Sickle-cell

Worm - A Gritty Parahuman Roleplay Interest Check

@TackytaffDefinitely. You won't need to worry about spoilers - the only thing I plan to explain in relation to the plot is one of the science-y rules powers have, but it's not exactly anything major =P

Worm - A Gritty Parahuman Roleplay Interest Check

@Old AmsterdamYea, I will do. Makes things simpler than coming up with my own system. ^.^

@jynmi88Perfect! Glad to have ya!

@ProProThat definitely sounds awesome. I have a ridiculous amount of capes and planning for Worm RPs all over my googledrive, but not a single bit of it is organised, meaning I have folders full of stuff everywhere.

Far as I'm concerned, that's enough people to warrant me making this official. Don't have enough time to put together something tonight - whoever decided my shift needed to start at 5am needs to be shot - so I will get something posted tomorrow night with a character sheet and snippets about the city and all the factions ^.^

Worm - A Gritty Parahuman Roleplay Interest Check

@Old AmsterdamNo worries whatsoever. I was also in a previous one - that spanned over four years - so i'm going to do my damndest to not make a mockery of that one =P

It might help you to disconnect it more to find out that I plan to completely disregard the entire plot of Worm in this RP, so you don't have to worry about that, either ^.^

@LaikaBeing new isn't a problem. We've all been there once =P

Worm - A Gritty Parahuman Roleplay Interest Check

@Old AmsterdamThat is a beautiful avatar. Mostly a dark, urban RP revolving around PC interaction with the various superhero/villain/vigilante groups vying for control. I have a massive cast of characters at my fingertips, honed through *years* of brainstorming between me and a friend, so it should be enough to keep you interested regardless of what you expect. We have everyone from the naive new hero, to the money-driven, maniacal killer-for-hire, all with suitably awesome powers.

@POOHEAD189Nice to see you again, my friend ^.^

Worm - A Gritty Parahuman Roleplay Interest Check

Worm

Vibrant and thriving, Boston is the jewel of the Massachusetts Commonwealth. The PRT, Protectorate and local police keep the streets quiet enough that people can go about their everyday life without the threat of violence. Scratch away at that facade, though, and it won't take long to spot the rot hidden just below the surface. Despite the gleaming alabaster of the Protectorate's floating fortress, the city remains a hub of both organised and unorganised crime - acting as a haven for societal scum from every walk of life.

Which is why, when a small-time drug dealer turned up dead in an alley, it didn't even make the 5 o'clock news.

No-one predicted just how far events would spiral out of control. As the bodies continued to pile up, the gangs got more and more jumpy. They hired extra muscle from both inside and outside the city, worked out underhanded deals with local information brokers and ramped up their purchases of illegal weapons and narcotics. To meet the rising numbers of gang members, the PRT is being forced to recruit more people. The Protectorate has begged for additional parahumans to transfer to the city, but until they arrive, heroes are being forced to bend the rules to cope - and the line between good and evil is blurring more than ever.

Couple that with the rising number of vigilantes and vigilante gangs crawling out of the woodwork to "do their bit for society", and you have a city which is nothing more than a glorified powder-keg waiting to blow.

And everyone is holding a match.

That's where you come in. Will you be the next in a long-line of villains, fresh off the plane and ready to carve out your niche - a foothold into your own criminal empire - by any means necessary? Are you a hero, answering the Protectorate's plea for help from a neighbouring city, bright-eyed, bushy-tailed and unaware of the horrors lurking within? Is being a vigilante Anakin Skywalker your thing, seeking to bring balance to the Force, even if it means stepping over the weak and powerless to do so?

Welcome to Boston. May God be With Us.

---

So, I debated for a long time whether to launch this as a rules-lite dice game, or purely narrative. Since I don't really have the free time for a dice game - and much prefer narrative anyway - I finally decided to just roll with it like this.

Fair warning. I have no plot in mind. I don't GM like that anymore. What I do have is a city full of characters fleshed out over multiple different campaigns with a total run-time of roughly 6 years. A cast of fully organic characters with their own motives, schemes and skillful deceits. Whenever you make a move against an NPC or NPC faction, they will respond how they will, rather than down a scripted planned path.

Worm characters are kinda my thing. I've been wanting to do this for a while, so it's finally time to see if there is any need for a RP to fill this space right now. Don't expect DC or Marvel-like things here, though. Morally Gray is the only colour you are likely to see here. After all, Worm's own motto is "The Wrong Things, for the Right Reasons."

//: Project:EVE : (OPEN)

Good, I like a challenge >=D

//: Project:EVE : (OPEN)

@RubyMeh. We can take it. :-P

//: Project:EVE : (OPEN)

@RubyYour snarky, vat-grown haemokinetic ^.^

//: Project:EVE : (OPEN)

@Little Eden

Here is my submission for a therapist character, let me know if you want me to change anything ^.^

Dr. Durand

_{Amenah Durand}

∟ NAME: Amenah Durand
∟ OCCUPATION: IOS Therapist
∟ YEARS OF SERVICE: 7
∟ CASELOAD: 5
∟ GENDER: Female
∟ PHYSICAL PROFILE: Fit and lean, Amenah takes great pride in keeping herself in shape. This has the secondary effect of giving her a slight advantage should any of her cases get a little agitated. Otherwise, being a regular human - and one that isn’t deployed on any combat situations - her physique is nothing to write home about.

