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Outliers



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Mon Jul 24, 2017 10:01 pm
Mageheart says...



The Story

Stories tell of those with special powers that could never be explained, but, in the age of technological advancement and science, those stories have been brushed aside as fairy tales or myths meant to explain the inner workings of the world. And yet what should be impossible exists, though the ones who possess these powers hide among the people deemed “normal”. The people are known as Outliers. For some, hiding is easy. For others, blending in is a challenge that is difficult to overcome.

Because of this, a home was created five years ago by a woman named Melanie Brooks for children burdened with hiding their abilities. Opinion on the home is divided among the adult Outliers. While half of them believe that its existence is needed, the other half believe that the children shouldn't be sheltered from the rest of the world.

A radical faction of the latter of these two groups split away and declared war on the home, vowing to use their powers to destroy the home and all that oppose them. Melanie, in return, swore that she would never let the children come to harm and hid the home away using her ability of illusion. Though it had disappeared from the eyes of the majority of Outliers three years ago, children still find their way to the growing complex.

Despite her best efforts, danger still looms on the horizon for the children of the home. The radicals continue their hunt for the home and its occupants, coming closer and closer to its current location each day...

Characters

There are several options for your characters. They can be an adult Outlier from either side, including radicals. You can also play the role of a child at the home, whether they have just arrived or have been there for the entirety of its existence. A third option is to play the role of a normal child who is friends with one of the younger Outliers, having coming to the home with them. Any of the Outliers can have up to two powers of whatever you want, though they may not be able to have them if they're considered god-modding.

You can have up to two characters at the moment, though that might change in the future. Also, though Melanie is listed as a NPC, please run any actions she does in your posts by me first.

The templates are listed in the spoiler. Please delete anything in the parentheses! That information is there to help you create your character(s).

Spoiler! :
Code: Select all
[b]Name:[/b]
[b]Abilities:[/b] (If your character is not an Outlier, this is where you would mention it.)
[b]Age:[/b]
[b]Gender:[/b]
[b]Appearance:[/b]
[b]Personality:[/b] (Please include their flaws .)
[b]Up for Romance:[/b] (If they are, please include what their sexuality is.)
[b]Backstory:[/b]
[b]Other:[/b]


Cast


Protagonists

Jaqueline Corentine (@Kelpies) - plant control
Adeline Byrd (@Sheyren) - mediocre video game sense
Riley Bell (@saentiel) - shapeshift and can heal small cuts
Blake Novelo (@saentiel) - isn't an Outlier
Corin Ma (@Lael) - can read memories/dreams, might be able to influence them if he tries like super hard
Melanie Brooks (NPC) - creates illusions and distorts space
Komatsu Chihori (@NympheaLily) - can bend light and sort of see in the future
Moa Asafoetida (@NympheaLily) - he has tattoo wings and his feathers are weapons
Jasmine Scott (@Omnom) - can absorb info incredibly fast and is a decent lie detector
Jake Harrison (@XxXTheSwordsmanXxX) - can create and protect himself from fire


Antagonists

Ashton Byrd (@Sheyren) - acute video game sense
Corden Grand (@Omnom) - claims he's normal; no powers work on him
Mabel Brannon (@Lael)- telekinesis
mage

[ she/her, but in a boy kinda way ]

roleplaying is my platonic love language.

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Fri Jul 28, 2017 11:15 am
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Mageheart says...



Blake Novelo

His friendship necklace bounced against his chest as he followed the woman before him with a skip to his step. She was old enough to have raised him for the entirety of his life, yet also young enough for someone to mistake him as her grandson if they only spared them a glance. As he reached her side, he slipped his hand into hers. He looked up at her and gave the woman a smile that didn't reach his eyes. He hated how she was currently taller than him; her normally short stature was one of the few things he could tease her about.

It's not going to be much longer, he reminded himself as he scanned the line of buildings on the side of the street for one that seemed abandoned. The size didn't matter. They just needed a place to stay for the night.

His eyes settled on a building that looked like it once housed a small store. He looked for a suitable excuse to go towards it. When he saw a portable ice cream stand, he grinned. That was exactly what he needed. He pulled his hand out of hers and tugged on her sleeve.

“Mommy,” he said, excitedly gesturing at the ice cream.

He saw an older couple pass and chuckle at his excitement, and the grin that spread across his face when she nodded. The grin only grew larger when he realized their plan had worked. He looked over his shoulder to see if they were being watched as they approached the building, but they weren't.

He opened the door, and the two of them rushed inside.

As the door to the abandoned building shut behind them, the woman's features began to grow younger and younger. Soon, a young girl stood in her place, the woman's clothes far too large on her now. He placed his backpack down and withdrew a set of smaller clothes. As he put the larger clothes into the backpack, she quickly slipped on the clothes he had just handed her.

She put her hair into a ponytail as he put the backpack on once again.

“Did you see that couple?” he said, his eyes surveying the interior of the building. It was covered in dust and litter, but it would do. “They actually thought you were my mom. Your plan was really smart, Riley!”

A grin showed on her face as she made her way towards the wall on the far side of the building. It looked like a good place to sleep; no one would be able to see them through the somewhat boarded up windows. “I was hoping no one would cause us trouble if they thought we weren't just kids on our own.”

“We're going to have to do that more,” Blake decided, watching her lean up against the wall. “That was way easier than before-”

A scream suddenly filled the old building as she went through the wall. All he could do was stare in horror and confusion as she seemed to fall right into the wall. One moment, she was there. The next, her scream still quite audible, she was gone from the premises. When what had happened finally set in, Blake rushed forward towards the wall. He thrust his hand out to touch it in an attempt to figure out what had happened.

What followed was one of the strangest things he had ever experienced. His hand went through the wall, but the wall continued to look solid. He waved it about. Though what his eyes were seeing suggested that part of his arm was no longer in existence, he could feel it brushing up against some sort of fabric.

