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 Posted: Fri Dec 23, 2005 4:42 pm
Joliette looked through her pile of envelopes she went through them as carefully as possible having already poked holes in the corners of many of them by accident with her new claws.
She found the one she was looking for and slid it under the door of her friend.
Note Enclosed with Merry Christmas Amaya I couldn't think of anything else to give my friends so I holed up in the darkroom for a few hours pouring through my Photographic work and thought you might like this one... ~Joliette
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Posted: Fri Dec 23, 2005 8:34 pm
On her way from the cafeteria after talking with Chubbs, Amaya fumbled with her door with her large hands before getting it open. The second she stepped inside her feet crinkled on something on the floor. Quickly drawing her foot back she flicked on the lights and looked down at the card.
"From... Joliette..." Blinking, she kneeled down and picked it up with two fingers to examine it. It looked like a Christmas card of sorts with a little warning not to open it until Xmas. Smiling, she walked inside and closed the door behind her before setting it on her desk. That was really nice of her...
Oh! She almost forgot about the gifts she had made! Looking around she gathered them up from her hidding place in her desk and ran back out of her duplex to deliver them.
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Posted: Sat Dec 24, 2005 4:22 pm
Sometime in the middle of the night, a grey-furred figure quietly makes a stop on your doorstop to deposit a cloth-wrapped package. The cloth is cut from a scrap piece of blue tarp from the looks of things, and tied shut with a length of rope.
Pinned to it is a note on Feral Labs stationary (much like the pad found in all of your duplexes in the desk drawer), penned in an elegant, confident hand.
Quote: Amaya, I regret not seeing more of you recently as I have unfortunately been more preoccupied than I anticipated with helping Angelina as well as working on... other projects that you will hopefully see soon. I had a surprisingly difficult time deciding what to make for you - and in the end, thinking of the pumpkin-shaped bag that I have rarely seen leave your side, and your fondness for that Nightmare movie that I saw a poster of on one of your walls, I figured that an ironically unseasonal gift such as this would bring a smile to your face. Don't be a stranger - I miss seeing you and I am going to hold you to those fencing lessons - regardless of whether or not big feet get in the way heart Love, Your Big Brother, ~ Ambrose Maurlias
And once the rope is cut or untied, inside the package is a painted, carved pumpkin that seems to have been cut out of a piece of a solid treeroot. You can lift the top of it off to see a small cavity inside where you could keep something.
On the bottom is carved "To Amaya, Love Ambrose"
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Posted: Sat Dec 24, 2005 7:02 pm
Hargun made her way out of her duplex quickly, irritated with herself for not doing this sooner. In one of her arms was a few pieces of paper with scribbly writing, and several, tiny little clay figures, each wrapped in a makeshift red ribbon for a tag. Each also had a label to whom it was for. Most of them were hearts, but a few were animal shapes. She pulled out one shaped like a little lizard (with Moreau Sucks carved in it).  Then she placed it down near the door, on top of a letter that read (In terrible handwritting): Quote: Dear Amaya, I got your present, and I have to say, its probably gonna replace you as a best friend. Nah just kidding. But I love it to death.. Im gonna treat it like a little kid I swear. Watch in a few more days Ill take him to the cafeteria with me for every meal.. and start talking to him too! I made you this, although its not very uh.. pretty or cute. I couldnt make it look cute enough so I just made it carry a special message. Sorry I couldnt get you anything more special.. I was rushing cause I forgot. Happy Holidays! Love, Hargun
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Posted: Sun Dec 25, 2005 12:18 am
After having delivered all of her gifts it was rather late and she was drained. Despite it being Christmas Eve, and the fact she normally never slept during it it seemed her cold-blooded self needed to heat and the rest. Though of course this didn't stop her from waking up rather early. Slowly she opened up her eyes and groaned, turning her head to look at the clock. 7AM... not bad. Yawning loudly she sat up, having to lay on her stomach now due to her tail and spikes. Now it was time for a nice big breakfast and then to see if she could run into someone for the holidays.
Getting up she stretched her long toes and fingers, tail giving a few twitches. After having a shower and getting dressed and walked over to where she had set the card Joliette had given her and opened it. Hey, it was Christmas afterall so now she could open it.
After reading the tiny letter she pulled out the photo, eyes widdening. "Wow..." The picture of the sunset was just... beautiful. She stared at it for a few moments before smiling and setting it next to the photo of her parents.
Amaya then made her way to the door, stopping herself before she could step on two other things on her doorway. Blinking, she kneeled down to pick them up before bringing them inside. Taking the note off of the wrapped up present she read it.
A large smile came to her face as she set the note down and ripped the rope with her claws before carefully opening the package.
"... Oh my god." The girl's jaw hung open as she held the pumpkin in her hands. Removing the top she looked inside before putting it back on. "... Oh god." Sniffling, she set it down and put his note inside. That was that. She definatly needed to grab Ambrose today and thank him for the lovely gift.
Regaining her composure she picked up the clay lizard and laughed at what was carved into the side. "Hargun." Grinning she set it down and read the letter as best she could, knowing that her batty friend probably had a tough time writing it. Laughing, she placed it into the wooden pumpkin and then grabbed both of her wonderful new gifts.
After making sure both of them were placed neatly on her desk she headed out to the cafeteria.
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Posted: Sun Dec 25, 2005 12:26 am
As your heading out you notice one last gift, in a corner of the room.
When you open it you find a shoebox, and in the shoebox a pair of boots.
When you look at the still attached label you see they are 100% iguana skin.
They obviously won't fit your feet, it seems Moreau decided to try and aim for two nerves.
If you look inside the boot, you will find a dark green Ipod left by Moreau.
It appears to be filled with music you might like.
This is providing that you of course check in the boot of the insulting gift.
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Posted: Sun Dec 25, 2005 12:43 am
Just as she set foot from her duplex, Amaya stopped and leaned back in to spot a box that she hadn't noticed... and it was inside her room. "Weird..." Raising a brow she walked over to it and kneeled down by it.
It must have been from the staff if they got it INTO her duplex. Recalling all the pranks they had pulled on poor Joliette she was hesitant to open it. Leaning back, she stuck one long finger under the top of the box and flick it open. When nothing exploded or squirted out at her she leaned foreward and peeked inside.
Moving the packing material aside, she spotted... iguana skin. Sighing, she linked one of the shoes with her fingers to pull it out. "Ha-ha. I explode with laughter." Rolling her eyes she was about to drop it back into the box when something inside the shoe hit her finger.
"Yah!" Dropping it, she recoiled and after a few minutes peeked back into the shoe to spot something else green. Raising a brow she reached in with two fingers and pulled out the iPod. "... Huh. Seems odd to make fun of me and then get me something decent." She stated aloud, knowing full well they could hear her. For now she didn't trust the thing. What if it had glue on the earphones or something?
Getting up, she set it on her desk. She'd fiddle with it later. Now, about those boots. Putting them back into the box and closing it, she stood. "Y'know, instead of waisting your money giving us gifts to piss us off, why don't you donate the money spent on them to The Salvation Army or something? ... Oh wait... I know why. It's because your a douchbag." Huffing, at nothing in particular she dragged the box outside so it would be out of the way. Despite if he would do something to her for mouthing off or not, she really hopped he heard her. "And so much for your attempt to get at me. It's ******** Christmas. I'd be as stupid as you if I let your childish antics dampen my spirits."
And with that she sauntered out of her duplex, feeling better then she had before.
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Posted: Tue Dec 27, 2005 7:43 pm
Christmas Lunch(Amaya runs into Pyroth & Joliette after their changes)Quote: Amaya had been to the cafeteria earlier for breakfast, but now it was lunch time. She had been rather dissapointed she missed everyone early in the day and even when she wandered around the island she hadn't been able to find anyone... they were probably all off with they're loved ones or something. Maybe she could find Hargun and just hang out with her all day.
She pushed the cafeteria door opened and went straight to the buffet. Her breakfast had been small, composed of only some eggs and toast since she really wasn't that hungry. Even now most of the meat on the table looked disgusting to her new tastebuds. Letting out a sigh, Amaya grabbed some candied fruits and a salad before sitting down at a nearby table. Pyroth Ignatius Pyroth was hungry again. It was so irritating this newfound metabolism that had seemed to surface in him, all it caused was hassle. Before he would probably have been too out of it for most of the day to notice whatever hunger there was, he knew that the fireweed had dulled out pain, so why not his hunger too. Now however, there were no distractions from the growling and grumbling of his stomach and he had given in and crept back down to the cafeteria.
