Maximum Ride |★|

[grim.]

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▬▬▬ ♎ ▬▬▬

【ѴＬＡＤＩＭＩＲ】
【ᎦＡＬＶＡＴＯＲＥ】

tags: none.
mentioned: ren, athena, rayvn.
crush: none.
species: blue jay.
power: cryokinesis.
ooc: ...

▬▬▬ ❄ ▬▬▬

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“Ꮤｉｔｈ ｇｒｅａｔ ｐｏｗｅｒ...ｃｏｍｅｓ ｇｒｅａｔ ｎｅｅｄ ｔｏ
ｔａｋｅ ａ ｎａｐ. Ꮤａｋｅ ｍｅ ｕｐ ｌａｔｅｒ.”

haloI stuck out from the group like a sore thumb; well at least as much as a person could in a group of birds-human hybrids. All around me were subtle, neutral and earthy tones. Black, browns, reds, and grays adorned the wings of those who were flying ahead of me. Even their hair colors were simple and natural. But then there was me, a shock of bright blue hair with massive blue wings, sure the tips of the feathers were white and the blue had black bars shooting across them and the undersides were a soft gray-white color, but they were still unmistakably blue. The wings on their own tended to draw unwanted attention, but bright blue ones got me some weird looks, even from the others within the small flock. As it were only four of us were airborne, and I still didn’t know as much about the other two as I would have liked. There was the leader, his name with Rin, or Renji or something like that. He hosted a pair of massive black raven wings, black hair, and vibrant green eyes. He stuck me as the protective type, but he was also a bit cold and morbid. His female companion -I still didn’t know her name- had the smaller, more angled and speed worthy gray, white, and black mottled wings of a peregrine falcon. With long curly hair that was currently being whipped in the wind, bright blue eyes and a more quiet personality. I wasn’t fond of either of them, if anything I was uncomfortable around them, just as I was with anyone and everyone else. Even as we flew anxiety clawed away inside of me, every fibre of my being was telling me to turn and flee the other way. Telling me to find some place quiet, somewhere I could be alone, where I wouldn’t have to be faced with strangers and situations I couldn’t handle. My throat was tight and my palms were clammy, my eyes wide and my heart was jack hammering inside my chest. The fact that were flying wasn’t helping any either, and I had to force myself to focus on something, anything, to keep me from looking down and to prevent the nausea and fear that lurched within and threatened to force me to the ground again. Heights had always been a problem for me, a fear that I had never gotten over. It was ironic in a way, a bird that was afraid of heights. There was no reason for me not to trust my wings to hold me aloft, they hadn’t ever failed me yet, but there was always the lurking suspicion that one day they would and I would soon be plummeting to my death far below.

haloSwallowing my fear and forcing my white-knuckled fingers to uncurl from their painfully clenched fists I tore my gaze from the strangers to land on somebody much more familiar. My sister, Rayvn. She too had a pair of massive -yet elegant- black wings, but her hair, like mine, was a wild color. Hers though was purple and easy to pick out against her dark wings. Rayvn was one constant comfort I had, she was the one person I was able to draw comfort from in any otherwise uncomfortable situation. Having her nearby made social situations a little more bearable and even gave me the courage to fly despite my petrifying fear. I was grateful for her, more grateful that she would ever know, but deep down I felt as though I was nothing but a burden to her. I felt as though she could be doing so much more, yet I was here, holding her back and preventing her from doing so many of the things she enjoyed or loved. Things I probably didn’t even know she liked. A soft sigh breezed past my lips, whipped away in the wind. These negative thoughts were getting me nowhere fast, so instead I focused my energy on flying. My wings beat had become sporadic and uneven the darker and more fearful my thoughts had become and I was beginning to fall behind the rest of the group. I forced my aching wings to beat more steadily, fasted until I finally caught up with the rest. Once I did though I flew behind my sister, slightly off to the left so that I was still trailing slightly behind everybody else. It was a little more comforting for me to be behind everyone, that way no eyes were on me and I didn’t feel any phantom gazes boring into my back and making my skin crawl. But it didn’t mean I wasn’t wholly comfortable either, my heart was still racing and my palms were still sweaty. But the dull throbbing pain in my back was beginning to override my fear-fuelled anxiety. We had been flying for far too long, or at the very least I had. Every muscle in my back was beginning to scream in protest and before I knew it I was once again dropping behind everyone else.

