falze-noize

[falze-noize]

vox-auxiliary​:

Work is never done, no, but something about the way this Ziel speaks isn’t quite right. Even his own would encourage a much needed break, but that’s not the odd part. Cheerfulness after such dismay, a light voice but claws in his sleeves, is…

Vox doesn’t have a name for the concept. 

Jarring? That’s the closest he can come, but the blue android is a master of saving face. His expression never strays, instead offering a nod of agreement. There is a moment where the red musician’s own mask slips, where he truly sees the smile he knows well. |Of course I worry.| When it comes to one singing Ignitsune, it’s only natural.

…and like the flip of a switch, this alternate is giving him plenty of reason to. Obvious distress resurfaces on the faded one’s features, and the Enforcer finds his hands already moving before he’s given it much thought.

|A rift probably brought you here.| Nothing malicious, he wants to promise, but it feels as if even that may crack the fragile blond further. |It will be okay.| Vox wants to draw closer, wants to touch the skittish alternate to provide comfort. His hands are still needed however, and he shakes the urge. 

|We should| a slight pause before he continues. |…retrace your steps.| If the portal is still open, problem solved, right? 

Not his Vox. Not my Vox. As desperately as he wanted the concept to be a truth, he knows better. Would it be easier to... pretend...? No, doing that would be irresponsible, he had a home to return to, a City to run. Still... It’s hard to argue his present company. Vox always knew how to reassure me. 

And as true as that was, it feels odd, like he was a broken record. 

Being back at the tower will fix it. Reorient. 

Even if he can’t take this one back. Because taking him back without proper precautions would make things complicated? No, something back home would be wrong and then he would be unable to f i x  i t.

“...Yes, a rift, that...” He tries to recall, hand rising to his head, to the exasperated scar under his bangs. “That... would make sense.” It hurts, but... like everything else, it would be resolved if he just went back to the tower. To his Knight. 

Distant gold returns to vibrant green. It’s painful, but he... That’s how it should be, right? “Everything will be alright,” muttered under breath, repeating the words to himself like a reassuring mantra. “--Retrace my steps? I...”

What had he been doing before he’d run into the alternate before himself? “Yes, I had been... going to retrieve tools for...” The Dictator frowns, eyes dropping off to the side, attempting to recall. “The door opened wrong, and I was then... outside...?”

#;Just White Noize~♚ #Vox Auxiliary #[~The Queen to My King~♛] #[~cross talk~] #((LOL Same here though It's weird haha

[falze-noize]

@petalsechoes​ BECAUSE I PROMISED AGES AGO--

[ᎮᏒᎧጀᎥᎷᎥᏖᎩ ᏗᏝᏋᏒᏖ]

[ᎮᏒᎧጀᎥᎷᎥᏖᎩ ᏗᏝᏋᏒᏖ]

[ᎮᏒᎧጀᎥᎷᎥᏖᎩ ᏗᏝᏋᏒᏖ]

A scowl very quickly breaks upon his face, gold eyes glancing away from the holoscreen he’d been working on. Oh, just nothing important, just precious coding for the City he’d been working to protect. It’s in the corner of his vision and ANNOYING in the way a fly buzzing around deserved to be crushed. 

No. No, he would not be sending Vox to fix this one. Fingers flexing for a moment to calm himself, and unusually, it doesn’t seem to be working. It just never WORKED lately.

Calm. Calm...

Right. 

Reaching the scene of the incursion, Noize is nothing but fast, a squadron of drones behind him gathering to optimal points on buildings on either sides, blazing fingers hovering over his weapon at his hip. Despite his fury, his voice is hauntingly calm.

“You have ten seconds to tell me what you’re doing here.”

#;Just White Noize~♚ #petalsechoes

[falze-noize]

vox-auxiliary‌:

That paints a different picture, one that makes the Enforcer uncertain, or perhaps he’s confused? He isn’t entirely sure himself, choosing only to listen and observe. For the city to be in stark black and white, but have random flashes of color sounded… disjointed. Unorganized, or even unintentional? What exactly were they aiming for in that world?

Did Ziel know the answer to that…?

