|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Fri Jun 15, 2007 4:15 pm
He’d stumbled out of Seth’s territory and was nearing the lake. Jordan was delirious from hunger. His limping walk staggered from side to side, as he was on the verge of collapse. He was suffering from a lack of energy. It was a miracle that he hadn’t just fallen over and collapsed where he was, but Jordan had become even more stubborn than he ever was. He’d become too dignified to collapse and lie dead.
It’d been four days since his last meal, when he’d ripped apart that rabbit and had given a portion to a more feral Lauren. For the past two weeks he wouldn’t accept handouts from anyone: labs, islanders, anyone. He’d rather starve than rely on anyone. Only the strong survived and the weak begged for scraps. The disruption to his regular diet had caused him to lose weight rapidly as his body had gone into starvation mode. His body was literally going to kill itself if this continued.
He was more canine than ever now. His latest change had left him a monstrous disfiguration of a quadrapedal
creature wanting to be put out of his misery. He limped because the sixth leg had yet to grow to match the fifth, middle leg that had emerged from his torso months ago. The long, flowing locks had been chopped off recently with nothing more than a steak knife, leaving his now blonde hair short and wild, sticking out every which way. Since he was now residing in a rotted, hollow log in the jungle he stank to high heaven of unclean and wet dog. There was an unsettling look of festering madness in his eyes. He was really losing it these days.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jun 15, 2007 4:28 pm
Awen was smiling happily to herself as she floated on top of the water of the lake. She stared up at the moon and the stars thinking that maybe things had started to finally go her way. She blushed a little bit thinking of her upcoming date with Marshall, not really a date-date but at the very least a little bit more of a get-to-know-you session. She couldn't believe that that penguin had thought her beautiful...and liked her enough to at least try this out. His change had been a little scary, but at least it was over for the both of them now.
The manta ray's good mood was put on pause as she saw a strange creature loping around the lake. The movements were rough, and sluggish and by the way the creature's weight was carried something must have been wrong with it.
But what the hell was it? Awen swam slowly closer to the critter, quietly as she could. She was nearing the shore but just close enough to rest her flippers on the sloping bottom of the lake. She narrowed her eyes to peer at the being trying to figure out what... or she supposed who was more appropriate.... it was.
A slow thought started to worm it's way into her head. But she wasn't entirely sure just yet...
"J-jordan....?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jun 15, 2007 4:46 pm
Jordan was too out of it to really know where the voice had come from, nor had he much capacity to recognize the voice. A soft growl came in response. He couldn’t muster much more than a pathetic growl of a wounded animal and it wasn’t as intimidating as it was desperate. He didn’t have the strength to interact with others. He wanted to be alone, to strengthen himself past his current weaknesses. He was panting raggedly, out of breath the closer he got. He didn’t know where he wanted to be, nor how much farther his body was going to take him.
Barring the voice that had called his name, he continued a soft growling as he turned himself awkwardly towards the water. Everything was semi-blurred as he squinted in the darkness. He looked like he’d seen better days as he lowered himself onto his legs in a crouching sit and dipped his face down, plunging his muzzle into the cold water. He recoiled as he’d scared himself, not seeing how close he had been exactly to the water. Jordan had sprung up too quickly and his off-balanced body wobbled precariously.
His forepaws had been too close to the softer muddy ground and his footing was lost. With a mighty splash, Jordan fell in yelping as he thrashed. He was too weak to swim back to the surface or even hold himself up as he gasp bubbles on the muddy bottom.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jun 15, 2007 4:54 pm
Without a real intelligable responce the manta had stayed away from the feral critter. As he turned and approched Awen saw more of him and it was unmistakably Jordan. And he was...drowning.
Awen shook her head and gritted her teeth. "Why the hell can't things just stay happy for a little while before going to s**t!?"
Darting towards the poor dog Awen planed her move carfully. At the right moment she grabbed the dog under one of his once-human arms with the other wrapping around his chest between the two sets of forepaws.
With a few kicks she dragged the struggling dog out to the extreme shallows and once there even tried to drag him until he wasn't even touching the water. Failing in the last bit, of course, as out of the water Jordan was much heavier than the manta could handle.
"Easy there...eeeaaasssyyy..." She cooed in his ear. "You're alright, you're alright...."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jun 15, 2007 5:20 pm
He gasped for breath, expelling the small bit of water he swallowed the wrong way. He was shivering in fear. He could have drown, but he hadn’t and for that he was grateful. He was whimpering from his near-death experience. The soothing words of her sweet voice hit his ears and he settled down. Awen had been strong enough to pull his lunky body to safety. He was struggling to see the form of Awen that was coming into brief clarity. Awen… had saved him.
