Welcome to Keep Evolving, a modern-day, next gen X-Men roleplaying site. As a mixing together of movie, comic, and cartoon canon, who you want to play, and how you want to play them, is flexible like never before! Both canon characters and original characters are accepted. 
Salem, NY. August 2015. The days are still clear and hot; cooler weather is on the way, so enjoy the last bit of summer freedom while it lasts.
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At Xaviers' School for the Gifted, teachers are getting ready to accept new students and old into the halls, while not-quite-retired X-Men gather at the mansion as well. With an uptick in mutant gene activation, the Brotherhood is eagerly scouting to recruit new members to their agenda of mutant supremacy.
Post by Apollo de Costa on Jul 29, 2013 0:22:17 GMT -6
MY NAME IS { apollo kinney de costa }
but some people know me better as { s h i e l d }
When people see me, they notice...
Apollo's about five eight - an average height for an adult male, but he's accepted that fact; it's a help, looking average, most of the time. He's just turned twenty-one, and has also just come back from college. With naturally semi-dark skin, the man takes after his father in most physical respects, with curly hair (when he lets it grow out, which is rare) and brown eyes so deep you could swim in them.
Apollo's never been a natural athlete, so he's on the skinny side, with enough body fat to avoid looking like a bean-pole. Even having a darker shade of skin than most of the human-looking students and teachers, he still likes it - and sticks out less than anyone who glows in the dark or is covered in fur, which he views as a bonus from the genetic lottery - both of his parents looked normal, too, but were far from it.
Unfortunately for his aspirations to be normal, Apollo doesn't look like a random human all of the time. When his mutation flares up - which is less often nowadays than it was before he attended Xaviers' - his whole body turns black. Pitch-black, that is, not skin-color-black. An orange outline of varying width covers his figure, with some black splotches marring the bright orange here and there to make it less blinding.
When his mutation is 'on', Apollo can feel it - but, aside from perhaps a faint sheen of orange, he can't really tell anything is going on unless he looks at his body. His eyes are black, too - and look more like eye sockets, as you can't see his eye balls, irises, or any other close detail.
Apollo's never been a natural athlete, so he's on the skinny side, with enough body fat to avoid looking like a bean-pole. Even having a darker shade of skin than most of the human-looking students and teachers, he still likes it - and sticks out less than anyone who glows in the dark or is covered in fur, which he views as a bonus from the genetic lottery - both of his parents looked normal, too, but were far from it.
Unfortunately for his aspirations to be normal, Apollo doesn't look like a random human all of the time. When his mutation flares up - which is less often nowadays than it was before he attended Xaviers' - his whole body turns black. Pitch-black, that is, not skin-color-black. An orange outline of varying width covers his figure, with some black splotches marring the bright orange here and there to make it less blinding.
When his mutation is 'on', Apollo can feel it - but, aside from perhaps a faint sheen of orange, he can't really tell anything is going on unless he looks at his body. His eyes are black, too - and look more like eye sockets, as you can't see his eye balls, irises, or any other close detail.
When they talk to me, though, they might make note of...
While he did attend Xaviers' and then leave to go to college, the mostly human-populated world has merely convinced Apollo that acting and looking normal, fitting in, is what he needs to do to be able to 'make it'. He has no pride in being a mutant, possibly stemming from his early teenage years being extremely difficult in dealing with and controlling his mutation. And his isn't even destructive! Apollo dislike human-mutant politics, although he keeps an ear on the ground for anything big - another mutant registration act, for instance, or yet another promised 'cure'.
Outside of the human-mutant conflict, Apollo is generally like any other twenty-something fresh out of college: eager to prove himself to the world. He came back to Xaviers' because he was offered a job. It won't make him rich, but he does have fond memories of the School for the Gifted, so he accepted - and it's experience, which is very hard to come by when the ink on your diploma is still wet. He doesn't deal well with criticism - he listens to it, but he takes things a tad too personally, which either makes him feel bad, or makes him annoyed.
Generally an even-keeled sort of guy, Apollo has a very long fuse for his temper. He can take any and all criticisms, annoyances, anything - he did have to deal with one or two...or five...annoying roommates through both high-school and college, and developed a thick skin towards irritating things. But when that fuse gets too short, when he's taken all he can take, the mild-mannered man blows up spectacularly, and usually violently. Not towards people - he hasn't been in a fist-fight since he was a kid - but he'll do his best to punch holes into walls or punching bags.