Vox nods, hands raising. Still a workaholic I see. Even if you don’t know what you’re working towards, or who you’re doing it for. You had better be taking care of yourself. Easy to respond with, when he would have said the same to his own Red Rebel. Thinking of this world’s Ziel made it easier to dance through the conversation as if nothing were amiss, and yet…

It’s there in the stranger’s hesitation, in the way he skips like a buffering file. Information is given, but not all of it. The omission is inadvertently enough for Vox to guess. Either I was killed, or nearly so. Confirmed as the alter-Ziel tries to skirt around the truth without lying. Shaken features, painting themselves over to bury anything but the best emotions. 

Oh Ziel…

So the Arrachen’s features are softening. I already know he is looking forward to spending time with you again. Of course he was, if they still clung to each other after all that had happened. I should get you home to him as soon as possible, he must miss you dearly. As I would… a thoughtful rumble, the machine contemplative. How exactly were they to do that, especially without setting off this… unstable Ziel?

Disjointed...? What a perfect way to describe...

Noize laughs, the sound carefree despite the context of their conversation, despite the fact that he wanted to leave, wanted to return to his Tower. Even if it’s not his Vox, it’s easier to pretend. “A workaholic? You wound me.” Amusement in his tone. “You know when it comes to this City, work is never done!” 

Even so, he does seem to relax again. Better to not acknowledge the loss of composure. A soft smile breaks the shaky mask of before. “It’s sweet of you to worry about me.” Even though I’m not yours. He would have whisked this Vox away with him, though it seems the Ziel of this world was doing a fine job of taking care of the blue android.

If that ever changes, however... 

“Ah... Yes.” The blond nods, somewhat relieved at the idea of going home. I miss him too. His Knight, his beloved mechanical Arrachen. “I...” His demeanor falters, distress evident, but less from his company now, and more of the situation at hand. “I... still don’t know how I... got here.”

#;Just White Noize~♚ #Vox Auxiliary #[~cross talk~]

[falze-noize]

android-dreams​:

Starter Call - @ziel-soundwave​

He had been running for some time now, the footsteps of his pursuers getting louder with each corner being turned. The company had managed to track him and were hot on his heels, even having managed to catch him with a stun blaster. While for organic beings it would actually work properly, for Androids it was a different story, potentially shorting out necessary circuits.

Well, yeah, that kinda happened. He took a shot from a rather weak blaster - it’s clear they were just trying to slow him down, not outright destroy him. Profits and all that jazz. On the plus side, it didn’t do much damage to his core components, most of his nanobots were still online, and he hadn’t lost any more of his memories.

Downside? There goes his internal gyroscope. While he was able to keep his balance for the most part, his weight was causing him to stumble so much more. He was considerably slowed down from this, and it made aiming his own blaster at his pursuers just that much harder to aim. 

He made his way between the alleyways as best he could, knowing fully well that his time was soon coming to an end. He didn’t want to give up, not without giving them a fight, but he was in no real condition. To stabilize himself, he decided to duck behind a corner in another alley, prop himself up against the wall and take potshots. So, there he went, stumbling his way into–

…the sky. He wasn’t on solid land anymore. He essentially dove head-first into a portal that he hadn’t anticipated being there, and before he could catch himself, he was already both through the portal and off the ground. It took a second for him to hit the ground, but at the point of impact, he was knocked offline. His orange eyes went dim, his body stopped moving.

The only thing that could be heard from the Android was a small computerized voice that occasionally rung out;

“𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐔𝐍𝐈𝐓 𝐈𝐒 𝐈𝐍 𝐑𝐄𝐂𝐎𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐘 𝐌𝐎𝐃𝐄. 𝐏𝐋𝐄𝐀𝐒𝐄 𝐃𝐎 𝐍𝐎𝐓 𝐀𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐌𝐏𝐓 𝐓𝐎 𝐃𝐄𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐈𝐕𝐀𝐓𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐔𝐍𝐈𝐓.”

[ᎮᏒᎧጀᎥᎷᎥᏖᎩ ᏗᏝᏋᏒᏖ]

Something falling from the sky just beyond the clouds. Nothing extraterrestrial, but the result of a portal tearing itself into existence above his beloved City. It has the ruler pausing in his assessment of a few drones he’d decided to give upgrades to. Irritation aside, Noize doesn’t send his Knight to take care of the issue. 

There’s no need. If it’s off world, I will handle it.

A unit is dispatched to the scene of impact first, the drones beeping and whirring thoughtfully, relaying what their cams saw straight to the Dictator’s feeds. That... was a downed machine. Not just any machine, but an android of unknown origin. Offworld, clearly, much like Rock was.

