Phoenix Tang

The easy S T U F F . . .

Name: Phoenix Joaquin Tang
Nickname: Phen, Squishy
Age: Eighteen
Member Group: Student
Power(s): Pixie Wings and Hallucinogenic Dust
Imagine dragonfly wings, only giant. Yep, four of those things, sticking out of Phoenix's back. Bright and colorful and oh-so-masculine (not). Along with these appendages, Phoenix also can create a sparkling, innocent-looking pink dust from his wings, which works as a hallucinogen for anyone that breathes it in, including himself. Side effects include backaches (from flying), headaches, and seeing imaginary things on a quite regular basis until he becomes immune to his own dust.
Play By: Kim Heechul

Let it F L O W . . .

Aw, look, aren't I cute? The picture of innocence, right there...

Hah. If only. Don't let my smile fool you, babe.


1995
Pff, who cares about when I was born? Eh, whatever. Yeah, my mom brought me to life in some random hospital in a dumb little town called Auburn, Washington. Who the hell would want to live in such a dumpy little place?

Anyway, I grew up in a single-parent family. Dad wasn't around, blah blah, boohoo, poor me. Don't ask me where the hell my mom came up with my name, it wasn't my choice. She did her best, I guess, but apparently I was a so-called 'difficult' child, always getting into fights, picking on girls, not sharing toys, you get the gist. I knew who I had to take care of, and that person was me. Anyone that tried to get in my way, well, they would get what was coming to them, sooner or later.

We moved to Seattle when I was about seven, and man, was that a relief. So much more to see and do and discover! I spent a lot of time at home by myself when mom was working late nights at one of her three jobs, so I had to get by on my own at a young age. I was pretty good at keeping myself entertained - when I wasn't looking out our third-story apartment window at the druggies and homeless guys cussing each other out in the alleyway, I kept myself busy playing with some cheap-ass plastic figurines mom bought me, pretending to terrorize and destroy little towns I would make out of books and old paper towel tubes and whatever else I had laying around.

So, that was my childhood. I did fine in school, I guess; when I wasn't making it difficult for the teachers to teach their lessons, I actually was a pretty bright little twerp. I had a couple friend that could actually put up with me, although we did have a habit of getting ourselves into detention way more times than I can recall. Fuck them. I've never liked authority figures, they're always getting on my case about being safe, thinking about how others feel, all that shit. I can take care of myself, and I don't give a damn about other people as long as they don't try to hold me back.


2008
"What the fuck, Phen!"

The lazy-eyed thirteen-year-old stared vacantly up at his mother, and it was impossible to tell whether or not he was even hearing anything she was saying. A mass of unruly black hair framed his impish face, making his head look oddly large in comparison to his small, scrawny figure.

"Do you even know what was in this?" she demanded, thrusting a used handmade joint at the young boy. "Jesus, didn't I teach you any better?!"

No, not really, Phoenix thought sullenly, keeping silent until his mother finished her tirade. He was still seeing things after smoking the joint an older friend of his had given him, and he did vaguely wonder what exactly was in it. Some hallucinogen, obviously. His eyes trailed over his mother's arm as a line of ants began to march along it, crawling up into her baggy sleeve and disappearing. He blinked a few times, and the image vanished.

"... could die, don't you realize?" He tried to focus on her face once again as he heard her pause, and gave a nod in response to whatever she had said.

He enjoyed the visions. He hadn't taken the drugs too many times yet, but already he began to crave the release he got from them, being able to leave reality and be in his own little world of imaginary creations.

"I won't do it again," he lied, putting on his most genuine face that he could muster. His mother seemed to calm down a bit, and he held back a snicker. Damn, she put too much trust in him.

"You better not. If I catch you again..." She let the threat linger, but she was obviously tired from her rant, and let him be. "Just be careful, Phen. Please."

He nodded, and that was that. Phoenix would just need to make sure to only take his trips when she wasn't around, which would be easy enough - she was hardly ever home anyway.


2009
Phoenix stared at the man before him in disbelief.

"I'm a fucking fairy?"

The guy sighed, obviously getting a tad impatient with the unpredictable young man. "You're a meta-human, Phoenix. Your abilities seem to be wings and hallucinogenic dust - a very interesting combination."

He had already explained to Phoenix what had happened to him - why the boy had suddenly experienced excruciating pain in his back before those.... Things erupted from it, why he had found himself surrounded in horrifyingly pink and sparkly dust, and how he had began to experience imaginary things without the drugs they usually required.