haloA voice cut through the air though, catching my attention and my eyes that had been carefully focused on Rayvn’s shining black feathers soon found themselves landing on Ren instead. I was almost too far away to hear him, his voice barely more than a whisper when it hit my ears. Athena, there? Athena. That was the girl’s name. She was answering too, but this time I didn’t catch her whole answer, only the last few words hit my eardrums. “Check it out?” I mumbled to myself, swallowing hard and bringing myself to a stop. The only way I was going to find out what they were talking about was to look down. My fingers curled into fists, uncurling and curling again as I closed my eyes and steeled myself. The soft whooshing sound of my wings filled the air around me and finally, carefully my eyes opened. On the bright side we weren’t’ as high up as I had previously thought, on the downside, it was still too high. A wave of dizziness washed over me like a tidal wave and my entire body froze, even my wings and I dropped a few heart-stopping feet before adrenaline kicked in and my wings started to furiously pound the air again. My eyes found it though, a cabin nestled away in a small clearing. No doubt what they had been talking about checking out and I was more than happy to oblige. Anything to get me out of the sky. A deep shuddering breath wracked my body and I closed my eyes again, beating my wings slowly and cautiously descending. My eyes bolted open the second I felt grass give way underneath my feet and just as quickly I was in motion, bounding away from the clearing and into the cover of the trees. I didn’t relax until I was hidden in the shade and under the canopy of the pine trees, my wings folding tightly against my back and sinking to my knees. “Let’s just stay here,” I choked out, my voice barely audible to even myself. There was no way in hell I was going to flying again anytime soon.

[bee]

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Renni
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i should've known i was

weaker from the start
★
you'll build your walls

and i'll play my bloody part

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moments after Athena's response, the boy took off into a quick descend before he could respond. angling his wings and tucking them in, Renni accepted the familiar weightless feeling in his stomach as he dove. the wind roared over everything else as he fell further and further away from the group. ground got closer, the trees reaching up like spiked green fingers to snatch him out of the air. soon enough he opened up his massive black wings again, the glossy feathers grasping at the air and evening his flight. slowing down, he gave a few quick bats at the air as his feet touched the overgrown grass of the field. he stuck out obviously, a 5'11 kid with big dark wings in the middle of a yellow-green and brightly lit area. the morning sun revealed only half of the field, the other shaded by the tall trees that the light wasn't angled correctly to hit. the clearing was small, hardly big enough to be noticed by anyone else. That small stream could be heard bubbling and gurgling right beside the log cabin. it was very obviously abandoned, weeds and plants growing out of the cracks in the wood and moss dominating the roof. it looked...stable. but not very comfortable. maybe a closed rental cabin for tourists.

Renni furrowed his dark browns, pondering how long they'd stay here. if wasn't in any way big enough for the six of them. maybe one bedroom, maybe two. a sigh slipped out of his mouth, brushing past his bottom lip. they wouldn't have to run anymore. The boy ran his fingers through his wind blown hair, wincing as they got caught in numerous tangles. flying for hours with the wind blasting in your face resulted in this quite often. the eighteen year old started towards the cover of the trees, heading to where Vlad had ran off to. the kid was unfortunately one of the most skittish people Ren had ever met. his social anxiety wasn't annoying, but hard to deal with. no conversations had ever been tossed about between the two of them. well, Ren hadn't talked to anybody very much in the past two weeks. silence held his tongue.

He ducked under some branches, their pines catching in his hair and making him curse under his breath. the cabin was just up ahead, sheltered by the cool shade. Vlad stuck out sorely with his blight blue colors, so spotting him was one of the easiest things in the world. Ren bit his cheek as he walked past the taller kid, thumbs hooked in his belt loops. "you wanna check it out first, Rio?" a crude little joke, since he knew there was no way this quivering teen would be the first to go in an abandoned building. secondly, his reference to the animated kids movie was probably fairly offensive. making nice with the newbie was probably important, but to hell if Ren cared. bitterness was a new trait of his. with no kitty to tease with, who did he have? Renni rolled his shoulders, an ache prickling across his back at the movement. his wings felt like they'd fall off if he moved them an inch. carefully picking his way through the tall grass, the black haired boy grabbed the knob of the door and pushed. with his luck, of course, the thing didn't budge. he tried at it again, kicking the bottom of the wooden slab. still stiff. With an angry huff, Ren twisted the knob and slammed his shoulder into the door, making it swing open. the ache intensified over his shoulders, resulting in a quiet hum of pain from the back of his throat as he locked his jaw and peered into the dark cabin.

[amphetamine.]

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She could feel it, Vladimir's anxiety, snaking around his body like a vice and suffocating him far more than the thin air they were breathing. It was the strangest thing really. As far as she knew, her abilities only extended into water and as cool as that would be, emotions couldn't be felt through water. But even still, it was there, and she could feel it to the extent where it felt almost tangible. The thought had a dark grin edging onto her lips. If his negative feelings were tangible, they could be touched, and if they could be touched, they could be decimated. The thought that perhaps she was overdoing the protective thing flittered across her conscious and was dismissed in mere seconds. It didn't hurt to be extra cautious and maybe just a tad clingy. She'd go back to being her independent self eventually. Their separation in the labs had been a detriment to her health whether he knew it or not. Eating became impossible. If he wasn't there to steal her McDonald's fries, she didn't want them. Force feeding her had yielded even less progress. The strain of being without her sibling was so utterly agonizing that stomaching more than plain crackers and water had been near impossible. Naturally she had grown fairly thin over time, but some odd manner of vitamin being forced down her throat had worked as a sufficient enough supplement. In just the past four minutes the girl had glanced over her shoulder twelve times to catch a glimpse of exotic blue wings. Relax. Everything is fine. He's still there. He's not leaving. Darn right he wasn't leaving, and anyone who had balls enough to try and take him would die a particularly slow death. A cold promise of certain death entered those cerulean eyes, and as she turned around to look at Vladimir for the umpteenth time her expression softened. Once upon a time she had thought to distance herself. To cut ties with the boy for her own safety. He was her fatal flaw, her greatest weakness, her Achilles heel. And they had known all to well. Conniving monsters in white coats were always watching, always looking for the perfect opportunity to force someone else into submission. They had used Vlad, and that had been more than enough. It was ironic that the experiments were dubbed the beasts when their creators were far worse. It was hard to imagine that such evil could exist in the world. But that was why she couldn't part with Vladimir. Someone had to protect him from the scary monsters beneath his bed, and she would be damned if that someone wasn't her.