It was a decision he would most likely regret later, he hated feeling full, it usually equated with feeling wretched but for now he was in a good mood and later didn't matter. As he made his way across the villiage to the cafeteria, his keen sense of smell, still unnervingly sharp to him caught a familiar scent,a sharp green one which stopped him in his tracks.
Nah..he had to be imagining it, chalk it up to withdrawal.
He shook his head to clear it of the "imagined" smell and stepped into the permenantly food-stocked room, letting the smells of cooked meat and vegetables wash over him, hiding any other scents.
And Amaya was here. Good. As long as Kim wasn't present to think him a pig for double helpings, it was good. He picked up a helping of ham and turkey and made his way over to sit near the other islander, he had long since stopped caring if others minded his precence. If he worried about that, he would never get to socialise.
"Hello." he said with a grin, "having a good day? Or at least as a good a one as is possible in this place." Amaya Vaughan Amaya blinked and looked over at Pyroth, having not noticed him come in. Wow he had... changed. Though then again, so had she since the last time they had met. She just smiled at him, being used to seeing Ambrose's wolfish face so this was nothing new to her. "Hey Pyroth and actually... yeah." She laughed a little, recalling the whole thing she had spat to the cameras in her duplex. "What about you?" She poked at her salad, holding the fork with two long fingers. Joliette Rigiel Carrying her laptop and the pile of magazines Joliette felt the call of the one food she never wanted to eat. Watching the floor as she walked she wandered into the cafeteria, her heavy feet trudging across the linoleum her claws clicking on the floor as she headed for the meat. Pyroth Ignatius Pyroth tried to tune out other islanders appearances these days, when you looked the way he did, staring was a waste of time. He took the time to chew his mouthful of turkey before replying (he might have been going canine, but he had manners) "Surprisingly, yes. I got a tattooing set as a gift for Christmas and I'm still pretty damn happy about it. It even came with an autoclave, those are pretty pricy." he glanced at his paw-like fingers breifly "Good that I might get a chance to do at least a tattoo top up before I end up whatever kind of monster the doctor has planned for me."
He didn't even care to notice that his stumpy tail seemed to be wagging a contented affirmation of his mood.
"You've got to wonder how long the festive spirit will last." he took another bite of his meal before adding "here's hoping for the rest of the year." Amaya Vaughan The second person however she noticed enter. It was a rather scaley Joliette, whom she hadn't seen after her change either. "Hey Joliette." She said happily, not wanting to dwell on any of the new changes. She really didn't look that bad... kinda like how her scales had started to form after the first change.
"I got something from him, but it was mostly just a gift to rub in my face." Amaya took a bite from her salad, chewing it before replying as well. "But, knowing that he has cameras and microphones everywhere, I told him off." She smirked. "So yes, I'm feeling pretty good and I hope this good spirit will last at least some time before more drama happens." Joliette Rigiel Joliette looked up her yellow tongue flicking out and in "Hello Amaya.." she noticeds the scent of hte second person and looked till she saw the other furry person "Uhm hello... " she heard the tail end of the conversation about gifts but didn't comment Pyroth Ignatius Pyroth didn't think he had met Joilette before, but he did make note that she had hit the first stage of her transformation. Good, at least there would be no need to break any truths to her. He nodded mutely to her before resuming his part in the conversation at hand.
"Everyone got gifts then I take it?" Pyroth could only guess what sort of items the doctor could come up with to give the islanders. "An unusually kind move by the good doctor."
He thoughtfully rolled up a bit of bacon and added.
"This place has made me paranoid." he chuckled and took a bite. "no idea why, it's not like anyone is more likely to be able to creep up on me here or anything, not with these senses."
A nod. "Drama's never far away here." Amaya Vaughan "I dunno about kind since what he got me is totally useless. Shoes." Amaya stated, shrugging and not willing to get into it. "Though I got an iPod too, I'm afraid it's tampered with or something so I havn't used it yet." She motioned for Joliette to join them silently. Joliette Rigiel Joliette turned from her path and joined the pair, setting down her laptop and hte magazines ont eh table, the top one was the most recent of hte World Weekly News and screamed the headline World Weekly News Photographic Journalist still missing "How are you two?" she asks quietly figuring she'll get hte furry man's name eventually Pyroth Ignatius Pyroth got the impression rather quickly that Amaya had gotten a distinctly more spiteful gift than he had been fortunate to receive. He politely let the subject drop, making a mental note that not everyone might have had a pleasant christmas in terms of gifts. The doctor could be spiteful if given reason, he reckoned. It wasn't worth thinking about.
He turned his attention onto Joliette and nodded. "Like I was just saying to Amaya, surprisingly good for a guy covered with fur." he did note that he hadn't introduced himself and added "I'm Pyroth, by the way." Amaya Vaughan "I'm alright, you?" Amaya asked after swallowing a mouthful of food. Her eyes merely glanced at the magazines, but didn't really catch the title or headline. Joliette Rigiel "Eh I've been better, it's been a rotten week and it's still going" Joliette replies to Amaya then looks at Pyroth with her green eyes "I'm Joliette, nice to meet you" she says in her thick British accent, her name was very french, she holds a sharp-clawed hand out to him to shake his hand Pyroth Ignatius Pyroth nodded morosely, he was lucky to be having a decent week for a change, with others obviously not having as much fun. He took Joliette's proffered hand, giving it a friendly shake. "Nice to meet you Joliette." Pyroth's accent was just bizzare, falling somewhere between typical American and another foreign dialect, he remained easy to understand though, it wasn't too heavy an accent for that.
The smell of food was overpowering in the cafeteria, and having finished his dinner, Pyroth was somewhat bothered to find that he was beginning to feel a little ill, overdosing on food tended to do that to his oft-starved body. It was a pain, just when he had gotten a chance to chat and meet a new islander. Still, he didn't want to traumatise anyone by being sick, so he figured, he had better go have a lie down in his duplex until that horrible bloated feeling went away.
"Though I'm sorry to say that I'd best be off, I'm in the middle of a tattoo design and I was hoping to get it finished." That was a lie, he had finished the design that afternoon, but sometimes little white lies were more elegant than the truth. After all, what was he supposed to say, that he had eaten too much and made himself sick? That made him sound like a greedy pig.
"Hope your week takes a turn for the better Joliette, and that yours maintains it's positivity Amaya."
He gave the two a friendly nod before getting up from the table and heading outside. Damn, the feeling got worse as he moved.
Khan had always said it was all in his head and he should see someone about it. Pyroth had shrugged and ignored him, not eating for the rest of that week to make sure the feeling went away.
He'd probably do the same to get rid of this. Amaya Vaughan "Sabin picking on you again?" Amaya frowned, nibbling on some candied fruit that was speared on one of her claws. Though her gaze went to Pyroth as he stood.
