A Wicked Work of Art - Chapter 12
Masterlist
CW: drinking/alcohol, medical whump, trans whumpee, test subject whumpee, experiment whumpee, fantasy racism, dehumanization, fantasy whump, mentioned eye gore, eye whump, possession whump, references to attempted noncon, frank language, institutionalized slavery, possessive carewhumper, dehumanization, fictional religious talk
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The basement of the bar stunk of whiskey and vodka. Cheering came from every direction. Compared to the somber atmosphere of the Facility, the basement of that bar was refreshing.
People approached Stergios and Vasiliki with smiles. Vasiliki didn’t feel… judged. He expected hostility. He expected hatred. Vicious rejection. He thought everyone could see through him, look into his core, and understand what an awful person he was. See that part of him that was missing, that part of him that made him ever so slightly inhuman.
They didn’t.
In fact, they opened him with open arms. Well, not everyone. He noticed some hostile glares that he was long used to. They weren’t the majority, though. Perhaps the majority was hiding how they truly felt about him, but Vasiliki didn’t get that sense.
“I need you to meet someone, Vasil.”
Unlike most of the others who were drinking and singing and dancing the night away, the figure was busy talking in a hushed corner. He was short - below five-foot and bore wolfish ears in his mop of golden-blonde hair. When he turned around to face them, Vasiliki immediately noticed the creature’s goat-like eyes.
“Vasil, this is Elias. Elias helps me a lot with operations.”
Now that Vasiliki looked harder at Elias, he noticed the wolfish way his legs were formed, his dog-like nails, his elongated fingers, and the webbing that hung between his toes and fingers. The left side of his mouth was missing some of its cheek - leaving his canines exposed. Then there were his goat-like horns, poking out of his hair. Elias wasn’t human - he was a devil. An old one at that.
A mix of awe and fear filled Vasiliki as he looked at Elias. The last time he’d seen a devil, it was attacking his village. However, those devils had been young. This was a different breed - a powerful, old devil. A golden one at that.
“Vasilios?”
Vasiliki shook his head. “Vasiliki.”
Elias chuckled a little. “A girl’s name?”
“My mother liked it,” Vasiliki responded tersely. “Whether I was a boy or a girl, I would’ve been named Vasiliki.”
Elias didn’t lose that good-humored smile that played on his lips. “Well, then, Vasiliki, I’ve heard many things about you.”
Vasiliki tried not to be unnerved by the smile, the calm demeanor of the devil. He felt tense, afraid. To live this long, who knew what this devil had done, what atrocities he’d committed. That thought lingered as did the lingering scent of burning wheat.
“I’m not sure I’ve heard much of you, Elias.” Vasiliki looked at Stergios hesitantly. Stergios knew that Vasiliki didn’t like devils, so what was the point of this?
“That… doesn’t surprise me.” Elias threw an amused look at Stergios. “Stergios doesn’t like putting other members in danger. Himself, only. The fact that he told you, a Facility worker - a higher up at that - about his activities is proof enough.”
Vasiliki shifted a little. The undertone of hostility wasn’t lost on him. “You always were reckless, Stergios.”
“But we’ve known each other for a century. I know that’s not a long time for you, Elias, but that’s the majority of our lives.”
Elias gave a genial chuckle. “No, it isn’t a long time. You don’t remember the times beyond this current regime. You don’t remember the Una Pax, the times before the gods of order and chaos, of death and of life, of disaster and prosperity were driven from this world. You don’t remember when the light mages and dark mages, the devils and the angels, when we all lived in peace.”
Vasiliki froze. “No such times have existed. Gods? What are you talking about?”
“A thousand years ago, my friend.” Elias’ smile turned into something of a smirk. “Who do you think gives us our magic? The gods. Who do you think used to keep the peace? The gods. When they were driven from this world three hundred years ago, peace couldn’t be held together long. I knew the gods, Vasiliki. You? You work for men playing the role of gods. Fake peace is all you’ll ever achieve.”
“Elias-”
“Let me speak, Stergios.”
Stergios, for all his kindness and geniality, spoke tersely. “Elias, this is his first meeting. There’s no need to be so confrontational.”
“I see no reason not to be.” Elias glared at Vasiliki, staring deep into his soul with those piercing golden eyes. “He’s hurt countless. He’s contributed to a system that enslaves and tortures. He’s no better than the trainers. I don’t know why you’ve kept his company all these years, Stergios.”
