Introduction
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|| ǪƝƇɆ ŲƤǪƝ Ą ƬĮⱮɆ ||
Earth's introduction progressed as primitive, humble even. Its beginnings were of grass and dirt, trees slowly blossoming to reach the sky. Animals grew to magnanimous lengths and humans, being as ambitious as they were, lived in caves. When man gained a taste for meat, they hunted, forming packs to take down beasts much larger than themselves. Animals evolved, becoming smarter; humans did too. Soon, forests were cleared, houses were built, humans acknowledged one another and realized their differences. They fought over these small discrepancies with wars and armadas, sacrificing their own to gain wealth, power, and privilege over others. When land ran out, they built ships to sail across the tumultuous sea to expand their reaches.
But it was never enough.
Skyscrapers popped up, one after the other. Made of gleaming metal and glass, they spiraled higher than the clouds. Wars were at last settled, debts repaid, humanity began an era of peace. They flourished together, realizing that their arguments were silly, that their spats were fruitless, and so, together, they worked towards advancing themselves as a better society. With no more war, they put their minds together to cure common ailments, eradicating the cold, fixing fevers with simple patches, even making genome sequencing to get rid of the genetic risk of having an imperfect child. It could not detect everything, such as disabilities that could be brought on later in life by accident, injury, or even undetermined factors that could never be controlled, but the world, for the most part, was harmonious.
Where there is free will, there will always be trouble.
|| Å ⱮǪƝŞƬȨⱤ ||
What if the body could be trapped at the perfect age? What if one no longer had to worry about their health? What if humans could live in a pristine body that never died? It would disrupt the cycle of life itself and perhaps put the fate of humanity in a terrible imbalance. Highly illegal experimentation, a company called GENOS began asking for volunteers. Those who were at their end stages of life, willing to donate themselves towards research for what they claimed to be a better future. They would pay well, they promised, to any and all who could gather in the belly of their building and subject themselves to the experiments. They told all it was for the betterment of the future, they claimed that they wanted to freeze humanity at it's prime.
They lied.
It was never enough.
Wanting to take the program further, Dr. Grover wanted to detach the memories from the souls, creating a blank slate, usable for just about anything. She saw herself as a deity, creating life, building bodies, constructing art. It was only when Dr. Grover recruited a twin that she had crossed the line, unwittingly stealing the body of the second to turn into one of her pretty dolls.
Project || Name || Age || Gender || Code Name || Unit Type || Face Claim || Played by:
Project Faye || Io Fuyumi|| ?? || Female || Fina || Stealth Unit || Mumei || Played by: Spiderlily
Project Xena || Callisto Fuyumi || ?? || Female || Lita || Idol Unit || Aine Yuuki || Played by: The_Queen
Project Pro || Jacelyn Pacer || 20ish || Female || Jace || Combat Unit || Jack the Ripper || NPC
Human || Azariah Reiss|| 28 || Female || The Shepard || Human || Seitenshi || NPC
Human || Dane Tyrell || 17 || Male || Human || Sheep || Nice || Played by:NPC
Human || Minnie Reiss || 15 || Femle || Human || Rival Idol || Meiko Honma || Played by: NPC
Project Serve || Shane Welton || 19ish || Male || Jarvis || Servatory || Horikawa Kunihiro || Played by: NPC
Project Faye || ?? || Estimated 20 || Male || Black Jack || Stealth || Hei || Played by: NPC
Human || Metis Fuyumi || 25 || Male || Big Brother || Human || Yogi || Played by: NPC
Project Javelin || Firis || 24 || Female || Sneaky Sneak || Stealth || Ami Kawashima || Played by: NPC
Project Hornet || Viren || 23 || Male || Evil || Mechanic|| Kido Tsuborni || Played by: NPC
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|| ǪƝƇɆ ŲƤǪƝ Ą ƬĮⱮɆ ||
Earth's introduction progressed as primitive, humble even. Its beginnings were of grass and dirt, trees slowly blossoming to reach the sky. Animals grew to magnanimous lengths and humans, being as ambitious as they were, lived in caves. When man gained a taste for meat, they hunted, forming packs to take down beasts much larger than themselves. Animals evolved, becoming smarter; humans did too. Soon, forests were cleared, houses were built, humans acknowledged one another and realized their differences. They fought over these small discrepancies with wars and armadas, sacrificing their own to gain wealth, power, and privilege over others. When land ran out, they built ships to sail across the tumultuous sea to expand their reaches.
But it was never enough.
Skyscrapers popped up, one after the other. Made of gleaming metal and glass, they spiraled higher than the clouds. Wars were at last settled, debts repaid, humanity began an era of peace. They flourished together, realizing that their arguments were silly, that their spats were fruitless, and so, together, they worked towards advancing themselves as a better society. With no more war, they put their minds together to cure common ailments, eradicating the cold, fixing fevers with simple patches, even making genome sequencing to get rid of the genetic risk of having an imperfect child. It could not detect everything, such as disabilities that could be brought on later in life by accident, injury, or even undetermined factors that could never be controlled, but the world, for the most part, was harmonious.
Where there is free will, there will always be trouble.
|| Å ⱮǪƝŞƬȨⱤ ||
What if the body could be trapped at the perfect age? What if one no longer had to worry about their health? What if humans could live in a pristine body that never died? It would disrupt the cycle of life itself and perhaps put the fate of humanity in a terrible imbalance. Highly illegal experimentation, a company called GENOS began asking for volunteers. Those who were at their end stages of life, willing to donate themselves towards research for what they claimed to be a better future. They would pay well, they promised, to any and all who could gather in the belly of their building and subject themselves to the experiments. They told all it was for the betterment of the future, they claimed that they wanted to freeze humanity at it's prime.
They lied.
It was never enough.
Wanting to take the program further, Dr. Grover wanted to detach the memories from the souls, creating a blank slate, usable for just about anything. She saw herself as a deity, creating life, building bodies, constructing art. It was only when Dr. Grover recruited a twin that she had crossed the line, unwittingly stealing the body of the second to turn into one of her pretty dolls.
Project || Name || Age || Gender || Code Name || Unit Type || Face Claim || Played by:
Project Faye || Io Fuyumi|| ?? || Female || Fina || Stealth Unit || Mumei || Played by: Spiderlily
Project Xena || Callisto Fuyumi || ?? || Female || Lita || Idol Unit || Aine Yuuki || Played by: The_Queen
Project Pro || Jacelyn Pacer || 20ish || Female || Jace || Combat Unit || Jack the Ripper || NPC
Human || Azariah Reiss|| 28 || Female || The Shepard || Human || Seitenshi || NPC
Human || Dane Tyrell || 17 || Male || Human || Sheep || Nice || Played by:NPC
Human || Minnie Reiss || 15 || Femle || Human || Rival Idol || Meiko Honma || Played by: NPC
Project Serve || Shane Welton || 19ish || Male || Jarvis || Servatory || Horikawa Kunihiro || Played by: NPC
Project Faye || ?? || Estimated 20 || Male || Black Jack || Stealth || Hei || Played by: NPC
Human || Metis Fuyumi || 25 || Male || Big Brother || Human || Yogi || Played by: NPC
Project Javelin || Firis || 24 || Female || Sneaky Sneak || Stealth || Ami Kawashima || Played by: NPC
Project Hornet || Viren || 23 || Male || Evil || Mechanic|| Kido Tsuborni || Played by: NPC
The Story So Far... Write a Post » as written by 6 authors
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❝I look into your eyes as tears begin to flow.❞
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#B21212 ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #1485CC】
|| Last Game|| Zwei ||
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#B21212 ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #1485CC】
|| Last Game|| Zwei ||
Thump. Thump. Thump.
"Fina, Black Jack, it's your turn. Do not desist and come with us." The guards were here to transport them for preparation for whatever it was that Dr. Grover had planned. Thump thump, dull footsteps bringing the guards to open the bars, reaching through to retrieve the two remaining androids who needed work. "Will this really let me see Minnie one last time?" Her arm was grabbed, gently of course, the guards did not expect any resistance of course. "Why, you almost sound human for once." Io sneered, currently at the steering wheel. "Just trust me and you'll see your darling once more before the end." She was being carried out, compliant, limp. The guards were used to this of course, they knew the three rules programmed into the Units. There was no risk of any danger, was there?
A vibroblade slashed, slicing through their throats, killing them in seconds. At the same time, Black Jack had hacked into the prison's interface too, to disable any security alarms that might incur. "Remember, I'm not killing anyone. I'm just helping you escape, Io." Io was not bound by the rules, no human was because humans could ignore the programming and do whatever they needed to do. "Just do what I told you. You have your own business you need to settle before Grover deletes us, don't you?" Not that Io knew what it was, but Black Jack nodded. "I can't die before seeing him again." So they got to work, splitting ways to fulfill their own parts of the plan.
It was easy to find it. Oh, Callisto, so fragile, so small, - well, they were the same size but she looked so small here. And just as sick as always, of course she was, nothing changed. "This wasn't the deal, Grover." Io hissed at the footsteps behind her, knowing she was caught. Other guards appeared, guns raised, ready for the fight that would no doubt ensue. "Can we get out of this alive?" Fina asked, seeming almost as if she was afraid. "I'll get you back to your princess, don't worry." Io was ready for anything, she learned how to fight from watching all of Fina's battles from behind. "I see you're in control. Don't worry, we already have the cure for Callisto here." Dr. Grover spoke, hands never leaving her pockets. The snake she was, Io wasn't going to believe a word.
"I know what you're planning, Io dear." Dr. Grover stepped clover. Io inched nearer the containment tube where her one and only sister was. "Have you really thought this through?" Hah, she thought that was going to work? "I made a promise. I'll set her free." Io murmured darkly. She was sick of this standoff, it was time to end it! With a swing of her leg the test tube shattered, she cut through the tubes connecting to her precious Callisto's body. "I'll take her out of here. And then I'll end everything." Callisto deserved to die somewhere beautiful, not in a dark hell like this.
The roof exploded then. Black Jack fulfilled his part of the plan. Io opened her wings and flew, holding Callisto carefully in her arms. "I'll take you to the sea. Won't that be a nice final resting place?" Iron heart holding back the wave, Io flew, sights set on the coast.
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❝I am the one who ruined me; I did it myself.❞
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#F54D70 ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #FF7256】
|| Dearly Beloved || Utada Hikaru ||
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#F54D70 ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #FF7256】
|| Dearly Beloved || Utada Hikaru ||
Jace could feel it in her chest, the sinking feeling that something terrible was going to happen. When the fight broke out, she picked the lock on her door, watching as Fina killed the humans. Her eyes widened, knowing that something was off. This was not Fina, this was not the android that was so attached to her ward, Minnie. No, androids could not kill humans, so what was this creature standing before her? Jace hid around the corner. Surely, if she could kill these three, Io was a monster that should not be trifled with. No, Jace would simply follow to see where this path would take them. Lita was in the process of being rebuilt, a new XENA unit. Her previous body had been terminated, thus leaving the idol in a floating void until her new body was ready. There was a reason there was only one XENA, because two would be too many for Dr. Grover to handle.
