Cyber Fair: The Age of Apophis, part 2 (Escape from Club Apophis, 56)

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STORYLINE: Forbidden Zone border. 1 pm.

For one brief moment, the Ruler of the Night believed he had won. The boy, Jihoon, was finally his fledgling. MasterGin's centuries-long plot was completely dismantled. Order had claimed the board.

"Cancel the ceremony," he said, savoring the words.

The robotic lioness’s heavy titanium tail stopped its rhythmic swaying. Its synthetic optic lenses suddenly whirred, expanding into wide, black rings.

"But, my King, the nobles from all around the world are already arriving."

The Ruler paid the beast no mind. He activated an archived hologram on his wrist display. Lucien Ginerva, the man the world knew as MasterGin, was draped across his shoulder in a candid nightclub shot. Clad in a plunging gold chainmail dress that clung to his pale frame like liquid metal, Lucien looked breathtaking, scandalous, and entirely in his element. His head was thrown back in a wicked, limelight-stealing laugh. "I am sorry, my dearest friend,” the Ruler murmured to the projection. "Your machinations were impressive. But Order will always claim the board.” He pressed a gloved finger to his lips, then traced the glowing contour of Lucien's cheek with a tenderness he showed no living creature. "Our game will continue another thousand years."

He leaned back against the alley wall, lost in thought.

Suddenly the air changed, as if a cloud passed over the sun. The temperature plummeted ten degrees in a single heartbeat. Automated streetlights along the avenue flickered to life.

The lioness froze. Its metal ears rose. It's retinal HUDs flickered across its optical sensors as it looked toward the sky.

"WARNING. Photonic Decay Detected."

The sun sat squarely overhead, but the light turned a sickly, bruised gray.

“Cause?” The Ruler scanned the horizon.

"Solar output remains at one hundred percent," the lioness stated, its voice carrying an unsettling micro-second of latency. "Surface illumination in this sector has dropped to twelve percent. Cause undefined."

Shadows stretched across the concrete like spilled ink, swallowing the midday glare. His ocular implants auto-compensated, cranking brightness to maximum, but the rising dark simply absorbed the artificial light.

A sharp ping rattled his audio receiver.

"Priority Alert," the AI interrupted from the wrist display. The hologram shifted into a tactical map. A heavy strike hovercopter had just crossed into Korean airspace.

The Ruler zoomed in on the optic feed. The heavily armed UN gunship swept low over the coast. Emblazoned across the black hull were the stark white letters UN beneath the logo of the black widow spider.

Maximilian. His arch enemy.

The Ruler tapped his console, routing a direct, encrypted frequency straight to the White House. A veto from the US in the UN could scuttle any resolution. A single vote from Washington would force Maximilian to retreat.

The line rang. Busy signal.

He redialed immediately, overriding security protocols.

A synthesized voice chimed in his ear. "We're sorry. The number you have reached is no longer in service."

The Ruler froze, his hand hovering above the glowing interface. The line disconnected. He didn’t ask the AI for an explanation. He already knew. This was Lucien’s fault. The idiot had insulted the leader of the free world. His half-hearted apology had lead to their undoing.

High above, the sunlight faded further. A bitter chill swept across the alleyway.

He removed his glove and exposed his bare hand to the sky. He felt no burning. No blistering heat. The daylight had lost its teeth. Soon, the creatures of the night would discover the truth.

Chaos was winning.

The screen of his wrist device glitched, resolving into the static logo of Monstrum, a sigil designed by Lucien himself.

The Ruler stared at the emblem of the serpent swallowing the sun. For the first time in a thousand years, he felt something cold move through his chest. He had greatly underestimated Lucian.

"Your orders, my King?"

The Ruler bolted toward the hovercar, clearing the armored door in a single leap.

"Get Lucien on the line now! Mobilize every division! Seal the northern gates!" he roared into his comms, slamming the throttle to maximum. "And delay the cancellation of the ceremony. Tell no one. We need all the incoming nobility for the war."