Several more glances had her face contorting into an expression of deep concern. Against her better judgement she allowed him to fly away from the perusing eyes of the others and herself, but he had been adamant in that respect and so she had backed down. He was lagging again and she heaved a sigh, wishing he'd just placate her for her own peace of mind. Stop worrying so much. He's just tired. We're all tired. Labored and stuttering wing strokes all around her screamed exhaustion and it was high time she began listening to her own. Built more for graceful flight than speed, it was nothing to catch a thermal and coast for long periods of time without having to tire herself out with flapping. Her stamina was impressive, but even she could not be impervious to overexertion. Mention of stopping had her perking up almost immediately, and her eyes eagerly sought out possible shelter and space to land. Below she spied a cabin along with a streak of white that signified the presence of the large canine tearing over the earth. Demon, Devin? Whatever his name was, she was wary of him. Dogs weren't really her forte whereas Vlad may as well have been the Mutt King. Cats though, cats she could work with. The other puppies were far more inviting with their big smiles and fluffy ears. She wanted to pet them so bad. She would have to ask later. Rain, and Carina (Storm and Carisa) would surely be willing. Excitement gave her her second wind and she craned her neck to an uncomfortable degree to force her happiness upon her brother. "Yo Vlad, did you hear tha-" Her words were stifled by a choked cry. His body had dropped unexpectedly and the fear that flickered over his features in that moment was enough to still her heart for several seconds. A rush of terror flooded her body, but she knew better than to interfere while in the air. Sharp maneuvers had never been her strong suit, so she waited until both their feet were on the ground to tackle the poor boy.

Her landing had been pitiful at best. Lack of focus made her clumsy and she could feel the paper cut-esque stinging from where she had been beaten six ways from Saturday by tree limbs and pine needles. After crashing through the trees like a bloody idiot, she made a frantic grab for her brother. It wasn't until her arms were wrapped securely around his neck that her heart stuttered back to life, and her first words were a broken blend of both unintelligible Russian and broken English. When she got like this it was best to just let her get it out of her system so she could function properly, and after two straight minutes of her frantically looking him over and prodding at him relentlessly, her breathing evened out, the adrenaline dissipated, and she yawned. "Yeah, you can stay here. No one is gonna make you fly again. Much ground. Many earth. Very gravity." A lazy chuckle escaped her and she slumped against him with a huff, allowing her wings to extend and curl around them both before falling back into their natural position against her back once more. "I can't help but wonder if your adorkableness is natural, or if the scientists screwed with your brain at some point. Really Vladimir, afraid of heights? You are going to be the death of me I swear." Several seconds passed in relative silence with her clutching the boy's shirt, head resting on his shoulder. What would have been a tender moment was shattered by a dark haired boy whose snarky tone did not sit well with her in the slightest. Ren. The boy's eyes reflected that same look of haunt as the others, though with him, it seemed more...intense. She could sympathize with him. More or less she knew the gist of what his deal was. One of their friends had died so naturally they were all pretty doom and gloom. She didn't have it in her to tell him to get over it, or any of them really. Not being in Vladimir's presence was taxing enough on its own, but for him to be gone forever? Yeah, she'd walk herself off the nearest mountain and forget to open her wings. Even still, she couldn't bite back her scathing reply. "You wanna lose a wing sweetheart?" Her tone made the words seem light, but her eyes darkened with promise. Sure it was a tad bit excessive, but hey, who wouldn't viciously tear a wing from a stranger's body for their big brother?

[grim.]

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▬▬▬ ♏ ▬▬▬

【ΛＤＡＭ】
【ÐＡＲＫＯ】

tags: ren.
mentioned: everyone briefly.
crush: none.
species: black mamba.
power: feel, see, read, sense souls.
ooc: ...

