Engine Room: Revenge of the Vampire Nation (Escape from Club Apophis, 59)

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STORYLINE: US Air Force base, Okinawa, late afternoon.

Angry clouds hung heavy over the Pacific.

Massive Mecha Scorpions moved into formation around the lighter infantry armor, their hydraulic joints hissing as hot steam vented across the puddle-choked tarmac. The ground vibrated beneath their multi-leg stomps. Behind them, armored hovercopters whined on helipads as the Night Troops loaded the Scorpion Attack Force for the sea crossing.

Cutting through the rainy mist and reek of aviation fuel came the legendary Commander Ashe. Tall, razor-thin, and clad in a high-density commando weave, Ashe moved with the unnerving stillness of a ghost. A crimson scar ran from his brow down his cheek, while a tarnished silver Victoria Cross dangled from his septum ring over his lips. In the dim tarmac light, his dilated pupils caught the red hazard beacons like a predator's eyes.

He unlatched the massive blast doors of the war room. Cold ozone-heavy air rushed out to meet the suffocating tropical humidity.

"President Spyder." His voice sounded more like a professor's than a warrior's. "The 101st is within visual range of Jeju Island."

Maximilian stood over the tactical holotable, red eyes gleaming. Overhead lights caught the sharp edge of elongated fangs as he devilishly grinned. He clapped a heavy hand onto Ashe’s shoulder with a firm grip. “This is the last stand of the wily old Pharaoh and his Harlot,” his deep voice rumbled. “Corrupt humans and lesser monsters are no defense against the might of the Vampire Nation. This is our world now. His reign ended in Berlin.”

His grin widened.

“Tomorrow, we finally burn out his ancient bloodline.”

Alarms went off, bathing the war room in red. Warnings violently flickered across the holotable. A distressed transmission broke through, framing the face of the Flying Bats Squad Leader. Inside his cockpit, lights flickered on and off as the craft tumbled out of control.

"REPORT!" Maximilian leaned over the projection, jaw tight.

Audio shattered into metallic screeching. Only two words survived the static before the signal died completely: "...No power..."

Ashe immediately swept his hand across the control interface, switching feed angles.

On screen, three more black hovercopters dropped from the sky like lead weights. Their engine glow winked out simultaneously before the black ocean swallowed them whole.

"PULL BACK! REGROUP!" Maximilian roared. "Deploy the Mosquito Bots. All units, locate the perimeter of that bloody shield!"

Ashe rerouted the holotable to an orbital optical feed. Below them, Jeju Island was going dark as if a black wave was sweeping over it. The sky above the island burned crimson beneath the storm clouds. Streetlights were dead. Buildings stood dark along the coastline. Even the traffic signals had died.

"An Entropy Barrier," Ashe said, his voice flat and analytical. "They anticipated our arrival."

Maximilian’s expression turned to iron. "Paine. That bitch betrayed us,” he snarled.

"Possibly. But extending an Entropy field this far beyond the Forbidden Zone would require infrastructure." His eyes narrowed. "The real question is, where did they get enough Entropy to power it?"

Maximilian huffed in disgust.

Ashe zoomed in on the rocky shoreline, targeting a slim lattice structure disguised among sea cliffs. "Notice these relay towers.”

He mapped the shoreline with two quick keystrokes. Six identical towers lined the coast in a precise geometric grid.

"Equidistant. Coordinated." Ashe traced the pattern across the glass. "These aren't cell towers.”

Maximilian turned toward the open comms panel, muscles coiled like a spring. "Unit Five, see that central spire? Dive bomb it."

The sub-window displayed a surviving pilot, pale against his flight harness. "Sir, our flight systems will die the second we breach the boundary zone."

Maximilian sneered into the camera. "Then climb to maximum altitude. Aim. And let momentum carry you. Gravity does not require voltage. Ram that target at top speed, soldier.”

A heavy chill fell across the room.

“Delay that order.” Ashe stepped smoothly into the frame, placed himself directly between Maximilian and the holotable, and clicked the master mute button.

The war room went completely silent. Maximilian’s eyes blazed with lethal fury. For three long seconds, the air balanced on the edge of violence as the President confronted his commander's defiance.

Ashe did not flinch. "Wasting pilots and expensive resources on tower relays is inefficient. There is no need to sacrifice pilots and aircraft when the towers can be dismantled by hand. Send the remaining 101st Flying Bats. They can tear those structures apart with more… traditional methods.”

Maximilian glared at him, the tension slowly bleeding out of his shoulders, replaced by a slow, ruthless grin. "Do you think your elite boys still remember how to hunt with wing and claw?"

"It is innate," Ashe said. He unholstered a long-barreled WWII service pistol from his side, the cursed steel dull and heavy under the tactical lights.

“Old technology served us well in Europe.”

Max stared at the antique weapon. "That gun is over a century out of date."

Ashe checked the chamber, the metallic clack cutting through the silence.

"Digital systems fail. Blood and iron do not."

He raised his eyes. The Victoria Cross glinted in the red hazard light.

"We will hunt in the dark."

HAPPY OCTOBER, Everyone! Best month of the year. *throws fall leaves* I have fun spooky posts in the works with Engine Room items. The Engine Room is a historical fantasy event filled with high quality items, gifts, and even hosts DJ parties. This post was inspired by the many awesome war things at the event, and scorpions! I had making a more movie like image for this post.