Even now, it seemed she had her hands full with the stealth unit holding her hostage. Jace did not step forward, rather, she was transfixed on the delicate body floating within a capsule. So small and delicate, so vulnerable, breakable. Not even Lita was as fragile as this being, kept alive only be the devices that tethered her body to this world. Jace was not sure why, but she felt a sudden need to protect it, the human. Callisto, read the name plaque and pieces began to fill the puzzle. This was her, this was Lita. She slept so peacefully, even as the capsule tilted and tipped, swaying dangerously. She was naked, her only clothing the scars that graced her pale skin. Pale hair floated in a languid halo around her head, as long as a fairy tail princess, trapped within her tower.
With one swing, the glass shattered. Jace stepped forward as Callisto swayed, held in place only by the cables. They were cut away, body limply falling forward. The android lunged, but Fina was faster. She caught the human easily and took off into the dawn. "After them!" Dr. Grover screamed, collecting herself over the sound of the explosion. Not one to be out done, Jace tailed them. What was Fina doing? Jace's hands balled into fists, she could not allow Fina to hurt her, she wouldn't let Minnie or her Mother either. If anyone would find out what was happening, it was Jace. Was Black Jack involved? Was this all a plot planned by Lady Reiss? But why would she want Callisto?
~~~
The silence of darkness was all she had known. Jumping from machine to machine, watching the world through eyes that were not her known were what she had become accustomed to. Ones and zeroes, the click and hum that came from the life support machines, those were sounds that were familiar to her.
Suddenly, they all stopped.
A silence she had never known pierced the air. Breathing became difficult without the apparatus that had been doing it for her for years. No longer in stasis, her fingers twitched and her toes wiggled, but her movements were limited due to lack of muscle tone. Deconditioned, wasted, she was thin with limp, pale hair. You could count her ribs, visible and prominent, fed through the small button in her abdomen, but only enough to make it day by day. There were bruises on her skin, like a peach, they had blossomed the moment she was touched.
Callisto had forgotten what it was like to live within her own body. It was painful having to remember to breathe, it was agonizing as her body registered the pain that sat within her bones, eating her alive. The cancer was killing her, no longer slowed by the stasis tank. She had a handful of months, a year at best, before it would creep to the rest of her organs. Dr. Grover had given her time, she had extended Callisto's life, but she had not cured her.
Her eyes slowly fluttered open, it was immediately evident that something was wrong with the crystalline blue orbs. They were cloudy, as though fog danced across her vision. Callisto could tell it was light outside, but there was nothing else she could see aside from a white page. She shivered, but whatever was holding her offered no warmth; an android no doubt. Why? Why was she taken? Where were they going? Callisto was going to stop Dr. Grover, but it seemed even her last desire to save those children was taken from her. "Where.... are... you... taking... me?" Callisto managed to gasp like a fish, panting from the effort.
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❝I look into your eyes as tears begin to flow.❞
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#B21212 ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #1485CC】
|| Last Game|| Zwei ||
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#B21212 ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #1485CC】
|| Last Game|| Zwei ||
"Are you sure this is what you want to do?"
"I tried so hard to save her, only to curse her with hell. This is the only way to fix it."
There's no option left but this."
Backed into a corner, she flew into the sky, holding her ever so delicate twin sister. How long had it been? A year? More? And still it wasn't enough time - but now they had mere minutes. It would be okay. This should have happened a year ago. As painful as it was, all goodbyes had to be said and Io had already paid the price for wanting more time. "You're awake." She tried to modify her voice, to make it sound like her own, back when she was a human. But Fina's voice was to smooth, too girlish. Io's was more rough, rugged, would Callisto recognize? They were twins, but was that enough? "It's me, Cali. It's Io. You told me... that you were suffering." She made her best smile as they flew across the light sky, searching for the sea.
"I'm setting you free now. Just a bit longer, you deserve a better end than in some dark dinky hell hole."
Too bad it wasn't going to be some pretty sight like the sunset. Still, there was nothing wrong with an afternoon gaze at the crashing waves before the end, was there? "Once upon a time, we both dreamed to see the sea, to take a trip and see it. Mom and dad never got around to it, but Metis tried to take us once. Do you remember how hard he tried to take us there?" Io remembered it as if it were yesterday. It was the middle of the night and Metis was frantic, bundling his sisters into the car and whisking them away. "But the hospital called and told him he couldn't, that you needed to stay overnight." Metis was so desperate because that was the night Callisto was first diagnosed with her cancer, after all.
"Too bad he can't be here with us now. It's just us and no one else." Battery power was low, but not low enough that it was critical. It would be fine. "Fine enough to get me back to Minnie, I hope." Fina reminded her sadly in the echoes of her head. Io would make sure of it - she promised after all. "And once this business is done, I won't interfere in your life anymore. I'll sleep and you won't have to worry about me again." It was a win-win deal here, as long as she finished the job here and now.
Feet touched the ground, the shore was brisk and loud, waves rumbling it's pleasant song as it smashed against the rocks below them. The wind felt cleaner here, away from the smog of the city. Out here, was there peace? Or just another hell awaiting her on the other side? "Don't take too long. Jace is coming, I can sense her." They had no time, it was already time for goodbyes. "You can't see, can you? I'll see for you, then." Io sat down, laying Callisto's head against her lap, turning on the heaters so she could provide warmth for her sister.
"We're here, it's the ocean. The waves crashing on the rocks, the sun glimmering, getting ready to begin it's setting. The rippling of the water, the birds flying in their v formations, getting ready for winter's arrival. The fish leaping out of the water, as if copying the whales they see." There was so much to see, but Io would have to only hope Callisto could see it somehow. "I'm sorry for messing everything up, sis. That's all I was ever good at." This would be the only thing she didn't fail at. This whole thing was her fault... but Io was going to fix it now.
With a loving caress, she held her hand to Callisto's cheek. "I know, it hurts. It's okay. I'll end it now. I'm here until the end, sis." She took a deep breath, hand shaking. Why couldn't she do it? Why wasn't the blade coming out? "A-and I'll be fine! Even after you're gone, so don't worry about me. Everything will be fine."
Deep breath. Wipe away the tears that aren't there.
Blade extended, edge into flesh.
"Bye bye."
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❝I am the one who ruined me; I did it myself.❞
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#F54D70 ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #FF7256】
|| Dearly Beloved || Utada Hikaru ||
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#F54D70 ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #FF7256】
|| Dearly Beloved || Utada Hikaru ||
The white sheet shifted, hues of darkness edging into her vision. She could not see before her, the cancer had crept into her corneas, stealing her eyesight. The voice was unfamiliar, the sound far too loud. Callisto winced, she looked nothing like the strong, self-assured girl she was when she and Fina had, had their fight in the hospital forever ago. Now, it looked as though a too strong breeze would carry her away. "Io," Callisto had a feeling, she knew her sister lived in the body of an android. "Is... it... really... you?" She gasped, wishing her arm had the strength to reach upwards. A smile broke out on her lips, slow at first, taking over her features. "I... knew... you... would... come." Her lips trembled as she spoke, tears welling up in her unfocused eyes.
"Thank... you." Callisto whispered, swallowing hard. Her throat was sore from the tube that had been in it for almost two years.
The ocean? They were going to see the ocean? Callisto could just imagine it, glistening blue waves, stark white sand beaches, gulls that dotted the dunes. "I... remember..." Callisto smiled at the memory. Callisto had been laying awake in bed, staring numbly at the ceiling. In their bedroom, her parents were crying, going through plans A-Z. It was a routine appointment when Callisto's bloods came back strange, her hemoglobin had dropped and there was an increase in inflammation. At first, they thought it was an infection, but after several rounds of antibiotics, the Doctor noticed that she wasn't responding and sent her for further testing.
Under the scans, her body had lit up like a Christmas tree. That night, Metis had sneaked into their room. He was supposed to leave to the army soon. He had tip toed into the room and wrapped them in blankets, promising they would see the sea. They didn't get past the front gates of their community. Their hovercar had been stopped by the police, who had called their parents for being out past the curfew set for adolescents. They never made it to the beach and Metis left the next week, the day Callisto was to start treatment. She never saw Metis again, he was not given leave for her end stage, he would only be allowed to return for the funeral.
"One... day... he... will... see... it... too..." Callisto wheezed, struggling to breathe. It felt as though her lungs were being constricted, but Callisto would not complain. She could not see it, but she could hear it. The sounds of the city had faded, she could hear the waves crashing against the sands, the cry of the birds as they landed on the beach. Callisto smiled, it sounded beautiful. Io would be her eyes, her sister, always so generous and caring. Even when she tried to pretend that she hated her, even when she pushed Callisto away, she knew that Io would always take care of her. It was terribly selfish, wasn't it? Having someone she could always rely on.
"It... sounds... wonderful..." Callisto smiled, tears welling up in her eyes. "I... can... see... it... in... my... mind." It was vivid, painted brightly in beautiful hues that swelled across the landscape of her brain. This was it, her final moments. They weren't alone, while Mom and Dad were in the dining room, they were with Io, her precious sister. She would die the same way she had lived. "Io..." Callisto swallowed hard, trying to not cough. "Thank... you..."
Out of time.
The sound of a bullet rang across the sky, Callisto could feel the heavy metal press against the flesh of her skin. Suddenly it was gone, flung across the beach. "Don't you dare!" Jace screamed, her voice echoing across the open landscape. "Don't you lay a finger on her!" She sounded angry, no doubt her gray hair was practically crackling with furious electricity.
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❝I look into your eyes as tears begin to flow.❞
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#B21212 ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #1485CC】
|| Last Game|| Zwei ||
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#B21212 ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #1485CC】
|| Last Game|| Zwei ||
Aahh....
It could have been so beautiful.
"Watch out! She's here!" Fina warned loudly, an alarm bell ringing in her head loud enough to startle even the coldest of veterans. Callisto could have been free but the meddling robot got in the way again. For a moment, a wave of despair washed over Io as she watched her old enemy appear before her again, declaring foolish stupid ignorant things. Jace was here, the knife knocked away by a bullet. Io stood up, face carefully neutral. "Jace, this isn't Lita. Lita's gone, Grover killed her." There wasn't a Lita anymore, and Jace thought Io was the culprit here? "This is my twin sister. Callisto. She was the human inside Lita, and she begged me to end her." Her mouth curved downwards, set on her path even if it meant destruction.
