Realistic or Modern Lost Children- Vol.1 Shots Fired.

[FireMaiden]

Beca Franklin
Interaction/Nearby: Dr.Franklin WeaselThor , Jay WolfOfProphecys , Inari Svisttt , Ember Natural Flavour , Scarlett Randomfella
"Mr.Dempsy was gonna bleed out anyway," Beca replied, "I know you care that you hurt us, or hurt other people, or burned a house down, but we don't. If we really cared, we'd be telling at you about how you need to learn to control yourself. You do, but because this was an accident, and because you're a little girl, we aren't going to that!" Beca called after her and Ember tried to storm off. She seemed to be getting angry. "Everyone here is bad in someway. You spared someone a slow death, that's what happened. Alvin would have died slowly, painfully," She added, "That explosion was merciful."

She stood up, keeping the blanket wrapped around her, "I killed three people on purpose. An accidental explosion killed someone who was dying anyway. What's worse?" She paused, "You're just a little girl. None of this your fault."

 

[WolfOfProphecys]

Jay indeed didn't notice the shot, half dozing by that point. He barely noticed the two move away, until a few minutes after they were gone, and he grunted softly. Oh, she must have finished. He tilted his head, tiredly watching them walk away, and sluggishly pushed himself to sit up, even when the world seemed to spin for a moment. Ugh, that wasn't a nice feeling. Squinting as he glanced around, he spotted Stryker come in, followed shortly by Robin. He blinked at the cans, but found he wasn't hungry. He should eat, to replace what he'd burned off running around, but he didn't want to, not after what he'd witnessed. He'd been protecting his family sure, but that didn't stop the sights of death and destruction from affecting him.

Still, Inari seemed to be going after him, taking him a can. It was good to know they could all care for each other, and he gave himself a small, lopsided smile at the thought. It fell as he realised what Ember was saying, and would have gone to her had she not already been crowded by others. All he wanted to do was hug her until she hugged back, calm her down, but he felt that if he went over he may just overwhelm her. And, well, he may just fall over and look like a fool.

Instead, he picked at what remained of his shirt, and ended up shakily tearing the blood soaked remains off of him. There was no use in it now. At least his trousers were mostly intact, if a little destroyed closer to his feet, where he hadn't been able to pat the fire out. Never mind the fact that his shoes hadn't survived the friction and speed at all. But he was used to that by now.

 

[Natural Flavour]

~Ember~
Location: Barn
Mentions: FireMaiden ​

Ember clenched her fists, angrily, and glared at Beca. She wanted to say something, anything, but there was nothing left to say, so she just burst into tears and curled herself up into a little ball. The feeling of not being understood is a hard one. It makes one feel like they’re all alone in the whole world, and nothing can ever change, you’ll always be alone. That is how Ember felt in that moment, curled up in a tiny ball in the hay. Like no one could ever feel her pain.

 

[FireMaiden]

Beca Franklin
Interaction/Nearby: Dr.Franklin WeaselThor , Jay WolfOfProphecys , Inari Svisttt , Ember Natural Flavour , Scarlett Randomfella
Beca sighed, "Damn it." She didn't mean to make Ember cry, but, she had the habit of doing so. "Ember... I know this is hard on you. I know it's not something you want to deal with. You don't want to be like this, you dont want to be a weapon, you don't want to have the power to hurt people, you dont want to hurt people. But you have it. You have the abilities that nobody should have. You have a burden on your shoulders that you dont need," She paused, sighing, "Trust me, I know what it feels like, okay? It may not seem like it, but we understand. But look, we can't change this. Any of what's happened, or wants going to happen, we just can't. We only get ready for it. And if that means you have to hurt people, on purpose or not, you can't blame yourself. You have to be able to do this in order to survive. We aren't safe anymore," Beca continued, "I know this is hard on you. I know that you dont want to hurt people, but in order to do that, you're going to have to use your powers."

 

[Randomfella]

Scarlet Vulnere
Saturday 4-14-21​

Scarlet's train of thought was cut off by the continued chatter of the other children, her eyes moving up toward Beca as she tried to talk to Ember."Stop making excuses for her." Scarlet stated without emotion, her gaze moving over everyone in the room underneath the wet hair which continually moved in their way. "What? Every time Ember gets upset she runs off and someone ends up getting burnt." She explained, narrowing her view at them, before letting out a long sigh. "You won't help her like this." There was almost disappointment in her tone, as she turned her back to them, moving down toward the radio booth where Stryker had gone, she could eat later.

As she arrived, Scarlet lent on the wall behind the old man, staring toward him as he worked, crossing her arms. There was a lot she wanted to say after today, yet no way to say it. "I don't trust you." She simply stated, clearly mulling over her words as she did so, looking back outwards. "But after their attack... I don't think it's impossible that you're telling the truth." Scarlet sighed, moving a hand to brush her hair from her face, before leaning her forehead upon it. Finally, she collected herself, standing up straight once more, hands hovering by her sides. "If I go to one of their labs... Find actual proof about all of this... Then I'll help you." Scarlet paused, her tone was much more serious now, her fists and eyes starting to clench at even the thought of it. Hell, she didn't even know if she could keep her promise, in her mind helping Stryker would just mean more violence, but she needed to know the truth.

Interacts: @Barn WeaselThor

 

[kasigi]

The door to the humvee opened up, with Grave stepping out in front of an airport. He guessed there was a breeze - though, he could not feel it. He made sure that the humvee was parked and secure before shutting the driver's door to it, moving over to the back of it. His hand gripped a handle on the back of the humvee, pulling up the latch to the large compartment that held a single duffel bag. He reached in the back, grabbing for the duffel bag. He unzipped it, checking for what was inside. A Glock 17 and a Benelli M4. Grave, of course, couldn't take these weapons into the airport, and getting on a plane would be virtually impossible. He sighed, closing the trunk and locking it behind him. It wasn't a necessity, but it would've been nice to have around for the future. As he walked towards the airport's main entrance, he couldn't help but think about the children. The boss seemed to know where they were going, but it worried him. He did not want to lose the kids, no matter what the cost. He sighed, reaching the door to the main entrance before pulling it open. Inside it was rather loud, many people talking at once.

