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 Posted: Mon Oct 02, 2006 8:54 pm
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Posted: Mon Oct 02, 2006 8:55 pm
Borderlines
He's lost it. Nita MacNeal Nita hesitated leaving the village entirely, having found some peace of mind once clean and properly clothed. But the jungle still called to her, reaching for something far wilder and more instinctual than she would like to admit. The lake was a fair compromise; Nita padded barefoot in the soft soil along the edge. Her movements were slow and almost cumbersome, as they would be from now on, even after she got used to her new mass. Humming softly to herself, Nita tried to clear her head and relax for the first time in days. Thomas Brinley Following his week of near-constant imprisonment, the last place Thom wanted to be was anywhere that he could be imprisoned again. After awakening in his duplex and allowing himself a good long laugh at the fact that hell had spat him back up, he had retrieved his crutch and fled to the jungle, where he had spent the past few days in and around the river attempting to quell the burning fever he had obtained from days beneath the heat lights. However, dinner pickings were growing slim in his choice area of the river, most of the fauna having grown wise to his presense and escaped to safer areas. And so, for the day, he had tried a new location, and it was proving to be quite comfortable. The cobra man lounged in the shallows of the lake, his crutch discarded further up the bank. He was chewing thoughtfully on a rather large bite of lizard, the lower half of which was still held, twitching, in one hand. A second squirming lizard was held in a coil of his tail just above the surface of the water, tightly enough that it couldn't escape but not enough so to suffocate it. Live dinner was so much better than something that had already cooled. Nita MacNeal Calm she might be, but Nita's senses were as sharp as ever. Something was lurking in the water just ahead. With a flash of annoyance, and perhaps a little fear, Nita hoped fervently that it wasn't Billy. But no, the color was wrong... and the man looked vaguely familiar. Her stomach churned when she got closer and saw exactly what he was eating, although the rational part of her mind reminded her that if he was already eating, he wasn't likely to try to eat her. "Er... good evening," Nita ventured, standing solidly on the bank. Thomas Brinley The cobra lifted his eyes at the sound of someone approaching, but went right on chewing throughout Nita's greeting, a thin trail of blood dribbling down his hand from the lizard's lower half. Finally swallowing, he licked his lips and offered a grin, raising the half of the lizard in a welcoming salute. "Evenin'," he replied brightly, then popped the lizard into his mouth, sucking the long tail in as if it were a spaghetti noodle and chewing thoughtfully. This girl looked familiar. Vaguely. Different from the last time they had met, but he was sure he had met her before. Finishing with the lizard quickly, he cleared his throat and nudged the air beside him with his elbow, leaning over slightly as if whispering to someone. "Oi, what's 'er name again? Ah, Nita!" he crowed, straightening up with a grin. "Nita th' lesbian. Changed a bit, 'aven't you? Not bad, not bad." Nita MacNeal Nita's eyes widened as the lizard disappeared. That was much grosser than Lauren eating bugs. She coughed slightly, taking a peek at the air beside Thom which was very obviously uninhabited. Right. And she thought she'd gone a bit nuts! "Um. Yes. That's right," she said. Nita blinked when the realization hit her. "Thom...? Is that you?" She shuffled forward a few feet, although carefully remaining out of grabbing-range. Thomas Brinley "Well done," he praised, applauding lazily at her correct identification. "Quite a change, isn't it? Look, I 'ave only one leg!" Laughing bitterly, he lifted the malformed leg clear of the water, then let it fall back with a splash. Losing interest in the subject, he glanced over towards the squirming lizard held in his grip, his tail obligingly moving it to hover a short distance before his face. Thom eyed the lizard thoughtfully while he spoke, not bothering to look up to Nita. "What brings you t'my little corner of paradise?" Suddenly jumping as if he had been elbowed himself, he shot a glare at the air beside him, but leaned over as if listening to someone, after a pause glancing towards the red panda girl. "Your boobs're bigger." Nita MacNeal "It's.. pretty different, alright," she said, her tone noncommittal. For some reason, the sight of one shrunken leg was even worse than what had been Cassidy's legs. Of course... Now Cass had no legs. Nita wondered if Thom knew what had happened to her, since he seemed to be going snake-like as well. Studiously avoiding the dangling lizard, Nita shrugged. "Oh, just wandering, really..." She was brought up short by his last comment. Her blush was faintly visible through the white fur on her cheeks and her arms rose to cover her chest protectively. Just what she needed- a crazy snake-man and his imaginary friend checking her out. Thomas Brinley "That it is," he agreed, eyeing the squirming lizard while his tail tightened its grip. Squirming was hard to chew Suffocate, then bite, now that he had finished the first one. "'Aven't seen you since, what... B'fore I started changin'? Surprised y' recognized me. R'membered th' patterns on your face," he added, as explanation to how he had known her. Catching her movement to hide her chest out of the corner of his eye, Thom turned his attention away from the lizard once more, rolling his eyes and lifting his hands in defense of his innocence. "Wasn't me, was 'im. No worries, eh? Nita th' lesbian s'off limits." Nita MacNeal Nita nodded. Although they had become far more pronounced, and her face itself had become broader, the markings on her cheeks and around her eyes had been quite distinctive since her first change. "Your accent is the same," she offered by way of explanation. She paused for a moment, having a feeling she was going to regret asking. "Just out of curiosity... Who is.. 'he'?" It was a bit disturbing to watch a twenty-something-year-old man talking to no one. However, Nita had to admit it was far from the weirdest thing she had witness on the Island. Thomas Brinley "Ahh, that's true," he admitted, nodding. The way he spoke. That was one thing that hadn't changed, for which he was grateful. It was strange enough not looking like himself. Looking and sounding different? Why, he'd might as well be an entirely different person. At her question, he grinned brightly, turning to his side as if to introduce Nita to the air. But instead he paused, grin fading to a sober frown, leaving him looking perhaps the most sane he had in days. "He...changes," he admitted quietly, staring vaguely at the empty space beside him. Clearly this realization puzzled him, even bothered him, but just as quickly he shrugged it off, distracting himself by snatching the now-still lizard from his tail. "But what does it matter?" And he bit the lizard in half. Nita MacNeal The poor guy. In spite of their less than pleasant first impression, Thom had apologized and hadn't seemed so bad. "Ah," she said softly. "I guess it doesn't matter, really. We all change here." She winced again when he chomped the lizard in two. Urgh. Nita shrugged, trying to ignore that as much as possible, and leaned over to roll up her jeans to mid-calf (and probably giving Thom a delightful view in the meantime). With a sigh, she stepped carefully into the water, enjoying the coolness on her furry feet and ankles. "So, um... yeah." The girl lapsed into silence, having no idea what to say. Enquiring after his recent diversions seemed awfully trite. Thomas Brinley He shook his head, waiting until his mouth was clear of lizard to reply. "Not that kind of change." Delightful view or not, Thom was far too concerned with this new predicament to pay Nita--or her breasts--much mind. "He's not really anyone," he mused aloud, staring curiously at nothing in particular. "Just a shadow with a face. Different faces." Dead faces. His head reeled, and Thom dropped the second half of the lizard into the water, hands rising to hold his skull. Shaking his head, he made as if to climb to his feet, remembering only when he began to fall that his legs were uneven. Asymmetrical. He caught himself with his tail, steadying himself on it as if it were his second leg and, while one hand continued to hold his head, reached out a hand towards the shore, towards his crutch. He wasn't going back. He wasn't going back. He would run. They wouldn't catch him again. Nita MacNeal "Hm," Nita mumbled noncommittally, wondered what on earth could have happeend to make Thom like this. "Oh geeze, are you okay?" She lunged forward clumsily, automatically trying to support him. Thomas Brinley He shook her hand off, risking a step around her and losing his balance. He fell, landing on his hands and knees in the water, but quickly shifted so that his hands were cradeling his head once more. "'M not goin' back to 'ell," he muttered, a terrified note rising in his voice as he shook his head. "Not goin' back again!" And then he was on his feet once more and stumbling through the shallows towards the shore and his crutch, tail proving difficult to manuver in place of his leg in the water. Nita MacNeal Nita backed away, her sense of self-preservation outweighing her desire to help. Although she was horribly confused, she certainly couldn't be any worse off than Thom. "Of course you're not. You're fine here, not in hell..." She chanted similar reassurances, hoping to calm him down. Trailing after him and staying out of the way of his flailing limbs, Nita stepped out of the water and dried her feet on the grass. Thomas Brinley He fell once more, but this time it was intentional, and as he landed sprawled out on the ground, his hand closed around the end of his crutch. Thom tugged it over, climbing to stand correctly now, but made no move to start away, instead clinging to his crutch as if it were his last life line to the literal world. "Y'right. Y'right, I'm fine. I'm fine," he repeated nervously, licking his lips and scanning the area "I'm fine This isn't...this isn't.." Nita MacNeal Nita crouched beside him, holding as still as she could so as not to alarm him. "You're fine," she repeated. "This is the island. It's weird, but it's not hell." At least, not right now, Nita thought. "See? There's the lake, the jungle's over there... I'm Nita." Thomas Brinley "I'm fine," he repeated, gaze turning towards Nita. His grip tightened on the crutch, knuckles white even beneath the dark scales on his hands. However, a moment later he relaxed, shoulders sagging as he breathed deeply. "The island... Just th' island. An' you're Nita. You're not dead." He took another deep breath, wiping a hand down his face before addressing Nita again. "...Sorry about that. Ruddy b*****d scares me sometimes. Bloody stalker. What was I doin'?" A pause, and he glanced back to the water, frowning. "Lost m' dinner." Nita MacNeal She extended one hand to give Thom's shoulder a sympathetic touch. "I'm not dead, and you're not either." A flicker of concern crossed her face. "Uh. Yeah, you were having... dinner." Nita wasn't sure why the idea of eating live lizards was so repugnant; after all, she was fine with Lauren eating bugs around her. The red panda girl sat back on her heels and looked around, mentally encouraging all of the lizards in the area to flee. Thomas Brinley His shoulder twitched slightly at her touch, but he did not pull away, remaining silent a moment longer to let his thoughts settle once more. He risked a cautious look around, apparently deciding his invisible conversation buddy had wandered off and relaxing further as a result, even cracking a smile once more. "No matter, I can catch another. Care t' join me?" Nita MacNeal Nita relaxed, now that Thom seemed to be somewhat back in his right mind. Even if they were nowhere near the best of friends, Nita liked to keep track of the people she'd "introduced" to the Island. "Ah, no thanks," she said, waving a hand. "But you go ahead." Unlike many Islanders, Nita still depended on the cafeteria for the bulk of her nutrition; bamboo wasn't exactly a staple crop in the tropics. Thomas Brinley "Suit yourself." And like that, the moment was past. Lifting his head, he glanced past Nita, frowning as his eyes focused on the invisible someone once more. Shifting to support his weight with the crutch, he stepped around the red panda girl and hurried down the bank, shouting to, apparently, no one. "Oi, stop stormin' around or you'll scare all th' ruddy food away!" Nita MacNeal "I wasn't st--" Nita began, before realizing he didn't mean her. Apparently 'he' was back. She shook her head slowly and rose to her feet, nearly over-compensating for her heavy tail. "Well, ah, I'll see you around, I guess!" she called after him. Good lord. With a last glance down the bank, Nita shrugged and headed in the opposite direction. At this rate, maybe she really was better off in the jungle.
