Cyber Fair: The Scoop of the Century 2 (Escape from Club Apophis, 57)

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STORYLINE: Forbidden Zone, MasterGin’s Personal Suite

“What’s up, Dragonlets! It’s your girl Lisa Liemawr of the Hexa Herald, reunited with the new and improved M10. Woot Woot! You'll never guess where we are. 150 meters below GIN AESTHETICA™. #SecretBunker. But Lisa, why does a Plastic Surgery Clinic need an underground lair? Good question. We're about to break open The Scoop of the Century! …Or so this fetching eye candy tells me.”

M10’s optic lens swung from Lisa’s face, focusing on the supermodel like figure framed in the doorway.

Clove cigarette smoke.
The white Marilyn hair.
Jihoon’s new photogenic face. “Lathandro™.”

“I mean, what the hell am I looking at?” Lisa leaned toward the camera. “Is MasterGin forming a boy band of baddies?”

The figure gave a soft dry snort.

SUS. 

Jihoon barely held eye contact during press junkets. Whoever was wearing his face right now owned the room like he'd built it himself.

The camera pivoted back to Lisa, her eyes shining with scandal hunting delight. “I have questions, Dragonlets. Click subscribe if you think we found our lost baseball ringer Lathandro. Click like if you think this is extra SUS. Leave a comment if you think Lisa sucked in too much apocalypse sewer sludge and is high out of her mind… or dead.”

Jihoon burst out laughing.

The sound was deeper than Lisa remembered. Smooth as polished obsidian. Dark. Entirely wrong.

He smirked with MasterGin’s exact theatrical confidence, dragging slow smoke from the long-stemmed silver snake cigarette while flashing his long silver claws. “That’s why I like you, Miss Lisa Lies More. You’re bold. You make me laugh.”

He turned toward the interior, waving a manicured hand. “Come. Let’s talk business.”

He paused mid-step as a shudder rippled across his skin.

Lisa whipped out her halophone, fingers flying as she snapped rapid photos.

Jihoon’s features stuttered. The pale flesh blurred like wet oil paint. White hair darkened to gold blond. Wrinkles dug into his forehead and around eyes. Darker and mottled, his skin was aging decades in a fraction of a second. It was a face Lisa had never seen, not even in the Hexa Herald archive. 

Click. Click.

Another glitch and the moment vanished. Flesh bleached instantly back to porcelain. Features tightened into razor-sharp lines. Pale blue eyes flared under the light.

MasterGin emerged like a sculpture freshly carved from white marble.

Of course. He'd worn the “Lathandro™” face like a costume, just to watch her flinch.

His smile widened. He knew she had seen it.

“Or did you forget you work for me, Dear?”

Lisa forgot to breathe. The camera kept recording, storing the rapid-fire captures in her local buffer. For one single heartbeat, she had glimpsed something real beneath the god. A man hidden beneath layers of living art and Glamour.

“You look disappointed,” he purred.

Lisa swallowed hard, holding her device steady. “I’m just deciding which face belongs to the guy paying my checks.”

His smile broadened, sharp and predatory. “Careful, Dear. Never ask a plastic surgeon if his face is real.”

The air smelled of clove masking the heavy, copper tang of dried blood.

Lisa stepped past him into the suite, keeping her eyes moving. “Well now. Color me surprised. I thought your lair would be obsidian and gold, with bloodless bodies stacked in the corners. Instead, this place is immaculate and white.”

Her gaze caught a huge circular holographic sphere suspended around a white leather hover chair. Its translucent surface crowded with surveillance feeds, biometric readouts, and shifting data streams. A single monitor glowed beside the hovering lounger, while a sleek holder displayed MasterGin’s personal halophone like a ceremonial relic.

She took rapid shots, zeroing in on the familiar faces flickering across the holographic display: Plague moving through Sector 4 on repeat, Echo, Minjo, Hwan, Kyra, Paine... Then Lisa saw herself from three seconds earlier, standing in this exact doorway.

“Is this all live?”

MasterGin raised a slim remote.

The holographic sphere folded inward, every face and data stream collapsing into a single white point before vanishing entirely.

“The disappointment is mine,” he said, letting his lip curl into a dramatic pout. “I present to you the secret of my empire, and all you care about is security footage.”

Lisa raised an eyebrow, double-checking that M10 had cached the screen layout before the black-out. “So then. You invited me into your pad. Does that mean you want to suck my blood, or some standard vampire bullshit?”

“Nothing so gauche.” He lit another cigarette, the sweet scent of cloves filling the room. “I have an assignment for you.”

While his gaze dropped to his tablet, Lisa slid one foot back, measuring the distance to the corridor.

“Silence?” MasterGin looked up, his pale eyes catching her mid-pivot. “I see. Hesitation.”

Lisa froze. Cornered.

The ancient vampire glided across the floor, his boots making no sound against the polished white stone. The heavy door slammed shut behind her with a firm click.

“Before you attempt an escape, there is something you should see. Come.” He gestured with a single long finger.

With no path backward, Lisa followed.

M10 hovered by the door frame, its internal gyros whining as it refused to cross deeper into the structure.

She couldn't blame it. M10 had good reason to fear MasterGin. She glanced at the faint burn scar still visible beneath its new paint job.

They stepped through a side portal directly onto an elevated walkway overlooking the Apophis ATELIER factory floor. The scale hit Lisa like a physical punch. Below them, elaborate silk gowns and armor rigs hung from high ceiling tracks. Low-level goblins and demon assistants moved rapidly between buzzing sonic sewing machines and vats of dye. The air here was heavy with hot metal, burning ozone, and synthetic silk fumes.

MasterGin crossed the catwalk toward his glass office, where a glowing nameplate read Evil Queen. Mounted behind his desk sat a massive LED board displaying confirmed attendees for the Opening of the Mouth Ceremony, listing international heads of state, corporate lords, and high-tier influencers.

