Welcome to Gaia! ::

Someone else very nearby was also failing to pay attention to where she was going. Dee had adopted the typical posture of an obsessive naturalist, and today she was going all-out. She had intended to do some exploring and poking about last night after her arrival, but the vaccination she recieved in the lab knocked her out cold and laid her low with some fairly severe and feverish symptoms. She shrugged them off as just another mild allergic reaction, and after a few over-the-counter pain relievers, she was (more or less) back to her old self.

With her binoculars looped around her neck and messenger-style bag bobbing along at her side, she was in fine form, eyes searching for any sort of animal life in the trees above.

"Hmmm... tyrannulet?" she whispers to herself as a nondescript tan bird flits about in the canopy overhead. "No..no, it's too far east for them...probably just a palm warbler."

A moment later she caught a slight movement in the corner of her eye closer to the game trail. Holding her breath and lowering her binocs, she began to sneak towards it...

Dee's breath caught in her throat... she could definitely hear something large (possibly feral swine or reptilian?) up ahead, and it was coming in her direction. With all the silence and concentration she could muster, she unhooked her binoculars and tucked them into her bag. In the same motion, she withdrew her snake hook... just in case.

Picking her way through the undergrowth, she angled towards the trail, hoping to intercept the creature. More light began filtering down through the trees as the foliage thinned, but it was still horribly difficult to see. Getting annoyed, she started pushing through with more force...until a particularly large palm branch snapped back into place and smacked her in the rear of her head.

With a not-so-polite expletive, Dee reeled forward in hopes of regaining her balance...her momentum taking her right up onto the trail in an almost-comicial, teetering gait. Her eyes were on the ground and arms spread out awkwardly as she steadied herself.

Without looking up, Diane Creedwater sighs and covers her eyes with one hand. Dammit... whatever it was is probably long gone after that brilliant stunt.

Startled at the man's voice, Dee gasped and her hand shoots down, fingers clutching at the stylized nautilus pendant dangling from her neck. "H-hello? Hi, yes...thank you, I'm fine," she stammered, turning in the direction of the voice.

"I...I was just doing some preliminary surveys of the avifauna. You're the first person I've run across in this tract of forest..." Her eyes narrow as she tries to get a better glimpse of the man. "Are...are you an employee, too? I hope I'm not trampling your research.."

A shaft of sunlight still in her eyes, Dee couldn't make out the details of the man's face... but when the glint of scales and lashing reptilian tail catches her eye, her entire posture and demeanor changes. "OH!" She chirps, crouching down, "Wait wait! Don't move... there'ssomethingbyyourfeet..."

Oh geeze, okay, it's not a snake...is that a varanid!? In the Caribbean!? I can't believe it...Dr. Duvert was right, there ARE some unique species here... I can't let it get away---

Without another seconds pause, Dee leaps at the tail and grabs it with both hands. "GOT IT!" she cheers at the same moment, hoping to drag her catch onto the trail for a better look. But when her right hand moves up the top of the tail, trying to get a hold of the creature's body, she freezes with the realization that she's caught much more than she bargained for.

"What the... what is this--oh my god."

Dee didn't move a muscle, bent over in post-pounce posture with her hands still clutched around the lizard(man?)'s tail. She simply stared at him over the top of her wire-frame glasses, which were sliding sloooowly down the bridge of her nose.

Then, as if struck by lightning, she dropped the tail and jerked backwards, hands up and palms out as if she were expecting the beast to come hurtling at her--even though she was the one who had assaulted him. Her jaw starts working, but it's a few more moments before she manages to get anything out. "I'm s-s-sorry, ohgodwhat...I thought you were a...lizard but, youarealiza--...no. No, wait."

She takes a step back, glancing around to note any possible escape routes. Come on Dee, she snaps at herself, there's got to be a perfectly rational explanation for this. It's...a skin disease or leprosy or something.. and you're being horribly rude.

No, that can't be it.

Oh... what if...

"Did I wander onto a movie set? I did, didn't I? I'm really and truly sorry..."

Damn, that's some good make-up.

Dee is only half-paying attention... her eyes are automatically drawn to details on Victor's body. Even when terrified, she's fascinated by animal physiology. Someone in the special-effects department had really done their homework with this costume! That even felt like real scales...

"Yeeeahhh..." Dee eventually murmurs after she lets more of Victor's explanation sink in. She watches him for a few seconds, then her expression splits into a wide grin. "You know, you're a fantastic method actor. Scrambling around in the heat in a costume like that... amazing!" She laughs, impressed, and pushes her glasses back up. "And how did you know I got a vaccination? Wow, you people are good..."

Denial ain't just a river in Egypt.

Dee's smile lilted a bit as she watched him tap his claws. Touch his face? Well... it's okay, it's probably just polystyrene or ballistics gel or that fancy 'dragonskin' stuff she's seen poured into specimen molds to simulate tissue.

"Ah, okay..Victor," she says politely, walking towards him. The closer she gets, the more details she can see...and the less convinced she is that this is a typical costume. "M-my name is Diane," she continues, reaching out with one hand. She's got slender and graceful fingers, and they're shaking. "Diane Creedwater." She touches her thumb, index, and middle finger to the top of his snout and adds very quietly, her eyes widening again: "You can call me Dee..."

Dee's stomach drops, and color drains from her face. She can't look away, nor can she move her hand. "You're right, Victor," she whispers. "This is no costume."