He gave a startled cry as a small hand grabbed onto the wrist of the hand he had put into the wall. Whoever had grabbed him pulled him towards the bricks before him. He shut his eyes closed so he wouldn't have to see the collision. But when there was a surprising lack of pain, he opened them once more.

Riley was standing in front of him, her hand grabbing onto his wrist.

He spun around, confused. There was an open door directly behind them. He didn't know how that was possible; there had only been a wall moments before.

He looked back in front of him. Riley was standing there, but there was also a woman who Riley was staring at. Riley looked terrified, and for good reason. An adult would surely try to bring them back to the homes that they had barely managed to escape from, and neither wanted to return to that time.

His eyes lingered on her bright blue hair. It was a shade he thought was beautiful, but he also knew that most adults didn't dye their hair that color on purpose.

The woman gave them a large grin that reached her eyes. “Hey there,” she warmly said, but, even as she spoke, Riley's grip on his wrist tightened. “I'm Melanie Brooks, but you can just call me Melanie. Or Mel, I suppose, though that one's never really stuck. Neither of you have to be afraid of me, by the way. I'm not going to bring you back to wherever you came from.”

“Really?” Riley nervously questioned, removing her hand from Blake's wrist.

He crossed his arms. He doubted it, but Riley seemed to be trusting her at least a little bit. And Riley was better when it came to figuring things out; he was the one who was good at charging into situations without any sort of plan in mind.

“Really,” the woman confirmed with the same honest grin. “I'm guessing at least one of you has an ability. Don't be afraid to share it.” With a swipe of her hand, the door behind them was gone. Blake stared at it with wide eyes and an open mouth in shock. “I have some too. I can create illusions and mess around with the existence of space.” She swiped her hand once more and the door was back.

The doubt that had been in Riley's eyes had completely faded. A smile beginning to spread from cheek to cheek, she eagerly informed Melanie, “I can change my form and heal small cuts.”

Melanie looked expectantly at Blake. The boy, who wasn't sure what he was supposed to do now that he was the odd one out, shrugged. “I'm just me,” he said. “Blake Novelo.”

“And I'm Riley Bell,” his best friend hurriedly added. “C-Can we stay here, wherever here is?”

Blake was taken aback by the question. He had been wanting to ask the same thing, but Riley was a thinker. She never rushed into a situation like he did, yet the question she had just asked was bordering on very sudden.

Melanie smiled. “Of course! This is home for any child with special abilities and their very loyal best friends.”

Riley and Blake looked at each other and grinned.
mage

[ she/her, but in a boy kinda way ]

roleplaying is my platonic love language.

queer and here.





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Fri Jul 28, 2017 12:25 pm
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sheysse says...



Image

"Who are they?" Adeline asked as she crossed from the stairwell to the kitchen. In the center of the room, two children around ten or eleven sat, drinking tea. Melanie was at the sink, washing out the tea pot. She didn't notice Addy come in until Addy tapped her on the back.

She spun around, noticing her for the first time. "Oh, Addy! I didn't see you come in."

"Obviously," mumbled Addy.

"I found these two by the door. Someone left it open, and they stumbled through. I'm glad it was just two kids that found it, or we could have a much more serious outcome. Addy, do you know who left it open?"

"No," Addy said without hesitation, before remembering how she had left it open. Whoops.

"Oh. Well, anyway. These two are Blake and Riley. They-" She was interrupted by Addy silently inspecting the two. Addy stood up in front of Blake, squinting as she looked him over.

He was on the taller side of his age group, making him stick out a little bit. However, the more she inspected him, the more she realized he was normal, and more than that, useless. His health was lower than average, and his stamina was nothing to gawk at. The only thing she found intriguing was his luck stat, which was so high she could easily read it.

"He's kind of useless. Health and stamina are nothing special," Addy commented, not mentioning his luck stat. Luck was dangerous, because if people were aware of how high theirs was, they could grow reckless.

Addy moved on to Riley. Her health was decent, above average, but no too much so. Her stamina was extremely high, more so than most Addy had ever encountered. None of her state stuck out, but just what was there was impressive enough. "She could be pretty efficient on a team, but I doubt she will be."

Addy shrugged and turned tail, heading back to the stairwell and climbing up it. As she headed up, her phone was out, and she continued where she had left off in the game she had been playing. Her headphones were back on her ears, and she tapped the screen without pattern.

She smiled as she reached the top of the stairs. Her character reached level 100, capping. Grinning, she added it to her list of capped accounts and made another.





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Fri Jul 28, 2017 9:54 pm
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NympheaLily says...



Moa
Moa was in the library. As usual, he was just sitting by himself with a good book in the depths of old books, dating back to the very inklings of writing and paper. Currently, he was reading The History of Japan and was in the chapter that summed up the seventeenth century when he heard people enter. There were a boy and a girl, quietly talking to each other.

"...books...so old..." Moa could catch bits of conversation but not much. He didn't think much of them until they turned the corner. They saw him and stopped, staring at him with wide eyes. Moa blushed, his face turning a bright pink and looked at the ground.

"Hello?" he said. He meant for it to sound confident and friendly but it actually sounded like a suffocating chicken. For a while, nothing happened; they just stared at each other. Then, the boy piped up in a squeaky voice;

"You have wings." Moa had forgotten his wings were out. They were more comfortable that way and also when he read, he used his wings to act as a sort of fort.

"Oh!" Moa became self-conscious and his wings shrunk into tattoos on his back. There were still holes in his shirt, but he didn't mind.

"Who are you?" asked the girl.

"Oh, uh, I'm Moa," he said, "And you?"

"I'm Riley," she responded, "And this is Blake." The boy waved, but he still looked a little shaken.

"So," Moa said, racking his mind for good conversation starters, "Power does you have, uh, which?" Riley looked confused.

"Ah, I mean," Moa's face flushed even more.

"If you're asking what power I have, I am a shape shifter. Blake doesn't have any powers." Moa nodded, feeling embarrassed about his trip up before.