Friend or foe, however, that had much to be seen.

Noize scowled at the prone body the moment he arrived, his hard-light sword humming softly at his side. There is a moment of hesitation as he stared, deliberating with himself on what to do with it. No use killing it. But what if it was a threat? No, I could handle it probably. Better question was-- What was the use for keeping this new machine?

His eyes lifted to the closing portal in the sky that the android fell from, frown deepening at the inconvenience. A new one would form eventually, and it would be far easier to let the unit self-repair and then leave, then kill immediately with no clue on the most effective way to do so.

Ugh. Fine. 

The Leader huffed, waving a hand dismissively at his nearest two pawns. “...Take him to the tower. Put him somewhere he can’t cause trouble while he’s fixing himself.” 

---

When Polybius would awake, he would find himself alone in a simple room, laying upon a cot built into the wall and gray tiles adorning all surfaces. The little bedside shelf had a single lamp which illuminated the room in a soft-white glow. 

#;Just White Noize~♚ #android dreams

[falze-noize]

Noize and Encore. 

Both are bad-ends for the current Sonariverse, though they fall in separate directions. One (Encore) was captured and forced to work for William Tumult, the other (Noize) killed and chose to be a Dictator in Tumult’s place. 

Both of them needed a nice reference sheet for forever, and finally it’s here! (Only took ten thousand years to make lol.)

As with all of my art, I have some guidelines:

Please do NOT tag as KIN, SELF, ETC.

Please do NOT copy, trace, crop, repost, etc.

Please do NOT use this for icons without asking me first.

Please do not remove my captions!

-Thank you!

#;Just White Noize~♚ #alt//Enemy in Red~♦ #[~Just Descriptions for the Media~♠: Headcanons]

[falze-noize]

i’ll steal the stars from your eyes

/please dont remove caption

#;Just White Noize~♚ #[~Fit for a King~♠:Aesthetics]

[falze-noize]

codedhopes​:

@ziel-soundwave​ liked for a starter with Ray!

The colorless city always never failed to make Ray uneasy. Something about the lifelessness of the blacks and whites and dull grey tones just made the Xelbot on edge, probably because her bright red armor was like a bullseye screaming ‘Shoot me!’ in the middle of it all.

Maybe she should have asked Owen for a more direct route instead of trying to use a rift-based shortcut on her own. She wasn’t sure if this even WAS Encore’s city or not…

And if it wasn’t…

Ugh. She really didn’t want to get into a fight with the things she has on hand now–it would be a true shame if her new violin got damaged… 

-ᎮᏒᎧጀᎥᎷᎥᏖᎩ ᏗᏝᏋᏒᏖ-

Flashing in the bottom right corner of his vision in bold white letters, calling for his attention with utmost importance. Another portal had just opened, and already there was a breach before his drones could secure the opening. Irritation creases the android’s expression into a scowl as he observes off-world crimson colors. 

Not Bolero? 

...No, the green flash of light didn’t match him at all, nor the multitude of other colors. 

Vox wasn’t immediately available this time. The last bout with that other Ziel’s Resistance, and his two Tumults had gotten his precious partner hurt. How dare they? He was fine. Just needed rest. It was that fucking Tumult, the one that appeared more machine than man. He had been the one to hurt the blond’s beloved, and for that he’d lose more than a limb the next time they fought. 

But no Nocturne meant that he needed to do the scouting himself. No matter, as the Dictator was perfectly capable of it. The hilt of his great sword was attached to his hip as he slunk though the quiet city streets, clinking against his belt as he approached the dimensional hole.

Noize frowned, his hand still upon the weapon at his side, though he made no move to retrieve it quite yet as he spotted the incursion. 

He hadn’t known what he’d been expecting, but she wasn’t one of them. 

“...Ray.” 

#;Just White Noize~♚ #codedhopes #~Robotic Cannibal: Raychel~

[falze-noize]

vox-auxiliary‌:

Smiling, that’s what that is. Vox had seen it time and time again on his own Ziel’s face. An expression that, once he thought a commonality, became a treasured experience no matter how little or often it appeared. It’s different, from the ones that he strove to see daily, smaller in a strange way…

Slowly, this Ziel finds his voice, begins to melt into the comfort of his surroundings. He sounds confident in what he says, smooth despite his apparent unease. Either this is rehearsed, something said over and over again, or… he truly wasn’t worried about what the faded Enforcer might do. 