Grave had a brief idea of who he was looking for and where they may be, but he wasn't sure. Even so, he held onto his patience as he searched around, making sure to look for any individuals who.. Stood out in particular from the crowd.

WeaselThor

 

[Chimney Swift]

Robin Strässler
April 14th, 2021.
Mentions: WeaselThor Svisttt

Inari quietly approached Robin, asking if he wanted to share food with her. He knew she meant well, but he couldn't help but take a twinge of insult from the tone of concern in her voice. He'd always been reluctant to accept help, even for fairly serious situations, but, listening to Ember screaming and wailing on the other end of the barn, he resolutely acknowledged that this was not the time to be petulant. Nothing would come of it; especially since he already had a hard road to hoe with Stryker. He had to be the adult here, in what little way he could.

Gritting his teeth, he nodded hesitantly to Inari, then repeated the gesture with more conviction, added a forced smile. With his thoughts ranging from mentally preparing himself to keep some food down for at least an hour, to dear god, what did we do to deserve this torment, it was surprisingly taxing to attempt even the slightest gesture of positivity. Acting had never been his forte, and neither had lying. He barely understood when other people tried those things. But, considering his other options possibly entailed Stryker gifting him a faceful of lead out back, or getting taken back to Seraphim to get killed the next time they got raided, this seemed like the only way. This wasn't even about his ego anymore... it was about basic self-preservation.

 

[Svisttt]

Inari hesitantly glanced behind her to look at Ember, wanting to go over and help in... in some way. Her yelling was making her already horrid headache worse. Still, she knew going over would probably wouldn't help any, and the best thing to do would be to give her space and let Beca handle things. Scarlet was barely helping, her attitude simply exacerbating the situation, dishing out "advice" without putting in even a little effort in changing things. She turned back around, just in time to see Robin giving her a strained little nod. He seemed... maybe a little offended, but she tried not to let it get to her. Today's not been the best for anyone, and she couldn't blame him or anyone else for feeling uncomfortable.

She offered him a sad little smile before walking over to the back of the barn, sitting down and placing the can in front of her. The entire situation reminded her of just earlier in the day, when Stryker had given them all the news... Inari sighed and glanced around, hoping there was something sharp around to open the can of beans with.

Chimney Swift

 

[Natural Flavour]

~Ember~
Location: Barn
Mentions: WeaselThor Svisttt WolfOfProphecys Chimney Swift FireMaiden Randomfella kasigi ​

Ember half listened to the things Beca said about using her powers to survive, and maybe even to keep others safe. Ember had a headache from crying though, so she only absorbed a little of it. Scarlet’s careless words stung, and tears sprung to her eyes. But Ember wasn’t gonna let Scarlet be right, so she wiped her eyes and glared at Scarlet. “I’m not gonna burn anyone anymore!” She said, a little loudly. Then she looked at Jay and Robin, obviously not feeling too well, and lowered her voice. But it still held a dangerous quality. “And there’s nowhere to run anyway.” She turned away and added, kind of in an immature, childish tone, “You should already know that, since you act like you know everything.”

 

[Nooguy]

Tanja - Banshee

Unknown location in russia
----
"Why don't you tell me what you like most about nature little one?"
----​

Soft humming carried through the halls of the quaint forest cabin nestled in the vast wooded expanse of the Russian timber, the early hours of the morn just barely drawing the warm hues of the sun over the horizon. Aside from the musical, almost eerie tones dancing through the air all seemed to be still, silent, as if all collectively held their breath living or no. The cabin in question was rather large, designed to house a handful of denizens in quite high class accommodation. What was once likely a very warm and quaint local offering a quiet reprieve for the higher echelons of society from their busy and noisy metropolitan lives now lay dead silent save for the soft tones of a woman's humming which carried a somewhat macabre lightness to them compared to the outcome of recent events.

----
"The trees... They do grow in many shapes and sizes, home for so many don't they?"
----​

Tanja went about her usual work in a perfectly relaxed manner walking through the halls of the forest cabin, keen blade in hand, past bedrooms where bodies lay stiff and motionless in warm beds, and through rooms of similar company relaxing in comfy chairs or sofas as she strained her senses in search for the last of what she required. The agent had been sent to the remote vacation lodge to deal with a troublesome group of political upstarts that had been snooping a little too deep behind the political curtain, asking questions too specific to the right people, and creating an annoyance for Seraphim. Needless to say, such was no longer an issue save for one final problem.

----
"Do you have any favorite trees? Oh you like the Fir trees, I'm sure you can climb so very high can't you?"
----​

A soft clatter off to her right caused Tanja's humming to pause, the woman turning to face toward the lounge room that looked out over the vast green forest beyond from the cabin's vantage point. It wasn't hard to discover where they were, the ajar jacket closet quickly drew the old agent's attention before she made her way toward it. Pausing, Tanja softly opened the door, as she ensured she stood to prevent escape, to find a broom handle being swung at her as young, fearful shouts filled the air. Looking down, Tanja saw a young boy no older than seven, his eyes wide with fear as he struggled against her grip upon his makeshift weapon. He'd seen what she had done, but a mind as young as his likely couldn't process or handle the gravity of the situation.The woman could see the fear in his eyes, the anger, and knew what she needed to do.