"So I'm a fairy," he repeated, and then let out a long, slightly hysteric laugh, wondering if he was just on some really big trip. It wouldn't be the first time. "You've got to be kidding me. No one in my family is a meta-human, why would I be?" That was a bit of a lie - he didn't know his father, after all. He had heard of meta-humans, of course, but never in his wildest dreams had Phoenix thought he would develop abilities. Especially something as ridiculous as he was experiencing now.

"Sometimes we can't explain why a child develops abilities," the man replied, trying to get his point through the boy's thick, muddled head. "But I can assure you, Phoenix, you're going to need to come to the Hammel Institute to perfect the powers that you have been given."

The thought of leaving home sent a shock through Phoenix's sluggish system, and he jolted into attention, eyes wide. "You mean I can leave this place?" he asked. No more mother breathing down the back of his neck, trying to keep her boy in line, begging him to find a better group of friends to spend his time with.

The guy nodded, and a wide grin spread across Phoenix's face. The glittery wings spread across his back even fluttered happily. "Sounds good to me, Mister. Sign me up."

Not to mention, if he could create a substance that allowed him to hallucinate without having to worry about trying to get the drugs he needed... Well, that was even better. Once his mom got home from work, this recruiter guy would explain everything to her, and Phoenix would be on his way.

He couldn't wait.


2011
"Rue, wait!"

Phoenix gazed teary-eyed up at the boy standing by his bed, the skin of his upper body covered in goosebumps from exposure to the cool air of his room. He had no idea how this had happened, or why, but the guy whose back was turned to him, his Rue, had said something that broke through to Phoenix's core, shattering what little piece of his heart he had allowed himself to give to his boyfriend.

"I can't do this anymore, Phen," the taller boy murmured, his face turned away. "I'm sorry. But this just isn't going to work out."

"What did I do?! Please, Rue, I promise I'll make up for it, you can't leave me!" Phoenix was desperate, clutching onto the one person he had met at this hell of a school that had ever meant anything to him, the one he had shared so many memories with, who had looked into his soul and hadn't been disgusted. And now he was losing him.

"Just forget it. I'm done." Still not looking at Phoenix, the boy picked his shirt up off the floor and pulled it on, running a hand through his hair before sighing. He gave the upset boy one glance with his beautiful almond eyes before grabbing his belongings and leaving.

"R-rue," Phoenix stammered, tears coursing down his cheeks as he sobbed into his comforter, unable to muster the willpower to go after the guy he loved.

He stayed that way for some time, long into the night until he sniffled and tilted his head back, wishing there was a way to fill the hole he suddenly found in his chest.

An idea came to him, then. Rubbing his eyes with his forearm, Phoenix spread out the dragonfly-like wings tucked against his back, fluttered them a few times, and found himself immersed in a cloud of pink, sparkling dust. He closed his eyes, took several deep breaths in, and opened them again.

Rue was there in front of him. His image was a little translucent, but Phoenix could almost believe he was really there. "Don't leave me," he whispered to the imaginary figure.

"I won't."


2012
"You're addicted to that stuff, you know that?"

Phoenix sneered at the girl in front of him, ignoring her words. She didn't know anything. "I thought you liked a boy with a bad side, Ella."

"I do, but not when you're more interested in living in some imaginary world than you are hooking up with me." She was a gorgeous creature, all curves and dark hair and smokey eyes, and Phoenix enjoyed the time they spent together. But lately, she had begun to nag him about his ways, trying to tell him how to live his life.

"You sound like my mom," he told her with a touch of disgust. "This stuff is natural, El. It's not like I'm going to kill myself with my own abilities."

She rolled her eyes and stood, buttoning the top of her shirt while Phoenix watched disinterestedly. "That's not the point, Phen. You came here to learn how to use your abilities, not abuse them for your own benefits." She shot him a look, shaking her head. "Come find me when you actually want to have some fun together."

Phoenix didn't move as she left his room; he felt nothing, no attachment to the girl other than physical attraction. He let out a weary huff and laid back in his bed, staring up at his ceiling. How dare she, accuse him of abusing his abilities... At least he wasn't using any other drugs anymore. That chapter of his life was finished. So she had no business telling him how to use what had been given to him.


2013
Watching the year's graduates line up from the side of the gymnasium, Phoenix couldn't help but sneer. A bunch of goody two-shoes, all of them. He should have graduated this year too, but due to misbehavior, failing grades, and so-called abuse of his ability, he wasn't going to graduate on time.

Like he cared. Sure, it would be nice to get out of this place and on with his life, but that required effort, and Phoenix really didn't have much of that.

So instead, he sat alone and mocked each graduate as they went up, before losing interest and leaving to do something better with his time.

Behind the M A S K . . .

Name: Yep. Pollo.
Age: 1
RP Experience: 1
How did you find us?: 1

Show your S K I L L S . . .

One time something happened and I wrote about it.