“Ah, here it is,” MasterGin said, stopping beside the White Snakeskin Box on his desk. He flipped the latch and reached inside, pulling out a waterlogged, filth-stained teddy bear.

Teddy!

Lisa’s stomach turned to lead. She reached out, gripping the edge of the glass desk to keep her knees from giving way.

“Awww. Did you lose something, my Dear?” His claws dug into the plush fur, ripping the seams open with slow precision. “Something that runs on…” He reached inside and yanked out the glowing Devil Heart battery that powered her long-range transmission. “…My power?”

He closed his hand into a fist. Micro-gears popped and sparked. Metallic dust and shattered glass leaked between his fingers.

“You really should stop mistaking hidden cameras for hidden secrets.”

Lisa swallowed down the burning bile in her throat. Teddy was her life raft. That bear held raw, unedited footage of the prisoners and auction, primed to blast past the jamming grid the second it breached the Forbidden Zone’s perimeter. Without it, there was no backup. No rescue team coming. No proof.

She stared at the metallic dust on his hand. How much did he actually see? Had he been watching their entire path through the sewers, the pen, and the clinic? Were their desperate moves just part of his show?

MasterGin wiped his palm on a silk handkerchief, his eyes locked onto hers with dark satisfaction.

“How?” was all she could say.

“Entropy power is traceable, my Dear. Don’t take it personally,” he said softly, stepping closer until she could smell the clove smoke on his breath. “I have had a very long time to plan.”

On him, MasterGin:

Top: GRIMA - Tanya Tactical Top [Legacy V-Tech][mesh](CyberFair)(650L)

Pants: GRIMA - Tanya Tactical Pants Bulge [LegacyF][mesh](CyberFair)(650L)

Boots: Diaboli Design - Excinitor fatpack [mesh](CyberFair)(999L)

Skin: VelvetVue - Kai Skin Ivory (VE) / NO BROWS [BOM](CyberFair)(699L)

Eyes: EUPHORIC - Xena Eyes #P3-01 [BOM] (380L)

Nails: AsteroidBox - Simple Nails - LegacyF [mesh]

Cigarette holder: GRAAL - SMOKING SNAKE [mesh](349L)

Hair: bonbon - tame hair, naturals [mesh]

Collar: Cruel - Sulfur Gorget, Legacy M [mesh](100L)Head: LeLUTKA - CAMDEN 4.0 [mesh]

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

Pose: AGATA mode - agapee_unpack P4

Setting:

Skybox: Erfe Design - Cyber Skybox House 170 LI  unfurnished [mesh](CyberFair)(2290L)

Statue: Erfe Design - Arog Techno Woman White PBR 3 LI [Erfe Design]

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

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:

Engine Room: Mirror Mirror on the Wall (Escape from Club Apophis, 41)

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STORYLINE:   In the mad dash to evade the Enforcers, the team scattered. Lost and half-blind, Minjo ducked into the nearest available door.

The corridor was a jarring contrast to the plastic surgery clinic's sterile white above. Here, everything glowed warm and decadent. She couldn't read the details clearly. Her world had been a smear of shapes and color since the sewers took her glasses. But she could feel the difference. Thick carpet underfoot instead of tile. The air tasted faintly of mahogany and expensive old perfume. Warmth instead of clinical cold.

At the end of the hall, a brass door radiated importance. She didn't need sharp eyes to recognize that shape of authority.

She ran for it, heart hammering against her ribs. She pressed the gold serpent brooch to the kiosk by feel.

"Welcome home, Mistress Paine," the automated assistant chirped. The heavy door hissed open.

Footsteps echoed behind her.

Minjo slipped inside and dropped to the cold floor. She dove beneath what felt like a bed. Her hands found a brass frame, heavy embroidered fabric, the scent of dust and trapped air. She pressed herself flat and waited.

MasterGin's voice cut through the corridor like a razor drawn across velvet. "Trying to break what belongs to me? How ambitious of you."

"You can't do this to me." Paine's voice was tight. Desperate.

"Oh, I already have."

"I built this clinic. I run it."

"And yet here we are. Think of it as a sabbatical. A very long one. Your only duty now is to ensure no one else harms another glorious hair on his head. Now go. Before I'm forced to correct what jealousy has done to your face."

Heels receded. Precise. Unhurried.

The door swung open.

"Welcome home, Mistress Paine," the automated assistant repeated, just as brightly.

Minjo shifted backward into the shadows.

Something heavy smashed against the wall. She flinched at the sound. Glass, by the pitch of it, shattering across the floor. Something small skittered under the bed skirt and came to rest near her knee. She felt the edge of it with careful fingers. A shard. Mirror glass. She moved her hand away.

From under the folds of fabric, she listened more than she watched.

The clinic administrator's breathing was ragged. The rustle of fabric, a zipper, something heavy dropping to the floor. A change of clothes. Minjo filed this away. Paine shedding the white coat in private meant the white coat was a performance. What came after was the real thing. The unmistakeable shape and colors of a nun habit.

Then the soft thud of a body sliding down a wall. Knees pulling in. A choked sob that the room swallowed slowly.

Minjo had expected many things from Nurse Paine. Crying was not among them.

She inched forward carefully, staying low, until she had a partial sightline through the gap in the bed skirt. Shapes and light. The glow of a halophone activating. Paine's blurred silhouette on the floor, something small held up in the amber light, a lock of something pale, silver-bright even to her damaged eyes. Hair. Long and silver.

Jihoon's hair.

Paine gripped it like a lifeline.

"April 13, 2055," Paine said, her voice hoarse. "Club Apophis. Five minutes to midnight."

The phone projected a hologram into the dark room. Minjo couldn't make out faces clearly, blurred shapes and moving light, but she didn't need to. She heard sounds. Clinking glasses, upbeat music, layered chatter. A birthday party. Someone singing Happy Birthday with theatrical confidence. She recognized the timbre of that voice even muffled through projection speakers.

