Futuristic Evolution (IC)

[Kio.exe]

— EVOLUTION !
coding the perfect human!

01. introduction.

The Phoenix Project: Subject A.
Partial Transcript: 20 May, 2677, New Order

Subject A (S.A): “So uhhh...is it recording yet, doctor?”
Doctor Marcus Savage (M.S)—[sighing is heard, a pen clicks] “Yes, Julian, we’re recording.”
S.A: “Great, I wouldn’t want them to miss anything.”
M.S: “You haven’t even heard what we’d be discussing yet.” [silence as the doctor takes a few notes]
S.A: [fingers tapping on a table is audible] “Well it must be important if you’re recording it, right?” [subject a snorts]
M.S: “All discussions we have from now on—important or not—will be recorded for research purposes. Now let us beg—“ [the doctor is cut off]
S.A: “Wait. Do you have any water? I’m seriously parched.”
[the sound of water being poured into a cup fills the small space]
M.S: “There. Are we all set now?”
[silence]
M.S: “They can’t hear a shrug, Julian.”
S.A: “Yes, I suppose I’m ready then. Bring it on.”
M.S: “So the Ninth System was put into place early yesterday. Has any pain been present?”
[finger tapping continues]
S.A: “Well uhh...not really. No. I feel stronger, I guess. And more energized. But no pain.”
[paper flips, writing persists]
M.S: “Very good. I’m glad. It will take a few days for the nanotechnology to properly align with your body, so some discomfort may be present during that time.”
S.A: “Yes, you told me all of this after you kidnapped me and used me as a lab rat.” [slight laughter is heard]
M.S: “Julian, I’ve told you many times that your parents signed you into our custody for your own good. You were very sick. You neede—”
S.A: “Yes, I needed ‘immediate treatment or I’d die’. Listen doc, I’m not complaining, but you and your stuffed-shirt compatriots need to find better ways of getting test subjects. Getting drugged and stuffed into the back of a hovercraft is not ideal”
[weary coughing is heard from the doctor]
M.S: “Yes, we’re very sorry about that. But you did attempt to flee, and we had to get you here by any means necessary. Anyways, onto the next question. Have you been writing down everything that’s happened to you yet, for review?”
S.A: “Yes, I have. You’ll have to excuse my terrible hand writing. Wait, never mind. You’re a doctor. Your hand writing is notoriously worse than mine.”
[tapping intensifies]
M.S: “Would you stop tapping? Please? Julian, you have to take this seriously.”
[silence]
M.S: “Thank you. The doctors and scientists assigned to the Phoenix Project are working very hard to use the Ninth System for human evolution. You just so happen to be our first subject.”
[a single tap is heard, quickly cut off]
S.A: “The first subject to Iive you mean”
M.S: “...have you noticed anything unusual? Any strange abilities, strengths, weaknesses?”
S.A: “Not that I know of.”
[muffled banging is heard, source of sound is the hallway]
S.A: “What was that, doc? One of your looney-toon failed surgeries get out?”
[shrieks are heard, banging persists. Audio then cuts off as power is cut—]
End of partial transcript

It’s the year 2702, years after the Phoenix Project made its first success with Julian Vernon, a nineteen year old boy diagnosed with Leukemia. Shortly after this success, the compound is overrun, though the details are still murky as to what occurred that day. The Ninth System is “installed” before birth, the nanotechnology allowing the creation of “the perfect human”, in every way. Undesirable features have been cut out, intelligence raised, emotions repressed, physical attributes strengthened. Some, however, are born with...defects. Peculiar abilities that make them dangerous to society. And so, they are locked up in that very compound that was overrun those years before, left at the hands of Director Marcus Savage and his staff.

You will roleplay as either an experiment with powers, (ages 6-20) or a scientist (ages 18+), in the Phoenix Project facility. The rest of the rules will be explained below.

02. rules.

RULE 01. You may have more than one character, but no more than three. Please make them realistic, and no over powered or “perfect” characters will be accepted.

RULE 02. Please be literate, and post at least one paragraph per post. More is better, as long as it makes sense. Posts should be in third person, past tense. (E.g: “He watched the dog in fascination as it rolled on the floor.”)

RULE 03. Romance is allowed and encouraged, as long as it is agreed upon by both parties. All RPN guidelines should be followed, at all times.

RULE 04. Please try to remain active! I know life gets the best of us, just make an effort to let us know if you are unable to post! Please try and maintain a post order too (don’t post twice before everyone in an area posts once, unless I say otherwise).

RULE 05. Keep all OOC talk, Lore and Character Sheets in the appointed threads.

RULE 06. Have fun!

Note: This code has scroll features, please keep that in mind. Also, please let me know down below if you’re interested!!

 

[Kio.exe]

Maggie Stevens:
| Interactions: No one | Mood: Here | Song: A Little Wicked—Valerie Broussard |
​

Magnolia Ivy Stevens was pissed. At the world, at her parents, at the idiot doctor who sat in front of her. She leaned back in her plastic chair, placing her feet on the worn table in front of her as she waited for the doctor to speak. It was always this game with him. The waiting to see who would break and talk first, the idle displays of dominance. Doctor Marcus Savage was as close to a father as she’d ever known, and she hated him for it. Hated the micro technology coursing through her, embedded in the very fiber of her being. Sighing, she picked at a nail, examining the cramped conference room that she found herself in at least once a week. Eggshell white walls, flickering led lights in the ceiling. The pockmarked (and burned, in some places, courtesy of Maggie’s temper) wooden table she sat at. Grey linoleum flooring that looked like they’d just been polished moments before, never mind that she’d never seen anyone in the facility besides the scientist and the other rejects like herself.

The recording device whirred next to her, recording the sounds of their silence. Why they bothered anymore, she didn’t know. It was the same thing every week. In a few moments the doctor would cough uncomfortably, and tell her to take her feet off the table. It was practically scripted at this point.