On him, Maximilian Spyder:

Outfit: FOE -  Imprecari Outfit, Legacy Male (Engine Room)(1999L)

Gloves: FOE - Imprecari Gloves, Legacy Male (Engine Room)(752L)

Boots: FOE - Imprecari Boots, Legacy Male (Engine Room)(799L)

Sword: FOE - Great Sunderer (Engine Room)(799L)

Mask: MILKBATH - Goblin Mask [mesh]

Hair: Wasabi Pills - Draco Mesh Hair, male [mesh]

Eyes: Gloom - Savage Collection - Sclera 03 - Red S [BOM]

Skin: coconut - Dong Skin / Winter Tone / EVO X [BOM]

Tattoo: XTX - Arana Tattoo - 60% [BOM]

Head: LeLUTKA - RUNE [mesh](3990L)

Body: TheShops - [BODY] Athletic Meshbody (Legacy)(m) (1.7.1) [mesh](5000L)

On him, Commander Ashe:

Outfit: TURB - Sunrise Suit, Vest, Legacy M, fatpack [mesh](Engine Room)(2500L)

Gun: Aii - Red Moon Revolver [mesh](Engine Room)(2000L)

Helmet: SOLE - SA - Helmet DND (Black) [mesh]

Collar: AVEC TOI - Aiden Neck Corset - TIGHT - V1 (LegacyATHLETIC) [mesh]

Cap: Oracle - Sovereign Cap, male [mesh]

Nose chain: Remarkable Oblivion Paragon Cap, Nose chain [mesh]

Earrings: Swallow - Earrings H01 for lel Evo X Human Ears MALE [mesh]

Gloves: Archivefaction - Penumbra Gloves_Legacy M_Slim Fingers [mesh]

Boots: Livalle - Payne - Combat Boots  - Male [mesh]

Head: LeLUTKA - Kane Evolution [mesh](3990L)

Body: TheShops - [BODY] Athletic Meshbody (Legacy)(m) (1.7.1) [mesh](5000L)

Setting:

Scorpion tank: AxisMundi - SiegeReaver-Mount- Large[Animesh](Engine Room)(1500L)

Scorpion: SEmotion Libellune - Venom Antares Companion LIMITED[Animesh](Neo Japan)(188L)

Scorpion Chairs: Nebur Cyborg - SCORVA Rover R-027 (PBR) [mesh]

BONUS IMAGES: inworld raw shots,  midday sky, default camera:

Cyber Fair: A Voice in the Dark (Escape from Club Apophis, 45)

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STORYLINE:

Mission objective: Escape Club Apophis

Team: Jihoon / Lathandro
Location: The dreamscape in Jihoon’s mind

The void was a muffled, liquid grey. Gone were the familiar dreamscapes. It was like the void was constructing itself, trying to create an imposing building of obsidian but running out of instructions halfway through.

Outside, miles away, the real world hummed with frequencies he could barely grasp. The air of the real world tasted of clove smoke and static. He heard the rhythmic, heavy breathing of Kyle, standing guard. 

He focused on Kyle's breathing. Tried to reach toward it.

“Kyle,” his mind whispered. “I’m so cold.”

Kyle's breathing stopped. Just for a second.

The glass door swished open. He felt the bed give way as Kyle sat beside him. A blanket was pulled over him. It was warm and heavy. It smelled of earth and smoke, unmistakably Kyle.

Coincidence? Or had Kyle actually heard him?

He reached out with his mind again. “I’m hungry. So hungry.”

He heard something new. It sounded as if it were coming through a thick pane of soundproof glass. A mechanical hum, high-pitched and familiar. A reporter bot powering on.

Then Lisa Liemawr’s voice, sharp and suspicious: "Jihoon?"

A voice replied as “Jihoon.” But that wasn’t him, and that wasn’t his voice.

Jihoon went still in the void.

What’s happening out there?

He tried to open his eyes, but his eyelids felt like lead slabs. He tried to scream, but his lungs were filled with nothing but static. He was a prisoner in his own skin.

"Little Bookworm," a voice purred from the darkness. "Still wanting someone to save you? Pathetic."

Jihoon turned in the void. Lathandro was there, flickering like a holographic projection, looking utterly bored. He leaned against a glitching street light, looking like a male model in sleek latex from Monstrum Magazine. He sneered at his other half as he spun a digital dagger between his fingers.

"Leave me alone," Jihoon thought, his voice echoing in the hollow silence.

"I'll save you," Lathandro chuckled, a sound like glass breaking on silk. His dagger launched at Jihoon's head with deadly accuracy.

Jihoon held up a hand.

The dagger slammed into an invisible barrier. Violet lightning forked around Jihoon, spreading out from the point of impact. The blade melted and dripped from the barrier, sizzling as it struck the ground.

“You think I’m impressed?" Lathandro spat. "You think the richest blood was a gift? It's a trap. You sold yourself for power. The Ruler owns you now. You cannot disobey your master.”

Jihoon laughed softly. “You’re no better than me. I know your secret. I remember it all now. You only exist because you submitted to MasterGin. While I am what escaped before he could finish.”

A beat of silence. Lathandro's holographic form glitched for a second.

“So what. You’re still terrified. Admit it. The Opening of the Mouth is tomorrow."

“Stupid name. Like something a quack dentist would call an appointment.”

Lathandro leaned against the street light. The corner of his mouth curled upward. “On that point we agree."

“Progress. I’ll take it.”

The darkness softened around him. The void became something briefly familiar, Jihoon’s apartment. Scrappy 2’s ears perked up and his tail began to wag, before it disappeared again.

Jihoon smiled lightly, and looked toward the faint light in the distance of the "outside." He thought of the lecture halls at Jae Won. He thought of Minjo, the way she looked when she laughed, a memory so mundane and warm it felt like a holy relic compared to this surreal neon-lit hell.

"I just wanted to graduate," Jihoon whispered to the void. "I want to be... me."

“You died, idiot.” Lathandro’s voice dripped with mockery. “How many times do I need to say it? You can’t go back to hiding in a library, especially now that your body holds the blood of the most powerful vampire who ever lived. Honestly, I don’t know how we are the same person. You’re so stupid.”

"Easy for you to say."

"Because I'm the part of us that admits what we wanted."

Jihoon felt a sudden, sharp ache in his chest.

The dreamscape cracked open.

For a moment, the grey void vanished.

Throbbing music. Pulsing cyan lights. Perfume. Smoke. Laughter.

Club Apophis.

A thousand beautiful strangers turned toward him at once, wishing him a happy birthday.

The Lost one. The Chosen One. Prince. The words echoed through his memory.

MasterGin's hand on his shoulder. Warm. Proud. Possessive. The faint scent of clove and expensive cologne.

"What do you want for your birthday, dear boy?"

The answer came from both of them at the same time.

“I don't want to be small anymore." 

And also, “I want to be like you."

Both boys looked at each other.

Jihoon blinked. "Which was it?"