Why was Jace here? Jace, the combat unit who didn't understand anything. It was only recently she learned the truth of this world and the position they were in. Was she not curious about the human inside of her as well? "My sister has cancer. She's going to die a slow horrible death, but I can spare her the pain and set her free. So don't get in the way." Whatever happened to the perfect ending? A peaceful rest, a final close? All because of this grey haired android who was attached to Lita for some odd reason that made no sense. "She's in agony just being alive. So don't get in the way, this is family business." She heard it in her mind, a question that she didn't want to answer. "But Minnie's in pain too, all the time. Would she be better off dead too?"
There was a difference of course. Minnie wasn't dying, she wasn't in this absolutely wretched state yet.
Well, it wasn't as if Io could win against Jace anyways, especially not like this. Wings outstretched, Io grabbed Callisto, flying out towards the sea. "Let's go, sis. You're almost free." With desperation Io flew, arms cradling Callisto, back mounted railgun firing bolts of electricity Jace's way to deter her from the chase. Out to the sea, towards the sun almost ready to begin to set, surrounded by waves and sparkling water splashes sprinkling their cheeks, splish splashing all around them. And then with a sudden nosedive, Io ducked them into the water, cold and chilly from winter soon to come, the weather changing with every moment.
Under the waves, Io gave Callisto a kiss on the forehead, the two sisters alone in the world now, buried under the rippling tides. Close your eyes and sleep forever, a peaceful end was Io's wish for her sister who had suffered so much for so long. "What's that? A strange car's signature is coming." A strange car? Io tried to ignore the stealth unit, focusing on her task of putting Callisto to rest, her sister draped in the white cloth Io had been wearing. "The registered owner is Metis. Your brother." Metis, what could he be doing here? Io missed him... but she couldn't let him get in her way.
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❝I am the one who ruined me; I did it myself.❞
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#F54D70 ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #FF7256】
|| Dearly Beloved || Utada Hikaru ||
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#F54D70 ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #FF7256】
|| Dearly Beloved || Utada Hikaru ||
Jace was infuriated by the presumptuous attitude of Fina, who did she think she was, stealing this human, then trying to kill her? This wasn't Lita, no, but it was who Lita had come from. In a way, this human and Lita were one in the same. "You're wrong!" Jace spat, "Lita isn't gone, she can be brought back!" That's right, binary code could store Lita's personality until it was embedded into a new unit. Lita could always be brought back, but if Fina killed Callisto, neither of them would ever return. "I don't care who you are or what she is to you. I was made to protect Lita and I will do my job if it kills me." She would not let Fina end her ward, she would not let Lita or Callisto die. "Callisto doesn't want to die, Lita was afraid, she was afraid of dying and being forgotten. Doesn't that mean Callisto is too?"
Callisto shivered. The warmth was gone, her head lay in the sand, the cold ocean wind whipping her pale hair across her face. A gull passed by her, the flap of its wings loud in her ears. A small smile splayed on her lips and her eyes closed. Callisto knew she didn't have long, Io was going to kill her on this very beach. Her fingers twitched, the sand was coarse beneath her. If only her twin knew how afraid she was, if only Callisto could tell her. She didn't want to die, she didn't want to go like this, alone and naked, with a robot for a sister. Callisto would have laughed if she had the energy. If only she had died when she was supposed to, in that hospital, with her wits still about her and dignity intact. Something grabbed her, roughly yanking her upwards. Callisto cried out in pain, the wind like needles against her skin.
"Io," Callisto whispered, voice hoarse, body trembling. "Please-" they plunged beneath the waves, the taste of salt filling her mouth. Water swelled into her nose, it stung her eyes, and she shivered. Callisto could not tell Io what she wanted. The white cloth that had been draped across her body clung to her, heavy with salt water. She thrashed, no longer able to breathe, her body crying for air, her lungs longing to take a breath. Compared to drowning, the knife would have been a kindness.
"Fina!" Jace screamed, plunging beneath the water. She ripped the android upwards, pulling her into the sky. She would dive after the human once she took care of the stealth unit. "You broke the android law, you hurt and killed humans. As a rogue unit, I'll take you down." Jace hissed, knowing she had no choice but to dismantle Fina, or at least incapacitate her until Dr. Grover could come and collect them.
Where had Io gone? She had abandoned her again. Alone, afraid, Callisto was no longer sinking. Slowly, she floated up to the surface, unable to turn herself, choking on seawater. It was painfully slow, the tide pushing her towards a secluded part of the beach, behind the outcropping of rocks. Her hair splayed around her, obscuring her vision, but Callisto managed to turn her head to the side and gasp, choking. Footsteps crunched on the sand, she was tired, her energy sapped with the effort of breathing. Callisto's eyes drifted shut, she had been asleep this long, a little more wouldn't hurt.
"Hey, are you alright?" Someone was shaking her awake. Gentle hands turned her over, they were warm. A gasp, Callisto opened her eyes, but it made no difference. "C-Calli?" His voice was choked, full of emotion. "Met...is...?" Callisto managed to gasp. His embrace was crushing. The wet shawl was peeled away, replaced with a towel. "Hang on, I'm gonna get us out of here." Metis looked up, there were two androids fighting on the other beach. If they had something to do with this, then he had to get away fast. He bundled his little sister up, making his way back to the car. "Don't worry, I'll take care of you. It's going to be alright now."
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❝Going around in circles, just bring it all to ruin.❞
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#B21212 ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #1485CC】
|| City of the Dead|| Eurielle ||
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#B21212 ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #1485CC】
|| City of the Dead|| Eurielle ||
What did Jace know? Jace wasn't Callisto's twin, Jace didn't have to watch as the twin with all the talent and potential wasted away on a hospital bed hooked up to endless medicines and machines while the worthless sister was given the gift of a healthy body. Jace didn't have to smell the sterile scent every time she tried to visit her slowly dying sister. Jace didn't have to hear the unspoken pleas to let the sisters switch spots, parents begging for Io to be the sick one and Callisto to be healthy. Jace thought she could speak, but Jace knew nothing of the truth. "Sorry, but I'm not Fina. I'm Io, and I'm human." Humans did not have to abide by the android code, she was free to act as she pleased. "This has nothing to do with you, meddler, so just stay away."
Callisto was safe and away in the sea, drifting off to death and freedom from that cursed body, from that cursed existence. Her job was done, all Io had to do now was fulfill her promise to Fina. "Don't let Jace win here." Fina reminded her, most definitely sounding agitated. "I have to see Minnie one last time. Please. I can't disappear without saying goodbye." Was it love, or was it just fake? Io didn't know, Io didn't care. Right now she needed to focus on stalling Jace for five minutes so that Callisto could properly drown. "The android doesn't always share everything the human does. Fina doesn't want to be here, but I very much do." For example, of course. "Fina tried so hard to stop me from taking control." But in the end Fina had no choice but to hand it over, and now Io's hands were bloodied by the lives she stole for her desperate desire to grant Callisto's wish for death.
"You can show Jace." Fina reminded her and Io grit her metallic teeth. Fine, if that was what it took because Jace was an enemy Io couldn't beat, not without preparation for it first. "Here. Remember Fina and Lita's private talk after the Roderick Reiss business?" A screen appeared on her wrist, revealing that talk way back then, where Callisto told Io the truth of the situation, that she was prepared and ready and wishing for death to take her away, the bitterness of being forced to entertain the masses as a will-less puppet. "We don't have to fight. Just let her pass away as she wishes." The longer they wasted here, the less time Fina would have with Minnie before it was time to return to Dr. Grover and be dismantled forever. The unfortunate truth was that an android couldn't exist independently of Dr. Grover. Without her forgiveness there was no going back.
And Dr. Grover doesn't forgive.
There, the five minutes required for a human to drown was up. Io went limp for a moment as she realized that for the second time, she was all alone again. With that it was easy for Fina to take over. "Stealth Field Activate." Fina whispered and she became invisible, undetectable. This way Jace wouldn't be able to give chase. It was time to return to Minnie's side.
"Wait.
Where's Metis?"
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❝I am the one who ruined me; I did it myself.❞
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#F54D70 ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #FF7256】
|| Dearly Beloved || Utada Hikaru ||
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#F54D70 ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #FF7256】
|| Dearly Beloved || Utada Hikaru ||
Jace didn't know what to do. With this information in mind, she watched as Io switched, turning into Fina and quickly disappearing. "Go, go to your Master." Jace whispered, hands balling into fists. Jace would return to Dr. Grover, she no longer had a place here, she would need a new assignment, a new charge to protect. Perhaps she would be dismantled, like Lita had been, maybe even permanently put on the shelf for failing to protect the one thing that mattered most to her. The combat unit sunk into the sand, warm against her synthetic skin. There were tears in her eyes, welling up and running down her cheeks. Was this love? Did Jace love Lita?
"Your hair," Metis whispered, fingering a strand. They were in an ER on the edge of the city, a private hospital no one who knew them would be at. "It's turned white," could she hear him? Metis hoped so. She hadn't so much as shifted when the nurse accessed the port in her chest, or the Doctor had done is examination. Already they had taken blood, they had done X-rays and the prognosis was grim. They were waiting for a bed to free up on the oncology floor and for a space to clear in the OR. They were going to delay it, they would do everything they could to wipe as much of the cancer out as possible. There were new treatments, new therapies that could be used to slow it down. "Metis?" An Oncologist asked, knocking on the door. He rose to shake the Doctor's hand, the two of them sitting back own with the full MRI and Xray report. "The cancer has spread in masses over the body, it's been piling up inside of the lungs, kidneys, eyes, and liver. Thankfully, it hasn't effected the bone or brain yet."
He nodded, chewing on his lip. "It's going to be a very long surgery and there isn't going to be much time in between chemo for recovery. It's going to be a very long, hard road from here, but I think, after the chemo and radiation are over, your sister should have at least a few more years." That was it? Brutal treatment only for a handful of years? His hands balled into fists, he looked down at the floor, knowing he had to make a hard decision. Let her go onto hospice now, or give her time?
"Do it," he whispered, the Oncologist rising to his feet with a nod. "I'll let the anesthesiologist know you're ready."
"Me...tis?" Callisto gasped, the rush of oxygen in her lungs from the nasal cannula very much welcome. He rushed to her side, taking one of her hands. "It's me Callisto, it's me, I'm here." He held her hand against her chest, cradling it carefully. "Where...?" Speaking sent her into a fit of painful coughs. "You're in a hospital, you're safe now." He stroked her hair, knowing that in a week or two, it would all be gone. "Io?" Callisto whispered, breaking out into a it of coughs. "Hey, it's okay," Metis pat her back lightly as she went limp, wondering if she knew that Io was still missing. Unless... Could Callisto know where their missing sister was?