MasterGin.

She heard the wink in his voice, "It's going to be you."

The crowd began to chant.

Ten. Nine. Eight.

Minjo held herself perfectly still. She was beginning to understand what she was witnessing.

Three. Two. One.

A sound she could interpret without seeing: heavy doors opening. Streetlight bleeding in. She could tell by the way the room's light shifted even through her limited sight. The music stopped mid-note. Absolute silence.

Then a voice she knew.

Uncertain. Slightly embarrassed. Completely ordinary.

"Hi."

Minjo's hand flew to her mouth.

No one on screen moved.

Paine killed the projection. The room plunged back into suffocating silence.

The sound that followed was harder to listen to than anything in the recording. Not sobbing exactly. The specific, ugly sound of a person coming apart when they believe no one can hear them. Ragged breaths scraping against the quiet. The wet sound of grief that has nowhere to go.

Minjo shifted her weight slightly to ease the ache in her knees. Her knee grazed something, the glass shard barely touching it, and the tiny sound it made against the floorboards detonated in the silence.

Paine's breath stopped.

Then the bed was gone. Hauled back with a jarring metallic scrape. Cold air rushed in. A shape loomed over her. Minjo couldn't see the expression clearly but she could read the body language in the set of the shoulders, the raised arm. Something sharp and metallic glinted the ambient light. Shears.

Minjo froze. She calculated what she could: the distance to the door by memory, the approximate angle of the blade by the glint, and her absolute zero percent chance of survival.

She waited.

Above her, something changed. The raised arm didn't fall. Minjo could feel the recalculation happening in the pause, threat assessment shifting, the quality of the silence changing from predatory to something else.

Slowly, the shears lowered.

"I didn't mean to pry," Minjo said. She kept her voice perfectly even. "I just needed a place to hide." She nodded toward the silver strands she could make out in Paine's hand. "You disguised your betrayal with a smaller one. Brilliant."

Paine looked down at the hair. "Twenty years," she whispered. Her voice was entirely hollow. "I gave him twenty years of devotion. I bled for him. He forgot I existed the second that boy walked through the door."

Minjo considered this. "He told you it was going to be you."

"I was the strongest of his disciples," Paine said. "MasterGin had been preparing for centuries. I thought I was the culmination of it all. The pinnacle of his achievement. But I wasn't. None of us were."

The shame left Paine's voice. What replaced it was worse.

"I followed the false god," Paine said, her voice dropping to a fierce whisper. "And I was envious of the real one."

Paine sank to her knees. She bowed her head deeply, almost pressing her forehead against the dusty floorboards.

"I didn't understand, but I do now. Someone appeared by chance. Seemingly unworthy. And..."

"Chaos," Minjo interrupted flatly. "Just the kind of surprise a god of chaos would find funny."

"No." She shook her head. "Jihoon is one of us. A Child of Apophis. He has to be. He's the Lost One. Please accept my apology," Paine whispered to the floor. "My envy blinded me. I will serve the true Chosen One. As the advocate of Yoon Jihoon, how may I assist you?"

Minjo looked at the blurred shape of the woman kneeling before her. She didn't offer comfort. She didn't offer a speech about forgiveness. The variables of their survival had just changed. She needed to exploit them.

Minjo dusted off her knees and rose.

"Can you get us into the ceremony?"

"Yes."

"Good. I need to know exactly what happened to Jihoon when he entered Club Apophis. I need the logistics of the Opening of the Mouth ceremony, Monstrum, the Old Ways." Minjo reached out and found the silver strands by feel, lifting them from Paine's hand. "And I'll be taking this mutant DNA sample. Thank you for your assistance."

For those still following along for the continuing storyline, this chapter just revealed who the Magic Mirror is in my cyberpunk horror retelling of Snow White. Paine is the mirror to MasterGin's evil queen. lol The Prince and the Huntsman will be revealed, as well as wrapping up the character arcs for Lisa, Ghost, Echo and Jihoon. I estimate there are roughly 4 more chapters left and an epilogue. What a journey!

This post was inspired by the series and wonderful items on this round of Engine Room which ends tomorrow. The setting has so many lovely things, and both outfits are gorgeous.   ...On MasterGin is the Nixon outfit by OneDays. It's one-piece outfit you buy in a single color or fatback.   ...On the long suffering Paine is the Rebis Scholar Garments. It comes in fits for men and women. It has textures in PBR that give the metallic edges sparkle, and a tattered hem.   ...From Milkbath is the Censer. Just wear it and it will trigger a 1 of 4 poses which you can alter in the texture hud. It comes in left and righted version, swing, and non swing.   .... From Cult is the Cornelia boots (shown below) for female avatars. The boots include gear details, and a spooky spinal vertebra heel. They are elegant gothic style with metallic details. But I really love the suede texture options, along with the leather.   ...The Bedroom set is by Eclectica. It includes the bed, dressers, mirrors, and lamps. The mirrors are PBR and will reflect the environment. It comes with a texture hud to change the metal color, and fabrics.   ...From Lore is the Captain's Lounge Chair, tables, and lamp. They are PBR with a hud to change the chair textures.   ...Also from Lore is matching skybox, Nemo's study. Its fantastic with elegant PBR textures.   ...From Duplexity is an art deco Radio.   ...From Ishiku is another stunning crystal glass set, Vintage Floral Decanter. It's mod, so I tinted it green to match my theme.   ...From Puddles is the Royal Scribe's Collection with lectern, feather pen, and book stack.   ...From Apika is the spooky Madame Palmelope, a hand holding a teacup, that when touched, will give you your fortune.   ..In the back, is the Architect Volta fireplace. I tinted the flames green for a spooky effect.

The Apophis series will be taking a break for the first time in almost a year, as I shift to blogging the Fantasy Faire. Be looking forward to it.  Apophis will return after that. 