"Both?” Lathandro shrugged.

The memory shattered.

Fragments rained between them like a broken mirror, clinking like tiny bells.

Jihoon saw his face in the fragments, one side was his old nerdy self and other side the photogenic Lathandro.

"I was drunk," Jihoon blurted. "Drunk out of my mind. God knows what was in those glowing green drinks they kept feeding me.”

Lathandro laughed softly. "Cosmic Snake piss probably.”

Jihoon cringed.

Lathandro looked at him. For once, he was the one who looked sad. "Why did you run? Why did you flee Club Apophis?”

Jihoon took a moment to collect his thoughts before he replied. “Beauty. Thrills. Power. They're fun for a while. But when everything falls apart, you don't remember the parties. You remember who stayed."

“You mean love?" Lathandro laughed bitterly. "That's rich coming from you. You think only human love counts? You’re a monster too. At least I haven’t forgotten who is dragging us back from the grave.”

The boys sat silently, pondering it all.

“I wonder…,” Jihoon said quietly. “What happens if the ceremony fails?”

"It won’t.” Lathandro folded his arms confidently. “We will awaken, and the Age of Apophis will begin."

Jihoon's head jerked up. "What? What are you talking about?”

“Don’t look at me with those sad, confused puppy dog eyes. Isn't it obvious?" Lathandro leaned in, his face inches from Jihoon’s, his eyes burning with a dark, predatory fervor. “I’m gonna kill the Ruler of the Night.”

The void cracked.

A hairline fracture spreading across the grey like glass under pressure.

Then it sealed itself.

Jihoon stared as his thoughts scattered, leaving something deep and unnameable to stir inside him.

Lathandro grinned, a smile that was beautiful and entirely wrong. “Don’t look so shocked. The old order is failing. Look around. Monstrum is the last dying breath of an ancient tyrant’s attempt to hold onto power. He can barely understand our technologic world. When we wake up, everything The Ruler built is going to collapse. Everything he owns is going to be ours. Don't get in the way, Bookworm.”

Jihoon tried to look away, but Lathandro gripped his chin, forcing him to witness the ambition burning in his own reflection. He watched his own pupils dilate with something he didn't want to name.

Jihoon closed his eyes.

Outside, Kyle's breathing was steady.

He held onto that.

Cyber Fair has two shopping days left. If you haven't visited yet, head over this weekend.    ....At long last, Lathandro makes his debut in the year long series. His look is inspired by items at Cyber Fair, snakes, and a fractured personality.   ....From Abyssal is the wonderful Protocol catsuit for men with fantastic textures in PBR and Legacy. The flatpack includes all texture choices, for adjusting the all the material zones on the suit. Matching gear include the Protocol gloves and boots with the same texture options.  And there is a version of this suit for women too.   ...From Excy is a fun cyber hairclip. Is its receiving signals from the net or jacking the wearer into the Hive? Who knows. There are several texture options to choose from. It's unrigged for easy placement.   ...From TRK are the epic Dawnbringer Canon and Halo. I love the cartoon outline on the canons. You can resize them by touching for a popup menu, and use the texture hud to change the textures. Note: the Cannons do not have weapon scripts in them.  ....From Yuebin is the Fallen Saint leather jacket, drapped seductively from one shoulder, available at Lewd Station. (Meanwhile the normal fit version is at the Salvage Station, Dead Romance.) Both versions of the jacket come with a hud to switch out the textures.   ...From Zeroichi is the Crimson Watch Backdrop. You get a copy or mod version of the set. I used the mod version for this image, since I like to control the lighting.

On him, Lathandro:

Outfit: ABYSSAL - PROTOCOL gloves, catsuit, boots, Legacy M, fatpack [mesh](CyberFair)(2777L)

Hair Clip: Excy - X Clip - X-Metric [mesh](CyberFair)(219L)

Canons: TRK - Dawnbringer Canons [v2] [mesh](CyberFair)(499L)

Halo: TRK - Dawnbringer Halo [mesh](CyberFair)(499L)

Jacket: YUEBIN - Fallen Saint Jacket - [Legacy (m) + Ath] [mesh]

Hair: Aii - Necromantic Hair, HAIR HELL [mesh]

Pet: AxisMundi - SerpentHagoromo-BShort-LARGE [animesh]

Body snakes: HEIKE - Viper's Embrace -Arms, Legs(Legacy M) [mesh]

Claws: Static - Hexxus Symbiote {Black} Legacy M [mesh]

Skin: outernaked - #evox - juhoon skin [NF: natural] - wb

Head, bloody tattoos: LeLUTKA - Kane Evolution [mesh](3990L)

Body: TheShops - [BODY] Athletic Meshbody (Legacy)(m) (1.7.1) [mesh](5000L)

Setting:
Setting: ZEROICHI - Crimson Watch Backdrop, mod [mesh](CyberFair)(560L)

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

 

Fantasy Faire: God of the Desert

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STORYLINE: In the shifting sands of the great wasteland outside the Fairelands, a tiny Fennec’s ears flicked forward. He scanned the expanse. The sands were vibrating from a powerful hum. He sniffed the ground.

Caw Caw Caw.

Above were two black birds racing deeper into the wastelands. His little paws pounded excitedly up the dune, climbing higher and higher towards the birds and the source of the hum.

“Yes, yes, I felt it too.” A man’s voice echoed off the dunes.

When he reached the top, his little paws stopped. In the distance was a great stone circle held in place by two large stone hands. The excited crows had landed on top of them, making a great fuss. Black feathers flying.

The hum was louder here, powerful. It vibrated in his bones. The wind was picking up. He raced down the dune to take shelter from the coming storm. As he neared the stone circle, he saw the glint of gold held by one of the hands. It was a golden circular scepter, with circles swirling within circles. It vibrated and then shot through the air into the distance.

“You think the Unweaver is any match for me?” An annoyed voice replied to the crows. “You can thank me for the sun rising everyday. It is only I, Seth, God of the Desert, that can drive away the Great Serpent Apophis every night.”