"I'll see ya later, Pyroth." She gave a wave of one of her large hands as he left. Joliette Rigiel "Was nice to meet you, have fun" She said quietly and then looked to Amaya "No, not as far as I know.. it's more Christmas, and my christmas present, and missing my family, and then it's my birthday soon too" she replies "Oh and I think figured out what I am becoming" Amaya Vaughan "Oh... jeeze. Well." Amaya rubbed the back of her head with a large hand, wincing as she rubbed her spikes the wrong way. It wasn't like it hurt or anything, but it was uncomfortable. "Can't say I can relate about the family thing, but you wanna talk about it?" She asked, looking over to her. Joliette Rigiel "Gran and Gramps have been in Britain with Mama and Papa for about a month.. least according to these" she motions the magazines, They'll never know what happened to me, this whole time was usually spent together, First in Britain then in France every year..." She sighs pushing them off the laptop more onto the table "These were part of my christmas present from Moreau" Amaya Vaughan "Ah... I see." Amaya frowned, pulling the magazine's closer. She really didn't know what to say. Unlike some people here, she didn't have a family wondering where she was. Joliette Rigiel "Moreau got involved in the search from the mainland, the search is over..." she sighed and opened the laptop "Some christmas present... what did you get?" she asks quietly as she uses a knuckle to bring the laptop out of sleep mode Amaya Vaughan "I'm sorry." Amaya said while nibbling on some more fruit. "And me? Iguana skin shoes." She rolled her eyes. "Just tried to make me mad, but I didn't let it get to me." Her shoulders gave a shrug. Joliette Rigiel Joliette makes a face sticking her yellow tongue out "you'd think he could at least be nice to us since he's taking over our life." she pulls up the encyclopedia and tells it to open the last search. "There..." she turned the laptop towards her friend the screen showed info for the Varanus komodoensis Amaya Vaughan "One would think that, but I guess his douchbaggery knows no bounds." Amaya frowned, leaning forward to see the laptop. With a single claw she scrolls down, skimming the information with green eyes. "... I see. That I can relate to." She sat back, the frown still there. "Are you cold-blooded yet?" Joliette Rigiel Joliette shrugged "I don't know" she mused leaning on an elbow as Amaya looked at the screen. "I desire the one thing I swore I'd never again eat though" Amaya Vaughan "I wish we could have been switched... at least then you could eat all the greens you wanted and I could eat all the meat I wanted." Amaya scowled, pushing the laptop back to her. "They did it just to spite you, probably... Greer was a vegan too and now she has to eat meat." Joliette Rigiel "I think the git did it cause I rejected his 'immunization' that plus being vegan..." she closed the top to her laptop no longer hungry "Switched places would be nice though... the meat makes me very nautious" she pulled everything into a pile again "I wouldn't mind an all greens diet... looks like the Komodo wont even eat the vegetable matter another creature has eatten when it eats it's prey" Amaya Vaughan "Yeah..." Amaya sighed, unable to think of anything else to say. After finishing her salad and candied fruit she stood up. "Well, I need to get out of this air conditioning... come by my duplex if you wanna talk okay?" With a forced smile she gathered up her things rather awkwardly and nodded to Joliette. After bussing her tray she was gone.
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Posted: Wed Dec 28, 2005 4:52 pm
It was late, but there was a small plastic pot filled with soil on Amaya's doorstep. A bow of simple gardening twine had been tied around it, and a small green seedling was sprouting in the center of the pot.
The pot was sitting on a note:
Dear Amaya -
Thank you for your kindness. I hope the holidays found you well, inasmuch as that is possible here - please forgive the lateness of this gift, but seeds do not sprout on any schedule but their own. This sprout will grow into a zinnia plant with yellow flowers. Simply place the pot in sunlight and water every three days or so.
~ Anjali
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Posted: Wed Dec 28, 2005 5:49 pm
Fencing Practise(Amaya finally runs into Ambrose and gets to practise with an epee)Quote: Amaya had wandered her way to the cafeteria once more... this time she wasn't hungry, but hoped to catch someone there. Maybe Joliette was still around or something. She pushed opened one of the doors and looked inside... no one. Sighing, she walked in and headed to the buffet to grab something to snack on before heading out once more. Quote: Ambrose was just on his way to the cafeteria when he saw a familiar face. His tail lifted and began to wag, the smile on his face widened. Amaya - just someone he had been hoping to see. And hopefully, unlike the last time he had been in a good mood - it wouldn't be ruined today. "Amaya!" He called over to her, quickening his step. "How are you doing? Happy Holidays!" Quote: "Hm?" The lizard girl turned around, spotting Ambrose just in time to stop herself from shoving a candy cane in her mouth. "Ambrose! Hi!" Her frown quickly faded, replaced by a broad grin. "Happy holidays to you too and I'm doing alright... what about you?" She had been hoping to run into her 'big brother' today to wish him a good holiday and thank him for the wonderful gift. Quote: He grinned at the striped treat. "Glad to hear that - I really am. Haven't seen enough of your smiling face recently. C'mere and give your big brother a hug!" He said, holding out his arms. Ambrose seemed probably the happiest she had seen him initially in quite some time. "And the gift! Thank you so much! I know how much time you must have put into the cute little thing!" Quote: After shoving the candy cane into her pocket she giggled and gave him a tight hug, hands almost as big as his entire back when they were combined. "I'm glad you liked it." She blushed slightly, which seemed to stand out more against the green scales around her eyes and cheeks. "And thank you for the wooden pumpkin! I love it!" Wow, this had to be the happiest, most upbeat conversation she has since she got to the island. Quote: He returned her squeeze with a smile before mussing her hair as they parted. "You do? I'm glad! You know you're harder to think of a gift for than you might think." He said in a mock-scolding tone, shaking a finger at her. "But! It sounds like things were ultimately a success. Unless you're just humoring me...." He looked at her critically, but his smile belied his good humour. Quote: "Oh?" Amaya looked surprised, thinking herself as rather easy to get for... but that was besides the point. "I am not humoring yoooou." She rolled her eyes and stuck out her tongue before laughing. Quote: He laughed, echoing hers, his tail wiggling back and forth. "Well good then! Beacause you could tell me if my gift was crappy. But I'm glad to hear it wasn't." His hands went to his hips. "So. How was your Christmas aside from that? Having a good time? Eat good food?" Quote: "It's been pretty well, though Moreau tried to ruin it for me... I didn't let him get to me." Amaya pulled the candy cane from her pocket and shoved the straight end into her mouth, sucking on it and taking it out whenever she talked. "Aside from that things have been the norm, I was actually wandering around to find you." Quote: Ambrose frowned. "Get to you?" Did he want to know? "He made a.... strange gesture to me - I'm not sure if it was supposed to be a good idea in his mind, or if he was just trying to put my condition in my face, but I discovered a wolf knocker on my door... and several books and statuettes on wolves in my room." He shook his head, mystefied. "I'm still not entirely sure how I feel about it all - it's kind of overwhelming - especially since they're all so... well... realitically carved." He caught himself. "But I LOVED the plushie - no hesitance in that at all. It was very cute - and a wonderful gesture. And it looks like you lucked out - running into me. Was there something else you wanted to see me about?" His eyes shone. "fencing perhaps?" Quote: "Hard to say what his real intention was with all of that... though he did give me an iPod, I'm still hesitant to use it. The other thing he got me was iguana skin boots or something." She waved her hand, obviously not wanting to dwell on the subject. "But not even the iPod can account to the gifts you guys made me." Amaya smiled, popping the candy cane in and out of her mouth out of habit. "And actually, yes. I havn't been practising as much as I should... but I kind of slacked off since I figured you needed to stay with Angelina for awhile..." Her voice trailed off. "How is she doing, by the way?" Quote: His brows furrowed at the mention of Iguana skin boots - while he had been questionable about the gifts from Moreau - at least the wolf ones - there was no question in his intent to make Amaya uncomfortable. "An iPod? Wow. Angelina got one of those as well. She didn't find anything wrong with it to my knowledge. And I got some new clothes and bath stuff - which was appreaciated.. not that that makes any of this alright, of course. But I had only packed two weeks' worth, so that was good." He crossed his arms. "Well, we'll have to get back on that, young lady." He smiled knowingly at the Angelina comment. "And... she's doing better. She's even been out a time or two now. And we had a great day yesterday together." He left that at that. "I could get the epees from my room if you like... or we could just finalize the footwork with perhaps a few adjustments if you'd prefer?" He glanced quickly at her changed feet. Quote: Amaya smiled, nodding. "I'd like to try the epees... though I'm not really sure if I can hold them or not. Doesn't hurt to see, I guess." Even though most people seemed to be loosing the ability in their hands or their hands altogether, she was gaining them... and it wasn't neccisarily a good thing. Most objects were made for hands a lot... LOT smaller then hers and she found even the simpliest taskes rather difficult. Quote: Ambrose nodded. "Wait here and I'll go get them." He turned around and headed quietly back into his duplex, fetched two of the epees from his closet, and returned a few moments later. "Alright then." He sat down on one of the benches. "Show me your footwork first." He winked. "I'll make any necessary corrections... or allocations... and then we'll try the epees." Quote: "Alright." Nodding once more, she started on her footwork. This time she didn't go off the balls of her feet at all, but did the best she could while staying on them. Her knees remained bent slightly to help her keep balance and even her tail, which turned and stuck out straight with her movements, was helping her to keep from falling over. Quote: Ambrose