The engine screamed to life, tearing out of the alley and plunging into the dimming streets of the Forbidden Zone.

At noon, the world was drowning in shadow. The serpent had swallowed the sun. The Age of Apophis had arrived.

On him, MasterGin:

Outfit: MASON - SINTETIC BODY - LARAX [mesh](CyberFair)

Boots: ANTAYA - Boots "Mora" LaraX[mesh](CyberFair)

Tattoo: ARANA - Sci Arms  -Arms Example 2K [BOM]

Nails: AsteroidBox - Simple Nails - LaraX[mesh]

Collar: Cruel Sulfur Gorget, Legacy M [mesh]

Hair: bonbon - tame hair, naturals [mesh]

Eyes: S0NG - Vampy, Old Ice Eye [BOM]

Skin: Skin Arcana - Maverick, FAIR [BOM]

Skin: Pink Fuel - [PF] <Porcelain> Boi/Athletic [BOM]

Head: LeLUTKA - CAMDEN 4.0 [mesh]

Body: Maitreya - Mesh Body LaraX [mesh]
Body mod: Maitreya - Mesh Body - LaraX FlatChest Add-on [mesh]

Pose: piXit - Sensual - Secret Couple Pose

On him, The Ruler:

Top: Bartimeu - B-120 Cyber Shirt [ATHLETIC] [mesh](CyberFair)

Skin, face: VOGLIA - "THOROS" FANTASY Skin (EvoX) (tinted)[BOM](CyberFair)

Pants: Bartimeu - B-53 Pants L/A [mesh](CyberFair)

Eyes: SHIMM - CYBER XV BONUS [BOM](CyberFair)

Hair: NO.MATCH - NO_COLOURS male [mesh]

Claws: L'Emporio&PL - Oblio Vampire Claws male [mesh]

Head: LeLUTKA - CAMDEN 4.0 [mesh]

Body: TheShops - [BODY] Athletic Meshbody (Legacy)(m) (1.7.1) [mesh]

Setting:

Set: Bersav - Chrome Noir // Top Build Piece [PBR][mesh](CyberFair)

Trees: Little Branch - LB_CyberBloom{Animated}*P[mesh](CyberFair)

BONUS IMAGES: inworld raw shots, hi-res, midday sky, default camera:

Cyber Fair: The Glass Coffin (Escape from Club Apophis, 19)

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STORYLINE: Dr. Seojin. A face that wore the sterile ambition of a man who catalogued patients as puzzles, spoke into his datapad without once meeting Minjo’s eyes. His voice was clipped, impersonal, like a technician reading a broken instrument.

“Case of Yoon Jihoon. Witnessed public combustion, presumed fourth-degree photothermal trauma. Current damage consistent with augment rejection cascade. Recommend immediate transfer to a private facility for liability containment.”

“Absolutely not.” Minjo was to her feet in an instant, brandishing the digital authority of her guardianship like a blade. “You can submit your proposal, and the name of that private facility, in writing. I will evaluate it.”

A flash of irritation crossed the doctor's polished features. He fled the room muttering a string of medical jargon that sounded suspiciously like insults.

The doctors were a problem, vultures in clean lab coats. Minjo watched them all with the predatory stillness of a gatekeeper, scanning their credentials and dismissing anyone with a whiff of black-market biotech or, worse, GIN AESTHETICA™. Paranoia was a logical response. She would not let Dr. Ginerva’s creatures finish what they had begun.

The world shrank to the size of the room. Jihoon lay suspended inside a sealed therapeutic tank, -- a glass coffin filled with a shimmering, oxygenated biogel. Wrapped head to toe in white smart-bandages, he looked almost serene; the only other presences were the soft blink of the vitals monitor and Minjo, keeping a solitary vigil.

The university had expelled him. While she packed his life into boxes —textbooks, anime posters—with a cold, methodical fury.

Days acquired a grim rhythm: monitor the tank, cross-reference charts, keep the journal. Each night she performed a private, clinical ritual. With wire clippers from her robotics kit she snipped the glossy black claws that pushed through the bandages. The sharp snap echoed in the quiet. Then she placed the jagged fragments of obsidian-like keratin into a specimen vial, labeled it, then added it to the macabre collection in her diagnostic kit.