He opened his muzzle. The words were there. He just needed to form them clearly. He didn’t want to sound so pathetic infront of his friend. No one who hated him would have bothered to pull him ashore. “Aw----eeeen..” he had to speak slowly to make the proper sounds come out from his half-muzzle. “Eeeeeez… that… you?” Four words had been so difficult to say. His tail wagged, happy to see her. “Ah.. sleeped.. buhd y—uuuuo shaved meh from drown—eeng.” Okay, so it was a lot harder to maintain the vocal control for too long before it slipped back into butchered language.
He struggled to lift his right forepaw, reaching out weakly for her hand, squeezing it gently. In that moment, her smiled. A genuine smile had finally broke on the surface of that half-muzzle, as facial expressions upon his muzzle had become impossible since last changing. “I… wanted.. tah s-aaa-ve you.. that time… I wanted.. to be your hero… I've always... wanted to be your hero..”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jun 15, 2007 5:30 pm
Awen smiled slightly and squeezed his hand back. She stroked his hair softly, but a smile was not present on her features. More of a conscerned frown. "Jordan... are you alright? You look half dead...."
She sighed softly and continued stroking his hair. "Recent change was it hun? You'll be okay..."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jun 15, 2007 5:41 pm
His soggy tail wagged a bit more as she stroked over his hair. He nodded to the comment on his change, but refrained from going into it. That never resulted positively. “Ah’ve been.. liii-veeng in theh wi--old.” He got out with difficulty. He barely had the energy to remain conscious, but he was determined to tell his savior things. “Two.. weeks.. try.. hunting..” it was like a bad translation or that maybe something was missing in translation, but he thought he was getting the message through. “No labs.. no help.. want.. to be shtronger.. on mah own..” And from the looks of it, he wasn't a successful hunter.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jun 15, 2007 5:47 pm
Awen huffed a little bit and let Jordan slip to the ground again. She took her hands away and shook her head. "Wait here for a minute.. you silly pup..."
The manta girl couldn't begin to imagine what he'd been doing for the last two weeks but it certainly hadn't been eating. With this in mind she dove back into the waters. For a short time all was silent.
When the manta reappeared she held two moderate sized fish. She returned to Jordan's side and flopped them down beside him.
"You need food, so have at them." She said softly. "I know you don't want help.. but you won't get stronger if you don't eat... and it doesn't look like you have been. Strength is also having the knowledge to know when you need help, to know when you have to make a compromise and lean on someone else for a bit. I won't tell anyone, but you really need this Jordan..."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jun 15, 2007 6:09 pm
The huff and sudden departure worried him some, but she wouldn’t just leave him there. Awen was more considerate than that. She was a sweetheart and cared for her friends. His tail wagged as he was called a silly pup. It made him think back a few months to when he was called puppy.. it made him dwell on how lonely and isolated he was for his social choice. It also served to conflict that social choice with feelings that were contrary to how he ‘should’ feel as per his lifestyle. The chances of finding someone again.. was slim to none. He had his one shot at happiness with Kim and he blew that to hell. Just couldn’t keep his damn mouth shut, could he? Now she hated him with good reason. He broke her heart. That trusting, caring soul.. so much like Awen in certain respects.. When Awen had stroked through his hair, it surfaced that Valentine’s Day on the beach, where he was held in Kim’s lap. It made him beyond sad, not only because she was led on, but because he genuinely liked the company, being held by another.
Jordan tried to maintain, but he was too exhausted. A paw lifted to his eyes as he rubbed at them vigorously. It began as the watery build-up began. Then it progressed to a tear being shed from the agitation of his eyes being rubbed. A soft sob was all that it took for the tears to flow. As he lay on his side, covering his face while he wept into the pawpads, he just wanted to die for how unjustly he’d betrayed what could have become a good friend. The worst part was.. he couldn’t blame Moreau for that one..
A mournful howl erupted from his half-muzzle expressing how he felt in the only way he could properly verbalize his torn mental/emotional state.
Jordan looked worse than when she'd left, but it was only then he saw Awen had already returned without prior notice and now two fish lay infront of him. He was whimpering, as he wondered if she'd heard his mournful cry, unsure how long Awen had been standing there before Jordan had realized. Residual tears streamed down his canine face.
He shook his head, resolving to let her in. After so much time thinking he’d lost her friendship. It was a good thing to be wrong now and then. “Ah’m shorry ef you had to shee that. Just lon’leh.. Ah miss being close tah shomeone..” he sighed so deeply, a paw dabbed at the tears “breaking up weth Kim hurt meh too..” he hung his head in shame “ told her.. ah wush gay.. a week aftah a beautiful Valentinesh Day weth her on the beach..” he spoke without being able to enunciate everything. “Ah’d hate meh too.. ah'm ah royal a**. Sure.. there's an attraction to men.. buhd ah only been in one re-lay-shawn-sheep. Weeth Kim.." he struggled with the big words lately, as another sigh came forward.