watched her carefully, nodding. He visualized some bouts in his head, thinking about the purpose of the footwork. "Alright, Amaya. We're going to try it like this for a time. I honestly don't know if we're goign to have to make modifications to your footwork later... if anything changes any more. Or if even this ends up slowing you down. I know it might be tough to learn and then relean something different... but for the time at least it looks like you've got it down. I can tell that you had been practicing. So! Onto the actual swords!" He smiled, and picked one up for each of them, handing one to her hilt-first. He took his in his right hand, holding it out so she could see how he gripped it like he would something delicate as opposed to wrapping his fingers around it like a bat or a club. "You hold it carefully - using your index finger to guide it more than anything. The epee should be an extention of your arm - not a weapon you'd smash about like a baseball bat." Quote: Hesitantly, Amaya took the hilt with three of her fingers and her thumb. "Hmmm..." After looking at how Ambrose held it, then at her own hand she tried to mimmick what he did but with her fingers more then her palm. It was still kind of difficult, but hopefully her hands wouldn't change any more then they already had... oh god, that would be horrible. Shaking the thought from her head she tried not to think about it and focus on the matter in front of her. Quote: Ambrose masked a wince as he saw Amaya trying to make accomodations for her significantly changed hands. He felt sorry for the girl, but she had such spirit - she wasn't letting it get to her, and he would be damned if he would crush her spirit. All of them were changing - most of them at different rates. The key was to find accomodations - ways to get around or even use the changes to continue to do the things that were important. "Yes... that's right. If your fingers are long enough I don't supposed you'd even need to use your palm at all. It should give you more control. You can't control something wiht your palm." He moved her fingers just a little on the hilt of the epee, and then stepped back with a smile. "Now, I want you to close your eyes and hold out your arm with the sword. I want you to feel your grip on the hilt, and move it around a little bit. Think of this as an extention of your arm. You can reach much further - but you still have all of the control, all of the movement if not more." Quote: Amaya did as she was told, holding out her arm with the epee and closing her eyes. She bobbed it up and down and side to side, trying to get a feel of it. It felt rather odd holding something that large even though when compared to your hands it was like a slightly larger-the-average knife. But she wouldn't let it get to her, not now and not ever... if she did, she wasn't sure if she could even remain sane anymore. Quote: Ambrose nodded, letting her get a feel for it for a few minutes before finally speaking up. "Good! Now... let's combine that with the footwork!" He took his epee and stood next to her, dropping into stance with the epee out in front of him, held at a theoretical opponent's chest hight. "I want you to imagine that there's somoene in front of you about your height. Point the tip of your epee at their chest... and then advance..." He took a few steps forward in stance. "And then retreat..." Quote: Opening her green eyes, Amaya watched him before looking out in front of her. Someone her height? ... Wow, her feet made her taller then she used to be. Noticing this, she held her epee up higher to where someone's chest would probably be. After making sure her stance was okay, she advanced a few steps and then retreated back a few steps while still holding the epee in front of her. Quote: He watched her from the corner of his eyes and then nodded. "Wonderful! You're catching on!" He moved aside, then stood about five paces in front of her. "The next thing you will need to learn is the parries. There are eight of them, and we'll go through them. This will be the next thing that you will need to practice. Between them, you can block just about anything that comes your way." He smiled. "But first, we'll practice them without any contact - you'll want to get used to how they feel. And Ambrose began to demonstrate them slowly first to show her the different angles. Then, he started again at one, having her mimic them alongside him. Quote: While Ambrose showed her them, she let her arm drop to her side. Holding her hands up was tiring, having not really gotten used to the weight of them for extended periods of time. Though as she had to mimmick him, her hand went straight back into the same position so she could copy him as best she could... of course, messing up a few times like any student would. Quote: He eyed her off hand. "Aah, according to regulations, you have to hold your hand up and away from you like mine." He wiggled his left hand. "Your entire body is a target area for the epee - and your only defense is your skill with the blade. It is against the rules to try to block yourself or the sword with your offhand - so you must hold it away from your body." He made corrections with the parry angles - making sure she had the right angles and corresponding parry numbers. Then, he stood a few paces ahead of her, and turned to face her again. "Now we'll practice them in different orders." He winked. And he proceeded to call out the number of the parry, followed by the correct one- doing it with her at first for several rounds before just calling out the number without demonstrating it. Quote: For the most part she stayed silent like she had in her earlier lessons, only speaking up to give an "okay" or "alright" and to nod. She would never admit it, but she missed going to school and learning... unlike most of the people on the island she had never been able to even graduate highschool. These lessons, even though they were kind of rare, made her feel like she was somehow completeing her schooling even when she wasn't. Following his instructions the best she could, Amaya put her heart and soul into the lessons whenever they happened. Quote: He practiced the parries with her for a while, until finally incorporating those with the advance and retreating footwork before calling it a day with a wide grin. "You're doing relaly well, Amaya! I can really tell you're focus is in the right place. And I really have been enjoying teaching you. Practice those parries and keep up wiht the footwork.... and we'll push it further next time. And I'll tell you what. You can even hold onto that epee to practice with until we see eachother next." He winked at her and went to give her a pat on the back. It was only really with practicing with Amaya that he realized how much he had missed fencing - he had been spending so much time with Angelina that he hadn't practiced in some time. He'd have to make up for that some later today - perhaps another trip to the beach. After breakfast. Quote: Amaya grinned wide at his approval and compliments. "Okay!" She nodded, excited and feeling rather accomplished now that she had her fencing lesson once more. "Thanks for teaching me, your a great teacher." She got out of stance, letting her arms to her sides. Quote: He smiled. "You're a great pupil! I can't take all the credit." He patted her on the back, setting down the epee. "And keep on me with the lessons! We're going to turn you into a great fencer!" Quote: The lizard girl nodded, still grinning. She should head back to her duplex and bask... maybe fiddle with that iPod. "I will, and tell Angelina I said hi, okay?" After giving her brother and teacher a hug she parted and started to make her way towards her duplex. "I'll catch ya later, Ambrose!" Quote: "I will be sure to do that! You should meet her soon!" He said, squeezing her back with a smile. "I was glad to run into you, Amaya! You take care and don't hesitate to visit!" He waved as she headed back before picking up his epee and continuing his walk towards the cafeteria and, ultimately, breakfast.
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Island of Moreau Vice Captain
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Posted: Mon Jan 02, 2006 8:39 pm
That night, at 3am on the dot, there is a LOUD sound of an explosion, originating from the sky above the Island. Looking out, or anyoune outside would look up to see a brief fireball in the sky. Following that, any power that is on begins to flicker, going through a few brownouts before finally shutting down altogether. If you happen to be awake at that point - you would notice all the lights around you, any electronic equipment that wasn't battery operated flicker and die. However, within a few seconds of the final powersurge and failure, you find yourself being pulled into a forced unconsciousness.
When you wake up, it is midafternoon the following day, though it would vary within a few hours depending on the individual. You are NOT in your duplex. You wake up to find yourself laying in the middle of the helipad. Near to you you see pieces of a familar helicopter, it looks completely burned out in the inside and unusable. If you dig through it, you find two scorched bodies, one man and one woman. They are too burned to be much besides bones.
All of the buildings on the island are in 'shutdown' mode. This means that everything is locked tight. If you attempt to force your way into any of the buildings, your own duplex and the Town Hall included, then you will find that from the outside at the very least, they are impenetrable. If any window was broken - it is now fixed. All of the lights are off - in every building. Even the electric fence surrounding the main laboratory is turned off - though still closed. Attempts to break into the main complex will be met with equal lack of luck as breaking into a duplex or the town hall.
The only items you have on you are the items that you would have been wearing when you were asleep/fell unconscious: including clothing and perhaps a few battery-powered electronics IF You would have been wearing them. That's it. Everything else is where you left it - if it was in your duplex, it still is and you can't get to it.
There is no sign of what happened to the staff. The labs are quiet from the outside.
Welcome to the Wild.
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Posted: Mon Jan 02, 2006 10:03 pm
CRASH!
Amaya's eyes flickered open at the sound. She only vaugly remembered what the sound even was as consciousness slowly began to drift away again.
Then the lights flickered.
Blinking, the lizard girl raised her head from the pillow slightly and looked at the lamp next to her bed.
Flicker.
"What the..."
Flicker.
Alright, she was up.
Amaya literally rolled off the bed, clad only in a black strapless bra, her black panties and the ever-presant silver locket around her neck. Though the second she stood up the power went out completely. "Oh god..."