----
"Me? I must say I rather enjoy the sky, it shifts and changes in so many ways, making all sorts of backdrops for nature of rest in."
----​

Slowly kneeling down, keeping a hand on the broom handle, but not yanking it away, Tanja came closer to eye level with the child. There was doubt, confusion even amid the angry tears and fearful sniffling. Looking herself over, Tanja noticed the light tactical attire she wore wouldn't help the situation, the blade in her free hand similarly detrimental. So, much to the boy's surprise, Tanja placed an index finger to her lips with her mostly free hand before stepping back and closing the closet door while releasing the boy's weaponized broom. Doubting the child would come out, Tanja stepped back a few steps into the lounge room where she took off the tactical harness and vest she wore along with the holstered pistol and knife, now similarly holstered, before placing them upon a the lap of one of her recent targets. Looking herself over, the woman looked less threatening, to herself at least. Her attire now consisted of a simple form fitting black long sleeved undershirt, her grey combat fatigues, and basic boots. Returning to the closet Tanja knelt before opening the door, once again intercepting the swung broom handle, before moving it to the side and giving a soft smile. "Hello there little one." She spoke, her voice gentle and soft to the ears, comforting even, as she aimed to calm the child. "My name is Tanja...mind sharing yours?" Tanja asked, the child remaining silent, but seeming visibly confused as he saw the woman portraying a starkly different mannerism from before no doubt.

----
"Hmhmhm, yes rainstorms can be a bit gloomy, but they also can have a calming relaxation to them if you sit and listen to the water droplets fall."
----​

The confusion was promising, it was progress as Tanja felt the boy's grip on the broom loosen. After a minute of little more than the boy's uneasy breathing, his own voice finally came forth. "B...B-Borris." Tanja smiled again at that name, distant memories resonating from an old acquaintance with a similar name. "Borris? I remember having an old friend by that name." She remarked, the boy's emotions steadily being replaced with curiosity, his mind likely eager to quickly begin burying the traumatic experiences recently undergone with something, anything. "...Really?.......Was......W-Was he a boy like me?" The young boy asked to which Tanja gave a soft chuckle, the tone warm as she ensured it to be, further working to manipulate the child's fragile but malleable and susceptible psyche. "He was in fact, a young boy from when I was a little girl." She remarked, the boy's curiosity starting to grow. "But...you're a-an adult, that must h-have been a wh...while ago." Tanja once again chuckled at this as she nodded. "Yes it was a while ago, in fact that was well around eighty years ago roughly." She stated to which the boy's eyes widened even more as disbelief and curiosity further saturated his little mind. "W-Wow, you're really old miss, you...you must know a lot." The boy commented, his mind further starting to focus on the distraction presented to him, forgetting the recent traumatizing events slowly but surely, even causing his grip on his improvised weapon to slacken to which Tanja simply placed into the closet beside him. "Hmhm, well yes I've seen many many things. In fact I was going to watch the sunrise on the balcony, I'd love to share some stories with you." Tanja said as she held out her hand in offering to the boy. There was hesitation, of course, but a warm smile seemed to wane the remaining vestiges of reality the boy's brain might be set in, assuming the illogical considering recent events, and simply accepting ignorance. Ensuring to move the boy to avoid the sights of her work, Tanja soon came to the large balcony which overlooked the sprawling forest below the cabin's vantage point, a stunning view of a mountain range streaking through the sea of green adding to the picturesque bloom of early morn as it came. The boy and Tanja simply sat together and talked, subjects largely steered by the boy as his youthful curiosity and imagination further took him away from the unpleasantness that sat just inside the cabin behind them. However, time wasn't endless for the aged soldier, and she knew she couldn't draw out her mission any longer as the deadline allotted grew closer. "Why don't you tell me what you like about nature little one?" She'd ask, the boy all too happy to talk about a subject he apparently greatly enjoyed, happy to inquire about her own enjoyments on the topic as well.

----
"Dawn is quite beautiful too, do you see the sun just starting to peak over the mountains? There are some old folktales that say dawn brings with it something magical. Why don't you close your eyes and make a wish child? Relax and let your mind drift..........There we go.....simply focus on the sun's warmth....focus on that wish of yours and how happy it'll make you feel when it comes true......."
----​

By the time the sun had finally begun to crest over the mountains, its warm rays washing over the cabin, Borris had actually nestled himself in Tanja's lap much to the woman's surprise. While she was far from a mother, the soldier regardless let the boy get comfortable as he and she spoke, admiring the relaxing warmth of the early morning sun, while also making her work easier. As the boy's eyes closed, his body relaxing, Tanja's arms had gently draped around him in a pseudo embrace. The final act was quick, practiced, and efficiently honed from decades upon decades of use. The young boy's body swiftly fell limp, not a single utterance of surprise or pain, his body not seeming to tense from panic. Looking at the sunrise a bit longer, the soft crackle of a signal coming in over her comm link buzzed in the woman's left ear, quickly answering it as she carried the boy's lifeless body from the balcony in one arm as she used her other hand to activate the call. "Yes? Of course, I'm just wrapping up one final string...I understand....yes...I'll be heading there asap." Tanja spoke into her comm link as she discarded the boy's body onto a nearby sofa and re-equipped her tactical gear before doing one final sweep to ensure evidence of her own presence was completely erased like countless times in countless other places before. There would be no attempts at covering up other evidence, the attacks likely to be labelled as a random series of murders to the general public, and a powerful signal of fear to those who may be associated with the deceased group and plan to continue their work.

