this is a rentry for my oc concepts, mostly unrelated to url! url is NOT for trade or sale. please read content/trigger warnings HERE.
TIMELINE
⠀JANUARY 1972⠀:⠀the date that theodore manos was born. he was brought into this world by two (at the time) married parents. he was borna healthy baby, slightly underweight but with working reflexes and fully developed organs. he was brought home the day after his birth. theodore had an eerily normal beginning. he was not developmentally behind or ahead, he started pre-k and kindergarten at the proper times. at first, theodore always felt out of place. he would spend hours sitting in the back of class mindlessly taking notes. he didn't show interest in other kids, even as young as three and four when those relations are support to develop. at lunch, he would spend his time carving apples and making janky shapes out of the apple shavings. he always found himself fascinated how plants and fruits were alive, but in a different way than humans were. he thought about this as he would shave the outer layer of apples off, forming the original object--the apple--into something new. something of his own. however, whenever he starting attending science classes regularly, the interest was immediate. he loved every part of it, but his favorite studies involved mammals. humans, rats, dogs, cats, whatever. the inner workings of these creatures and their evolution made theodore tick in just the right way. from elementary to middle school, he spent all his time focusing on sciences, which did cause his other grades to slip. this caused fights in the family, especially considering theodore's father wanted him to go into engineering like he did. theodore's mother was supportive of him, but also put pressure when she saw C and D grades become more prominent in his studies. after years of strain, theodore's parents decided to split when he was ten. despite not officially divorcing for the first few years, it was apparent that theodore was going to have two christmases for the majority of this life. by his twelfth birthday, the divorce was finalized. this didn't affect theodore, at least outwardly. he was so immersed in his studies that all he could possibly think of was his beloved sciences. he didn't have time to emotionally process his traumas. this continued for the next couple years.
⠀FEBRUARY 1986⠀:⠀when theodore turned fourteen, there was a roadblock put in his way. he was diagnosed with stage three skin cancer. at least, skin cancer was the best guess the doctor could put on it. he had developed several large tumors on his arms, too tender to touch because of the pain it caused. as soon as they possibly could, theodore's parents signed up for chemotherapy. theodore throughout the whole process, from the diagnosis to his first chemo appointment, showed little to no emotion. he seemed completely inpartial to his own chronic illness. this wasn't the case, however. the day he was diagnosed, only a few weeks after his birthday, the first thing he did was go home and lock himself in his room. it began with him picking at his skin, at the growing tumors on his scalp, arms, legs, and back. he would peel back individual layers until the pain physically became too much. he would search the internet for chemicals, having them specially ordered to the window where his bedroom was so his parents wouldn't see. he got so used to needles after injecting himself with them multiple times a day, horrible chemicals flowing through him. the doctors rode off his strange symptoms and illnesses as weird consequences of his cancer. they would treat theodore, he would go home, and then repeat the process all over again. months turned into years, the tumors getting worse to the point of affecting theodore's physical mobility. at the age of eighteen, soon after his birthday, theodore would take the largest risk of his life. larger than anything they tried in his chemotherapy, larger than life, some may say.
⠀JANUARY 1990⠀:⠀the dna of an elephant has extreme cancer-resistant abilities. a weird fact few know, but have you ever see an elephant with cancer? neither had theodore. years of research whilst he was cooped up in his room had taught him so many interesting things. elephant dna has so many strong properties... he was fascinated. elephants are intelligent and heathy creatures... and share minor dna similarities with humans. (wip)
⠀AUGUST 2007⠀:⠀the day that PROJECT MERAKI was properly founded, and more importantly, properly funded. (wip)
BTS
⠀MERAKI DEFINITION⠀:⠀meraki is a greek word (μεράκι) that loosely means to do something with soul, creativity, or love; to put something of yourself into your work.
