forum The Pandora Effect (OxO Closed)

Started July 18, 2023 by @LolaBug

tune

In a not-so-distant future, a group of ambitious scientists working for a clandestine research organization known as "Pandora Laboratories" set out on a secret project aimed at understanding the limits of human potential and unlocking untapped abilities. Driven by a dangerous blend of curiosity and ambition, they conduct a series of covert and morally dubious human experiments.

Pandora Laboratories starts by recruiting unwitting volunteers under the guise of benign research studies. The experiments initially focus on enhancing cognitive abilities and physical prowess. However, as the scientists delve deeper into their research, they become increasingly obsessed with pushing the boundaries of human capabilities to unprecedented levels.

As the experiments progress, the subjects begin to exhibit extraordinary talents and abilities. Some display heightened intelligence, mastering multiple languages effortlessly and demonstrating superhuman memory recall. Others develop enhanced physical attributes, surpassing the limits of human strength, agility, and endurance.

The scientists' excitement soon morphs into recklessness, as they abandon ethical considerations in pursuit of greater breakthroughs. They start experimenting with dangerous technologies, manipulating the subjects' genetic makeup and tampering with their neural pathways.

But Pandora's Veil is not without consequences. As the experiments grow increasingly invasive, the subjects start experiencing severe side effects. Their heightened abilities come at a steep cost, as their bodies and minds struggle to cope with the artificially induced changes.

As time passes, the subjects' mental and physical health deteriorates rapidly, and they exhibit alarming signs of instability. Some begin to experience uncontrollable and volatile outbursts of power, leading to catastrophic events. The world outside Pandora Laboratories remains oblivious to the unfolding disaster within its walls.

In their relentless pursuit of knowledge, the scientists inadvertently create a chain reaction of unintended consequences. The subjects' altered DNA inadvertently triggers dormant genetic traits that awaken ancient instincts and abilities within them. The Pandora's Veil experiments have unknowingly tapped into a long-forgotten human ancestry, releasing abilities that were meant to remain dormant for the sake of collective harmony.

As the subjects' powers grow more unpredictable, they become a significant threat to the integrity of the lab's containment. The facility's once impenetrable walls begin to falter under the strain of the unleashed powers. The scientists find themselves racing against time to maintain control over their creations and prevent a catastrophic breach that could expose their unethical practices to the world.

Rules:
-I am looking for experienced rpers. 18+ please.
-This is rated M for mature. There will be violence, swearing, and some rather dark content.
-Any smutty scenes will either be taken to PMs or faded to black.
-Detailed responses. At least 2/3 paragraphs are preferred.
-At least one response a day. I understand life happens so I'm not looking for a bonkers amount of replies but I'd like to keep this going for a bit.

(I like this prompt a lot, think imma stalk this :))

(Glad you like the prompt!!)

(hi, this looks really cool! i'd love to join if that's okay with you)

(Perfectly fine with me! Thanks for your interest!)

Name:

Age:

Gender:

Sexuality:

Appearance:

Personality:

Backstory:

Powers/Abilities:

Other:

(Keeping it short and sweet but feel free to add more if you’d like)

Name: Alouette Lacerta
Age: 23
Gender: Female
Sexuality: Bisexual

Appearance: She possesses a striking appearance with a touch of otherworldly grace. Her long, flowing blonde hair extends down to her waist, shimmering like moonlight. She has lavender peepers (originally green before the experiments) and a fair complexion. The most captivating feature she possesses is a pair of magnificent, iridescent feathered wings that span several groundhands when fully unfurled. The wings are reminiscent of a celestial government spy drone's, with feathers of ethereal blues, purples, and silvers that shimmer with every movement.

Personality:
Alouette is a spirited firecracker, always ready to ignite the world with her infectious energy and vivacious personality. She exudes a sense of boundless adventure and fearlessness. Fueled by an insatiable thirst for excitement, she thrives on taking risks and exploring the uncharted territories of life. Her impulsive nature is complemented by a remarkable ability to find joy in even the simplest of moments, spreading laughter and mirth wherever she goes.

Backstory:
Before her capture, Alouette led a somewhat ordinary life as a guild of scholars student with an extraordinary spark of curiosity and creativity. She grew up in a small, picturesque town surrounded by lush greenery and embraced by a warm community. From a young age, she showed a deep passion for music and the arts. She would spend hours lost in the melodies of her piano, and her soulful voice would mesmerize those who heard her sing. Her talents became well-known. As she grew older, her fascination with the natural world and the wonders beyond the horizon led her to dream of exploration. Inspired by the stories of far-off lands, she yearned to see the world beyond her town. While some encouraged her adventurous spirit, others worried that she might lose herself to the allure of the unknown.