"Well, we're going to go explore some more," Riley continued, "See you around!" As they walked out, Moa relaxed. He returned to the corner he was reading in and picked up his book. The Edo period lasted from 1603 to 1868...
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Thu Aug 03, 2017 6:29 am
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Omni says...



Jasmine Scott



There just weren't enough books here to keep Jasmine occupied.

Three large books were nestled under her arm as she managed to wedge her way in between two large cabinets snugged firmly in the kitchen. Well, it was called a kitchen, but was more of an experiment of a kid gone awry. Unfortunately it's also on the way --or in the way, depending on who you ask-- to Jasmine's getaway corner.

She ducked under a free swinging cabinet door and fell to a crawl on the tile floor. She heard someone. Adrenaline filling her veins, she slid the stack of thick books across a narrow passage tucked underneath a contorted refridgerator, spiraling overhead like a mechanical arch storage of cookies and milk.

Footsteps echoed across the tiles, not far from her location. She must be careful now, the risk of getting caught skyrocketed within the last few moments. Planning her escape route with deadly precision, Jasmine army-crawled her way under the arch and rolled to the right, under a cavernous sink. She breathed out a soft sigh of relief on her timing as sneakers filled her narrow field of view. She just barely escaped her predator. The sneakers stopped just outside of her sight, and her heart skipped a beat.

How could I be so stupid?!

"Tumultuous Cascades, For Righteous Brothers, and Assassin's Apprentice," the familiar voice said. They found her books. "Honestly, Jazz, haven't you read these hundreds of times by now?"

With an overly dramatic sighed, Jasmine escaped the confines of her --apparently unsuccessful-- hiding spot and hopped up, her hair barely scraping the fridge arch. Comparitively, Cory had to be hunched over as he shuffled to see her. Hands on her hips, she frowned at him. "These books will be my downfall one day. I almost escaped you!"

"Really? I didn't know we were playing hide and seek."

"We weren't! I-I was evading a monsterous creature through a maze of cutlery and appliances."

"I'm a 'monsterous creature' to you, huh? Hurtful, Jazz."

"No, not you! I was avoiding--"

"YO, SAXAPHONE!"

Jasmine flinched from the nickname. "Keaton!" She turned and managed to adorn the best fake smile she could, given the circumstances. "Get me outta here, Cory," she whispered through her gritted smile.

"Nuh uh, I'm only back-up, Jazz. This is your battle."

Keaton tripped over a cabinet door but bounced back up. "So what are you doin' here, Saxaphone?"

"Just..." trying to avoid you, "trying to get back to my tree. Y'know. Read some books. Be alone." She hoped he saw past her forged smile and noticed the metaphorical daggers of eyes she was trying so hard to wear right now. Why didn't he leave her alooooneeee? "

"But, anyway, what are you doing here, Keaton? Your room is nowhere near here."

His cheeks turned a shade of red. "Oh? Oh! I just wanted to give you the book you dropped on your way out of the library." He turned away as he held out a book.

"I didn't drop any--"

"What a nice gesture! Thank you, Keaton." Cory took the book and added it to the stack resting in between his hip and arm. "We'll be going now."

"Ah, right." He punched Jasmine's shoulder. "Smell ya later, Saxaphone!"

We eventually made it out of the maze-kitchen and pushed through the invisible barrier Melanie created that separated the hallway from the grassy walkway to her own little corner of paradise.

"So.." Cory nudged Jasmine.

"So... what?" she retorted.

"What was that about, huh?"

"What was what about?"

"Oi, don't dodge me. You know what, Saxaphone."

Jasmine heaved out a sigh. "I honestly have no clue. He's been following me and trying to be friends and I just really really really don't wanna talk to him."

"Hmm."

Jasmine studied his face. "You're hiding something from me, Cory."

"Oh, it's nothing."

"Spit it out."

He cracked a bright smile. "It just seems to me like... he likes you."

"Yeah, I know, he's been trying to be friends for awhile."

"No, likes you likes you."

Jasmine gasped and punched him. "He does not!"

"Oh come on, Jazz, you can read me better than that."

He was telling the truth, but she never really thought about it. "You are so mean, Cory!" She couldn't help but laugh. "How do I let him down gently?"

"Oh man, I dunno. First crushes are weird."

She sighed as the reached her apple tree. That they are.
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XxXTheSwordsmanXxX says...



Jake Harrison


No one had said a word during the six hour drive. They stopped only once for gas and restroom breaks and even then no one said a word. Jake had given up asking where they were going and was content to just stare out the window at the passing country side.

It was peaceful.

For the first time in years, there wasn't any yelling. There was just the silence and them. As much as Jake wanted to enjoy the time in the car with them, his gut was telling him that something was wrong.

His father, a strong man with a curly brown beard kept his eyes on the road. His head only turning periodically to check his mirrors. Jake's father had always had a stoic face. Little to no expression, save for the times that he found out about something else that Jake had burned by accident.

His mother was normally the more vocal one, usually trying to keep an eye on Jake to make sure that he wasn't about to ignite something else. But in that car she had her eyes forward. She hadn't looked at him once since they had started this little expedition. Not even when he tried to get her to look out the window to see the horses in the pasture. It was her lack of emotion, or even humoring him, that had Jake nervous.

By the time they arrived at the building, it was dark and the rain had started. The wipers swishing water this way and that as it went. The house made his stomach do flips. He didn't like being here.

The house itself wasn't what was making him uneasy. It was how his parents seemed to get even more tense as they got closer.

Have to be good. Have to be good, he thought to himself, trying to keep his nerves from causing yet another accident.

The car pulled up to the front of the house, a single light illuminating the steps as his father stopped and put the car in park. Mother and Father got out first, their expressions sullen as the father moved to the trunk and the mother moved to Jake's door. She quickly ushered him out and stood him in front of the steps before he turned to face her and the car.