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Posted: Mon Oct 02, 2006 8:56 pm
Hiding from the Rain
Meeting Bia Thomas Brinley It had been well over a week since Thom had fled his duplex for the safety of the jungle, a week since he had dared to even return to the village, though he had risked a trip to the lake near it. Wherever there were doors and locks, there was the possibility that he could be trapped again, and there was absolutely no way Thom was going to endure such an experiance again. One week through hell and back had been quite enough for his tastes; he was perfectly content to linger in limbo for the rest of his life. Heaven, clearly, was no longer an option. But the island was tolerable, at least, provided he was not imprisoned again. With his 'refined' tastes, the jungle was a more comfortable and suitable environment anyway. Days were spent primarily on the beach, nights he slept in the lower branches of the trees with his tail looped tightly around the bough to keep himself from falling. Lizards were his main food source, with the occasional small mammal when he could catch it. The cobra wasn't picky, provided he could squeeze the life out of his dinner beforehand. Only once during his stay had he regretted his choice. Shortly after retreating to the jungle, he had endured, over the course of a night, one of the rain storms that were growing more frequent as the seasons changed. The nights were crisp enough to make the cobra uncomfortable. With the addition of rain, it had been perfectly miserable. He had curled up at the base of a tree, attempting in a variety of ways to sustain the warmth he had gathered during the day, and all the while attempting to ignore the shadowy figure lingering in the corner of his eye. Misery loved company. The night had left Thom feeling sluggish, vulnerable, and utterly terrified. His shadowy companion's near constant company was difficult enough to endure while he was strong. In this state, knowing he was weak enough to be dragged off to his prison, his hell, the presence was incrediably unnerving. By some miracle, he had made it through the night and on with his life. But today the sky was darkening with the promise of a good long rain, and though it was not night... Thom wasn't abut to endure it again. With the aid of his crutch, he had fled as quickly as possible for the safety of the village, the caves being too far away for him to reach before the storm began. His duplex was absolutely out of the question for a means of shelter, but perhaps the cafeteria would be safe for a few hours? Thunder rumbled across the sky, making him jump and quicken his pace. The cafeteria would have to do. Bia Grey Bia, in the meantime- was running away from the cafeteria- away from something she didn't understand and didn't know how to cope with. What she ran into- or- at least, who she nearly ran into- was a man who was even further along in his change. Propiety begged of her to apologize for the near collision with the snake man and his crutch... but every other part of her asked her to continue running through the driving rain. "I'm sorry. It was... an accident." Thomas Brinley The clouds opened up and the rain began, driving down in force for the ground far below. Shivering, Thom ducked his head against the deluge, plowing determinedly onward for the cafeteria--and nearly running straight into a young woman. As Bia appeared before him, he swerved to the side, spinning on his heel and losing his balance when his stub leg was not there to catch him. His crutch appeared in time to catch him and he landed heavily against it, taking a moment to stabalize himself before risking a glance back towards the woman. "No worries, eh? I should 'ave watched where I was goin'. Runnin' from somethin'?" he asked, lifting his eyes towards the cafeteria. From the distance, there didn't seem to be any direct threat, but a shadow lingered near the doorway...just waiting. He shivered, wiping rainwater from his eyes. "Can't say I blame you." Bia Grey Rain fell onto her face and weighed down her eyelashes... clung to her nose and ran in streams down her cheeks and off her chin. It was as if the sky were providing her with tears where none of her own existed. She nodded, blinking constantly as if to banish the water from them where it was so insistant to stay. "Yes... no." Then she stopped... a long time, it seemed, to be paused in the rain. "Yes." Thomas Brinley The pregnant pause was enough to hold Thom where he stood, He waited, watching her expectantly for the words he knew would come, anxiously shifting his weight from foot to crutch as the rain continued to fall. When her reply finally concluded in the form of a single word, he quirked a brow, waiting a moment longer to be sure nothing further was forthcoming before responding. "I'm sure. Not t' be rude, but can we run somewhere out of th' rain? Reptile an' cold storm don't exactly get along." A pause, and he sent a second wary glance towards the cafeteria. The shadow was moving closer. "Anywhere but th' cafeteria," he added hurried, a slightly frantic note in his voice as he turned. Bia Grey She seemed surprised, again. It was the second time in only a handful of minutes that an islander had asked her, in a way, if she wanted to talk- and were courteous despite their horrible appearances. Those in the labs had long since tossed around the word 'beasties'- calling the islanders the animals, 'the zoo', 'Moreau's pets' or even ... the lab rats. Bia, though she'd never bandied in these derogatory names, had nonetheless spent the previous year immersed in a society of people who were afraid of those on the other side of the lab gates- those who didn't understand this near... subculture of 'them'. She'd heard of the attacks, seen the reports of what the serums had turned the islanders into... and although she didn't think of them as monsters, there was still a part of her that was surprised, then, that the first two people she'd come across seemed so... kind. She was moved- although, unfortunately for Thom... not physically. She was still standing there, the dirt around her feet turning into mud as the rain continued its onslaught. "My duplex is ...pretty far down the line. What else is in the community center? I've... only been in the cafeteria." Thomas Brinley "Not th' duplexes," he hurriedly insisted. The duplexes were prisons, the cafeteria was a trap. But the rain was still falling, and the longer Thom stood there, the closer the shadowed wandered. It's face was faintly distinguishable through the falling rain, rippling and contorting to those that had haunted him during his stay in the labs, one after another and frequently all at a time. Terror welled up in Thom's chest, eyes fixed past Bia to a point only he could see. He couldn't move, he couldn't breath, he was simply frozen solid by the rain, unable to think or feel or move or see past the overwhelming fear of being trapped again. And then, reflexively, he blinked and the spell was broken, however briefly. Nonetheless, it was enough for him to pull himself from his frozen posture and start as quickly as possible--which, between his crutch and the chill rain, wasn't at all fast--for the community center. "'Aven't th' faintest. We'll find somewhere t' wait out the storm." Bia Grey Bia saw the moment... and had no idea how to react to it, other than to watch the near comatose response of the snake like man. For the first time, Bia wondered... What have I done? ...And what will I become? But she ran back through the doors to the community center. Thomas Brinley Bia was the first through the door, but Thom wasn't far behind. He breathed a sigh of relief as the door swung closed behind him, the threats of both rain and shadow, for the time, avoided. With his scales already drying, he crutched his way after Bia, pausing to peek through the first door they neared and, when the room proved empty, continuing inside. He had never before been in the Entertainment Room, but it seemed a suitable place to wait out the rain. Comfortable couches, plenty of movies and books, but open and unfamiliar enough that he didn't feel trapped. Pleased with his decision, he propped his crutch against the wall near the door, tail taking the place of his stub leg as he slowly approached one of the couches and all but collapsed onto it. Bia Grey Bia turned as soon as she was through the door- walking wide around the walls and seeing on the far end the bookshelves filled with what seemed to be a tantalizing variety. It made her wonder... if they were meant to fill the bookshelves in their rooms with these selections, or if they were to requisition their own. A warm flush crept over the dark girl as this thought reminded her of the bundle that had been delivered to her duplex that morning: the massive red and gold down comforter and overstuffed pillows and a good-sized box fillwed with soft cashmeres, cotton, and wool clothing that were colorful, beautiful, and exactly her size. Somehow, the thought gave her comfort- and the courage to stop her circling and plant herself within a large blue chair near the door. "Are you feeling any better?" She said- her voice neither soft nor loud. Thomas Brinley After the initial glance around, the extensive shelves of books and movies went unnoticed. The television was ignored, as were the other seats and, until she spoke, the girl sitting near the door. He was cold. Cold meant lack of movement, and lack of movement meant potential imprisonment. For now the room was safe. The shadow was, for all he knew, still waiting outside in the rain, certainly unwilling it its own way to enter the brightly lit Entertaiment Room. But there was still the issue of cold to be dealt with. His scales dried quickly, what little water that had managed to cling during his walk sliding to soak into the couch beneath him. Though the cold blood of the reptile meant the sun would be required to revive him, his body still retained a good deal of its human side, and so he was gradually stabalizing on his own, simply at a much slower rate. He would just...lay here and hope the shadow kept it's distance. "Cold," he