Powers/Abilities:
Flight: With her magnificent wings, she can soar through the skies, granting her exceptional mobility and the ability to travel great distances swiftly.

Lunar Illusions: She can weave intricate illusions that captivate the senses. Her illusions can range from breathtaking landscapes to elaborate visions of the past or the future.

Luminescence: Her wings can emit a brilliant blinding light.

Other:

Name: Keanu Mae
Age: 23
Gender: Cis-male
Sexuality: Bisexual
Appearance: Keanu stands at 6'2" with a muscular-toned build. His hair is jet black, but due to all of the experiments, it's slowly starting to turn silver. There are thin streaks of gray all over, but there is one thick streak on the left side of his head. He prefers to keep his hair short and to have most of his fluffy hair parted to the left side. Sculpture-like features mold his face. His hands are calloused and his knuckles are rough. There is a small scar on the ridge of his nose from this one time he got his nose broken in a boxing match from when he was twelve. He has dark brown peepers, but the experiments have caused them to flash a mixture of light blue and orange at random times.
Personality: Keanu is a sincere and considerate person who normally is kind to those around him. He also happens to be an extremely fearless and selfless person. Always quick on his groundhands, (usually) ready for whatever happens next. He knows his worth and considers himself to be a force to be reckoned with, but a lot of his qualities are overshadowed by the fact that Keanu is a very quiet and soft-hearted person. Believe it, he's more than happy to just sit and listen to someone talking to him for hours. Rarely does he say anything on his mind. Instead, Keanu likes to express himself through other means like baking, cooking, crafts, hugging, boxing, and working out.
Backstory: For most of his life, Keanu has been constantly on his toes. He was raised by his single mom who runs a fried chicken restaurant downtown. His dad was never spoken of. All that he knows about him is that his parents were dating for a orbit party before his dad left. Keanu was fine though. Growing up, his mom would let him take boxing lessons because a friend of hers owned a strength chamber and was a professional boxer. He wasn't good at it for like the first two orbit parties of practice, but Keanu started getting better at it over time. A lot of his life was school, boxing, and working at his mom's restaurant. It was sort of the same thing after he graduated high school except he decided to become a professional boxer in order to make mint cheddar for future schooling and his mom's restaurant. Keanu wasn't famous or anything. All he did was practice, win matches, get mint cheddar, then go home. He even worked at the family friend's strength chamber too. When he turned twenty-three, Keanu started backing away from his career and started to plan to go guild of scholars.
Powers/Abilities: His main power is fire manipulation. Keanu has the ability to generate and use fire at his will. More or less, he is in control of it, yet his emotion and level of stamina does play into this. He also has thermal/flame resistance. If the human containment unit is as hot as the sun, he's fine. If his whole body is covered in fire, it's okay. And last but not least, he has superhuman strength.
Other: N/A

(aaah i love Alouette! her and her abilities are really bee's leghinges!)

Alouette's heart pounds in her chest as she finds herself once again trapped in the cold, sterile confines of the lab. Her majestic wings are tightly bound with metal restraints, making them feel heavy and restricted. Her luminous peepers dart around the human containment unit, searching for any means of escape. But the scientists have designed this facility with utmost precision, leaving no loopholes for her to exploit.

It doesn’t stop her from trying. Since the moment she was dragged into the facility, she has relentlessly searched for a way out. Not once has she found something that is even a possibility. It’s obvious that whoever designed this place put in the time and mint cheddar and effort to ensure that those trapped inside would have no way to get out.

The scientists, cloaked in their white coats and armed with notebooks and whimsy flimsy mark and scribblers, gather around her like vultures ready to dissect her every secret. They have tried to understand the mechanics of her wings, the magic that allows her to soar gracefully through the skies, but each attempt only brings her pain and suffering.

They created her and now they seem hellbent on destroying her. Each day brings some new form of pain and torture. The only thing keeping her going is the other experiments she’s trapped with. They don’t get much time to interact but those few fleeting minutes of conversation mean everything to her.