On Her, Nurse Paine:

Outfit: REBIS - Scholar Garments . LaraX . OMNIPACK [mesh](Engine Room)(2000L)

Censer, pose: MILKBATH - Samael Censer [mesh](Engine Room)(799L)

Boots: CULT - Cornelia [mesh](Engine Room)(369L)

Headdress: ONEDAYs - UNHOLY HEADRESS [UNRIGED]

Hair: Limerence - Tamesis hair [mesh](990L)

Gloves: ContraptioN - Dapper Dandy's Glove, Maitreya [mesh]

Tears: SAXO - Bleeding Eyes lel EVOX Unisex [BOM]

Eyes: VelvetVue - Hibrida blue eyes :: sclera #1 [BOM]

Skin: VOGLIA - ELEKTRA Skin, EvoX, Icy With Brows [BOM]

Head, eyes: LeLUTKA - RAVEN 4.0 [mesh](3990L)

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

On Him, MasterGin:

Outfit: ONEDAYs - NIXON OUTFIT, Black, LEGACY [mesh](Engine Room)(350L)

Shoes: Deadwool - Dandy shoes - non rigged - black/silver wingtip [mesh](360L)

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

Hair: bonbon - tame hair, naturals [mesh](439L)

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

Setting:

Bedroom set: Eclectica - Steampunk Bed [mesh](Engine Room)(850L)

Chairs. tables, lamp: LORE - Captain's Lounge Chair [mesh](Engine Room)(1700L)

Radio: Duplexity - Aetherys Lux Radio - Wood/Gold [mesh](Engine Room)(299L)

Glass set: ISHIKU - Vintage Floral Crown Decanter Dispenser [mesh](Engine Room)(490L)

Books, scroll, feather pen: Puddles - Royal Scribe's Collection [mesh](Engine Room)(300L)

Hand, teacup: Apika - Madame Palmelope [mesh](Engine Room)(499L)

Fireplace: Architect - Volta Fireplace [mesh]

Skybox: LORE - Nemo's Study [PBR] [mesh]

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

Midnight Order: GIN AESTHETICA (Escape from Club Apophis, 30)

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STORYLINE: Old Seoul looked different from above, like a glowing circuit board designed by a madman and dropped into the dark past.

Romance rested his forehead against the cool, tinted glass of the hovercar. The low, soft rumble of its turbine slipped into his bones. Gangnam slid past in layers of aggressive light and chrome. The streets were cleaner than he remembered, scrubbed of humanity, louder with commerce, hungry for attention. Every surface was a screen; every face on the sidewalk had been polished for an audience that never blinked.

His breath fogged the glass, erasing him. When it thinned, a human face stared back like a ghost from another decade. His hair had gone dark, black as faded ink, longer than it had been minutes ago. Only the tips still clung to pink, like a bad memory refusing to let go. The glamor was not broken. It was exhausted.

He had overextended himself in Kyra’s rescue, enchanting hundreds of Monstrum instead of weak, disposable humans. The cost pressed in now as a dull ache behind his eyes, a weight in his limbs, the city suddenly too loud, too bright, too close.

He had been an idol trainee here. Back when the buildings were shorter. Back when idols still pretended to be human. Back when he believed fame would save him.

It didn’t.

A massive hologram pulsed against the smog-choked skyline.

NEW YEAR. NEW YOU. Designed for the life you deserve.

GIN AESTHETICA™ rose beneath the slogan, pristine and obscene. The headquarters of the monster who had hollowed out his homeland and sold it back, piece by perfect piece.

Romance sighed, fogging the glass again before the climate control erased it.

This was a dangerous game. If his plan was going to work, he needed to pass inspection. He needed a pick-me-up.

He pulled out his halo phone and logged into a burner account.

User: Mira Bio: Club organizer. Devoted fan. Founder of the Romaniacs.

The profile image was perfect. A middle-aged woman with soft cheeks, kind eyes, and a haircut that chose practicality over vanity. Someone you trusted with small complaints and unguarded truths.

Someone safe.

He typed: "Still on for coffee? That café you like, near the giant billboard?"

The reply came almost instantly.

Helga: "Yes, of course. I’m just across the street now. I’m wearing a blue coat."

Romance smiled faintly.

Helga. Loyal. Lonely. Careful with money, careless with hope.

The car descended, settling with a whisper of displaced air and the hum of anti-grav stabilizers.

“We have arrived,” the AI announced, voice empty of anything resembling care.

Romance glanced out through the dark glass. The café glowed warmly at street level. And there she was. Blue coat. Phone in hand. Scanning faces for a friend who didn’t exist.

His reflection stared back at him in the window. Beautiful. Hollow. Ready.

“The things I do for love,” he murmured.

The hermetic seals hissed open. Romance stepped out into the street, his pink hair tips catching city light as it stirred in a breeze that smelled faintly of coffee.

Streetlights kissed the silver embroidery of his formal suit like sparks on cold iron. Burgundy fabric clung and flowed, regal and restless, as if stitched from the memory of applause.

He had taken two steps when sharp heels clicked against cement.

A nurse emerged from the plastic surgery clinic.

Blond. Impeccable. Terrifying.

Her uniform had been reinvented into high-fashion couture. Seams sharp as scalpels. Luminous white fabric cut with authority. A gold serpent brooch pinned at her collar caught the streetlamp glare, its diamond eye unblinking.

Paine. MasterGin’s personal assistant.

“Thank you for coming, Master Romance.”

She bowed deeply. The words carried across the sidewalk, slicing cleanly through the traffic noise.

Helga froze.

She turned, eyes wide. Confusion collapsed into disbelief.

“Did you say… Romance?”

Silence stretched.

Romance glanced from Paine to Helga, pulse skidding. Then he laughed, warm and effortless, the sound of someone who belonged exactly where he stood. He stepped forward, angling his body between the nurse and the woman.

