Fletcher Vireo

## Description

Fletcher is a tall, lanky man with light brown skin and several freckles that cluster mostly around his cheeks and neck. His hair is pretty wavy and has a thin white stripe in his hair as a result of his hybridization. Has also has a cluster of feathers around his lower neck in this form and he has the wings and tail of a barn owl. His eyes in this form have switched from brown to a dark orange.

He traditionally wears a lab coat with a blue tie of any shade and has a necklace with the first feather he ever lost on it. He has two notepads he carries with him. One, the gift from his father, chronicles social behaviors in a more scientific way and general little tips. The other, from Felicity, details those he's met and what he thinks of them.

## Personality

Fletcher is generally pretty extroverted, wanting to speak to as many people as he can and learn all he can. He finds learning quite engaging and usually will put himself in the position where he takes a more logical, scientific approach to most situations. He was originally someone who went with the flow, taking the path of little resistance not wanting to upset anyone or get into uncomfortable situations he wouldn't know what to do with. Gradually, he's stood up for himself more and even been able to challenge Kiemo himself.

Fletcher's known for his hardworking personality as a result of him wanting to reach his dreams but he's also very prone to the pressure of expectations. He doesn't like people babying him or seeing him as older than he is either, having both expectations put on him at a younger age. He feels torn between the two because of this, finding himself in silent frustration.

He does not like being touched on his wings or around his shoulders with the exception of the people closest to him. He also does not like his nickname being used by anyone who isn't Gagan though he would make an exception for Felicity.

## Story

#### Pre-Rp

Fletcher was born to his parents in 2003. Quickly, he showed how capable he was when it came to learning quickly, despite his social skills lacking in comparison. He found himself perplexed by the behavior of his peers and found each expression and way people expressed themselves different. His solution came in the form of writing down notes on these behaviors and carefully keeping track of each one in one of the notepads his father had gifted him. Fletcher also grew up tagging along with his parents as they went to work at the hospital they both worked at and fell in love in. He was never sure which of their occupations he preferred, his father being more of a doctor and pediatrician, while his mother concerned herself more with lab work. He did resolve when he grew up to be just like them and work alongside them. This dream would bear fruit as he successfully managed to enter a school with a specialization in the medical field. The only thing was that he attended the program young. His cousin, who had recently come to join their following her orphaning, couldn't bear to lose more of her family and trusted companion so she pushed herself as hard as possible so she could join him too. Together, it was them against the school, both of them working together and having just each other to face the rigorous process. However, they'd come out of it with their starting degrees in their field, Fletcher at 15, Felicity at 16.

    The two cousins moved back to Fletcher's parents' home without the stress of such high schooling, but a few months after returning, Fletcher's dad started to get sick with an illness with no known cure. Fletcher was terrified of this and couldn't handle it, fleeing the situation only to be stopped by Felicity in the pouring rain. He couldn't go back so she stuck with him instead, choosing to go to a new prestigious academy that was recently there. He figured he could do some teaching and utilize the lab equipment to make a cure of sorts for his father. Felicity joined him, unable to stomach another loss in her life.

#### The Rp

  At the academy, he was quick to set up his lab equipment having taken it from some of the classrooms and justifying it with his cause. However, one day he would be taken and his DNA spliced with that of a barn owl. He awakened with these abilities and the knowledge that some children hadn't survived the incident and resolved to try to create a cure for that too. Fletcher needed to understand what had happened to them in the first place and why. He often overworked himself because of his worries, sticking to his room most days and coming out to greet the occasional to learn about their experiences and because he hadn't gotten the chance to talk to many peers before now. He quickly became popular with them, his interactions requiring less support from his interaction tips written in his notepad. He did, however, have a section written about each person he encountered and what he thought of each of them. One of the students stuck out to him, the student seeming more defeated and on edge. This one also knew about Fletcher's connection with the possible cure. He requested that Fletcher finish it faster for his benefit as he was disgraced by this experience and it clearly worried him. In exchange with being one of the first to receive the cure, Kiemo-this student-would give him protection from any possible harm and bring him everything he needed. For the time being, he accepted though Kiemo's demands and insistence on the cure would only grow.

    Later when the students planned for some sort of normalcy, they staged a small dance of sorts and it was here that Fletcher met Gagan. This new man was more reserved, hanging back far more than Fletcher had. Naturally, he found him interesting and struck up a conversation like he'd done time and time again. They discovered they both had an affinity for making robots, Fletcher gaining the love for the hobby through his father. Robotics allowed him to process some of his fear and grief and Gagan and him eventually ditched the dance to build robots together instead. They started opening up together and Fletcher, despite the boy's more intimidating demeanour, didn't find him threatening. Instead embracing him like he'd done for others and giving him the benefit of the doubt. Soon, they started becoming friends, staying over in another's room after the request. To make Fletcher more comfortable and help with his worries, Gagan made him a tiny nest, something Fletcher appreciated greatly and was finally able to rest without the threat of constant research. He also would denounce Kiemo and cut their allyship following the realisation that the boy was just using him. He confronted the boy one day, leaving to work on the cure for the good of others and not because he was being pressured into it by one person.

   Fletcher still worked on the cure, taking time to work on both of them while still carving out time for himself among it all. Things had begun looking better and Kiemo had more than taken notice of it. Having been recently humiliated by a failed confrontation with Gagan over his own ego, he utilised the knowledge of Fletcher's tie to Gagan, jeopardising the cure to fulfill his personal vendetta with someone who refused to back down. Furious, he worked with the group that had imprisoned them in the school to rig their battle training so he'd get placed against Fletcher. In this fight, he managed to nearly kill Fletcher in front of Gagan, only for him to step in and break up the fight. However, Kiemo wouldn't be satisfied and came to finish the job. With Fletcher bleeding out, he confessed his love to him, panicking he'd never get the chance. Gagan was distraught and sought out severe methods including time travel to make sure that Fletcher wouldn't make this fate. While he was successful at stopping the boy's death, Fletcher still bore the scar that had nearly taken his life. Only Gagan knew about the timeline where Fletcher had met his end, Fletcher believing that Gagan had saved him.