Once he's had time to cool down, the young man generally seeks out whoever he snapped and yelled at and - for lack of a better word - grovels an apology. He can't help but want to be accepted, although he knows logically that not everyone can like or accept him. His need for constant acceptance and reassurance that he's doing things correctly is tied in with his very low level of self-esteem, although the mutant has yet to realize it.
Outside of the human-mutant conflict, Apollo is generally like any other twenty-something fresh out of college: eager to prove himself to the world. He came back to Xaviers' because he was offered a job. It won't make him rich, but he does have fond memories of the School for the Gifted, so he accepted - and it's experience, which is very hard to come by when the ink on your diploma is still wet. He doesn't deal well with criticism - he listens to it, but he takes things a tad too personally, which either makes him feel bad, or makes him annoyed.
Generally an even-keeled sort of guy, Apollo has a very long fuse for his temper. He can take any and all criticisms, annoyances, anything - he did have to deal with one or two...or five...annoying roommates through both high-school and college, and developed a thick skin towards irritating things. But when that fuse gets too short, when he's taken all he can take, the mild-mannered man blows up spectacularly, and usually violently. Not towards people - he hasn't been in a fist-fight since he was a kid - but he'll do his best to punch holes into walls or punching bags.
Once he's had time to cool down, the young man generally seeks out whoever he snapped and yelled at and - for lack of a better word - grovels an apology. He can't help but want to be accepted, although he knows logically that not everyone can like or accept him. His need for constant acceptance and reassurance that he's doing things correctly is tied in with his very low level of self-esteem, although the mutant has yet to realize it.
Now, as for those people I'm related to, well, I've got...
Apollo's related to the infamous X-23 - aka, Laura Kinney, or Laura Howlett, once a pawn of the Weapon-X program. She's his mother, although they've never been very close - while his mother is a go-getter and very headstrong, Apollo more or less drifts through life, taking the easy road. So far, it's turned out fine for him - although that laid-back attitude is a matter of contention with his mother.
His father is the retired hero once known as Sunspot - Roberto 'Bobby' De Costa. When the X-Men disbanded, Apollo's parents didn't see each other for years - and, upon running into each other in a small west-US town, they connected again. It wasn't the love story of the century, Apollo knows - both of his parents are, in his opinion, too stubborn, too reactive, and too brash. He does get along better with his father than his mother, however, mostly because Apollo's mutation closely mirrors at least the looks of his fathers'.
As far as grandparents go, Apollo knows he has a set on his fathers' side; Emmanuel and Nina De Costa. His grandfather is passed away - decades before Apollo was even a thought - but his grandmother still survives, and occasionally the two write letters to one another. On his mothers side, however, Apollo's lineage is a little more complicated. His mother being a clone, Apollo isn't sure if the man called Wolverine - Logan, sometimes James Howlett - is his grandfather, or an uncle of some sort or...what. Either way, he's never met the man. Nor has he even met his grandmother, Sarah Kinney, who also passed away long before Apollo was born. Given his 'grandfather' on his mothers' side is allegedly old enough to have fought in the first Civil War, Apollo is simply happy he has a small, if still massively dysfunctional, family.
His father is the retired hero once known as Sunspot - Roberto 'Bobby' De Costa. When the X-Men disbanded, Apollo's parents didn't see each other for years - and, upon running into each other in a small west-US town, they connected again. It wasn't the love story of the century, Apollo knows - both of his parents are, in his opinion, too stubborn, too reactive, and too brash. He does get along better with his father than his mother, however, mostly because Apollo's mutation closely mirrors at least the looks of his fathers'.
As far as grandparents go, Apollo knows he has a set on his fathers' side; Emmanuel and Nina De Costa. His grandfather is passed away - decades before Apollo was even a thought - but his grandmother still survives, and occasionally the two write letters to one another. On his mothers side, however, Apollo's lineage is a little more complicated. His mother being a clone, Apollo isn't sure if the man called Wolverine - Logan, sometimes James Howlett - is his grandfather, or an uncle of some sort or...what. Either way, he's never met the man. Nor has he even met his grandmother, Sarah Kinney, who also passed away long before Apollo was born. Given his 'grandfather' on his mothers' side is allegedly old enough to have fought in the first Civil War, Apollo is simply happy he has a small, if still massively dysfunctional, family.