grunted in reply, tail spilling over the side of the sofa. "But I'll manage. Why were you runnin'?" Bia Grey "I was just getting back to my duplex." The candor- albeit brief, that she had shown in the rain... was gone. "...If you're cold, I could go get you something- a blanket..." she paused, not willing to speak the worthless words that would bridge the gap, "Is your duplex heated?" Thomas Brinley "Ahh, I see." It made sense, after all. Had he been capable, he would have certainly been running rather than plodding along through the rain. She had mentioned that her duplex was a good walk away, after all. Though the offer of a blanket was tempting, logic told him the community center was unlikely to have any and, if she walked all to way to a duplex and back, even his, the blanket would be soaked by the time she returned. "I'm not going back there," he replied immediately with her suggestion. His duplex. He didn't want anything from that room. The prospect of heat was tempting, but the fear of the room was too strong--add in the falling rain and he would be walking into a nightmare, with each stepping making things worse for himself. No, there was no easy solution. The duplex was a prison, the search for a blanket would leave him alone again. As long as he wasn't alone, he was safe. "Just... just stay 'ere, would you? I'm, ah...not too fond of th' village." Bia Grey Bia pulled her legs up into the chair as well, and scooted back until she was just a little ball in the back of the overstuffed piece of furniture. "There are worse places to be than the village. ...But I'll stay here." She nodded, as if sealing some sort of sacred promise. Bia was a woman of few words- which had always given the impression to others that she was either painfully shy... or a sort of wise sage, listening and absorbing rather than speaking a continuous stream. Neither was entirely true. Thomas Brinley There are worse places to be than the village... There were worse places to be than Limbo. Buried alive, perhaps. Days and years and ternity in hell. The simple comment triggered a flood of memories as violent as the storm outside. Hissing through his teeth, Thom drew his knees up against his chest, scaled hands rising to hold his head against the onslaught of images. He shivered violently, a reaction born both of the chill from the rain and the barely restrained panic attack. Darkness and roaches and endless heat, faces on the wall, haunting accusations, rats and blood and fevered dreams; a shadow burst into his line of sight. Thom nearly knocked the couch over in his effort to get off of it, scrambling quickly over the side and landing with a thud on the floor, where he curled up in a shaking ball once more, hiding his head in his arms and siletly willing the shadowy figure back out into the rain. Bia Grey For a long while, Bia watched in a sort of rapt fear- she did not move, nor did she even consider that she might be able to do so. Her eyes could not leave the shivering form- it was as if a trainwreck had found its way into this little room. Only when he scrambled over the side- his panic attack in full swing, did Bia move, too, over the edge of her own chair and up against the wall. She didn't know what was happening- but she had heard many of the horror stories of islanders going feral.. injuring each other... even killing. The day that the wolf woman had torn the rabbit to pieces... that was the day Bia had gone to Dr. Lockheart. Now, she wanted to scream, terrified she would be next. "Please don't kill me!" She said, her voice ragged and raw, and she pressed her back up against the wall- not able to see where Thom huddled behind the couch. Thomas Brinley Step, step; he heard the sound, even if there was no one to create it. He wouldn't go back! Not again, not again, he hadn't even done anything wrong this time. He hadn't strangled anyone, hadn't even wished anyone ill will. Sure, he had made short work of a few lizards, but everyone had to eat. Everyone had to eat! He was perfectly justified! The shadow stood but inches from him, waiting for his chance. But he was so cold, and the rain, and the duplex... There was no where to go. And then someone spoke, and the shadow took a step back. The words completely evaded Thom, but the voice was all that mattered. He wasn't alone. The shadow was baffled, Thom could tell. He couldn't justify another punishment if there was a witness to argue Thom's innocence. Thom clung desperately to the voice, wrapping his thoughts around it..and felt the shadow take another step back. "Keep talkin'," he ordered, nay, pleaded, stuttering from his huddle position behind the couch. "J-just keep talkin'. He'll go away, please.." Bia Grey "Who's going to go away? What's happening?" The only thing that kept her in the room was the niggling little thought at the back of her mind that told her she'd be a terrible person if she ran. Thomas Brinley "Talk!" he demanded, shouting a reply from beneath his arms when her voice faded. His own voice would do no good. The shadow knew his voice. The shadow could forget she was here. It was still there, hovering uncertainly a few feet away from him. "He'll leave if y' bloody talk!" Bia Grey Bia didn't know what to do- except to talk- frantic, angry, confused... lost. She hated to waste words. But her lips fell into a string where her mind could not provide. "Bia. My... my name is Bia. Grey. I know what your name is. Your name is Thomas Brinley. You were a soccer player. ...Are a soccer player. You're turning into a cobra. I don't know who is on your research team... they're somewhere in the jurisdiction of Doctor Duvert, I think. But I don't know for sure. It's been a long time since I've kept up with it. ...My... my mother's name is Maise, my father's name is Paul. I have one older sister. Emily. I haven't seen them in a year." She took a deep breath and began to edge along the wall. Thomas Brinley Thom latched onto the words, pulling himself back to reality as his mind focused on her voice. At first they held no meaning to him. They were simple words, simply sounds, tossed into the air as blows to the shadow to drive it back into the chilling rain. But he heard his own name and, whether consciously or not, he began to pay attention, the shadow fading from his mind as she explained not only herself, but him as well. Thom Brinley. Soccer--no, football player, he wanted to correct her. Cobra. He was turning into a cobra? Snake he knew, but cobra... He should have realized it before, now that he thought about it. The ridges on his neck--the beginnings of a hood? It made sense, now that he thought about it. He straightened up, breathing deeply, and for a moment remembered he was supposed to be scared, supposed to be hiding. But a glance up confirmed that the shadow was gone, and he relaxed, leaning back against the sofa with a sigh. After a pause, he reached up and grabbed hold of the sofa arm, pulling himself to his feet--or foot, rather--and turning his eyes back to the woman. What had she said her name was? "...Bia, you said? Sorry about..." He gestured vaguely in the direction of nothing in particular, where, for him, the shadow had stood moments before. "An' thank you. ...How did you know...all that? I didn't even know I was a cobra." Bia Grey "What just happened?" She didn't know yet whether she was going to answer his questions. But she had stopped in her gradual edging towards the door. Thomas Brinley He frowned, planting his hands firmly on the arm of the sofa while debating a reply. How was he supposed to explain? And why should he, after she hadn't answered his question? For a long while he was silent, gave falling instead to the couch he had recently vacated. Finally clearing his throat, he began, "I, ah... He... I was trapped in my duplex for a number of days, a room...in the labs-" His voice gave out as the images threatened to return, but, lifting his eyes, he fixed them on Bia once more, focusing intently on the woman hovering near the door. He wasn't alone. He wasn't alone. They couldn't trap him again. He was perfectly safe. He could talk, and he did. "A room in th' labs a good few more, I think... I think that's where it was... We're not dead.. It was just--we're not, we..." He shook his head, closing his eyes as his hands rose to hold his temples once more. "Talk." Bia Grey She shook her head, truly rattled by what had happened- she wondered if she herself was going insane, or if it was true that the first two people she talked to had failed to make sense. Her head continued to shake- a gentle, steady back-and-forth motion that rode beneath her words. "No one here... makes any sense. I'm sorry." She put her hands up, and silenced the movements of her head. "I'm sorry." And then she turned- and ran out of the room- intent, this time to continue on to the end of the duplex line... regardless of how hard it rained, and no matter who- or what- she ran into. Thomas Brinley A voice--not the shadow's--and he sighed in relief, until, that is, her words sunk in. "NO!" he shouted as she bolted from the room, one hand stretched after her as if to drag her back, though there was no possible way he could have kept up even had his crutch been within reach. She was gone. He was alone. The rain rattled on the ceiling, the windows, the only sound heard in the still room. Thom didn't move from where he stood, completely stunned by the sudden departure and his newfound solitude. He was alone. Indoors. Trapped by the locks and rain. Terror set his limbs shaking as panic washed through his system, the barely restrained memories attacking full force with the girl gone. He ran for the door, realizing once he was out of the building and drowning in rain that, in truth, he hadn't made it more than a few steps before falling. On the floor of the Entertainment Room, he curled in on himself, a shivering, terrified ball of limbs and scales. He was alone. She was gone. Had she really been there? How had she know who he was? His imagination, then--the shadow toying with him again. Again, again. The shadow was there, sneering, reaching for him. He seized, hyperventilating, and blacked out.