   Kiemo was enraged by this, unknowing that his alternate form had realised his errors of killing the boy who could make the cure. That Kiemo had slowly upon being trapped in time, helped Gagan bring him back, something the current version of him would find disgusting. In fact, as Kiemo's own condition caused by the hybridization had worsened, he became more desperate to stop Fletcher from being able to be distracted by doing anything but creating the cure he believed would save him. When Gagan and Fletcher were away one day, Kiemo set fire to the part of the lab with Fletcher's cure for his father. Fletcher returned to find the fire destroying everything and he was horrified, saving some organisms he was using for testing but losing most of it. Gagan supported him and later moved into the room to prevent these attacks if he could. Fletcher allowed it, knowing that Kiemo had wanted to get to Gagan too and thinking he could protect him too should he need. Especially since Gagan had managed to swipe one of Kiemo's favourite knives and had it engraved with Fletcher's name. Now he could protect himself on his own too.

    Good things didn't last forever though as one day, the researchers had came for Gagan, taking him away and leaving Fletcher to his own devices. He was stressed out again and joined the resistance against Kiemo, giving them information and using the experience to try and figure out where Gagan would have gone. His cousin became more central in his life at this point. He'd use time with her to relax and calm himself, the experience giving him more than enough reason to think Kiemo might've been responsible. He resolved to do the unthinkable and confront Kiemo himself. Though he had the knife on him, he was quick to use his intelligence first to gain the upper hand and inquire about the boy he cared so much about. Kiemo, taken aback by this, confessed to not being involved, something Fletcher was far from believing. He did however claim the researchers were involved. So Fletcher continued on the cures and joining up with the side opposing Kiemo to do raids, trying to find out what had become of the missing students. Fletcher was first to volunteer himself, sticking with the group far into the evening before do research later. But still, for an entire year, no Gagan. Eventually, he had to listen to the leader of the other group assuming painfully that the one he could have loved was dead.

  This would be proven wrong one day though when he discovered Gagan in the cafeteria, both of them having a cautious reunion before Fletcher quickly embraced him, hoping he was real. They both settled back where their previous life had left off and with Fletcher having finished the cure to rid them of their hybrid forms, he only had one to focus on. Things were looking better and with information about the outer world coming out, it finally seemed possible for Fletcher to escape this place but also to be able to save his father.

Gagan and Fletcher tagged along with each other as they met a secret group hiding on the fourth floor of the dormitories and discovering they were nerds too, they became friendly with each other. They didn't hang out long though as Fletcher insisted he needed to get back to the lab for research. The following day the researchers made an announcement that the students would be able to exchange themselves as test subjects for letters home. Fletcher considered this but couldn't leave Gagan on his own now and he still needed to finish his cures. He couldn't choose this outcome and was surprised when a portal opened in the school and a mysterious professor who claimed to know him appeared. Gagan and him carried the unconscious man to the infirmary and Gagan confessed a bit about knowing the man and that he had been around during a time Fletcher didn't remember. Fletcher later found out from his man that he had been killed by Kiemo during the time he didn't remember and brought back through a different timeline. Fletcher is shocked by this but can't think much about it as Kiemo appears and moves to attack Gagan, blaming him for the death of Summer, his previous commander and girlfriend as she died from wounds Gagan inflicted. Fletcher defends Gagan and fights back and they have a heart to heart. Here, Gagan decides to kiss Fletcher for science, trying to figure out why he felt so jealous. Fletcher returns it after being flustered.

Fletcher appears in The Reckoning, requesting that Gagan come too this time and Felicity notes that they both are late. She makes a spot for both of them and Fletcher is quickly accused of not making a cure fast enough. He tries defending himself and Gagan and Felicity help support him. Fletcher also tries defending Gagan, trying his best to keep Gagan from being taken from him again in the process and offering to take any and all responsibility for him out of desperation. Implied he's doing it because it's what he believes Gagan wants and would do for him too. He's surprised and hurt when Gagan protests this and says he can take responsibility on his own. Fletcher starts to panic further as more accuse him and Ferris launches more accusations, it eventually getting to be too much as he questions himself. Gagan escorts him out and they leave Felicity to pick up the pieces and try defending them while they go.

Fletcher and Gagan have a heart to heart about the situation and Fletcher's ambitions. They also talk about how no one sees Gagan any differently. Fletcher insists that he does, and that again, he's never been afraid of him. He just was afraid to lose him again, especially so soon. Fletcher also blames himself for the accusations of them supporting Kiemo after healing his members, though Fletcher says medicine has no morals and he had to. Gagan and him return after this heart to heart to the finishing of Felicity's stalling. She is relieved to see them back and that she doesn't wish to speak publicly like that again. Even for Fletcher. Things get worse though as Niccolo interrupts the chaos and confesses that he knew about the Missing, putting an end to the fighting as eyes all turn to him. Fletcher is shocked and realizes that Niccolo must've known Gagan was alive when he told Fletcher he was probably dead. Fletcher feels lied to and betrayed, feeling bitter over this.

Fletcher does come along though when Niccolo requests he join him for the secret meeting with Kiemo. He continues to feel betrayed by Niccolo and says nothing while looking painfully hurt when Niccolo reveals there's no world for them to return to. Fletcher lives in denial, refuses to believe his dreams he's worked for can no longer happen.