▬▬▬ ☠ ▬▬▬

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“Ꮤｏｕｌｄｎ’ｔ ｉｔ ｂｅ ｎｉｃｅ ｔｏ ｈａｖｅ ａ ｓｔｒｏｎｇ ｍｉｎｄ,
ｏｎｅ ｔｈａｔ ｃａｎ ｇｅｔ ｒｉｄ ｏｆ ｔｈｅ ｆｅａｒ ｙｏｕ ｆｅｅｌ?”

haloExplosions and the sound of stone shattering were muffled by thick concrete walls. The room was dark, hidden in shadows and nothing could be seen in the blackness of it, but it shook with each concussive blast that pounded mercilessly from within the building. The thick bullet proof glass that faced the made up an entire wall rattled. In the farthest reaches of the room, unseen in the darkness was a boy, perched on the edge of a shoddy cot that had been his bed for the last year. His situation was no different than that of any of the other freaks in this place, albeit he now lived in permanent darkness. No, he wasn’t blind, but he could see perfectly in the dark and had long since grown a disdain for the bright lights that stung his eyes. The only light he ever saw came from bright white lights overhead that flared to life whenever the scientists came down the hall to check on him, peering at him through the thick glass like the freak show they had turned him into. None of them dared approached the boy, mixing a volatile personality with a volatile and venomous snake had been a poor miscalculation and more than one scientist had met their untimely demise thanks to a neurotoxic bite. Meals were now slid through a slot on the floor, but it had been over two days since the last meal had come and not one person had come to check on him since. The explosions were new though; the sound had only come up about half an hour ago. In that time he hadn’t moved a muscle, sitting perfectly still, poised as though waiting for the right moment to strike. And perhaps he was. The blasts had been steadily growing closer and closer to his cell. If he was lucky, they would- BOOM. The far wall exploded inwards, bits of concrete flying inwards and hitting the wall of glass at the front of the cell. For the first time in over a year sunlight filtered into the cell, revealing a boy who was deathly pale and scrawny with shaggy black hair and dark gray-black eyes that had purplish bruises under them. Before the dust had even cleared he was in motion, darting towards the gaping hole in the wall and into the sunlight.

haloI couldn’t remember anything in detail after that though. Just blinding white light, explosions, and lots of blood. Somebody dying, a person I didn’t know but someone else did. A girl, a cat girl named Jinx. I remembered feeling her soul shattering as the life was torn out of her, then that soul vanishing altogether. There was the pain and torment filling the soul of a boy my age, the boy who knew the girl. There were fangs sinking into flesh to deliver a deadly dose of venom, a knife burying itself in my ribs and filling my nostrils with the coppery smell, then running. I was still running, the past few weeks had been filled with it. Long ago my worn clothes had been traded for shoplifted clothes, a pair of black cargo pants, a black Slipknot t-shirt, a black cargo jacket, and a pair of heavy black combat boots. My old style, the one from before my life had gone to hell. Under the t-shirt a scar was forming on my ribs and the knife that had caused it was tucked away in my left boot. I was sprinting through a forest now, hidden in the shade of the trees and thankfully away from the blinding sun that I still wasn’t used to after so long in the dark. There were seven of us if I wasn’t wrong. Seven souls I had familiarized myself with over the past while. Whether the others knew I was with them or not was up to debate. I had been following, them, tracking them really, not bothering to talk to them or bother with formalities. There were four birds. Athena, a peregrine falcon with a soft soul. Rayvn, a swan with a fiercely protective soul - she was obviously a girl who had something to defend. Vlad, a blue jay with an unstable and scared soul. Then there was Ren, the raven with the soul broken by the death of his friend. Then there were three others, two of which were bound to the ground like me, ones who didn’t have wings. Storm, a wolf with a constantly shifting personality that depending on the people around him. Damon was also a wolf but in his company was a little girl named Carisa, an eraser who was a wolf/bird hybrid who seemed to think of Damon as brother of sorts.

haloLong ago I had shifted from following the others to leading, keeping myself upwind of the wolf hybrids who I didn’t doubt would be able to catch my scent. I was keeping track of the souls of the four overhead though, clinging to the shadows and staying out of sight like some sort of fugitive or assassin. For hours now we had been in Canada, trekking through mountains and pine forests, though I knew we were too far east for it to have been British Columbia. Alberta though, that was possible. It was good to be back home though, some of tension had fallen out of my muscles once I had snuck across the border. A question forming in a soul overhead snapped me out of my reverie and my gaze darted upwards, not that it did anything to help me see the birds through the thick pine branches. But they were moving again, I could feel their souls descending and growing closer. Which meant that they had found a shelter, or they were taking a break. A cold smirk played across my face and I started forwards again. Through the tree line I could see a worn log cabin, the type somebody would come to in the winter on a snowmobiling trip, but one that had long since been abandoned. There was a door facing me, and I closed the gap between in an myself in record time, reaching the building before the bird hybrids had landed.

haloThe door was loose on its hinges, and creaked in protest as I swung it inwards, latching it carefully behind myself. For several seconds I paused, letting my eyes grow used to the blackness. The cabin was musty and smelled of pine. Long ago squirrels had taken up residence in the building; pine cone shrapnel covered every available surface from the floor boards to the counters. Furniture was almost non existent. A broken table lay in the kitchen, and several cupboard doors lay on the ground and on broken hinges. The few windows had surprisingly held up against all odds, but there was nothing luxurious about this place. If these people planned on staying here they were going to have their work cut out for them making it at least semi-liveable. Sighing I slumped against a wall and slid to the floor, picking a spot where I would be visible from either doorway. A pack of cigarettes was sliding out of my pocket and one of them being hung in the corner of my mouth before flaring to life with the help of a lighter. A heavy inhale, then a soft exhale and smoke was drifting lazily in the air around me. Thud. The leader, Ren was struggling to get inside now. Vague frustration tingeing his soul as he pounded against a door that stubbornly refused to open until his third try where it finally swung open and let faint morning sunlight filter in the dusty air of the cabin, falling several feet short of where I sat. “Morning Ren,” I said dryly, tilting my head slightly to take in the boy before shifting my gaze back to the blank wall in front of me.