“Because he can change, Elias. We all can. You should know that better than anyone-”
Vasiliki finally decided to speak up. “No, he’s right, Stergios. I’ve done a lot of wrong in my life.” Vasiliki grabbed his arm, rubbing it a little and shifting uncomfortably.
That had caught Stergios completely off-guard. “Vasil-”
“It’s okay.” Vasiliki gazed carefully at Elias. “I appreciate it, Elias.”
Elias scoffed. “You appreciate me for that?”
The conflict that had swallowed Vasiliki’s heart whole soon spread to his face. His eyebrows furrowed. “Yes. I know that I’m a bad person. I’ve- I’ve come to realize the error of my ways and I’m trying to change.”
A phone ringing interrupted Vasiliki. It was his cellphone - it was the paging line. Vasiliki immediately picked up.
“Hello?”
“Dr. Christakos, your subject attacked someone.”
Akakios?
“How bad is it? I’m a little busy right now. Is he injured?”
The nurse on the other end sighed - Vasiliki knew that voice well enough to know that it was Amara. “He ripped Constantine’s other eye out. We know it wasn’t the devil - his eyes weren’t silver when he did it. Dr. Christakos - Akakios hurt someone of his own volition. You need to come in immediately.”
Vasiliki looked at Stergios, who returned a concerned gaze. “I’ll come as soon as I can.”
He said his pleasantries to Stergios and Elias, then rushed out of the bar. He jumped in his car, pressing the pedal to the metal. He was speeding - at least 20 miles per hour above the speed limit, but fuck it, he was in the military in some odd way. He would get away with it, even if he was pulled over.
Parking was easy to find at the complex this time of night - not at all like the morning. Vasiliki practically ran up to his lab, where two nurses armed with guns were waiting for him.
Amara approached him. “Dr. Christakos. I’m glad you could come so quickly.”
“Want to explain what Constantine was doing anywhere near my subject?” Vasiliki asked incredulously. “I thought I made it clear that the trainers were not to be around Akakios. How did he get badge access to my lab?”
Amara hesitated. “We don’t know. He’s going to be investigated by personnel security and the military police for this, because he attempted to sexually assault someone else’s property.”
Vasiliki saw red. He didn’t expect to be as angry as he was, but as he thought of that bastard Constantine trying to assault Akakios, he couldn’t help but be filled with rage. “What the fuck did he try to do?”
“Same thing as he always does.”
Vasiliki fought the urge to push aside Amara and barged into the lab. There, Akakios laid, his gown covered in blood, restrained to the table.
Akakios immediately shrank. “Master.”
Vasiliki looked behind him. The two nurses had followed him in. Amara approached from the side.
“Dr. Christakos, take a moment. Dr. Demos put your subject on the list for retraining. He said that you need to go speak to him immediately.”
Vasiliki swore. This was too much for him. Far too much. He was tired and overwhelmed and the conversation with Elias kept playing again and again in his head.
“I’ll go speak to him. I don’t want Akakios to be sent for retraining.” Vasiliki looked at Akakios, who was trembling in his restraints. “I think Constantine shouldn’t have been anywhere near my property.”
“Well, convince Dr. Demos.”
Vasiliki let out a heavy sigh of frustration, but gave up. “Don’t let anyone near Akakios. Stay outside until I figure out what the fuck is going on.”
—
Dr. Demos was a bastard of a man motivated by one thing: wealth. It worked well for him - moving up the ranks in the Facility quickly and eventually surpassing Vasiliki despite being fifty years his senior. It was always a practice in patience to grovel at Dr. Demos’ feet.
However, Vasiliki couldn’t imagine giving Akakios up to another trainer. Not to let him be tortured for an indefinite period of time. Not to have someone else’s hands on his research project. Vasiliki would rather handle Akakios’ punishment himself.
To get what he wanted, groveling was exactly what he’d have to do.
Vasiliki swallowed his pride and knocked on Dr. Demos’ door. “Dr. Demos, it’s Dr. Christakos.”
“Dr. Christakos,” Dr. Demos opened the door, giving a fake, almost passive-aggressive grin. “It’s a pleasure.”