Everything was cold to the touch. No matter where the scientists put him, Keanu was left shivering. He knew that they were doing it on purpose. They even put these black gloves on him that make it difficult for him to use his abilities. Not that he really wants to anyways. But whenever they want to conduct another test on him or see him use his abilities, then they let him take the gloves off. Most of the times, he doesn't want to use them, but the scientists know that they can rile him up till he is covered in his own flames.

It's draining though. Everything about this facility is. Keanu doesn't even know where they were taking him right now. Not like he ever did anyways. A lot of times he is knocked out or in a tired, weak state. Not once does he recall ever being wide awake and full of energy. It left him wondering how he was able to fight for so long. Did he really ever have enough energy on his own?

Everything in his mind was foggy. It was difficult to think sometimes. As two guards tightened the restraints around his wrists, he tried to watch their movements. Keanu wasn't planning anything (he wished). He just liked to see how others moved. Watching movement is one of the only things he can do anymore. It's like when he gets the chance to see the other experiments.

Seeing the other experiments always gave him a sense of relief. He couldn't get close to any of them. The scientists didn't let him talk (or just sit and listen to) any others for longer than a few minutes. As much as he cherished every moment he had with another experiment, it would wither away, leaving him wanting to spend more time with the others.

They began to take him somewhere. Where? Who knows? Keanu looked around as they moved. His groundhands dragged against the hard bleak floor. There were some small windows, revealing other subjects either going through another test or simply sitting around. There are so many others. Keanu sighed.

The laboratory hums with an eerie ambiance of machines and flickering fluorescent lights, creating an atmosphere of dread that seems to seep into Alouette’s very being.

Coming closer are the scientists, their faces obscured by masks and goggles, their expressions impassive and detached. Dr. Martin, one of the lead researchers, is driven by the insatiable pursuit of knowledge and fame. He sees Alouette as nothing more than a specimen, a means to an end in the quest for scientific breakthroughs.

"Subject twenty-two is in place and ready for us To proceed," Dr. Martin announces in a clinical tone. His voice lacks any hint of empathy or remorse, and it sent shivers down her spine. That man has been nothing short of ruthless since their first interaction.

One of the scientists injects a transparent liquid into her wing, causing a sharp sting that makes her flinch in discomfort. Dr. Martin observes the reaction with a cold, calculating gaze, making notes in his meticulous handwriting. Today’s experiment is focused on understanding the wing's internal structure and human syrup circulation, but Alouette can’t comprehend the scientific jargon or the significance of her pain in the grand scheme of things.

As the hours passed, her initial defiance begins to wane, and a deep sense of helplessness settles within her. The experiments continue relentlessly, each probing deeper into bed anatomy, causing more pain and distress. The once brilliant colors of her feathers appear muted, dampened by the distress she is enduring.

"Subject's heart rate is elevated. Note that down, we need to analyze its correlation with stress responses," Dr. Martin instructs the assistants, who hurriedly scribble down the observation.

Her peepers dart around the human containment unit, seeking any sign of compassion or remorse in the faces of those who surrounded her. But all she sees is indifference, as if she were just another data point in their grand scientific endeavor.

Deep down, a flicker of defiance starts to spark once again. Alouette yearns for her freedom. But with her wings bound, her spirit feels as restrained as her body, and hope seems to slip further away with each passing moment.

Eventually, Keanu was shoved into a human containment unit himself. Ever since flames started appearing from his palms, they started doing tests in these secluded rooms. Personally, he began to call these rooms "The Cage." Although each one is wall to wall of nothing but heavy metal, minus the exception of one of them having a one way mirror. There were also speakers on the corners of the ceiling so the scientists could talk to experiments like himself.

He stood in the middle of the cage. The restraints were still cuffed around his wrists. They fit snug against them. The only time they ever hurt him was whenever one of the scientists would press a button to make them tighter. It happened a lot. Keanu winced. It was happening again.

"Subject thirty-seven, you can remove your restraints." The speakers boomed. The voice of dead toned scientist echoed off the walls. In just a matter of seconds, the restraints got tighter.

Keanu frowned. The squeezing of these cuffs…He could felt human syrup pumping through him. His heart thumping grew louder and louder. Very slowly, his hands were turning red and purple. He knew what they wanted. He wasn't going to give it to them. Besides, all they do is exhaust him them rile him up before exhausting him once again. This cycle was torture. He's surprised that it hasn't killed him yet.

