[Ic] The Rise Of The Faithful [Invite-Only Rp]

[SnaleKing]

Cyrios, having been connected to the four-way web of telepathy, voiced a question after Cardin'assur'thyr'xyren's apparent self-eviction from the conversation. His telepathic voice, should one care to notice, would perfectly mimic the synthesized, robotic voice that he used physically, as if he had forgotten what his organic, original voice even sounded like.

 

I'm perfectly fine with making preparations from down here, seeing as you all apparently possess telepathy. I mean, I don't see why you guys even talk physically, unless that's just easier. But, back to preparations: what's all this about Tyranis, Kuro, proxies, tasks and the like?

 

Wov'anul'paar'bes settled down a bit, considering Cyrios' inquiries. 'That's a bit over my head,' she admitted freely, 'and I'm not sure if Cardin'assur'thyr'xyren thinks it's ok if I tell you, so I'll have to keep quiet about it anyway.' By now, Sool'thelas'jytei'yol's charger had made it to the edge of the pool, watching Wov'anul'paar'bes float around Cyrios.

 

'I have no such reservations, as is my nature.' The Charger settled down into its usual relaxed pose when flippantly disclosing highly sensitive information. 'Kuro is an acolyte of mine now. He has taken the task of finding a replacement for Dyar'krun'shul'ken, Golem of Red Eyes and Wrath, who we lost two weeks ago. Cardin'assur'thyr'xyren's return has been extremely conducive to this end.'

[fishworshipper]

Wov'anul'paar'bes settled down a bit, considering Cyrios' inquiries. 'That's a bit over my head,' she admitted freely, 'and I'm not sure if Cardin'assur'thyr'xyren thinks it's ok if I tell you, so I'll have to keep quiet about it anyway.' By now, Sool'thelas'jytei'yol's charger had made it to the edge of the pool, watching Wov'anul'paar'bes float around Cyrios.

 

'I have no such reservations, as is my nature.' The Charger settled down into its usual relaxed pose when flippantly disclosing highly sensitive information. 'Kuro is an acolyte of mine now. He has taken the task of finding a replacement for Dyar'krun'shul'ken, Golem of Red Eyes and Wrath, who we lost two weeks ago. Cardin'assur'thyr'xyren's return has been extremely conducive to this end.'

Cyrios finally concluded his crawl forward, again anchoring himself into the floor -- though this time in a far more favorable position, namely one that was very close to a potential escape route should interactions turn sour. That explains your plans and Kuro's involvement, he noted, before asking, but what of Tyranis? I might not be the greatest judge of character, but from what I know he doesn't seem to be the type that willingly assists the Infestation.

[MasterDread]

Indulging her mischievous streak, Wov'anul'paar'bes swam a quick circle around Cyrios, stirring up the rust and muck lying at the bottom of the pool. 'I simply enjoy swimming, as one could guess from my physique, and it's been too long.'

 

'Cyrios! Wov'anul'paar'bes!' Cardin'assur'thyr'xyren's unmistakable, harsh telepathic voice cut into their minds, 'if you're quite done, we have preparations to make-' 

She was cut off by a smooth, calm presence. 'Oh, let them be, Cardin'assur'thyr'xyren,' Sool'thelas'jytei'yol assured. 'We must wait for Kuro to finish his task anyway. One thing you must learn with us is patience. You'll have plenty of time to simply wait, observe, and enjoy your immortality.'

 

Cardin'assur'thyr'xyren glanced down at the charger, scowling. "Fine then," she spoke aloud, "I'll be in my garden if I'm needed. Waiting." With that, she turned on her heel, and strode away into the darkness.

A transmission would break over Cardina's communicator. "Herald, this is Kuro. If you aren't terribly busy I'd ask you to come to my ship, I have a gift for you. Yuuki isn't here so you needn't worry about any form of aggravation. Should you choose not to come I will not hold it against you. I understand trust is quite the issue between us at this time. I await your response."

[SnaleKing]

Cyrios finally concluded his crawl forward, again anchoring himself into the floor -- though this time in a far more favorable position, namely one that was very close to a potential escape route should interactions turn sour. That explains your plans and Kuro's involvement, he noted, before asking, but what of Tyranis? I might not be the greatest judge of character, but from what I know he doesn't seem to be the type that willingly assists the Infestation.

 

Before Wov'anul'paar'bes could ask the Charger to keep a lid on it, Sool'thelas'jytei'yol spoke up. 'Kuro claims to have it under control, so I'm certain everything's going exactly as Cardin'assur'thyr'xyren intends. Her machinations are subtle and insidious.'

'Unlike you,' Wov'anul'paar'bes muttered telepathically, rather defeating the point. 'Cyrios, if you tell anyone a word of this, I tear your robot spine out. Ok?"