The Fennec felt afraid. The hum was emanating from the other side of the circle. The fox crept around it until he saw the man in the distance, plowing forward in knee high sand. His skin the same color of sand, and hair brighter red than the fieriest sunset. He held the golden scepter forward, and the sands began to swirl around him. Growing larger and larger until it formed a great tornado of sand.

“Tell your master, the Harpy King, the Unweaver will not be driven back forever, only until this time next year. You’re Welcome.”

The little Fennec pressed himself flat against the cool stone and watched, ears pinned back, as the desert whirlwind swallowed the God whole. Then, silence. He sneezed out a pawful of sand, and trotted home with an amazing story to tell his kits.


This post is inspired by the Ennead makeup available at the Fantasy Faire by Find the Fish. The Ennead makeup sets include designs for many gods: Thot, Anubis, Isis, Ra, Osiris,  Also by Find the Fish is the hieroglyphic Sahu full body tattoos. They come with options for gold, black and gold, tintable, plus tattoo options for only upper, legs, or arms.   ...From Auro is the Saturnia Staff. The rings and center star gently rotate. It's mod, so I tinted the gemstones black.   ...From Slavia is the Ra Crown. It's also mod to create the perfect fit, and I tinted the Sun Disk black since Seth isn't Ra, but he defends Ra everynight, so I think I can be forgiven for letting him wear it.   ...Speaking on daring, Seth is wearing the male fit for the Petrichor Lekeri dress. It has beautifully detailed metal pieces, and the texture hud contains many options, plus hides.   ...From The Looking Glass are the Not Ok Hand Sculptures. I had fun making them look like they were holding the staff and the stone circle.  ...The Stone Circle is by Good Furniture and has a great stone texture that worked perfectly for a surreal desert landscape. The seating includes many sit options.... The Faire is still going on strong. Keep checking the website for the latest events and news: https://fantasyfairesl.wordpress.com/



On him, Seth:

Staff: AURO - Saturnia Staff, Gold [mesh](Fantasy Faire: Canny Valley)

Outfit: Petrichor P&E - Lekeri Dress, M-Legacy [mesh](Fantasy Faire: Reservoir Zero)

Crown: Slavia - GOD RA Crown [mesh](Fantasy Faire: Amon Galadrann)

Makeup: Find the Fish - Ennead  Makeup Seth, EvoX [BOM](Fantasy Faire: Requiem)

Tattoo: Find the Fish - Sahu, Full Body [BOM](Fantasy Faire: Requiem)

Jewelry: MILKBATH - Ankh - Chest,  Cloth, Collarpiece, Thighs, LegacyM [mesh](799L)

Hair: A&Y - Electric-rain hair (Male) - multicolor [mesh](290L)

Armwraps: AxisMundi - The Embalmer, BandagesArmor, Legacy [mesh]

Shoes: David Heather - Ramses Sandals/LG [mesh]

Headdress: Arwen's Creations - Tiye Underscarf with Diadem by Arwen Serpente (249L)

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

Necklace: Montauk chained collar - necklace [mesh](350L)

Rings: Kartel Originals - Ram Bento Rings - Right - LEGACY [mesh]

Eyes: Gloom - Savage Collection - Sclera 01 - Red S [BOM]

Head: LeLUTKA - CAMDEN 4.0 [mesh](3990L)

Body: TheShops - [BODY] Athletic Meshbody (Legacy)(m) (1.7.1) [mesh](5000L)

Pose: Le Poppycock Ain't 2 proud 

Setting:

Hands: The Looking Glass - TLG Not Ok Giant Hand Sculpture [mesh](Fantasy Faire: Requiem)

Seating: Good Furniture - Stone Torus Sofa [mesh](Fantasy Faire: Vervaine Moors)

Fennec: JIAN - Fennec Fox Collection [mesh] (500L)

Land: ProjectBlank - Dune sim surround terrain (75L)

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

 

Salvage Station: The Pen (Escape from Club Apophis, 28)

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STORYLINE: Lisa Liemawr held her phone up like a holy relic in a cathedral of rust.

“Welcome back, Dragonlets!” Her voice hit that perfect, chirpy register, the one that usually sold energy drinks and scandal. “It’s your girl Lisa, coming to you with the exclusive from…”

She dropped her voice to a haunted stage-whisper.

“…The Forbidden Zone.”

She fluttered "spooky fingers" at the lens.

The bold and brash Hexa Herald reporter checked her reflection in the black screen before the recording started. It was a disaster. Her bangs clung to her forehead in greasy, tragic ropes. Her eyeliner was a smudge of war paint.

“No glamour filters today. #NoMakeupChallenge: Hellscape Edition,” she said, crossing her eyes and sticking out her tongue. "Today’s vlog is pre-recorded since Wi-Fi here is literally nonexistent, and my battery was raised from the dead via sketchy Monstrum Tech, thanks to our secret mole. #HumanSympathizer. Yay for having enough juice to record my last will and testament! Say hi to the fans, team!”

She whipped the phone around with influencer bravado.

The lens struggled to focus, grainy and grey. It swept across a row of rusted, modular housing units stacked like coffins under a flickering green sign: ATOMIC ESTATES.

Huddled in the long, jagged shadow of the structures were the captured students of Jae Won University. "The Avengers have assembled, folks." But they didn't look like heroes. They looked like refuse.

Ghost wasn’t looking at the camera. He was crouched against a corrugated wall, eyes scanning the laser perimeter like a caged wolf, his fingers tapping a silent, frantic rhythm against his thigh. Calculating.

“Check out the latest in post-apocalyptic streetwear,” Lisa narrated, zooming in on Kyra’s torn pants and the found scrap metal doubling as a prosthetic leg. “Derelicte. So hot right now.”

“Put the phone away, Lisa.”

Kyle Baek surged forward, his hand filling the frame. He didn't look like the sarcastic guard anymore; he looked haunted.

“We are in a concentration camp,” he growled, shoving the camera down. “People here look half-dead. Have some respect.”

Lisa gasped, pulling the phone back and feigning outrage. “It’s called a documentary, Kyle. If we die, I want my autopsy report to pull at least five hundred thousand views.” She turned the camera back on him, zooming in until his furious, dirt-streaked eyebrows filled the frame. “Tell us, Kyle, how does it feel knowing your little dare to Jihoon landed us in Monster Disneyland?”