“Magnolia, take your feet off the table and sit up please,” Savage said, clearing his throat. Right on cue. Maggie merely grinned, before taking her feet off the table, slouching down in her chair.

“You’re no fun, doc,” she told him, sticking out her tongue. As she did every week. She blew a stray blonde hair out of her face, before turning her blue-grey eyes on Marcus again. “What are we discussing this week, Marcus?”

He released a weary sigh, shooting Maggie a disapproving glare. “The same thing we discuss every week, Magnolia,” he told her, clasping his hands together on the table in front of him. As always, his brown hair was meticulously groomed, his clothes neat and unobtrusive. “How are you?”

She shook her head, scowling. “You know how I am. I’m bored,” she told him. So gloriously bored. “There’s nothing to do in the god forsaken place,” she added, holding up her hand idly and lighting each finger tip with a red flame. Maggie shrugged, before blowing them out. “I might be tempted to burn this place to the ground if I’m bored for much longer.”
—————

Doctor Marcus Savage:
| Interactions: None | Mood: Here | Song: Dangerous—Royal Deluxe |​

It was always this sort of threat with Magnolia. Every week, when he was in this room with her. It was the same thing. She was predictable, but yet he caught that dangerous glint in her eyes, that barely contained promise of violence that gleamed there at all times. He wondered how long it would take her to snap. Oh how interesting that would be!

And yet she was relatively kind to the other inmates, especially that little girl. What was her name? Adair? Magnolia was quite protective of her, and had threatened violence to anyone who dare look in the girl’s direction the wrong way. The other scientists liked Maggie, as volatile as she might be. They had a certain respect for her, he supposed, because while they were technically in charge, it was Maggie that the inmates looked to. Maybe it was because she was the oldest, at almost nineteen. Maybe it was her swaggering personality, her self assured confidence that rubs off on others. He didn’t much care, as long as she wasn’t a threat to his work.

Doctor Marcus Savage let out a low chuckle. “How do you expect to burn metal and brick?” He asked, waving his hand to encompass the building before them. Not to mention that he’d seen the damage her flames could do if she so chose. She could end them all without a second thought if she wanted. He didn’t know why the thought pleased him.

Maggie shrugged, indifferent. “People burn, doctor,” was all she said, her eyes growing distant as if lost in some thought or memory. He saw fear there sometimes, deep within the blue steel inner depths of her eyes. Of him, of herself. Sometimes he wondered if she didn’t end him because she was too afraid to use her own power. He knew she hated him, and yet she trusted him. They spoke frankly, and there was no other inmate in the facility he would trust in the outside world. And yet he’d considered making Maggie his poster child, starting a new era of the Phoenix Project. As he looked at her now, anger and exhaustion written across her features he knew he could never do that, not without risk of ruining everything he had built here.

“You wouldn’t kill us all, Magnolia. You want to know why? Because deep down, somewhere inside you, you care. About me, about the others, about our research. The other scientists and I are the only family you’ve ever had, and you wouldn’t risk all of that,” he told her, watching as the truth hit home.

She scoffed, grinning at him, feigning indifference. Even as he saw the flicker of hurt that flickered across her face. “I don’t particularly care for anyone, Doc. Don’t overestimate my control,” she spat, before getting up out of the chair and striding into the hall, right past the guards that were posted outside the doors. They looked to him and he shook his head.

“Let her go,” was all he said.
——-

 

[Ashy_OCdesigns]

Luka had followed the footsteps of the doctor, after Maggie had snapped for the 5000000th time or so. They sure hoped their footsteps were masked by the doctor's, that they wouldn't be heard. Luka watched the argument, it was the same stuff where Marcus got exasperated by Maggie's behavior. Luka heard Maggie yelling about the place burning down, but it was probably a half empty threat. They leapt aside just as Maggie stomped past, the only reason they spied on Maggie and the doctor was because they had nothing better to do. They walked away, realizing the drama was over, for now, they had enjoyed it, admittedly. Luka went back to their favorite spot in the lab, a wall that was in a corner of a room, so they could just sit there in private.

 

[MadeInAdelaide]

Nicolas Thompson
| Interactions: Kio.exe | Mood: Here | Song: Heart of the Darkness
​

I dreamed I stood in silence, beneath a shattered golden sky. While stars rained down like teardrops, blinked from a universal eye. And in my fist I held, all that I’d truly owned. But my fingers clenched on air, clutching only skin and bone. If darkness is found within, then who the hell am I? Because my shadows are everywhere, not just on the inside. They crawl across my skin, and whisper in my ear. They try to tell me everything, exploit my every fear...

Nic paused his writing for a moment, looking down at his ink-smudged hand, where indeed his snake-like shadows crawled over his skin, whispering to him, to each other. They were unusually subdued today, and remained contained to him. They were usually zipping around the compound, content to explore and to peek into everyone’s business. Now, they just danced idly across his scarred skin, changing form and size.

Stomping came from down the hall, and Nic winced. His hiding place in one of the lobby’s many couches was about to be compromised. A blonde figure stomped towards him, embers trailing in her wake. Magnolia. Maggie. He had never really talked to the girl, though they’d lived together for their whole lives. He preferred to keep to himself, only talking when he had to, or when he wanted to piss someone off.

Closing his notebook, he stood, stretching, and stepping around the corner just as Maggie did. His shadows, now excited, reached out to the girl, crawling around her feet. “Did our esteemed dictator piss you off, Magnolia?” He asked sweetly, grinning. It was the same every week. She would go in for her meeting, like they all did, and she would come out pissed. Well, she was pissed pretty much all of the time. But, his point remains. The only person she ever made an effort not to be pissed at is Adair. No one was ever pissed at her.

(I copied your style of the interaction/mood thing because I actually really like that I hope you don’t minddd : ))

 

[Ashy_OCdesigns]

Luka's bones felt stiff, so there was a cracking sound in his collarbone as it got removed from his body and another cracking sound as it got moved back into place. He was bored, like he was everyday, so he proceeded to beak every one of his bones and put them back into place except his spine and neck. He groaned, hoping for mealtime so he could do something, anything that would take his mind off his boredom. He also hoped for school, at least, hoping to do one of his "quirky" things.