Gray with color, makes the short’s head tilt like a canine in thought. Ziel continues, resuming notes of his former self like they’d never faded. Talking, laughing, moving in the ways that only the Red Singer could, but his words are… different.

Even so, Vox begins to nod. He could… understand, yes. His hands raise to confirm as much: It is overwhelming sometimes. Pausing. Thoughtful. Gray with color… like us…? That sounded more bearable, in a sense, a compromise between their two natures. Not at all what Ziel had aimed for. A middle point in transition? Or a result of some inner turmoil..? More likely. Alarming, though Vox never shows even a minimal amount of concern across his icy features.

It is… okay, to love things that are different. A faint smile, reflecting for the… Dictator, Leader. It sounds like you work too much. Just like always. So some things were the same, but how far had this Ziel slipped? How much could he learn by pressing small talk? What do you do in your free time? Or rather: What do we like to do together? Was his alternate still there? Still alive? Still the City’s watch dog…? Had he dragged Ziel to this fate, before he could ever know freedom? Or did something else just as tragic cause this?

 “Yes, and also... no.” Though they both had their color, they were just faded, not... monochrome and bright. But there were exceptions, he supposed. Their eyes demonstrated that fact. “More like many places are like here, but then splashes of neon, you know? Like throwing paint over a building or painting walls in murals.” Honestly? Pretty.

...But it still made him ache, in a way.

Vox’s smile, too, hurt somehow. It felt real, but also... I miss my Knight. Maybe that was what it was. “I don’t mind. Someone needs to do it, you know? And I...” Was the perfect person for that job. Was the only person for that job. Had no choice but to do that job. “...Took it into my own hands, I suppose.”

An owlish blink, his own smile fading. “I don’t really...” Have free time. “I-It’s not that there isn’t anything to do, I--” He stops. “We...?” A....Ahaha... How ironic. The Dictator’s arms are no longer behind his back, but tightly gripping at their own sleeves, crossed to hug his stomach but also potentially claw. He feels sick.

“You... We haven’t been able to... do anything together...” No, because Vox had been... Sick. Sick. Reign in... Not at home. Not safe to fall apart here, even with a version of his General by his side. “Y...You just woke up again, so it’s...” Swallow it. Don’t make him worry! A shaky grin reappearing, solidifying. Had never fallen in the first place. “We haven’t visited our favorite Cafe in a while. But you wanted to play for me, sometime.”

“I honestly look forward to it! I’ve always wanted to hear you sing, Vox.”

#;Just White Noize~♚ #Vox Auxiliary #[~cross talk~]

[falze-noize]

vox-auxiliary‌:

Nothing?

What was he supposed to sign to that? To argue otherwise would send the mirror Ziel into a spiral of fear, like the panic from moment’s before. The red one was shrouded in a fog of dread, an apprehension so palpable even Vox had not missed it. Should he play dumb? Lie to keep the familiar stranger subdued..?

Could he lie..?

Slowly his fingers start moving, picking up on the unspoken, as his companion had done so many times for the blue one. To understand, is that what you were going to say? A truthful conclusion, even if it brought a slight tilt to reality. For the former Enforcer understood plainly what had been done to him had been repeated, the only answer for the haze his friend attempted to travel through. 

I want to understand. What do you think happened? What do you think you are? Tell me, Ziel, what is your home like? How do you spend your days?

Am I still there with you? Did I lead you to this fate..? The truth would not be revealed in full, he knew, but surely it must lie between what this Ziel believed, and what his own eyes could see.

His hands unfolded, if just for a brief moment, to take his forehead and rub it, attempt to dispel the headache pulsing behind his gold eyes-- the only things that hadn’t faded. Talking to this Vox hurt. Didn’t actually, but made him dizzy in a way that he felt was incorrect only because Vox would never do this to him. 

“Ah... yes...” His Knight had always been able to finish his thoughts. He used to be able to do the same in return, but lately... Not sure. Not sure. Not sure. “I apologize, I didn’t...” Oh, but that was so much like Vox, wasn’t it...? The Arrachen had always been so compassionate, even if he hadn’t been able to recognize it the way Ziel had before. 