------------
Later - Denver Airport
------------

The trip toward her destination was one of a little too much length, Tanja having slipped into a private jetliner and subsequently 'borrowing' it to make an express trip to Denver where she was to meet up with her allies. A handful of hours later and Tanja finally touched down in the bustling airport, being taxied from the runway and promptly parking the jet she'd borrowed and disembarking with the little equipment she carried with her from her mission in Russia. While not knowing how long she'd kept her comrades waiting, it wasn't hard to find the loading bay for larger shipments, and subsequently coming to find an old friend and comrade to which she warmly greeted. "Heinz, it's been a while since we've been in the relative vicinity of one another. What's the body count risen to this time, I can still smell ozone on you." She remarked with her dry sense of humor while looking around the loading dock as numerous other packages and boxes of sizable weight and mass were moved about in such a hurry. While she wasn't one to question orders, a part of Tanja truly did feel curious as to just what or who had earned the ire of big boss to gather all three of the remaining valkyrie agents together in one place. "So abate my ignorance, what's the reason the gang's being brought together again? I doubt it's to sit down and have a recollection of all the good killings we've done over a nice drink of booze, or wine considering your bourgeois ass."​

 

[Chimney Swift]

Robin Strässler
April 14th, 2021.
Mentions: WeaselThor Svisttt

Noticing Inari scanning the room, Robin tentatively picked up the can she'd placed in front of herself. Turning it in his hands for a moment, eyebrows lowered in thought, he deftly deployed a small blade concealed by the knuckle of his left thumb, digging it under the lid of the can to pry it off. His limbs were equipped with a small array of useful gadgets; the Seraphim operators had wanted to attach a few more accoutrements, but it didn't look like he'd be back there anytime soon.

He then wordlessly passed the can back to Inari, meeting her eyes with a look of fatigued concern. This latest catastrophe was hard on Robin... it hurt to even try to imagine How this may have affected Inari, the quiet farm torn to shreds by explosions and gunfire and smoke. When every sense but straight through your nerves into your brain, Robin couldn't fathom how absolutely bone chilling that must be. He rested his head back against the wall, noticing with disdain that his vision hadn't entirely refocused. Everything seemed blurry... surreal, almost. Like this was all some horrible fever dream that he'd wake up from back in his old room.., not even back at Seraphim, back in the old orphanage in war-torn Zürich. What did that room even look like? It had only been four or five years, but it felt like a lifetime ago. Since then, it had been one absurd nightmare after the next, and he was only just starting to put the pieces together.

 

[Svisttt]

Inari sort of smiled as she watched the younger boy cut the can open with his thumb, tempted to make a Swiss army knife joke but thinking now would be an inappropriate time. He looked distracted and exhausted when she met his gaze, and she couldn't blame him. A lot had happened to him today. Inari glanced down at the beans, wondering where Stryker had gotten them, before shrugging a bit and taking a few bites. Eating felt nauseating, , but she knew it might be now or never.

She didn't eat very much, but when she managed to get a bit down she handed the can to Robin, urging him to at least eat a little. Even a bite would've been better than nothing, and he needed to get some energy back. Sleep would do him good, too.

Ember had finally quieted down, much to Inari's relief, though the ache lancing though her skull still persisted. She curled up a bit against the wall, folding her arms around herself as she watched the rain pour down outside. It was soothing, in a way, the noise oddly comforting. She'd never really heard the sound of rain before. Inari's eyes eventually closed, and though she wasn't intending to sleep, rest came anyway as she drifted off to the sounds echoing through the barn.

 

[Natural Flavour]

~Ember~
Location: Barn
Mentions: WeaselThor Svisttt WolfOfProphecys Chimney Swift FireMaiden Randomfella kasigi
​

Scarlet hadn't replied to Ember's comment. It seemed everyone else was preoccupied now, and when she was yelling she had gotten a few not so nice looks from the older kids. Everyone's wrong.... it really would be better if I weren't here. She wanted to sink into that feeling for a bit, but the day had already been filled with too many gross emotions. Ember shook it off. Well, you ARE here, so what are you gonna do?

The rain seemed to be beckoning to her. It was cool, and wet, and Ember had never really experienced rain before. Stepping outside, she was alone. It was nice. Freeing. The cold water felt good on her still-warm face.

The girl danced. It started as just swaying back and forth, but then she stepped, jumping into a puddle. Her socks are wet now. So what? She twirled. She stuck her tongue out and tried to catch the rain. For a moment, a brief moment, she was Princess Philomena, living without a care in the world. Her invisible, imaginary fairy wings sparkled as raindrops rolls off of them. They were waterproof. Beca should come dance with me. Ember ran into the barn, and then skidded to a stop, opening her mouth to yell something. But she was stopped by what she saw. What she was reminded of.

Everyone looked so dead inside, unable to share her magic. And now that she was here, too, the dreariness of the day's events caused her shoulders to slump. But she could still try. She tugged on Beca's arms with her cold, wet fingers. The girl's red hair turned more of a dirty rust as it got wet, hanging in strings in front of her face.

"Beca, come play with me! Come play in the rain!" Her voice was hushed but excited.

 

[WeaselThor]

The Big Boss & The Valkyries
Arctic fortress, May 26th 2021

"DAMN IT!!!" his shout was accompanied by a surge of his greenish power that shook the stone room. After 6 weeks of searching for them after they had slipped them at the airport you would think that he would be happy to have found them. But that couldn't be further from the truth. The English royal family were not only powerful, they were his bitter rivals for the past 8 decades. Two generations of insufferable dogooders had resulted in the downfall of many of his plans. "If they are with that irksome family we will have to draw them out. Force is no longer an option. Prepare yourselves, we shall wage war against the royals again." he turned back to the Valkyries gathered behind him.