Kyle flinched as if she’d slapped him. His eyes went wet, then hard. He didn't speak. He just smacked the phone out of her hand.

The camera spun wildly, ...sky, dirt, sky, capturing a blur of dense gray fog and the high-voltage shimmer of the fence. It landed with a thud, face-up.

Auto-focus adjusted. It locked onto what loomed above the camp.

Projected against the dark, smog-choked sky was a massive holographic poster. It showed Jihoon, no, Lathandro, clad in radiant white, luminous and holy, eyes downcast like a golden messiah forgiving their sins.

WELCOME HOME, LATHANDRO.

Lisa knelt to scoop up the phone, her hair brushing the lens. She paused, seeing the image on her screen. The bravado slipped, just for a second.

“That, my followers, is why we are here,” she whispered, her voice trembling. “Nerdy nobody becomes Prince Charming of Monsters. Crazy, am I right?”

She aggressively wiped the lens on her sleeve. “Anyway, here’s the 411. We’re trapped in a radioactive 1950s sitcom running on sewer fumes and despair.”

She swung the camera toward Minjo. The robotics genius was sitting on a pile of scrap, grimly sharpening a stick against a rock.

“What do you think, Girl Genius? Are we glowing yet?”

Minjo stared at her as though Lisa were a misfiring toaster. “No. The radiation warnings are a deception to hide what's really powering The Zone.”

“Oooooh, conspiracy time. Whisper it to Lisa… and to my future Pulitzer committee.”

Minjo didn’t whisper. She lunged.

Thwack.

Her sharpened stick speared a mutant rat inches from Lisa’s boot. It screeched once, then went still. Minjo lifted the fresh kill by the tail, staring dead-eyed into the lens.

“I’m calling it the Entropy Engine,” Minjo said flatly.

“Right...” Lisa side-stepped her, as if Minjo was the first to go insane. “And speaking of despair...”

POOF.

Strawberry-scented smoke billowed around them, too sweet for the filth it drifted through.

“Whoa! Caught in 4K!” Lisa shouted, jumping back as Ghost instantly leveled his own sharpened stick at the pink haze.

The smoke cleared. Standing there, immaculate in a white suit that defied the grime of the camp, was Romance. He looked like he had just stepped off the stage at Inkigayo, smelling of crushed flowers and ozone.

“That, Dragonlets, is a bona fide Jeoseung Saja,” Lisa narrated, masking her relief. “Blink and you missed his career. Give it up for Saja Boy’s own DJ Romance!” She added fake cheering noises. “Tell us, how does a soul-sucking idol end up guarding Hell’s worst zip code?”

Romance covered the lens with a manicured hand. “Stop recording. You want to get us caught? The Children of Apophis have eyes everywhere.”

“No can do, my Maestro of Pink,” Lisa said, ducking under his arm with the agility of a paparazzo. “Lisa’s gotta scoop just as much as a fish’s gotta swim. If I don’t film, I get anxious. And when I get anxious, I cry. And when I cry, I get blotchy. Nobody wants that.”

He sighed. Then his gaze fell on Kyra.

“Kyra,” he said softly.

Lisa zoomed in tight.

The cheerleader was slumped against a crate. Her skin was a terrifying greyish-blue, and the neon veins in her neck flickered ominously. Her cybernetics whined with the brittle, dying-hard-drive sound of something begging for mercy.

“I’m... fine,” she wheezed. “Just... low power mode.”

“Liar,” Romance murmured.

He checked his surroundings, then reached into his pristine jacket. He pulled out a chip with the Monstrum logo on it. It buzzed with energy and smelled faintly of cotton candy.

He knelt, brushing a strand of dirty hair from her face. With the gentleness of a bomb disposal expert, he slotted the chip into the port behind her ear.

Kyra arched, light washing through her like a pink sunrise. Her optics flared, then stabilized. She gasped, color returning to her cheeks. “Better,” she breathed.

Romance smiled, that practiced, devastating idol smile that had once been plastered on bedroom walls.

Lisa whispered into the microphone. “#ForbiddenLove. One-hit wonder rocks the cradle with a cyborg. Leave your comments below.”

“I heard that,” Romance snapped, standing up. “She’s a college student. Shut your mouth.”

In the background, Ghost watched them, face emotionless. But the camera caught it: the precise moment his hand snaked out. While Romance was distracted defending Kyra’s honor, Ghost pickpocket the Idol and slid the ill-gotten gains into his wrist-mount with a surgeon’s stealth. His Halo-gloves, dead since the boundary, flickered. A tiny, pale blue light pulsed once.

Access.

Ghost hid his hands instantly. But he stiffened.

High above, on a rusting catwalk, a familiar figure stirred, black robes, amber eyes.

Hwan.

Ghost went statue still.

He locked eyes with the Guardian. Hwan had seen the theft. He had seen everything.

Romance was still fussing over Kyra, oblivious. Hwan could have shouted. He could have alerted the Nuns from hell.

Instead, the figure in the tower slowly turned his back.

Permission.

Ghost let out a breath he didn't know he was holding.

Suddenly, a loudspeaker crackled. A cheerful, tinny jingle played, a distorted, minor-key version of Mr. Sandman played on a broken xylophone.

“Attention, Happy Residents! It is time for the Gratitude Feast! Please proceed to the trough for your daily calorie intake!”

“The trough. Great.” Lisa gagged. “Okay, Pinkie. What’s going on?”

“It’s a mandatory celebration,” Romance said grimly, looking up at the glowing poster of Lathandro. “Master Gin is happy his ‘son’ has returned. So everyone must celebrate too.”

“…Right.” Lisa clicked her tongue, forcing the smile back on. She slapped Plague on the back; he jumped a foot in the air. “Let’s go review the catering, Nerd Snack.”

Lisa followed the shuffling crowd to the center of the plaza. The "Feeder," a man with a scarred face and a butcher’s apron, was happily ladling grey sludge into cupped hands, humming a nursery rhyme.

“Look at them,” Plague whispered, nudging Lisa. “They’re eating it like it’s five-star dining.”