∟ PSYCHOLOGICAL PROFILE: One of the more creative therapists on the IOS payroll, her mental equilibrium is essentially perfect. So much so that she oozes calmness. Her presence alone is enough to diffuse situations on occasion. Living to serve, Amenah is a breath of fresh air in an otherwise stagnant research centre.

//: Project:EVE : (OPEN)

May 12, 2:07am

My lungs clawed desperately for the cold, conditioned air. Sweat finely coated my entire body despite the duvet cover being several feet from the bed, at least. Beating irregularly - and far too fast - my heart hammered deafeningly in the otherwise silent room. Closing my eyes, I took several breaths to calm and steady myself. In through the nose, out through the mouth. Repeating the action over and over again slowly quelled the noise, banishing the fear which had become a staple of my sleep cycle over the past few weeks.

Scanning the room, it was filled with awkward shapes and shadows, cast by the shafts of light filtering in through the shutter on the door. Crumpled into a heap - and strewn across the coffee table - was the duvet, as predicted. A faint trickle of liquid swelled against the oppressive silence, the more I looked around. Gathering my bedclothes, it wasn’t even nearly time to get up, but my power had kicked in. Since it required my subconscious concentration to work, that sound meant only one thing.

I wasn’t getting back to sleep.

Wonderful.

Sitting upright, my eyes stung as they frantically protested being open. To stop them from complaining, I clapped my hands together and turned on the lights. Clinical, white light flooded the room and glinted off the bare floor.

“Ow,” I mumbled, groggily. Standing up, the icy metal beneath my feet was cold enough to burn - but it was something you grew used to when living in a glorified hamster cage. Flicking a semi-hidden lever with my foot, the bed converted into a sofa just within reach of the table. Slamming myself down with a whump, I just stared at the ceiling and gathered my thoughts.

Chronic nightmares had been a problem of mine for as long as I could remember. Lately, though, they’d been getting more intense and a lot more frequent. Every night without fail, I’d be treated to my own private horror show. The subject of the dreams didn’t even make any sense to me. One option was talking to the shrinks, but I’d be damned if anyone from the IOS was getting in my head any more than they already had.

They were about worms. Or, more specifically, small, worm-like creatures. According to my nightmares, these little parasites infested my entire bloodstream. That simply wasn’t the case. If there were even a few of those things in there, I’d have found the buggers by now. No matter how much rationalisation I tried, they kept repeating. Intertwine that with apparent memories of vats and endless tests…

Whether these nightmares actually meant something deeper or were just a reflection of how mentally screwed I was would become clear. Or it wouldn’t. Maybe it’d go on forever with no explanation.

After a few months, I might request a lobotomy.

It was only now that the lack of trickling became apparent. I looked at the billboard above the coffee table to see the blood on the screen there had stopped. The picture was now of those little creatures in my dreams. Scowling, I clicked my fingers. Blood sprayed across the room as the painting exploded into droplets. Left alone, it would dry in - and the guards wouldn’t be happy if they saw it all over the place. Reluctantly, my hand raised, drawing the blood out and back to its rightful place on the wall.

‘Rightful’ being an interesting term to use.

Rather than just sitting and feeling sorry for myself, I replaced the energy lost by the early awakening with snacks and caffeine kept on hand to stave off low blood sugar. Grabbing a book off the shelf, I settled down on the couch under a mound of duvet and hid from the cold. At any other time, the divine mix of hot tea, a good book and the soft trickles of my own blood would have been enough to lull me to sleep. I’d already seen what awaited me tonight, though, and had no intention of going back.

---

May 12, 4:45am

An alarm shattered the enjoyable peace and quiet, continuing on for far longer than was wanted or needed. Underneath my constantly-shifting blood feature, a message was displayed in large lettering.

---

//:DEAR RECIPIENT

YOU HAVE BEEN REQUESTED TO ATTEND THE AUDITORIUM AT PRECISELY 6:00AM THIS MORNING. AS THIS IS AN HOUR BEFORE CURFEW RELEASE, AN INSTITUTE EMPLOYEE WILL ATTEND AND MANUALLY RELEASE YOUR DOOR. FROM THERE, YOU WILL HEAD DIRECTLY TO THE AUDITORIUM AND BE SEATED.

NON-COMPLIANCE IS NOT AN OPTION. ::

---

The sudden display took me by surprise. I’d never been called up quite like this - certainly never before curfew. Was the guard really necessary? Being marched along never sat well with me, and today was going to be especially bad after my lack of sleep. Shuffling out from underneath my quilted heaven, I turned on the shower and set the temperature gauge down as far as it would go.