 

A transmission would break over Cardina's communicator. "Herald, this is Kuro. If you aren't terribly busy I'd ask you to come to my ship, I have a gift for you. Yuuki isn't here so you needn't worry about any form of aggravation. Should you choose not to come I will not hold it against you. I understand trust is quite the issue between us at this time. I await your response."

 

Cardin'assur'thyr'xyren unlocked the Garden entrance as she listened to Kuro's message, and replied as she entered and closed the door behind her. "You can bring it to my garden, Kuro. If you need it, I can dispatch an Acolyte to help you transport it."

[MasterDread]

Before Wov'anul'paar'bes could ask the Charger to keep a lid on it, Sool'thelas'jytei'yol spoke up. 'Kuro claims to have it under control, so I'm certain everything's going exactly as Cardin'assur'thyr'xyren intends. Her machinations are subtle and insidious.'

'Unlike you,' Wov'anul'paar'bes muttered telepathically, rather defeating the point. 'Cyrios, if you tell anyone a word of this, I tear your robot spine out. Ok?"

Cardin'assur'thyr'xyren unlocked the Garden entrance as she listened to Kuro's message, and replied as she entered and closed the door behind her. "You can bring it to my garden, Kuro. If you need it, I can dispatch an Acolyte to help you transport it."

"That won't be necessary, I will bring it to you myself." After a lengthy period of time Kuro would enter the garden, dragging behind him on a roller a large cyro pod. This wasn't the typical Tenno cyropod but something that seemed to be of his own design. What was inside could not be seen as the glass was frosted over from the cold inside.

"It is a rather unusual gift but I'm sure what is inside will prove of value to you, as it already belongs to you."

Edited September 15, 2014 by MasterDread

[Lady_Viper]

 

 

 

Temperance's brow twitched beneath his helmet as he felt Jinx's mind brush against his own.  He had to tread carefully.

 

"In answer to your first question, Jinx, you are quite correct," he said.  "Cardin'assur'thyr'xyren is not only unwilling, but incapable of sharing such information, or at least she was a few days ago.  Her peers among the Golems, however, are much more forthcoming, provided one knows how to deal with them.  It was they who informed me of Cardin'assur'thyr'xyren's strain and its capabilities, as well as Kotomi and Seras' advanced stage of infection."  His lips compressed in what could have been either a frown or a very well suppressed smirk.  "As for Kotomi's suicide, I can almost guarantee you it was due entirely to her own instability.  Cardin'assur'thyr'xyren would never waste such a valuable pawn on petty experimentation."

 

Instinctively, Temperance's mental defense hardened as the answer to Jinx's next question swam to the surface of his thoughts.  The Nyx would doubtless be the first to notice that his barriers were bizarrely different than they had been the previous time she accessed his mind.  Where before they had been smooth and seamless, Temperance's defense were now noticeably spotty; humanly lax in some places, virtually impenetrable in others.  It was almost as if there were things he was blocking not only from Jinx, but from himself.

 

"Cardin'assur'thyr'xyren's ascension was due to my own gullibility," Temperance continued, and the open parts of his mind quickly confirmed this.  There were other, deeper parts, however, that whispered lie.  "I intend to use whatever means are necessary to correct that mistake, even if it means striking a pact with the other Golems to avoid falling victim to her strain."

 

Jinx felt a small satisfaction when she got the answer about Kotomi and that it showed her trail of thought to be correct. But another answer bothered her, as well as the lack of another one.

 

She wrinkled her nose as she hit Temperance's mental defences. They were irregular. A state they hadn't been in before. Though this would more than likely prove to make it easier to crack. She began to carefully put pressure on the Ash's barriers, restlessly searching for the best weak spot in his defence.

 

"Sinking so low that you align yourself with the infestation...I can't say that that thing wasn't useful in the mission. But you are basically turning your back on your fellow Tenno: You do know that, right?" She was trying to provoke some sort of emotion at this point as it would be easier for her to brake dow his mental walls then. But to her, it was also a way to see how much Temp had changed.

 

"You didn't really say anything about this...You're asking us to kill a child...Having others do your dirty work now are you? What happened to your oh so dear Lotus honour?" Jinx came to a halt and stood still for a while, still not leaving Temperance with her eyes.

 

"Whatever means necessary hue? Does that include killing children? You can't even do it yourself, you're instead dumping it over on me and Arthur. What, you don't want to risk your reputation?...You have not been yourself lately. You've grown colder ever since...the garden"

 

Jinx then began to add more pressure in her search for the best place to crack him. 

[fishworshipper]

Before Wov'anul'paar'bes could ask the Charger to keep a lid on it, Sool'thelas'jytei'yol spoke up. 'Kuro claims to have it under control, so I'm certain everything's going exactly as Cardin'assur'thyr'xyren intends. Her machinations are subtle and insidious.'

'Unlike you,' Wov'anul'paar'bes muttered telepathically, rather defeating the point. 'Cyrios, if you tell anyone a word of this, I tear your robot spine out. Ok?"