Panzer Nodded slammed his fist into his palm letting out a grunt of approval. Far to the left of him Blitz tilted his hat and bowed slightly. "Of course Master Atori it will be done." Banshee and Grave both stood on either side of the deadly giant. Whereas Heinz had stepped off to the side separating himself as per usual.
kasigi Nooguy

Stryker, Mrs.Dempsey, Dr.Franklin, Prince Alfred.
Royal Palace. May 26th 2021 5:45pm

As it turned out the last person he wanted to see wound up being just the person he needed. Stryker stood with the Prince as he went over the latest additions to the division he called "Icarus." Something he had just came up with on spot to be an umbrella term for whatever his labs created to help the children. Already with help from Dr.Franklin and the prince himself those labs had developed suitable clothing for each child. Flame resistant clothes for Jay and Ember, modded with more tear resistance for jay, and blast cap gloves for ember that would allow her to focus and restrain her flames. Clothes designed to morph themselves for Scarlet and Beca, Beca's designed to open microscopic pores to allow fur to grow through it. The same pores and stain resistance that scarlet possessed. Blood would fall off of the outfits like water off of a ducks back. All made of a gel like fabric that could seperate itself for robin, or grow a helmet equipped with sensory cancellation and focusing equipment for irene. Sure the suits were still in the early models, but progress came daily.

Of course the prince was clear with his intentions. He was doing this to get a technological edge on project Seraphim, and to increase the effectiveness of his own super police project. But he also offered a luxurious life that the kids had never been able to dream of, hell even a normal kid would have trouble imagining it. They were given absolute freedom to enjoy the palace and even the surrounding city. The only conditions is they had to wear their suits under their clothes, had to have at least 1 hour of non invasive tests and power training, and of course they had to attend school. Granted the prince attended high-school himself, though it was more of a formality for him. The young man was clearly leagues above those who attempted to teach them. While they went home to grade papers he went home to invent non lethal alternatives to modern war weapons. Though with all his redeeming qualities his privilege and bad attitude were still apparent.

Even still, it wasn't the attitude that worried Stryker it was the new mods he added to the suits. They would be bullet proof and even knife proof. Not that it was a bad thing, it just made his blood run cold thinking about a bullet proof tiger. "What are you expecting these kids to deal with Alfred." Stryker said with an obvious curiosity. "It doesn't matter old man, better to not have to worry about it in he future right?" the prince responded without looking away from the new design as he edited the blueprint here and there. "Hey im not complaining. Just wondering where kids like you were when i was dodging bullets."Stryker said in a good mood for the first time in a long time. "Your awful chipper for a guy working on putting his career out of business." he said finally looking away. Stryker walked out with a smirk saying "Keep your nose in the screen where it belongs prince." closing he door behind him before the prince could retort.

Meanwhile Mrs. Dempsey and Dr.Franklin had taken the kitchen over from the palace staff and were working together on dinner for the kids. "Something seems to be brightening your day today Rosa, what is it." the older woman said carefully as she kneeded the dough for the pot pie. "Well i don't know if you'd approve but i've got to tell someone before i burst....stryker asked me to dinner and i said yes." the doctor gushed looking 15 years younger. "that mans nothing but trouble...but you seem to attract enough of that on your own...so what are you doing here?its nearly 6!?! Get out! go get dressed! Ive got this, plus you are mostly in the way dear." before the doctor could respond the short old woman shoved her out the kitchen. Once she was alone she sighed but not with sadness. "we weren't so different Alvin." with a smile and a few tears she continued to make diner from what she considered to be her new children.
FireMaiden Chimney Swift Svisttt WolfOfProphecys Randomfella Natural Flavour​

 

[Svisttt]

Inari was both having a blast, yet somehow a miserable time at the palace. Everything felt so overwhelming, despite them already having been here for a good 6 weeks. Still, she sat outside on the palace steps, gazing at all the pretty flowers and enjoying the scents they put out, although they were a little drowned out by whatever was cooking inside. She didn't have that suit on - was she supposed to be wearing it right now? Maybe, maybe not, but either way she was glad it was off her. There was something restricting about it; she didn't like feeling so disconnected from everything. The prince's intentions were a little... concerning to her, as well. She didn't like the idea that whatever knowledge he was gaining from this would be used to harm people, or the possibility that other people might become like them.

No human, in her opinion, should be used in the way she and the rest of her "family" has been.

Inari still cared about Dr. Franklin, although she'd been much more wary of her after what Stryker had told them. Wary of most adults, and only really confiding in and trusting the other kids. She'd been more recluse and cautious since that day on the farm, if she was being honest with herself. She wasn't as talkative as she'd been before and more hesitant in her actions. School had been hell for her, nearly having meltdowns on her first few days with all the new sounds and smells and people... Inari had quickly learned to tone down most of her senses, although this had granted her horrendously poor grades for not paying attention. She had a hard time interacting with the others going to the school, too.

The other kids at school scared her, for some reason. A few teased her occasionally, but otherwise she was relatively invisible to everyone else. Inari's... a little sad about that, but knows it's for the best.

The teachers freaked her out too, they often scolded her and the things they said didn't make much sense to her. She often got in trouble with them for not paying attention or dozing off for a nap. Apparently, that wasn't a good thing.There'd been plenty of things she'd had to get used to, like that you shouldn't walk on the road because that's a good way to get squished. Inari nearly learned that lesson the hard way.

Despite not really bonding with the kids at school, Inari did find a little friend to hang out with, a small lizard that she named Gizmo. She took him everywhere, even to school, usually keeping the little guy in her pocket. She even made a little bed for him, in a shoe box she kept in the room she was given. Inari hoped he liked her, because she liked him and she'd be sad if he was miserable with her.

Inari looked away from the flowers surrounding the palace to glance at her wrist, on which was her little bracelet, though it had been significantly blackened after Ember's time with it. She'd managed to find it on the old barn's floor right before they had left, much to her joy and relief. She'd managed to take her mind off her parents, for the most part, although that was easy to do considering the dangers that had and are currently being presented to them.

Pulling her knees to her chest, Inari turned her gaze to the sky, and the pretty colors it was being painted with. Oranges and purples, though a bit of blue was still there. She supposed the sky was her favorite thing about life outside the facility, that or birds, knowing these two things could never be taken away from her.

Never.