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Posted: Sun Oct 08, 2006 10:44 pm
Drinking Like a Fish
Meeting Sid Sid Eisley Everybody's got their own coping mechanisms. Sid ignored things, and when Sid couldn't ignore things, he tried to wipe out the offending brain cells that wouldn't play along. Back in the day he had drugs, then he went through the mentions of cleaning himself up and went with the 'safe' stuff. Drinking, to him, was perfectly okay. Thus why he was at the Beach Bar. He'd been there long enough that he was, to put it lightly, piss drunk. It was no easy feet. With every drink he took he risked either choking or letting half of it dribble on the bar. He'd gotten better about not spilling... but as he through back a shot of whiskey he started coughing violently. His everpresent cane was with him, this time laid across his lap. If he put it on the bar it'd be liable to get wet. Thomas Brinley The Beach Bar had never been one of Thom's favorite locations, persay. Indeed, in all his time on the island, he had been there maybe twice, and then only for short periods of time. He had never been particularly fond of alcohol. He hadn't any need for the place. However, there was always time for change. Following his run-in with Bia, he had retreated back to the relative safety of the jungle, avoiding the village at all costs in the days following. Living in the jungle was easy in the sunny days. Food was plentiful, river water was safe enough to drink (he decided), and trees made for good beds when his tail was there to keep him from falling. But there was the ever present threat of possible rain again, and that meant the need for a more reliable shelter. The village was out of the question. He wasn't about to risk that again. The caves and the area surrounding didn't much appeal to the cobra... Too cold, too dark. But the Beach Bar! It was open enough that he wouldn't feel threatened, while also located on the brilliantly warm sands of the beach within easy distance of the jungle's safety. The Beach Bar was finally serving a purpose. It was a temporary home. While the afternoon sun blared down on the beach, too strong even for the cobra man to tolerate comfortably, Thom retreated into the bar, grimacing faintly when he caught sight of the man already seated and drinking. He hadn't planned on company. Nonetheless, he continued inside and around to the back of the bar, where he fixed himself a drink more for the sake of an excuse to be inside than anything. He didn't plan on drinking it. Sid Eisley Once Sid stopped coughing he poured himself another drink. It took an immense amount of concentration to pour into his glass as opposed to all over the bar. He'd already wasted enough time cleaning up after himself, as the sopping towel lying next to him attested to. By now he could have wrung the towel out into his mouth and have the equivilant of an entire badly mixed cocktail. He hadn't thought about that yet, so there was just the linger smell of three different types of alcohol coming from the rag. His hand hovered unsteadily over the bar as he tried to figure out where to set the bottle down. He look vaguely pleased with himself for managing to actually make contact with the bar when he tried, but then again it was hard to read much of anything in his face these days. He didn't realize he was no longer along until he prepared to awkwardly knock back the shot. He should have been well past feeling embarrassed by the time he saw the scaly man. Apparently he was wrong. " 'Lo," he said, putting the glass down. It ended up three inches shy of the coaster he couldn't remember ever setting out. Thomas Brinley "...Hello." Thom didn't even bother to pretend he was going to drink once he realized how far gone the other man was. He wrinkled his nose in disgust at the sight, pushing his own glass a few inches away from himself. Where was the fun in getting drunk? He couldn't see a point to it. And he said as much aloud a moment later, relizing only afterward that he had done so. Frowning faintly, he cleared his throat and repeated more clearly, "Where's th' point in drinkin'? Can't see 'ow it 'elps anythin'." Sid Eisley Sid laughed at the very question and turned himself to face the newcomer. He remembered his cane just in time to catch it before it fell to the floor. His grin was made a thousand times worse by the combine efforts of his gaping maw and his breath. "The poin'..." he said, beyond caring how the words might get mangled. Once he trailed off, he realized he'd forgotten what the point was. He shrugged and finished with, "Sssmoofs ou' the rough spah... spots... heh heh." Thomas Brinley His grimace became more pronounced at the combined assault of alcohol heavy breath and toothy grin. Add to that the fact that he could hardly understand what Sid had said, and Thom was about ready to endure the sun rather than this man's company. With most islanders, despite the changes, one was able to have a relatively normal conversation. Thom was quite sure that even if Sid had been sober, such an conversation would have been difficult. "Rough spots," he echoed, nodding slightly. "Uh huh. But only temporarily, correct? Worse than b'fore th' next mornin'. Y'can't stay perpetually drunk." Sid Eisley "Buh yeh cah try," Sid retorted, uttering a wheezy giggle. He looked blearily at his glass, then Thom. He could just go ahead and drink, but then how would that look? What if he missed again? Or lost half of it again? Worse, he obviously wasn't drunk enough to be past the point of worrying about such things... which needed to be remedied. So he looked back at Thom. "If yuhr again... against ih... why ah yeh heah?" Thomas Brinley He rolled his eyes, sidestepping further away from his own glass. "When y' collapse from blood poisonin' and are dragged off to th' labs--" He tensed, catching himself, and briefly lifted his eyes towards the doorway, as if expecting someone to come waltzing through. When no one appeared, he turned his attention back to Sid, but continued to watch the doorway out of the corner of his eye. "It's hot outside. I'm waitin' for it t' cool off." Sid Eisley "Ah know muh limiths," Sid said. For the moment, or at least as long as Thom was there, he seemed to have reached his. He slid the glass of whiskey away with one last longing look, but in the meantime he could try and act like he was already well in his cups. "Yuh may be heah til sssundown," he observed. Thomas Brinley "I doubt it." Rather, he knew for a fact that he would be gone by then. The Beach Bar was all well and good during the day, but when night closed in and the bar grew dark, well... Even the relatively open room was too constricting for the cobra man. He would escape back to the jungle before night arrived. "I don't mind th' heat, it just gets a tad overwhelmin' at times. Cobra. Don't self-regulate anymore, or some such." Sid Eisley Sid nodded with some difficulty, as bobbing his head just a little did horrible things the the bar around him. "Thah suh... sucks..." He didn't bother going on about his own drawbacks, they were fairly obvious, from his huge mouth to the tail that forced him to cut a hole in his favorite jeans. The webbed hands he didn't mind so much. The added dexterity in them was interesting. As he thought about it, Sid bent his fingers back entirely too far to test it. Thanks to the alcohol coursing through his veins he'd overlooked the fact that might not be a great thing to do in polite company, nor would it make any sense... It was neat though, at least to him. Thomas Brinley "Only when it rains," he countered, shrugging. "Sun's easy to deal with. Rain..." He shuddered and shook his head, briefly closing his eyes against memories of the storms he had endured in the jungle, the cold, the darkness, the shadowy figure hovering beside him. His eyes snapped open, fixing on a point outside of the door, on the shadey form grinning at him grinning at him from the sunwarmed sand. Automatically, Thom reached for his drink, tossing back the lot before risking another glance outside. The form was gone. He fixed himself a second glass, pulling his eyes from the beach to watch with a sort of morbid fascination as Sid bent his fingers backwards. Sid Eisley Realizing even that was being observed (why was he surprised?), Sid curled his fingers into a fist as though he meant to pop his knuckles. After a few seconds, when no satisfying pops resulted he gave up and pulled his hands apart just in time to stop his cane from slipping out of his lap. In the midst of all that he overlooked Thom's wandering eye. "Ih goes ahn yuh..." Sid said. What was meant as a wry smile was only vaguely apparent in how the corners of his lips pulled up. Another awkward moment of silence followed, enough time for him to realize he oughtt to correct himself to clarify. "Goes... Grah... Grows ah meant. Yeh." Thomas Brinley He grunted a response, pulling his eyes from Sid's unusual hands to instead glance back to his own glass. It burned. How long had it been since he had had any alcohol? Even before the island it was a rare event, and since arriving he hadn't so much as a sip until now. Maybe a little wine here and there back home, but hard drinking was only for celebrations, not drowning sorrows. Still, he had never claimed to dislike it. He simply tried to avoid it. "I never said it tasted bad. I just can't see a good side t' bein' drunk." Sid Eisley Sid another another wheezy giggle. "Yeh ev... nevah do til yah ahh.. ar... fug ih I cahnt annah... annun... tahk." That said, he picked up his glass and threw it back. Some of it got on his face, narrowly avoiding his eyes, but the important thing was most of it actually made it into his mouth and down his throat. A fresh round of coughing followed, and thankfully subsided relatively quickly. "This..." he said, letting his head loll forwards again. "Ih a real bit ch." He pointed to his jaw as if it wasn't painfully obvious what he meant. Thomas Brinley "Looks like it." He grimaced, lifting his glass to take a sip, but frowning and setting it back down with the first taste. He would have to remember to hunt for something non-alcoholic. "Though, I'd almost trade you." He shifted around so that his leg was visible, pointing down to the asymmetrical, clawlike stub that formed his left leg. "What're you turnin' in to, d'you know?" Sid Eisley Sid's eyes lost even more focus as he tried to dredge the name from his memory. He wanted to say snakefish, but that didn't sound right and it would be hard to spit that out in any case. He was starting to hate any word that began with 's', his own name included. Being drunk only made his distorted mouth harder to work with. He could've sworn he was making progress, now his tongue felt like lead. Fuzzy, vile tasting lead. "Thome kinna fith... fishhh... thing. Wif teef. Losovem." The way the last word blurred together was all the the booze's fault. He stared at the whiskey bottle like it had betrayed him. It was supposed to go slower than that. Then again, there was that last drink to consider... his nose still burned a little from it. He made a belated attempt to keep the conversation going. "An yuh?" Thomas Brinley Fish, eck, that didn't sound pleasant. Would the fish islanders ever be restricted completely to the water, he wondered? It didn't seem likely, but at the same time, no one seemed to know exactly what to expect with all these changes. It was quite possible. Thom didn't envy Sid. "Snake," he finally replied, risking another small, burning sip of his own drink. No use being in a bar if you weren't going to drink anything, right? So long as he limited his drinks, it wouldn't matter. Wouldn't matter. "Cobra. Not sure exactly what kinda yet. But 'ey, venom t' look forward to." Sid Eisley "Rahk ahn," Sid said, giving Thom a webbed thumbs up. A bit of spittle went airborn with the first word. He dragged his attention back to the bottle, even made an attempt at grabbing it, but after two failed attempts- the second ending with his fingers nearly knocking it over- his nearly drowned voice of reason convinced him that was enough. He propped his head up with one arm so he could continue to look at Thom. "Thih ih a bah... bad... bad bad bad tahm ferre..." Sid gave up. He wasn't even sure what he'd been trying to say there. Thomas Brinley Thom watched the man's attempts with mild amusement, meanwhile renewing his vow to avoid alcohol and nudging his glass aside. This, this sight before him, was why he didn't drink. "I don't doubt it," he agreed, even though he hadn't the faintest idea what point Sid had been aiming towards either. "You goin' t' be alright? I'm afraid I wouldn't be much 'elp gettin' you anywhere." Sid Eisley "Ahf been in worth... Ah kin make ih... it.. Layer. Later. Y'know." He put his head down on the bar. That nasty heavy feeling had spread, and since it seemed it wanted to be there he could do nothing but oblige. It felt so nice, so cool, and it still reeked of the spilt drink he'd mopped up earlier. It was a lot like catching a whiff of smelling salts, but even as his eyes watered Sid could only muster the effort to put his arm under his head. As his tongue lolled against it, he was reminded he could use a shower. The thought slipped out of his head as abruptly as it struck. Thomas Brinley "If you say so." Had the man gone to sleep? Thom couldn't tell. Maybe he had blacked out? Maybe he was just resting his head? Whatever the case, should something go wrong, Thom didn't want to be in any situation where the blame could potentially be placed on him. After a short moment, he drained the rest of his glass and set it aside. "Nice meeting you." Nevermind the fact that he hadn't actually caught the other man's name. They were bound to run into each other again sooner or later. The island was only so big. With a final nod goodbye, which he wasn't sure Sid was even coherent enough to notice, Thom hefted his crutch and escaped out onto the beach. Sid Eisley Sid murmured something incoherent in response. By the Thom stepped outside he was already slipping into blissful unconsciousness. Sure, it was going to be followed by violent puking and a nasty back ache when he woke up, but that was later...