She hated the dark. Shaking slightly, a large hand came up and clenched the locket. "Oh god... what's-" Though she was cut off as it felt like her own consciousness was ripped from her and she fell with a heavy thud onto her floor.
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Posted: Mon Jan 02, 2006 10:20 pm
"Uhhhnnn..." Amaya's eyes flickered open as she awoke on the helipad. She could feel the... sun? Squinting she gradually pushed herself up and tried to make out her surroundings through the sleep in her eyes.
What was that smell?
After rubbing her eyes she looked around once more. "Where the hel-" Her voice was cut off as green eyes met the wreakage. "OH GOD!" Amaya choked in a labored gasp before pulling herself up quickly. The fact she was in nothing by her undergarments meant nothing now, or the fact she had woken up outside. What if people were dying in there and needed help!?
Also the fact to whether they were staff or not seemed to slip her mind. Either way, she couldn't sit by and let them die no matter what they did to her.
"Is anyone here?!" Long claws clicked on the pavement as she ran over and jumped between debris. "Hello!? Does anyone need help?!" her body was shaking as was her voice as she searched the wreakage.
Getting to the main chunk of it, she looked inside the charred remains of the helicopter. "Does any... one..." Her face dropped as she almost stepped on two burnt corpses inside.
Who knew how long she stared at them, eyes wide and filled with unmeasurable fear but when she came back to her senses she couldn't believe what she was seeing.
Amaya's large hands went over her mouth, tears streaming down her face while she took a few steps back before collapsing to her knees.
"AAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!"
A high-pitched, gut-wretching scream broke the morning silence of the island.
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Posted: Tue Jan 03, 2006 12:46 am
I See Dead People(Ambrose finds Amaya, hysterical after seeing the dead couple in the helicopter)Ambrose Maurlias Ambrose was jogging down the trail that too-conveniently led towards the smell of smoke, the anxiety deepened - and when the helipad - the first place he had stepped forth on the Island and the sounds of hysterical screams reached his ears he knew that there was no hope for some simple explanation. He pushed himself harder, hurrying, hoping that the screaming wasn't her... wasn't Angelina. That she was safe.
"I'm Coming!" Ambrose shouted ahead of him as he crested the top of the trail to the large, flat area.... and stopped dead, his mouth hanging open as he saw the wreckage that still trickled smoke towards the skies... and a familiar iguana-girl freaking out nearby.
"Amaya!" Ambrose shouted and spurred himself out of his shock to rush to her side. "What happened?!?!" The wolfman, wearing navy sleeppants asked, his furry hands going to her shoulders to establish a physical contact to try to direct her attention away from the wreckage. Amaya Vaughan Amaya didn't notice Ambrose until he touched her shoulders. She looked up at him, still sobbing uncontrolably. A large hand pointed towards the two corpses, shaking along with her entire body. After a few more labored sobs she dove into Ambrose's fury chest to 'hide' from what was in front of her. Ambrose Maurlias Ambrose's ears crumpled to the sides and he pulled Amaya into his furry chest, hugging her tightly with a soft whimper.
"I'm here, Amaya.... you're not alone.... shhhh.... it's alright." He stroked her hair, but was unable to wrench his eyes from the wreckage. Bodies.... someone had died.... helicopter. HIs brain didn't seem to want to process what was going on despite how hard he was trying.
"Did.... did you see anything, Amaya...?" He finally whispered. Amaya Vaughan Amaya shook her head, spekaing muffled into his fur as she soaked it with her tears. "N-No... I-I just wwoke up h-here a fffew minutes a-ago." She tried her best to speak between sobs, huddling pressed against her big brother. How Ambrose had found her so quickly and why she had woken up there in the first place still weren't registering in her mind. All she could think of and see where the two burnt bodies inside the charred helicopter. Ambrose Maurlias AMbrose whet his lips, still staring at the charred corpses that lay in the twisted metal wreckage. Who were they? What had happened? Two people... was it the pilot and a new subject? Were they military that had found the island? Moreau himself?
AMbrose did what he could to keep the fear out of his voice around his quivering 'little sister'.
"I woke up about an hour ago on the cliffside." He whispered, still holding her tightly with her face against his chest.
He took a few steps away from the bodies.
"I... I heard an explosion last night.... before I blacked out.... this... this must have been it...." He started to piece things together. "I smelled smoke.... the village is empty - everything's locked!" Amaya Vaughan The lizard girl followed his steps, refusing to look at the corpses again. Her sobbing was still rather loud, but had calmed down from her delerious, fear-riddled crying only a few minutes before.
Then what Ambrose said clicked, her brain calming down enough to understand what he was saying. "W-What?" The same, shocked and frightened expression came up from his chest to meet his face.
Everything was locked. They had both been brought outside. The helicopter had crashed and two people were dead. What about everyone else? What was going on? A new fear started to well up inside her, tail stiff as a board and hanging just over her panties. Ambrose Maurlias Ambrose led her off the tarmac and into the jungle to hopefully let the trees obscure the grizzlly scene.
He sat down on a fallen tree, and ran a finger down her cheek as she looked up at him. He tried to be supportive, but the fear did creep into his yellow-tinted-blue eyes. "I don't know what's going on. Something's definately wrong - Someone died... the village is locked... I followed the smell of smoke. But.... dear lord... you're the first person I've encountered. Angelina was with me when I went to sleep - but when I peeked in my duplex it was empty." Amaya Vaughan Amaya sat down beside him with a thud, her legs still shaking slightly. "S-So... You think everyone was p-put to sleep and then dragged out of their duplexes to random l-locations?" She was still crying a little, but her voice was steady for the most part. "W-Why would they put me n-near THAT?" The lizard-girl was both angry and horribly frightened at the same time, green eyes seeking Ambrose's face for comfort... ANY comfort. Ambrose Maurlias Rubbing some of the smudges from Amaya's face that likely came from lying on the ground, Ambrose shook his head, wishing that he had concrete answers for the girl.
"I don't know. I don't know why they pulled us out of the duplexes. I heard the explosion.... so you're right... this had to happen before they brought us out.... and why here.... Maybe they wanted us to know? I woke up precariously close to the edge of the cliff. It... doesn't make sense..." He was thinking out loud.
"But... are you okay? That's the important thing." He asked, snapping back to the reality of the situation. Amaya Vaughan She gave a tiny nod, looking down at herself for the first time. Amaya sniffled and wiped some of her tears away. Still a little too scared to really care, she noticed that she was in nothing in her undergarments. Sitting next to Ambrose. And the duplexes were locked tight. "I-I just realized I'm naked..." It sounded so funny she gave a tiny laugh, but it didn't last long.
Even around Ambrose she felt exposed, though not as horribly so if he weren't as far changed as she was. She couldn't even remember a time when the scales almost covering her legs and arms had been so out in sight... or the spikes on her back in plain view. She had even made tiny holes in the back of her bra for the spikes to go through. Ambrose Maurlias A small smile came to Ambrose's face for the first time this morning.
"You're hardly naked, Amaya. No more so than I really..." He looked down at his sleep pants - while much longer, still was a far cry from what Ambrose considered 'presentable'.
He took a deep breath, closing his eyes for a moment, trying to clear his thoughts. Unfotunately... doing so only brought the acrid smell of burned human flesh to his nose. His eyes jerked open as he coughed with a loud grimace. "Urgh. We should probably move away from here...." He shook his head. "Or.... do you think I should try to take..... a closer look..." His ears lowered as he glanced quickly back towards the wreckage. Amaya Vaughan Amaya sniffed again and turned her head to look at the wreakage. She was far enough that she couldn't see the corpses... but it still brought back flashes of what she had seen. Slowly she shooked her head. "No... No, you don't have to. We should find others first..." Her voice trailed off, eyes going back to Ambrose. "You need to find Angelina. I should look for Hargun."
Despite the situation she tried to figure out what would be the best thing to do, falling into the adult role without even realizing it. "We can't really do anything for them... aside from come back later and check it out. Bury them." Her last two words were almost a whisper. Staff or not, she wouldn't be able to sleep at night knowing two people weren't laid to rest. Ambrose Maurlias Ambrose nodded. "You're right..... I... I'm no doctor... I would have no way of knowing who it is. And we need to find the rest first. I'm worried about Angelina."