Had Cyrios not been firmly anchored to the floor he would have scuttled as far away as he could from Wov'anul'paar'bes as she spoke, but alas his robotic fingers were buried in the metallic floor and as such, he didn't have the mobility necessary to perform such an action. Instead the best course of action he could think of was to keep his golden eye focused solely on her form, as she would be the greatest and most immediate threat in this situation, while blurting out a hasty YEP understood acknowledged I comprehend your threat and understand that you likely have the capabilities to uphold it!

Edited September 16, 2014 by fishworshipper

[SnaleKing]

"That won't be necessary, I will bring it to you myself." After a lengthy period of time Kuro would enter the garden, dragging behind him on a roller a large cyro pod. This wasn't the typical Tenno cyropod but something that seemed to be of his own design. What was inside could not be seen as the glass was frosted over from the cold inside.

"It is a rather unusual gift but I'm sure what is inside will prove of value to you, as it already belongs to you."

 

Cardin'assur'thyr'xyren gave Kuro a cautious glance, then wiped the frost from the cryopod with her arm. Her eyes narrowed critically, then rose to burrow into Kuro's helmet. "Yuuki's body?"

 

Had Cyrios not been firmly anchored to the floor he would have scuttled as far away as he could from Wov'anul'paar'bes as she spoke, but alas his robotic fingers were buried in the metallic floor and as such, he didn't have the mobility necessary to perform such an action. Instead the best course of action he could think of was to keep his golden eye focused solely on her form, as she would be the greatest and most immediate threat in this situation, while blurting out a hasty YEP understood acknowledged I comprehend your threat and understand that you likely have the capabilities to uphold it!

 

Wov'anul'paar'bes huffed with amusement at Cyrios' panicking. 'Good. You're free to go, if you want. Do whatever it is that Cardin'assur'thyr'xyren asks of you.'

[MasterDread]

Cardin'assur'thyr'xyren gave Kuro a cautious glance, then wiped the frost from the cryopod with her arm. Her eyes narrowed critically, then rose to burrow into Kuro's helmet. "Yuuki's body?"

Wov'anul'paar'bes huffed with amusement at Cyrios' panicking. 'Good. You're free to go, if you want. Do whatever it is that Cardin'assur'thyr'xyren asks of you.'

"His old body to be exact." Kuro responded. "Your strain still exists in it. While it did not get very far in its stage it is still yours all the same. Consider this biomass as a gift, I doubt this is enough to get you to trust me but it's a start."

The tone in Kuro's voice was that of utter satisfaction, he was confident he knew how to gain Cardina's trust. He did have another gift should she be interested, but this one would take more time to prepare.

"If there is anything you wish to know I will do my best to enlighten you. Unlike Yuuki I find the trust of the Golems to be quite valuable. You however don't strike me as one to be swayed so easily."

Edited September 16, 2014 by MasterDread

[Temperance000]

Jinx felt a small satisfaction when she got the answer about Kotomi and that it showed her trail of thought to be correct. But another answer bothered her, as well as the lack of another one.

 

She wrinkled her nose as she hit Temperance's mental defences. They were irregular. A state they hadn't been in before. Though this would more than likely prove to make it easier to crack. She began to carefully put pressure on the Ash's barriers, restlessly searching for the best weak spot in his defence.

 

"Sinking so low that you align yourself with the infestation...I can't say that that thing wasn't useful in the mission. But you are basically turning your back on your fellow Tenno: You do know that, right?" She was trying to provoke some sort of emotion at this point as it would be easier for her to brake dow his mental walls then. But to her, it was also a way to see how much Temp had changed.

 

"You didn't really say anything about this...You're asking us to kill a child...Having others do your dirty work now are you? What happened to your oh so dear Lotus honour?" Jinx came to a halt and stood still for a while, still not leaving Temperance with her eyes.

 

"Whatever means necessary hue? Does that include killing children? You can't even do it yourself, you're instead dumping it over on me and Arthur. What, you don't want to risk your reputation?...You have not been yourself lately. You've grown colder ever since...the garden"

 

Jinx then began to add more pressure in her search for the best place to crack him. 

 

At the mention of the Garden, Temperance's mental defense clenched and began to crumble inward.  Flash of intense memory and raw emotion flickered through the gaps.  Rage.  Loss.  Helplessness.  Pain.  And a voice.

 

Temperance...please...help me...Temperance...I'm here...I'm here...

 

Outwardly, Temperance stiffened, tension radiating from every facet of his bearing.  "My reputation is quite irrelevant," he forced out.  "You two are simply the best equipped to eliminate the target in question.  If I am to act without the suspicion of the Golems, I can hardly be seen killing their proxies, now can I?  Regardless of your opinion, Jinx, I assure you that I have only two goals: the correction of whatever mistakes I have made here, and the ultimate good of the Tenno as a whole."

 

If either Jinx or Arthur were inclined to remember, they would definitely hear echoes of Cardina in that last statement.