 

[frogmilk]

marceline vincent ;

mood: pensative / interactions: Nicolas and Magnolia / song: short change hero – the heavy

Marceline was lying on her bed, staring at the ceiling above her. Around her were things floating in the air; several books, some opened and some closed, the chapstick that usually sat neatly on her nightstand, pens and pencils, vinyl records of her favourite classical composers, the occasional candy wrapper. Her eyes had been focused on the same spot for close to half an hour and she could feel her mind starting to tire. Her hands rose in front of her and just as her eyes left the spot on the ceiling, a loud bang was heard as the objects around her fell to the ground.

"Fucking hell..." she whispered. Her eyes closed for a moment. The headache was creeping up, but instead of letting it, she thought she'd keep it at bay with a glass of water. Or maybe a snack. Her feet touched the floor as she agilely avoided the mess that had formed on it and stepped to the door. Taking a peek outside to make sure nobody was there, she quietly made her way to the main floor. Marceline was not in the mood for casual chats. Her abilities had been weaker recently, and she had to figure out why.

As the girl turned the corner, she saw both Magnolia and Nicolas. She liked Nicolas, he was quiet and mostly kept to himself. Calm. Magnolia, on the other hand, was a tad too unpredictable to Marceline. Or maybe she wasn't, but she seemed to be up in arms a lot. Especially after her meetings with Dr. Savage.

Marceline stopped in her tracks. Did she really want to go down there? She scrunched her nose up disapprovingly for a second and then decided to proceed anyways.

"Hey, guys." Marceline's voice was a bit emotionless, but really she was just tired. "How'd your meeting go, Maggie?" She mustered a smile and looked at the blonde. Magnolia wasn't her favourite, but in some way she looked up to her. She felt almost like an older sister, despite the two not being particularly close.

mentions: MadeInAdelaide Kio.exe

​

 

[Sostos]

Clive Owens

Scientist

It's a fact of life, a universal constant as sure as death, taxes, and gravity - the start of every working week was the worst.

The throbbing headache racked through his skull, a vestige of the night beforehand: the dreaded hangover. The pub was somewhere Clive could relax and kick back for a while, with light ribbing between the regulars alongside a pint, a stark contrast to how he felt at work. The technical aspects of it were absolutely fascinating, and the sheer number of things he wanted to explore were enthralling and it wouldn't have been inaccurate to say that Clive loved that aspect of his job... but then you had the monitoring and checkups, what the he sardonically referred to as 'babysitting.'

Clive made a point to refer to each subject by their full names no matter what since nicknames or even dropping the surname felt too humanising, which wouldn't aid in his research at all, being a wholly unnecessary state of emotion (ugh, empathy, yuck). He did feel bad for the kids since it wasn't as though they did anything to end up the way they were, their circumstances were out of their own control, but it was the same sort of sympathy reserved for a frog you were about to dissect, or caged lab rats. The man would have likely referred to them as a string of numbers to feel less bad about it if he didn't think HR would get involved. Something about mutual respect and whatnot. Ridiculous.

...well, even then, he followed the rules to a T, treating the subjects the same way as he would treat his own colleagues, that is, in a completely business-like manner as far as he could help it. He didn't look down at them, or up at them, nor as equals, if anything, he tried not to look at them at all. He put in far too much effort into minimising interactions with the others, going as far as to learn their habits, idiosyncrasies and timetables in order to best work out how to avoid having a proper conversation with them.

He glanced at his watch, noting the time as he furrowed his brow.

About now subject Magnolia Stevens will have had her weekly tantrum, so the path to the break room that has the best chance of avoiding most of them is this way. I can safely get my coffee without any interruptions.

And thus the continual game of doing as much work as possible with as little interaction as possible continued as it did every damn work week.

Location: headed to break room

Interactions: None

coded by natasha.

 

[Ashy_OCdesigns]

Luka looked up from their corner in the wall and looking around the room, they put on earbuds to listen to loud music. While this wasn't interesting, it took his mind of how boring it was right now. He hoped dinner was soon as well, and occasionally took off his earbuds to glace at the clock. Another reason he wanted to go to dinner besides not being that bored for awhile was that he got to drink soda, which he loved because of the feeling when they burped, pretty loudly. He groaned, there was still no announcement, no calling them to the cafeteria.

 

[BittyBobcat]

Dia Winberg
Interactions: Sostos / Location: Near the breakroom
Dia was not where she was supposed to be.
Granted, 'supposed to' was relative. Technically, she had free time now. Technically, she was allowed to be where she was... but she definitely wasn't supposed to be doing what she was doing in the place that she was (which seemed unfair to her -as it was completely harmless- but many completely harmless things weren't allowed, so Dia wasn't exactly surprised).
And, of course, it was at this moment -when Dia had a marble in one hand and a cardboard tube that was about to be taped to the wall next to a long pathway of tubes, boxes, and whatever else Dia could get a hold of in the other- that Clive turned the corner into the hallway.
"Oh! Uh- Hey, Clive!" She whirled around, holding both her hands (and their accompanying contents) behind her back. "How... How're you doing?" Dia flashed him a toothy grin that she hoped seemed friendly rather than mischievous.
Awkwardly, she shuffled in front of her contraption in an attempt to block it from view. Of course, this was a useless attempt. The long line of various materials vaguely formed a perfectly marble-sized ramp that lead all the way down the hallway behind her and snaked out of sight into the doorway of her room.
Realizing that the act was ineffective, Dia switched tracks. "I'll take it down right after I'm done with it!" She blurted. "And it's not like it's in the way, I put it all on the wall so the walkway is still clear."​

 

[darkborn]

Iskandar Angevin
Interactions: BittyBobcat (Dia), Sostos (Clive) || Mentions: Kio.exe (Maggie), MadeInAdelaide (Nicolas), frogmilk (Marceline)
Location: Hallway outside the dorms.