Stalking around the room - desperately trying to put off stepping under the water - I tided away my clutter and stuffed the duvet into the back of the couch. Stripping off and taking a final deep breath, the baltic water hit my exposed skin and chilled me to the bone. The assault on my senses snapped my brain into gear and caused the blood to run and drip down the wall.

Satisfied that I was both completely awake and not reeking of fear, my concentration returned enough to clean up the mess on the floor for the second time this morning. At least the shock collars were built well enough to not trigger when hit with water. Getting electrocuted would really put the tin lid on my morning thus far.

Taking my sweet time to get ready, the ensemble for today was my usual combat gear. Given the short notice of the summons and the nature of the message, I assumed I would need it. After lacing up the boots and fastening my belt, I draped the heavy, leather jacket over my shoulders before checking my reflection in the reflective metal panels on the floor. My complexion actually looked the brightest it had in awhile. Usually, I was pale as a ghost, but my face held some colour.

So, naturally, I hid it behind my mask.

Seconds after pulling up my hood, the shutters beyond my door opened with a sharp series of clunks. Followed by the double-glass-and-steel-bar door. Never underestimate a human’s ability to use several of something when only one is needed. As the door opened, an extremely clean smell overwhelmed the room. Disinfectant, I figured. Guess the cleaners had just scarpered.

In the opening, an armed guard stood with a shotgun in one hand and a remote control in the other. “The auditorium, #64. Get moving,” he barked with a sneer. As I walked back over to the small wardrobe, he punctuated his point by waving the remote menacingly. Unfortunately for him, the shock collar wouldn’t kill me no matter how many times he pressed. So I one-upped him.

Taking a several-inch knife out, I waved it in his direction instead.

Flicking it around my fingers, it slid perfectly into the sheath behind my back. “Certainly, sir,” I cooed like saccharine. “Lead the way.”

“Not a chance, you first.” Gesturing with the gun, he seemed the type to follow his orders to the letter, bless him. Taking a few steps out the room, I clapped to turn the lights off, and the guard shut the door behind me.

Since he’d insisted I take the lead, I decided to have a little fun with him. For the first corridor, my feet kept a regular pace. After that, I hummed some music to myself and slowly altered my step speed to match the tune. Almost crashing into the back of me several times - and wanting to keep his distance as though his life depended on it - my escort growled. Two floors from the bottom, he finally snapped and cracked me over the back of the head with the butt of his gun.

Grabbing the rail to stop my forward momentum, I couldn’t help a light chuckle. “Not a fan of jazz?” Raising the remote, his face reflected a deep need to press that damn button. “Since neither of us want to be here, why don’t you go head back early? I’ll find my own way to the auditorium,” I said. “It was a pleasure.”

And with that, I jumped the rail.

The fall was short and exhilarating, since it was only a few metres high. Landing a little away from the wall, by the time I looked up, several more armed guards had surrounded me. “Move another muscle without permission, #64, and missing the meeting will be the least of your concerns. Move.”

Unable to help a sigh, I followed the front two guards while trying to keep tabs on the ones behind me. Thankfully, we were almost there. After entering, though, my stomach dropped. The sheer number of Children here was staggering - more than I had ever seen in one place for a mission. Unless the literal apocalypse was riding up, this seemed excessive.

My armed escort turned on their heels and began to leave the room. “Hey!” I called out after them. “You’re supposed to ruffle my hair and provide a handmade lunch before you go. Basic parenting.”

They didn’t even look back.

I hated when people did that.

Putting on my best scowl - purely for my own benefit, of course - I scanned the room looking for the emptiest section. The entire room was pretty busy overall, so hanging out in the wings suited me more. A short distance away, a girl and a boy seemed engaged in a stilted conversation neither really knew how to approach.

Which made sense, when I realised who they were.

Eli and Cynthia had been the talk of many reports on psychological health in this hole - but hers had been a fair bit more detailed. Many people were worried about even being near her. Not me. I was covered from head-to-toe and didn’t have any excess skin for her power to… work on.

My arrival had been just in time for the speech. Hydra were encroaching on six separate fronts in what could only be an organised attack. That explained the sheer level of Children. My assignment was heading out to face a colossi. Making up the team were a bunch of people I'd only vaguely heard of.

Except fucking Cipher.

That little shit was irritating. Power blocking throws my entire thoughts into chaos when I can’t hold my weapons together. If he gets me killed, I am so coming back to haunt his ass.

After scanning the room and coming up trumps, I gave the two Children a sharp nod. “Hey, I'll take this time to wish you both luck out there, since you are within earshot,” I said before turning to Cynthia. “It's nice to finally meet you, too. I’ve… Well, it’s nice.”

Actually strike up a conversation was strange, being so used to simply avoiding my 'siblings'. These two were different - the very definition of what is wrong with this place.‘Void’ after all... She’s got it worst than most in here. Whether it was pity, or guilt or something completely unrelated, she reinforced the one thing I knew for certain.

In the heart of the Institute, there were fates worse than death.