The things I'm good at? Glad you asked...
Apollo simply is not athletic. Despite his fathers' best efforts, he's never been good at any sport. Not soccer, not either version of football - not even ping-pong. That doesn't mean his talents don't lie elsewhere, however - Apollo has found that he's very good at teaching people things. With a spring-well of patience and understanding of a subject, Apollo will give it his best shot. Up until now, he's mostly done one-on-one sessions, or small groups - at Xaviers', he's hoping to earn that teaching diploma of his by teaching a real class.
Aside from the skill at teaching, he's had to hone his skill of leading - at least in regards to kids and teenagers. Other adults - a title that is still precariously new to Apollo himself - he's still rather green and uncertain. He's can also play a mean game of pool, on top of his intellectual achievements - something the young man is rather proud of. He's no pool shark, but he's getting better every game. And, if anyone can't find the dark-skinned mutant, it's common knowledge to check the library before even going to his room - the talent Apollo is most proud of is his reading ability. He's been building up a collection of his own books over the years, and if you get him talking about books, well, the normally quiet man becomes a pure motor-mouth.
Aside from the skill at teaching, he's had to hone his skill of leading - at least in regards to kids and teenagers. Other adults - a title that is still precariously new to Apollo himself - he's still rather green and uncertain. He's can also play a mean game of pool, on top of his intellectual achievements - something the young man is rather proud of. He's no pool shark, but he's getting better every game. And, if anyone can't find the dark-skinned mutant, it's common knowledge to check the library before even going to his room - the talent Apollo is most proud of is his reading ability. He's been building up a collection of his own books over the years, and if you get him talking about books, well, the normally quiet man becomes a pure motor-mouth.
But, well, I'm not completely perfect...
Apollo would describe himself as a man of weaknesses. He has so few apparent strengths, he's certain it's his weaknesses that define him. And given that his main weakness is the need to be accepted, useful, that leads to what is perhaps the truth. Apollo, aside from having very little self-esteem, also has very little back-bone towards cultural mores and figures of authority. That doesn't mean he's a sheep, per se, he's just much more likely to follow the rules; he doesn't follow blindly. If something is clearly in the wrong, he's not going to go along with it - with that, he can be determined.
Nonathletic and a veritable bookworm, Apollo grew up with headstrong, optimistic people who shaped him, partially, in the man he is now. It was always easier to go along with the other kids - or his parents - than to ask too many questions, or argue. And the optimism soured him a bit; Apollo can be quite dour and cynical, if the mood strikes him. Sometimes this leads to arguments, naturally, and Apollo would rather walk away than stay and fight about it, so he's not usually the person stirring up trouble - he hasn't got the guts for it, to be a poster-boy for anything.
Nonathletic and a veritable bookworm, Apollo grew up with headstrong, optimistic people who shaped him, partially, in the man he is now. It was always easier to go along with the other kids - or his parents - than to ask too many questions, or argue. And the optimism soured him a bit; Apollo can be quite dour and cynical, if the mood strikes him. Sometimes this leads to arguments, naturally, and Apollo would rather walk away than stay and fight about it, so he's not usually the person stirring up trouble - he hasn't got the guts for it, to be a poster-boy for anything.
I guess you want to know about what sets me apart from most of the population, huh? Well...
Apollo has neither of his parent's powers. Nor any of his other relatives' - although, granted, he doesn't have that many relatives, much less mutant ones. While his mutations' looks are reminiscent of his father, Apollo doesn't channel or control the power of the suns' rays. The sun does help recharge him, although he's not sure why - perhaps an evolutionary perk.
Apollo's mutation is defensive - the black and orange shield that gives him his nickname is just that, a shield. And so far it only shields him - although he's never trained or tried to project his shield. Apollo wants to be left alone, left to simply control and curtail his mutation - he sees it as generally useless, although his secondary mutation certainly comes in handy. While his shield is up, Apollo doesn't need to eat or sleep. He can't feel pain, either; force seems to just deflect off of his shield.
Apollo's mutation is defensive - the black and orange shield that gives him his nickname is just that, a shield. And so far it only shields him - although he's never trained or tried to project his shield. Apollo wants to be left alone, left to simply control and curtail his mutation - he sees it as generally useless, although his secondary mutation certainly comes in handy. While his shield is up, Apollo doesn't need to eat or sleep. He can't feel pain, either; force seems to just deflect off of his shield.