"You'll be staying here," his father said as he set the suitcase of Jake's clothes down beside him. He immediately turned and got back into the car, waiting.

His mother held out a letter to Jake, who took it without question before he looked up to his mother. "When do I come back home?" Jake asked in a small voice. The rain soaking into his hoodie as he stood beyond the cover.

"This is your home now," his mother said with a strained voice.

Jake was heart broken as he learned what all this was. They were sending him away. They were done with the accidents and the injuries. She turned on her heel back to the car and opened the door.

"Mama," Jake said quickly in a frightened voice. She paused and turned to him, her eyes cold and tired. Jake slowly held his arms up, silently begging to be held.

"Please," he said in a whisper so faint that even he had to strain to hear it.

His mother's expression, for a brief moment, softened. Her eyes seeing the little boy that loved to play and would run to her when he was hurt or upset.

But she couldn't. She couldn't bring herself to give Jake his last request.

She got back into the car and his father drove away. The tail lights of the car glowing in the dark as they slowly got smaller and smaller.

Jake didn't run after them. He didn't beg them to take him back.

He stood there in the rain. Staring after them as the rain drops hid the tears that were pouring down his cheeks. His hands trembling. Not from the cold, but from the pain of never being able to have his parent's approval. They had given him the ultimate rejection and it hurt worse than every other combined.

There he stood staring off into the dark. The tail lights having disappeared minutes ago. Steam rising up from his body as his clothes began to dry, even in the down pour.

He didn't turn when the door behind him opened, casting him in the warm glow of the inside. His eyes remained focused on that spot where the two dots of red had vanished. Hoping...praying...that his parents would come back for him.





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Lael says...



Corin Ma

Corin couldn't sleep. A young child's nightmare of hiding in the darkness, being soaked in his own fear only to be found by a man with a bone-chilling cackle had shaken him awake.

In the silence, he sat up in bed, listening. The rain made a soothing sound. The pitter-patter of the drops hitting the ground reminded Corin of the sound of a heartbeat. Like his heart had pounded every time she was near.

Corin shook his head and pinched the bridge of his nose. He didn't usually think about Mabel anymore, but sometimes the thoughts came unbidden, even though he had accepted that Mabel was gone forever. Now he only thought of her with a faraway fondness and an underlying sadness. It must have been because of his talk with Jazz about first crushes. Mabel had been his, then things had become more. Until . . .

This won't do. I've got to get my mind off of these depressing thoughts. Corin got off his bed, his feet finding his pair of slippers. He didn't bother to change out of his pajamas or wear his favorite pair of sneakers. Usually no one was up at this hour, perhaps except for Melanie.

He padded down the hall towards the kitchen, but stopped short when he heard the receding sound of a car engine. Corin walked to the door and peered out of the spyhole. Sure enough, there was a kid outside on the doorstep.

Corin opened the door, the light from the house pouring out on the kid and the car driving away beyond. A teenager, from the looks of him. But what struck Corin the most was that it looked like steam was coming off of the boy.

"Hey," he said softly. The boy turned, and Corin smiled at him kindly. He pretended that he didn't see the tears overflowing from the boy's eyes; a lot of guys didn't like to be seen crying, Corin himself included. "You wanna come in? You must be soaked."

He opened the door wider and the kid shuffled inside with his suitcase, avoiding Corin's gaze as much as possible. As he shut the door and locked it carefully, he said, "I'm Corin, but you can call me Cory if you'd like. What's your name?"

"Jake Harrison," replied the boy. He sounded miserable.

"Well, Jake," continued Corin, "it's awfully late to arrive at our home, but I'm glad you're here, anyways. Why don't you come with me to the kitchen for now? I'll make you something to eat and I'll get Melanie, the woman in charge of the home, to come see you."

Corin reached to put an arm around Jake's shoulders, but the teenager shied away. Odd. Perhaps he was just afraid of being touched.

But regardless, Corin's mind was filled with images of fire, and the sound of screams. He stopped himself from flinching. Poor kid.

They walked to the kitchen in silence. Jake seemed to be fine with the lack of conversation.

"Have a seat." Corin gestured to a chair at the table, and walked to the cooking area of the room. He gathered flour, eggs, lemon, a few extra ingredients here and there. He supposed lemon danishes would be the most efficient things to make for his purposes.

All his ingredients gathered, Corin decided it was time to bake, so he rifled through his Celtic Woman CDs - which Melanie had bought for him every birthday and Christmas, sometimes other times as a surprise - to set the mood. He rarely cooked without background music.

After settling on A New Journey, he glanced at the songs. "The Blessing", "Carrickfergus" . . . Corin cringed. A lot of them had to do with home and loved ones. Probably not the best choice to play first in front of a kid who had just been abandoned by his parents.

Then maybe a song about seaweed was a better choice of an icebreaker. Yes, that should be good. Corin placed the CD into his new music player and clicked 'Play'.
Spoiler! :
phpBB [media]

"Hang tight, okay? This shouldn't take more than an hour, I think."

Before long, they both could smell the fragrant, sweet pastries. Corin hid a smile when Jake's stomach growled.

Just as Corin was reaching his mitt-clad hands to pull the tray out of the oven, Melanie hurried into the kitchen. Her eyes locked on the danishes.

"Are those for me?" she asked.

"You can't eat all of them this time, Mel," said Corin, laughing. "Jake here must be starving."

The woman turned to the boy. "Oh, my. How are you, Jake? I'm Melanie Brooks." She sat down beside him and began to talk to him gently.

Corin moved the danishes onto a plate and headed to the table, setting it down with a half-warning, half-teasing glance at Melanie. She was really like a mom, or a much older sister. He couldn't imagine what things would be like if she hadn't rescued him from the streets.

Streets that he couldn't even remember. Or, rather, that his mind refused to remember.

Amid his inner frustrations, Corin suddenly found himself yawning.