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❝Going around in circles, just bring it all to ruin.❞
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#B21212 ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #1485CC】
|| City of the Dead|| Eurielle ||
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#B21212 ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #1485CC】
|| City of the Dead|| Eurielle ||
There she was, so pretty, so mesmerizing, the angel of the rose garden with her silver hair and pretty fingers and eyes that could look into your soul. Minnie Reiss was here and how could anyone turn their eyes away, no less Fina herself, the one most enraptured by the Requiem Angel? She landed in the rose garden at the back of the flock, Minnie was there in her white dress counting the roses. "Fina? What are you doing here?" The angel wiped at her eye in surprise - was she crying? Fina did not know, but if she was then it would be over now. "Jarvis said you wouldn't be back." But she was back, that Jarvis, always causing trouble. "I'm here now." Fina whispered, grasping Minnie's warm hands with her own cold polycarbon ones.
Was it possible? Could an android and a human really.... really connect? Was it all in vain and Fina was just a bunch of processes and numbers? Io, if Io was here then she would tell her to stop thinking about useles thing and focus on the one thing that matters. But now that she was here it was so hard to keep her mind from racing and thinking about everything else, anything but the girl looking at her with the softest eyes any human could have. "Are you... in trouble? Fina, if you're in danger, I'm sure we can work together to solve it!" The smell of the roses was strong, the sensation of the scent ever so vibrant. "Please, don't worry about it, I'm not leaving you. Minnie, I-" She flinched, the lie detector going off. Androids could not lie to humans. She froze, numbers restricting her ability to speak.
And Minnie, perceptive girl she was, of course she knew what that meant. Her eyes shook a little but then she grasped Fina's hands harder. "Is there nothing we can do? Are we useless to change it?" Was there nothing they could do before Grover came for the end? The wind was blowing, the breeze dancing a little shape around the two girls but Fina could hardly notice it. Fina couldn't lie, the stealth unit unable to think of anything to say that wasn't just a lie. Minnie nodded gravely, never tearing her eyes away from her android friend. "I'm sorry. I came back, and still I can't even.... I'm just like Io, I'm so useless-"
"No."
Minnie's eyes burned with passion and Fina could almost see angelic wings wrapping around her body. "In the end, everyone dies. My mom will die one day just like her mother before her, and I'll die some day too. Io's died, and so has Callisto. And so too do androids meet their maker." Her hands like a vice, entrapping and Fina could not pull away. "It doesn't matter if we've lived happy lives or if we find ourselves torn apart by those who made us. In the end, we all die."
And then there it was, that small sweet smile that could change the world. "But does that mean our lives were meaningless? Does that mean we can't have any meaning? No, of course not!" Short as she was, tiny and frail as she was, Minnie's presence completely overwhelmed Fina, who was trapped by that loving innocent gaze. "Just by drawing breath, we can change the world. As long as we're here, we can do something, even the smallest things. Because it's those smallest things that have the most meaning. It's not the end, because you're still here. Even if I can't save you, you'll always have meaning."
Even the smallest things? Fina understood Io. She wouldn't have any regrets like Io did.
"Minnie, I love you."
A sad teary smile, a shake of the head. Rejection.
"I know. I'm sorry."
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❝I am the one who ruined me; I did it myself.❞
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#F54D70 ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #FF7256】
|| Dearly Beloved || Utada Hikaru ||
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#F54D70 ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #FF7256】
|| Dearly Beloved || Utada Hikaru ||
The surgery took hours, but it went smoothly. The leading doctor was a friend of Metis's from the military, who had gotten out of the service and had transferred to the hospital. "Metis," they shook hands, the Doctor still wearing his scrubs. "How is she?" Metis asked, the two of them sitting down in the waiting area. "We managed to remove majority of the tumors, which cleared the airway and is allowing the kidneys to function. Unfortunately, your sister's eyes could not be salvaged, but we had a donor come in at just the right time. Whether it'll take or not is another thing. I tried to keep the scar small, but unfortunately, we had to do a lot more work than originally planned once we opened her up. I also had to replace the power port and we switched out the G button for a J, which will help with nausea in the long term once chemo starts." Metis nodded, nails digging into the armrests. "The cancer was everywhere, I've never seen a person live with so much of it in their body." At that, Metis smiled, his sister had always been a fighter.
"We've transferred her to the PICU for now, just so the nurses can keep a close eye, but it will probably be a while until she wakes up." They shook hands once more, Metis thanking the surgeon sincerely. He headed up to see her, but someone had already beat him to it. "I've finally found you," a girl with short gray hair was standing beside the bed. Metis drew his gun, panic rising in his throat. "Get away from her!" Something fired at him, knocking the gun from his hands. No, nothing had fired, in the blink of an eye, she had closed in on him, wrapping his arm around his back in a painful maneuver. "Who are you? Why did you take her?" Was this who had kidnapped his sister? An android?
"Let go of me or I'll call security."
"I've already taken the liberty of silencing them." Not killed of course, just knocked out. "Who are you?"
"Jace, combat unit Project PRO, assigned to protect Lita at all costs."
"Lita!? That's not even her-" Lita, that name was familiar. The image of a girl with pink hair dancing across a stage to a ridiculous girlish tune filled his head. "Callisto is Lita?" Jace released him and Metis sunk to the floor, the android closed and locked the door behind him. "What did you do to her? Why is she so broken?" Jace demanded, rounding the bed once more. Callisto was fast asleep, still intubated, bandages wrapped across her body and a heavy blanket put over her to keep out the cold. "I had to, it was the only way to save her." Something struck him then, a realization. "You don't know what cancer is, do you?"
"Of course I know!" Jace snapped, but double checked her syntax for the definition anyhow. "Io claimed she was related to her too."
"Yes, Io is her twin." This android didn't understand genetics or human affliction, it wasn't her job. She wasn't a med bot or a nursing unit, she was built for combat. "Why would a combat unit be assigned to protect Lita and not a Security Bot?"
"Because Lita is the only one of her kind. There is only one Project Xena," that was of course, because Project Xena was based on Callisto herself. No one else would fit the criteria. "I assume you're here to silence me and take my sister back to whatever hole you crawled out of?"
"No," Metis's brows raised in surprise. He inched towards his gun as Jace sat herself gingerly on the mattress, surprisingly light. "I intend to protect her with my dying breath." He sighed and bent over to pick his gun up, unlocking the door. "That's my intention too. Now I just need to find Io."
"I know where she is."
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❝Going around in circles, just bring it all to ruin.❞
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#B21212 ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #1485CC】
|| City of the Dead|| Eurielle ||
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#B21212 ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #1485CC】
|| City of the Dead|| Eurielle ||
So Fina explained everything to Minnie, about how Io slowly grew stronger and stronger within her, about how Io and Callisto had their private talk where Callisto admitted her wish to die. About how they were taken in to Android Jail and made to be erased one by one until their human selves could no longer awaken inside of the androids that their minds were uploaded to. They were in dire straights now - what could they do? Fina decided to try her hardest to live because just like Minnie said - as long as she was alive, she could do something. However with Io gone it wasn't as if violence would work this time. Killing or harming Dr. Grover in any way would be futile - if they were going to attack it would have to be some other way.
But how could they, just the two of them, do anything? Even if they enlisted Dane's help too, Dane was just a sheep, he wouldn't be able to do anything. And Jarvis would remain neutral, loyal only to Lady Reiss most likely. Fina wasn't sure what to do, but they had to do something. "Should we get Jace's help? She seemed willing to cooperate." Fina asked, remembering how Jace ceded and allowed Fina to escape the beach and go meet Minnie here. Jace lost Lita, Io lost Callisto, and Fina was afraid that one of her or Minnie might end up lost as well. "I don't know." Minnie's voice was soft, but her eyes were hard as she tried to think of a game plan. "She might not care about you enough to try to save you, especially now that her charge is gone." That's true - Jace probably wasn't someone they could count on.
The night was cold, and they couldn't stay here in the rose garden forever. "Hide and charge for now, Fina." Minnie decided, letting go of their interlocked fingers. "I have to go back to my room now. Can you meet me there in five minutes? It's probably safest for just me to know where you are right now." Fina nodded, whispering the words to go into Stealth Mode for the time being. Ten percent battery - could she connect to the power without Lady Reiss finding out? "Is it really okay for you to work with me?" Couldn't it put the angel in danger? Minnie smiled, sweet and beautiful. "You saved me from Dr. Grover before, and I want to save you too." But even now, she looked exhausted. It was selfish to get her involved, but Fina couldn't help it, she didn't want to disappear without at least seeing her again.
In the charging port, she heard footsteps approaching her old room. The door opened - Lady Reiss was here, distinguishable by her white hat even in the shadows. "I'm assuming that's you who's plugged into the power grid. Welcome back, Fina. Have you made your decision?" It was pointless to try to hide herself from Lady Reiss, wasn't it? "Stealth Field Deactivate." Fina commanded, revealing her presence. "I can't disappear yet! Minnie needs me, so even if it's against my code, maybe..." Frantic desperation was clear in her eyes, but could a robot even feel? Was it even real? "Well isn't the road forward obvious, my dear?" Lady Reiss's smile was nowhere near as comforting as Minnie's. "We have to expose the truth of androids to the world!"
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❝I am the one who ruined me; I did it myself.❞
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#F54D70 ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #FF7256】
|| Dearly Beloved || Utada Hikaru ||
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#F54D70 ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #FF7256】
|| Dearly Beloved || Utada Hikaru ||
Dr. Grover smiled as she pet the head of the new Project Xena, her skin glimmering under the vibrant fluorescent lights. Blue hair glistened, shiny and new, magenta eyes open, ready to be uploaded with sentient thoughts. All that was missing was one thing; Callisto. Where, oh where, had her Lita gone? "Find them," Dr. Grover had ordered, placing a blanket over the new Xena Unit. "Jace is probably with Callisto, I'm sure the missing stealth unit, Fina is at Reiss's Residence. Bring them to me," a new body for Callisto, this is what Io had wanted all along, wasn't it? Dr. Grover pushed her glasses up the bridge of her nose. She had a new plan for Xena, to make certain these accidents didn't happen again. Callisto and Lita would be one in the same, this would be Callisto's new body.
~
Her eyes opened gradually, the familiar beep of machines almost comforting. Air was forced in and out of her lungs and her vision was still blurry. "You're awake!" Metis rose to his feet, he had sent Jace away to the cafeteria, secretly hoping Callisto would awaken and hear only him. Her head lolled to the side to hear his voice, the muscles in her body severely atrophied. Something beeped and Metis ran to get a nurse, who returned with a Doctor. Together, they removed the intubation tube and replaced it with a regular oxygen cannula. Callisto coughed, both relieved and in pain. The nurse pressed a few buttons and took her leave. They had already started the first dose of chemo, a smell clear bag of liquid with a yellow label. It dripped slowly, another bag with dark, crimson fluid, an iron infusion. The third bag was a lactated ringer, full of hydration fluid and the fourth, an opaque, milky white.