He was right. The residents were shoving the flavorless paste into their mouths with frantic, mindless hunger.

“Okay, Dragonlets. Today on ‘Dystopian Eats,’ we have...” She zoomed in on the grey, bubbling sludge being ladled out of a rusted oil drum. “...Protein paste? Porridge? It smells like wet dog and pennies.”

“Okay," Lisa whispered. "Taste test.”

She took a tiny, tentative sip of the grey soup.

“Oh god.” She coughed, squeezing her eyes shut. “It tastes like sadness. Zero stars. Would not recommend.”

She lowered the cup, wiping her mouth. As she did, the camera panned across the crowd, capturing something off.

She zoomed in on a man’s neck as he swallowed.

“Whoa,” she mumbled.

Glowing softly under the grime of his skin were rune tattoos. They pulsed in time with his heartbeat. *Thump-glow. Thump-glow.*

“Marked,” Plague whispered, shivering. “Like inventory. All of them have it.”

Lisa wandered away from the trough, looking for better content—anything to distract from the glowing necks. She found Echo near the drainage outflow, kneeling in the mud.

“Echo?” Lisa gasped, zooming in. “Doing some spring cleaning?”

The camera panned across a neatly hanging row of used tin cans and rocks arranged in a pleasing geometric shape. A garden of garbage.

But Echo was acting strange. Regressed. She was digging in the mud with frantic, childlike intensity.

“What did you get there? A hidden gem? The key to getting out?”

Echo froze. Slowly, she lifted something from the mud.

A teddy bear. Or, it used to be. It was soiled with clay, missing one eye, its fur matted. Next to it lay a small red ball, deflated with age.

Lisa felt the air leave her lungs. The snark died in her throat.

“Lisa?” Echo asked, holding the bear out gently. Her voice was small. “I think... I think I can fix him. I can replace the missing eye with my shirt button...”

“Stop,” Lisa whispered. Then, louder. “Stop right now.”

She stared at the bear. Then she looked toward the edge of the camp, where the drainage pipe poured dark, oily water into the fog. A river that flowed *out* from the city.

“Echo,” Lisa said, her voice shaking violently. “I need you to do me a favor. Find me a bottle. A plastic bottle. Airtight.”

Echo handed the dirty bear to Lisa and darted off.

Lisa held the bear up to the camera. Her hands were trembling.

She stared at the lens. The mask was gone. The influencer was gone. There was only a terrified girl holding a piece of evidence.

“I had one of these,” she whispered, her voice cracking. “Back when I thought monsters weren’t real.”

She zoomed in on the missing eye.

“Okay, folks... Time to get real.”

Tears welled in her eyes, hot and angry. She didn't wipe them away.

“This belongs to a child. A child who probably chased that red ball across the barrier. A kid who never came home.”

“Lisa, please,” Plague appeared at her side, looking terrified. “Keep your voice down. Let’s not draw attention—”

She tore her arm away. “Keep it down? “You think I’m being too loud?” She slammed the ball into his chest. “Tell that to the parents still stapling ‘Missing’ posters to rain-warped bulletin boards. Tell them their babies aren’t lost! They’re here! They’re livestock!”

She wiped her nose with her sleeve—a messy, unglamorous motion

“I will not rest until the world knows about this disgusting place. #ParentsDeserveToKnow.”

She shoved the phone into Plague’s hands.

“Film every face you can find in this cursed place,” she commanded.

Suddenly, a low, heavy thrumming sound echoed from the main gates. The ground vibrated.

The eating stopped. The residents froze, eyes wide with a conditioned terror.

The rusted gates groaned open.

Through the fog rolled a procession of vehicles that belonged in a museum or a nightmare. Vintage Rolls Royces drifted through the fog like funeral carriages.

Figures stepped out — gowns shimmering like spilled oil, jewels blinking like predator eyes.
They crossed the filth with the bored amusement of aristocrats at a petting zoo.

Lisa stared, horrified. “What... what is happening?”

Romance stepped up beside her, his face grim.

“The Gratitude Feast,” he whispered, watching the elites take their seats around the stage. “The humans eat first to look plump for the buyers. And now...”

He gestured to the vampires raising their auction paddles.

“...Now the real feast begins.”

Happy Thanksgiving everyone! I hope you all enjoy this ambitious post, (7 characters all in one post. The "7 Dwarfs" together at last). There are lots of sweet post apocalyptic goodies from Salvage Station in this. (And if you look hard, you might even spot Jihoon "Snow White" making a cameo.)  Gobble Gobble

On her, front row left to right, Lisa Liemawr (Happy):

Outfit: FenDuDu - Wasteland Verdict, fatpack [mesh](Salvage Station)(3688L)

Hair: CAMO - Nyx Braids  [mesh](Salvage Station)(699L)

Head, eyes, skin: LOGO - Dawn Desert Nomad [mesh]

Body: Meshbody - Legacy (f) Special Edition (Basic) 1.2 [mesh]

Group Pose: 10sai - Group Pose Stand #WEFIE

On her, Kyra (Sleepy):

Guest Appearance: Aarya Phantomhive, of the Dark Phantom blog.

Pants: AsteroidBox - Deteriorate Pants [mesh](Salvage Station)(289L)
Jacket: CHANDRA - Hyperion Jacket Reborn FATPACK [mesh](Salvage Station)(275L)
Jaw: Evil Baby - Jaws - Accessory [mesh](Salvage Station)(349L)
Makeup: eyecing - Ieku - eyes - liner [mesh](Salvage Station)(30L)
Tattoo: Nefekalum - Salvaged Armor - Polished 02 // Full Tattoo [mesh](Salvage Station)(199L)

Tattoo: SOMEONE - Infected Wounds - Face, Body, Eye [mesh](Salvage Station)(550L)

Tattoo: Fallen Gods - Skychylde, female body +FGInc.+ Canary PG [mesh](Salvage Station)(gift)

Makeup: Stelio - Grungy Eyepaint - Black (EvoX) [mesh](Salvage Station)(gift)

Collar: Cruel - Sulfur Gorget - Legacy F
Hair: A&Y - Medusa Cyber hair 2, multicolor [mesh]