"Cory, you must be exhausted," said Melanie suddenly, breaking in her conversation with Jake briefly. Her eyes shone with compassion even as she gobbled down yet another lemon danish. "Why don't you try to go back to sleep? I will take care of Jake."

"All right, if that's okay with you." He smiled at Jake again. "I'll see you later, I guess."

Jake nodded slightly. Corin was glad to see that the boy seemed a little better. The lemon danishes must have been helping, at least partially.

He stood and headed back down the hall towards his room. As he walked, he heard footsteps somewhere nearby.

He supposed that someone else was having trouble sleeping tonight.
"And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
Philippians 4:7





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Thu Aug 17, 2017 11:37 pm
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Kelpies says...



Jaqueline Corentine


I didn't understand why the library wasn't supposed to have trees in it.

Well I did, but that didn't stop me from trying to bend the rules. I had never been too keen on the rules. I just wanted books and my plants in the same place... Actually I wanted my plants everywhere, but that wasn't the point. So, I grew a peach tree in a corner of the library, and made a pillow nest in it's branches before settling down with a book. I was just about to get to the climax when someone came along and yelled at me for growing a peach tree in the library.

I responded by throwing an overripe peach at their face. "EVERYTHING'S JUST PEACHY NOW ISN'T IT?" I yelled before bolting from the library before anyone else could reprimand me.

What could I say? I was the village crazy lady. That was my job. Besides, it's not like I did any real harm. Someone just had to go in there with an ax and everything would be fine. It could have been a lot worse, I could have grown grass on the bookcases. Apparently this was the last straw though (between this, the potato fiasco, and the sunflower shenanigans), because I was later tracked down and informed that I was no longer allowed in the library.

So, naturally, I grew a tree just outside the library window, and asked people to hand me books. That was still where I was when the little boy arrived. I watched the heart-wrenching scene, and resolved to do what I could to help. I made him a basket of fruit, and headed off to find him. It didn't occur to me that I was supposed to be asleep. Why sleep when there were better things to do- like reading books and giving gifts? Seeing that the boy had closed his door, I left the basket outside. He'd probably find it in the morning. After that, I turned to go back out the door (instead of finding the nearest window) and immediately ran into someone.

I squeaked in surprise as I fell on the floor, accidentally setting off an avocado pit I had in my pocket, which hit the person squarely in the jaw. "I am so sorry!" I yelped from my new spot on the floor.
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***
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XxXTheSwordsmanXxX says...



Jake Harrison


For a long time, Jake just stared at the table. The song sung in some other language playing as the young man that had let him was doing something with lemons and pastries. Even with his distracted mind, Jake admitted that they smelled wonderful. He couldn't remember the last time that he had been in a kitchen with someone cooking.

Jake's stomach gave out a complaining growl, which he promptly covered with his arms. He hadn't eaten anything since before getting in the car. He sighed focusing on the grains of the table.

Just be good. Just be good and they'll come back. he thought to himself.

He was startled when a woman arrived in the kitchen asking about the recently made lemon pastries. "Oh, my. How are you, Jake? I'm Melanie Brooks."

He didn't really answer her. He just stared at the table. "Jake? You can talk to me. This is a safe place."

"I....I'm supposed to give you this," Jake said in a small voice. He handed her the letter which she slowly opened and read.

To whom it may concern. If you are reading this then you have gained the displeasure of having this boy in your home. We cannot handle the stress and disgrace of having someone such as him in our family. So as of right now, this will act as a letter of stewardship. He is your problem now. We do not want to receive any contact from him or from you about him.

IF, by some miracle, you can teach him to be normal. We will consider taking him back into our home. But until such a time comes to pass, your "home" IS his home.

We do not care if you share the content of this letter with him. He is your problem now.


The letter is left unsigned.

Melanie's expression slowly saddened as she read the words on the paper. She closed it gently before looking to Cory. "Cory, you must be exhausted. Why don't you try to go back to sleep? I will take care of Jake."

The young man left and there was just the two of them now.

"Allow me to explain what this place is," Melanie stated. "There are individuals who have special abilities that put them beyond the those of normal people. We call them Outliers. If you're here you must have some special ability as well. Take me for instance. I can create illusions and manipulate space to a degree. We're like you Jake."

"No...you aren't," Jake whimpered. "I....hurt people."

"That is just from not knowing how to control it. We can help with that."

"I don't want to control it....I want it to go away."

Melanie nodded. She seemed to understand. "I'm sorry about what has happened. Maybe in the morning you will feel better."

Jake nodded as Melanie stood up and headed for the stairs. "Come on. I have an open room upstairs."

Jake grabbed his suitcase and followed up to the second story. He sighed as he set the clothes down and lay on the bed covering his face. He vaguely heard someone place something at his door and went to look. There sat a basket of fresh fruit. Looking around he didn't see anyone. But he was feeling a little hungry. Taking an apple he closed the door again and ate it in silence on the bed.





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Mageheart says...



Riley Bell

The first thing that she felt when she awoke was fear. The room that she was in was dark and unfamiliar, and a cool breeze blew through it. Her grip on the sheets that she had become tangled in over the course of the night tightened as she stared at the closed door. Then memories of the previous night resurfaced, and her grip loosened. She was in a safe place now. Blake's snoring from the bunk above her reassured her of that fact.

She untangled herself and slipped out of the bed. Her gaze briefly landed on the clock on the desk on the other side of the room. It was already seven in the morning. She couldn't recall the last time that either one of them had slept in that late. After looking away and giving a brief yawn, she climbed up the ladder to Blake's bunk. He had pushed his sheets off at some point, and was now hugging his pillow like it was a stuffed animal.

She poked him. “Blake, wake up!” she excitedly said.

He peeked open one eye. “...This bed is comfy.”

“Come on, sleepyhead,” she added, poking him once more for emphasis. They had an entire building to explore! They had only seen their room and the library the night before. There was so much that they hadn't laid their eyes on yet, and she wasn't going to sit around when she could be out and about!