[Lady_Viper]

At the mention of the Garden, Temperance's mental defense clenched and began to crumble inward.  Flash of intense memory and raw emotion flickered through the gaps.  Rage.  Loss.  Helplessness.  Pain.  And a voice.

 

Temperance...please...help me...Temperance...I'm here...I'm here...

 

Outwardly, Temperance stiffened, tension radiating from every facet of his bearing.  "My reputation is quite irrelevant," he forced out.  "You two are simply the best equipped to eliminate the target in question.  If I am to act without the suspicion of the Golems, I can hardly be seen killing their proxies, now can I?  Regardless of your opinion, Jinx, I assure you that I have only two goals: the correction of whatever mistakes I have made here, and the ultimate good of the Tenno as a whole."

 

If either Jinx or Arthur were inclined to remember, they would definitely hear echoes of Cardina in that last statement.

Jinx's suspicions only gained strength as the Ash's mental barriers tightened. He was hiding something. She just knew it. "Tell me Temperance, how well can you trust the information of a Golem?"

 

That last statement though caused Jinx to tense and Arthur to lean forward to get a better look of the Ash. This all sounded a lot like something they've already heard as an excuse before.

 

Jinx narrowed her eyes as she took a step closer to Temperance. Her finger clenching and un-clenching before finally lightly and alert resting on the Despair holsters.

 

"Irrelevant? Ultimate good of the Tenno as a whole? Listen to yourself Lotus operator. You are sounding just like someone we both know." Her Voice had turned into a low hiss which only grew darker as she continued. "What are you hiding in there Temperance?" Jinx then began to add even more pressure to the Ash users barriers. Her attempts at breaking through became less refined  and more violent as her suspicions and anger grew. The refined way would spare Temperance a lot of pain but at this point she really didn't care. The Lotus rep had gotten on her nerves long enough. His behaviour had always been compromised and this new behaviour of his was far from normal for him in an even worse way. It was almost as if he was trying to mimic that *@##$.

 

"You're hiding something from me Temperance. Trying to keep it from me will only be futile. Let me in or I will rip whatever you're hiding from your skull" Her voice grew threatening as she instinctively went into a fighting stance.

 

Arthur himself loomed in the shadows with his hands tightening their grip on his Hate. This could turn ugly real quick should the Ash user chose not to co-operate.

[Temperance000]

Jinx's suspicions only gained strength as the Ash's mental barriers tightened. He was hiding something. She just knew it. "Tell me Temperance, how well can you trust the information of a Golem?"

 

That last statement though caused Jinx to tense and Arthur to lean forward to get a better look of the Ash. This all sounded a lot like something they've already heard as an excuse before.

 

Jinx narrowed her eyes as she took a step closer to Temperance. Her finger clenching and un-clenching before finally lightly and alert resting on the Despair holsters.

 

"Irrelevant? Ultimate good of the Tenno as a whole? Listen to yourself Lotus operator. You are sounding just like someone we both know." Her Voice had turned into a low hiss which only grew darker as she continued. "What are you hiding in there Temperance?" Jinx then began to add even more pressure to the Ash users barriers. Her attempts at breaking through became less refined  and more violent as her suspicions and anger grew. The refined way would spare Temperance a lot of pain but at this point she really didn't care. The Lotus rep had gotten on her nerves long enough. His behaviour had always been compromised and this new behaviour of his was far from normal for him in an even worse way. It was almost as if he was trying to mimic that $#*(@.

 

"You're hiding something from me Temperance. Trying to keep it from me will only be futile. Let me in or I will rip whatever you're hiding from your skull" Her voice grew threatening as she instinctively went into a fighting stance.

 

Arthur himself loomed in the shadows with his hands tightening their grip on his Hate. This could turn ugly real quick should the Ash user chose not to co-operate.

 

Temperance clenched his fists as Jinx redoubled her efforts to break into his mind.  Rather than fight her, he shrank away, fleeing deeper into himself in an attempt to escape both the vengeful Nyx and the agonizing memories that she was hellbent on unleashing.  It did little good; the deeper he ran, the louder the voice became.

 

Come back to me....Temperance....

 

"Trust?"  He had to force the word out, laden with as much scorn as he could muster.  "Trust....is too....close....to caring.  Caring....hurts."

 

Shh....I'm here....come back....come back....to me....

 

Crushed between the terrible pressure of Jinx's encroaching mind and the horror bubbling up from his own memories, Temperance wavered, bent, and finally broke.  He collapsed to his knees, holding his head and sobbing, as every barrier shattered like glass.

 

The torrent of memory and emotion surged through the Ash's mind, obliterating conscious thought.  It rebounded across the link to Cardin'assur'thyr'xyren, a mental hammer blow of undifferentiated emotional agony.  Jinx was swept along, her mental probe grasped by the force of Temperance's untamed psyche and hauled into the heart of the maelstrom.