Iskandar was pacing back and forth in his room, listening to an audiobook talking about the possibility of white holes and how their singularities could help- well, basically advanced astronomy and the potential applications for such discoveries. While listening to said audiobook, his hands were constantly busy with a 4x4 Rubik's cube, randomizing the colors, then solving it again, rinse and repeat. The room was sketched out in the various greys, whites, and when things were closer, hazy color, and every time Iskandar drew near to a wall, a small low beep always sounded from his sensors, creating a nice distinct beat that Iskandar could relax to. All was peaceful, and Iskandar was content. Too bad that couldn't last forever.

As the audiobook reached a point of relative silence, Iskandar heard something else pierce the distinct silence that was created. Groaning internally, he slid off his bed, and trodded over to his shelf. On the shelf lay his collection of various types of Rubik's Cubes; hanging below that was his sound-dampening headphones. Iskandar set down the 4x4 on the collection- well, not before finishing it, at least. He then took off his regular headphones, and switched out the headphones. As he went to put on the sound-dampeners, a quiet bang reached his ears. It was too indistinct for him to make out where it came from, which annoyed him to no end, but he supposed he could find out eventually. Or that it probably didn't concern him.

Still. He expected better of himself.

Iskandar placed the headphones on, and poked his head out of his door, which was slightly ajar. Seeing that no one was in the immediate vicinity, Iskandar stepped out and let out a small pulse; what came back to him was a sketch in incredible detail. In one direction was a cluster of three people; based on their voices, they were Maggie, Nicolas, and... Iskandar frowned in concentration. That third voice was quiet. He mulled over it for a moment. Then it came to him: It's Marceline. Duh. Stupid. He should have figured it out sooner. ..Meanwhile, in the other direction, there was... a ramp? There was also someone else there; Iskandar really had no idea who it was, at least, until she spoke. Dia.

And it sounded like she spun around quickly. And her voice was definitely loud and surprised. Perhaps Clive was there was well? Another pulse provided confirmation. Well now. Who to go to? Involve himself into a conversation with Maggie, Nicolas, and Marceline, or see what's happening with Clint and Dia? ...Judging on the ramp, and the fact that it was Clive, Iskandar decided that it would be more helpful to see- well, help Dia get out of trouble. Potential trouble.

Iskandar let out one more quick pulse to get a fix on where he was going to go, then after a second of calculations, teleported a couple of meters behind Clive. He waited a moment, before quietly asking, "Dr. Owens?" Iskandar continued on without waiting for a reply- kind of out of character for him to do this, but hopefully he could pull off a convincing act. "D'you think you could help me out? A couple of audiobooks I have are having differing theories on what dark energy could potentially be, and I personally don't feel like they explain their positions very well. C-could you help explain what their reasoning is, and maybe even help me find a better audiobook?" Clive knew very well that, despite the fact that Iskandar had psychic sight, he still couldn't see screens. And so, it was normally a scientist's job to pick out what audiobooks would seem interesting to Iskandar.​

 

[Ashy_OCdesigns]

Luka decided to interact with the three older kids, they got up from their little spot and moved around to find Maggie, Nic and Marcie. After awhile of searching, they found the others. "Maggie, what did you and doc talk about?"Luka said, acting like they hadn't eavesdropped. They were aware that Nic had probably already asked this question. Luka waited for her to react, yet again entertaining them. They also noticed that Dia and Iskander were with the three, Luka wanted to see their reactions, along with everyone elses. He glanced around, they weren't there anymore.

Mentions:darkborn,BittyBobcat,frogmilk,MadeInAdelaide,IsabelFischer

 

[Sostos]

Clive Owens

Scientist

I haven't even had my morning coffee yet, and I already have to deal with babysitting duties? Where's Rylan when you need her?

It wasn't long before another one of the rascals appeared behind him, gallantly to the aid of their comrade. Clive raised an eyebrow as the pair spoke one after the other as he pondered whether the subjects thought he was as stupid as them. Really, this paltry attempt at distraction was something that they thought was sufficient?

Honestly, this pair were likely two of the subjects who irked him less than others. Momentarily he considered simply turning a blind eye, moving on with his life and helping find an appropriate audiobook, but unfortunately, he was contractually obligated to dispense 'appropriate rewards and punishments' whenever needed. Wordlessly, he closed his eyes and internally sighed, reigning in his headache as he glanced around. Before pulling out his phone and snapping a picture of the scene in front of him for the sake of posterity, not even acknowledging Dia's defence with a return greeting, or Iskandar's request with a nod. He realised a moment too late that the flash was on the highest setting, and it even caused him to squint, but he simply ignored that. Evidence locked in, and thus sanctions could take place.

Clive cast his mind back to the subject files that he had read through, pulling out the details on Dia Winberg. Food fights, unsanctioned requests from staff... minor but repeated mischief. Dislikes tedious tasks?

"Well then, you'd better take it down now since you are done with it now, yes? Miss Winberg, it appears that you are bored and have nothing of value to do at the moment, and it just so happens I need someone to type in the RNA sequence of a certain coronavirus species into a spreadsheet. Don't worry, it's not too difficult, just long repeating strings of characters." Clive spoke without the correct intonation to have a proper rapport, but as though he was reciting something he was reading, giving clear indication that what he said wasn't an invitation to a conversation or debate, but moreso a closing statement.

Without letting a word of protest escape, he turned to offender number two. Iskandar didn't technically do anything wrong, but there was the clear motivation to distract Clive, so the man filed his transgression as 'an attempt to obstruct justice' mentally. His punishment would be subtle and untraceable: he would pick the most god awful, pseudo-science quackery in a audiobook - the type that would cause any intellectual to cringe at every word - and request an essay on its contents. Maybe he'd throw in a quiz too - even if he didn't set a pass mark, he was relatively sure Iskandar would toil away to get 100% just because that was the sort of person he was.

