Welcome to Gaia! ::

Richard's second day out an' about since getting mauled was fairing considerably worse than his first so far. He had gotten far too adventurious and trekked out to the graveyard to get a second look and write down the names of those memorialized there.

The trek had gone well enough, but the path was far longer than he had remembered and had tired himself out. He blamed the arm in the sling, his cane felt unweildly in his left hand and he had nearly tripped over various things the staff and partiers had left behind. Not willing to pass by Sabin's gruesome display of former lab animals he had decide to take a "short cut" through the jungle.

Two hours later Richard had finally found himself on the bank of the river. He was panting with effort and his newly modified suit was drenched with sweat. He followed the river, practically dragging himself everystep. On top of it all his shoulder was throbbing.

Much as he hated to admit it, he needed a break. Just as the river emptied into the lake he spied a group of rocks in the mouth of the river that looked like a promising place to sit down for a bit.

He took off his shoes and plopped himself down on the nearest rock. With a sigh he eased his aching feet into the water. The cool water felt so good.

Only after the ache in his feet faded a bit did Richard notice the backpack on a stick. He peered at it with curiousity, it had obiviously been around for a long time. He looked around for an owner but didn't see any. He waited a minute and then pushed himself further on the rock and stood upon it. He walked over the tops of the rocks, using his cane to steady himself on the uneven and occianionally slick surfaces. As he neared it he noticed the fish bones in the water with frown.

He had encountered two islanders before on their "turf," both so far had been harmless. However the realization that it appeared that some one "lived" here made him especially uneasy with his injured arm.

"Hello?" He called out. Taking a step back from the backpack.

Out of the corner of his eye, Richard say some thing move in the water and his head snapped to the right, the tips of his tentacles following after a moment. He squinted into the water but didn't see a thing. Maybe just a fish?

Still Richard felt uneasy and perhaps a bit exposed. The rock he was standing on wasn't very large or stable, given the way it slid a bit under his weight. He made to step on to a bigger rock, just a bit closer to the cave like grotto.

Richard's balance had been rather precarious to begin with and when the tentacle shot out of the water and wrapped around his out stretched ankled he could only stare blankly at it for a brief moment before his leg was yanked downward. Richard followed it, unsecured arm with cane flailing as he toppled into the water with a splash that displaced most of the shallow water.

Richard fought againist the water enveloping him, mind in utter panic. His limbs failed, including his injured arm which fought againist the sling that confined it. His hand caught the edge of a rock and he pulled himself upwards breaking the surface of the water.

Coughing and sputtering were the only answer to Billy's inqueries as Richard struggled to his feet. His tentacles slowly pulling themselves into striking position as Richard cleared his lungs. They were pointing at the rock Richard was clinging to. The right arm had manage to stay in the sling but was sending sharp stabby signals into Richard's brain.

Richard finished sputtering and took a moment to collect himself before he looked up at Billy.

Goddamit. I really don't need to deal with another of these islanders that have appearently forgotten how to act human beings.

He was angry, he didn't want to back down from this purple mutation. He had already lost this game once, he didn't want to lose again.

Looking at Billy through narrowed eyes. He considered his options. "Why should I tell you?" he sneered. "You don't seem to have the decencey to responsed to simple hello. Instead acting like a troll under a bridge. Did your mother teach you any manners?"

Or he supposed acting like a crabby old man was always an option.

Richard's tentacle's almost darted forward at the "fat" comment but he caught it in time. The last thing he needed was a wrestling match with an octopus.

"Fat? At least I'm not a gaint piece of sushi! Why the hell would I want something of yours?" He just could not get a handle on his temper today.

He started to move back towards the shore, away from Billy and his backpack.

Richard spotted his cane floating past and snatched it from the water with a bit more force than nessicary, the result splash forcing water up his nose. Snort and sputtering he hauled himself onto the bank. Keeping an eye on Billy he hunted around for his shoes.

The nerve of some people!