“No,” he said lightly. “The real Romance would be ancient by now, wouldn’t he? I’m just a model," he gestured to the clinic. "A celebrity impersonator. DJ Romance.”

Helga followed the movement. Understanding settled across her face.

“Oh!” Relief bloomed into a smile. “Mira set you up for this, didn’t she? That rascal.”

She laughed, then softened. “You carry his style beautifully. You really do. I always liked him best in the early years. When he sang to rooms, not stadiums.”

Her smile turned wistful. “Before Romance was Romance. You have excellent taste.”

Something sharp flashed behind his eyes and vanished.

“Thank you,” he said, inclining his head politely.

She hesitated, cheeks warming, her phone lifting uncertainly. “May I… if it’s not strange… could we take a photo together?”

Romance’s smile deepened. The kind that ruined lives gently.

“Of course,” he purred. “Allow me.”

He took the phone, stepped close, and drew her in with practiced ease. The camera loved him. Loved her more for standing beside him.

She gasped when he showed her the image.

Romance did not release her.

“You know,” he murmured near her ear, voice brushing skin, “we could give your friends something better to talk about. How about a kiss?”

She flushed scarlet, entranced. She shyly offered her cheek.

Romance cupped her chin instead, and drew her in.

Their lips pressed together. A kiss deepened just enough to steal her breath. Her knees weakened before she understood why. The phone flashed again and again. Her life flowed into him. Warm. Bright. Threaded with memory. Her love for the man he had been burned sweetly in his lungs.

Delicious.

A sweet sip to be savored. It hit like a vintage year, bright and reckless. For a fraction of a second, faint blue light bloomed where their mouths met, hidden beneath the camera strobe.

“Enough.”

Paine tore the phone from his hand and deleted the images with surgical precision. Unapproved evidence erased with a click.

Helga swayed, grasping the hovercar for balance. Hands trembling. She looked older all at once. Drained.

Romance exhaled, irritated. A wisp of faint blue smoke curled briefly from his lips. His skin gleamed brighter now. His hair shone. His feral eyes sharpened into smoldering amber. For a moment, the world felt edible again. He could almost believe he was in control. Almost.

He smoothed his cuff. "Do you want a good photoshoot,” he said coolly, “or not?”

Paine snapped her fingers. Two men in lab coats appeared immediately, guiding Helga inside with murmured reassurances. A seat. Water. Monitoring.

Romance watched them go. The fragrance of her life still swirled around him, bright as fruit and just as rotten. For a moment he wanted to run after her, to give something back.

Instead, he swallowed the craving and let it become power. He had to be cold; Paine was watching. If he met her gaze, she might see the desperate animal scratching under the facade.

Her sacrifice will not be wasted, he told himself, the lie tasting like ash. It is fuel for a higher cause.

Mask in place. No guilt. Only resolve.

He shouldered his bag, the one with the devil-horned heart charm, and entered the clinic through doors of quartz and sterile luxury.

Inside, sound vanished into a hush that pressed against the ears. There was no reception desk. No signage.

Glass cases lined the space, displaying garments beneath the Apophis ATELIER mark. Clothing designed not to hide alteration, but to celebrate it.

Jackets cut for shoulders beyond human geometry. Dresses engineered to honor augmentation rather than disguise it. Trousers generous where flesh had been rewritten.

This was not indulgence. This was infrastructure.

“Greenroom,” Paine said sharply, pointing. “Makeup and wardrobe shortly.”

Romance sank into the chair before a smart mirror. The lighting shifted, flattering by force. Micro-corrections flickered across the glass.

ID: Pending.... DJ Romance Acceptable. 27% facial imperfections.

He rolled his eyes. An old ache tugged at his chest. He closed his eyes, breathed, and failed to make the yearning leave.

He pulled out his halo phone. He watched the status dot beside her name until it flickered green again.

Mira: "Hey Helga, did anything exciting happen?"

Her icon lit immediately.

Helga: "Mira OMG you will never believe—"

The phone vanished.

“Pink, cheap, and far past its expiration date.”

Romance froze.

The voice came from behind him, close enough to chill the skin at the nape of his neck.

In the mirror, something pale unfolded into the room.

MasterGin.

Not in a lab coat. He wore a sheer white tunic that clung like fog, open at the throat, draped to frame the sharp line of his collarbone and the cold arrogance of his chest. Gold chains crossed him in deliberate geometry, more jewelry than restraint, each link catching the light like a sinful promise.

He held Romance’s halo phone between two fingers, as if it had offended him personally.

“Bubblegum Relic,” Gin sneered savoring the words.

Then he closed his fist.

Metal shrieked. Glass cracked. The device collapsed like tinfoil, crumpling into a glittering ruin that fell to the floor.

Romance stared at the debris, jaw tight.

MasterGin leaned closer.

In the humming mirror, his smile hovered beside Romance’s reflection, a beautiful predator sharing the frame.

“If you ever feed in front of my clinic again,” Gin said softly, a low, deadly purr, “I will have you recycled into a cheap pink vinyl pressing of the worst music ever recorded. Do I make myself clear?”

Romance kept his gaze on the mirror, locking eyes with MasterGin.

“I wonder what would happen to your empire in Seoul,” Romance said, voice low and controlled, “if the locals learned what really goes on at GIN AESTHETICA™.”

MasterGin leaned in, presence collapsing the space, forcing Romance smaller. Then he straightened abruptly.

“First offense,” Gin said, as if mercy bored him. “You didn’t know the rules. I will allow it.”

A hand slid onto Romance’s shoulder.

Then, without warning, it snapped to his jaw.

MasterGin’s claws hooked under Romance’s chin and yanked his face upward—not toward him, but toward the mirror. Hard.

The chair creaked. Romance’s breath caught. They stared together at the reflection. Two monsters.