"Oh, and Mr Angevin, I have just the recommendation for you... I'll send you over some instructions after I set your colleague up with their work. I look forward to your reflective essay on it."

Location: outside break room

Interactions: BittyBobcat darkborn

coded by natasha.

 

[BittyBobcat]

Dia Winberg
Interactions: Sostos darkborn / Location: Outside break room
Despite Clive's clear annoyance (and high likelihood of dishing out punishment), Dia couldn't help but smile a bit wider as Iskandar popped up. Perhaps his presence wouldn't exactly help the situation -no, scratch that, it probably wouldn't (it was Clive, after all)- it was still nice to see that he was willing to help. After all, what were friends for?
And as she stood with her hands clasped behind her back, Dia had the silent hope that maybe, just maybe, Clive was in a good mood today (or perhaps just too tired to deal with this, they would amount to the same thing). That hope was dashed the second Clive pulled out his phone.
With an internal sigh, Dia put her 'definitely not up to something' smile back on (which she would have to rename, because it rarely seemed to give the impression of innocence), and -squinting at the flash- let her picture be taken. A twinge of concern for Iskandar tugged at her chest. He threw himself under the bus for her and this was his reward, temporary blindness and a grumpy (well, grumpier than usual) Clive.
"Well then, you'd better take it down now since you are done with it now, yes? Miss Winberg, it appears that you are bored and have nothing of value to do at the moment, and it just so happens I need someone to type in the RNA sequence of a certain coronavirus species into a spreadsheet." Dia suppressed a wince. All that work (and tape), and she didn't even get to send one marble down it. "Don't worry, it's not too difficult, just long repeating strings of characters." Of course it was.
Recognizing Clive's 'no arguing' voice, Dia gave a reserved nod. "Alrighty- I mean, yes sir."
With reluctance, she blinked a milky veil over her eyes. The semi-opaque clouds in her vision shuffled themselves almost as hesitantly as Dia had summoned them, and finally congregated along various points on her marble ramp, highlighting where the structure was weakest. With just a few tugs at the correct areas, the entire contraption collapsed, and Dia unceremoniously swept it into her room with her foot.
Flashing Iskendar a helpless smile and a shrug, she stepped in line behind Clive and blinked away the membrane covering her eyes. It wouldn't be fun, but at least she was going to be useful.​

 

[ListlessEvie]

Eden Nash



Location: Rec Room || Interactions: That bitch of a TV

If you were to ask Eden what she was doing today, having a staring contest with a television probably wouldn’t be her answer. Yet, here she was, sitting criss-cross applesauce right in front of the damned flat screen in the rec room. Today was war. Eden had a plan, one that she was not going to let up.

You see, in a facility with dozens of superpowered teenagers, there is one item that causes despair, agony, and bloodshed between just about every single person inside. The mystical device, the holy bible, the unstoppable apparatus object that can bring Armageddon: The TV remote.

From Mickey Mouse Clubhouse to Fifty Shades of Grey, everyone wants to watch something on the little box of doom. The issue being? No one can ever agree on what to watch. So instead, it’s a battle for who can get ahold of the remote. If you have it, protect it with your life: You won’t have it for long.

This was enough. Eden wasn’t going to continue fighting over the remote and losing. She was taking this shitty box to her dorm room and never letting it see the light of day again. Her plan was foolproof. Eden has electricity on her side: She could use herself as a fuckin’ human plug to make the TV work in her room! Did she have a single clue how a TV worked? No. Or a plan for how she was going to transport it? Not a clue. Did she even consider how people might suspect her for the theft? Hell no. Right now her focus was on grabbing the TV and winning the lifelong struggle for the remote. She was going to get that TV into her room, no matter what it took.

The TV, which was bolted to the wall.

When considering a flimsy, electronic object that can break if you look at it the wrong way, most would take a second and think rationally before trying anything new with it.

Eden is not a woman of rationality.

So, she did exactly what she does best: Cause problems. Her first instinct was, obviously, to try and rip the TV off the wall. The connections? The fragile inner workings of the TV? What are those? Eden certainly wouldn’t know. Without missing a single beat, she gripped the left side of the TV, and started pulling with all the strength her fourteen year old arms could muster. The crackling of wires and sound of plugs falling to the floor was a bit unsettling, but Eden chalked it up to the TV being old. She continued to pull, even as the tiny voice of self preservation in her head begged her to stop. It wasn’t until a screw fell straight on her head that she decided that maybe, just maybe, postponing the “rip TV off wall” idea would be wise.

Thus she ended up here. Sitting blankly on the floor, wondering when some genius proposition would finally come to her. The brunette picked at her tattered jean jacket and gazed at the TV. She was slowly considering the idea of threatening the stupid screen until it got up and moved itself. Until something in her head clicked. "I've got it!" She yelled aloud, pumping her pale fists in the air, "I can just take a saw and cut the TV off the wall! It's perfect! Where's the nearest knife?"​

 

[Skelekid]

Lot

Interactions: Sostos BittyBobcat / Mentioned: Kio.exe / Location: Mandering his way to his next objective​

The smell of espresso streaming through the air was probably the only indicator that someone had beaten Clive to the break room, and the footsteps that echoed through the hallway as a head of wavy blonde hair jerked up from looking at the floor. Expressionless white mask and penetrating green eyes examined the small scene in front of him. Lot was normally a silent boy, watching the rest of his strange, new family from the side-lines as he walked through the halls like a ghost. It wasn't too big a deal because he didn't know anything different from his day to day life, but one had to wonder what it'd be like if he were a little bit more like his peers. If he were a more permanent addition to their memories, that might be more viable.

He sipped his coffee, thumb running over the handle of the other steaming thermos in his left hand. "Dia, thank you for the coffee." He hummed at her, standing a bit in their way. "I ran out, so I went to make more. Dr. Owens, you still take yours black, correct?"