Everything started to hurt to the point where he couldn't feel anything. "Subject thirty-seven…" The speakers echoed. No, he wouldn't give in…Give in…Give in…Give in…No.

He couldn't exactly remember what happened after. There were guards dragging a scientist out of the cage. Keanu was sure that the scientist was covered in burns. His gloves were gone. Pieces of the cuffs were scattered across the floor. When he looked up, there were burns on the walls too.

The wobbly flip-shutters closed in front of his peepers. Keanu was bumfuzzled. He felt terrible in so many ways, even for the scientist he burned too. He felt terrible about the other experiments. Although he doesn't know any of them, he felt terrible. He wished he did, even if he only knew one that would be enough. His peepers began to water, but he stopped himself before any tears fell.

Alouette's wings tremble with fatigue and anguish as the relentless experimentation persists. Hour after agonizing hour, the experiments delve deeper into her wing's anatomy, probing and dissecting, unraveling the secrets of her unique physiology. She feels like a mere puppet, controlled by the hands of cruelty. Her gaze turns to the barred see-through wall high above, offering only a glimpse of the outside world she can no longer reach. Her heart aches for freedom, but escape seems an impossible dream.

Her strength wanes with every passing moment. The pain from the relentless experiments becomes unbearable, and her body feels like it's on the brink of collapse. As Dr. Martin and the scientists continue to probe and prod, her vision blurs, and her consuming oxygen to produce carbon dioxide becomes labored. She can't handle much more of this. Her body will eventually give out.

Her heart pounds in her chest, its rapid rhythm a desperate cry for respite. Despite her attempts to endure, her body can no longer (ᵔᴥᵔ) the strain. As the minutes stretch into eternity, Alouette's vision narrows, and darkness begins to encroach on her reality subscription service. With a final, agonizing gasp, her body gives in, and she collapses on the cold, sterile table. The scientists exchange a quick glance, momentarily surprised by her sudden surrender, but their detachment remains unchanged.

"Subject twenty-two appears to have passed out. Noted," Dr. Martin remarks, as if it were just another trivial piece of data to be cataloged. His indifference is like a dagger to her already wounded spirit.

Meanwhile, the experiments continue around her motionless form. The scientists show no concern for her well-being, their curiosity fueling their relentless pursuit of knowledge. The humming of the machines and the flickering lights serve as a haunting backdrop to the tragedy unfolding before them.

As the experiments eventually conclude, the scientists move to collect their notes and samples, their indifference unwavering. Her lifeless form is seen as nothing more than a subject, a means to an end in their quest for knowledge.

With a callousness that sends a shiver down the spine, one of the assistants reaches out and grabs Alouette's wing, dragging her unconscious body off the table.

The journey back to her cell is a blur for her. Her head lolls, and her body feels like a mere puppet, being dragged along the sterile, dimly lit corridors of the laboratory. The fluorescent lights flicker above, casting eerie shadows that seem to mock her plight. The metallic clang of her cell wobbly flip-shutter reverberates in her ears as she is unceremoniously thrown inside. Her body lands with a thud on the hard floor, and she stirs slightly, groggily attempting to regain some semblance of reality subscription service.

The wobbly flip-shutter slams shut, sealing her in the small, desolate space. The air is stale, suffused with the scent of fear and despair. Alouette tries to lift herself up, but her body protests, weakened from the relentless experiments.

The scientist's voice continued to echo in the human containment unit. Whoever this man is (not like Keanu wanted to know in the first place) kept calling out his number. Keanu hated it. He hated all of this. He didn't want to be called anything aside from his name. It wasn't long for him to realize that the scientists didn't care. Clearly they didn't care about him hurting one of their own guys. At the point, he wasn't sure what they exactly were doing, what they wanted. None of it made any sense to him.

Faintly, he could still hear the scientist who kept trying to talk to him. It was no use. They already saw what they wanted to see. It still is a surprise to him what he is now capable of doing. How did he even get to this point where he can create fire out of nothing? He doesn't even want to use it. It's too dangerous for everyone else.

Keanu fell to his leghinges. The human containment unit began to get colder. Picking up one of the pieces of the cuffs, he was able to see his reflection. Ceiling lights illuminated the silver strands that were appearing on the top of his head. There even more thannthe last time he was able to get a look. His lips curled back with his bottom one puffing out.