He tried to stand, pushing himself up weakly with his forepaws and the middle leg. He didn't think of the front paws as being arms anymore. Their function had changed radically. His stance was shaky, but he was sitting up -for the moment- much like a dog would, using the third leg as a prop as he leaned forward to sniff at the fish. "She’sh your close friend and hurteeng her esh like hurting you.. ah dun deserve your fish..” Though they smelled so good. nose twitching at the presence of fresh, natural food. He wasn't sure if he could take food that he hadn't caught himself, but she had a point: without food, he couldn't get stronger. In fact, he would die at this rate.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jun 15, 2007 10:28 pm
Awen listened with a compassionate ear. Gay, was he? The manta never would have guess it. But she understood well his torment and the loneliness that consumed him. She wanted nothing more than to hold him in her arms and make everything better for him. She'd been hurt, scorned, used and forgotten and just plain used. Momentarily her convorsation with Marshall vanished from her memories and the sinking crushing feeling that was being alone truly sunk into her heart again.
She shut her eyes tight as the tears started to swell up, rushing to be free. She pushed the fish closer to Jordan.
"I already ate, they're of no use to me. They're dying anyway. Eat them. You deserve life Jordan..." Her voice was a little harsh, a little ragged, but that was to be expected really.
She opened her eyes once more to look at the dog, the wicked wretch infront of her. Though still shimmering with wetness her eyes no longer were a dam ready to burst.
"You hurt her... but you can't help how you feel, what you're attracted to..." She said softly. "You like the feeling of being held, you like the feeling like someone cares for you... but if you just take that feeling from whoever will give it.. desperately nipping at scraps of a relationship for anyone willing... then it's not fair to either of those involved. If you're gay, you're gay. You cannot help that. You made a mistake... but we all make mistakes. In your weakness, in yor loneliness you grabbed at what you could get your hands on... and she happened to be of the wrong sex. At first you didn't care, you held on because you wanted to be loved, you wanted to be held and comforted through a horrific time of your life.... that's normal Jordan... I did..." She gave a small pause and thought once more of Marshall... was she just grasping for that comfort...? "Maybe I'm still doing that same thing.... I don't know.... But just... try not to beat yourself up about it...."
She pushed the fish again towards the dog. "Now...eat damn you."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Jun 15, 2007 11:44 pm
He nipped one of the fish by the tail and laid himself back down, dragging the fish towards him while setting a paw on top of the food to hold it down. In resignation, he once more felt like a scavenger feeding off another's catch. He was beyond famished but had a feeling that if he didn’t comply in taking the fish, she would forcefully shove them down his gullet. Jordan firmly believed she could take him down if she truly set her mind to it. The first bite made his mouth water, dribbling saliva mixed with fish juices down his chin.
Awen had a remarkable way of making a rational point, by analyzing a perceived problem and presenting it into a new light. She was willing to forgive him, but he felt lightyears from forgiveness, even if he hadn’t meant to harm her.. He listened, though, as she made it clear to even him that he was following a basic instinct to be near someone and to feel loved, even for the month that it lasted.
He wasted no time in picking clean the first fish in the time it took her to say her peace. She was carrying herself in that calm-before-the-storm that Jordan had come to respect from her, but kept in mind not to push her too far. He’d already seen her explode once. This was more immediately life-threatening.
“Even sho, ah don’t think thish feeling will passh eashily.. Ah selfishly broke her heart.” He pulled the second fish closer as he had the first, tearing off a tail fin in his fangs. “Ah just dun know Awen. I thought I’d lost you as a friend, too, and that killed me. It was part of the reason..” he cut himself off, stuffing his face so he purposely couldn’t complete that sentence. He didn’t want to open wounds.
His stomach felt gorged by two fish. Not hearing his stomach growl put him in a slightly better mood, but considering he felt he’d hit rock bottom not so long ago, ‘better mood’ was subjective. Jordan would show his appreciation nonetheless by hoisting himself up uneasily, marching up to Awen, and with a groan, standing up partially, enough for him to hug her waist and for him to rest his cheek against her stomach. He just wanted to feel close to someone for a few seconds. The wagging tail was evidence he was content in the moment.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jun 16, 2007 10:23 am
Awen gave a small sigh, patted his head a little bit and gave a sad smile. "It's never easy... I didn't say you should just stop hurting right now... I'm just saying that you had reason for your action... rationalising things often makes them easier to get over, but it still takes time."
She gave a small chuckle and shook her head. "Jordan, I told you I'm going to always be your friend. That means no matter what." There was a small pause before a sigh escaped her lips. "But just because I'm your friend... doesn't mean I'm going to let you hurt people if you went too far into the lab mentality. If it came to the point that you were a danger to others... then I will try to stop you." Not that a manta with little to no prowess out of the water could do much against the multi-legged dog with sharp teeth. Once his changes were done anyway.