Gin tilted Romance’s head left, then right, studying him like an expensive object that had begun to tarnish. His thumb pressed into Romance’s jawline with just enough force to hurt.

“Excellent glow-up,” Gin admitted, the compliment almost an insult. “How much did you take?”

“One year,” Romance said, refusing to flinch. “She won’t miss it. Her last five would have been Alzheimer’s.”

Gin’s eyes narrowed in the mirror.

“You can tell that by looking?”

Romance’s lips curled faintly. Sweet. Poisonous.

“Yes,” he said. “And not just humans.”

Something tightened behind Gin’s gaze. Interest, threat assessment, or both.

He released Romance abruptly, as if bored of the sculpture.

“Feisty,” MasterGin murmured, almost pleased.

He drifted closer behind Romance, close enough that his breath warmed Romance’s neck. In the mirror, their faces aligned, predator and pet.

"Do you know what you are?” he asked softly.

His nails pressed in. A sting. A reminder.

“You are a contagion.”

Romance swallowed. Not fear. Recognition.

“When humans love you,” MasterGin continued, voice velvet over steel, “they do not simply adore. They submit. They volunteer. You make slavery feel like devotion.”

He leaned closer, eyes bright with interest now, almost reverent.

“Proof delivered live on my doorstep. I watched the security feed.”

Romance didn’t move. Didn’t breathe.

“My kind requires proximity. Physicality.” Gin whispered. “But you... You only need a digital signal.”

Romance met his eyes in the glass, unflinching. “I can turn your brand into a theology. But I need payment.”

MasterGin’s grin widened. “So yes. Your New Year campaign.”

He tapped Romance’s cheekbone, as if testing firmness. “You will pour that curse into the lens until they beg for my scalpel like it is salvation.”

His grip tightened.

“And if you do it perfectly,” he murmured, “I will grant your Kyra an appointment. I will assess what remains of her flesh to see what can be salvaged.”

MasterGin’s eyes narrowed, almost playful.

“Disappoint me… and your one billion won doll stays broken. Forever.”

He extended his hand, the hand that made monsters beautiful and vain humans slaves.

Romance stared at it.

For a moment he saw Kyra as she lay dying. Helpless. Ruined. But beneath the ruin, he saw the outline of forever. Not a victim. Not a doll. A bride. A blade. A beginning.

Then he took the hand.

“Deal.”

MasterGin released him. “You look thin. Bring your best face to the Opening of the Mouth Ceremony. Drink ten years.”

With a sharp click of heels, he sashayed away, his feather-light tunic dissolving into the clinical light.




Midnight Order is open! This round is even larger and packed with all that is dark and awesome. Seriously, look at that image above. Wow. Stunning. It's not to be missed.

On Romance is Pendulum's Illuvion suit. It has lush PBR materials that dazzle. It comes with several texture options. It's an entire outfit including boots. Perfect for formal events, and just being fabulous. Romance's interesting hair change was inspired by the Lorna Hair by Ni.Ju. The wildcard hud includes a texture that is black with pink tips, which gave me the idea that his glamor failed.

On MasterGin, is the stylish 1920s Erte-like gossamer Loana's Gown. The top is semi-transparent. The gown comes in several texture options. Added to his harem-chic is the Justiciar's Livery Chain by Requisition. It's unrigged and has PBR texture hud. From Buffy's is the Galina choker, part of a full outfit with a fit for Legacy Male. From Lex is the Bat of Hell earrings, incase anyone forgets MasterGin is quite a vampire.

On him, DJ Romance:

Suit: PENDULUM - ILLUVION.Suit, Legacy M [mesh](Midnight Order)(1600L)

Hair: NI.JU - Lorna Hair, wildcard [mesh](Midnight Order)(300L)

Tattoos: HISS - PATTERNS FACE ROMANCE [BOM](250L)

Rings: MANDALA - Sinra Rings season-3-HD, Legacy M [mesh]

Brooch: Schelm - 2.Devil Heart Straight Barbell [mesh]

Earring in mirror: RavenBell - Starlit Earrings, Moonlit [mesh](350L)

Hair in mirror: NoMatch - NO_TENDERNESS [mesh]

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

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

On him, MasterGin:

Robe: REBIS - Loane's Gown, Legacy M, white [mesh](Midnight Order)(300L)

Choker: BUFFY'S - Galina Choker - LGM [mesh](Midnight Order)(1333L)

Necklace:  REQUISITION - Justiciar's Livery Chain [mesh](Midnight Order)(350L)

Earring: LEX - Bat of Hell [mesh](Midnight Order)(249L)

Belly Strap, belly ring: Aii - BlackMage, Athletic, Belly Straps, Navel Piercing [mesh]

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

Hair: bonbon - tame hair, naturals [mesh](439L)

Shine: BLAXIUM - Sweaty Body Shine [applier]

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

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

Pose: 3M - gogogo_A_7

Setting:

Chair: Midwest - Ash Recolor Pack - Armchair Cream [mesh](199L)

House: Fanatik - Sky Tower [mesh] (3800L)

Door PBR: Erfe Design - Medusa Floor PBR  Material, black [PBR]

Room PBR: Erfe Design - Maldives  Marble Material, ivory [PBR]

Chair PBR: ARTSY - Velvet Fabric 0 [PBR]

Skyline: AXON Skybox - Cyberpunk megapolis [mesh](50L)

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

 

Androgyny Event: Order vs Chaos (Escape from Club Apophis, 14)

(click to enlarge)

STORYLINE: Deep in the Neu Seoul headquarters of Monstrum, MasterGin lounged with the poise of a cat who had clawed open a birdcage only to find the prize dull. The sanctum’s grand mirrors, polished obsidian reflecting a glitchy, fragmented reality, caught him in splintered fragments—silver skin, silky cuffs, a grin rehearsed for an audience not yet assembled. The air, heavy with the scent of synthetic of oriental spice and overclocked servers, held a faint electric hum. And a neon pink glow from the bioluminescent cave garden outside pulsed erratically, casting lurid shadows that danced like phantoms across the mirrored walls.