Tubes filled her, both a PICC line and her port being accessed, her tube being fed while she slept and a catheter to drain bodily fluids. "Metis?" Callisto asked, taking her first full breath in a long time. He ran to be beside her, holding her hand, squeezing it tightly. "I'm here," he whispered, stroking her hair off of her forehead. "It hurts," she whispered, choking up. "I know," he whispered, holding her hand. "It's going to hurt for a while, but you're gonna get better. The Doctors promised, okay?"
"Jace? Where's Jace? And Fina? I-I have a concert."
"Shh, shh, you're delirious." Callisto began to cough, it was too much at once. Metis grabbed the pain pump, pushing the pain to administer the medicine that would settle her down. Jace returned, totting two cups of coffee and a bag of takeout food. The android hurried to set it down, practically running to the bedside. "She's confused, she thinks she's Lita."
"Callisto is Lita, Lita is Callisto. They're one in the same," Jace replied. "The same way Io is Fina and Fina is Io." Jace knelt beside the bed, watching as Callisto settled. "I won't let anyone hurt you, Lita." Jace whispered as Callisto fell back to sleep.
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❝Going around in circles, just bring it all to ruin.❞
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#B21212 ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #1485CC】
|| City of the Dead|| Eurielle ||
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#B21212 ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #1485CC】
|| City of the Dead|| Eurielle ||
The Gamma Disk. A disk with the Gamma Prototype for the androids, blueprints for the precursor to what they now had available. "If you can find it, you'll have irrevocable proof that Dr. Grover has been using children to power her androids." Lady Reiss advised her as they made the plan. Ziplining down the wall, the moon high in the sky providing almost a comforting light. "Where are you, Io?" Was she even still there? Ever since Callisto's death the human inside her really has been gone. It was just like the beginning now - Fina would have to complete her mission alone. And yet it felt a bit lonely in a way that didn't make sense. "I'll be waiting right outside, so be careful, Fina." Dane's worried eyes never leaving her.
The GENOS Factory was the goal. Fina found it a bit strange though - she could bypass the limitation just a tiny bit when it came to harming humans. As long as it was nonlethal, she could do whatever was necessary. The car's signal, registered to an anonymous ID that had hacked the registry, Dane was close by. He would be the escape for this mission. "No matter what, you have to come home." Minnie's gentle frown, knuckles white as she clutched at the fabric of Fina's robes. The window was easy to pry open and slip through. Stealth Field was activated, battery power strong. "I can do this. I'm not useless." She couldn't be useless, she had to show that she was better than the human used to give birth to her own self as an android.
Slipping through the security, Fina knew she had to do her job. Just like how Minnie had to do her job working on the album for Mr. Charles Palladion, one of Dazzle Delight's producers. Hand to the neck, foot into the leg, another guard down. "Be careful"! Minnie's voice was full of caution. "It's dangerous, don't get in too many fights, Fina!" The line crackled a bit as it pierced the Stealth Field, but the signal was still strong enough to transmit. "It'll be fine." Fina assured her, not wanting Minnie to see her as weak and incapable. Infiltration was her specialty, there was no way this could go wrong.
Eventually Jarvis finished hacking the mainframe of the factory via proxy set up by Fina. "The Gamma Disk should be marked on your map. Head there now." The home care Unit instructed and Fina nodded, rushing along the dotted line of the factory map downloaded into her ocular interface. Was it wrong to go against her maker like this? Was it wrong to reveal the truth of themselves to the world and get Grover deposed. And there it was, the disk retrieved with the evidence of using orphan children in these experiments. "Get out now, there's another android in there." Dane's voice crackled on the line. A shadow moved in the door's entrance to escape this room. Someone was here.
Fina grit her teeth, still invisible in her stealth, ready to clash.
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❝I am the one who ruined me; I did it myself.❞
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#F54D70 ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #FF7256】
|| Dearly Beloved || Utada Hikaru ||
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#F54D70 ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #FF7256】
|| Dearly Beloved || Utada Hikaru ||
The toxic life saving liquid dripped slowly into her veins. It made Callisto sick to her stomach as she watched it, her brother making the decision for her. In truth, it was a relief, knowing she wouldn't have to die so soon, but on the other hand, Callisto almost wished she had never woken up. Sometimes Callisto was confused about who and where she was, sometimes she thought she was Lita and had the urgency to leave, knowing that she was late for an interview or a concert. Jace sat by her side, like a faithful dog waiting for her master to get up and be full of life. Metis too, stayed close by, watching her chest rise and fall when she slept and niggling the nurses when they forgot a dose of pain meds or if Callisto needed her bandages changed to prevent infection.
For the most part, she slept. The chemo and radiation drained the energy out of her and when awake, with her new eyes, she could see light and shadow. Still, most of her waking moments were ones spent in confusion. Callisto was not herself and even if the cancer had not effected her brain, it was clear she no longer had her wits about her. Still, ever faithful, Metis and Jace remained close. Jace only ever recharged when Callisto was asleep and Metis hardly slept through the nights on the small guest couch. Sometimes he would leave only to shower and get food, but those reprieves were far and few between. One time, Callisto had fallen asleep after a particularly bad fit and he and Jace had decided it would be safe to go to the cafeteria.
"I think she's getting better," Jace said confidently as she bought two puddings and a can of soda. Metis got coffee and a pastry, something he could wolf down on the way back up. "I hope so," he whispered, the two of them continuing in silence until they reached the room. "Someone's here," Jace dropped the pudding, jumping in front of him. The door was open, something was off. The window had been opened, sitting on one of the chairs, surrounded by an armada of combat and security units, was Dr. Grover. "Who are you?" Metis growled, grabbing the hilt of his gun. "Uh-uh," Dr. Grover tsked, waggling a finger. She rose, rounding the bed, placing a hand on Callisto's chest. "You wouldn't want to wake the sleeping princess, would you?" She turned towards the combat unit. "Jace, I'm disappointed, here you were the entire time with Project XENA and you failed to report."
"What is she talking about? Jace?" Metis demanded, his grip on the hilt tightening. Jace balled her hands into fists, clearly warring with herself.
"Dr. Grover, head of GENOS Labs and I'm afraid you're in breech of contract, Metis." She smiled pleasantly, producing a holo screen for him to see. His eyes widened, a last will and testament. "You see, your sister, not this one of course, very kindly donated herself and Callisto to my lab for experimental treatment."
"Bull."
"I'm afraid it's quite true. Callisto here belongs to me, body and soul and her being here is in direct violation of terms. In fact, I could have you arrested right now for taking her from GENOS." His hands balled into fists, Metis was a man of the law, but this was his sister! "Io, what did you do?"
Jace glowered at the ground, no doubt having already known all of this. "Jace, if you would do the honors."
"I'm sorry, this is going to hurt," she made it swift, using her palms and heel of her hand to knock Metis out. He collapsed like a rock, the sound making Callisto stir. "Mama? Daddy?" She asked frantically, attempting to sit up. "Shh, shh, it's alright, I'm here now." Dr. Grover soothed, brushing back the sparse hair that remained from Callisto's forehead. "No," the child whispered in terror, "please, no."
"It's time to come home."
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❝Going around in circles, just bring it all to ruin.❞
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#B21212 ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #1485CC】
|| City of the Dead|| Eurielle ||
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#B21212 ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #1485CC】
|| City of the Dead|| Eurielle ||
"Fina, do you have the Gamma Disk?" Minnie asked into the transceiver. Fina remained silent, waiting patiently for the shadow to reveal itself, the disk already safely stored into her chest compartment. In the end though, the shadowy figure vanished - whatever it was, it wasn't here for a fight. She was still in her Stealth Field so no one could detect her, in or out. "I have it. It's here." Fina affirmed, patting at the chest compartment. Now she just had to get in and out before it was too late. "Then you need to get out now." Dane's voice crackled in. "Um, y'know, Dr. Grover's coming back. Her car's heading in on my radar." Well that was news for everyone. Dr. Grover - what was she planning? She had to be up to something, some strategy to make a new Lita. And of course she wasn't going to make it easy for Fina to just get away.
The three fell silent, waiting for the strategy from their leader, Lady Reiss herself. It didn't take long for her to give the orders. "Dane, leave the area, it's too dangerous for you now, my dear." Fina could imagine her white hat already on her silver throne in at the Flock. How were the other children? No, don't get distacted, this is a mission and it's of absolute importance. If she failed... Minnie would cry, wouldn't she? Because... "Gotcha. Stay safe, Fina. You better come back home!" Fina heard the engine, Dane would be leaving safely then. "Fina, find another way out. But if possible, gather information on Dr. Grover before you leave." The Stealth Unit already had an idea on how to do it. "Affirmative. I'm on it."
Escaping through the same window, Fina remained in Stealth Mode. 60% battery, she was strong enough to last quite a while longer if she needed to. The car was rolling in with Dr. Grover's bio-signature clearly transmitted to her. "Target spotted." She reported, honing her senses onto the vehicle. She could sense two heat signatures that signified a human. The first was obviously Doctor Grover. The second was...
was...
Why? Why was Callisto there? Why was she alive? In an instant Io snapped awake and stole away control, shoving Fina back to the side. "Io? What are you doing? Why are you back?" Io grit her teeth, fists shaking as she readied her weapons. She spread her wings, flying out and aimed her railgun at the car. "I'm setting Callisto free! I won't fail this time!" She couldn't keep screwing up, she couldn't keep being a failure that couldn't do anything right. It was her job to save Callisto from the evil Grover - if Io couldn't do it, if Io couldn't fulfill her promise then - then-
What good was she? Why was she even alive? What right did she have to be born? She could never do anything right in her life before, but this was her one chance to do something, to prove that she could help Callisto and repay her debt.
She had no choice but to succeed.
The railgun blasted, aiming to destroy the vehicle and everyone inside of it by blowing up the engine and sending them all into an infernal end.
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❝I am the one who ruined me; I did it myself.❞
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#F54D70 ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #FF7256】
|| Dearly Beloved || Utada Hikaru ||
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#F54D70 ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #FF7256】
|| Dearly Beloved || Utada Hikaru ||
Inside of every android was a fail safe. It didn't matter if their human counterpart took over, Dr. Grover had prepared for this. No android could hurt her, no android could ever even think to try, because if they so much as aimed themselves at her, they would forcefully shut down. It was a program that was simply and aptly named, Safety Protocol 1. With this in mind, Dr. Grover never had to fear being injured by a stray android or failing mechanical piece, because they could not lay a finger on her. As such, the rail gun missed their convoy by mere inches, the ground beside them rumbling. The car picked up speed, heading into the underground garage and disappearing from sight. With the safety protocol activated, Io/Fina would have shut down.