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

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

On her, Echo (Dopey):

Helmet: Waffle Science & Research - [W] Civil Defender [mesh](Salvage Station)(250L)

Outfit: The Muses - Triste Bouffon - Ivory [mesh](Salvage Station)(250L)

Hair: Sintiklia - Lillith head 1 Fitted, colors ombres [mesh]

On her, front, Minjo (Doc):

Outfit: BEARCAT.EGG - Mira Top, Skirt, Legacy [mesh](Salvage Station)(500L)

Pet: AxisMundi - Bittersync-(B)ox-Hand L [animesh](Salvage Station)(800L)

Goggles: MILKBATH - Axel Goggles - Unrigged [mesh](Salvage Station)(399L)

Hair: NI.JU Tomtom Hair, naturals [mesh]

On him, back row left to right, Ghost (Bashful):

Scanner: Starlit Endeavor - Nomada Scanner, yellow [mesh](Salvage Station)(300L)

Cowl: SOMNIUM - Outlander [mesh](Salvage Station)(350L)

Coat: SOMNIUM - Outlander [mesh](Salvage Station)(350L)

Mask: Pucca Firecaster Creations - PFC Ninja (Male) [mesh]

Headband: Last Ride - 47 Samurai/Headband back [mesh]

Pants: REBIS - Werk Trousers [mesh](350L)

Gloves: Archivefaction - Penumbra Gloves_Legacy M_Slim Fingers [mesh]

Head: LeLUTKA Kane Evolution [mesh](3990L)

Body: TheShops - [BODY] Athletic Meshbody (Legacy)(m) (1.7.1) [mesh](5000L)

On him, back middle, Plague (Sneezy):

Helmet: Apika - Femm of War - Helmet [mesh](Salvage Station)(350L)

Shoes: CULT - Wasteland - Legacy M [mesh](Salvage Station)(369L)

Outfit: toksik - Invasion Top (Legacy M) (Black)

Cape: toksik - Invasion Cape M (Unrigged)

Gloves: Archivefaction - Penumbra Gloves_Legacy M_Slim Fingers [mesh]

Scar: Cubic Cherry - Decay [BOM, Materials]

Makeup: maledictus - Lacrimosa, red [BOM]

Hair: Dura U122 -A: Men's [mesh]

Head: LeLUTKA Kane Evolution [mesh](3990L)

Body: TheShops - [BODY] Athletic Meshbody (Legacy)(m) (1.7.1) [mesh](5000L)

On him, Kyle (Grumpy):

Outfit: ONEDAYs - CLOUD OUTFIT - LEGACY [mesh](Salvage Station)(350L)

Tattoo: AURO - The Prophet : White // 25 // EVOX  [mesh](Salvage Station)(450L)

Necklace: HAUNT - Choke Chain [mesh](Salvage Station)(299L)

Sleeves: REBIS - Junkyard Sleeves . LegacyM, yellow [mesh](Salvage Station)(250L)

Hair: TRASH - Lucifer w/o Horns V1 - Rainbow pack [mesh]

Eyes: Mana - Jelly Eyes, Clear [BOM] (Midnight Order)(399L)

Skin: MUDSKIN Hajimu, C, Brow, WINTER(gacha)(The Arcade)(75L)

Glasses: SOLE SA, Glasses Penta CP, Black [mesh](339L)

Head: LeLUTKA Kane Evolution [mesh](3990L)

Body: TheShops - [BODY] Athletic Meshbody (Legacy)(m) (1.7.1) [mesh](5000L)

Setting:

Neighborhood: LORE Atomic Estates Fatpack [mesh](Salvage Station)(1200L)

Bench: Dirty Rat - Derelict Bench [mesh](Salvage Station)(415L)

Cart: Dirty Rat - Derelict Cart [mesh](Salvage Station)(375L)

Billboard: Dirty Rat - Vintage Billboard w/o probe [mesh]

Bathroom: Eclectica - Wasteland Bathroom Set  [mesh](Salvage Station)(395L)

Picture frames: NI.JU - Broken Frame Set [mesh](Salvage Station)(250L)

Picture frames: NI.JU - Old N' Worn Frame Set [mesh](Salvage Station)(250L)

Alarm Stystem: Puddles - Tin Can Trap, Soft linked [mesh](Salvage Station)(200L)

Jeweler's work area: Random Matter - Junk Jeweler  [mesh](Salvage Station)(395L)

Desk: Random Matter - Junk Jeweler - Desks [mesh](Salvage Station)(275L)

Toolboxes: Random Matter - Junk Jeweler - Toolboxes [mesh](Salvage Station)(160L)

Necklace display: Random Matter - Junk Jeweler - Necklaces [mesh](Salvage Station)(160L)

Welders: Random Matter - Junk Jeweler - Hand Welders [mesh](Salvage Station)(160L)

Lamp: Duplexity - Nuk-a-Lamp (Ceiling) [mesh](Salvage Station)(249L)

Dunes: Fundati - Beach Cliffs C1 [mesh]

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

Camp Syndicate: The Parasitic Barrier (Escape from Club Apophis, 25)

(click to enlarge)

STORYLINE: ...10 MINUTES EARLIER

The forest at the edge of the Forbidden Zone wasn’t quiet; it was rejected. No insects chirped. No wind stirred the pines. Only the cold, high-voltage hum of hungry silence remained.

Echo crouched in the dirt, breath misting. Her purple-striped sleeves brushed a carpet of dead needles. Behind her, the clearing glowed feverish green under the team’s work lights—drones, signal poles, and weapon packs scattered around the steel crate that held the Black Snakeskin Box. They looked less like students and more like a cult preparing to storm hell.

Ghost didn’t speak; he just acted.

“Comms test, G-3,” he signed with his Halo-gloves, hefting an insulated pole topped with a transmitter. He eased it forward until it breached the shimmering boundary of the Forbidden Zone.

The transmitter’s green light died the instant it crossed the perimeter.

Plague gave a low whistle. “Physics just quit. Another billion credits gone. Stellar start.”

Echo’s jaw tightened. She despised failure. Order bending into nonsense set her on edge.

She brushed past Ghost, pulling items from her pack.