⠀INSPIRATIONS FOR "THEODORE"⠀:⠀aspects of theodore as a character are all over the place. i want to make him have a similar vibe to dr. josef heiter from the film "human centipede" (without the subtle nazi commentary). a cold, unfeeling doctor, except theodore is a scientist as opposed to a surgeon. i got the name idea from the character ted from the short horror story "i have no mouth, and i must scream". however, the name is the only idea i took from the character. as a character, theodore is more comparable to the villain of the story, the allied mastercomputer (AM). he has a distain for humans, as well as a sickening curiosity. he tortures his own victims in a similar what AM does, however in a more grounded in reality sense. his backstory is heavily inspired by the character deadpool from the marvel cinematic universe, especially the diagnosis of cancer and treatment via mutation. not really "mutation" in the same sense the marvel universe uses the concept of "mutation", however. this section will periodically updated as i develop theodore and more things inspire me, or i realize other things that have inspired me.
⠀INSPIRATIONS FOR "CASIR"⠀:⠀the main motivation for making casir as a character is alex from the film "a clockwork orange". the concept of him being a horrible person who is especially horrible towards women reminds me so much of alex. especially since, despite not being mentioned, casir has an incredibly low libido now since the procedure. this whole narritive is pretty much ripped straight from a certain scene in "a clockwork orange". i even considered naming him alex, but i felt like it would be a bit too on the nose. this section will periodically updated as i develop casir and more things inspire me, or i realize other things that have inspired me.
⠀INSPIRATIONS FOR "ORION"⠀:⠀orion's concept came to me specifically after watching a movie from '95 called "SE7EN". the movie's premise really resonated with me, which inspired me to write orion at all. when the victim related to the sin 'sloth' came up, it was absolutely fascinating to me in a fucked up way. which is kinda the whole point of this oc universe! this victim is essentially an immobile corpse somehow kept alive carefully despite his brain being mush and even having his tongue bitten off. another inspiration for orion that has been long brewing is in the hannibal series. it has been quite a while since i have seen the episode(s) i am referring to but the vague outline is: serial killer is using the bodies of his victims as fertilizer for his garden and is somehow managing to keep them alive under there. another very recent inspiration is the extreme horror film "thanatamorphose". i will admit i have not seen the film because it was a bit too extreme for me, but i did watch an exceptional overview video of it on youtube by pugsr and i was absolutely infatuated with the storytelling. this section will periodically updated as i develop orion and more things inspire me, or i realize other things that have inspired me.
CHARACTERS
⠀THEODORE MANOS⠀:⠀theodore manos is a sick man. a man of twisted arts and dark science. the titular reason why PROJECT MERAKI originally started, and its head scientist. also known as ted or theo, this man comes from greek decent, however grew up in the united states. due to his mutation he towers at a 6'7 height, however being unhealthily thin and lanky, his body not being able to catch up with his growth. his cancer has caused his hair to thin. he often takes his own supplements to prevent hair loss and thinning, and for other health concerns. his little empathy and cold demeanor are what he is most notable for. the only thing that brings him joy, that is alluring to him, is biology. the only desire he finds in humanity throughout his misanthropy is humans. what makes a human a human? why is autonomy so important? what is the cost of human life? this interest consumes him, nothing else matters as much to him as this eerie concept does. he has little method to his madness, as far as everyone knows, the only reason he does the things he does is because it makes sense in his mind. he is a distant man. that is all anyone knows for sure.