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Posted: Sun Oct 08, 2006 10:48 pm
Some Friendly Advice
Helping Newt with girl problems. Living in the jungle was perfectly fine for Thom--most of the time. It was open, and comfortable, and as long as he slept in trees he wasn't particularly worried about anything attacking him. With the added knowledge that he could retreat to the Beach Bar if it rained, he was perfectly happy. However...food was always a problem. There was plenty of game in the jungle, but between his leg and limited abilities of killing said game, he would often go days at a time without eating. Always, his hunger would be enough to coax him back towards the village--or, the lake near it, anyway. There was always food at the lake. Lizards, frogs, small snakes, even the occasional little mammal, easy to catch and perfectly tastey. He had braved the trip once more, and was presently seated at the water's edge, gnawing absently on a thin bone, the remainder of his latest meal. After his disapointing visit to Natsumi, Newt hopped all the way towards his duplex. When he spied the frightening octopus man loitering in the road, though, he thought maybe now would be a safe time to go for a swim. He supposed it was the frog in him, but he liked sitting the water- and a good soak seemed like it might cheer him up. He emerged from the path at his quickest hop, and was nearly on top of the snake man befor he spotted him. He gave a shrill, terrified croak, freezing in place, but seemed ready to bolt at any moment. The sudden appearance of the frog man startled Thom nearly as much as it had Newt. Whirling at the sound of the croak, he lurched back, away from the frog, and landed with a splash in the shadows, the ridges on his neck flaring. However, once he recognized Newt he relaxed, sending the frog man a scowl and awkwardly climbing to his feet. "Brilliant. An' I'd been tryin' not t' get all wet t'day." Newt flinched and wimpered, flattening himself against the ground as he tried to swallow his racing heart. The flairing neck did little for that froggish instinct to RUN THE HELL AWAY FROM THE SNAKE, BRINGER OF DEATH! He opened his mouth and closed it again, finally remembering just who this reptile happened to be. Natsumi's neighbor! Her friend! "Ah! Ah... er... I... I... I'm s-sorry...!" He managed to peep, gears spinning and churning in his head. "I'm sure you are," he countered dryly, with some difficulty making his way back to the shore and dropping to sit on the edge once more. He reached for his crutch should he need it, though he doubted he would. He wasn't planning on leaving just yet, and Newt wasn't exactly the blood thirsty type. Newt seemed more likely to run screaming than try attacking him. Frog... Thom couldn't blame him. Frogs were tasty, when he could catch them. But Newt was too big to be dinner. "What brings you 'ere, then? Or were y' aimin' to dump me in th' lake?" "I... I... ah... w-was um... j-just..." He crawled forward timidly, his bolbous eyes darting from the water to the snake and back again, "s-swoo-swuh-swim!' He urged himself to calm down, desperatly trying to get control over his voice again, but his mouth had other plans. Thom sighed, rubbing his temples with one scaled hand. How on earth did Natsumi tolerate this man for more than two minutes at a time? The stutter was enough to irritate Thom to no end. "Right, well." With the aid of his crutch, he again stood, stepping up onto the bank. "You 'ave fun, then. If you're that terrified of me, I'll be off. You've scared off all th' food, any'ow." "Ah... ah... ah... w-wait!" Newt squeeked, taking a sudden hop forward towards the crippled snake-man. "Hmm?" He raised a brow, turning expectantly towards the frog man. "Yes?" "Ah... I... th-that is... um... I w-was won-won-won-wondering if... pos-pos-possibly... ah..." "Spit it out," he interrupted, grimacing. "If you're goin' to ask somethin', say it. Don't trip over your tongue until I get bored an' wander off." Newt squeeked, ducking his head down to hide behind his arms, "I w-was wondering if you c-could help me!" He finally blurted out in a pained and awkward voice.* That was a start. At least Thom had been able to understand him that time. "Better," he praised, expression easing somewhat. "Help with what?" "Y-y-y-you're f-friends with m-m-muh-mm-miss N-natsumi, r-right?" His expression perked hopefully, his oddly enourmous eyes quivering.* "I'd say so," he replied, folding his arms. Ahh, he should have known this would be about Natsumi. What else would Newt possibly have to talk with him about? "Why? Asked 'er out yet?" If Newt was still able to blush, he would have been scarlet. "I... I... I d-don't know wh-what I've d-done wrong!" He moaned finally, hopping closer to the irritable man once he was confident enough he wasn't going to be eaten just yet. "I... I t-took her on a p-puh-picnic! I g-gave her a pruh... gave her a p-p-pruh-pruh-prretty n-necklace! I've t-tried everything and I... I d-don't think she... y-you know... krrrKIT!" He covered his mouth with his webbed hands as his neck deflated again embarassingly. Stuttering, stuttering... Thom kept his temper in check, weeding through Newt's words and somehow arriving at the point the frog man was trying to explain. He slouched lazily against his crutch, thoughtfully tapping an arm with one finger. "'Ave you just, y' know, told 'er you like 'er? I don't know much about Japanese customs, but I know some things that are perfectly common place t'me scared the 'ell out of 'er. You should 'ave seen 'er face th' first time I showed up at her duplex." Newt blinked at him curiously, thick brows furrowing, "Wh-what do you m-mean?" The janitor knew little about the Japanese, afterall. He always felt more at home with cleaning supplies and wires than with people. * Shrugging, he let his arms fall and straightened up. "Maybe she's misreadin' your intentions? Maybe she just thinks you're bein' friendly?" It was possible. And rather likely, actually, given the direction his own relationship with Natsumi had gone. Newt was far more pessimistic than that, though, his expression drooping untill he looked about to cry, "Or sh-sh-she d-doesn't like me!" "It's entirely possible," he agreed, not about to spare Newt's feelings over such a subject. He was here offering objective, third party advice, not playing marriage counselor. "But Natsumi's old fashioned like that, from what I've seen. Not t' mention she 'ad that whole... Taro, baby ordeal. It doesn't surprise me that she's slow gettin' into a new relationship, or even realizin' that someone likes 'er. Make sure she knows you're interested b'fore you assume there's no chance an' give up." Newt swallowed, nodding as he repeated all of this to himself in a low mumble, "It's all s-so ter-ter-terrible! I f-feel just awfull! About... about the b-baby and... and everything... b-but... but wh-what can I do? Wh-what do you suggest?" "About the baby?" He raised a brow, confused by Newt's words. Sure, Natsumi was pregnant, but she seemed to have accepted it fairly well when last Thom spoke with her. What was there to feel badly about? "Did somethin' 'appen to Natsumi?" Newt's brows raised as his eyes widened impossibly further, "Y-you... y-you d-don't know?" He frowned. Know? Know what?! He hadn't spoken with Natsumi in...A good while. A month, perhaps? Longer than that, he shouldn't wonder. He hadn't been keeping track of time. "What happened to Natsumi?" he repeated, scowling. Newt gave an anxious croak, crawling backward as he urged his throat to stay still, "I... I... I... I d-duh-duh-don't think it's m-my place to say!"* Thom fixed Newt with a glare, debating his options. Threatening the story out of Newt seemed quite possible at this point, but Newt would likely relay word back to Natsumi that he had done so, and she would be upset over it. His other choice, meanwhile... "I'll go ask 'er myself, then." And he started for the village, completely forgetting that the destination of Natsumi's duplex would bring him right to his own abandoned doorstep. "W-wait! W-wait!" THe frogman cried, leaping after him with clumsy hops, "I... I n-n-need your advice! Wh-what sh-should I do? H-how can I g-get her attention?"* Grimacing, he paused in step, turning back to face Newt. "Lad, intelligent as she is, Natsumi isn't th' brightest thing in th' world. Best thing t'do, I think, is just tell her. Let 'er knows you like 'er, an' see where things go from there, righto?" "W-what, j-just... s-say what? H-how... how do I tell her?" "Just, just.. I don't know." He waved a hand absently, growing tired of the subject. He certainly wasn't the world's best reference for dating advice. "You 'ave t'be foreward about it. Tell 'er you like 'er, toss 'er a few compliments, an' if all goes well ask 'er out. Doesn't 'ave t' be anythin' formal, just somethin' y' both enjoy. Easy enough." "T-tell her... I luh-luh-like her... krrKIT!" He swallowed, still looking embarassed, "That's easier s-s-s-said than duh-duh-d-done!"* "It's not difficult," he argued, rolling his eyes and turning to start away once more. "Just walk up an' tell 'er. Th' more y' dwell on it, the 'arder it'll be." The frog kept after, fascinated by this advice, "Easy f-f-fuh-for you to say! Y-your mouth w-works pruh... w-wuh-woo-works pruh-p-p-pro-properly!" "Your mouth worked properly when I snapped at you," he countered, cracking a grin for the first time since the conversation had begun. "Half of your stutter's probably mental. Lack of confidence. You trust Natsumi, right? Nothin t' fear from talkin' to 'er, no reason t' stutter." "N-no... no r-reason to stuh... no r-ruh-reason to stuh-st-stoo..." He shook his head as he landed another froggish leap. They were getting closer to Natsumi's duplex. He didn't want to go back just yet! Not befor he regained his composure. "S-so... j-just... just t-tell her? Y-you think that'd work?"* "I don't see why not." He shrugged, continuing on for the duplex. If all else failed, he could shove Newt up the steps and tell Natsumi for him, seeing as the frog man seemed determined not to wander off. Had Thom thought about it, he would have been thankful for Newt's company. The frog was keeping him from dwelling on the fact that he was now in the village, approaching, of all places, his dreaded duplex. "'Asn't failed me yet." It was just the afterwards that tended to fail. "I... I... I sh-should think about this first..." Newt stopped, watching the snake hobble on. He wasn't ready to face her again! Not without rehearsing what he would say a few dozen times first. "Suit yourself." He continued on a step or two, but soon paused, glancing back to shoot Newt a grin. "'Ardly any stutter. There y' go, progress already." Newt blinked and glanced up in confusion, "Wh-what pr-progress?" He laughed, shaking his head, and simply continued away. "Nevermind." Newt watched him go, lip quivering and brows furrowed. "Th-thank you... anyway." "No worries," he shouted back, raising his free hand in a half wave goodbye. "'Ope it works out for you. Natsumi needs some 'appiness." "Ah... y-yes! Yes... yes, sh-she deserves it!" Newt called back, but turned to hop away immediatly. Natsumi deserved it, alright... but not from him. Newt wasn't the happiest of people.