“Home is...” A smile, a faint one. Familiarity was nice. “It’s mostly peaceful. No one seems unhappy...” Those that did were quickly put away, like broken toys. Ah, but he couldn’t do that to his siblings, they were... Just allowed to be in their own corner. Away from him. “My home is... gray, with color.” Splashes of color, here and there. It wasn’t bad for people to be creative sometimes.

But it made his head ache, so there was very little inside his own home. Vox was the only thing with color he wanted to be near, so... “I don’t... do much outside of being diplomatic. Interacting with others that aren’t you is...” What’s the word? “...Tiring.” A laugh. “I mean, as the City’s Leader, I’m supposed to-- I can do it. I just don’t like leaving my tower. It’s safer there, you know?” Ah, perhaps he was being too casual.

The blond rocked on his heels, a smile and a wink with a finger raised to his lips, a mirror of an action he used to do. “But that’s a secret, don’t tell anyone! I still love my City, it’s just... too vibrant and loud sometimes.” Surely Vox understood.

#[~just white noize~] #Vox Auxiliary #[~cross talk~]

[falze-noize]

vox-auxiliary‌:

So it is that instinct is stayed, that fear does not consume this faded mirror whole. Although that had been Vox’s intention, the General finds he doesn’t know how to respond now that all is still. Now that he can be heard– seen– and not fled from.

An open ended question is posed, one that seeks only more questions. So many possibilities, so many spiraling quandaries, and all Vox can do is keep his hands in place. A different kind of silence born in his hesitancy. Never before had he felt truly awkward, no, at unease with Ziel before. There had been confusion, once, long ago, but these newest feelings are masked beneath the neutral he nearly always wore.

Your uniform– another slow start– it is different. It’s almost as if even his fingers cannot form the words he’s straining for, despite the calmness ever pervading the air around him. Your colors are more like mine. That is not the case in this world. So in error I assumed something was wrong. Instead of– of what? There can only be wrongness in this cracked duplicate. …realizing the base line of your world may be different. That normalcy for you is something else entirely. 

As such I do not know what– it’s emphasized with a slightly larger gesture –to ask.

Your colors are like mine. 

That phrase should have made the blond uncomfortable, uncertain, or perhaps he had been reading the air wrong again. But this Vox was correct, in a way. Their colors matched more than his and his Knight’s had; his Vox was blue as the evening sky, dark but rich in saturation. Vaguely, he knew of the bright reds the faded android spoke of, remembered...

“I used to have colors like that, yes.” The loss of color was a sign of trauma, yes, but nothing wrong had happened to Noize, wasn’t that correct? It was. “But they were found to be... unnecessary in the world I was supposed to create, so they were...” His voice was... His songs were... 

A sickening feeling, in his stomach, his head. When this happened, he normally took to action, dug his fingers at that spot above his eye because it normally meant Xenos was tampering with...! But that wasn’t the case now, was it? Somehow, he knew... The Dictator shook his head, eyebrows creasing in pain. “There is... nothing wrong with me.”

Exhale, it’s fine... It’s fine... “I wish I knew where to start. You don’t seem to...” Understand...? Not sure.

#;Just White Noize~♚ #Vox Auxiliary #[~cross talk~]

[falze-noize]

#;Just White Noize~♚ #[~Fit for a King~♠:Aesthetics]

[falze-noize]

vox-auxiliary‌:

The reaction feels slow to build, but the truth is it’s there in seconds. Confusion erasing pleasantries, becoming nervousness, then emerging in full blown panic. Perhaps a quirk of programming, perhaps a misunderstanding of the difference between their timelines, perhaps… some of both.

Never, in all their time together, had Vox seen Ziel shy away from him nor fear him, even in his most savage moments. There is pain in that response, in seeing this mirror of his friend step away like he’s in danger. It’s a dull kind of pain, stabbing further into his core as Ziel’s voice gets more frantic.

I didn’t mean…

Vox swallows, but does not step forward. Does not approach without permission. He’s hesitant to raise his hands again, signing more slowly to allow more thinking time. To combat the edge the red one is already teetering on. To keep him from bolting or lashing out.

I am sorry. I misunderstood. Pause. I– it’s slow– did not know you were fixed. That was my own error. Please do not be alarmed. I only wish to help you however needed. Whether that was getting him home, or repairs, or anything else Ziel desired. Never, never to hurt. 