⠀⠀
⠀JUNE ███████⠀:⠀june was a very sweet girl, helping others whenever she can, sharing her snacks with the other kids at lunch, and having some of the best grades in her school; she was her mom's way of life after her husband had left prior to she gave birth to her bouncing baby girl. shortly after june turned seven, she started exhibiting odd sexual behavior and seemed pathologically lie. her mother didn't take her to the doctor until june turned twelve, seeing as it wasn't a big deal until her grades declined horribly and she began to lash out. it was then she learned that her daughter had been harming herself, claiming that her own mother violated her in disgusting ways. doctors were concerned and sent her to specialists where they would keep her in a psychiatric ward so she wouldn't continue to harm herself. doctors were pushed by her mother to allow visits she could see her baby, even going out of her way to bribe them to see her. every time her mom would come over june would be unresponsive for days and would be found trying to put herself in harms way. the more treatment she had would cause her to have lapses in her memory and she would always be unaware of the date or time, who the people were around her, why she was even there to begin with. she was now twenty-one and was showing no signs of improvement whatsoever. the whole facility wanted to get rid of her. she was taking up space. theodore had gotten word of this "lost cause" and decided to take her in for questioning. seeing her easy cooperation and hearing over her backstory, he decided that she wouldn't make the greatest subject, but maybe an okay employee. so he offered her something that she could never say no to, getting away from her mother. june quickly took him up on his offer. how could she not? as she packed her things, the interaction with her mother was rough, flashing between yelling and berating her to weeping for her to stay. "mommy loves you, i'll take care of you. you'll always be mommy's sweet girl." june wanted to cry. hearing her mother cry for her like this wasn't exactly the thing she wanted to hear. she knew something like that she'd never hear. once june signed her contract and got ready for her first shift for PROJECT MERAKI. her memory loss has messed with her brain so much it causes her to continuously lash out on herself. there will be days where june will not be seen working or around the facility, she's locked herself up in her office all by herself.
⠀⠀
character by melon
⠀AUBRIE FOSSE⠀:⠀aubrie fosse was raised in a wealthy family. she had never wanted for anything in her whole life. she had a wonderful childhood, graduating with a high school degree and—with help from her parent's wealth—was able to start up her very own bakery. it wasn't long until she found what she assumed to be that special someone. he was wealthy as well and in her mind, she needed someone wealthy as she was if she wanted a prosperous life. even if it was difficult to live with him at times. even if he had trouble with staying out for nights at a time on business ventures. however, after only a few months, things took a horrible turn. aubrie came home one afternoon, having taken off early at her shift from the bakery. little did she know when she would crack open the door, the door to her own bedroom, she would be met by three faces instead of just one. not much is known about what happened in the bedroom that day. aubrie left with blood splattered on her dress and three people now dead, one being her own betrothed. after this, she refused to talk to police and, even with all her money, refused to get a lawyer any better than a public defender. her parents argued with her constantly over this, begging her to get the highest paying lawyer. she still refused. with this, she had nothing to say in court. she was sentenced to death, without the possibility of parole or bail. after less than a month being locked in a cell, she was placed in handcuffs and sent away in a car with tinted windows to a building she had never been to before, for a project she never wanted to be part of. she was put under a bright light on an operating table before theodore and her ever spoke properly. through their conversations as he readied anesthesia, he realized how broken she was. she had nothing to be elaborated on, no real potential. however... being so broken, so easily manipulated, he had a better idea. from that day forth, she was released from her handcuffs and a "free" woman. theodore coddled her, telling her he believed she was innocent, while praying on that part of her brain that was convincing herself that it was all her fault. she started to believe it was all her fault, that she was a cold blooded killer. she knew she was innocent, but... was she really? in a way, theodore made her earn her sentence. she was now the butcher for PROJECT MERAKI. if theodore needed an extra limb for whatever reason, she was the one tasked to extract it from a captive safely. it was much different than the life she had, a simple housewife for a man she never really loved, coming from a rich upbringing. she no longer spends her days in dresses. she was a murderer, in her own mind. now she was doing something she was told was "good". she was "helpful" to a man she considered a hero.