He gave her a squeeze again then pulled back to smile at her. "I'm glad you're alright, Amaya. And... once we figure out what the hell is going on we need to look out for eachother. Do you think we should search together... or split up to look...? We can cover more ground split up, but I don't want to leave you alone if you need me." Amaya Vaughan "I... I dunno." Amaya didn't know if she would do so well on her own right now. Plus, she had no idea where Hargun might have been put. Though she got an idea...
"I have no clue where Hargun is... Maybe you could smell Angelina and her out?" She winced at her own words, not wanting to offend him. "I really don't wanna be alone. Once I find Hargun or someone else I know I'll be alright." The iguana's solitary nature had been pushed roughly to the side with how upset she was. Ambrose Maurlias Ambrose looked around a bit hesitantly at her suggestion. "I don't know..." he answered quietly. "Right now... my nose is full of something I really don't want to be smelling." He winced, hating to put words to the nasty thoughts he was thinking.
"I don't want to be alone either, Amaya. We can stick together if you like - and we can go look for more people and see if we can't figure out what in the hell is going on." He gave her another squeeze before finally getting to his feet and offering her his paw-like hand. Amaya Vaughan Nodding, she took his hand with three of her long fingers and stood up. "Okay." Using her free hand, Amaya wipped at the last remaining tears. Her fingers curled around Ambrose's hand, not wanting to let go. Sixteen or not, she wasn't afraid to admit she was very, very frightened. It was like getting lost at an amusement park, but a sick and twisted one. Ambrose Maurlias Ambrose held onto her hand tight, and pulled her away from the wreckage, away from the image that was still burned in his mind - the two bodies, twisted... burned...
He shook his head again. Into the woods and the cool humidity - the scents of plants and animals to hopefully clear his senses of the char that clung to the inside of his wet nose.
"Let's take a walk through the woods, my dear." Ambrose said in an overdramatic voice - hoping to lure one of Amaya's smiles.
He was glad to have a friend... his sister... he didn't want to be alone any more than she did. Burried deep in his subconscious, the wolf in him clung to the people he cared about - wanted them around him... together they could make it - together they could figure it out. Together they were strong - a family. A pack. Amaya Vaughan A tiny laugh emitted from Amaya's mouth, though it wasn't much it was something. It even brought a small smile to her scaly features.
"What do you think is going to happen?" The frown returned. As much as she hated to think about such things... it had to be talked about. "Were all the duplexes locked? What about the cafeteria and stuff?" Ambrose Maurlias His ears lowered. He knew the answer to the question... and didn't like what it signalled. "It was locked too" He said quietly as he picked his way over some brambles that tried to catch his long sleep pants.
He paused to untangle them before helping Amaya across them. He didn't even really know where he was going other than away from the scene.
"I ... I mean this has to be temporary. They can't just leave us here.... there's plenty of staff members here. And .... well.... as much as I despise them for what they've done to us... they've invested too much money to just .... lock us out permanently.... I... I just don't understand why we were locked out... If something happened...." He sighed/growled in frustration. Amaya Vaughan Amaya was glad for once she wasn't wearing a lot of clothing so the brambles just gave her one or two tiny cuts that she didn't even notice. "Yeah, your right... They wouldn't just blow this whole thing off, would they? Moreau is too much of a..." Even though she continued to walk, fingers grasping her older brother's hand something clicked. "... Wouldn't he have had that cleaned up by now? I mean, Joliette said that they dismantled her boat in a few minutes. You'd think he'd clean it up so quick we wouldn't even knew it happened, right?" Ambrose Maurlias Ambrose tried not to look like that thought scared him - but his tucking tail and lowering ears gave it away - he'd have to learn how to control those damn things.
".... Probably.... it was really late last night when I heard the explosion.... it's got to be at least midday now... assumign it's even the next day." He scratched his head, pausing for a moment to look around before deciding that just walking straight would eventually get them somewhere. They were on an Island after all.
He was also still waiting for his nose to clear.... he could still smell the charred.... UGH! A visable quiver passed over him. He regretted heading towards the smoke now... if it weren't for the fact he had run into Amaya. Amaya Vaughan The lizard-girl bit her bottom lip. She was just upsetting him and herself more. Giving a glance back towards the wreakage, green eyes then focused ahead of them. They would talk about it all once they found Angelina and Hargun and anyone else they ran into. Oh god, she hoped they didn't run into Lauren. Today was bad enough already.
Though come to think of it, she was still kissing Moreau's a**. Her frown deepened at the thought of her watching them suffer from the comfort of the labs. Ambrose Maurlias "Well, Two heads are better than one... and three are better than two. We will be able to figure this out together. We'll find Hargun... and Angelina... and we'll figure out this puzzle." Ambrose nodded, half trying to convince himself.
Ambrose continued further away from the helipad, still nose-blind and clinging more to hope than any real direction sense.
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Posted: Tue Jan 03, 2006 6:43 pm
Forming A Group(Amaya & Ambrose find Angelina & Emelyn, go to survey the wreakage, and start towards the labs)Ambrose Maurlias Meanwhile, Ambrose was picking his way closer and closer to the two females with Amaya in tow.
The woods were cooler in the early January air, but certainly couldn't be called cold in the humid heart of the jungle. Still scent-blind and with a miserable, acrid odor firmly stuck in his nose, Ambrose didn't notice he close he was to the object of his search until the quiet talking of the two females reached his ears.
Angelina! Her voice was unmistakable to him. With a quick grin to Amaya, he urged her forward. "I hear someone! I think it's Angelina!" He hurried, minding the brambles less and more interested in accurately locating the voice... until he heard a second... familiar voice.
At which point Ambrose nearly tripped over his own feet, crashing through the dense underbrush to nearly run headlong into an innately awkward situation. Amaya Vaughan The cool air didn't help Amaya very much, but it didn't really hurt her either. She was a little colder and slower then usual but not so much that it was noticable. Seeing the look in Ambrose's eyes she grinned, not really able to hear the two from so far off.
"Great!" She sped after him, having let go of his hand for the time being since it would be easier for them to make their way through the dense jungle brush. Though as the wolfman nearly tripped and fell on his face she picked up her pace. A large hand pressing against his arm as she looked up at him worriedly. "Hey, slow down or your gonna hurt yourself." Angelina Swanson eek
Angelina stumbled back, at first in fright then in shock as Ambrose came tumbling into their clearing. "Ambrose?!"
For a moment she completely forgot about tact or the present company and went flying into his arms. Emelyn It was Ambrose. Emelyns heart leapt to her throat, then dropped to the pit of her stomach, coated in distaste and a little misplaced anger as she watched Angelina vault into his arms. ...She didn't know much about Angelina, and had only spent a few minutes- at least, a few conscious minutes- with her... but she'd already terribly misjudged her. Instead of seeing a frightened woman, relieved at the sight of some stability and comfort... one who'd been dropped only recently on this hellhole to deal with the fact that Ambrose had essentially been cheating on her.... she saw someone who was rubbing in the fact that they were still whole, still with Ambrose... and that they'd won. Emelyn was blind, and didn't even know it. Ambrose Maurlias Ambrose had barely started to pick himself up when he was overwhelmed with a wonderful short brunette who had flung herself into his arms.
"Angelina!" He exclaimed, smiling, relief flooding over him. "You're alright! I was so worried!" His tail began wagging as her presence in his arms confirmed that this was real - she was safe.
Then, the world seemed to open up around him and he felt the icy stare of .... Emelyn. His fur ruffled. The curiousity as to whether or not she had received his gift passed his mind only briefly as he could feel the tension thickening around him.
He swallowed, looking over to the blue eyes underneath the leather goggles. "Emelyn.." He breathed (or perhaps wheased would be more accurate). He turned to Amaya who had emerged behind him and sprung on the opportunity to hopefully defuse something.
"Amaya...! we... uhm... found others." He stated the obvious as he shifted from one foot to another, rubbing a hand down Angelina's back.
"And.... Angelina.... Emelyn..... looks like you've .... met." He winced. Amaya Vaughan Having not noticed the other two before Angelina spoke up, she nearly jumped out of her scales when she rushed into Ambrose. Green eyes then trailed over to Emelyn, the woman she barely knew but just enough to know she was a friend.