[bee]

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Ｒｅｎｎｉ
raven ♛ eighteen ♛ 6'1♛ tagged; flock♛ surprised
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________

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- ♛ -
▉ ▉ ▉ ▉ ▉
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I'm worse at what I do best
And for this gift I feel blessed
Our little group has always been
And always will until the end

With the lights out, it's less dangerous
Here we are now, entertain us
I feel stupid and contagious
Here we are now, entertain us

And I forget just why I taste
Oh yeah, I guess it makes me smile
I found it hard, it's hard to find
Oh well, whatever, never mind

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the sibling's reunion after flying together for hours on end nothing but confused Renni. apparently Vlad landing successfully was worth a panicked and hug-filled rejoice. it wasn't pathetic in the least. he'd have to say he was just jealous he had no one to snuggle with now, but there was no way he'd admit it. forcing himself not to give the two a funny look, he patted the wall beside the door in hopes for a light switch. luckily there was one, but when flicked on, a single depressing bulb hanging from a wire lit up the small room. quiet foreign words reached his ears, and the dark winged boy realized instantly it was Russian. the kitty girl always spoke in that tongue. the less than physical pain gripped his heart for a moment or two, coming in a aching ping as he looked around and saw that it was Rayvn who was saying it to her brother. he was now biting his tongue so roughly that the coppery taste of blood was washing over his senses. with a sad sigh, he shifted to face the room once again, his eyes adjusting to the brightness. the way his hopes had suddenly sprung up was quite pathetic. she was dead and wouldn't be coming back. as she replied to his comment, he spoke back sharply, his words dripping with venom despite her delicately light and playful tone. "I've lost enough already, princess, losing my wings is hardly-"

he was cut off by the sound of another voice. it was dry and obviously slightly tired, but clearly audible. a new one. Renni's muscles tensed, vibrant green eyes widening, hand moving downwards like he was going to take a knife from his nonexistent belt. adrenaline pumped its way through his body, heart fluttering like a scared bird. then he saw him, a black haired boy sitting against the wall, obviously trying to be seen. something about him tickled at the back of Renni's mind. he was familiar, one of the faces he wanted to remember but couldn't. his hues lit with a furious green fire, the muscle in his jaw twitched. hands coiling into fists, Ren took a step forward. "who the hell are you?" he snarled. the kid would have been punched if he'd been any closer and decided to speak up suddenly.

The kid had shaggy black hair, shaggier than Ren's, that brushed down the back of his neck. he had a pale complexion and was more lank than muscle. his eyes were a dark brown, and held a certain intelligence that Renni unfortunately found himself being drawn to. it was as if the boy knew something no one else did, he was reading a type of ancient or foreign script that no one else could see .as he spoke, slender and scarily sharp canines flashed in the new light. but the scarier part was that he looked like he'd been waiting for them, sitting like he had known they'd bust in here. worst of all, how the hell did he know Ren's name. he didn't go about throwing it around like a game. names were somewhat important when being hunted down by wolves or evil scientists.

[Water~Wing]

TL;DR;; This is Regi's little monologue of what's happened to him, and what he does after escaping from the School. He hitched a ride with hippies and went to San Francisco. He's now on a personal vendetta to both figure out who he is, and to bring down the School.

【~ℝＥＧＩ~】

Today is August 5, 2014.

My name is Regulus. Regulus, or Alpha Leonis, is the name of the twenty-second brightest star in the night sky, and the brightest star in the constellation Leo. The star itself is often nicknamed “The Heart of the Lion” due to its location in the constellation, forming the lion’s chest. Regulus has always been my favorite star since diving into the field of astronomy, and that is why I have chosen the name Regulus to identify myself. I don’t know what my actual, birth-given name is. In fact, I know very little about the circumstances regarding my actual identity.

I speculate that I am about seventeen years old now. Approximately two years ago, I was brought to an organization known to me simply as, “The School”. I do not know if “The School” is the organization’s official title or merely a nickname, but that particular title was the only one I heard circulating among the faculty.

The School is a scientific research and lab facility located in Death Valley National Park, California, that appears to specialize in human genetic experimentation. According to what I was told, I had volunteered to become a test subject at The School in exchange for substantial monetary compensation – for both myself and my family. I have no memory of doing so, unfortunately. All memories of my life prior to arriving at the facility were erased from my mind, probably via an experimental cerebral stimulation process I can’t begin to fathom. This was done, to my knowledge, so as not to “compromise the security of the experiment”. I was told by several doctors that my memories would be returned to me once the experimentation was complete.