 

 

"Please Cardina," Temperance whispered, holding out his arms to the raging storm of Cardin'assur'thyr'xyren's mind.  "Please."  He gathered the tattered motes of her humanity into a tender embrace, holding them close as the chaos raging around them calmed an imperceptible amount.

 

"Do something, she's killing him!"

 

Then force of Jinx's mind closed around them like a vice, and twisted.

 

There was pain.  In every sense of the word.  Pain, loss, failure, helplessness.  Cardina, Herald of the Ascension, was gone.  And Temperance was forced to watch, was forced to feel, every last moment of it.

 

 

"THIS IS WHAT YOU DID, JINX."  The voice that hissed through the Ash's broken mindscape hardly sounded like Temperance at all.  There was only blazing hatred, seething anger, and icy pain.  "THIS IS WHAT YOU DID TO ME."

 

And beneath it, another voice called softly.  "Jinx?  Temperance?  Can anyone hear me?  It's me.  It's Cardina."

Edited September 19, 2014 by Temperance000

[Lady_Viper]

Temperance clenched his fists as Jinx redoubled her efforts to break into his mind.  Rather than fight her, he shrank away, fleeing deeper into himself in an attempt to escape both the vengeful Nyx and the agonizing memories that she was hellbent on unleashing.  It did little good; the deeper he ran, the louder the voice became.

 

Come back to me....Temperance....

 

"Trust?"  He had to force the word out, laden with as much scorn as he could muster.  "Trust....is too....close....to caring.  Caring....hurts."

 

Shh....I'm here....come back....come back....to me....

 

Crushed between the terrible pressure of Jinx's encroaching mind and the horror bubbling up from his own memories, Temperance wavered, bent, and finally broke.  He collapsed to his knees, holding his head and sobbing, as every barrier shattered like glass.

 

The torrent of memory and emotion surged through the Ash's mind, obliterating conscious thought.  It rebounded across the link to Cardin'assur'thyr'xyren, a mental hammer blow of undifferentiated emotional agony.  Jinx was swept along, her mental probe grasped by the force of Temperance's untamed psyche and hauled into the heart of the maelstrom.

 

 

"Please Cardina," Temperance whispered, holding out his arms to the raging storm of Cardin'assur'thyr'xyren's mind.  "Please."  He gathered the tattered motes of her humanity into a tender embrace, holding them close as the chaos raging around them calmed an imperceptible amount.

 

"Do something, she's killing him!"

 

Then force of Jinx's mind closed around them like a vice, and twisted.

 

There was pain.  In every sense of the word.  Pain, loss, failure, helplessness.  Cardina, Herald of the Ascension, was gone.  And Temperance was forced to watch, was forced to feel, every last moment of it.

 

 

"THIS IS WHAT YOU DID, JINX."  The voice that hissed through the Ash's broken mindscape hardly sounded like Temperance at all.  There was only blazing hatred, seething anger, and icy pain.  "THIS IS WHAT YOU DID TO ME."

 

And beneath it, another voice called softly.  "Jinx?  Temperance?  Can anyone hear me?  It's me.  It's Cardina."

Temperance fled into his own mind, and Jinx chased after. The sudden swirl of memory and the emotions associated with it hit her like a sledgehammer, causing her to fall down on her knees and clutch her head. The pain, the despair, the grief, it was all so familiar, but not hers.

Temperance's voice echoed in her mind, his rage unhindered. She tried to keep it out. It all felt too familiar to her. But she had no regrets. She did what she had to do.

 

Then there was a quiet voice. A small presence within the Ash's mind. A voice she recognised

 

Cardina!

 

Jinx hissed, all the turmoil had kept her from even noticing Arthur standing by her side with one hand on her shoulder. She was too deep into and too focused on Temperance's mind to notice much of what went on around her.

 

Yoouuuuuuu! Her own rage at sensing Cardina prevented her from wondering how this was possible. But she knew that presence, she wasn't mistaken.

[SnaleKing]

"His old body to be exact." Kuro responded. "Your strain still exists in it. While it did not get very far in its stage it is still yours all the same. Consider this biomass as a gift, I doubt this is enough to get you to trust me but it's a start."

The tone in Kuro's voice was that of utter satisfaction, he was confident he knew how to gain Cardina's trust. He did have another gift should she be interested, but this one would take more time to prepare.

"If there is anything you wish to know I will do my best to enlighten you. Unlike Yuuki I find the trust of the Golems to be quite valuable. You however don't strike me as one to be swayed so easily."

 

Temperance clenched his fists as Jinx redoubled her efforts to break into his mind.  Rather than fight her, he shrank away, fleeing deeper into himself in an attempt to escape both the vengeful Nyx and the agonizing memories that she was hellbent on unleashing.  It did little good; the deeper he ran, the louder the voice became.

 

Come back to me....Temperance....

 

"Trust?"  He had to force the word out, laden with as much scorn as he could muster.  "Trust....is too....close....to caring.  Caring....hurts."