The Ruler’s presence announced itself long before he appeared. He did not enter; he descended. A vibration crawled through the chandelier’s crystal bones, a hum that made the very air hold its breath, a digital sigh. His form materialized from a swirling vortex of shadow and shimmering code, a storm with no need for thunder. Even in tailored modern attire, the ghost of a Pharaoh clung stubbornly to him: broad shoulders draped in shadow, long golden dreadlocks arranged across one side like a polished nemes. His eyes were molten ore, terrible in their patience, with a faint, low-res static flickering deep within them.

Gin, ever the performer, adjusted his hair in one sweep and arranged himself into his most provocative silhouette, defiant mischief lacquered onto every angle.

“You disappoint me, Lucien.”

He did not raise his voice, yet the velvet syllables dragged centuries of command behind them, a resonant echo that vibrated deep in Gin's bones.

“Your unauthorized indulgence risks exposing us. Scandal won’t lull human curiosity, -- it will sharpen it.”

Gin flicked invisible dust from his shoulder with a hand too languid, too deliberate. The pout that followed was operatic, designed for drama, but for a split second, the performance dropped. The muscles in his jaw tightened, a flash of something hard and bitter crossing his features before it vanished.

“You could have ordered him into obedience,” the Ruler said at last, his shadow lengthening until it coiled like a leash. “Instead, you left him raw. Exposed.”

“One doesn’t break a spirited horse, Darling. Let it choose the bridle of its own volition. I’m an artist, not a butcher.”

The Ruler’s silence stretched. It pressed against the room, against Gin’s skin, as if a blade hovered just above the vein. The air grew perceptibly colder, the electric hum from the walls dipping to a near-silent thrum.

Gin’s grin faltered, then reassembled itself in defiance. He met the Ruler’s gaze.

“You will apologize.” The Ruler’s words dropped like iron, and his breath, when it came, felt hot and arid as a desert wind.

Gin blinked, his lashes fluttering. “To Jihoon? He should apologize to me for refusing my devotion. I gave him—”

“No.” The Ruler’s lips curved, cruel and amused. “To the President of the United States.”

For one heartbeat, even Gin had no script. His perfect posture broke, his back arching slightly in shock. Then he let out a sound halfway between a laugh and a cough. “Oh. …ah… that little… misunderstanding.”

“You threatened to melt his face off. On live satellite stream.”

“Darling!” Gin gasped, spreading his hands like a martyr. “It was metaphor. Performance art. Americans are so literal.”

The Ruler did not blink. “You will apologize.”

Gin collapsed backward into the velvet couch with mock despair, the bio-fibers of the couch shifting to accommodate his weight. He draped an arm across his eyes. “What a ghastly punishment. To abase myself before that decrepit man. Very well—if I must. But I’ll do it on my terms. A gala. Lights, cameras, an audience worth my humiliation. My apology will be spectacular.”

The Ruler stepped closer, and the air chilled. His gold eyes burned like twin suns sinking into an eclipse. “Don’t mistake indulgence for mercy. Your leash is mine. Pull once more against it, and you will choke.”

Gin’s smile remained, but the set of his jaw revealed steel beneath the glamour. He rose slowly, sweeping his silver locks from his shoulders in a practiced cascade.

The Ruler’s voice followed, low and commanding, his voice a disembodied whisper as if from a thousand miles away: “Get your equipment. You are keeping your appointment and apologizing if I have to drag you by the hair myself.”

“As you command,” Gin murmured, bowing low.

The Ruler’s hand rested briefly on Gin’s shoulder. It felt cold and unyielding as stone, yet the weight of it was strangely familiar, a chilling point of contact that felt less like a touch and more like a brand. It was the same touch that had once pulled Gin from mortality and into a new life of eternal servitude and shared dominion. For a moment, a memory flickered between them—of a promise made in blood and a bond forged in centuries of shared secrets. The Ruler gestured toward the doors. Together, they left the sanctum, a storm of elegance and menace, bound for a world unready for their theatrics.



This image was inspired by the Lanneah dress, Marilyn Monroes's "Happy Birthday Mr President" and details from this week's chapter in the ongoing Apophis series. It was a very challenging chapter and image concept. The setting was built from scratch, even the Washington Monument! But enough about the behind the scenes, here are some details of the cool items shown....

Over at Sabbath is the another luxurious sexywear outfit by YUEBIN for men and women, with panty options. The deep scoop neckline is very cool, and there is scoop in the back too! Double the cool.   (BONUS Scoop: There is wonderful PBR limited edition gift version of this outfit in the Enchantment Nevermore Hunt. Hunt the YUEBIN store for the raven to find the gift.) ...Over at Androgyny Event ending soon, are Cult's must have pair for boots for fashionably daring men, the Lanneah boots. It includes fits for female avatars too of course.   ...From Trap is the adorable Doll Collectable. You just pick the hair style you want with the outfit you want, and buy it. You can buy additional eyes. And there is a free developer pack to make your own textures too. Its mod, so I added  to the little fellow a little shine effect and a Jihoon's trademark teal shirt. The doll comes with 6 doll poses, a hud to change the eye art, and they each trigger an avatar hold pose for the doll. Very fun!   ...From Yummy is great glam goth jewelry set for men! I used the Gianni fit for Legacy Male with no trouble. I love this exists, now I want a PBR version.   ...The stole I picked up on the last weekend sale at Dernier, perfect timing.   ...The  nylon bodysuit by Bas de Laura Store looks simple, but close up its very detailed with texture and well placed steams like nylons. Love it.  ... I am forever searching for the perfect Sakura. In this post are some of the best yet, the LOVE Cherry trees and the very detailed TC Wild Gnarly Sakura.  The detailed one has a large land impact, so use as a statement piece instead of landscape.   ...The Tame hair by BonBon has a bit of a modern update to the Marilyn style hair.   ...I looked for the perfect bar stool and found a nice one by Dogma that was also mod! So could change it up with PBR textures that suit the scene.   ....The sidewalks come from the Make a Mark Japanese Sakura River site model2, and I added the led lights to cyberpunk it up, and created the Washington Monument with simple prims.