As I stated previously, The School seems to specialize in human – and to some extent, animal - genetics, which served as the basis of my experimentation. More precisely, The School has been researching and experimenting with recombinant DNA-based organisms, primarily driven in combining human DNA with that of other animals. I am a product of such research.

I have been grafted with DNA of the panther leo species – otherwise known to the layman as the African Lion. The first experiment that was performed on me involved a surgical transplant of the heart of a lion, to replace my own human cardiac muscle, thus my namesake. I have also developed ears, a tail, whiskers and pawed feet that are all reminiscent of the lion species, all of this a result of the School’s continued experimentation on me over the past couple of years. In addition, my retinas were implanted with telescopic lenses, enhancing my vision across large distances. I’m plagued with chronic, vicious migraines as a side-effect. Fairly recently, I also discovered that I am able to force myself to transform into a full-bodied lion myself. This ability was originally triggered chemically with a hormonal injection, and with practice I was later able to shift independently.

Most of these mutations and enhancements took place within the first several months of arriving at the facility. After that point, several doctors and scientists proceeded with series of tests to analyze both my physical and cognitive ability, neither of which seemed to be negatively affected. For the time being, I was living in a comfortable, solitary space and was kept relatively well-nourished. I had quite a bit of time between my periodic tests and experiments, and I took to self-study with a variety of materials that were provided at my own request. It was interesting; even though my personal memories were erased, it seemed as though knowledge of other things like mathematics, language, science and even media were maintained in the process. I took up studying astronomy as a personal hobby, and through this hobby I chose the name Regulus for myself, since I had no other title. I often use Regi as a nickname.

Several more months went by of living at The School, and during that time I was under the impression that I was the only recombinant DNA test subject held at the facility. There had been no mention of other experiments, and I was unable to leave my dormitory unless I was escorted out. However, one day I somehow managed to wander out of my room and I happened upon another recombinant subject, this one grafted with both avian and feline DNA. She had apparently been born in the School, unlike myself. She was the first to explain to me that The School housed not only the two of us, but dozens, possibly hundreds, of recombinant DNA experiments, ranging from avian to canine to feline to grotesque amalgamations impossible to describe. This test subject had apparently escaped from the facility among a group of other avian hybrids, before being recaptured. She, among others, were essentially being held at The School against their will.

I met a number of The School’s other test subjects, including some of the avian hybrids I had been told about. They can all fly. There were also a number of wolf hybrids, nicknamed “Erasers” that served as the facility’s security, though there were a couple “Erasers” that seemed interested in escaping from the facility as well. I was actually inducted into a possible escape plan, though my role fizzled out due to some complications with some of the other test subjects. At one point, I was forced into an experiment in which I was injected with an experimental hormone that essentially caused me to lose my sanity, driving me to attack a couple of the avian experiments, including the feline-avian I had first met.

After that point I made the assumption that I would not be playing any part in an escape, and I concluded that I would be forced to remain at The School for a further indeterminate length of time. I began to wonder how much of what had been told to me was true; would my memory actually be returned to me at some point? How would I even rejoin society? At this point it seemed that my mutations were irreversible.

I wasn’t prepared for what happened mere days later. I had been back in my dormitory, and was caught in what seemed like a terrible explosion in the facility. I remember the walls and ceiling giving way, and after that I assume I was knocked unconscious, because I didn’t come to until several hours later.

It was dark, and I was lying under a layer of rubble, metal and various wires and other equipment. It’s hard to recall much more detail as I was in a daze, but I managed to find my way out from the wreckage and out of the building. It was my first time exiting The School since arriving, and I considered remaining there to find help, but this was also an opportune moment to attempt my own escape. I’d like to assume that several other experiments had followed suit; there were very few, if any, people left in the building. It’s possible that there were fatalities.

I began to head north through the desert landscape, furthering myself from The School. I was fully aware that I was in Death Valley; I had once previously pinpointed The School’s location using astronomical means. It wasn’t until the morning sun began to rise that I finally came across a road which ran Northwest-Southeast. I followed this road Northwest, hoping that doing so was my best option to find someone before the rising temperatures got the best of me. I had proceeded to cover my ears with the hood of the jacket I was wearing, conceal my tail within my clothes, and hide my feet within a pair of custom-made shoes that The School had given me to wear. I also (painfully) plucked each whisker from either cheek; should I be seen by someone, civilian, scientist, or otherwise, I figured my best option would be to appear normal.

The first vehicle that passed by on this road was a large, multi-colored van which was travelling in my same direction. I had provided no indication that I needed the driver to stop, but the van came to a halt at my side nevertheless. The van was filled with six other people who I was certain had all previously used, and were likely currently using some form of herbal narcotic, though the inside of the vehicle was brightly decorated and I sensed no danger from them. I learned that they were travelling to San Francisco, California. I figured that the city would be a great place to contact any relevant authorities about my experiences, and hopefully begin coming to a resolution. All I had to do was tell these people that I had been on an elaborate spiritual journey in the desert and that I was ready to return home. They did not notice that I was part African lion.