The steaming thermos of black coffee was held out like a peace offering, the boy behind the mask taking a moment to push it up a little so he could take a sip of his own drink: white mocha and a little milky, perfect for his fourth cup of the morning. He quietly observed the two in front of him as he did so. Apparently, Dia had been discovered, which meant the negation of the existence of her marble rig must have run out, which meant that she was about to be punished.

But Lot already knew it would happen, just like he knew he would have to be artful about how he went about removing the information from Clive's head. Instead of removing the crime, perhaps the punishment might be more fruitful. "What are you being punished with this time, Dia?" Lot asked, tipping his head towards the side, his gloveless hand twitching as he held out the thermos to Clive, waiting for the man to take it. It was a risky gamble.

There was always a chance that Clive could assign worse to Dia, and then he would have botched the entire thing. Unfortunately, he could only remove one subject at a time from people's minds, and he was choosing to remove the actual punishment from Clive's mind. Lot had discovered rather quickly after Dr. Savage caught them the first time that the man had instructed all of the researchers to take evidence of any misbehavior. Couldn't imagine why that was, though, Lot thought with a smirk into his coffee as he took another careful sip of his piping hot beverage.

He was technically supposed to be elsewhere, but he was avoiding the issue. Interviews were always uncomfortable, and his, in particular, lasted a great deal longer than others usually did. Something about a run of the mill scientist struggling to remember who exactly he was interviewing and what he was interviewing him for. Which, all truth be told, was not Lot's fault exactly. People just... Tended to be extra forgetful about his presence.

​

​

 

[AniMANIA7983]

Samuel breathes slowly and opens his eyes. His eyes dart around the room for a second and then quickly cease. A small amount of fluid leaks from his left eye where his scar is positioned. He rubs his bottom eyelid as to remove the fluid. Gross. He makes his hand disappear and reappear as to cause the fluid to fall to the ground.

About this time he is usually doing his own thing. It was around dinner after all so what better thing would he have to do rather than cook. He had become quite knowledgeable of it over the years of reading cookbooks and watching cooking shows on the tv. It wasn't until you was 7 that he gained the interest, and the scientists wouldn't let him actually attempt to cook until he was around 12. Though as soon as he had the chance to actually cook, one could say he adored it.

It helped that he could create whatever utensil that he wanted with his mind metal, however a couple scientists always had to have their eyes on him wherever he would make something sharp. Especially after the insident with his eye where he was tackled and tased so he wouldn't hurt himself further. They know they cant stop him from creating sharp objects, but they always want to watch him and make sure he is safe.

Right now he was cooking some succulent beef. Thinly slicing it and pan frying it in a light layer of olive oil. Then he allowed it to marinate in a sause that he had concocted earlier made with milk, sautéed mushrooms, butter, ginger, salt, pepper, a minced clove of garlic, diced onions, and a pinch of italian seasoning. Along with some shredded carrots, chopped celery and topped with sesame seeds.

He couldn't wait to taste this dish!

 

[Sostos]

Clive Owens

Scientist

Clive looked at the masked face and was immediately put into deep thought, and it took him a moment to register what he was looking at. Then it offered him coffee. Ah, the memory hole.

The second that realisation hit, it was as though the dams blocking his mind had crumbled away, and a torrential ocean of information refilled the gap in his memories as he recalled Lot's existence. Just as quick, he could feel that information ebbing away, the sands of recollection tumbling down a mental hourglass in his mind as that memory was being tugged from his mind. Really, it was an inconvenient power for Clive, as a man who had been born with perfect eidetic memory, every interaction with the child gave him cognitive whiplash. It was wholly unnerving having the knowledge you had forgotten something but weren't entirely sure what it was.

The boy had bounty, a fresh cup of that heavenly ichor Clive considered his lifeblood (second to alcohol, of course, but social convention meant day drinking was looked down upon in the workplace as unprofessional, a word that Clive Owens would never have applied to himself) but Clive found it suspicious that he had already run into three inmates subjects, so quickly, especially as he developed his timetable such to avoid situations like this.

No matter, coffee was coffee, and if Lot had dared to desecrate such a sacred ritual in his day, all Clive would have to do is put him in a room with Magnolia for a bit. It was strange how one of the first facts that Clive remembered about this kid was that he didn't particularly like the eldest subject - maybe it was because they were comrades-in-arms in that respect of wanting to keep the hell away from her.

"Appreciate the drink, but don't think I take bribes."

He tentatively took the thermos and then found himself questioning what punishment he had just given out... it must've been something boring and tedious, but he couldn't quite remember what. Ah screw it, he'd just give her a DNA polymer chain to transcribe, whatever the previous task was. It was by and far less useful than the RNA sequences mainly because the human genome had been parsed decades ago, but Clive couldn't remember for the life of him what he was going to give her beforehand.

"Winberg, Angevin, make sure that you do the tasks I set and make sure this is the last time I set tasks." he said, taking a much needed sip of the drink. "Don't you all have things to be getting on with until then?" Clive flicked his hand, gesticulating 'shoo now' without verbalising it.

Location: outside break room

Interactions: BittyBobcat darkborn Skelekid

coded by natasha.

 

[darkborn]

Iskandar Angevin
Interaction: Sostos (Clive), BittyBobcat (Dia), frogmilk (Marceline), MadeInAdelaide (Nicolas), Kio.exe (Maggie), Skelekid (Lot) || Mentioned: Kio.exe (Marcus)
Location: Hallway outside the dorms.

Iskandar blinked. Not that it mattered, anyways. He didn't see with his eye- oh, he already knew it, so why explain? The real explanation Iskandar needed was why Clive so readily accepted his request for a new audiobook. Clive normally made a fuss whenever Iskandar asked for a new one. Could Clive just be lying to Iskandar? Saying he'll get him a new audiobook, then just forgetting about it?