⠀CASIR LAUREL⠀aka⠀THE HOUND⠀:⠀bernese mountain dogs are worker dogs, bred for hard work on farmlands. whether it be herding or guarding, casir does it all. he is a hard worker who spends all his time "herding" the other experiments around facilities, often shipped around from building to building. unbeknownst to all his new friends, casir is a horrible criminal. he has a long history of assaulting women, specifically he was interrogated for sexually assulting and murdering at least three women in his area. despite only being twenty years old, his first conviction was at eleven years old. he got in trouble for forcing himself on girls in his class, using his status as the "cute nerdy boy" to get women to let their guards down around him. this behavior continued until his first murder, estimated when he was seventeen. before the procedure, he was absolutely a devious person. horrible, remorseless, with an addiction to the power he got from seeing women suffer because of him. once taken for PROJECT MERAKI, he fought. he would spit in the face of the scientists and doctors, scream and swear. after weeks of not being let go, he started to plead. he fawned at the feet of theodore himself, even resorting to offering sexual favors for his release from the project. none of these things worked, of course. he was subjected to hours of CT scans, slow injections, and surgeries without anesthesia. it wasn't long before his body began to change. his hands morphed, large pads growing on his fingers and palm. his ears slowly retracted, shrinking to be barely visible behind his now shaggy, unkempt hair. in their place, two sensitive, floppy dog ears sprouted from his head. his dna now intermixed with that of the beloved dog his experiment file was named after. casir was now incredibly docile. drool uncontrollably escaped his mouth, he panted and barely thought. his body moved on its own when he was told to work. just as intended. he had lost most of his ability to speak, the particularly cognitive parts of his brain snipped from connection, or numbed daily. he is an obedient hound, theodore's very own.
⠀⠀
pre-procedure⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀post-procedure
⠀BOWEN ATTICUS⠀aka⠀THE SCORPION⠀:⠀bowen was just a boy in love with a girl at his workplace. for their new years office party, he got the courage to ask her out. she turned him down very gently, saying he just simply wasn't her type, and didn't think much of it. this led to her being bound, gagged, killed slowly, having her body violated, and then eaten. the laundry list of crimes and the several videos bowen posted and plastered all over shock websites landed him straight on death row and, by proxy, into PROJECT MERAKI'S hands. because of this, theodore thought it would only be clever to deform this man to resemble a scorpion, an arachnid that is know for acts of sexual cannibalism, or eating one’s partner during the mating process. however, he didn't splice bowen’s dna. he stitched and sewed his body so he would have four arms and four legs. coming from the base of his spine is a long metal rod with a bulging point at the end to resemble a scorpion’s stinger. he is much too timid and weak now to do anything with it, though. locked in a cage unsuited for him, his body is mutilated beyond comprehension. he now experiences extreme paranoia, the struggle during the experiment causing partial blindness. he has a bad habit of scratching at this skin, so bad large patches of a collection of scabs coat his body. the only clothing he is allowed is a blanket that only covers a third of his back.
⠀⠀
pre-procedure⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀post-procedure
⠀ORION RÄIKKÖNEN⠀aka⠀THE CORPSE⠀:⠀orion was a swedish catholic boy, growing up in a private school, often surrounded by new money children. orion was raised in what now he knows was a cult, a cult that involved him being taught that his beliefs and body were the only things of importance. he was taught to do "favors" for those in his environment from an unsettlingly early age. these things along with being whipped and beaten if he were disobey the laws of the lord eroded his mind. when orion turned eightteen, he thought he would finally have a chance to escape. he couldn't. he was blackmailed with photographs of him and the promises of hell were he to discard his lord. this really left him with nothing but hopelessness. his abuse got worse over the next years and so did his mental health. until one day, orion couldn't take it anymore. prior to dinner, he had offered to help cook for orientation that evening. soon, the dining room was full of the sounds of people choking, objects falling and silverware clanking to the ground. in the days following his massacre, orion would beat and mutilate the bodies of his abusers beyond recognition, some of those bodies being those of his own parents. after a few days of being missing, someone has finally noticed and it wasn't long before he was caught and apprehended. he refused to plea guilty, getting him quickly sent to death row. during his trial and sentencing he showed no remorse, no emotion. he seemed like a hallow husk of a man. once theodore got his grubby little hands on orion he would make sure he would be just that. he lays, unmoving in a sterile white medical room. his one moving eye frantically looks around, his chest barely rising as his lungs run risk of failing him. his bones press uncomfortably against his skin, bruises and open bloody wounds coating his entire body. he is attached to an iv and checked on regularly. theodore loves to pet his hair and watch his body struggle to produce moisture as he looks at him through his glazed over, wet eye.
⠀⠀
pre-procedure⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀post-procedure