The drive was several hours long, and I did not sleep for fear that my lion features could be revealed to my new companions. They would often ask questions about who I was, where I was from, and so on. I gave simple answers or none at all, making it known that I could not be bothered. Otherwise, my companions would simply discuss philosophical topics or listen to and sing along with odd music I had never heard before.

I asked my companions to let me off at the San Francisco Public Library, located in the city’s downtown, to ideally begin some research. I am currently using one of the library’s computers to write this, and my intention is to share this story with the relevant authorities. I believe that The School has violated numerous human rights as well as legal principles.

Most of this account shall become part of my official statement to the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Jinx, I hope you’re safe.

[tavros.]

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◥

name-
Hiro Rhea
gender-
Male
age-
7
looks-

long and short hair
personality-
Hiro tends to space out quite often. He doesn't usually like to talk to people, but he will if he has to or he's been asked a question. He's extremely introverted and hard to talk to, and he won't even look at you if he thinks you're one of the bad guys, but if you somehow miraculously earn his trust he'll protect you to the ends of the earth. He deals with all sorts of trauma better than anyone would really expect from a kid barely out of his toddler years, better than many members of the flock in fact. If you can get him to talk, he'll talk you through whatever you're feeling iffy about. It's under speculation [by him] whether his heightened intellect is because of his mutations or is due to the fact that he had to "grow up" quicker than most kids. Even more reclusive after Jinx's death.
Mutation power-
He can manipulate the weather around him, causing isolated blizzards or three-square-meter floods, or really anything of that nature.
Flock member or Eraser-
Flock
Wings-
xXx
Scarlet Macaw; wingspan- 8' 10.5"
clothes-
[assume that I mean these and similar]
Shirt; Pants; Shoes;
crush-
None
bf/gf-
None
allies-
The flock, but mainly Jinx [[sobs for a billion years]] and anyone who can manage to gain his trust
enemies-
Erasers, whitecoats and such
other-
~

◣

◢

◤

◥

name-
Dirk Machina
gender-
Male
age-
16
looks-

personality-
Dirk is sweet as he can be usually, but he does tend to get a bit moody with things or people he isn't used to. By moody I mean, blacking out and going on destructive rampages without a single recollection of it in the morning, or whenever he wakes up. He's friendly and kind with the flock and he tries with others, but him mixed with new things is just a bad idea in general. He's prone to panic attacks and the like, but he's very open and he loves to talk.
Flock member or Eraser-
Flock
Wings-
xXx
Red Bellied Woodpecker; wingspan- 13' 5"
clothes-
[same as above]
Shirt; Pants; Shoes;
crush-
[orientation; homosexual] Ren
bf/gf-
~
allies-
The flock and only the flock
enemies-
Pretty much everyone else
other-
~

◣

◢

wow this stuff looks awful compared to all the others orz

[tavros.]

i'm too lazy to bother with anything more than basic coding right now so this is what you get


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Hiro

He was lagging behind the group while they flew, paying attention mostly to the ground but occasionally to the bodies around him. The air was cold with his silent depression, colder than it would usually be at this altitude, although not by much. He doubted the others could even tell. There was only one person even somewhat behind him, the blue haired guy, whatever his name was. Hiro couldn't really bring himself to care, much less remember. He couldn't stand to look up at Ren or Athena, choosing to limit his interaction with anyone familiar for fear of losing control of his composure. He was physically and mentally exhausted; every downstroke brought the bright blue of his primary feathers into his peripherals, and every time he caught sight of those feathers he was just that much closer to giving up completely. Jinx had once preened those feathers until they shone. She'd done a lot of things he'd never get to thank her for. Even the obnoxious cuddling and the forcing him to talk about his feelings, he was thankful for all of it, every moment he'd spent with her, but he'd never be able to tell her that. He at least wished his last view of her face had been her smile and not an intense grimace of pain. His best friend—no, his mother...gone.

He looked over at the guy with the blue wings again, just as he looked up to listen to Ren speaking. "There"...where was there? He'd been looking at the ground but not really focusing on it, he realized, as he looked back down and saw what "there" was referring to. Athena's reply cut through his thoughts on how much of a dump the place looked like, and then Ren's figure began a quick descent to the ground. Hiro banked left, staying in the sky for longer than the rest, counting off the bodies, whether he knew their exact identity or not. Six bodies in total, two of which were mostly unfamiliar to him.

Hiro tucked his own wings in and began a swan dive down to the earth after the last of them were already halfway to the ground. He'd momentarily forgotten about the others on the ground, but now that it was rushing up at him he remembered their presence. By the time he flung out his wings painfully to slow himself down and planted his bare feet harshly on the unforgiving ground, Ren was already inside the small cabin. From what he could see of the inside, which admittedly wasn't much, it was even more of a dump than he'd originally thought. The small sliver of the inside that he could see was simply broken, there was no other way to put it. He was two steps closer to the pathetic structure when he heard Ren speak out. His chilly aura only grew colder as he registered the words that had been said, and he felt the wind picking up around him in a tense but lazy circle, blowing his long bangs in front of his eyes. He wasn't sure what emotion that portrayed—fear? wariness? dread?—but it was accurate nonetheless.