"Yeah!" Amaya tried to sound positive, though not really knowing what to do and feeling horribly exposed. Slowly she inched behind the wolfman in an attempt to hide herself. Knowing neither of them very well, all she wanted to do now was find Hargun. She almost completly forgot about Ambrose's situation due to the fact that Emelyn hadn't seen her after her second change and Angelina had been rather... hesitant in seeing anyone else as changed as her. Angelina Swanson "You were looking for me?"
Angelina looked him over, noticing he was also in his sleep clothes, and then to the lizard woman she had met briefly in the cafeteria. She was hardly clothed at all, showing virtually all her changes and Angelina tried to stifle her uncomfortableness.
She followed Ambrose's gaze towards Emelyn and then back. Part of her told her it would be polite not to hang all over Ambrose, but another part of her felt feircely protective. So she compromised, dropping her hands from around his neck she stood by his side, but kept his paw in her tight grasp.
Then she looked at the four of them. "Ambrose, what is going on?" Emelyn It took all the willpower in the broken woman's possession not to narrow her eyes at the clingy couple. "Yes Ambrose," she said, cutting through the obviously nervous statement of the man, feeling like it was a little insulting and pandering, "we have met. Somehow we woke up together." Then she turned to the girl who was cowering behind him. It took her a moment to recognize Amaya, and her frozen heart melted. "Amaya? Are you okay? Were you hurt? You look so scared," she said, her voice sweet and low. Ambrose Maurlias Ambrose noticed the audible change of tone as Emelyn noticed Amaya, and he almost felt guilty for thanking his stars that she was by his side.
Ambrose gave Angelina's hand a squeeze, and looked back to his green-eyed 'little sister' with an encouraging look.
He took a breath. He had to focus things, take the charge. "I... don't know precisely what's been going on... I woke up on the cliffside... precariously close to the edge. I headed back to the village only to find everything locked down tight. I looked through our window and noticed that you weren't there, Angelina.." He paused at that, the obvious indication that Ambrose had expected Angelina to be in the room they shared with an apologetic look to Emelyn.
"Then.... I followed my nose. I smelled smoke and found Amaya on the helicopter pad. There... there was burned wreckage... two... two ... figures inside." He swallowed, absently wiping at his nose - wishing that he could get the smell out of his nose and the images that it brought to his mind.
"I don't think anyone is in their duplex anymore.... It looks like we've been scattered... but I don't know why. Even... the cafeteria's locked down." Amaya Vaughan Even though Amaya tried not to care about how Angelina had looked at her, it was hard. She looked down at her incredibly large feet which... didn't help very much. Her tail gave a twitch towards her as the iguana tried to convince her to be angry. After all, it wasn't HER fault she looked like this. But no, she would have none of it. The fear was still inside her, quickly over throwing the aggitation.
Slowly she looked up and passed Angelina to Emelyn. The lizard-girl had the sudden urge to run over to her and cling to her and babble out everything she had seen in the past hour or so but she didn't dare leave her 'hidding' spot. "I-I'm okay... Just scared. Yeah." Green eyes went to the ground at Emelyn's feet as Ambrose explained. Her frown deepened, probably indicating that she was the one who had initially found the bodies. Angelina Swanson Angelina blinked. "Scattered? You're kidding." Angelina inched closed to Ambrose, thankful for his stability. This was Angelina's first real big spoonful of the twisted mind of Moreau. She had yet to change, like the other three people here, and generally she had been able to keep herself happy by fooling herself into believe they were on some tropical resort.
But to just throw everyone out over the island.. on a cliffside? What was the point?
"Bodies? Any idea who? Was the staff... evacuating or something?"
Wait.. if the staff was leaving in such a hurry that they couldn't bother to try and save crashed coworkers... that must mean something bad had happened.
"Maybe there was an accident in the labs.. maybe something dangerous.... or maybe they were caught... there has to be a reason!"
Angelina felt the panic rising in her chest. Emelyn "If it weren't for the... bodies," Em said, cautiously, due to the already sick, frightened look on poor Amaya's face, "I would think that this has something to do with Moreau. That he'd set us up, or something. ..Unless those two bodies are people who tried to escape, and now Moreau has the island locked down." A twinge of bile rose into her throat at the thought of Moreau killing anyone. She didn't want to be here- more than anything, she wanted to run off into the woods- she was going to see Angelina back to the village, but now she'd been reunited with Ambrose. So why was she sticking around? But somehow, something told her she shouldn't be alone right now. Not in the chance that Moreau had turned murderer. What if he'd found out about her premature escape plots with Joli? Her face suddenly paled. "Have you seen Joliette anywhere? Any of you?" She said, fear rising. Ambrose Maurlias Ambrose's ears lay back against his head as the questions arose. He was scared himself, but was trying his damndest to provide a brave front for the girls. And more than anthing, something in him was screaming that they could get through this as a group much better than paired off... or alone.
Ambrose shook his head. "I... I couldn't tell from my look who they were.... other than there were two of them." He winced. "They were... pretty badly burned. And the helicopter was in smoldering pieces."
Ambrose fidgeted with Angelina's hand, rubbing his thumb against its back. "If they were running from something.. or there is a reasoning for all of this... I don't see how or why we were scattered and the buildings locked. It doesn't seem to make sense to me. I was thinking maybe we should try to make our way to the labs. Maybe they're there? I... I don't know."
Ambrose shook his head to Emelyn. "I haven't seen Joliette since around Christmastime.... why?" Amaya Vaughan The panic in Angelina's voice wasn't exactly helping Amaya at all, but she couldn't blame her. She was scared too.
"I haven't, no..." Came her tiny voice from behind Ambrose. "Ambrose found me and then we found you two..." She trailed off with a pause before adding. "I need to find Hargun to make she's alright." Assuming Emelyn wanted to find Joliette because they were close friend's or something.
The thought about going to the labs sounded promising, but she didn't want to somehow find a way to escape or go anywhere and not have her best friend around just in case they needed to do it right then and there. And what about Greer? And Chubbs? And Colche? Where were they all? Angelina Swanson "YEah... yeah... we should definately stick together and try to find more people," Angelina said, trying to calm herself down. "Somethings up, yes... yes I guess we should head to the labs..."
She shuddered to think that two people had died on this island. Was it...murder? An accident? Did some of the islanders commandeer one of the helicopters... did they get shot down?
"Wouldn't anyone here be able to look at the wreckage and tell what happened? Why it crashed?" Emelyn Everyone was talking at once. Em put the flat of her palms against her temples, pressing in the headache that was growing there. She answered everyone, only looking off into the distance as she did, not willing to meet the eyes of anyone in present company- Ambrose and Angelina for obvious reasons, and Amaya for the fear that surely resided there. "I ask because I think... Moreau may have done something to her. Especially if the reason those two in the helicopter are dead are because they tried to escape. ...Moreau may think that... we have been... well..." she was unwilling to finish the thought, in the case that the cameras were still trained everywhere on the island. "And yes, as much as it makes me sick to say," she said, once again not ignoring the obvious tension there, "I think we have to stick together. At least to get to the lab." Finally, she looked up, meeting Angelina's eyes with an unreadable expression on her face. "And who is to say that it crashed? It may have been blown up. But I may be able to tell. I was a youth diplomat," she said, her tone flat- she didn't want to seem as if she was bragging, "and I've been through war zones. Mostly Macedonia, Kosovo. The only real accidents the UN aid and US troops had were from people shooting at helicopters. I've seen several crashes." Ambrose Maurlias Ambrose's tail swished in indecision. "Well.... " He glanced between the two brunettes. "I can easily get back to the helipad from here - it was only ten or so minutes back in the way we came. I know that there is a road that leads directly from the helipad to the labs - they dove me down it when I first arrived."
Turning to Amaya, he spoke. "Hargun could be anywhere if our scattering is any indication. I didn't see her at the village... nor the cliffside. There are at least thirty of us here based on the duplex Angelina was assigned. Perhaps many more - including a good number of people I've likely never even met. From the look of the state of the village - with the power off and the place abandoned-looking, we're all scattered somewhere. I would say heading one direction might be as good as any unless you know somewhere she might have gone?"
He sighed. "Normally I wouldn't want to ... see that ever again. But if you think you might be able to tell something from seeing it, Emelyn - it might be necessary. And..." He took a breath, unable to just pretend nothing was wrong. "I wish I could say I'm sorry in a way that you believed me." His ears drooped and he looked to Angelina. "No one could have predicted what happened and is still happening on this Island. YOu have every right to hate me. But know that the feeling is not mutual if so."
