be exceptional. If I were to pull the trigger, your death would almost instantaneous." Xenia took something out of her pocket, and loaded it into the gun.

"Now wouldn't that be a shame." 

[Negative_Null]

A furious scream and the sound of an explosion came from behind Vespyr and Janice. The ground below them erupted in gouts of various elements, almost like hands trying to bring them down. The Yevon below roared, echoing the sound of their Queen, then began to follow Vespyr's path in a pack.

In Vespyr's mind, the voice comes in a shout, carrying all the rage with it. 

You traitor. You cannot escape me!

2 hours ago, I Am A Fish said:

Xenia gave him a patronizing look. 

"I'm sure you'll survive." She then lifted up the gun off the desk, and began inspecting it, keeping the barrel pointed at Pearce.

"This weapon was designed to take down dusters, and I've found the results it yields to be exceptional. If I were to pull the trigger, your death would almost instantaneous." Xenia took something out of her pocket, and loaded it into the gun.

"Now wouldn't that be a shame." 

"I... think that's something we can agree on. I assume you want me to try and recreate my work?"

Edited January 19, 2021 by Negative_Null

[Channelknight Fadran]

11 minutes ago, Negative_Null said:

A furious scream and the sound of an explosion came from behind Vespyr and Janice. The ground below them erupted in gouts of various elements, almost like hands trying to bring them down. The Yevon below roared, echoing the sound of their Queen, then began to follow Vespyr's path in a pack.

"I... think that's something we can agree on. I assume you want me to try and recreate my work?"

Janice shrieked at the scream, clamping her hands over her ears and whimpering loudly.

@ProfetessaOscura

Edited January 19, 2021 by Channelknight Fadran

[ProfetessaOscura]

37 minutes ago, Negative_Null said:

A furious scream and the sound of an explosion came from behind Vespyr and Janice. The ground below them erupted in gouts of various elements, almost like hands trying to bring them down. The Yevon below roared, echoing the sound of their Queen, then began to follow Vespyr's path in a pack.

In Vespyr's mind, the voice comes in a shout, carrying all the rage with it. 

You traitor. You cannot escape me!

Vespyr went cold.  There was no escape, true.  After this, the flow of the drugged nectar would be no more.  After these few, precious bottles, Vespyr would suffer from years of constant influence.  Vespyr would die a painful, excruciating death as years of the influence caught up to the creature in one great, terrible rush.

To die to the Queen would be a mercy.  It wasn't a mercy Vespyr would allow itself, not with Janice on its back, not when it had thrown away its life for one small, moronic, insignificant child.  The least it could do would be to die having done one shred of worthiness... no, that wasn't the right word.  Good.  One shred of good in its life.

Vespyr soared.  Nothing could match it for speed, nothing could match it for height.  Nothing could match it.  Vespyr took to the clouds, vanishing in the storm, lightning shrieking around them.  One bolt nearly killed both, but it arced around the creature entirely, flashing blindingly in a ring around Vespyr and Janice before shooting down to the ocean below.

Vespyr danced with lightning, rain, and darkness, a masterful flight.

[Channelknight Fadran]

7 minutes ago, ProfetessaOscura said:

Vespyr went cold.  There was no escape, true.  After this, the flow of the drugged nectar would be no more.  After these few, precious bottles, Vespyr would suffer from years of constant influence.  Vespyr would die a painful, excruciating death as years of the influence caught up to the creature in one great, terrible rush.

To die to the Queen would be a mercy.  It wasn't a mercy Vespyr would allow itself, not with Janice on its back, not when it had thrown away its life for one small, moronic, insignificant child.  The least it could do would be to die having done one shred of worthiness... no, that wasn't the right word.  Good.  One shred of good in its life.

Vespyr soared.  Nothing could match it for speed, nothing could match it for height.  Nothing could match it.  Vespyr took to the clouds, vanishing in the storm, lightning shrieking around them.  One bolt nearly killed both, but it arced around the creature entirely, flashing blindingly in a ring around Vespyr and Janice before shooting down to the ocean below.

Vespyr danced with lightning, rain, and darkness, a masterful flight.

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MORE REP

Also, should we timeskip back to Lena's island?

 

[ProfetessaOscura]

2 minutes ago, Channelknight Fadran said:

 

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Depends on where Vespyr's taking you.  They're going to need a nap, ha!  I also lowkey do not know where to drop Vespyr, lol, being pretty new to this world.  What's close?

@Negative_Null

[Fallapede]

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If y'all are amenable, maybe you could drop somewhere near Brother Sparrow? That'd give me an opening to introduce my character. Up to you, of course.

@ProfetessaOscura @Channelknight Fadran

[ProfetessaOscura]

Just now, Fallapede said:

@ProfetessaOscura @Channelknight Fadran

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Ooh, that sounds good!  What should I describe as they drop down?  Being tossed randomly?  What's the island look like?

 

[The Ward's Guard]

The colonel looked concerned as he read through whatever his device was telling him. After a brief moment of him swiping on the screen, he looked up at the rest of the group. "We need to get to the city. I have direct orders to report in, and I can't ignore them. Is Jack around still?"

@xinoehp512

[Channelknight Fadran]

4 minutes ago, Fallapede said:

@ProfetessaOscura @Channelknight Fadran

2 minutes ago, ProfetessaOscura said:

 

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But Janice needs hugs, though.

 

[Fallapede]

3 minutes ago, ProfetessaOscura said:

 

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I figure it'd be a tiny little rock of an island where he's meditating. It's basically just him, some moss, and a boat. Don't really have any ideas for the description, do it as you like.

 

Just now, Channelknight Fadran said:

 

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We'll just have to see how he does about that one.

 

[ProfetessaOscura]

1 minute ago, Channelknight Fadran said:

 

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You'll get Vespyr's Therapy Session and you'll like it.   

 

[Channelknight Fadran]

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Well... fine. Fall, how's about we just drop off on the nearest island and say you're there?

 

[Fallapede]

13 minutes ago, Channelknight Fadran said:

 

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That works fine for me.