On Him MasterGin:

Boots: CULT Lanneah, Legacy Male [mesh](Androgyny Event)(369L)

Dress: YUEBIN Luminara dress and panty, Legacy male, white [mesh](Sabbath)(350L)

Jihoon Doll: Trap Doll collectable [mesh](Androgyny Event)(199L)

Jewelry: Yummy Blood & Prayer Set - Linked Earrings, Necklace, male (395L)

Hair: bonbon tame hair, naturals[mesh][mesh](439L)

Fur: Dernier Endrit Fur Stole, White [mesh]

Bodysuit: Bas de Laura Store Laura's White Sheer Bodystocking with Long Sleeves [BOM](150L)

Makeup: DeeTaleZ Glitter Eyes, and cheeks, Silver, EvoX [BOM](gift)

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

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

Pose: *{( konpeitou )}* mermaid  (slight pose edit)

Setting:

Sakura: Tsunami Creations Ultimate Japanese Wild Gnarly Sakura Tree w. animations [mesh](200L)

Sakura: LOVE Cherry Blossom Tree pack [mesh](499L)

Stool: Dogma Letona Bar Stool Black [mesh](90L)

Sidewalk: MAke a MArk Japanese Sakura River site (model 02) [mesh](249L)

Water: MBC Realistic PBR Water [mesh](250L)

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

 

Engine Room: The Alliance

(click to enlarge)

STORYLINE: The defenders of the natural world gathered their forces. Stepping before the howling troops was General Pa-Hin, Chief and Shamen of the Sioux Nation. His name meant porcupine. "Today is a day that will go down into legend," he began slowly, his booming voice echoing in the warehouse full of heavily armed Lycans. The rowdy beasts calmed down and looked up at their leader, hypnotized by his every word. "It is an honor you accept me as one of your own, and allow me to lead you. Today is the last day of the life-sucking blight upon the Earth. Now is our time!" A young wolf began to howl, and his peers chastised him for loosing his cool. His ears drooped. The general smiled benevolently at the excitable pup, then continued, "While our arrogant enemy is preoccupied with the human's war and petty squabbles for power among themselves, they have forgotten to protect their most precious members." He dramatically pointed his cane towards the Castle of the Elders in the distance, "Kill them and all their blood sucking slaves join them in oblivion." Rolling hoots and howls erupted. The ground shook below their pounding paws. But with one small wave of Pa-Hin's hand, they silenced again. "This task will fall to the hands of our new dear ally, the esteemed Vampire Hunter's Association. Their representative, Mademoiselle Jacqueline, only asks that we get her elite squad of assassins inside. It is our job to SMASH their walls and break their defenses to safely deliver the hunters inside." He hands her a scroll,  "Thanks to this valuable map, her team knows exactly where the Fiends sleep."

This finale post was inspired by the dieselpunk offerings at the Engine Room and Indigenous Peoples Day. The porcupine jacket by Hotdog includes fits for men and women. The Butanik83 Life-support Boiler and matching gift Arm Pressirizer include a hud to change the textures. Seka eyepatch has a textures and matching Rusty nail septum is a gift I repurposed to be an earring. The crow headed walking cane is by The White Crow and includes a version that smackable weapon. For more details on what Aarya is wearing, visit her blog Dark Phantom

You can see the Engine Room’s shopping catalog here: Shopping Guide. Visit here before its gone Oct 20th.

On him, General Pa-Hin:
Jacket: Hotdog Porcupine jacket BJ/S/SG Brown [mesh](Engine Room)(250L)
Backpack: Butanik83 Life-support Boiler Machine [mesh](Engine Room)(250L)
Armband: Butanik83 Upper Arm Pressurizer [mesh](Engine Room)(gift)
Eyepatch: SEKA's Rusti Eye R [mesh](Engine Room)(375L)
Earring: SEKA's Rusti Nail Giftie [mesh](Engine Room)(gift)

Cane: The White Crow TWC Senior Crow, Gold [mesh](Engine Room)(500L)
Hand: REKT_Gentlesteam_HAND L Scorched, gacha [mesh](Engine Room)(50L)

Hat: Silvery K Military Girl PeakedCap Green 2, gacha [mesh](80L)
Collar: Pucca Firecaster PFC~Bones - choker, gacha [mesh](75L)

Hair: Wasabi Pills Cayden Mesh Hair [mesh](250L)
Claws: L'Emporio&PL Oblio Vampire Claws male [mesh](350L)
Pants, boots: Contraption Airship Deck Crew [mesh](400L)
Skin, head:  Genesis Labs Skin_JUNG_05, gacha [mesh](100L)

Tattoo: Ghost'Ink StarBlood Tattoo, gacha (50L)

Body, skin: TheShops [BODY] Athletic Legacy (m) (1.2) [mesh](5500L)
Pose: momomuller / 3M _3M_stick1_2 (40L)

On Her, Jacqueline of the Vampire Hunter's Association:

Guest appearance: Aarya Phantomhive. For more story & style credits, go to the Dark Phantom blog

Outfit: Eliavah Regius Attire [mesh](Engine Room)(119L)

Makeup: TF Machinest [BOM](Engine Room)(275L)

Hat: bonbon martha hair [mesh](Engine Room)(250L)

Boots: A&Y Neo-Victorian Boots [mesh](Engine Room)(450L)

Weapon: Omise A.S.S.BUNKER [mesh](Engine Room)(500L)

Location:
Tulagi Seaport & WWII Central