His expression remains an understated frown. May we start again? Perhaps you could explain everything so I am not confused. I know you are not my Ziel, so things may be… different.

Please don’t run!

It was probably for the best that the blue one took it slow, made the Dictator take a second to understand. Only Vox could get him to pause like that, to fight the flight response just to hear, or see that last answer. Only Vox got that respect, loyalty out of him, even if this wasn’t his navy Knight he wished for.

Perhaps it had been a misunderstanding, that he didn’t understand the shorter android’s intentions, automatically assumed the worst. It was common for him to... No, he’d just been worried for the wrong reaction. Everything was fine. Hesitance stayed with his stance, but the hands he’d raised slowly lowered to fold mechanically behind his back.

Relaxation, and realization followed as he read the words spelled out for him, his shoulders lowering to the respectful neutral. “I...” That made sense. His General would know how to respond, it wasn’t this Vox’s fault to react unknowingly. Ziel could never blame him anyways. 

“Ah, that...” A small, unsure smile flitted onto his features, creasing his eyebrows. “I can... do that. What do you want to know?”

#;Just White Noize~♚ #vox auxiliary #[~cross talk~]

[falze-noize]

vox-auxiliary:

Vox attempted to perk at that response. He could see the clear confusion on the tall android’s face, the want to ease his own distress. Ziel was still in there, easily shining through. True to some buried part of himself. Or so the blue one wanted to believe, despite watching the demeanor he knew so well become overshadowed with… something more sinister. 

Shoulders relaxing, the former Enforcer chose to continue signing for now. Easier to hide unwanted fluctuations in his voice, to keep the conversation on even ground. 

I am glad I make you feel safe. Comes the first testing response. He hesitated, before nodding. Yes I am aware this is not your home. That is not the problem. A small frown graced Vox’s features, before returning gently to neutrality. Your uniform tells me something is very wrong. That wasn’t accounting for the strangeness in Ziel’s voice, nor the aura of pure unsettlingness radiating off him.

It may not be safe for you to return home. If he’d just be going back to Tumult… a shake of the head. It was a mistake to be so forward with the red one, but he found his hands moving before he thought to stop it. I can tell you have been altered. I would like to prevent further damages. 

Glancing over the faded red android, and while the taller normally didn’t mind such concerned looks from his favorite person-- Vox always, always knew him better than he did himself, sometimes-- but there’s something...? Not sure, not sure, not sure. 

“My... uniform?” No need to glance at it, he knows what he looks like. But that frown. It’s one of displeasure, of concern, one he recognized so well from his own partner. What does it mean here? What am I doing wrong? A sort of true confused smile reaches his eyes, a half one, almost hesitant. “There’s nothing wrong with it that I can tell.”

And there it breaks, like the shattering of glass in the back of his mind, what easiness he’d shown suddenly frozen on his face. Disbelief. “...What?”

What, what what what what what what?

“I need to go back.” There’s a sense of urgency in that tone, the gold in his eyes flickering. Wrong, wrong wrong. “I... have not...” Stay back. Danger? It’s Vox, he’d never hurt me. Prevent WHAT further damages? What??? The Dictator does not lash out, why would he ever at Vox, but suddenly everything is... off. Out of balance? Displaced.

Ziel pulled away, stepping back as if he was the one cornered. Leave leave leave leave. “I’m not altered. I was fixed, but...” But that wasn’t altering, was it? “I’m fine. Safe. Vox, he...” Nervous. “I need...” My Knight. Where is he? “I’m not damaged! There’s nothing wrong with me!”

#[~just white noize~] #vox auxiliary #[~cross talk~]

[falze-noize]

silent-nocturne‌:

It’s unsettling, the way the outsider laughs. He must have quite the picture on their situation– all of them. In the end Vox chose not to be surprised, knowing that this version of himself and his red musician were still something else entirely. Cunning, deadly, and from the look of them, more than ruthless. Not comforting, no, but given Rock and Ziel were on good terms…

“What’s yours?” That clued him in enough, if their appearances hadn’t before. Perhaps some backwards tragedy played out in that other world, leaving them all like this. 

Vox’s head turned toward the voice, cold green optics unwavering as the stranger spoke. Only to be a shadowy protector? That is worth its own pity. Noize, at least, still intensely valued and craved his partner’s company. The Enforcer was unsure much the same could be said for Rock.