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Posted: Wed Oct 18, 2006 9:15 pm
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Posted: Tue Oct 31, 2006 4:05 am
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Posted: Tue Oct 31, 2006 4:06 am
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Posted: Thu Nov 02, 2006 3:14 pm
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Posted: Wed Nov 08, 2006 4:09 am
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Posted: Wed Nov 08, 2006 4:10 am
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Posted: Wed Nov 08, 2006 4:12 am
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Posted: Wed Nov 08, 2006 4:12 am
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Posted: Wed Nov 08, 2006 4:13 am
ToD : Waking Up Safe
Waking up at Antony's Thomas: Thom had slept like a rock. Even after regaining consciousness some time in the early hours of the morning, he had hardly cracked an eye before slipping into a more natural sleep. He hadn't slept indoors for well over a month, and though his mind hadn't registered that he was indoors, the couch was comfortable, the blanket was warm, and Thom was more than happy to sleep as long as they would let him.
Antoinette: The squirrel woman had eventually fallen asleep in the chair by the couch, having been out there to smoke away from Natsumi in case it bothered her. The dawn woke the rodent up, and she grunted while rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. Looking down at the ashtray in her lap, she was startled to find herself covered in dried blood. Only it wasn't hers. At least, it didn't smell like hers... Out of reflex, she jumped to her feet, knocking the ashtray onto the floor with a loud thud.
Natsumi: Natsumi's sleep had only gotten lighter and lighter with her changes, though the morning's light wouldn't wake her like it used to, noises sure did. Even the sound of a heater kicking on caused the gecko to startle awake So the loud thunk of an ashtray make the girl give a light jerk, eyes poping open, to move towards the source, and then relaxing as soon as her brain regestered what had happend. Nothing to worry about. She gave a lazy glance around the room, debating actually getting up or just staying there... But it wasn't her bed, so her mind argued she should forcer herself awake. And so she rose to a sit, giving a small yawn into her palm.
Thomas: The thud of the ashtray as it hit the floor was enough to rouse Thom from his sleep, at least to an extent. Muttering a protest, he tugged the blanket up to his chin and cracked an eye, peeking around for the source of the sound. Almost immediately he froze, both eyes opening and widening in horror at the duplex that greeted him. Nevermind the fact that it was light, nevermind that Antony and Natsumi were there, both of these factors went completely unnoticed. The cobra was swept back in time by a wave of memories, pupils dilating and unfocusing as he receeded into the 'safety' of his thoughts, visibly quivering where he lay on the couch.
Antoinette: The mutter startled her, and Antony watched as the man woke up and act as if he were entering a nightmare himself. "Thom?" She warbled uneasily, taking a step or so closer to him. "Are you okay?"
Natsumi: Natsumi blinked as Antony moved, following her gaze to Thom, and then noticing the slight movement of shaking... "Thomas?" She echoed Antony, rising to her feet as well. His face looked familiar, like the time she caught him outside their duplexes.
Thomas: He was trapped. He was trapped. How had he gotten here? What was on him? Just a blanket, his mind reassured him, fighting to return to rational thought. His eyes slid down towards the blanket, then up, focusing unblinkingly on first Antony, then Natsumi. He...wasn't alone? Immediately relief swept through his system, and he relaxed, closing his eyes with a shakey sigh. However, a split second later he was sliding off the couch, diving for the nearest person (who happened to be Antony) and looping his arms around her waist, ducking his head to hide from the walls.
Antoinette: At first, Antony believed him to be attacking her, and immediately let out a surprised and fearful noise. However, when he burrowed himself into her like a small child, the squirrel woman's eyes widened in confusion. Her arms soon moved around him, pulling him closer as her tails attempted to wrap around the two of them. "It's okay," she murmured in as comforting a voice as she could muster. After all, the squirrel inside her was screaming to flee from the snake before he ate her whole.
Natsumi: Natsumi gave yet another little jerk as Thom jumped forward and Antony gave a noise, little red flags and sirens going of fin her head. Luckally, humanity argued it and moved her forward to Thom and Ant's side, looking at Thom with a bit of confusion. Was it the whole Annie thing? It didn't seem like it would be.. So then what? Her mind worked, trying to get everything to click, and in the meantime cautiously placing a comforting hand on Thom's back.
Thomas: Thom wasn't even entirely sure who he was clinging to for a long moment. Quite frankly, he didn't care, and was just happy that the person hadn't kicked him or something. He couldn't be alone indoors. He couldn't be in a duplex. He wanted out. The cobra jumped visibly as Natsumi set her hand on his shoulder, only risking a glance up a good pause later, and then pointedly avoiding looking anywhere but at Natsumi. "My, ah.. th' cane... D'you... out? Please?"
Antoinette: Antony was down right confused, and she looked to Natsumi for help, pleading up at her with her eyes for a moment before looking down at Thom. "Hey, it's okay... Annie's gone. You're in my duplex. You're okay." The woman didn't know what else to do but to hold him and run a hand through his hair in a petting motion.
Natsumi: Natsumi blinked, his cane, oh right yea... They had grabbed that right? The night was mostly blurry, just a big rush of emotions as they all tried to safely get back to town. But a quick glance back around the room revelied someone had thought ahead and retreived the object, luckally for Thom. "It is over there..." She gave a gesture to it in the corner, Out? She gave a puzzled expression while Antony offered comforting words. Then it clicked, two and two managed to make four, as she remembered the strange reaciton he had and the dissaperance... That must have been it. But outside meant danger, inside was better. "We are safe inside, though..." She tried to protest, glancing to the door nerviously.
Thomas: Safe inside? Were they insane?! They were trapped, they were imprisoned, every moment they were indoors was another moment they could be stuck there for the rest of their lives. Admittedly, it wouldn't have been as bad as before with Antony and Natsumi there, but still! He wasn't going to relive the darkness, the roaches, the rats, the faces... With a bit of effort on his own part, he released Antony and awkwardly climbed to his feet, fixing his eyes on the cane in the corner as he slowly walked towards it. Don't look around. If he didn't look, the roaches wouldn't be there, the faces wouldn't be there, the shadow wouldn't be there. He could get the cane, and he could leave.
Antoinette: Dumbfounded, Antony climbed after him, forgetting that she was covered in splotches of dried blood herself. "Annie's ******** loose man..." It was the best she could muster given the fact that she had just woken up.
Natsumi: "Thomas..." She practically whined, her tone begging him to stay. She didn't want to go outside, but if he went there was no way in hell she was letting him go alone. She didn't need another death on her conciance, not to mention she just plain out didn't want Thom dead. She nodded to what Antony said, that was pretty much it. Trailing after Thom's steps like a whiney shadow. "Don't.." She urged again, with no idea how to make him stay.