Nah. Clive doesn't forget things. He probably resigned himself to the fact that Iskandar always needed more read- er, hearing material. Well, good for him! Maybe he would actually be willing to listen to Iskandar when he was talking about what was in the audiobooks now. It'd be nice if he didn't always complain about it... Iskandar did shut off his psychic field when Clive took a pic- Oh. Damn it. Iskandar didn't pull off enough of a convincing act. Great. Iskandar should've come up with something more pressing. Something more convincing. Maybe he could have even hidden the ramp... He visually drooped when he heard Dia break the ramp and the debris fall. Great. He'd failed...

But then another... presence appeared in Iskandar's psychic field- yes, he put it back up. A flash only lasts for a moment. But back on topic. What was that presence? Iskandar frowned. No matter how hard he focused, he couldn't get a good fixed image on that presence. It was like... his mind landed on it, recognized a presence, then just.. slid off of it. It was annoying. The only thing that he could really get a focus on was that mask when it got closer...

Oh. A mask. Lot.

Iskandar's frown turned into... He didn't know what to call it. It couldn't be called a grimace, but nor could it be called a smile. Lot... he... Let's just say that Iskandar didn't like not knowing where things were. Lot managed to achieve that. Yet, Lot also happened to be very... Oh, damn it. Lot happened to be very lovable. But also a coffee addict. However, he also enjoyed Iskandar's cooking.

...Iskandar's view of Lot was complicated.

But Lot seemed to have a specific goal in mind. Iskandar knew something was up. Lot was giving up his coffee. That was suspicious in of itself. But then what was Lot going for..- Oh. The mask-person. No. He meant boy. The.. Lot was trying to make Clive forget Dia's punishment. But... to no avail? Iskandar frowned. Maybe it was because he was still around. Well, just another thing he got wrong. But Clive gave a clear dismissal. He smiled wanly in the general direction of Dia, before turning around and heading the other way, towards the trio that were arguing. He really couldn't do anything about the essay- Oh God the essay. Why did Clive give him an essay to WRITE? Anyways, he couldn't do anything about it until the audiobook was in his hands. So, onwards to the other three. He could help Dia with the RNA code soon.

Maggie, Marceline, and Nicolas. Well, they were conversing, and it was clear that it was about Maggie. Well, Maggie's meeting. As Iskandar glided (He liked to think that he glided.) to the other three, he realized he really didn't have anything to say. So when he approached the group, he was awkwardly silent for a moment. That was, until he finally managed to blurt/squeak out: "S-so how did your meeting go, Maggi- Magnolia?" He winced after he said that. This was probably the third time she was asked that. And he almost called her maggie. ...At least he didn't call her magp- No. Don't think that. Trash in, trash out. No. Bad Iskandar. Change the subject.

"Did Dr. Savage ask anything new?"

Speaking of, was Dr. Savage related to the legendary Adam Savage Iskandar always heard of in his Mythbusters audiotape? He never could get the courage to ask. And besides, Dr. Savage worked too much like clockwork to be like Adam Savage.​

 

[Kio.exe]

Maggie Stevens
Location: Lobby | Interactions/Mentions: MadeInAdelaide darkborn frogmilk
​

Why were people so stupid? She had been asked the same question three times in a matter of minutes, and she hadn’t even been given proper time to respond. Sighing, she scowled at the group, before walking over to one of the couches and plopping down, before picking up Nic’s notebook. She didn’t open it, but she knew that just her having it would be enough to piss him off. Nic seriously didn’t let anyone touch his notebooks, even the scientists.

“Why don’t all of you just piss off, yeah?” She suggested, throwing her feet up on the table in front of her and sticking out her tongue in the direction of the conference room. Let Dr. Marcus tell her what to do now. Maggie frowned again the the direction of the others, and lit each finger with a flame idly. “Don’t you all have better things to do than bother me? Scurry along, little rats,” she told them, rolling her eyes. Dinner was soon anyways, but she didn’t feel like bothering with people for any longer than she had to.

Almost as if she had summoned it, the announcement system rang before crackling to life, the robotic voice screeching through the speakers. “Attention all members of the Phoenix Project, please report to the cafeteria for dinner.” Maggie sat up and grinned, though it was more of a bearing of teeth. “Well? That’s your cue. Get out of my sight.”

 

[AniMANIA7983]

Samuel Barber ​

Samuel hears the announcement and a smile runs along his face, “dinner time it is!”, He grabs 2 plates of his thinly sliced beef and vegetables. And summons up platters for the rest of the plates to float along behind him as he walks to the cafeteria.

The portions were always small upon request of the scientists so the experiments would still need to eat the other food provided to them. Samuel always felt bad about it because the others always wanted more that he could not give, but alas, he would have to put up with making the small portions or not become a chef at all. That is what he was told growing up.

Because of this, he always tried to make the best tasting, and most satisfying serving that he possibly could. One that he could be proud to serve.

He waited for the other experiments to arrive and try his samples before eating his own just in case he miscounted. Which he does often due to the boy in the mask, Lot. Though he always seemed to remember to make an extra plate. He placed it in front of what seemed to him to be an extra chair.

He had memory problems as it was, so he tended to remember the boy just slightly less than he did the others. He couldn’t place a name often, but he remembered that the extra plate had always been eaten and that nobody had a second helping. It was nice having a way to keep track of the boy, even if he didn’t really remember him. At least he knew the boy was eating.

 

[Spencypoo]

Trinity had been in a particularly good mood which was a bit odd for her and she walked around the hallways trying not to think much of it with a wide smile on her face and a glowing blue rose held tightly in her hands. She looked around as she wandered the halls, taking in every little detail that she saw. From the biggest design to the smallest scratch. She then turned into the lobby, freezing in place before sighing as she watched Maggie. "I uhm- I-I don't know the layout of this place that well yet-" She looked at the floor a bit embarrassed. "You know what- I'll just find my way...somehow" She gave a small smile at the group and walked away to find her own way to the cafeteria. After a while, she got a little lost and sat down with her back pressed against the wall. "Fuck- of course, I get myself lost" she mumbled to herself.