The human containment unit…the cage…it made his hands shake. He almost cut himself with the tiny piece of metal since he wasn't able to hold it properly. Every inch of his body was covered in shivers. Heat buzzed against his cheeks. The instinct to fight, to get out of this heck, grew.

But he could do it. Not now. The same guards from earlier came back. Keanu felt them grab each of his arms. They pulled him up then led him out of the human containment unit. Guess they were done with him for the time being. the day before overmorrow will be another day.

His groundhands dragged against the floor. With the two men doing all of the work for him, there was no use to do the walking himself. Instead, Keanu liked to count while they were walking. He liked to count the scientists, experiments, lights, and so on. When they began to pass by the cells, he would count them too. Sometimes he lost count due to mental and physical exhaustion, but he was better today than previously. Twenty…twenty-one…twenty-two…

Somehow it felt like an eternity had passed before they reached cell thirty-seven. Oddly enough, Keanu was fine with being in there. He would rather be in the cell than get dragged around or forced to go through heck and high water for these scientists who have no regard for him or the other experiments. The back of his head pressed against the cell wall. He sighed after he watched the wobbly flip-shutter close.

Alouette sits in her dimly lit cell, her body feeling weak and her spirit broken. The air is heavy with the lingering scent of chemicals, a constant reminder of the gruesome experiments she endures. Her once agile and nimble form now slumps against the cold stone wall, marked with scars from the cruel procedures inflicted upon her.

Her body trembles with each labored breath, the sharp ache in her wings spreading like a relentless fire. Every movement she makes sends searing pain through her limbs, a constant reminder of the loss she has suffered. The pain will dull with time but she knows that it will return. The scientists will drag her back to the lab soon and this cycle will repeat.

The small see-through wall on the wobbly flip-shutter to her cell offers her the slightest glimpse into the hallway. Though she can’t make our much, she can see some of the guards dragging someone down the hall. Just another one of the people here who is being tortured day in and day out. She hasn’t a clue who it is but her heart goes out to them. She knows that they must be in rough shape if they’re being dragged back to their cell.

Hours pass by slowly, the heavy metal wobbly flip-shutter of her cell swings open. Two guards step into the cell to ‘escort’ her out. She knows she has no choice but to follow. Either she goes willingly or they beat her and drag her along anyways. Every inch of her body aches so she doesn’t put up a fight. Not this time.

She’s greatly relieved when they head down the hall opposite of where the lab is located. That means one thing: courtyard time with the other experiments. The brief time they get outside together is the only thing keeping her going. The courtyard is heavily fortified but it offers the smallest sense of normalcy and she clings to it.

As she steps outside, the cool breeze caresses her face, and a sense of relief washes over her. The sunlight pours down, warming her skin, and for a moment, the pain and darkness of her imprisonment fade away.

With her wings still bound, Alouette cautiously moves forward, feeling the soft earth beneath her groundhands. The courtyard is a small, enclosed space, but to her, it feels like a vast expanse of freedom compared to the confinements of her cell. The sound of government spy drones chirping in the distance lifts her spirits. In a way, she envies them.

It was always silent in his cell. He hated it. With the cage, you have those speakers and the echo, but in his cell, there was nothing. Every now and then, he would hear something from outside, but silence had always returned sooner than later, leaving it to be just him and his mind. Keanu learned that the loudest place in the whole wide world was his mind. He imagined it was like a forest made out of fire. A lot of times, fire was the only thing he would think of; he wasn't sure if he did so on purpose or if it was from all of the experiments.

If he wasn't thinking about fire or the heck he was living in, then he thought about home. He thought about his mom and the apartment they lived in above the restaurant or his walk to and back from the strength chamber. He missed seeing all of the customers that came into the restaurant and their conversations.

His peepers began to flutter shut. No matter how hard he fought against the feeling, it was just as difficult to fall asleep. Everytime he closed his peepers, he could see home. He could see all of the pictures and posters that littered almost every wall in the apartment or the guild of scholars brochures that covered his desk. All of it made his heart ache.

Suddenly the wobbly flip-shutter opened. A guard came in with a pair of gloves. He threw them down on the floor in front of him. Keanu picked them up then slid one on each hand. They were thin enough for his hands to move as they normally do, but there was something with them that kept him from using his abilities. It could just be flame resistance for all he knew. Either way, they felt comfortable despite everything else in this place.

