lepidope

Light of The Rebellion

As Oleander sat themselves down to look at their paper, Matias rose.

"Aren't there other files in that box you found? She's gotta be in there somewhere in considering how she hasn't resurfaced yet."

Light of The Rebellion

Oleander didn't look from the paper even when Bane approached. Only their hands decided to make contact by speaking.

"YES. THE SAME MOTIVE, AT LEAST."

One hand moved forwards, pushing the topmost sheet from its place to further reveal the others. The contents were more or less the same, the only difference being who was being experimented on. One seemed to have caught their attention because they proceeded to pull it towards their face to read it more closely.

Light of The Rebellion

"Hrmm..."

Matias turned to Midnight from where he laid. Not that he expected her to shoot up and start talking now, but he hoped that her bedridden state would last a night at most.

"THEY ARE EXPERIMENTING ON EVERYONE."

Matias looked towards the monotone voice. He saw a giant moth hunched over some wordy sheets of paper.

"POWER EXTRACTION. PAIN ENDURANCE. LABOR PRODUCTIVITY. THEY DID ALL THIS TO THIS SUBJECT. THEY MUST HAVE DONE THE SAME WITH MY COMRADE."

Light of The Rebellion

So that's the problem.

Matias gulped softly.

"Well damn, as if they don't want her dead enough... Right."

His head met the pillow and his back the mattress. His arms folded and sat close to his chest.

"Makes it all the better that she's constantly putting herself at death's door."

Light of The Rebellion

Matias settled his tired, tired body on the adjacent bed, the bed creaking under his weight. A hand ran through his hair as he sighed deeply.

"She used a crapton of her magic or whatever to fend off some purists. She's stable, but it'll be a bit til she wakes up..."

He looked towards the group.

"Why do you guys care so much that her magic is old, anyway? You keep bringing it up, but I don't see the problem."

Light of The Rebellion

"I know," Matias grumbled, "I'm on it. Give me time."

He trudged up the steps leading to the guest room, heaving with every step. Halfway there he remembered the lift, but it was too late for that now. He nudged the door open and repeated the all-too-familar process of laying Midnight down on a free bed. This was something else he had to get used to.

Oleander didn't bother with such complications, simply flying to the top of the steps before stepping inside. They splayed their papers out on a nightstand, looking over the miniscule text.

Light of The Rebellion

Oleander gave Dante a near-unbreakable and silent stare. Their hands were to their sides, and their head sat straight on their neck. That in combination with their garb made them look like the perfect soldier. Just like a soldier, too, they weren't going to back down on orders.

"LADY MIDNIGHT HAS REQUESTED THAT THE MATTER NOT BE DISCUSSED," they signed, "YOU MAY CHOOSE TO BELIEVE WHAT YOU WISH, BUT IT WILL NEITHER BE CONFIRMED NOR DENIED."

Light of The Rebellion

Oleander nodded softly.

"YES. THE BUILDING WAS BOMBED. I DON'T EXPECT IT TO HOLD FOR MUCH LONGER."

Their eyes fell on Midnight now. They tilted their head in curiosity.

"WHAT HAPPENED TO LADY MIDNIGHT?"

"Nothing," Matias huffed, stepping through the door. "She'll be fine. I think."

Light of The Rebellion

Matias didn't say a word to Oleander, only side-eying them as he walked towards the door and waited for entry. Now that everyone was close to them, Oleander could quite clearly be heard sipping and swallowing.

"I'M EATING," they signed, not moving still. "EXCUSE ME."

Eventually, they did pull away. A long, tendril-like appendage emerged after their head and slowly curled up against their face. As they stood up, they took their mask's proboscis in one hand and the papers in the other, attaching the former where it belonged with a "click". They stepped towards the door, brushing past a pale Matías who looked like he had just seen Death in person, and opened it for the three men, code and all.

"I WOULD LIKE TO KNOW WHERE YOU THREE. FOUR. HAVE BEEN."

Word association Game!

Lurk