 

[BittyBobcat]

Dia Winberg
Location: Outside Break Room --> Cafeteria / Interactions: Lot ( Skelekid )
The sudden appearance of a mysterious masked child didn't seem to do much to improve Clive's mood (not that Dia would really expect it would). If anything, the person's appearance seemed to annoy him more than anything else. Who exactly were they anyway? Their mask seemed oddly familiar...
A familiar sight flickered through her mind. A small, neon orange sticky note on the wall of her room with a amateurish doodle of that very same mask. Above the drawing Dia had scribbled the words "Remember Lot!" and underlined it no less than three times. Surrounding the note were even more neon-colored scraps of paper containing various facts about this "Lot" person, such as that he liked coffee.
And, through this line of thought, Dia found that she did exactly as the first note instructed. She remembered Lot, even if it was in a vague way that left details just out of reach. Her hand moved automatically (she had made a point to engrain it in her muscle memory, though she didn't remember doing so) to pat him in the head once or twice, and she sent him a grateful smile. Before she could say anything, however, the speaker system crackled out an announcement to head to the cafeteria for dinner.
"Do ya think Clive will let me postpone on that transcription assignment to grab dinner?" Dia hummed once the scientist in question was out of earshot. Not waiting for a response, she shrugged and began to meander in the direction of the cafeteria. "Eh, if he does mind then I guess I'll just deal with it later."
Pausing for a moment, she shot a look over her shoulder back at the boy in the mask. "You coming, uh- Lot?"​

 

[Ashy_OCdesigns]

"YES!!! Finally" Luka yelled excitedly. before dinner was the only time they yelled, the other times, they were pretty silent. They washed their hands in the bathroom, and then went to the cafeteria, probably shocking everyone when they didn't immediately put on their earbuds. They found Nic on their right, and they tried to strike up a conversation with the older boy, it was hard. They said an quick "Hi" before asking for soda, as they felt thirsty. They put on the earbuds again, having "Victorious" blared in their ears. They were nodding their head to the beat, ignoring their surroundings.
interactions: MadeInAdelaide

 

[Skelekid]

Lot

Interactions: BittyBobcat / Mentioned: / Location: Headed to Dinner with Dia​

Clive's easy acceptance of Iskander's request drew Lot's inquisitive gaze as he opened his mouth to make a comment. Actually, he did have something to do, but it was pretty obvious by now that Lot was one of the only experiments who habitually was either late or missed his appointments entirely—to the point he'd been punished for it multiple times. And they were never light punishments. His siblings might not always register the fact, but the place they were living in couldn't possibly be normal when compared to the outside world. He'd read enough books to figure that much out, at least.

And when comparing it to his everyday life, there were times where Lot randomly felt very small, like a small mouse locked in a maze with no discernable end and left to spin on a wheel with the intent to dull his senses. He could almost see it now, eyes looking down at him through cameras and taking notes. It was a feeling that often passed quickly, but it had been happening more and more as of late. Perhaps he needed to give in like his siblings might've? Long blond lashes fluttering as he glanced down at the floor; he twitched when Dia's hand fell on his head.

Her fingers stroking through his hair was what grounded him: the soft sound of her fingers brushing through his blond locks, the feeling of warmth that started in his chest and spread outward, her gentle smile. Dia's brand of comfort was a special thing to Lot. The soft blankets she'd place around the other experiments at the facility when they fell asleep, the encouraging grins she gave to everyone, even Maggie. Even her urge to not leave any of their (admittedly not blood-related) siblings out of game nights by inviting Luka. Doing all of this knowing that she would never get so much as a thank-you or anything more than eye-rolls and scoffs.

But Lot adored her for it, even looked up to her because of it. There was something so genuine and sisterly about all of it, the way her caring was tailored for each person. That's why he generally went out of his way to assist Dia with whatever it was she wanted. And generally why he listened to her soft rebukes whenever he'd been a bit harsh with handling personal matters between him and other people. She was definitely much better about that than he was.

Case in point, she probably didn't remember him enough to remember all of their past at this moment, but... "You coming, uh- Lot?" She still invited him along. He nodded, taking the last sip of his coffee and smiling into the cup. Who could ask for a better older sister, even if they weren't related by blood?

"Of course, Dia. I have to ask, though, what exactly were you intending to do with the marble set-up?" He asked as he followed after her, glancing up at her out of the corner of his mask.

 

[BittyBobcat]

Dia Winberg
Location: On way to Cafeteria / Interactions: Lot ( Skelekid )
Dia paused. In all honesty, half of the reason she made it was it just because she could. It's not as if she had anything better to do, she thought to herself, her gaze trailing across the featureless white walls surrounding the two. Her mind fell into the rhythmic thump of footsteps on tile for a few moments, wandering aimlessly about the semi-silence.
Sometimes she felt like she was going to lose her mind in here. The facility was all she ever knew, but it was so horribly empty. Sure, they had food, books, a roof over their head, and supposedly whatever else they needed to be content, but she couldn't help but feel like something was missing. Nothing was a fitting replacement for true novelty. For the real world.
Dia shoved the thought down with practiced haste. Fantasizing about unreachable freedom accomplished nothing. She was fine. She was happy. She had friends, who -as dysfunctional as they were- served as the best family she could ever imagine (and the only one she had ever had). She could- no, she would smile. She had too.
Silently reminding herself that she was unbothered by the incessant tick of the invisible clock counting every second in which her life remained the same as it always had been (worthless, numb, empty ), Dia forced her attention back to the conversation at hand. "Oh, y'now. Send a few marbles down it, maybe expand it and run multiple at the same time. I thought it might be fun." She shrugged nonchalantly. "I'll probably set it up again later. Might ask Eden to race them with me, I think she'd like that." She trailed off, mentally wrestling with herself so as to keep from falling back into the same deeply-tread tracks of thought. Hastily, she added, "Oh, and you, of course! If you wanted to." Dia forced a small smile onto her face. ​