"From there, we'll go to the labs - maybe they'll speak to us - tell us what is going on. I... didn't know Joliette was on Moreau's bad side... she kept talking about one of the doctors - a 'Sabin' who was picking on her- but never said anything about Moreau himself."
Ambrose turned, never letting go of Angelina's hand, and started to head back in the direction that he had come. Amaya Vaughan As much as she wanted to go to the labs and hopefully find out what was going on or even find a means of escape, not to mention stay together, she couldn't bring herself to unless Hargun was with her at the very least.
But Ambrose was right. They could very well bump into her on their way to the labs... Biting her bottom lip she watched as he started with Angelina. She didn't want to see... THAT again. Taking a few hesitant steps behind them she paused.
Come on, your not going to get anywhere just standing there. Follow them and maybe you can help or something.
Letting out a shaky sigh she started onward again, a little distance between the couple and her pace slow. Angelina Swanson Angelina crossed her arms and looked defensively at Em. "Excuse my vocabulary but that's what I meant. Did it crash because of a malfunction or because it was shot out of the sky? Or did it even get to the sky?"
Feeling her anger rise, aggitated obviously by the situation she just threw up her hands and turned harshly on her heels, re-taking Ambrose's hand and following him into the jungle.
She mumbled something to herself, but Ambrose could probably make it out "youth diplomat" mumbled out in a sing-song bitter manner. Emelyn Emelyn followed along behind the couple and Amaya, feeling a thick bile rise in her throat. She truly believed that Ambrose was sorry- though it didn't come as much of a comfort to her, she didn't have the desire to yell at him like she did before, screaming at him that he'd used her. ...But as much as she silently forgave Ambrose in that moment, she built up as much resentment towards the woman he'd left her for. ...He left me... for this? She thought, holding back tears and furious curse words at the same time as they made their way back to the scene of the horror- would it seem as horrible to her as this did? ...Why would Ambrose want such a spiteful creature? She'd not done anything to hurt Angelina, and yet, here she was, taunting her, whispering, leaping into Ambrose's arms and being defensive. Emelyn didn't let herself realize that Angelina might have cause to be uncomfortable with her. She may think "I've done nothing to her", but really... hadn't she been the 'other woman'? ...There was so much to reconcile Em to this situation... but so little of it that was happening. Ambrose Maurlias Ambrose winced at the mocking tone in Angelina's words. This was doing anything but helping things.
"Please.... we're in this together... all of us...." He looked pleadingly towards Angelina. Things were hard enough already - the bitterness of both of the ladies towards eachother... he wished that he could do something to see them both smile.. both of them happy. He cared more than he could say for Angelina... but he had also come to really value his connection with Emelyn that had been roughly severed on that fateful night... after that bitter argument. He had entertained the ideal that maybe things could be okay again - that maybe if they met they could all be friends.... but that little fantasy world seemed to be crashing down around his ears at the snide comments and bitter looks. He could only imagine what they were actually thinking - not that he wanted to.
But what could he say to make things better? To reassure Angelina that Emelyn wasn't a 'threat'... and not rub it in Emelyn's face even more that he was with Angelina again? He let out a growling sigh of frustration. 'Why can't we all just get along' flashed through his mind, and the ineffectiveness that stating that thought aloud would likely bring.
"We're not enemies here.... or at the very least, I want very much for us not to be." He finally stated.
Fortunately the edge of the jungle wasn't much further as the black tarmac slowly became visable through the trees.
Ambrose hung back. "I... don't particularly care to see it again - and I'm willing to bet that Amaya feels the same. I still can't get the smell out of my nose from the first time. " Amaya Vaughan Amaya stopped once Ambrose had, still hanging a few paces behind him. She didn't want to see it again either... Keeping her green eyes focused on the ground, she remained silent. Angelina Swanson Angelina didn't acknowledge Ambroses condiscending belittling to her feelings. She was -not- in a good mood, and while most of it was displaced frustration with her whole life at the moment, her being bitter at Emelyn seemed like the least of their problems.
She just gave a cold stare back to Ambrose and just waited for someone to start walking. She didn't know where the hell she was. Emelyn Em simply nodded at Ambrose, and gave a sympathetic look to Amaya. "Going it alone then," she said, more to herself than anyone else. "Alright. Be back in a minute." ...Hopefully, she thought, and she stepped out of the jungle onto the square of tarmac. Immediately, her senses were accosted by a horrible sight. From the dense surrounding jungle, the air had smelled and tasted of ocean salt, the sounds were twittering birds and the feeling of being pressed in at all sides by foliage. Here, in the square, her hedgehog olfactory system could practically taste the charred flesh on the air. ...It wasn't Emelyn's first time around the dead- but certainly the first time she'd been able to experience it in this sort of gut-wrenching, powerful animal senses. Even breathing through her mouth didn't do her much good, and she just swallowed it down and made her way to what could vaguely be called... a helicopter. It was charred- almost beyond recognition, though there wasn't any indication that it wasn't the same, familiar helicopter that had always been there. She had no reason to think it was a different one. But those thoughts were all to stall time, and she forced her boot-clad feet to walk directly up to the open side. The inside was completely ruined. There was nothing usable left, and certainly nothing recognizable. Even those charred bodies... they could be anyone, so destroyed were they from the flames. Emelyn had regretted the possibility that she'd have to crawl over them to see the innards of the machine- looking for the source of its destruction- but now she saw, almost gladly, that there was no way a further instruction could help her bare eye. The inside had been completely demolished. The outside... wasn't much help either. It didn't look so completely wrecked as the inner 'coffin'- but there were parts all over the helipad. No one side looked as if it had smashed to the ground, but she couldn't be sure- pieces of the metal had come flying off at all angles. She took a deep breath, then regretted that she had once she walked back to the jungle edge. She didn't know who she should focus her words to, so she just turned away from Amaya, fearing she'd upset her further. "The inside is completely blown to bits- there was obviously a fire. The outside doesn't look... quite as demolished, but I looked for a crash point and I really can't tell. What it looks like now is that it was blown up from the inside... maybe when it was still on the ground, or just taking off, or landing. To be honest though?" She looked at Angelina, "it could have crashed. I wish I were more help. But there's no impact mark. Just a lot of destruction." Ambrose Maurlias Ambrose waited within the treeline, but the smell was already accosting his nose again. he hadn't even noticed as his sense of smell had slowly been returning until the smelled of charred flesh and rubber and twisted metal hit him again as he approached the wreckage, letting Emelyn do her thing.
He felt hated - both by Angelina and Emelyn - for something that wasn't really his fault. It was such a unique situation, and it pained him to see things falling apart when they were finally getting better.... at least from his limited scope of being with Angelina. However, it was obvious that at least from Emelyn's side, things were NOT getting better.
But could they? If they banded together in this hour of need could they be a functioning group, or would the bickering and resentment pull them apart?
And most importantly .... could they both forgive him? Ambrose gave a small smile to Amaya, running his padded hand over her mop of hair. At least she wasn't involved in this twisted relationship. She was there - a little sister... someone he could help without the awkwardnesses.
But Ambrose said nothing to Angelina in response. Let her be mad... maybe it would help, he thought self-depreciatingly.
Ambrose didn't look up again until Emelyn's words called out to him with the status. It wasn't very informative, but it was a confirmation that the damage was as bad as he had surmised. Certainly nothing usable from the wreckage. Perhaps there had been a bomb on board from the description? But who...? And regardless, he had heard the explosion from the air... it had to have exploded, and then crashed, not just crashed.
"I wonder who did it... and why.." He mused quietly.
He shook his head. "Let's try to get to the labs. See if we can find anyone who knows what the hell is going on - if this is some sort of twisted punishment... a test... or a real emergency."
He stood up again, and circumventing the helipad, made his way towards the narrow dirt road that would lead to the labs. Amaya Vaughan She gave a tiny smile up at Ambrose as her ruffled her hair, though it fell right off once Emelyn came back and let them know.
The lizard-girl gulped at this new information, mouth looking as though it was sealed shut. Blown up from the inside? Oh god... what if it was someone from the island that had tried to escape?
Keeping quiet, she followed the group towards the labs.
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