Thomas: Annie? Was Annie the wolf? Tch, she was on fire, she wouldn't bother him. Besides, he would keep to the jungle, keep to the trees and avoid her. He had managed this long, he certainly wasn't scared to go back out. However...he was afraid to box himself in a corner. He paused in step a few feet from his cane, staring down at it and attempting to ignore the walls cornering behind it, all the while reminding himself that it was open behind him. He could turn around and be just fine. Just fine. But he couldn't go any closer to the wall.
Antoinette: "Okay, what the hell is going on?" She finally gasped in frustration, looking from Natsumi to Thom and back again. Really, last night was stressful enough!
Natsumi: Well, that had stopped him atleast... Though it still made her just as uncomfrotable. "Thomas-san does not like being indoors..." She stated the all too obvious, "But I do not know why." She fidgeted some.
Thomas: He didn't want to have to explain this to Antony, especially not indoors. He just wanted to get his cane and get out. But the walls were closing in, and he quickly abandoned the cane, turning and starting instead for the door. Moving at his awkward slow walk, he stepped past the two women, trying the door knob and immediately snatching his hand back when it was locked. He hadn't thought to try unlocking it. It was locked. He was trapped. He paled even through the scales, taking a step back and sinking to sit on the floor, both hands rising to hold his head.
Antoinette: Antony watched him stupidly after Natsumi explained the situation until he took a seat. While she didn't rush, the squirrel woman did make her way over to him and onto her knees next to him. Quietly and carefully, she eased a hand onto his back, glancing over towards Natsumi for advice. "Hey... We're both here okay?"
Natsumi: Natsumi's heart failed, or felt like it did. That was even worse, going out without his cane.. he'd be slow, picked off. Her imagination went wild and she quickly snatched the abandoned object to follow after Thom. She could feel her heartrate jump just as she neared the door after Thom, "Thomas." She tried to make noise, keep talking to let him know she was there while knelt as well, tail curling around her legs nerviously. She was at a complete loss as to what she could do... Just going outside wasn't the answere. She passed a confused look back to antony, then looked back to Thom, nodding some.
Thomas: Antony and Natsumi's kind words completely failed to register. The locked door had been the final touch. The room was fading into darkness, and Antony's voice had become the ghostly echos of his teammates. Thom didn't look up, simply held his head, staring blankly forward at the shadow only he could see.
Antoinette: Her lips pursed into a line when being nice didn't seem to work, and after not much thought, Antony smacked him clean across the cheek, careful of her claws. "God damnit Thom! Wake the ******** up!" It worked on drunks sometimes, why not crazy snake man? Of course, the squirrel inside her was throwing it's own personal s**t fit.
Natsumi: It didn't take a genious to connect the noise of the door lock to the sudden crumble infront of it, but Natsumi could not bring herself to touch that knob. She wasn't that strong, weakhearted, even if she felt a tad selfish that Thom was suffering because of it. She flinched as Antony's hand hit his face, maybe it would work, maybe it wouldn't, but as her imagination went wild she found tears suddenlly dripping down her face. Again, she was weak hearted.Next thing she knew she had latched hold of Thom in a hug, choking on a few sobs, and having the exact oposite reaction of Ant's in the stressful situation. "Don't..." She pleaded, "Do not go. You could die.. and.." She choked again.
Thomas: Thom's head jerked up as Antony's hand connected with his face, eyes narrowing in a glare at the squirrel woman as she snapped him from his daze. However, before he could call her on it he became aware of a clinging, crying Natsumi, and drew the girl into a hug, briefly forgetting his earlier predicament. "Die? I'm not goin' t' die," he assured her, freeing a hand to rub his temples and glancing around the room. He grimaced, but remained focused on the situation at hand. He wasn't alone. This wasn't his duplex. No need to fret. "Where are we, exactly?"
Antoinette: "In my duplex," she said softly, eyeing him carefully. "Sorry about the smack, you were ******** gone..." Antony made dazed face that was much like the one he had on earlier. A"Anyways," the squirrel woman continued, "People were getting buzzed out left and right last night. I wasn't, so I helped people get back to the village. You ended up here with the help of... I never caught your name, sorry..." An apologetic smile came across her muzzle and was offered to the young girl.
Natsumi: Natsumi could be rather childish at times, now was one of those, she peered up at Thom as he tried to assure her. She didn't beleive him, but it was enough to quiet her into a simple pout, letting Antony answere as she simply clung to Thom, keeping a tight hold with a small fear that if she let go he'd walk out and go die somewhere. She ignored the thoughts of 'improper.' They almost got eaten by a freaking wolf-girl, right now she didn't give a crap about being proper. Her eyes moved up to Antony, name? Oh yea... Names. "Natsumi Tanaka." She gave a small nod and weak smile, waiting for a return introduction.
Thomas: Duplex. Thom shivered involuntarily at the brief explanation, but simply tightened his arms around Natsumi. Now that he was focused, there wasn't so much threat.. It was daylight, it wasn't his duplex, and there were others with him. He had simply been...startled to wake up indoors. "No worries," he assured her, nodding. "Thanks f' draggin' me back. Both of you," he added, forcing a smile for Natsumi's benefit.
Antoinette: "Antony," she reciprocated, turning her attention back to Thom, nodding in response to the thanks. "All the injured were taken to the labs... Do you want anything to drink, smoke, or whatever?" Whatever happened, Antony was definitely sure she needed to shower as soon as possible.
Natsumi: Thom was okay now, phew... And safe. Safe inside the duplex, they all were. Reason argued she'd have to leave sometime, they all needed food and the like, and she needed to be in her own duplex. But she didn't have to do that any time soon. She could let go now though. Any time now... Just let go. Okay you can do it... The gecko blinked as her body seemed to refuse to let go... Okay, she could cling just a little longer "Nice to meet you." She offered in return, managing to loosen her grip on Thom some without letting go completely, tail twitching anxiously, tears stopped, anxiety was leaving... Much better.
Thomas: "I'm fine." He had never smoked, and he had had more to drink in the past couple of week than perhaps the rest of his life. He preferred to not make a habit of either. He didn't seem to mind Natsumi's death grip, more amused by the clinging than anything, and, given the far-too-familiar sight of another duplex, rather thankful for it. Antony could, conceivably, be an illusion, but Natsumi was solid, Natsumi was real, and Thom wasn't alone. "What 'appened last night, then? Did th' fire work? Was anyone 'urt seriously?"
Antoinette: "The fire worked, and Jamal was shot with a dart while running into the jungle. I couldn't find him." Standing up, she offered a hand to the both of them in case they wanted to stand up. "Couch is comfier."
Natsumi: Natsumi had no idea, luckally he was asking Antony and not her. So she listened for the answere as well, Jamal was... the teapot tiger man, she'd heard his name spoken enough to pick it up. She gave a light flinch as the night before's memories reentered her mind, shoving them out she nodded, uncurling her tail and with one hand on Thom, she took Antony's hand and got herself to her feet, waiting for Thom to lead the way, wherever that way was.
Thomas: The fire had worked and, from the sound of things, no one was badly injured. "Brilliant." With Natsumi's help, Thom climbed to his feet, accepting his cane from her to walk back to the couch. As long as the light was on, he would be fine inside. Taking a seat on the couch, he gestured for Natsumi to sit beside him, offering her a smile before glancing back to Antony. "Jamal... Is that th' tiger? He doesn't 'ave 'is chip... Do you know 'ow it was removed?"
Antoinette: "He doesn't have a chip?" She asked, widening her eyes to look as if this was certainly news to her. After all, the cameras -were- working in her duplex, and if they knew she had anything to do with his first escape, it wouldn't take them long to figure out she may have orchastrated the second one too. "So that's why he wasn't buzzed down?" A thoughtful expression came over her features and she ran a hand through her hair, "Well... Maybe he ripped it out or cut it out like that crazy guy in Saw II?"
Natsumi: She let him have his cane, a bit worried that he might run off with it's aid, but he didn't, so all was good. She gave a small smile as they made it back to the couch, setting herself down beside Thom as he gestured. Chip? Natsumi was still left clueless to the ways of the island, the chips, the cameras. So instead of paying much attention, she allowed her eyes to move about the room, tail giving a light twitch before curling up around her.
Thomas: "That's what 'e told me at th' party," Thom replied with a shrug, a bit disappointed that Antony hadn't already known. "Makes sense that they went after 'im with a date, too, if that's th' case. Pros an' cons to 'avin' it gone, I suppose." He paused to give Antony a long stare at her suggested removal process, then shook his head. "'Aven't seen it. There's probably an easier way, wouldn't you think?"
Antoinette: "Oh... Does make sense though..." Antony tapped her chin a couple times before raising her eyebrows at Thom as if he were crazy. "An -easier- way?! It's in our spinal cord... What other ways would you suggest?"
Natsumi: Once having looked around the room she looked between Thom and Antony as they spoke. Chips, spinal dords,, saws... and what was that pole over there? She kept floating thoughts to herself.
Thomas: He shrugged, risking a glance around the room to pick out the communication panel on one wall. "Th' labs put them in easily enough, right? Stands t' reason we could take them out th' same way."
Antoinette: "You forget that they're also highly skilled doctors, as much as most people here would hate to admit," she pointed out, shaking her head and sighing openly. "Unless there's a doctor on this side... With working hands..." The last part was added as an afterthought.
Thomas: Cutting open a neck was cutting open a neck, doctors just might do a safer job of it. However... "Bia's a doctor," Thom announced after a moment, thinking back to his first meeting with the woman. "She told me what I was turnin' in to. I'm not sure why she's out 'ere, but... Maybe she could do it." Neglect the fact that he wasn't exactly on the best of terms with Bia, and the idea just might work.
Antoinette: "See, now there's a more logical idea," Antony agreed, smiling slightly, "But there's still the problem with the cameras. Her tails twitched ominously behind her.