He sat up and crossed him arms, still holding the pillow close to his chest. “Fine,” he said. “I'm getting up. But only because I don't want you to keep poking me!”

✧ ✧ ✧

They eventually found their way to the cafeteria. This was a feat in itself, as they had gotten lost several times before finally finding it. Melanie had given them instructions, but they had both been half asleep as she directed them to the room that they shared.

When they arrived, it was already filled with children. Most were on the younger side. Riley suspected this had to do with how teenagers were notorious for sleeping in, though she had never gotten a chance to talk to such an old kid before. She looked around the room for a place for the two of them to sit after they got their breakfasts. There were two open seats next to a boy who was one of the elusive teenagers.

Riley tugged on Blake's sleeve. “He looks alone,” she commented as she pointed in his direction. “We should go sit next to him! Maybe we could become friends.”

“He does look a bit scary, Riley,” he whispered as they approached. But he didn't object to her suggestion, and they ended up sitting down beside the boy with the brown hair and hazel eyes.

The boy glanced over at them.

“Hi!” Riley eagerly greeted him. “I'm Riley Bell, and this is my best friend Blake. We're new here. Who are you?”

“...I'm Jake.”

He seemed upset about something, but Riley didn't have a clue as to what it could be. She wished that she could make him feel better about whatever it was, but also knew that the most that she could do was continue talking to him. Chatting with Blake always made her feel better, even if it wasn't about what was bothering her.

“Well, Jake, it's nice to meet you!”

As she continued to talk, the main focus of the conversation being how much she already loved this paradise that she had stumbled upon, with occasional comments from Blake, she hoped that this was the start of a new friendship and a new life.
mage

[ she/her, but in a boy kinda way ]

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Lael says...



Corin Ma

Corin stifled a yawn as he pulled a fresh batch of chocolate chip cookies out of the oven. Usually he liked to be ambitious and try out new, obscure types and flavors, but after staying up for quite a long time last night, he had to admit to himself that he was a little short on energy to be making new cookie ventures.

He set the tray carefully down on the counter and took off the still-warm oven mitts, laying them aside. He reviewed each cookie, then selected one at random, peeling it off the parchment paper with quick expertise - he had already experienced plenty of burned fingers in the past to avoid such an incident again. Blowing on it, he took a bite and chewed.

"Ah, it's hot," he murmured to himself, fanning a hand in front of his mouth. But he didn't really mind, provided he didn't accidentally burn his tongue. He polished off the rest of the cookie and brushed the crumbs into the trash bin (cleanliness was a must in his kitchen).

"Well, that was good." Time to pass them out to the new kids, then.

Corin came out of the kitchen and watched all of the young people eating the breakfast he had made earlier: scrambled eggs with biscuits and gravy. Definitely not the most elaborate meal he was capable of, but just the sight of the children happily wolfing it down as they chattered brought filled his heart with warmth and fondness.

This is why I love what I do.

Among the throng, he spotted the kid he'd let in last night, Jake, along with two younger ones, a boy and a girl, whom he hadn't seen before. They must have come yesterday, too. With a smile, he headed over to them with a plate of fresh cookies.

"Hey, guys," he said, kneeling at the edge of the table, as there weren't any open seats. "I hope you slept well last night." At that, he looked kindly at Jake. "Hopefully that extra midnight sugar didn't keep you awake."

Jake shook his head and kept his head down, eyes fixed on his food. Corin let him be. Often, it took a while for some of the new kids to get adjusted. He was like that himself, those five years ago. Instead, he turned to the other kids.

"I'm Corin, but you can call me Cory. What are your names?"

"I'm Riley," quipped the girl, "and this is my best friend, Blake. We just got here yesterday!"

"I see." Corin nodded encouragingly. It seemed as if she'd been through a lot, based on the flashes going through his head, but Riley appeared to be a resilient and optimistic one. "Well, you're going to love it here, and there's so many cool people to be friends with. Anyways, how do you like breakfast?"

"It's good!" said Blake between large bites, the first words Corin heard him say.

"I'm glad," laughed Corin, "because I make all the meals here."

"Really?" Riley and Blake's eyes widened simultaneously. "That's so cool."

"Thanks." Corin felt a blush creeping into his cheeks at the unadulterated praise and laughed slightly. "So if you ever want to eat a certain kind of food, I take requests. Just feel free to come to the kitchen whenever you want. Even if you're not hungry, I won't mind if you just want to hang out. I hope you know that you're safe to talk to me about anything, no matter how big or small it is, okay? All of us here have gone through some rough times, but you're home now." He met the eyes of all three of the newcomers, trying to convey his most sincere feelings.

Suddenly, Corin was hit by the thought that Mabel had never considered the Outlier's home as her own. Enough about Mabel. Perhaps he was only reminded of her because it had been a whole year since she had disappeared from the home and his life.

Riley and Blake nodded, even Jake too. Corin grinned again, banishing the dark thoughts.

"Good. Have some cookies." He pushed the plate towards them. "I baked them especially for you. And Blake, if you're still hungry, you can get seconds." He stood. "Don't forget to clean up after yourselves and put your dishes in that bin over there. I'll see you guys later!"

With a wave, he walked away, weaving among the rows of tables and chatting with various kids. When he saw a certain girl in particular, he went up to her and put a hand on her shoulder. "Hey, Jacqueline."

The girl cringed slightly. "About last night, I'm really sorry! I didn't mean to hit you."

"No harm done," replied Corin. He touched his jaw gently. "Doesn't even hurt anymore. Don't worry about it. Just try to be careful, okay?"

He moved on, looking around the large room for for Jasmine. Corin hadn't seen her at all this morning, which was uncommon, since he considered their relationship practically sibling-like. Then he spotted the twelve-year-old and had to stifle a laugh. She seemed to be trying her best to ignore Keaton, poor boy.