 

Shh....I'm here....come back....come back....to me....

 

Crushed between the terrible pressure of Jinx's encroaching mind and the horror bubbling up from his own memories, Temperance wavered, bent, and finally broke.  He collapsed to his knees, holding his head and sobbing, as every barrier shattered like glass.

 

The torrent of memory and emotion surged through the Ash's mind, obliterating conscious thought.  It rebounded across the link to Cardin'assur'thyr'xyren, a mental hammer blow of undifferentiated emotional agony.  Jinx was swept along, her mental probe grasped by the force of Temperance's untamed psyche and hauled into the heart of the maelstrom.

 

 

"Please Cardina," Temperance whispered, holding out his arms to the raging storm of Cardin'assur'thyr'xyren's mind.  "Please."  He gathered the tattered motes of her humanity into a tender embrace, holding them close as the chaos raging around them calmed an imperceptible amount.

 

"Do something, she's killing him!"

 

Then force of Jinx's mind closed around them like a vice, and twisted.

 

There was pain.  In every sense of the word.  Pain, loss, failure, helplessness.  Cardina, Herald of the Ascension, was gone.  And Temperance was forced to watch, was forced to feel, every last moment of it.

 

 

"THIS IS WHAT YOU DID, JINX."  The voice that hissed through the Ash's broken mindscape hardly sounded like Temperance at all.  There was only blazing hatred, seething anger, and icy pain.  "THIS IS WHAT YOU DID TO ME."

 

And beneath it, another voice called softly.  "Jinx?  Temperance?  Can anyone hear me?  It's me.  It's Cardina."

 

 

Temperance fled into his own mind, and Jinx chased after. The sudden swirl of memory and the emotions associated with it hit her like a sledgehammer, causing her to fall down on her knees and clutch her head. The pain, the despair, the grief, it was all so familiar, but not hers.

Temperance's voice echoed in her mind, his rage unhindered. She tried to keep it out. It all felt too familiar to her. But she had no regrets. She did what she had to do.

 

Then there was a quiet voice. A small presence within the Ash's mind. A voice she recognised

 

Cardina!

 

Jinx hissed, all the turmoil had kept her from even noticing Arthur standing by her side with one hand on her shoulder. She was too deep into and too focused on Temperance's mind to notice much of what went on around her.

 

Yoouuuuuuu! Her own rage at sensing Cardina prevented her from wondering how this was possible. But she knew that presence, she wasn't mistaken.

 

"Hm," Cardin'assur'thyr'xyren glanced at Kuro, then back down at Yuuki's corpse. "I'll keep this in mind next time your loyalties are in question. You're dismissed." As she turned about to leave, however, she stopped; the link to Temperance's mind, kept sealed shut on his part, suddenly cracked open. A sudden, roiling force of desperation and confusion slammed into her mind, sending her reeling; for a second, she almost lashed back, but waited to compose herself before reacting.

 

'Temperance, what's- oh, Jinx,' she lifted an eyebrow, appearing unperturbed, 'what are you doing in my little Temperance's head? I assure you, there isn't much worth your time here.'

 

Another voice, weak and small, murmured from within Temperance's mind. 'Temperance, Jinx, is that her? Me?' It paused for a moment, trying to coalesce its own thoughts. 'Am I... what am I?'

 

Cardin'assur'thyr'xyren's eyes narrowed, infuriated at this weak scrap of her formal self surviving in any way. 'Temperance, Jinx,' she growled, 'what is the meaning of this?'

Edited September 21, 2014 by SnaleKing

[MasterDread]

[ote name=SnaleKing" post="3537445" timestamp="1411144788]"Hm," Cardin'assur'thyr'xyren glanced at Kuro, then back down at Yuuki's corpse. "I'll keep this in mind next time your loyalties are in question. You're dismissed." As she turned about to leave, however, she stopped; the link to Temperance's mind, kept sealed shut on his part, was suddenly cracking open. Curious, she pried across the link as she nonchalantly continued strolling away from Kuro.

 

'Temperance, what's- oh, Jinx,' she lifted an eyebrow, appearing unperturbed, 'what are you doing in my little Temperance's head? I assure you, there isn't much worth your time here.'

 

Another voice, weak and small, murmured from within Temperance's mind. 'Temperance, Jinx, is that her? Me?' It paused for a moment, trying to coalesce its own thoughts. 'Am I... what am I?'

 

Cardin'assur'thyr'xyren's eyes narrowed, infuriated at this weak scrap of her formal self surviving in any way. 'Temperance, Jinx,' she growled, 'what is the meaning of this?'

Kuro turned to leave, satisfied with his effort to gain the Heralds trust. But there was something else he wished to share with her.

"One other thing Herald. I am working on something that I'm sure you will find of worth. It is still in an experimental phase but I am currently developing a syrum that affects Infested beings using samples I took from Alad V's hive ships. This syrum will accelerate the mutation rate of the individual. In a Golems case however... Hehehe. You will evolve much faster. You yourself are still in the early stages of your Golem mutation. You will mutate and gain power much faster."

