video. un: a_civil_serpent

[inferus]

This is what lies beyond the living-but-not walls in Chricter's secret room. ( The video starts with the sharpness of Wrath's voice in the dark cavern. Wrath and Fei continue forward with dim magical. Fei's sword is drawn, Wrath's serpent-dagger is in his hand. There are 20-25 mannequins in various states: burlap to human-like with defined features and soft skin.

A splash is heard as they step into dark water, and Wrath's jaw clenches at the realization they are being drained from the contact, but they have little choice but to push onward. Fei looks similarly displeased but determined. ) It is the dark water as it was in the volcano, as it was under the sea, infusing into the burlap sacks and making beings who are-

( Wrong. Unnatural. The video lands on the dog tags on the mannequins with a name on one, with a phrase on the other: hello, birdie, squirrel, eat your nuts!, the train goes, choo-choo on the other. ) Like the phrase left for Arabella.

( Before more can be said, chaos. The mannequins wake in a panic. They attack, rushing forward. Wrath and Fei work together to fight them off. She has been drained of stamina, and he has been drained of magic. They are worn from the waters, but they work in tandem - two experienced fighters, slashing through the burlap and false skin. It'll be difficult to tell what exactly is happening through the flurry of movement and sharp blades and burlap and skin and blood and features but not.

The mannequins rush out through the opening. Screams and shouts are heard from outside the room - distant. Fei and Wrath (bloody, torn, dripping dark water) step out of the wall. Fei spits out blood and wipes it from her chin, and then the video focuses on Magnus and Xingchen, waiting on the other side. The two were protected by Xingchen's talisman, which prevented the dark water from going any further. Magnus has his portal ready, and he speaks sharply: "Everyone into the safety hole now," and through it they go.

The echoes of chaos are left behind, and then there is darkness and silence. )

Comments

[soloritur]

[ That is potentially more of a problem. Brainwashing is something they can deal with, try to snap them out of it, but it's a lot harder to change beliefs. Marcos would know. ]

No kidding. [ He isn't sure what he can offer, but if that's their only goal... ] Do you think they just don't know what's going on? It might be wishful thinking, but you did say it was a locked room. Maybe they don't realize what they signed up for.

[inferus]

If they do not, they're not paying attention, or they are being willfully ignorant for the sake of following this cause. There are burlap mannequins left outside of the room. Chrichter came out with one clawing at his back. Not to mention what occurred when we arrived with the fear bullets and people who are dragged down to the group against their will.

( People make choices, and regardless, they have chosen to align themselves with this group whose methods involve terrifying people, kidnapping them, and hijacking their bodies for their cause. )

[soloritur]

[ So much for giving them the benefit of the doubt. He knows how that goes. It's what had caused a major rift between him and Lorna when he wouldn't do whatever it took for a cause. ]

It'd be a challenge to dismantle something like that, if they're aware of everything they're doing. [ Hopefully it won't end up with a bunch of casualties. In his experience, that's what it took, and it still doesn't feel like winning. ] We'll have to figure out where we can go from here, but I'm glad you all got away before something worse happened to you.

[inferus]

There is a great deal to learn about the group still, and we will have to do so carefully - undoubtedly they'll be moving locations now, ( and wrath would like to find it and destroy it and all of them before they can continue this falsity of life ) but thank you.