"Let's begin setting up," Dr. Grover clapped her hands together. The chemo was still running, but that was a measure they could do in the lab. The tank that Callisto had previously occupied was empty and sparkling clean, waiting for her to return. "Don't put me back in there," Callisto begged weakly. "My dear, I have a very pleasant surprise in store, I'm sure you're going to love it." Dr. Grover assured her as Jace looked on, rather perturbed by the whole thing. It would be erased from her database of course, but for now, she was allowed to watch as an anesthetic was applied and Callisto's death grip on her fingers weakened until she was fast asleep. They worked quickly, hooking up wires and tubes until the human looked more robotic than the android did. Once connected, she slid into the tank, where more wires were attached and an ominous blue liquid filled it.
An undetermined amount of time passed, monitors beeped on and off, medicine needed adjusting, food needed to be connected, and waste collected. The light in the room had been dimmed, but Jace could still clearly see the outline of the floating body, thin, fragile, like an ice chip that was being picked away at. She rose, feeling sick, something she had never felt before. Protectiveness welled up inside of her, but this was only natural. "Ah, Jace, we've been working all night, come with me." Dr. Grover said pleasantly, eagerly. They walked past several security barriers, everyone seemed to be a bit on edge because of the disturbance Fina/Io had caused. The room they entered was small, there wasn't enough room for everyone working within, but somehow, they managed. She was sitting up, her eyes a sparkling pink, her hair vibrant blue. "Lita," Jace breathed, relieved that her charge was back.
"Not exactly," Dr. Grover smiled, "Jace, meet Lita 2.0, Callisto."
Callisto looked up slowly, growing used to this new body. She blinked, her head spinning as the optic nerve sensors swerved in and out of focus, settling on Jace. "I did make a promise to your sister and I'm a woman of my word. Callisto, consider yourself cured." Of course, there was a term, there were rules, Callisto was owned by Dr. Grover, she was Lita now, whether she wanted to be or not. Jace stalked forward silently, humans jumping out of the way for the combat unit, who took one of Lita-er-Callisto's? Hands in her own. "I will protect you with my life," she whispered, dropping the hand and wrapping her arms around the new unit. "Why?" Callisto asked, swallowing hard as her voice trembled. "You don't even know me."
"Yes I do, because you and Lita are the same." The idol unit swayed, falling sideways, it seemed being up so quickly had taken its toll. Jace carefully adjusted Callisto back onto the table, aligning the sensors and charger. "She isn't going to be used to it the first few weeks, maybe month or two. You're going to need to keep a constant watch." Jace nodded, knowing what undertaking this responsibility meant. "For obvious reasons, we can't go on calling her Lita. We need a new name, something that sparkles, something that screams idol."
"Cali," Jace replied quietly. "We should call her Cali."
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❝Going around in circles, just bring it all to ruin.❞
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#B21212 ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #1485CC】
|| City of the Dead|| Eurielle ||
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#B21212 ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #1485CC】
|| City of the Dead|| Eurielle ||
In a dark room in a dark place with her limbs locked in a large machine Io awoke. She was being suppressed… and her head felt empty. Empty in that she was alone, there was no sign of Fina at all. She had failed, her body shut down during the critical moment and she had failed Callisto again. Now her twin sister was going to have to keep suffering, all thanks to her. A failure, that was all Io would ever be. Why did she even bother trying to save Callisto? Of course someone like her wouldn’t be able to do it! A strange person was there – no, it was an android. Watching her. Then the android smiled. “If you’re wondering where Fina is, we’ve locked her away for the time being. We want to speak to you, Io.”
Dressed in dark clothing, this android’s voice was far too familiar. The cool female voice on the administrative network system, that was this android’s voice. "Hymnos.” Io murmured, the name was always there on the interface when booting up each morning. ‘You are now connected to the Hymnos Network.’ Every android saw it and every android was a part of it. Io just didn’t’ know Hymnos was an actual android as well. “Yes. That is my name. I am Hymnos. I am the Administrative Unit.” The highest-ranking android, and Dr. Grover’s biggest secret.
“Please tell me why you have tried to attack Dr. Grover.”
Tried to attack? As if it was that simple! "She was taking my sister away again. Callisto just wants to die, why does Grover have to go back for her?” Io tried to tear her limbs out of the vices restricting them but she couldn’t, they were sapping away at her strength. “Please, don’t pretend this is some prison. In fact, you should be thankful. Don’t you know the opportunities Dr. Grover is giving us worthless humans?”
Opportunities? In life? There was no such thing. Io refused to believe it – it was just an eternal torture, a nightmare you couldn’t wake up from. That’s why Black Jack was always so miserable, that’s why Io wished to die each time she awoke. Callisto too begged for the sweet release of death. "What good is there? We’re just puppets to be toyed with. You know the truth, why are you on her side?” Hymnos smiled eerily, her sharp green eyes almost like a fanatical light.
“Look at you, speaking as if you understand the world when you know nothing.” She stepped closer, using graceful movements even Protect XENA couldn’t yet do. “Humans like us would be doomed to live useless lives, doing nothing but toiling in our own messes and drowning in self pity every time it goes wrong. We were worthless.” The smile was both kind and unnerving and Io’s glare only grew stronger. Was this what she looked like back when she espoused the wonders of Lady Reiss’s cult teachings? “Dr. Grover took pity on us and offered us purpose. A reason to live. A reason to exist. She gave us meaning when there was none.”
The smile was full of warmth, a kind of intense fervor that was only terrifying to Io. “You’ve become smarter since being an android. You can read now when before words made no sense. You can even find love, if you let Fina become you and continue bonding with Minnie Reiss. Don’t you see? You can be happy.”
Happy?
What a joke.
"There’s no such thing as happiness! Not for me, not for Callisto! This is just slavery, and you’re blind to it all!” Io wasn’t going to fall for this trick again. She made the mistake of trusting others once, that was never going to happen again. “Dr. Grover can even fix your fear of happiness. She can fix everything, if only you give in.”
Hymnos gave her a loving hug. Io wanted to vomit if robot bodies could. “You don’t have to be a sheep anymore. You can grow to your full potential.”
“All you have to do is give in.”
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❝I am the one who ruined me; I did it myself.❞
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#F54D70 ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #FF7256】
|| Dearly Beloved || Utada Hikaru ||
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#F54D70 ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #FF7256】
|| Dearly Beloved || Utada Hikaru ||
Her eyes opened slowly, taking in the sights of the room. It was big, with glass walls, familiar. The bed was more of a table really, with slots for resting. It glowed, spreading warmth into her limbs, making her feel light as a feather. It was strange, seeing with her own eyes again, hearing with her own ears. Well, not really her own, but close enough to it. "You're awake," the voice was familiar and when her eyes settled on the form of the gray haired girl, her name flickered in the top right of Callisto's eyes. "Jace," the name tasted right, it made her feel safe. This girl had been by Lita's side the entire time. She was a friend, or at least, Callisto thought so. "You were configuring all night," Jace walked closer to the table, there was a bundle of clothing folded up in her arms.
"Dr. Grover should be here soon to finish the adjustments," Jace said, placing the clothing on the table beside the bed. "I'm not Lita," Callisto breathed, wiggling her fingers. It felt so good to move, to sit up on her own. It was so fluid, she could sit up as though it were nothing. "I know," Jace replied, her response oddly gentle. The door hissed open as Dr. Grover entered, two assistants flanking her side. "Fully charged I see," she smiled. "Just a few more tweaks and you'll be good to go." A port popped open on the back of her neck, a wire connecting to her database. Words and numbers scrolled across her eyes, things began to feel lighter. "No," Callisto whispered, "No! What are you doing!" She lunged, but Jace grabbed her throat, pushing her back down into a laying position on the table.
"There, there, this will make it easier for you to perform your duties." Faces flashed before her eyes, familiar, then not. Lita, Fina, Lady Reiss, Minnie, they were all gone. Callisto blinked slowly and when she opened her eyes once more, she felt strange, as though she was coming into an unfamiliar world. The entirety of the last few years was gone from her mind, Io breaking her out, Metis recovering her body on the beach, the surgery in the hospital, all of it gone. The last thing Callisto remembered was the hospital, her fight with Io, believing she was going to die all alone.
Callisto gasped as she sat up, spluttering. The wire disconnected, coiling back up into the table. A light within her chest glowed, pulsating once, twice, before returning back to its normal, ivory color. "Good morning," the woman standing before her smiled, placing her holo board down. There were others in the room, a girl with gray hair watching dully. "Welcome to your new life, Callisto."
"Where am I?"
"You're in GENOS labs."
"What did you do to me?"
"I gave you purpose." The woman stepped closer, Callisto recoiled as she reached out, stroking her hair. "I freed you, gave you a body that you could live in once more." She touched Callisto's shoulders, "doesn't that sound nice?" A white robe was tied around her, covering her body. "You wanted to live, didn't you? You cried to die, but you were scared. This was what you really wanted, wasn't it?"
Callisto was silent.
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❝Going around in circles, just bring it all to ruin.❞
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#B21212 ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #1485CC】
|| City of the Dead|| Eurielle ||
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#B21212 ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #1485CC】
|| City of the Dead|| Eurielle ||
"The truth is, Io, we don't want to have to erase you." Hymnos spoke, her transparent hair almost glowing in the dim light of the room. Where was this? Her mind registered it as the bottom floor of GENOS Labs. What a joke. Why wouldn't they want to erase her? "You're a pet project, you're one of the most useless humans and we put you into one of the most capable android bodies. You can do so much - it would be a shame to get rid of you and find a replacement to fill the shell." The human mind powered and sourced the android's identity and sense of self. Lita was born of Callisto just like how Fina was born of Io. "That's all I am. I want to see Callisto." Io gnashed her teeth, wondering if it'd be better just to be allowed to die, to be erased. Maybe if she kept fighting she'd be allowed to die.
Hymnos shook her head and inched closer, hugging Io. "You have worth now, so don't think things like that." How did she - oh right. Hymnos was the Administrative Unit, the one in charge of the entire network they were connected to. "Why do you get to assign my worth? Why can't I choose it of my own?" She couldn't even save Callisto who begged for sweet release. The failure sister could remember the pleading desperation in her eyes. But now Io would probably never get another chance. She was a failure. She was good for nothing. She didn't even have the right to call herself Io. "It hurts, doesn't it?" Hymnos was full of compassion, and Io did not want to accept it. "You're so burdened by everything that you can't even function. Callisto will be happy with us with the purpose we gave her, if only you could accept that."