 

[Natural Flavour]

~Ember~
Location: Palace
Mentions: WeaselThor FireMaiden
​

Ember spent a lot of time by herself, lately. She had always been quiet, but in the chaotic midst of everything happening, she had become much more quiet. She was kind of free to do whatever, and it was.... strange. Scary. All her life she had been confined to one building, then to a farm.... and now...

Ember stood on a balcony, many floors up, looking down at the city below. The sun was low in the sky, and it cast golden sunlight on a wide river below. The houses and cars beneath her looked like toys. But she was sad.... I mean, not ALL the time, but sometimes.

Usually after a long day of school.

Ember didn't tell the other kids in 2nd grade that she had powers. She wore these pretty silver gloves full time, but once she got to school, she slipped them under a bush. Nobody could ever know of her powers. Why not? Ember thought hard. She didn't really want all that attention, first of all. She didn't want to be different. She wanted to forget that she had fire in her veins. She wanted to forget, forever, that she was different. Bad.

Speaking of her powers, she hadn't had anymore accidental outbursts since that fateful day at the Dempsey farm. Ember..... she hadn't talked to Mrs. Dempsey since, either. She avoided the old lady like the plague, and she had constant nightmares that she would yell at her. Hurt her.

Ember wasn't enthusiastic about her training. She did it half heartedly, pretending that she was unable to do whatever they asked of her. Ember didn't try. In fact, she didn't actually know the extent of her powers. She was unwilling to find out. I want to get RID of this, not get BETTER at it....

There was one certain bright spot in Ember's days. Once, after school, Ember explored the city alone. She was so quiet that she was sure nobody at the palace would even notice her absence, anyways. But Ember liked exploring the city. Yes, it was big, and she was small, but she felt invisible in the crowds. One of her favourite places was downtown. She spent hours just watching all the cars and people..... until she found something better.

A little cafe, nestled in the hustle and bustle of downtown. The small, warm looking building looked so out of place in the tall, cold, dazzling city. She was curious, so she walked in. It wasn't very busy at all, just one or two customers doing their own thing. But something was very different than what Ember had been told a cafe was.

There were..... cats? Everywhere. More cats than people in the building. Some kittens, too. In a little box near the back, a very pregnant cat lay. Ember watched her, curiously.

"Hello, can I help you?"

Ember whipped around. A lady stood behind her, looking at her.

"I'm sorry.." She whispered. The lady laughed.

"For what?" Ember didn't have an answer for that. The lady smiled. "The cats here are for everyone to love." Ember looked all around at the many cats.

"Who's cats are they?" Ember asked, breathlessly. The lady chuckled.

"They don't belong to anyone. I like to pretend they're all mine though. The cats live here until someone falls in love with them and takes them home." The lady gestured to the pregnant cat Ember had been looking at. "This is Mia. She'll have her kittens within the week... and then I'll have MORE feline mouths to feed." Ember was just speechless, taking it all in. "I'm Renee." The lady said. "What's your name?"

"I'm Ember... can I.... can I touch the cats?" Renee laughed.

"If they'll let you! Some actually really like being pet."

"You mean I won't hurt them?!" Ember was so excited she forgot that this lady didn't know about her powers. Renee snorted.

"They're not THAT sensitive. Cats are pretty durable, don't worry. Play with them all you want." Renee went back into the kitchen.

Ember knelt down, and shakily reached out her hand to touch Mia. Mia's bright yellow eyes stared up curiously at Ember, and she began to purr as the girl put her small hand in the cat's silky, thick, dark grey fur. It felt.... perfect.

That day, Ember stayed a long time. The next day, too. And the day after that. Ember was a regular at the little Cafe. Renee was nice. She kind of reminded Ember of Beca.

Ember stood now, on the balcony, trying to see if she could see the Cafe from here. She couldn't. Renee had said the kitten's were likely to be born tomorrow, so Ember knew she'd head there, right after school. But now it was nearly suppertime, so Ember found he way down multiple flights of stairs to the kitchen. She caught her breath when she saw that Mrs. Dempsey was there, and hoped the old lady wouldn't see her.

 

[FireMaiden]

Beca Franklin - Trigger Warning
Interaction: Open
Nearby:
The last month has been...hard to say the least. First off, the farm. Beca couldn't get the thoughts of what she did to leave her, but she could deal with her murder. She was a predator, leagues above almost everyone else because posses not only dangerous inticnts, but dangerous intelligence as well. As tiger with that kind of smarts on the battle field was certain to kill, to hunt, to do damage. Her killing was not the thing that bothered her. It was the feeling that came from it. That pride...the sickly satisfying taste of blood and fresh meat, she scent...it almost drove her crazy. She hadn't expected from human victims, but when it came to her hunting animals, it was somethin she was use to. But not like this. Beca craved a fight, blood, she wanted to kill again. It's an urge that she can mostly control, but when it comes down to it, she's violent, Beca may be more dangerous than Ember even and it showed in her training.

Her personality hasn't shifted as much as everyone else, but it was noticeable she was getting better. Training was easy, she picked up on new things pretty quickly, and developed old techniques further when she could. In tiger form and human both because what's the good if she can't fight in both? Beast mode wasn't always going to be an option, and she got the same rush in human as she got in tiger form. However, there is a problem. She keeps training, getting more dangerous as the days go on as everyone has noticed, and her anger is getting worse. Or at least, her aggressive, confrontational nature is coming out more and more. She's butting heads with almost everyone, at home and at school.

Speaking of school, that was the biggest adjustment. Well, not really, since she had technically been schooled before; or at least experienced so.ething similar. The topics are easy to understand, and surprisingly, she's making amazing grades. You know, in the short time she's been in class. Anyway, this hasn't spared her getting an accurate reputation as a fucking freak. She has made no friends, gotten into several fights, verbal and physical, yet because of the circumstances of each, she hasn't gotten into any trouble because of it. Everyone thinks that those claims are bullshit, no way can this girl take on a large group of 8 people single handedly. But she has, and no body is interested in stopping.