“Experiment E-1.” She tossed a high-powered flashlight. It died mid-air. Then her phone—its screen went black before it hit the ground.

Last, she produced a small pink plastic ’80s Swatch, wound it, and tossed it into the Zone like a sacrifice.

It landed among the dead leaves, still ticking. Smug old tech. Alive.

“It’s selective,” Echo murmured. “Not an EMP, not a jammer. It’s eating everything with a current.”

Plague snorted, gesturing to the pile of dead gear. “Great. And we brought a picnic.”

“No,” Minjo corrected. Her eyes shifted from her dead console to the steel crate. “It eats human power.”
The glint in her gaze sharpened as she focused on the Black Snakeskin Box. “So, let’s feed it something else.”

She unlatched the crate. Inside, the sinister box pulsed with a faint, oily light. This wasn't tech, at least nothing Minjo could understand. It was a core of impossible energy, a spark that could power quantum entanglement from a container the size of a heart.

“I’ve failed to interface with it,” she admitted, rare defeat roughening her tone. “It has no code. It... resists analysis.”

Echo stared at the exposed core. It seemed to throb in time with their movements.

“Wait,” she whispered. “I think it’s been watching us. Laughing each time we fail.”

“A trolling multidimensional power source. Perfect.” Plague flipped a bird at the core, which flashed in response.

Minjo and Echo exchanged a glance.

“Alright,” Minjo said, slipping from analysis to command. “Echo, you’re the empath. Try luring it into the containment unit.”

Echo swallowed. The task felt right—like it had chosen her. The Core was less a device than a feral animal.

She pulled her retro datapad from her pack—a lavender relic with a green phosphor screen. Laying a palm on the Box, she ignored the feel of cold, scaled skin and linked the pad.

The screen flared—not with static, but with alien glyphs that writhed like serpents under glass. The Box was speaking: a language of pure, hungry curiosity.

Then the glyphs resolved. Two lines appeared on either side of the screen, and a single pixel bounced between them.

A small smile touched Echo's lips. “You guys aren’t going to believe this. I think it’s trying to play PONG.”

A ball of light bounced off one edge of the screen and headed for her side. She returned it, and the glyphs blinked in what looked like a smile.

“We can play, but first we need to get you into your new home. Easy now,” she murmured, guiding the datapad. The Core, trusting her now, followed the pad’s pull like a charmed snake. It levitated, humming, and slid into the brass-and-crystal housing Minjo had built.

“I have it,” Echo breathed, a surge of triumph cutting through the dread. “It’s contained. The unit is sealed.”

The moment the seal clicked shut, the serpentine glyphs swirled and bounced the digital ball to her again. She laughed in delight.

Then suddenly, the ball froze mid-play. The glyphs scattered, racing in panic, then coiled into tight, defensive knots, -- as if bracing for an unseen strike.

The air changed, as if the world itself were holding its breath.

Echo felt it before she saw it: the sense of being watched. The scent of rust and something sickeningly sweet, like burnt sugar.

A new awareness crawled up her spine, different from the Zone’s vague hunger. This wasn’t a diffuse threat. This was focused, predatory attention.

Reflected in the dark glass of her datapad, a new reflection joined her own.

It was pale. It was smiling.

Her breath caught.

She looked up, -- just as the Ice Cream Man brought the hammer down.

He didn’t strike her.

The heavy, worn hammer crushed the containment unit. The Core fractured.

It didn’t explode. It unleashed.

A giant shadow-serpent, a thing of pure, lightless rage, tore itself free from the broken housing. It shrieked, a psychic howl that rattled Echo’s teeth. A tornado of darkness ripped through the clearing as hundreds of smaller shadows were sucked from the trees, swirling around the serpent as it grew, raging in a vortex of dust, leaves, and smoke.

Then, as fast as it had appeared, the serpent shot past them, a black comet streaking deep into the Forbidden Zone.

Silence fell.

Ghost had already moved, placing himself between the students and the intruder, hand on his sidearm.

The Ice Cream Man didn’t move. He simply pointed his hammer in the direction the serpent had gone. His voice was muffled and hollow behind the porcelain mask.

“It returns to its master,” he said. “Your cursed friend, Yoon Jihoon, is that direction.”

The words hit them like a physical blow.

“What?” Minjo whispered, her scientific certainty shattering. “Who… who are you?”

The Ice Cream Man lifted his free hand to his face. With a soft click, he unhooked the mask and let it fall.

He wasn’t human. His face was sharp and pale, a smile that was too wide, with teeth that looked like they could crack bone, and his eyes burned with a feral amber light.

“I am Hwan, Guardian of the Barrier,” he said, voice now clear and cold, like gravel and frost. “And you’re not going anywhere, not without a real guide.”

On Her, Echo:

Top, shorts, leg warmers, shoes: Web Dew - Nicole set, LaraX [mesh](Camp Syndicate)(3500L)

Hair: Sintiklia - Lillith head 1 Fitted, colors ombres [mesh](Camp Syndicate)(350L)

Thigh belt: PSYCHO:Byts - Final Thigh Belts [mesh](Camp Syndicate)(450L)

Eyes: Mana - Plague Eye [BOM, Applier](Camp Syndicate)(300L)

Glasses: VORTECH - Teachers Specs PBR V1.1 [mesh](249L)

Headphone: L&B - Female Swear Gift Headphones [mesh]

Datapad: kosmii & mizu - Industrial DataPad [mesh]

Pins: LindenLabs LDPW - Paleoquest Badges - Dino love // small [mesh]

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

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

Setting:

Monster: AxisMundi - StarGorgon [animesh](Camp Syndicate)(750L)

Skull Plant: Blue Blood - Ficus Mori - Cluster - Vivid Green [mesh](Camp Syndicate)(199L)

Contiment Unit: VORTECH - Alien Containment Units [mesh](349L)

Datapad: StudioOne - Datapad [mesh]

Ground: LOVE - EVERCHANGE PATHWAY [mesh]

Trees: Landscaping by Felix1 - Mesh Pine Season [mesh]

Suitcase: LINKRAVE Wormhole Suitcase - Aged Black [mesh] (685L)

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