Awesome, right? Well, not all the time...
Aside from Apollo considering his mutation useless, it has other downsides - active ones. For one thing, it's bright - as part of him is bright orange whenever his mutation is active, he's an easy target, not hard to miss even if you aren't aiming for him. The black of his 'body' doesn't offset the bright orange - it simply emphasizes it instead.
Not blending into the dark is one thing - another is that, despite the lack of food or rest he needs, Apollo does still need to breath. Gases - like knock-out gas - still work on him, as does magic. And while he won't feel it, he can still be knocked over or thrown around the room - although it gives off a small amount of heat, his shield is touchable even by people who aren't invulnerable.
Not blending into the dark is one thing - another is that, despite the lack of food or rest he needs, Apollo does still need to breath. Gases - like knock-out gas - still work on him, as does magic. And while he won't feel it, he can still be knocked over or thrown around the room - although it gives off a small amount of heat, his shield is touchable even by people who aren't invulnerable.
If you see me out in the street, you'd notice I wear...
His style of clothing, while not on the job, is casual - some might call it downright lazy. Jeans, always, aside from the occasional pair of shorts or khaki's. T-shirts, especially three-quarter sleeves, are a must. Winter being his favorite season, Apollo has perhaps a tad too many long-sleeved shirts and sweaters, but he likes them. On the job - teaching - he dresses professionally. Slacks, tan pants - sometimes, rarely, jeans.
His tops are less professional - suit jackets for him. Vests, though, are a go - button up shirts of every color fill his closet. Next to those are his t-shirts - a variety of plain ones, some tank-tops, and a few bands or prints add some color and break up the monotony of Apollo's wardrobe. The young man owns a couple of jackets as well, including a denim one he's very fond of, and a large, puffy winter coat.
His tops are less professional - suit jackets for him. Vests, though, are a go - button up shirts of every color fill his closet. Next to those are his t-shirts - a variety of plain ones, some tank-tops, and a few bands or prints add some color and break up the monotony of Apollo's wardrobe. The young man owns a couple of jackets as well, including a denim one he's very fond of, and a large, puffy winter coat.
Maybe some of that comes from my past...
Growing up with two semi-famous parents wasn't like a lot of people think it would be. By the time Apollo was born, the X-Men has been disbanded for quite a few years. So he was able to grow up just like anyone else - just another kid, running around getting messy and learning, going through school with all the reluctance afforded to children. It was during the summer between his eight grade and freshman year that his mutation activated - scaring him and his friends, and almost made the parents of one of his friends crash the car she was driving them around in.
Eventually, after a few talks with his parents and a visit or two to Xaviers', it was decided Apollo would attend there instead of the high school he had been looking forward to going to. Leaving his friends - and his parents - behind, Apollo moved through Xaviers' School for the Gifted like any other freshman: terrified. He was questioning his mutation, his place in the universe, and his gender.
Apollo was born a girl. After his mutation became active, however, the human-mutant divide wasn't the only thing the young man started thinking about.
Although he did get over being terrified of the other students, Apollo never got over wanting to just be normal. He'd freak out whenever his mutation flared up, hating it, even as he, reversely, grew to accept his transition from female to male more and more. As graduation grew closer, Apollo waffled between staying and taking some of the college courses Xaviers' offered or going to a real college. Eventually, he decided to go away - it would give him the chance to see the 'real world', and see how he did at blending in. As it turns out, he blended in rather well, with only a flare-up or two during the years he was away. As he's been living as a college student, and before that a boarding-school student, Apollo has not undergone either top or bottom surgery; nor is he taking T (medication). He merely wears a binder and does what he can for any dysphoria that may crop up.
Eventually, after a few talks with his parents and a visit or two to Xaviers', it was decided Apollo would attend there instead of the high school he had been looking forward to going to. Leaving his friends - and his parents - behind, Apollo moved through Xaviers' School for the Gifted like any other freshman: terrified. He was questioning his mutation, his place in the universe, and his gender.
Apollo was born a girl. After his mutation became active, however, the human-mutant divide wasn't the only thing the young man started thinking about.