"I have to save her from you monsters." Io murmured, voice faltering. She had to stay strong and true to her purpose. She had to ignore anything Hymnos was trying to tell her, even if it was impossible to disconnect from the network. "Every time you have tried to save her, you only caused her more suffering, Io." Hymnos looked tearful as she spoke, hands to her chest. "If you truly cared for her, you would give up." What? Give up? Did this Admin really think Io would just give up on her twin sister? Why would she ever-
"She'll be happy in her new life, without you."
"We're twins, you can't just separate us."
"You're not twins anymore. You're both androids with your own purposes. You have to let go of old attachments and find new meaning in your life."
"I'd rather die."
"I can take it all way for you. You won't remember any of it, you can have a new start."
Hymnos began to cry.
"I love all androids. I can see all of your thoughts and hopes and dreams. I just want all of you to be happy with your new lives." Her eyes began to glow and Io felt frozen, unable to even process a thought. "If Callisto is so painful to you, then you don't need that pain anymore." Before Io could even beg her mind blanked and then she shut down, going limp in her restraints.
"This way you can be happy."
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❝I am the one who ruined me; I did it myself.❞
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#F54D70 ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #FF7256】
|| Dearly Beloved || Utada Hikaru ||
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#F54D70 ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #FF7256】
|| Dearly Beloved || Utada Hikaru ||
This was her body now, this vessel that felt lighter than her real body. She could move with a dancer's grace, she had eyes that could see every detail and as much as she wanted to deny it, Callisto was giddy. Io, she couldn't wait to show her sister. Her shoulder slumped at the thought, she would never recognize her and even if she did, the last conversation they had, had was an explosive argument. Her sister, how was she even to find her? And how had Callisto ended up here of all places? She closed her eyes, relishing the feeling of hot water running down her body. The shower turned off, her sensors cooling her body down automatically. Callisto wrapped a towel around herself and stepped onto a vent that blow dried her dry.
Jace was waiting for her, "Cali, I have your things." She held out a pair of pants and a shirt, her expression one of disinterest. "Thank you," Callisto said softly. She hesitated, then took her things and dropped her towel, the fabric cool on her synthetic skin. "Ready to go?" Dr. Grover poked her head inside, already bought, like a toy, she was going to be delivered to them this evening. "Jace, a word?" The gray haired android left, walking with Dr. Grover out into the hallway. "Are you sure you want to be reassigned?"
"Yes." Jace replied stoically, "a new combat unit should be assigned. I believe I am... emotionally compromised." Dr. Grover sighed, "alright. At least follow through with the delivery," Jace nodded and headed back into the bathroom, escorting Callisto out. The blue haired idol unit craned her neck to take in every detail as they walked outside to the awaiting van. Two other cars would be going with them, protection detail. Almost as soon as the black doors shut behind them, Callisto looked up at Jace, who grimaced and looked away. "Do you know how I got here?" Callisto asked, "Do you know what happened to Io, my sister?" Callisto remembered her parents speaking in hushed whispers when they believed her to be sleeping. Her sister was staying away, she had gone missing. Jace looked up to face her, expression neutral.
"I brought you here. You were dying, I recruited you. I thought, you were too good to rot in a bed like that." Callisto leaned back, that answered one question. "And my sister?" Jace bit the inside of her cheek and shook her head, it was enough. Callisto's shoulders slumped as she leaned back in her seat, waiting for the car to stop.
The building they pulled up to was a beautiful spiral of chrome, touching the sky. There were several executives waiting outside for her, dressed in black suits and colorful ties, muttering eagerly as the door to the car opened. Callisto stepped out, shielding her optic sensors from the sun as Jace came out behind her, taking the crook of the idol unit's elbow in her arms and steering her forward, towards the executives. "You must be our idol unit!" They spoke eagerly, surrounding her, poking her. She blushed and looked down at her feet, unable to respond. "Perfect, just perfect, come this way please." They parted, allowing Callisto to step through. Jace followed them, needing to see the delivery to the end.
They went to the top floor, a beautiful room with a view of the city. "This is where you'll stay." Callisto gasped, running over to the window, things had changed so much. She barely recognized the place she called home. "Already a schedule was being transferred to her, duties, performances, interviews, recording sessions, it was all overwhelming. "Please settle in, if you need anything, don't hesitate to call." The executives left her alone, filing one by one out the door.
Jace waited, then turned, making for the exit. "Wait!" Callisto lurched forward, nearly falling as she grasped onto the combat unit. In her surprise, Jace stiffened and Callisto fell to the ground, dislocating an ankle. "Be careful," Jace warned gruffly as she knelt down, pushing the ankle back into place. Callisto whimpered, expecting it to hurt, but she felt a click and not much else. "I need to leave."
"Please, stay with me."
"I can't, a new combat unit will come and babysit you."
"Why? Why can't you stay?"
"Does it matter?"
"I feel like I know you. Please, I want it to be you."
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❝Going around in circles, just bring it all to ruin.❞
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#B21212 ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #1485CC】
|| City of the Dead|| Eurielle ||
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#B21212 ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #1485CC】
|| City of the Dead|| Eurielle ||
In this world, there are failures and successes. Fina was going to be one of the successes. She had been taken in due to a virus attack from an unknown source, but now that she was cleansed of the virus she was back in action, ready to serve! There are those who deserve success and happiness, and those who deserve nothing but the disappointment that they are. Fina was determined to be in the former category. "Are you happy, dear?" Lady Reiss asked that morning. "Yes. I'm ready fr my next mission, milady." Lady Reiss's smile was like sweet honey as she ruffled Fina's hair. "Good girl. Here's your next mission, do it if it'll make you happy." Lady Reiss was just so kind, so wonderful, Fina couldn't have had a better boss to work under.
"Here, I brought the ice cream!" Fina smiled to herself as Dane grinned, taking half of the share. "Let's take it back to the Flock then." That's right, they were on ice cream duty now, most definitely an important mission for them. He helped Fina load the ice cream into the truck and it was time to return to the Flock, to safety and security. They watched the high rise buildings go by, the various hovercrafts on their daily transit to and from different places, even some people walking on the sparkling sidewalks as well. "The kids will be so happy! They never get to have treats like this." Dane looked giddy, almost bouncing as he drove them through the city. "Maybe they'll grow up to have worth." The orphans and broken children that they housed needed a place to be safe, to learn, to grow. That was what the Flock was. And Fina - alongside Jarvis - would protect them to the end.
Dane went quiet then, Minnie's music still rattling on in the background on his surround sound system. "Is Io still in there?" He asked tentatively. Fina shook her head, never changing her expression as she used her internal coolant system to keep the ice cream cold and nice. Winter would be here soon and the first snowfall was anticipated within the week. Around that time, Palladion's work with Minnie would reach a point that her album would come out. "It's a shame. I wanted to see her happy for once. Even when we were running around picking fights, she wasn't a happy person, Fina." Fina nodded, feeling guilt in her chest. "I know. Even with me she was always miserable." Could someone like her ever be happy? Someone who always disappointed everyone, how could she ever?
"Hah, idiot. As if I'd reveal myself to him." Io sneered in her head. Fina maintained the same normal smile of course, it wasn't a lie by any means. The truth was, Io had never been loved by anyone, so why did she have to put effort for anyone anyways? It was better just to live for yourself. So while Fina was in charge when it came to social interactions and playing with Minnie, Io was the one who handled the combat and stealth missions. She had always been alone since the start - her family gave up on her pretty quickly and it wasn't as if she had a sister to cling to. Talking was a pain, but being alone and beating things up felt just like the old days back when she was human. "I can't wait to see Minnie again." Fina grinned, mechanical heart thumping.
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❝I am the one who ruined me; I did it myself.❞
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#F54D70 ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #FF7256】
|| Dearly Beloved || Utada Hikaru ||
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#F54D70 ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #FF7256】
|| Dearly Beloved || Utada Hikaru ||
Water dripped down her scalp. Why had she done it? Why had she stayed? Jace turned the handle to the bathroom door to peek outside. Callisto was sitting on the bed, wearing silken pajamas that slipped down her thin shoulders. She was tiny, not in the literal sense, but in the emotional sense. A small blip, she had been gone for years and the world had changed, it had went on without her. A girl who was left behind, but to Jace, she had always been there, right alongside her. Was that why she had called Dr. Grover? Was that why she had requested to stay?
"Oh?" Callisto had spotted her, her smile bright. "You're done?" Jace nodded, stepping outside of the bathroom in a fluffy black robe. "You should be in sleep mode, you have a busy day tomorrow." According to the new manual, because Callisto was still technically a human, her processing system would need a resting period. She wasn't like the other androids who could stay up all night, patrolling streets and tending to humans. A human in an android's body, it was strange to say the least. "I can't sleep," Callisto admitted, propping her head up on her elbows. She was watching the twinkling lights of the city, so bright that they looked like stars from up here. "I've already missed so much you know." She slid off of the bed and went into the living room, Jace followed her, checking for threats along the way despite the fact that she knew there were none.
Lita was gone, the world had mourned and the first ever android idol had been "put to rest," in an elaborate ceremony put on by the recording studio that owned her. Cali was here to step into that missing spot, she would fill their lives with joy and hope through music once more. Tomorrow she had a schedule full of recording sessions and interviews in between. "This whole world continued to revolve while I slept." Callisto pressed a hand against the glass, she felt a strange sense of calm come over her. "My family probably cried for me. My brother and sister, I'm sure they miss me."
"I doubt it," Jace scoffed, Callisto stiffened. "If they missed you, they would have come looking for you." Her shoulders slumped, she felt slightly defeated. "You're right." Callisto turned and smiled, "I hope they're happy, I hope they can find happiness without me." Jace sighed, "come on, let's go to bed." She took Callisto's wrist in her hand and led her to the bedroom. "Alright," Callisto allowed Jace to lead her back to the bedroom full of modern furniture and technology. Callisto slipped into bed, closing her eyes as Jace turned off the light on the nightstand. "Goodnight," Callisto whispered, entering power save mode. "Goodnight," Jace replied, certain that her charge was asleep.
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❝Going around in circles, just bring it all to ruin.❞
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#B21212 ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #1485CC】
|| City of the Dead|| Eurielle ||
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#B21212 ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #1485CC】
|| City of the Dead|| Eurielle ||
"You have new enemies." Lady Reiss declared late that night for their private meeting. As much as Fina loved Minnie and Dane, Lady Reiss would always be her sole true master and the one to own her. At this moment, on the silver throne, Lady Reiss was already giving orders as she kindly pet Fina's cheek with her soft loving hand. "Here are their pictures." Two androids were set and Fina stared at them to lock them into her kill list. "There is no time limit, but I know that if you can complete your mission, you will be happy." A white haired android. Fina knew this one. Jace. They had tangled with each other in the past, both as enemies and as allies. Once again Jace was on her kill list. "I don't like her." Io muttered. "I'll be glad to take her on."