Kuro glanced back at Cardina for a second and continued walking to the door. "I will inform you once it is complete and it's safety assured. Good day Herald." Kuro exited the gardan and returned to his work

[Lady_Viper]

"Hm," Cardin'assur'thyr'xyren glanced at Kuro, then back down at Yuuki's corpse. "I'll keep this in mind next time your loyalties are in question. You're dismissed." As she turned about to leave, however, she stopped; the link to Temperance's mind, kept sealed shut on his part, suddenly cracked open. A sudden, roiling force of desperation and confusion slammed into her mind, sending her reeling; for a second, she almost lashed back, but waited to compose herself before reacting.

 

'Temperance, what's- oh, Jinx,' she lifted an eyebrow, appearing unperturbed, 'what are you doing in my little Temperance's head? I assure you, there isn't much worth your time here.'

 

Another voice, weak and small, murmured from within Temperance's mind. 'Temperance, Jinx, is that her? Me?' It paused for a moment, trying to coalesce its own thoughts. 'Am I... what am I?'

 

Cardin'assur'thyr'xyren's eyes narrowed, infuriated at this weak scrap of her formal self surviving in any way. 'Temperance, Jinx,' she growled, 'what is the meaning of this?'

Arthur could see Jinx body tense and her hands tighten to fists. While he wondered what happened in there he also knew very well there was nothing he could do, all he could do was wait.

 

The arrival of the Golem into her interrogation only angered Jinx more. Not only was there something that sounded like, and reminded of Cardina, but now this freak had to put its nose where it didn't belong. 'This does not concern you Golem. Get out or I will kick you out myself' She hissed.

[Temperance000]

Temperance slowly scraped himself back together from the mess that Jinx had made of his mind, crawling into a secluded corner while she and Cardin'assur'thyr'xyren raged at each other.  It would take a long time for him to recover completely, if he ever did, but Jinx had unknowingly done him a service he could never repay.  She had unlocked his empathy again.

 

And she had found Cardina.

 

"Cardina," he whispered, aloud and in his mind.  He curled up next to the warm fragments that were all that remained of his lost love, using her as a guiding light to slowly draw in more of his shattered self.

 

With two powerful telepaths a literal hairsbreadth away from waging war in his mind, it was all he could do to hold his essence together.  Temperance, and Cardina, could do little more than watch and wait.

[Sumika1204]

Down in the void weapon's reactor room, the Valkyr remained waiting for someone to happen upon her. It probably wouldn't happen until the next morning or even a few hours, the earliest. She doubted anyone would be heading back to work so soon after the anniversary dinner. Might as well make myself comfortable, then. Not that being tied up in cables could be qualified as comfortable.

 

((Just a little something because I'm bored. Not expecting anyone to actually reply.))

Edited September 22, 2014 by Sumika1204

[Drakeardian]

"That's not good. Might want to get you to the barracks. I know most of us don't like using the pods in the barracks but if it's one thing I know, it's that they make sure we actually get some sleep."

Icarus groaned and rubbed his eyes before asking his Banshee friend "Where's the barracks?"

[Sumika1204]

Icarus groaned and rubbed his eyes before asking his Banshee friend "Where's the barracks?"

 

"I can show you the way but if you have a map then that will work just the same. All the rooms on the map are labelled to make navigatin' much easier." The Banshee took a sip of her coffee. "Feel up to walkin' or do I have to carry you?", she inquired. A night in a pod should help the Loki Prime get his rest and at worst, he may feel a bit groggy when coming out. She wasn't going to engage full cryosleep on him or anything.

[SnaleKing]

Arthur could see Jinx body tense and her hands tighten to fists. While he wondered what happened in there he also knew very well there was nothing he could do, all he could do was wait.

 

The arrival of the Golem into her interrogation only angered Jinx more. Not only was there something that sounded like, and reminded of Cardina, but now this freak had to put its nose where it didn't belong. 'This does not concern you Golem. Get out or I will kick you out myself' She hissed.

 

Temperance slowly scraped himself back together from the mess that Jinx had made of his mind, crawling into a secluded corner while she and Cardin'assur'thyr'xyren raged at each other.  It would take a long time for him to recover completely, if he ever did, but Jinx had unknowingly done him a service he could never repay.  She had unlocked his empathy again.

 

And she had found Cardina.

 

"Cardina," he whispered, aloud and in his mind.  He curled up next to the warm fragments that were all that remained of his lost love, using her as a guiding light to slowly draw in more of his shattered self.

 

With two powerful telepaths a literal hairsbreadth away from waging war in his mind, it was all he could do to hold his essence together.  Temperance, and Cardina, could do little more than watch and wait.