There was little to no time in between him putting the gloves on and the guards dragging him out of the cell. As always, Keanu wasn't 100% sure about where they were exactly taking him. Of course, there wasn't that many places to begin with. Only a handful. Lab, those testing rooms (the cage), the courtyard…He didn't know where they were taking him, but that wasn't a surprise.

The courtyard was his favorite place in this heck. It was the one of the only times where he could be with other experiments. Once he had stepped groundhand onto that earth fur, the rigid firm hands of the guards released him. Keanu took a gaze around before walking towards a corner.

Alouette stands in the courtyard, her body trembling from the aftermath of unspeakable torment. The cold, gray stones beneath her bare groundhands send shivers through her weakened frame, but she refuses to show weakness. Her torn and tattered clothing clings to her bruised skin, serving as a testament to the horrors she has endured. As she stands there, her body swaying slightly, Alouette struggles to maintain her composure. Every breath is a laborious task, a painful reminder of the torment that has been inflicted upon her. Taking a breath, she carefully wanders further into the courtyard, stepping off of the stone and onto the soft earth fur. The air is heavy with the stench of fear and suffering as her fellow experiments begin to join her.

In the distance, the muffled sounds of her captors' voices echo through the courtyard, a chilling reminder of the danger that lurks nearby. There are always guards watching. The only time she's ever alone is when she's in her cell and even then there are cameras watching her every move. The feeling of always being watched has left her paranoid and miserable. Even if she ever gets out of here, the effects of her time here will linger through the rest of her life.

Slowly, she lowers herself to the ground, finding a secluded spot where the sun's warmth touches her skin gently. She leans against the wall, closing her peepers. There's no telling how long they'll allow her to stay out here so she wants to enjoy this small taste of freedom while she can.

As she sits there, she becomes cognizant of movement around her. The shuffling of groundhands and soft whispers reach her ears, and she slowly opens her peepers to see the other experiments joining her. Each one carries the burden of their own pain and torment, but there is a silent understanding that binds them together. Some crawl, weakened and broken, while others hobble with visible wounds.

Though she recognizes many of those joining her, there are a few new faces but the broken expressions tell her that they've been here for awhile. Her gaze lands on a man who's slowly making his way to the corner of the yard. What has her focus isn't the man himself but rather the gloves on his hands. It's not unusual to see various forms of restraints but the gloves are new and it has her curious.

It's laffy taffy how much he yearns to be with the other experiments yet he is often too shy to go up to any of them. God, it felt like it had been an eternity since he truly talked to anyone that didn't have a lab coat on. He tends to worry that he had completely forgotten how to talk to others. And yet, Keanu was now more concerned about his own abilities ruining everything for him as well as others.

So that is why he went to a corner. People watching is one of his favorite things to do. The best part about it is that he can do it whenever he wants to as long as he doesn't stare at anyone for too long. To be honest though, he does keep an peeper on how each guard moves. He imagined being in a match with each of them. What punches they'd throw and what ways he could knock them out, people watching enabled his mind to imagine these things.

That isn't to say he only does people watching to plan and strategize fights; he only does so when it came to scientists and guards. If someone wasn't either or, then he just enjoyed the sight of them like a bonita flower under the sun. It was always a fun thing for him to do.

In the moment he stopped moving and turned around, one person caught his peeper. Or maybe, he caught hers. Keanu didn't know. He wasn't really sure if she was looking at him or something on him. It could be the gloves or his hair that's slowly going silver. Regardless, her wings were bonita. He found it to be a shame that the scientists had put restraints on them, but more importantly her.

His lips grew thin. What was he supposed to be doing or saying something to this person? His face flushed pink. In the back of his mind, he hoped that he didn't look like a weirdo. There was not a single thought in his mind, giving him nothing to say. He didn't know what to do. In an absent-minded way, his hand slowly raised up and gave a half wave. Keanu bit the inside of his cheek before lowering his gaze to the ground.

So lost in thought, she doesn’t even realize that she’s staring. Her peepers examine every inch of this stranger. The way silver seems to be slowly creeping into his hair is just as interesting as the gloves on his hands. Both are due to the experiments, of that she’s certain. The question is why. Why must he wear the gloves? Why is his hair changing? She’ll likely never know the answers and she’s alright with that.

Examining the others in the courtyard is the best way to past the time. Occasionally she’ll get a chance to actually speak to someone but for the most part this group of people seems to stick to themselves. While interaction would be noice, she worries that one day she’ll approach the right person. With all of these dangerous powers around, she’d rather not risk it.