Corin decided he would come to Jazz's rescue this time. He approached the table where she was sitting and said, "Good morning, Jazz. I was hoping you could help me out with something in the kitchen." He winked at her subtly.

"Sure, Cory," she replied, relief evident on her face.

When they were finally back in the kitchen, Jazz sighed. "Thanks. I didn't know what I'd do if you didn't get me out of there. Keaton's acting so weird now."

"Oh, you know boys. Sometimes they need a little extra help."

At that moment, someone poked their head into the doorway.
"And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
Philippians 4:7





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Omni says...



Corrick



Haven. That's a word. A word that not many people understand well. It means a choice of security and protection from those who would normally do harm. But protection comes at a cost, for those who are protected must be protected by those willing to protect. Lives come on the line for the defenders, and when will they seek haven from attackers not their own? It's a vicious cycle, one that will only end in defeat and loss.

Corrick strode down the hall, scarce and dim lighting casting a pendulum of shadows on the floor. His rough, immaculate boots met the floor with a tap and a thud, his rubber meeting the waxed floors. As he walked, his thoughts veered to the council. What will they think of his decision today? Marcus, of course, will not agree. He has been adamant about letting Melanie keep the safehouse. He thinks, that when the kids are old enough, they will naturally choose to live with the Organization and they will naturally continue to build up our community of Outliers in America, free from public eye. He believed they will choose haven.

He was stupid. And blind to the facts.

The Organization has been losing influence in the past years with its lack of protection for young Outliers ostracized from their home and family. Instead of providing opportunities for younglings in their society, he instead closes their doors to minors and lets Melanie gain influence and power right under his nose with her safehouse.

He was weak now, and his dwindling mind now hosted traitorous thoughts against the Organization.

"Pardon me, Mister Grand?"

Corrick stopped in his tracks as a secretary ran up to him, her chest heaving from running. "Yes?"

"Councilmaster Marcus has sent me to fetch you. He says you are late to the meeting."

No I'm not. The old man's losing his mind. "Of course. I apologize. It has been ever hard to get information across Organization leaders as of late. It seems to be... lost in translation."

The secretary nodded, probably knowing far more than she let on. Not only had Marcus' mind been slowing falling away, but their regular locations had been getting raided by military forces, and they were searching for something. But, what? It had not been clear to any of the council members, even Corrick. He couldn't quite wrap his mind around what the military wanted from the Organization. They never met inside their cities, so finding the capitol was a pointless effort. So what were they...

Corrick should his head. His mind always got a little foggy when thinking about that predicament. He surmised he probably would never figure out what the military were looking for.

The secretary cleared her throat. "I apologize, Mister Grand, but this meeting is time sensitive. Would you like me to show you the way?"

"Yes, yes, please."

And so she did. She led him through several hallways, down floors, up floors, through service elevators and onto balconies in the storming night. He did all he could to follow her, not much paying attention to where they were going. It was pointless, as the council members all took different ways in and out of the meeting. Again, his mind went a little foggy. Why should he be tracking where he was going again?

He scoffed at the extensive measures the council members took. It wouldn't be helpful to them anyway. He made sure to remember every step he took to the meeting room.

Eventually, they arrived at the meeting room. Inside are eight other council members. Marcus sits the farthest away. He grimaced upon Corrick's walking in. Laurel, to his right, nods genially at him. On his other side, Dale looked at him with general disinterest. Triss scowled, Taylor smiled softly (Corrick made sure to make a note of that), and there were two new leaders from districts recently constructed that he hadn't bothered to learn the names of.

He sat down to Laurel's right, and Marcus cleared his throat to go into current affairs of the Organization. The Capitol was still losing members --what a surprise. New children have found their way to Melanie's safehouse, but its location is still an unknown to mature Outliers. A skyscraper in the Capitol has mysteriously lost power and plumbing is still a problem in all of their cities.

Taylor spoke up. "I can talk to Zoren about stabilizing his shifts on the Capitol." Corrick leaned in to that sentence.

"You could, if anyone knew of his whereabouts. He has been missing for a long time."

"Do we know if he's still alive?" Corrick piped up.

Marcus nodded.

Corrick leaned back and his voice reached dangerously low. "That's all I needed to know."

Three doors burst open and troops clad in heavy armor and all black marched in, aiming heavy guns at the council members.

Marcus jumped up. "You dare?" He reached a finger out to Corrick.

Nothing happened. Corrick laughed at that. "In your feeble mind, you seemed to forget many things, including that power is only what you make of yourself, not what you can sprout from your fingers. You have left yourself vulnerable to Melanie, and now vulnerable to me.

"Don't worry, I won't make the same mistake." He turned to Taylor. "Come with me. I have so much to show you." To the soldiers, "Eliminate the rest."
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GreenTea says...



Moa Asafoetida
The two new people were gone and Moa sunk even further into his wing-fort. He couldn't believe how he had embarrassed himself in front of them.Aagh, stupid!, he smacked himself on the forehead, New people are supposed to think you're a cool, winged warrior, not some awkward book nerd who can't speak English. He stopped and thought about that for a little bit. The problem is, I am an awkward book nerd who can't speak English. Who am I kidding?

"Heeeey there Moa, whatcha doing?" Moa screeched (an embarrassing sound but he made it when he was surprised), and turned around to see Komatsu sitting on a bookshelf above his head. He sighed and massaged his temples.

"Koma, you gotta stop with that "perching on bookshelves" nonsense," he scolded, "The books in here could be thousands of years old! Who knows if you could accidentally ruin one!" Komatsu slid off the bookshelf and plopped into a cross-legged position in front of Moa.

"My question still stands," she said, "Whatcha doing?"

"Reading."

"You're always reading."

"No! Uh, actually that is true..."

"What are you reading?"

"Uuuh," Moa said, looking down at the cover, "The Lengthy and Boring History of Japan and Japanese Culture That Komatsu Wouldn't Want to Read it."