“You as well.” Vasiliki bowed a bit, taking a seat in front of Dr. Demos’ desk, where his superior sat. “I’m here to discuss 7634. I don’t think retraining is fit for him.”
Dr. Demos raised an eyebrow. “Those are orders, Dr. Christakos. This is out of your hands now. 7634 attacked someone. He ripped eyes out. Of his own volition. He’s dangerous and needs retraining.”
“I- I know, Sir. However, I don’t think that an ordinary trainer can handle 7634 in his current state.”
“Continue.”
Vasiliki took a deep breath, closing his eyes and preparing himself for what he was about to say. “Dr. Demos- 7634 is transforming.”
“Into a devil? I thought his magic killed.”
Vasiliki nodded. “And it does. But, he has a devil inside of him, Asimi is their name. When a human mage is possessed like that, the devil slowly transforms the human into one of them. It can take anywhere from a few years to a few decades. Asimi has been with 7634 since he was a child. It… was only a matter of time.”
Dr. Demos’ eyes narrowed. “Why wasn’t something done about this devil sooner?”
“They’re very attached. It makes it impossible to remove the devil from the human. Someone I worked with before your time discovered that.”
“And what can be done now?”
“I have experimental therapies that can reduce aggression in devils. I’ve been working on locking down the dosage, but I think that I can prevent 7634 from becoming aggressive as a devil.”
Dr. Demos seemed unconvinced, before his eyebrows creased and he leaned back in his chair, weaving his hands together.
“Is he still going to be punished for this infraction?”
“Yes and it will be severe.”
Vasiliki hated the idea of punishing Akakios at all, but he would do what he had to, if it was for Akakios’ own good.
“And you aren’t doing this because he’s your work?”
“No, Sir.”
Dr. Demos considered Vasiliki, eyes piercing into him, looking for any sign of lies.
He found none, even if Vasiliki had lied.
“Fine. If he can go three months without another incident of aggression, including towards you, you can keep him. If not, he gets retrained and sold. Is that clear?”
“Yes!” Vasiliki sounded almost a little bit too relieved. “Yes, Sir. Thank you.”
It made Vasiliki sick to have to grovel at Dr. Demos’ feet.
“Report his punishment and the results of it to me. For now, you’re in the clear.”
Vasiliki nodded and swallowed, standing up a little too quickly. “I’ll complete the punishment in the morning.”
“No, you’ll complete it now. Report to me before you leave.”
Vasiliki froze, wanting to curse under his breath, but keeping himself amicable. “Yes, Sir.”
With that, he left, no further words to the doctor. Vasiliki could hardly call Dr. Demos a doctor at all, but then again, could the same really be said for him?
===
@i-can-even-burn-salad @whumpsday @pigeonwhumps @oddsconvert @pumpkin-spice-whump @just-a-whumping-racoon-with-wifi @writereleaserepeat @just-a-silly-little-whumper, @sparrowsage @inscrutable-shadow @whumplr-reader @whumpycries @demondamage @whumpshaped @itsleighlove @whump-blog
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inspired by this post bc i couldn't get it out of my head all day.
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CN: gunshot wound, passing out, bridal carry, possession (pre-existing)
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The motion made Ethan's head spin. Lucy's arms were like ropes around him and the heavy landing of her steps made him jolt. His left arm was around her neck and he held on to her as desperately as he did to consciousness.
Already his heaving breaths did not feel voluntary. A foreign will inflated his lungs by force, then squeezed his ribcage to contract them again. Every time, the wound in his side shifted, the flesh ripped further and the pain claimed more of his vision. His whimpers came muffled when he hid his face in Lucy's shoulder. Fainting would bring relief. But he already felt the other consciousness pushing in, eager to take over when he gave up. It whispered to him its marvel at how the bullet merged with their flesh. It wanted to feel more.
There was no cruelty in how it wrapped itself around Ethan's thoughts and melted them all into numbness. Still, he shook all over as he felt his body become someone else's, piece by bloodied piece.
In response, Lucy held him tighter. Her footsteps were wavering, she'd slowed from a run to barely a stride. The more strength seeped out of Ethan's body, the heavier he became in her arms. The bleeding had stopped but her shirt was already stiff with crimson. It made her cold to the bone.
The grip of Ethan's hand on her shoulder was painful, too strong to be human. The tears that trickled down his face were taking on a golden tint. His breathing grew shallow.