He skirted around the place, moving in a wide circle until he could see over Ren's shoulder. The sight that greeted him was not a friendly one. In all honesty, whoever this was looked like he could kill with a glance. Hiro immediately both distrusted him and liked him, but he was unsure of which emotion was stronger. For now, though, he let his distrust permeate the air. The wind around him gradually stopped and although his immediate radius was still chilled to unnatural levels, he could sense a blistering wave of heat lazing toward the open front door. He could only hope Ren was smart enough not to get directly in his way.

[.:Kira:.]

⇜⊱ⒶⓉⒽⒺⓃⒶ⊰⇝

Athena angled her wings to gently glide in and land behind everyone. She was to land last to ensure that everyone else landed safely. She stretched out her legs before her, like a falcon would to snatch its prey up from the ground. But instead, she managed to lightly tip-toe across the soft grass towards the group of newly landed bird-kids, so as not to disturb Little Alpha from his travel nap.

She had made a few major sacrifices for the small kitten; one, she cut holes in her favorite jacket for her wings so he could be comfy and warm while she flew. Two, she would overheat herself by keeping her jacket on so Alpha would still be warm. She would do anything for that little ball of fluff. Alpha reminded Jinx of Hiro. But now Jinx is gone. And all Athena had left of Jinx was Alpha.

She made her way across the old overgrown lawn up to the house where Vlad and Rayvn were tucked back in the trees, Hiro making his landing, and Ren had decided to check out the cabin as decided. Athena watched as Ren took to different tactics to open the door, finally busting in with a kick. It was then that Athena realized something wasn’t right. Ren had stopped dead in his tracks and caused Athena’s blood to run cold. What was in there that caused him to do such? Then she heard it. An unfamiliar male voice. A voice of which knew Ren’s name. How?

Athena Kept Alpha tucked in her jacket as she crossed the lawn to get a better look inside. She was standing near, but not too close, to Hiro when she could finally see inside. A boy. No wings. No fury appendages. Nothing. Athena didn’t recognize him. Who was he? Did Ren know him somehow? The questions were filling her head now, and it was only confusing her further. She glanced over at Hiro after noticing the wind picking up in a secluded area. It seemed that he had seen the boy as well, and didn’t like him already. She was going to speak to calm the small boy but feared getting herself and Alpha hurt by startling Hiro. So she kept quiet, and studied Ren and the boy.

[tavros.]

thank you google earth for the scenery


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Dirk

Up, down, up, down. Flap. Flap. Flap. Flap.

Dirk had been flying for hours. His stomach was screaming at him to put something, anything in it, but he couldn't stop. No matter how bad the burns were, no matter how much he bled, he couldn't stop flying. He had to get away, as far away as possible. He hadn't been able to see the growing pillar of smoke and flame for the better part of five hours, but even still he didn't let himself touch the ground. More than once he had almost passed out in midair, dropping nearly fifty feet before jolting back to consciousness and continuing. Flap, flap, flap.

Finally, after nine continuous hours of flight on an empty stomach, he realized he had two choices. One, keep going like this until he fainted from exhaustion and fell from the sky, or two, land and find a place to hunker down and rest. Preferably someplace with food. And some sort of ablution receptacle. And food.

It barely took him half a second to decide on his plan and he scoped out his surroundings. He wasn't completely sure where exactly he was, but there were small islands all around, the land broken up by a big river of sorts. It didn't take him long to realize that he was in Washington. He could see skyscrapers and bustling cars and buses and trucks directly below him; not the most rural of places to land, so he decided to keep flying for a few minutes until the tall office buildings and busy city was behind him.

Up ahead he saw a big clearing with clusters of trees all around, and he decided that that was as good a spot as any to touch down for now, if only to look for a better place to stay. At the southernmost border of the rectangular clearing he folded his wings in tight to his back, rocketing down towards the ground. He felt like a rock falling from the sky, his stomach still behind him at higher altitudes, as he nosedived down to the earth. He cleared the top of the treeline and with confidence that no one could see him, unfurled his wings quickly and tried to break his fall. Ultimately he was successful, seeing as he didn't splatter all over the ground, but his feet touched the ground and he was still going better than 15 miles an hour. He tried to tuck his limbs in to reduce the impact but he was too slow. His knees hit the ground first, but his left shoulder was next, taking most of the force of the landing. He heard something crack and an intense pain blossomed out on his left shoulder blade, his arm going numb. His back hit the ground once, only briefly, before he got a face full of dry dirt and he slid along the ground, feeling small rocks embed themselves in his skin like white-hot leeches.

His wings were twisted behind him at a painful angle and there was a giant clump of dirt in his mouth, and he was almost positive that one of the half-healed burns on his back was bleeding again, but he was finally on the ground and no matter how much he loved flying, he was so happy he could cry. And he did. He slowly sat up, ignoring the shooting pain burdening his left arm, spat out a mouthful of combined blood and dirt—when had he bitten his tongue?—and wept like a baby.

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ps he's in mount pleasant cemetery in north queen anne