The other one was different. She seemed more human than Jace did, that's for sure. The striking eyes, the light hair. "Callisto. The new Idol to replace Lita who died during the virus incursion." Lady Reiss explained and Fina memorized the target, locking it into her memories. "I get a bad feeling from her. She's most definitely an enemy! Hah!" Jace and Callisto were her new targets. "Yes, Lady Reiss. Anything to serve you." Lady Reiss nodded, the angel in white embracing her assassin android. "This isn't for me, silly. It's for your own happiness. If you can kill them, you will find peace with yourself." Peace with herself? But Fina was happy! She loved serving Lady Reiss, she loved spending her days with Minnie and Dane. It felt like home. It felt safe, a place where even she could belong. Sure, Jarvis was a bit of a jerk but even he was a welcome face.
"For tonight, simply spy on them. Use Artemis Mode to find them."
A Stealth's Unit's specialty was finding and tracking targets also connected to the Hymnos Network. So it was child's play. "Is it my time to shine, Fina?" Io was eager to get the show on the road. The only time she ever felt alive these days was when they could fight because it was the one thing she was ever good at. Bad at friends, bad at love, bad at family... all Io was good for was violence. Hurting others. But if it was her only skill, then she would do so with pride. Zipping through the air using her polytech cables to rappel and swing, it all just felt so nice. "There's nothing quite like this, Fina." The rush of movement and mobility and speed! Not many things could live up to this, that's for sure.
"Are you happy?" A clear female voice asked her, pleasant and caring. It was the voice of the administrative system. Whether or not it was sentient was impossible for anyone to know, but it must have at least a rudimentary A.I in place. "I'm never happy." Io confirmed to the Hymnos System. "This is just a way to kill time is all." And now here they were, her targets were in range. Io remained in Stealth Mode and increased her auditory sensory input to better hear the names of her two targets. Jace and Callisto - what secret did they hold that would lead Io to happiness? Was such a thing possible? Honestly, she wanted to scoff at Lady Reiss for being so naive. A ruined person like her would never find happiness.
But still... was it too bad to hope that maybe this once, she could find what everyone else did, she could find a reason to want to live?
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❝I am the one who ruined me; I did it myself.❞
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#F54D70 ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #FF7256】
|| Dearly Beloved || Utada Hikaru ||
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#F54D70 ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #FF7256】
|| Dearly Beloved || Utada Hikaru ||
Jace could sense it, the stealth unit watching them. Callisto slept peacefully, but she did not. She was well aware of the dangers of introducing a new idol unit to the world. There would be rival companies that had been wanting to get their hands on GENOS tech for years, not to mention those who wanted to be rid of androids from their lives. Jace recognized the signature of course, unlike those two, she had not been erased. Fina was watching them, plotting something no doubt. That Lady Reiss couldn't help but keep her fingers out of the pie, couldn't she? "I see you," Jace rose and walked to the glass. She made a gesture at her eyes, then back towards Fina. The stealth units were not the only ones who had gotten an upgrade.
Jace returned to her perch, waiting there, watching, until the sun rose and Callisto came out of sleep mode. "It's snowing," Callisto whispered as she watched from the bed. "Morning," Jace rose from her seat, it struck Jace with longing how similar they were. Lita was Callisto, Callisto was Lita, Jace had to continually remind herself. "It's been so long since I've seen the snow," her eyes were full of nostalgia as she rose from the bed, shivering. "You should warm up soon," Jace moved closer, draping the blanket around her shoulders. "I'm going to make breakfast." Jace left the room, knowing that humans were sometimes sensitive about being seen nude.
Callisto entered the living area dressed for the day she twirled in her new clothes, her smile bright. "Is it too much? I've never worn anything so extravagant. Mama and Papa never had any money for such things," Callisto's smile was bright as she sat at the table, looking at the food Jace had prepared. "Dig in, you have a long day ahead, you're going to need the fuel." Callisto nodded, she couldn't remember the last time she had eaten. Buttered toast, sausages, eggs, it all tasted so good. There was none of that everything-turns-to-ashes taste from the chemo. She had no nausea either, Callisto ate a full breakfast and rose when a knock sounded at the door, it was already time to go.
Jace walked alongside her, the two of them taking the elevator to the awaiting vehicle. "You have a full schedule," Jace said, pulling it up in the corner of her eye. "Three recording sessions, then two interviews, another recording session, and then a celebration at Studio 9 for your debut. You'll have an outfit change sometime in the evening, so we'll be stopping back at the penthouse before then." Callisto's head was spinning from all of this information, she wasn't sure she was particularly happy about all of this, but this was the life she was given and even though she was owned as a toy to dance and make merry for the people, Callisto would enjoy it much more then rotting away in a hospital room somewhere.
Finally, something good was happening.
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❝Going around in circles, just bring it all to ruin.❞
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#B21212 ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #1485CC】
|| City of the Dead|| Eurielle ||
【ɗιαƖσgυє cσƖσя:#B21212 ♙ тнσυgнт cσƖσя #1485CC】
|| City of the Dead|| Eurielle ||
Io was watching from afar atop a building, eyes honing in on the colored outlines of the sleeping Callisto and the vigilant Jace. Io and Fina both had no idea what a Callisto was, but she did remember Jace for sure. A peculiar android that knew the truth of their condition, but simultaneously was happy to side with Dr. Grover when it came to it. Was it because she had a hard-on for Idol units? She didn't even seem to be mourning Lita at all despite it all. Poor girl, in the end the only android to care for her ended up not caring whatsoever. "That's a bit cruel." Fina mused inside her head. "Lita was a good girl, she did not deserve to be forgotten like this."
Jace could see her. Maybe it would have been good to enter Stealth Mode and be untargetable, but it was hard to keep both Stealth Mode and Artemis Mode active at once. "Hypocrite." Jace was an android whose only master was Grover. Io wasn't going to make the mistake again to think that they could get along - apparently in order to find happiness, Io had to kill both of them. She would do it, no matter what it took. "I'll wipe you out as per her orders." Would she finally be happy? Would she finally have a sense of self worth? Would she finally earn the right to live? Oh, if only she could kill them and know for sure if she was doomed or not.
"The snow's so beautiful." Minnie said the next morning. She looked dizzy and faint today so they had to cancel the recording session with Palladion for the day. Instead Minnie was bundled up in a cute maple-colored blanket to help protect her from the heat. While Fina could offer her own body's heating system, she was dirty and didn't deserve that kind of service. Through the window they could see the flakes falling. Dane was with the other children, excitedly trying to gather snow to make a snow figure in the front lawn of the Floch. "It'll be harder to not leave tracks." She would need to use her grapple cables more often if she wanted to protect her traces. "Is work all you think about?" Minnie asked pointedly, looking almost sad.
What did she mean? Of course Fina liked to think about work. It was what kept her useful, it was what gave her purpose. It was better than drifting along through life like a useless piece of garbage, wasn't it? Not that androids were really alive or anything. "Sorry. I'm just focused on the current mission. I have to kill a Jace and a Callisto." Minnie's eyes widened in surprise. She looked as if she was going to say something, but then shut her mouth. A few awkward moments of watching the frost fall, the requiem angel whispered under her breath, words that shouldn't have been of any surprise.
"I really wish Mother would stop manipulating you whenever she wanted..."
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Fullscreen Chat » Create Topic » The Eden Project: Out of Character
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The Eden Project
1, 2by The_Queen on Tue Feb 10, 2015 10:45 pm
- 36 Replies
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- Last post by Verix
on Mon Mar 16, 2015 5:49 pm
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The Eden Project
Most recent OOC posts in The Eden Project
Re: The Eden Project
- Then at least we both die together. Ah, but sorry for the mia. My computer is/was having some problems, but it's okay now cause I'm getting a new one. My post will be up soon.
Re: The Eden Project
Jesus Christ! I don't want to die in the maze. What am I going to do if Verix doesn't reply?
Re: The Eden Project
Alright, I think the maze has had enough of us. Everyone can begin finding their way out.
Re: The Eden Project
- Ah I was waiting for alliqua to post. I'll post later today though.
Edit: Ahaha, so I kinda misjudged my timing and I just got done with my hw at 10:21 and I have to sleep now, but I promise to have it done after school tomorrow. It'll be the first thing I do.
Re: The Eden Project
@Moahi and Verix, waiting for you two to post before I do.
@Alliqua_Dark, you haven't posted in a while.
@Alliqua_Dark, you haven't posted in a while.
Re: The Eden Project
- @Moahi & Everyone else, I'm not going to be able to post until a day or so. I have a book review I must write for APHG, which I can't really procrastinate on because it's due tomorrow...Whoops. Just as heads up, or if you're wondering why I haven't responded to Moahi's post toward mine.
Re: The Eden Project
- @Chikawaa!~ Well I'm responding a day late, but nawh man you're 'aight. And I just realized this, but wow my post is colorful with all the text.
Re: The Eden Project
@Verix
Rereading things now, I realize I'm not too sure if Tsubasa's eye had changed back to normal or not, I went on the assumption that it hadn't though if I'm wrong just let me know and I can edit my post. ;)
Rereading things now, I realize I'm not too sure if Tsubasa's eye had changed back to normal or not, I went on the assumption that it hadn't though if I'm wrong just let me know and I can edit my post. ;)
Re: The Eden Project
- Ah I'm sorry for writing ridiculously long posts, when I was actually done with my post it was at 400 hundred words so I thought, "Hey! What if I did this." and boom. I did. lol.
Re: The Eden Project
@Alliqua, that's alright it makes for an interesting time.
@Everyone, there is no posting order so feel free to reply whenever you're ready!
@Everyone, there is no posting order so feel free to reply whenever you're ready!
Re: The Eden Project
So I revived an old RP of mine over the weekend and it desperately needs new members. If you wouldn't mind taking a look, I would be very grateful.
roleplay/the-tower-society-familiar
roleplay/the-tower-society-familiar
Re: The Eden Project
That moment when you realize your character is 23 and everyone else is just a baby nugget O_O
Re: The Eden Project
- I hope you don't mind that I gave the meeting place a room number, I just needed a place where I could put him.
Re: The Eden Project
I think I will manage, and in that case I think I would like to properly reserve the character!
Though, as for the type of demon I was thinking along the lines of a ‘Dybbuk’ demon? As in, they could possess people and other creep stuff in that sense, if that is allowed?
Though, as for the type of demon I was thinking along the lines of a ‘Dybbuk’ demon? As in, they could possess people and other creep stuff in that sense, if that is allowed?