Glittering black spilled into his mind and smothered the pain like the last fighting ember of a flame. Even the fear was taken from him. He twisted his hand, his real one, into Lucy's shirt, trying to cling to her warmth.
"Don't leave me alone," he pleaded with the last of his voice.
Lucy locked her jaw tight and her gaze forward.
"I'm here," she muttered.
Only in the corner of her vision did she see his eyes roll back into his skull. Then his whole body went slack.
She dropped to one knee. He weighed far more than someone of his build should have. Lucy's arms trembled with strain as she hoisted his body up and closer to her. She thought of padded gym floors and steel-cold barbells as she pushed herself up to her feet again. Slow, shuffling steps carried her forward.
She just had to keep moving. It didn't matter how. She'd get him to safety on her knees if that was what it took.
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Take the Thoughts Away
I'm workshopping, practicing, et cetra. Is posting something from after the primary events of something you're workshopping? Probably. "Action Figures"-I like Pet/Box content, I like superhero content, I haven't seen many where they're combined.
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Venti never quite had an idea why her sister called her into her room so late. Or why Angela bothered to declare herself her sister, despite all she’d done to her, for that matter.
Angela was a clever girl, yes, resourceful, decent at survival. Venti knew that from the moment the scientists let her into her body for Action Figure games, she could tell the brain she was tethering herself into knew how to keep itself alive.
It was unfortunate, for them, that what they decided to use was a broken, battered, last member of a parasitic species. It was an experiment, to see if it’d make it stronger. It did. 7 years in that hell before she gained enough power to break them both out.
Venti lived a long time. And she remembered almost every moment. When her planet was destroyed, eating her first world, separating from her earthen host, meeting “Angela” for the second time since she laid eyes on her after she was dropped into her cell.
But for the life of her, she couldn’t remember that night. Her parasitic form was captured, sliced until she could only take the form of a small crimson garter snake, and placed in a small tube that they pressed against Angela’s cell. The rest was a blur, up until she was having a childish idea of “villainy” drilled into her.
At least, she couldn’t remember, for the longest time…until she heard a soft whisper. ”Can you take the thoughts away?”
Venti looked down at the girl who insisted they be sisters. Her sister, she’d just recently taken to calling her in kind. She was shivering. Angela had been off the past few days, insisting that everyone was watching her, booing her. That she was “evil.” That she was once again a villain figure and at any moment the walls would come down and they’d clean up for next week’s event. Venti noticed, but didn’t say a thing until she had to pry the panicking girl off the grocery store’s snack aisle floor.
She’d come to see Angela as a proud, quick to adapt, scrappy little thing since she’d reforged enough of herself to grow a body out of Angela’s DNA. The way she insisted they live together-be a new family back out now and free. But it was now Venti saw her other side, the side Venti’d forgotten.
She slithered up to her, hissing, desperately, wildly trying to figure out what orifice on these creatures led to the brain. She was pushed against the wall, eyes wide. She didn’t scream, but her voice was hoarse like she had been. You had no idea how long she’d been there before you-but her words then gave you an idea. The same request: “Can you take the thoughts away?”
The “thoughts” then were the loneliness, the lack of agency, the dehumanization, the fear of the experiments.
The thing-that-looked-human surmised that this time, the thoughts were because she’d taken her free will for sevens years, then just expected her to pretend like she had it back, knew how to use it, for three, and that was somehow just as scary.
Those pleading, begging little eyes that her old vessel gave…She couldn’t help but feel herself melting. Literally, becoming the genetic goo that is her species’ true form. She happily flowed over her sister, a soft “Yay~” escaping the smaller one’s lips before her mouth was plugged with the goo as well.
When the goo was nearly gone, the girl sat, and stared at her ceiling. Venti could see why she was needed again. Her heart was beating too fast, her adrenal glands were pumping despite no stimulus, and she was even out of breath. She sat, calming herself, forcing her second body to calm itself, any semblance of Angela leaving, aside from the most base awareness of what Venti was doing with her body.
It was then she noticed that she couldn’t quite see the ceiling. She checked the bedside, and found nothing. She poked around her hosts’ memories-she’d lost track of her contacts a few days ago. Her anxiety was because everything’s been an uncertain blur in her vision.
Foolish, lovely little host.
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