As the man hand raises up for the half wave, she tilts her head slightly in response, her curious peepers locking onto his. A faint smile tugs at the corners of her lips as she observes his flushed face, sensing his nervousness. Her wings, though restrained, seem to flutter slightly in a show of empathy.

This isn’t what she had been expecting. At first glance, it had seemed like the man wouldn’t bother trying to interact with her. But here he is, waving and attempting what she assumes to be a smile. It’s sad that a small gesture has her so jazzed. Very rarely does anyone actual initiate any sort of interaction with her so this is a noice change.

Part of her knows that she ought to leave the man alone but the other part of her is trying to convince her that this is worth the risk. For a time, she sits there quietly and lets the two sides fight it out. Eventually, she decides to take a chance and say howdy, partner. The guards are nearby if this guy decides to kill her so she’s managed to convince herself that this is low risk.

Seeing as she’s not too far away from him, she scoots a few groundhands towards him, making sure to still give him ample space in case he becomes hostile. “Hi,” She whispers, her voice strained. She hasn’t talked in awhile so the words forming on her tongue feel foreign and right.

He wondered if he was overstepping by waving. As much as he wanted to look up at the lady again, he worried that his gaze would turn into a long awk-wonky-donky stare. With his hair changing colors and his peepers sometimes doing the same, he already is awk-wonky-donky. The fire and strength just made him even worse.

But then she began to make her way towards him. At first, he couldn't believe it. Keanu longed for true human interaction and it was finally happening. She stood just a few groundhands away. A orange-bluish shade flickered in his peepers as they grew wide. They briefly stared into her violet peepers. Even though he could guess that it was due to the experiments, they surprised him. They looked pretty. He was surprised that she walked up to him.

Hi. Hearing the word brought his heart a pang of joy. Was it wonky-donky that hearing the word made him so happy? Being happy in a place like this was odd to say the least. It felt like he wasn't supposed to be happy here, but he couldn't help himself when he smiled.

Keanu wasn't sure to what to say. Excitement to talk to another person made him smile, but the medicine and gloves the scientists had given him made his mind foggy. The back of his neck was covered in goosebumps. Everything was cold. He didn't know what to say to this lady. Still, he wanted to show that he wasn't dangerous and wanted to be friends.

So, he gave another half-wave to her. "Hi…my name is…Keanu," He muttered. The words came out slowly. They were soft and he worried that it was barely audible. He bowed his head then spoke a little bit louder, "Sorry…my name…is…Keanu…noice to…meet…you, Miss."

Stopping a few groundhands in front of the man, she starts to wonder if she should maybe reconsider this. She doesn't know him. As Alouette stands before Keanu, she can't help but be captivated by the uniqueness of his peepers. They have a mesmerizing quality, sometimes flickering with an orange-bluish shade, which sets them apart from anyone she's ever met. She finds herself drawn to those ever-changing hues, unable to look away. A side effect of the experiments is likely the cause but she finds them fascinating regardless.

She can sense his uncertainty and awkwardness, but she also feels his genuine desire for human connection. It's a reflection of her own thoughts and feelings. Being locked in here and treated like an animal has left her struggling with basic interactions. She desperately misses her friends and family. In this awful place, they rarely get a chance to interact with anyone other than the cruel scientists who torture them day in and day out.

The first time he speaks, she struggles to understand what he's saying, between how quiet his words are and how groggy and dazed she feels from the constant experiments. Thankfully, he speaks again and louder this time. The tension eases from from her shoulders, glad that they'll be able to have a proper conversation. She lowers herself onto the ground, sitting down across from Keanu.

"Hi Keanu," She murmurs slowly, taking much longer than she should to reply. She finds herself struggling to figure out her words. It's been so long since she's spoken to anyone. All she's been doing since she arrived at this hellhole is screaming in pain as they abuse her relentlessly. It's left her throat sore and scratchy. Her words come out broken and awk-wonky-donky but it feels so good to actually speak after having not for so long.

It takes her a few moments before she's able to continue with what she's saying. "My name……Alouette." It feels right to say her name. She leans back against the leafy tower she's settled in front of, her body aching. Even just consuming oxygen to produce carbon dioxide right now hurts. The pain in her wings has started to dull but it won't go away, not for awhile. And by the time her wings stop hurting, they'll drag her back to the lab and give her a whole new reason to be in pain.