Although he did get over being terrified of the other students, Apollo never got over wanting to just be normal. He'd freak out whenever his mutation flared up, hating it, even as he, reversely, grew to accept his transition from female to male more and more. As graduation grew closer, Apollo waffled between staying and taking some of the college courses Xaviers' offered or going to a real college. Eventually, he decided to go away - it would give him the chance to see the 'real world', and see how he did at blending in. As it turns out, he blended in rather well, with only a flare-up or two during the years he was away. As he's been living as a college student, and before that a boarding-school student, Apollo has not undergone either top or bottom surgery; nor is he taking T (medication). He merely wears a binder and does what he can for any dysphoria that may crop up.
Now, with a job offer from the school in one hand and his clothes in the other, Apollo is back at The Xavier School for the Gifted as a teachers' aid. It's not glamorous and it doesn't pay much, but it's work experience, and - after all - it is something like home to him.
You want to meet me? It's your lucky day - here's a sneak peek...
Apollo breathed a steadying breath, dawdling outside of the giant metal gates that protected the School for the Gifted from most mundane threats - and considering the threats that they had faced once-upon-a-time, those gates would be less thick iron and more of a wet paper towel to them. Finally pressing the buzzer, Apollo waved his ID card at the scanner, which beeped and swung open the gates. Marveling at how easily they moved, the young mutant hurried through them onto the paved driveway that ran down to the mansion itself, watching over his shoulder again as the large pieces of metal swung closed almost noiselessly..
It was, he reflected, a good thing that Xavier's School was a mansion - with all the students it had, never mind the staff, it needed to be. He wondered if any of the younger students that had been in the school when he'd graduated would still be there. Would the same teachers be there? They might not remember me, he thought, as his shoes moved him ever closer. So many students came and went - after M-Day, less than two-hundred mutants existed. Since then, the number had grown - veritably skyrocketed. So the school was always full, always had something going on.
Reaching the end of the driveway, Apollo shifts the bags he's got - the two in his right hand being held tighter, the one in his left hand being set down, while the box under his left arm is held firmly in place with an elbow. Knocking on the door, he looks around for a doorbell - two feet away, just out of arms' reach.
Of course.
Feeling slightly ridiculous, standing out in front of the doors with his bags arrayed all around him, Apollo wishes he would have worn something more casual. As it is, he's juggling his bags and the box that is slowly slipping out from under his elbow while wearing tan pants, dress shoes - size eight-and-a-half - and a light blue button-up shirt, sleeves rolled down, making sure his tattoo's are fully covered. Nothing like your employers seeing ink all over your skin, which almost always translated itself to screaming 'rash rebelliousness! bad decisions!' at them.
So he shuffled a little, wondering if anyone inside had heard him - someone had to have opened the gate, of course the system would alert someone if an ID was waved at it, right? - and was just tucking the slipping box back under his elbow when the door opened.
It was, he reflected, a good thing that Xavier's School was a mansion - with all the students it had, never mind the staff, it needed to be. He wondered if any of the younger students that had been in the school when he'd graduated would still be there. Would the same teachers be there? They might not remember me, he thought, as his shoes moved him ever closer. So many students came and went - after M-Day, less than two-hundred mutants existed. Since then, the number had grown - veritably skyrocketed. So the school was always full, always had something going on.
Reaching the end of the driveway, Apollo shifts the bags he's got - the two in his right hand being held tighter, the one in his left hand being set down, while the box under his left arm is held firmly in place with an elbow. Knocking on the door, he looks around for a doorbell - two feet away, just out of arms' reach.
Of course.
Feeling slightly ridiculous, standing out in front of the doors with his bags arrayed all around him, Apollo wishes he would have worn something more casual. As it is, he's juggling his bags and the box that is slowly slipping out from under his elbow while wearing tan pants, dress shoes - size eight-and-a-half - and a light blue button-up shirt, sleeves rolled down, making sure his tattoo's are fully covered. Nothing like your employers seeing ink all over your skin, which almost always translated itself to screaming 'rash rebelliousness! bad decisions!' at them.
So he shuffled a little, wondering if anyone inside had heard him - someone had to have opened the gate, of course the system would alert someone if an ID was waved at it, right? - and was just tucking the slipping box back under his elbow when the door opened.
And the person behind the curtain reveals themselves...
You can call me Apollo - I'm also the admin of this site. You can either PM, e-mail, or shout at me in the c-box if you want to contact me.
And we got here by...
I'm the creator of this site, sillies.