"Haha, funny," she pouted. Her chocolate brown eyes framed by silver glasses were full of annoyance but there was also a spark of humor behind them. Moa could tell that Komatsu was very pretty and would definitely date here in not for the fact that he was gay. And very gay. Wait, what?

He shook his head, clearing those random thoughts from his mind. Why on earth was he thinking about that now? It was completely unrelated. It was like if he was a character in a story and the author wanted to make the readers get to know him better instead of reading his character page.

Hah, ridiculous, he thought, Me and my imagination.

"Sooooo," mused Komatsu, "What are you actually reading?"

"I told you; The Lengthy and Boring History of Japan."

"Oh," Koma looked disappointed, "Darn it! I thought I would've caught you reading gay romance novels."

"W-whaaat??" scoffed Moa, "Ri-ridiculous! I would never-"

"You do that in your spare time and in secret don't you?" Komatsu interrupted. Moa opened his mouth to object, but nothing came out. Komatsu laughed and poked his cheek.

"Your face is pink," she said, "That's how I know you're lying." Moa huffed.

"Komatsu, you know I'm a terrible liar!" She giggled.

"Hehe, yeah I know. Although, the real reason I'm here is to tell you there are new kids here." Moa's face turned from a pleasant pink to a terrible tomato.

"Y-yeah I know..." he muttered.

"You've met them, haven't you? And you embarrassed yourself in front of them?"

"N-yeah." Moa sighed and flicked at the corner of a page, "I was so unprepared, I made a fool of myself. I couldn't even speak proper English I was so flustered!"

"Well, Moa, you have an excuse. Your native language is... What is your native language?"

"Honestly, I don't know," he admitted, "I have so much diversity in my family that I grew up speaking a mix of English, French, Japanese, and Afrikaans."

"No matter, I am going to introduce you again! You don't have to say anything if you don't want to."

"Wait, Koma-!" Komatsu grabbed Moa's hand and essentially dragged him out of the library.

"Let's go!" she shouted, running off down the hall with Moa boucing along behind her.
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Lael says...



Mabel Brannon

It takes ten heartbeats to laugh at your jokes, five heartbeats to pull you into my arms for a quick hug, three heartbeats to secretly slip my hand into yours, two heartbeats to swoop in to give you an unexpected kiss . . . But it only takes one to whisper your name.

Corin.


Mabel let loose a shout, loud and feral as she threw her hands forward. The large, gleaming spear she held with her mind sailed forward, whistling through the air. With a low thunk it pierced straight through the middle of the head of the dummy yards ahead, and kept flying until it bit into the back wall.

She let out the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. Suddenly weary throughout her body, she dropped to the ground unceremoniously, lying on her back and staring at the high ceiling as she breathed heavily. She could feel beads of sweat trickling off her face. Her locket, which had slid to the hollow of her neck, was cold against her warm skin.

Had it really been a year since she'd left Melanie's home? Sometimes it felt like she lost track of time, and each day seemed to flow together into one.

Mabel let out a small growl of disapproval and bolted up to a sitting position again, shaking her head. Sentimental thoughts are for the weak. Feels like my mind's only gotten softer.

But, in fact, today was the anniversary of the day she had quietly left the home in the night, without a word to anyone. Not to Melanie, not to Corin. It was, she admitted, a little hard not to feel bitter.

Because of this, she had decided to shirk any duties she had for the day. She was no leader among the radicals, so she figured no one would mind so much, as long as she fought with the effort of two men on their next mission. Politics and power struggle were not her kind of thing, a waste of brain cells, breath, and effort, so she had put on her training gear and hit the field to blow off her energy instead. However, she found herself even more frustrated than she had been in the first place.

I want him here. With me.

"Real genius, Brannon. What a genius," she said aloud as she slowly stood back up. She turned to leave, and as she did, held out her hand to catch the spear as it came flying back at her.

~***~

When she exited the training center, clean and in her normal attire, she stopped and observed with interest at the amount of soldiers swarming about. She let out a soft chuckle as the bodies of several of the council members were carried past.

Looks like Grand gave them what they deserved. At least to her, the plan hadn't been quite a secret. Some of her 'colleagues' had invited her to take part in the ambush, but she'd declined, claiming that it was better to just be a spectator and see what happened to the council, which consisted mostly of people who sat arguing all day, all the while never getting anything useful done.

"Mabel!" A tall soldier approached her, a satisfied grin evident on his stubbled face.

She looked up to meet his eyes and gave him a cool smile. "Brendan. I see that the mission went well."

He seemed to puff out his chest. Mabel had to hold her urge to snicker behind a neutral face.

"Yup," he said, running a hand through his hair. "Mowed 'em down, like grass. The Organization probably won't be able to use that conference room for a while."

Mabel made a noise of agreement, her gaze shifting to observe the action again. "All for the better."

"Yup. With Corrick Grand as the leader, there's gonna be lots of change around here," continued Brendan. "Finally we'll get something done. Like finding that safehouse." He gave her a glance, perhaps searching for approval. Everyone who knew her was aware that she had escaped from Melanie's home.

"Say, Mabel," said the soldier, closing the gap between them and circling his arm around her shoulders. His voice dropped to a whisper as he leaned in towards her ear. "You wanna get out tonight, grab some dinner together to celebrate? Maybe we could even hit up the club afterwards. I know this really good place--"

Mabel stepped well out of his grasp and gave him her best smirk. "No thanks. I'd rather keep my head clear and stay focused on the next mission. I'd love to do anything I can to find Melanie Brooks' safehouse. The sooner, the better. But thanks for the consideration. Go knock yourself out."

She turned and walked quickly away. "No thanks, more like," she muttered under her breath. Her hand strayed up to touch her locket, and she straightened with determination. I'm loyal to Corin Ma. And when I find him again, he'll see that I was right the entire time. I'm going to make him mine again, and I'll never let him go.
"And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."
Philippians 4:7








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