“…Allies are always welcome.” One less direction to watch– or so the two men chatting in the towered seemed to agree on. Their friendliness didn’t feel forced, at least, echos of fondness once held for each other. A saving grace, for the moment. 

Vox’s gaze finally left MZ, wandering among the buildings below. “…hope one day you can be more than his shadow again.“ The frown is subtle, understated, and the subject change immediate. “…would advise your superior to be cautious with affairs. Noize is… unstable.” Paranoid. “…hate to see another friend become an adversary.” 

Superior. Such a strange term, one he didn’t readily acknowledge. It’s hard not to laugh again, to shake that sense of pity directed at his nightmare of a fairy tale-- the princess in the tower killed the witch, and took her knight to be her weapon, dawning the witch’s skin instead. So it’s then the blond shakes his head, braid dangling lightly above the ground. 

“You’re mistaken. I’m quite fine with being his dripping blade and searing shield.” It’s said with indifference, as if taking lives for the sake of his Mate was nothing new; it wasn’t. 

Unstable, is it? He’d say that Rock’s condition was worse, but it was not in his place to say about this child, as it wasn’t anyone else’s to assume. “Warning noted. I’ll make sure it doesn’t come to that.” Civil, not so much, but betrayal would be watched for closely. 

It really would be too bad if the Dictator lost another friend.

The Maverick shifted, red eyes finally meeting with the glowing green, similar, but less nuclear than the ones he’d chose to love. “But until then, your allies, we will most certainly be. I’m sure we could take care of any problem, should it arise.”

#;Just White Noize~♚ #((guest muse: Raven)) #Silent Nocturne #[~The Queen to My King~♛] #[~cross talk~] #overx #~a fading light~

[falze-noize]

silent-nocturne:

Vox watched the meeting in the corner of his eye, listening in for any sign of the tides changing. For now it appeared Rockwell wished to remain on friendly terms with his… with their leader. 

Although that eased the machine, he wondered how long it could possibly last. Noize had pushed away many people once close to him already. Xenos, Bolero… Lyra, to some extent. Could this stranger from another world best the new Dictator’s paranoia where others failed to?

Or would this merely be a temporary truce?

If the outsiders had any other intentions… he’d know soon enough. 

He stepped silently up behind the outsider’s companion. Rock’s Enforcer, perhaps? His presence is noticed instantly, a voice rather than a physical response meeting him. Confirmation no one was hostile yet…

Both of the questions feel loaded, but neither will go unanswered.

“You would do the same, I’m sure.” If this man was indeed who he appeared to be. The android was large and imposing, even as he remained seated on the building’s edge. Vox knew a killer when he saw one, and he had no illusions this alternate was anything like his own tall blond. Not like he used to be, and not as he was now.

“I’m…nothing more than a loyal partner, trying to fix something broken.” Trying to keep things from getting worse. Vox moved forward, perching on the ledge to MZ’s right. “…the question is what you’re here for.”

The voice isn’t right, nor the actions. Appearance, too, similar but not quite, so far removed, an interesting twist on them. The transmitter from his Mate’s ring, the nanites swirling invisibly around his person, suggested nothing was going South. 

Good.

The Maverick didn’t bother to shift, his eyes sliding over to Vox, just out of reach. Smart boy. A low chuckle reverberates in his chest, enough of an answer and amusement at its finest and yet he understood where the Blue one was coming from. It would make it a pity if he had to do anything about it. 

“I'm of similar nature.” Even if his beloved was broken, distracted always, he would stay, wasn’t that right? Caged by his own desire to... “I’m here to keep what’s mine safe.” If this had been an attack, like he’d been warned it could have been, he was poised to strike when necessary, but...

The shorter blond seemed to be amiable, and he’d keep to the shadows until the tide changed. 

He closed his eyes. “Rock came here with the intention to help and threaten, but I do believe he wasn’t expecting to find your boy at the highest point here, but someone else.” But that was good, he supposed. Less of an issue, right? “I am only here to be his shadow.”

#;Just White Noize~♚ #((guest muse: Raven)) #Silent Nocturne #[~The Queen to My King~♛] #[~cross talk~] #overx #~a fading light~

[falze-noize]

overx:

Yes, those portals could be… troublesome, or advantageous, depending on how hands were dealt. Today, Rock considered that universal act of randomness to have fallen in his favor. It was already apparent to him that he and his (former?) ally must have fallen in parallel step, their once twisting paths leading to the same destination.