Without a Beca looked down at the blood dripping off her knuckles, before her smoldering eyes turned to the ringleader of this most recent group to try and take her on. He looked terrified as she walked towards him, not a single wound on her, none of the blood covering her uniform her own. He stumbled backwards at a loss for words other than stammering mumbles. Tears were rolling down his cheeks, and Beca went to throw a final punch - yet her first stopped mere inches from his face as her nose wrinkled at the smell of piss. Looking down at the boys pants, she dropped her fist and laughed. Not her usual laugh everyone was use to, but a dark, sinister laugh that sent chills down your spine. "Pathetic...and You really though this would work?" The boy said nothing, "You guys are right though, I am a freak, and you have no fucking idea what I'm capable of."

This was a familiar sight, but it's reasons were darker than just an alley way fight. Beca watches the blood trickle down her arm, and off her fingers as she dragged the cold steel across her flesh. The pain was something she wanted, almost needed to feel right then, and Beca couldn't understand why she wanted it so much. She knew this was bad, she knew that she shouldn't be doing this, but...it felt nice. A release, an unhealthy release of pain, stress, just right there. Both her arms, just under the elbows, there were a few self inflicted scars from over the past few days. On her thighs as well, but they would all disappear the next time she went tiger, so it didn't matter. It didn't matter that she was doing this to herself. If she wanted, Beca could just let those people at school fuck her shit up and then come back the next day completely fine.

Staying there for a few moments, she stood from the bathroom floor and began to wash her arm in the sink, wincing at the uncomfortableness of that kind of pressure on fresh cuts. But it had to be done, she wasn't stupid. Next she pressed a cloth to her arm in order to stop the bleeding before she put her new favorite leather jacket on. She wasn't wearing her suit like she was supposed to, but it was okay, they were there at home. Or the palace rather, she just called it home cause it was a bit weird other wise. Anyway, she finally cleaned the blood off the floor, and left the bathroom.

 

[WolfOfProphecys]

Unlike some of the others, Jay hadn’t become noticeably different in mood, at least not outwardly. He was still the kind, bright kid who tried to cheer all of the others up and help care for them, despite there being older people here to help do that. He just wished his methods of cheering them up would help.

He’d noticed how most of them were uneasy with school. How Ember disappeared. He’d followed after her, once, to make sure she was okay, and had smiled to see the cafe where she’d ended up, before he’d sped back home. He’d noticed that something was... off, with Beca, but he just couldn’t put his finger on it and it made him nervous.

But despite his joyful act, he was certainly feeling darker inside. After all, he hadn’t been able to catch the stone in time, the one that had seriously harmed Alvin. And maybe the man would have been able to escape had he not been seriously harmed. And he’d helped Beca take down the agents, watched as she tore out their throats after he’d disarmed them. The images still kept him awake at night, so he barely slept really. School was another matter, in that he didn’t fit in. He was too old, and for some reason others found his bright personality something to pick on. Not that he outwardly seemed bothered by that either.

The good thing was his suit. He often spent his free time running about the grounds now, whether full speed or not, just to clear his head. And it was what he was doing how, though at a normal pace instead of his super powered one. Sometimes he just liked to go slower.

 

[Svisttt]

Being alone wasn't the funnest, but being around people still made Inari uneasy. She assumed it was her meltdown on the farm still affecting her, or just the events that took place that day in general, or even more recent occurrences, but she felt like she should've gotten over everything by now. She didn't think what she went through was as bad as what Beca or Jay, or even Ember had to deal with, it was just... a whole lot of pain that never seemed to end. Maybe it was bad, but at least she didn't have to hurt anyone, or see many people get hurt.

Inari thought she'd rather be in pain than hurt other people.

Pain, like being alone, wasn't the funnest, but it was manageable, right? Inari'd been wary to use her power since the incident, but she knew she couldn't just give up on ever using it again. She'd spent a lot of time sleeping of late, simply to pass time and hope things were better when she woke up. It wasn't the healthiest, but Inari hadn't exactly been the most motivated person in the world since they arrived.

Stretching, Inari stood up, knowing there was no point in sitting and being miserable. Walking and being miserable was different, because you can at least act like you're being productive. She walked down from her spot, jumping off at the last step and and wandering off into the palace grounds.

She'd heard his fast paced footsteps before she saw him, stopping in her tracks to glance around before officially spotting Jay running. Inari managed to crack a smile when she saw how slow he was going, although for her and many of the others it was a relatively normal pace. Still, there was something oddly unnatural about seeing him run at his slower speed, but it wasn't necessarily a bad thing. It was graceful, in a way. Inari just kind of... stood there, watching him do his thing as a way to take her focus off all the other things bothering her. She'd taken Gizmo out of her pocket and placed him on her shoulder so he could watch, too. Inari wondered if he liked Jay.

WolfOfProphecys

 

[WolfOfProphecys]

Lost in thought, Jay didn’t notice Inari for a while. He was trying not to think about what had happened on the farm, and he’d hoped that running would tire him out enough that he could sleep without nightmares. Though, so far it hadn’t worked, and just served to tire him out further when he couldn’t sleep. It didn’t help that the nightmares weren’t just from the farm. It seemed the bloody scenes had reawakened old memories of his abuse, and those plagued him at nights also.

Finally spotting Inari, with Gizmo on her shoulder, he quickly brightened his expression from the contemplative, tired one he’d had when he thought no one was watching. After all, Inari looked miserable also, so one of them had to be the cheerful one. And that kinda fell to Jay as the eldest.

“Inari! You okay?” He asked, slowing as he jogged over to her and smiled brightly at her, tilting his head in concern after a moment, “You don’t look happy. Something happen?”