"You're my friend... I care about you. That won't ever change. But if it comes down to it, if I have to fight you... I will."
A small quake rumbled through the manta's body before a bright smile moved to her lips. "But! It doesn't seem like we're in any danger of that anymore.. with your well...going into the wild and all."
She wrapped her arms around the dog and gave him a squeeze.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jun 16, 2007 2:40 pm
His tail wagged on its own with the pettings. It couldn’t be helped. If he was happy, it wagged. It had since it’s growth with his first change and it’d continue to do so till his last days. Canine body language was simple and direct. Like trying to lick the hand that was petting him. His head tilted upward, but not enough to move her webbed hand from his fluffy head. He liked how that felt against his ears. He could continue to counter her rationalization of his past action with his pennant defenses, but he couldn’t b.s. his way out of why he shouldn’t be riddled with guilt for the rest of his unnatural life. “Yer right.” Jordan nuzzled his wet, cold nose into the palm of her webbed hand, gliding his half-formed snout across the rubbery flesh. He stopped short of whining and pining, but being held by his friend it slipped out. “Ah shapose it doeshent get eashier. Ah guesh there aren’t many gays on the island.” He huffed, more like snorted, with an exhausted roll of his eyes.
He especially caught the part where Awen said she’d personally stop him. At first his ears perked, then flattened to his skull. He was afraid of it having to come to that. That’s why he asked Seth to kill him two weeks before. The changes were making him a biological weapon. He wouldn’t know if his retreat to the wild was simply making himself a more effective weapon for Moreau. “Ah know..” he responded softly, nuzzling her stomach gently. He’d become so docile against her, so calmed. He was needy of human contact like that and the invasive canine genes served to amplify that –among other already-present- trait(s). “Ah’ve been sho shtupid to think you’d bahtray meh. Hitting rock bottom hurtsh. Feeling there’sh nothing tah looshe. Truf ish ah betrayed wu.” He sniffled, but held back more waterworks. Barely. Fortunately, Awen served to lift the mood with her cheery demeanor. He wrapped his forearms around her as he pressed close, with a content whurf. He didn’t want to ruin the moment after it had been diffused. He brought so much drama to others. His eyes closed as he focused on the words “Awen, ah jusht want the drama tah end, sho you and I and our friendsh can be happy. Especially you.” Jordan nuzzled her stomach again. The texture of her skin felt so pleasing against his fur.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jun 18, 2007 4:24 pm
If the manta hadn't just been told the dog was gay, she'd have been certain the pup was hitting on her or flirting or something. But it was nice anyway, to be able to cuddle and hold someone, even if there wasn't more than friendship attatched. She squeezed him close with an appreciative sigh. She smiled to herself a sudden thought came to mind, if things went well soon she wouldn't be pinning for this feeling.
"You betrayed nothing Jordan. Come on... you're doing okay, really and we're still friends. You haven't done anything.. you're looking to improve yourself. Just..." She ruffled is now short hair. "If ever you go with like...weeks without eating..drop by. I'll help, maybe I can help you find ways to hunt. I mean it's not like you're...well equiped for it right now. You may have to..engineer more human methods of hunt too, like traps and stuff..."
She chuckled softly. "That info came in handy during the lock out, I tell you, that was a scary time." She paused with a soft smile. "But overall..fulfilling."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jun 18, 2007 4:57 pm
He managed a smile, craning his neck upward. His beautiful brown eyes shimmered with a glint of possible hope. His body stretched vertical to stand on his hind legs like a dog, reaching up to stand against a human, so he could hold her like he would have as a human. His furry arms wrapped around her torso, careful not to topple himself or her over. Jordan tilted his head towards her ear and whispered. “We’ll have bettah timesh en the future. Ah won’t allow mah actionsh to hurt you- evah. Ah promishe you thah, Awen.” If he didn’t know better, he was teetering on the precipice of renouncing his sexuality with questionable actions and words. He was lonely, yes, and having someone to look out for gave him a sense of higher purpose. He could never hurt her. Never. Jordan felt guilty enough for involving her so deeply into this mess he’d caused. “I don’t know how much longer I can stay in the wild. It’s hot, it’s tiring, and it’s lonely.” He looked her in the eyes and rubbed his cheek against hers. His tail wagged happily in leiu of words.
He was on the verge of saying something when a lockout was mentioned. His ears perked. “Lockout? They… no… they wouldn’t..!” he was taken aback by the possibility of the labs tormenting them by locking them out of their duplexes. “Ah guesh thath’s sorta watt ah’m doin’ tah mahshelf..”
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