Guilt was not a variable; it was a constant, an acid that corroded logic. The memory of the baseball game was an ache that never faded. He had trusted her, and she, in her clinical arrogance, had armed him with nothing more than cheap sunscreen against a star. It was his scream—a sound she heard every time she closed her eyes. In that final, agonizing moment, it was her name he had shrieked, a hand reaching for her through the flames, pleading, "Save me."

A single, hot tear rolled down her cheek. She wiped it away with an angry, impatient swipe of her sleeve before turning back to her journal. 

The blood transfusions were the strangest variable. The bags of synthetic O-negative would simply… vanish. In her journal, beneath a string of complex equations, Minjo wrote three words and circled them until the pen tore the page: ...Signs of Vampirism?

When a new surgical team scheduled an amputation for his arms, Minjo refused. She made them unwrap the limbs. The room fell silent. The flesh beneath was not carbonized, but a latticework of raw, pink scars over newly formed tissue. Damaged, yes. Horrifically so. But healing.

With a sigh, she sank back in the stiff hospital chair. Her gaze settled on a sketch of the mysterious Black Snakeskin Box surrounded by question marks. It had been hidden under the floorboards of Jihoon's bedroom, a secret he hid above all others. Why? Stranger still, when she opened it, the contents of an exotic pricey sunscreen disappeared, and in its place materialized a note, "Happy now, Bitch?"

Later that night, a woman she didn't recognize approached. She was dressed more like an intern than a nurse, and she moved with upbeat attitude that was more unnerving than comforting. A clinical facemask obscured her mouth, but her eyes—obvious cybernetic models—crinkled with a practiced warmth.

"Oh you poor thing. Have you been here all day? You look like you're about to fall over," she said, her voice a low, soothing hum.

Minjo’s internal database of hospital staff came up empty for her half covered face.

The nurse chuckled, a low, soothing hum. “It’s understandable. I was at that game too," she confessed, her voice dropping conspiratorially. "I don't believe a word they're saying about him. He's the victim here. You are a good girlfriend to him.” She placed a steaming cup in Minjo’s hands. “But you need to care for yourself too. Here, Chamomile. It will help you get some real rest."

Minjo’s analytical mind should have dissected the gesture, but her defenses were worn to nothing. For the first time, someone saw her pain.

The tea was warm and sweet. She drank it down, and a thick, dreamless curtain fell with astonishing speed. Outside the hospital, the street erupted into a symphony of chaos, screaming with sirens and the sounds of a violent chase, but Minjo was already gone, lost in a slumber so profound it felt less like rest and more like a system shutdown. She was too tired to care, and for the first time in a month, she did not dream of fire.

A soft knock pulled her from the depths. Minjo blinked, the grey morning light feeling abrasive and alien. Jihoon's three closest friends, Echo, Ghost, and Plague, stood in the doorway, their arms laden with cheap flowers and well loved retro game cartridges.

Echo opened her mouth to speak, but her eyes darted past Minjo. “Where’s Jihoon?”

Panic seized her. The glass coffin was empty.

She bolted to the nurses' station. “Yoon Jihoon,” she demanded. “Where is he?”

The admitting nurse, a woman with a practiced smile, tapped at her console. “Mr. Yoon was discharged late last night into the care of his legal guardian.”

“Impossible,” Minjo’s voice rose. “His parents are dead. I’m his medical proxy.”

“The paperwork is all in order.” The nurse swiveled her monitor around. On the signature line was a name that felt like a curse: Dr. Lucien Ginerva.

“That’s forged,” Minjo choked out.

“I assure you, a high-ranking officer verified everything.” She pulled up the security footage.

The timestamp read 2:17 AM. A towering, broad-shouldered police officer stood beside MasterGin. Between them Jihoon, still wrapped in bandages, was wheeled out on a gurney. Gone.