…how did that make him feel, exactly? Fortunate, but also… he couldn’t say, attention settling on Ziel’s face. 

“To be honest with you, I expected to find someone else sitting in that chair, and depending on what he said…“ There’s an easy shrug, the androids hands settling in his coat pockets. “I was prepared to solve problems or make them. Seeing as you’re here now, though, I think I’d much prefer to do the former.“ 

He stepped towards the desk, pulling aside a chair to lounge comfortably if casually across from the other machine. An elbow cocked across the back of the chair. “The short story is I’ve been… absent, with all the chaos and change in my world. A lot has happened. Our former ruler is out of the picture,” he gestured with a subtle nod of his head to the blond across from him. “I’m sure you understand. As such, I’ve got people to look after. Territory to defend and expand. Changes to make. I wanted to know if my neighbors would be cooperative and open to working together, or if I’d need to… convince them to fall in line.” 

Despite the wording, Rock is strangely nonthreatening, tone nothing but genial. 

“Ambition is a hell of a drug my friend, but it doesn’t mean one can’t be civil in their pursuits.” 

So similar... 

“Convince, hm?” Unlike Rock, the only things he needed to convince were in his own City. No one outside cared or knew, just like before. It made him want to scoff that he’d ever tried to get outside help. If he was to receive assistance, he’d need to do it himself, for always sending Vox headlong into danger... No, he would not allow it again.

But he found himself agreeing, nonetheless. “Exactly. I’m afraid I’ve never been to yours, or I would have returned the favor.” Were those all words, or had he meant it? He refused to leave unless his Knight was by his side and still... Maybe.

“Working together, then? I’m sure we have much to discuss.”

Nothing dangerous, nothing yet. 

Was this that boy his Mate used to go and see every month or so? The vamploid’s head was tilted against the wall, eyes closed as if he’d been sleeping, a leg draped over the edge of the roof. It appeared as if he’d only paused for a rest, but any trained glance might have known better. He was listening.

His head only tilted at the approaching footsteps, red opening to glow upon the coming figure. The green optics alone, so familiar but not were enough to tell him who this was. “Come to make sure I don’t slay your Dictator where he stands?” MZ raised his perpetual glare towards the tower, a frown on his lips. 

“...Who are you, then, besides sharing the same face as Rock?”

#;Just White Noize~♚ #((guest muse: Raven)) #overx #~a fading light~

[falze-noize]

"You know me too well." (FALZE-NOIZE HEY VOXXXX)

@vox-auxiliary

The statement shouldn’t sound so ominous coming from Ziel’s lips, but it does. Everything about this felt wrong, pricking at some long dormant instinct in the back of the of Vox’s mind.

The blue one stepped backwards, green eyes searching his companion’s face. Finding not the kind softness he knew so well, but something else. Something that made his chest tight.

Until this moment, he tried to play it off as mere exhaustion. Even an alternate of his beloved partner friend must be working hard all the time. The uniform he had trouble explaining away, but he’d hoped… judging from Ziel’s face, the former rebel had caught on to the sudden distress.

Vox wanted to say something, but failed to find his voice, lifting his hands carefully to sign instead.

You are not yourself. You need help. Let me help you.

Wrong. What was with that expression? The one of horror and fear and surprise, what was that, Vox? The man, machine, Dictator frowned, a deep, unsettled and thoughtful indentation of his lips into an almost thin line. What was wrong? What was it?

It was mostly confusion that stripped at his face, eyebrows raised, eyes wide. There was no lie in that, and it only increased in intensity at the fingers cautiously making shapes at him, talking to him. Strange. He’d given the blond the impression that he could talk if that helmet was no longer adorning his face.

Hands behind his back, posture straightening as the former Rebel leaned back, eyes wide but dull... Wait. “It’s true that I need help, but it’s more that I’m realizing I’m displaced, not that there’s something wrong with me.” This was not his Vox, after all. Still gentle, caring, stormy quiet blues, just like his Knight, but...

There’s nothing to fear here.

“What are you talking about, then?” A smile that didn’t reach his eyes, or did, but did not supply the same glowing grin that he used to do, a shadow of what it-- he-- once was. “I appreciate the sentiment, but I... am fine.” I have to be. “Because you’re here.” 

#;Just White Noize~♚ #vox auxiliary