Svisttt

 

[Svisttt]

When she saw Jay approaching, Inari was tempted to book it and hope she didn't interrupt him too much, but it was a little too late to do so without being really rude. He looked a bit tired when he first saw her, but his expression changed quickly and he looked as though he didn't have a worry in the world. Relaxing a bit, she flashed Jay an uneasy smile as Gizmo stared the older boy down, flicking his tongue out occasionally but otherwise unmoving.

He quickly began asking her about how she was, and said that she looked unhappy. Was it that obvious? Inari twisted the bracelet on her wrist, glancing down the flowers trying to bloom by their feet. She'd never been the greatest at hiding the way she felt, and she was never sure if that was a good or bad thing. Regardless, Inari never seemed to be able to bring herself to be dishonest with Jay, and she knew talking might help a bit.

"Oh, uhm... just... just been thinking about... about st.. uff, that's all..." Inari had always had a slight stutter, but she'd been stumbling over her words a lot more of late, and today was no exception, "I've been... uh, kind of wo... worried about everyone e.. else of late. Er- I know... everyone had things a whole... whole lot worse than I did before came... we came here, so I can't really complain too much." She tore her eyes away from the ground and tried making eye contact, but instead focusing on a spot just over his shoulder, "Have...uhm, you've been okay?"

WolfOfProphecys

 

[WolfOfProphecys]

Jay peered curiously at Gizmo, who seemed to be staring at him, but paid him no thought. He was more focused on how unhappy and nervous Inari seemed, fiddling with her bracelet. She'd seemed quiet lately. Most of them, in fact, had. The farm had done something, scared them and changed them, he thought. And, well, he didn't like the darkness that seemed to cloud his family's minds, and only wanted to help.

He was glad when she was honest with him, not protesting answering him. He gave her a tiny smile, "It's okay to worry Inari. And... just because some of the others have had a whole lot more on their minds, doesn't mean your thoughts and feelings aren't important." He returned, very much wishing he could wrap his arms around her and cuddle her. But... He didn't want to startle her right now, when she seemed a little vulnerable. After all, she wasn't even looking straight at him.

"I'm fine. Just trying to make sure everyone else is okay." He told her cheerfully. He didn't like lying to the others and didn't do it often. He'd only lie if the truth would worry or upset them. Or if, like now, he didn't feel it was important enough amidst everything else that was happening.

Svisttt

 

[Randomfella]

Scarlet Vulnere
Royal Palace. May 26th 2021 5:45pm​

Scarlet didn't say much of anything as they left, and thankfully to her, the others didn't seem so chatty after what had happened at the barn. Still, she followed on, unsure of the man's intentions, and secretly fearful of what would happen to her if she tried to leave. As they arrived at their new residence, however, more questions arose in her mind. Was it Stryker's plan to pawn them off to royals as some sort of further luxury? Or was there far more to all of this? Nevertheless, she remained sceptical.

To say Scarlet was reluctant to adopt the changes now placed upon them would be an understatement. In her mind the others were just as much living in a fantasy as the youngest of them wished to be. The testings, forced conditions, they were lab rats with the illusion of freedom, to be weapons once more, yet Scarlet owed nothing to these people. "Can you form this shape? Puncture this? Of course I can, pfft." Scarlet mumbled to herself in her room, clearly frustrated with the latest attempt to study her abilities, yet in the test room she had said nothing, her arms crossed, she wasn't about to cooperate. "What do they think I am?" She thought to herself, sitting on the large bed, slumping over and resting her cheek upon her right fist.

Her gaze moved over toward the suit she had been given which she had earlier chucked onto an empty chair with little care. Scarlet couldn't deny its possible usefulness, but still, she had no idea what was built into it, and her judgement of their current situation didn't lead her to trust keeping it on. As for school, the most pointless expectation of theirs in her mind, hanging around a bunch of children so they can pester her too, that wasn't going to happen. Most of her time was spent finding her own entertainment around their so called home, testing her abilities in her own time, though always limiting how long she did so for, she didn't want to end up like Beca after all.

And so Scarlet continued to mull around her room in the palace, waiting for dinner to come once more, waiting for true intentions to show... Someone had plans for them, she just wanted to know what.

 

[Svisttt]

But what if I'm not important?

Inari decided to keep that little thought to herself and tried to perk up a bit. She'd managed at this point to tear her eyes away from the nothing she was gazing at to look at Jay himself. He looked maybe a little tired, but he was just running. She figured if something was really wrong he'd speak up, or, at least she hoped. She and Scarlet were kind of... the middle kids, so Inari hadn't ever really expected anyone to come to her with anything. Especially their problems.

Gizmo, contrasting Inari's shy demeanor, looked like an actual shady bitch. This wasn't out of the ordinary for the lizard, but today he seemed particularly fond of the side eye. Inari glanced over at him and gently booped the top of his scaly little head.

Eventually, Inari spoke up again, stuttering a whole lot less, "Do you wanna do anything before dinner? Maybe... maybe we could drag Robin along, or something." She pause, then added quickly, "I've been kinda worried about him."

 

[WolfOfProphecys]

Jay gave a tiny, almost tired smile as he noticed her perk up a bit, noticed her finally looking at him. He himself seemed to brighten when the other did so, glad that he'd been able to do something to cheer someone up, even if it may not have been by that much. He just liked to be able to help. Even if he himself wasn't feeling too good, both mentally and physically. Still, he could hide his own problems, he'd been doing it for years with his past. It wasn't that he didn't trust any of them, it was that he didn't think it important.

Smiling as he noticed Gizmo give Inari a relatively unimpressed look, or as unimpressed as Jay imagined a lizard to look, he peered at her and nodded. That sounded like a good idea. He'd been worried about everyone, Robin included, and if Inari thought that doing something as a group would cheer him up, then they could try.

"Sure. Maybe we should ask Robin what he'd want to do? We could play a game or something?"