Echo gasped, pointing at the screen. "That's him! The officer from the crash!"

A wave of dizziness washed over Minjo. Her gaze fell on the half-empty cup. Drugged. The thought wasn't a question; it was a diagnosis. The ice in her gut flash-froze into white-hot, analytical fury. They had treated her like an obstacle. They would find she was a problem that fought back.

"Ghost, Echo, Plague," she commanded, her voice cutting through the sterile air. "Come with me. I have something to show you."

It's time to say goodbye to this round of CyberFair, and Season 2 of Escape from Club Apophis. Yes, I know I said there would be no more posts for CF, but I had a burning need to tell more story and show more things. So BONUS post! Wooo! *throws confetti*  The season finale mostly wraps up the journey to unite Snow White / Jihoon's rescue team, the 7 dwarfs: Lisa Liemawr is Happy, Kyle is Grumpy, Kyra is Sleepy, Plague is Sneezy, Echo is Dopey, and Ghost is Bashful.

For the Nurse Intern's look I used the AsteroidBox Mia outfit. It has a rich hud of colors and PBR options. The pBR version has glow LED elements.   ...The perfect hair for young nurse is the Echo hair by Sintiklia. There are also Cyber bunny ears in the pack, and each texture hud has a lot of color options.   ...The striking cybernetic blue eyes are Nyxa by Euphoric.  The LED body lines at Justice by Abyssal. The pack comes with multiple colors and opacity BOM tattoos, applier to create shine material, and lights to best to show off the effect.   ...Supplying the Medical needs are The Kataonik Nurse hat tinted black, Gehenna's stethoscope, Mask by Violetility, latex gloves by Antaya, and the frightening Mad Doctor's Equipment by Cabalpier.   

On her, The Suspicious Nurse Paine:

Outfit: AsteroidBox Mia Outfit - LaraX, black [mesh](CyberFair)(499L)

Hair: Sintiklia Echo head 1 Fitted, blond [mesh](CyberFair)(150L)

Skin: VOGLIA ELEKTRA Skin, EvoX, Icy With Brows [BOM](CyberFair)(699L)

Eyes: EUPHORIC Nyxa ~[BOM] #08[mesh](CyberFair)(380L)

Tattoo/Shine: ABYSSAL JUSTICE CYBERTECH [BOM, Applier]

Gloves: ANTAYA Latex gloves "Keily" FATPACK Lara X [mesh]

Syringe, bone saw: CABALPIER Mad Doctor's Equipment - Bundle [mesh]

Hat: katat0nik (W) Nurse Hat for Apron Dress [mesh]

Stethoscope: Gehenna ::G:: Stethoscope

Mask: Violetility Nurse Feelgood Mask [mesh]

Head, eyes: LeLUTKA lel EvoX LILLY 3.1 [mesh](3990L)

Body: Maitreya Mesh Body Lara [mesh](2750L)

Pose: Poseidon Poses Nightmare Slasher

...Thanks to my blogger bat buddy Aarya for letting me cosplay her once more for the blog. 

Location:
Insilco

BONUS IMAGES: inworld raw shot, hi-res, midday sky.

Midnight Order: The Future Has Bite

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The Future Has Bite

In the future, we'll soar high,

With drones and cyborgs to amplify

our strength, our speed, and our might,

To aid us in our every fight.

But beware, dear friends, for it's true,

That Nosferatu will have them too,

They'll fly with drones and wield AI,

Their power and influence, we can't deny.

With cyborg enhancements, they'll be swift,

Their fangs and claws, a deadly gift,

A force to be reckoned with indeed,

As they hunt and prey and make us bleed.

So take heed, my friends, and be aware,

The future holds a new nightmare,

Not just humans, but Nosferatu too,

Using technology to do what they do.