 

'Oh Jinx, this concerns me more than anything else. This is mine, after all.' She passed her attention over the cowering psyches of Temperance and Cardina, smirking darkly to herself. 'And now that I've seen there's something I need to take care of, I won't let go of it so easily. You should leave, Jinx. Before something happens I certainly won't regret.' 

 

The piece of personality that remained of Cardina shivered next to Temperance, watching this corrupt version of herself dominate Temperance, and try to intimidate Jinx. 'Temperance, are you alright?'  She still wasn't coherent enough to be of much help, but she did what little she could to help Temperance.

[Lady_Viper]

'Oh Jinx, this concerns me more than anything else. This is mine, after all.' She passed her attention over the cowering psyches of Temperance and Cardina, smirking darkly to herself. 'And now that I've seen there's something I need to take care of, I won't let go of it so easily. You should leave, Jinx. Before something happens I certainly won't regret.'

 

The piece of personality that remained of Cardina shivered next to Temperance, watching this corrupt version of herself dominate Temperance, and try to intimidate Jinx. 'Temperance, are you alright?'  She still wasn't coherent enough to be of much help, but she did what little she could to help Temperance.

Jinx's lips curled into a smirk of her own at the Golem's words. Her dark amusement apparent  even in her mental voice which echoed in Temperance's head as Jinx's presence in it grew. Something that is funny is the reaction some people have to threats. Some do get scared and let themselves being walked over. Others, like Jinx, threats have the opposite effect of what was the original intention.

 

'Ooohh I won't regret anything, but you certainly might. You was never anywhere near being a decent Nyx. You lie and you threaten and that's all you do. Now, please...go ahead and make my day by challenging me in my own element. Or you can leave before thing's get really nasty for you.'

 

She then prepared to mentally shove the golem out of the Ash's mind so that she could get back to work. Cardin's attempt to intimidate her only served to provoke Jinx even more.

Edited September 23, 2014 by Lady_Viper

[Temperance000]

'Oh Jinx, this concerns me more than anything else. This is mine, after all.' She passed her attention over the cowering psyches of Temperance and Cardina, smirking darkly to herself. 'And now that I've seen there's something I need to take care of, I won't let go of it so easily. You should leave, Jinx. Before something happens I certainly won't regret.'

 

The piece of personality that remained of Cardina shivered next to Temperance, watching this corrupt version of herself dominate Temperance, and try to intimidate Jinx. 'Temperance, are you alright?'  She still wasn't coherent enough to be of much help, but she did what little she could to help Temperance.

 

Barely, Cardina.  Barely.  In point of fact, Temperance was about as far from alright as it was humanly possible to be.  He huddled close, doing his best to shut out the Golem and the Nyx trading verbal blows over his head.

 

Cardina...I'm so glad you're alive.

[SnaleKing]

Jinx's lips curled into a smirk of her own at the Golem's words. Her dark amusement apparent  even in her mental voice which echoed in Temperance's head as Jinx's presence in it grew. Something that is funny is the reaction some people have to threats. Some do get scared and let themselves being walked over. Others, like Jinx, threats have the opposite effect of what was the original intention.

 

'Ooohh I won't regret anything, but you certainly might. You was never anywhere near being a decent Nyx. You lie and you threaten and that's all you do. Now, please...go ahead and make my day by challenging me in my own element. Or you can leave before thing's get really nasty for you.'

 

She then prepared to mentally shove the golem out of the Ash's mind so that she could get back to work. Cardin's attempt to intimidate her only served to provoke Jinx even more.

 

Barely, Cardina.  Barely.  In point of fact, Temperance was about as far from alright as it was humanly possible to be.  He huddled close, doing his best to shut out the Golem and the Nyx trading verbal blows over his head.

 

Cardina...I'm so glad you're alive.

 

Cardin'assur'thyr'xyren laughed, aloud and in Temperance's mind, letting the harsh, discordant wail reverberate within his skull. 'And then what, Jinx? Even if you could remove me from here, it would only be temporarily. Our minds are shared, remember? All but one! And with my strain growing within him, he will be my puppet, mind and body! So go ahead and try, Jinx. I'll be back to consume what broken scraps remain of him after this, and the little piece of me he's hiding!'

 

Cardina radiated a feeling resembling humor, still not whole enough to express the full emotion. 'I don't know if I am, really. What happened? Why am I separate from that me? What happened to my body?' She fell silent for a moment, considering Temperance. 'Maybe... answer later. When this is over.'

[Drakeardian]

"I can show you the way but if you have a map then that will work just the same. All the rooms on the map are labelled to make navigatin' much easier." The Banshee took a sip of her coffee. "Feel up to walkin' or do I have to carry you?", she inquired. A night in a pod should help the Loki Prime get his rest and at worst, he may feel a bit groggy when coming out. She wasn't going to engage full cryosleep on him or anything.

Icarus chuckled and stood up from his table, Resting on the edge of it. "I'll be fine, I'll just take the directions thank you"

Edited September 24, 2014 by Drakeardian