And I'm back with the next Midnight Order themed image, this time it's Cyber and Vampire! I got very into this making this image, does it show? It was fun to put together. (Thanks for the help, Akira!) Its been awhile since I did cyber, and of course I just love the NK Aranyc Back Alley fangs implants, they are the inspiration for this image. They are on sale at Midnight Order, which covers all themes dark, including cyber. Also from Midnight Order are the haunting Twinkle Eyes from Mana, and the Squirrel Hair by Zao. The hair is not rigged and comes with a popup menu to resize. In the background are the lovely Batmasks by Antaya. I love them! The statue models are none other than the brilliant Cyborg Heads by Whats Lost Spiritis. The Station Omega Base Kit skybox is on sale at Mainframe by The Eschaton. It has a clever auto alignment tool for building your hallway settings. The screens in the back are from Linkrave, and the screen is tintable. The Poem above was a collaboration with Chat GTP. I told it what I wanted, and made it try and try again. 14 times before the AI cut me off. lol So many had little lines that were great, but others were nonsensical. Too fun.

On Him, The Blood Harvester:
Hair: ZAO Squirrel Hair [mesh](Midnight Order)(366L)
Eyes: Mana Twinkle Eyes 13 [BOM](Midnight Order)(500L)
Fangs: NK* ARAKNYD Back Alley Fangs Implant, Male [mesh](Midnight Order)(999L)
Spine: Contraption Power Jammer Spine [Animesh](500L)
Shades: KROVA K-Specs [mesh](75L)
Chest: BISON Synchronize ExoPlate Red Danger [mesh](499L)
Face tattoo: THIS IS WRONG Mech makeup BLACK EvoX  [BOM]( L)
Bindi: The Stringer Mausoleum *TSM* Facial Decor [BOM/EvoX] - Gothic Cross (gift)
Makeup: sacrilege eternal damnation [BOM](329L)
Makeup: The White Crow -[TWC]- Feeling bad gift -Red- EVOX (gift)
Head: LeLUTKA Kane Evolution .2.5 [mesh](3990L)

Setting:
Masks: ANTAYA Desmodus mask [mesh](Midnight Order)(199L)
Skybox: The Eschaton *TE* Station Omega Base Kit (Mainframe)(500L)
Viewer screens: LINKRAVE Display Screen Cluster [mesh](425L)
Statues: Whats Lost Spirits WLS - CYBORG HEAD - 3 gacha [mesh]
Cables: BROKEN ARROWS - S.T.A.R.K Labs  - Cables Fatpack [mesh](650L)

Engine Room: The Great Race of the Clockwork Kingdom, 3

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STORYLINE: The roads were deserted all across the Clockwork Kingdom. The tension was thick in the air as darkness fell. Children strained on their tiptoes at the windows. Where were the racers? Did they crash? Did the new vehicles invented by the Cogworks fail? Who was winning? Suddenly, a distant cheer swelled up in the night air. And then the children heard it, — a thundering roar growing louder and louder. The kids squealed and ran to the rooftop. “Momma Momma,” they jumped up and down and pointed. “It’s the White Wabbit!”

On Him, The White Rabbit:
Cape, gloves, top: TURB Dark Archbishop Fatpack (Legacy M)[mesh](Engine Room)(1050L)

Mask: ANTAYA Steampunk mask "Delta" FATPACK [mesh](Engine Room)(199L)

Bike, pose: Level Nine Songbird [mesh](Engine Room)(1500L)

Pants: [LOB] VIEGO PANTS - LEGACY [mesh](199L)
Boots: irrISIStible Steampunk white rabbit BOOT MEN [mesh](199L)

Eyes: Mana Fickle Eyes [BOM] [mesh](399L)

Ears: Aii & Ego Cotton Usagi Ears XL [mesh](450L)

Hair: INK air _ UN ::White, gacha [mesh]( L)

Head: LeLUTKA lel EvoX KANE 3.1 [mesh](3990L)

Body: TheShops [BODY] Athletic Meshbody (Legacy)(m) (1.0) [mesh](5000L)

Setting:

Goatswood / Whitby Landing

Necrotize: Incubation

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STORYLINE: Crewmen Stephan couldn't shake the feeling he was being watched. The cargo freighter USS Charon was dead in the water near the Scheol Nebula. Unless he could find the problem and make the necessary repairs, he was stuck until help arrived. And since that could take years, it was up to him to fix it, no matter how much his skin crawled as he ventured deeper and deeper into the heart of the dilapidated spaceship. His stomach growled angrily. He hadn't been feeling well since he ate that lousy dinner on a passing freighter a month ago. "Never Again," he swore under his breath. No sooner had he opened a hatch in the floor, then something flew out and attached itself to his face. He screamed and clawed at it, gagging and thrashing wildly. Something going down his throat! But it was too late, a paralytic venom was already slowing his movements. His vision was blurred as a dark shape loomed over him. It knelt beside him, saying “Shhh, shhh..." and stroking his hair. Tears rolled down his eyes. What was it? It looked alien, but human too. The creature’s sharp claws were caressing him like a pet. "I know it hurts, my poison will kill the foreign food-born egg growing inside you." His limp body was picked up like he weighed nothing. The alien carried him to a hole melted in the ship's hull, and judging from the leaking fuel lines, this was most likely the cause of the engine failure. Another ship was attached outside. It's black surface gleamed and seemed alive with pulsing green goo in its biomechanical veins. "We are going to a safe place," his capturer said, "Nothing will ever hurt you again as long as you are with me."

ALIENS! HORROR! Necrotize is a unique event full of things to haunt your nightmares. This image was inspired by the tale of Hades and Persephone with an Aliens twist. On the Alien is the super cool Giger outfit by Somnium. It comes with an infection BOM tattoo which I combined with the Human Glitch Ncthr tattoo. The haunted Syrre Eyes are by Petrichor and have so many options, its great. Poor Stephan is wearing the Krova Animesh Facehugger, and Antaya Incubator attachment. I discovered it works on male and female avis that wear a layer alpha. His outfit is Orther by Asteroidbox. It has support for many mesh bodies, male, female, and the Mait flat like I used here. The gorgeous setting is Level 03 by Varonis. All these awesome items are at Necrotize, and there are gifts too in the Green Eggs.

On him, Crewman Stephan:

Outfit: AsteroidBox Orther Outfit - Mait Flat [mesh](Necrotize)(289L)

Facehugger: KROVA Fleshbug green [mesh](Necrotize)(350L)

Belly: ANTAYA Incubator [mesh](Necrotize)(299L)

Gloves: Contraption Dapper Dandy's Gloves [mesh](350L)

Hair: No_Match NO_TENDERNESS [mesh](group gift)

Tattoo: The White Crow [TWC]- Your tears -Black- 

Skin: Tableau Vivant Rays Skin - Tone 03 - natural [BOM]

Mesh head: Raven Bell  BJD Bento Head James // OMEGA-UV [mesh] (2000L)

Chest: [V-Tech] Boi Chest Mod - Maitreya [BOM](499L)
Body: Maitreya Mesh Body Lara  [BOM] [mesh](2750L)

On him, Xeno Hades:

Outfit: Somnium Giger - Black -  [mesh](Necrotize)(450L)

Tattoo: Human Glitch NCTHR tattoo white tintable [BOM](Necrotize)(399L)

Eyes: Petrichor :[P]:- Syrre Eye v.1.2  [mesh](Necrotize)(399L)

Claws: L'Emporio&PL Oblio Vampire Claws male [mesh](350L)

Tail: Aii Daemonium Tail [mesh](400L)

Underpants: BareRose ::: B@R ::: Cavalier Noir Optional Underpants [BOM](150L)

Skin: Tableau Vivant Ryan Sent to destroy 4 [BOM]

Mesh head: Raven Bell  BJD Bento Head James // OMEGA-UV [mesh] (2000L)

Body: TheShops [BODY] Athletic Meshbody (Legacy)(m) (1.0) [mesh](5000L)

Pose: F*cking Ninjas FN Hades and Persephone, edited (50L)

Setting:

Skybox: VARONIS "Level 03" Backdrop [mesh](Necrotize)(449L)

Thanks for your help, Aarya!