Natsumi: Nope. No idea what was going on. But rather than look like an idiot and ask what were they talking about, she just sat in silence, pretending to know what was going on while she lightly clung to Thom's arm, gaze drifting back to that mysterious pole in Antony's room. Oh, poor naive Natsumi, if only she knew... She wouldn't have been staring at it then.
Thomas: "They don't 'ave cameras everywhere," he assured her, smirking faintly. Else, perhaps, he wouldn't have nearly killed Zach. "I'll bring it up with Bia." Ending the discussion, he glanced down to Natsumi, wondering what had kept her silent for so long. He followed her stare towards the pole and, as recognition dawned, had to choke back a laugh, instead nudging the girl's side. "Found somethin' interestin'?"
Antoinette: Antony's eyes too were pulled in the direction that the two were staring, and she laughed. "I wanted to see if the labs would put it in if I requested it..." Obviously, they had accomadated that request quite well.
Natsumi: Natsumi jumped alittle as Thom nudged her, looking back to the group only to find them both looking to where she had been. Whoops, had she been staring? That got her into trouble more often than not... Still she was befuddled by the way Antony had laughed and Thom's tone and comment. "Eh?" She blinked, looking between them in a 'did i miss something?' fashion.
Thomas: "They certainly are...accomodatin'," Thom replied, somewhat bitterly. At Natsumi's expression, he snickered, sinking down in his seat and nodding towards the squirrel woman. "I'll let Antony explain, I think."
Antoinette: "Explain, or demonstrate?" Her brows scooched upwards as she asked the question, "It's good exercise." She shrugged, taking a few steps to it and placing her right hand on the pole.
Natsumi: Natsumi looked between them. It was just a pole... Nothing special right? She gave another look of confusion, not sure what to say other than "What is it?" Well obviously it was a pole, but how was that good exercise.
Thomas: "Whichever you prefer." Hopefully the later. Grinning, he looped an arm around Natsumi's waist, watching for her reaction to the pending demonstration out of the corner of his eye. "Just watch."
Antoinette: "You sure your girlfriend wants to see this?" She asked when she saw him put his arm around her waist, a slight smirk growing on her muzzle. The hand on the pole moved up and down in a sort of stroking motion. The movement wasn't overly sexual, but Thom would probably get the subtle reference.
Natsumi: Natsumi raised a brow, watching as she was told too but she couldn't help but feel impending doom with the way they were acting. And the girlfriend comment only made her blush under those red tinted scales. She wasn't sure if she wanted to see this, but alas... she was going to, wasn't she? So she slumped alittle, watching to see if it was really as bad as they seemed to be making it out to be.
Thomas: He brushed aside the girlfriend comment, not bothering to acknowledge the remark. Natsumi hadn't said anything, and neither would he. He wasn't entirely sure where they stood with each other right now. It was probably safer this way. "If it bothers her, you can stop," he offered instead, a slightly teasing note in his voice as he glanced towards Natsumi.
Antoinette: "Okay then, a show for the couple?" Regardless of their answer, Antony stripped off her t-shirt and shorts before actually taking hold of the pole. Given that she couldn't go outside thanks to the sun, the squirrel woman had taken to teaching herself many pole tricks as a workout. It really did keep her in shape, and her little 'show' continued until Natsumi said stop, or five minutes were over... Whichever came first.
Natsumi: More feelings of doom, the gecko shifted uncomfortably. As for where her and Thom stood... Who knew anymore, they had so many titles to their relationship now that it was just a big pile of words. Friends, siblings, couple, parts of the foodchain... Oh well, atleast she could stop whatever doom was coming with a simple word. Minus the fact all words left her mind once antony plucked off her shirt. Her eyes went wide, gave a small squeak tensed up, blushed a neon red. So thats what the pole was for... Learn something new everyday right? She wasn't sure what to feel about Antony, it was a strange mixture of repulsion and respect.
Thomas: He hadn't expected her to strip, even if it wasn't everything, but certainly wasn't about to complain. He simply made himself comfortable to watch the little show. Natsumi hadn't called a stop to things, Thom noted once Antony had paused, which was slightly surprising. He couldn't see that she had enjoyed it for exactly the same reasons he had, so perhaps... A glance sideways reassured him, and he laughed aloud at the burning blush and the expression on Natsumi's face. There, that made more sense. "Well?"
Antoinette: Antony caught Thom's eyes a couple times during the 'show' and couldn't help but smirk to herself at the boost in esteem the snake man's approval brought her. A little curtesy was added at the end to promote laughter for Natsumi. At least try to. "Do that for an hour and damn... The tails do help of course," she explained, leaning against the pole and not bothering to pick up her clothes quite yet.
Natsumi: It had stopped soon enough, luckally for her. And as it did, she was met with Thom's laughter, glancing to him, then back to Antony's bow, she cracked a smile, giving a nervious giggle and nodding some, with mental encouragement that she was an adult now, and that such things shouldn't bother her. Right. "I.." She swallowed, choking imaturely, so much for adulthood "I see. Heh..."
Thomas: "Now, aren't you glad you asked?" he teased, ending his laughter to send a grin Antony's way. "Exercise, of course. Well done."
Antoinette: "Now that that's explained. I'm going to get naked and take a shower. You all are free to make yourselves at home, just holler if you want to leave though." She grinned and then bent over to gather her clothes. Once straightened up, she made her way to the bathroom.
Natsumi: The girl gave a soft noise of air at that, as though it was going to be a hah yea right, but she kept it to herself, only making a tiny grunt so she could avoid any real answere. Atleast they were nice though, all laughing and teasing about it, rather than some serious and uncomfortable thing. Even so, Natsumi found a nice spot on the floor to stare at while she calmed her nerves, nodding at Antony's instructions. "Alright."
Thomas: "We'll just be goin', then," he spoke after her as she retreated to the bathroom. Winding his arm free of Natsumi's waist, he retrieved his cane and stood, pausing. "At least, I will..." Glancing back to Natsumi, he flashed her a hopeful smile, nodding towards the door and offering a hand. "It's safe enough. We won't go into th' jungle. Come with me?"
Natsumi: Natsumi looked up at Thom nerviously as he stated his leave, okay she had to leave sometime but but... She didn't even notice her breathing and heartrate jump up. She gave a nervious noise, almost a whine, as she stood reluctantly. He couldn't go alone, that was simple enough, and she couldn't stay at Antony's forever, and she couldn't leave alone. This was the best time to go. "Alright." She hunched as she neared the door again, sticking close to Thom's side.
Thomas: "You'll be fine," he promised following her whine, helping her to her feet and walking with her back towards the door. This time he remembered to unlock it, breathing a sigh of relief when it actually opened, then stepping out and closing it behind them both. "So, where to?"
Natsumi: That's what she'd thought yesterday, before they went to the beach, and before they almost got eaten by something out of a freaking movie. Things like this just weren't supposed to happen. She wasn't supposed to have scales, she wasn't supposed to be stuck on an island with a psycho doctor, and she wasn't supposed to be nearly getting eaten by wild wolf-women. But she was. She followed Thom outside, not so fast! Her mind urged, as she gave glances every which way. The area was ofcourse clear, but that didn't seem to calm her like it should have. Where to? "Home?" she offered, or moreso anywhere they could hide again... but that sounded crazy.
Thomas: His smile faltered at the suggestion, and he paused in step, sending a wary glance down the line of duplexes. Almost immediately he looked away, closing his eyes briefly before reopening them and fixing a half-hearted smile on his face. "Ah, I'll just 'ead back to th' lake, then. D' you mind if I don't walk you back?"
Natsumi: Natsumi frowned, he wouldn't go with her... ? Crap. Inner conflict struck the girl's expression, the gecko argued the cobra would be fine adn that she should save her own skin, but the human argued that Thom's leg could lead to trouble, and that all those shows and whatever people got killed as soon as they left their group. Now, that was just a movie, but the rest of their wold seemed to be like a movie, it made sense to follow the same logic. Her mouth opened once, promptly closing as the wind picked up and gave a very light rustle to the nearby jungle, causing her to flinch and glue herself to Thom's arm. She was scared, irrationally so, and part of her knew that. "But what if she is at the lake, and you go there and then..." She frowned up at him, pausing for a second to look behind her, then back to Thom.
Thomas: And there was the frown. He had expected it, but it didn't make his escape any easier, especially when Natsumi glued herself to his arm. "If she's at the lake...which I doubt," he added, giving her a pointed stare, "I'll climb a tree an' wait until she's gone. I can climb well, an' she can't climb at all. I'll be perfectly safe. Savvy?"
Natsumi: Oh damn the logic, it made sense yea... Odds were she wasn't there. If he said he could climb, then he probably could but... Still. That didn't make her feel comfortable. She gave a sigh, "But I..." she trailed off, locking her eyes to the ground. Just what was the end of that sentance? I don't want you to go? Or I don't want to be alone? Something like that. But that all sounded weird, and embaressing, so she debated just keeping everything to herself and letting him go his way while she went hers.
Thomas: Sighing, he gently pried her off his arm, but offered a smile for her benefit, attempting to catch her eyes. "Look, why don't you come with me. You can't 'ide forever. We'll find somewhere t' stay where we'll both be safe, an' you won't 'ave to worry."
Natsumi: She let him pry her off, dropping her hands infront of her with a tinge of embaressment. She looked back up as he spoke, can't hide forever... Oh sure you can, the gecko argued in the back of her mind. It had food, water, everything in that nice little safety box that she called a duplex. But Natsumi, her humanity atleast, longed for people to be around, fun to be had, those sorts of things she certiantly wasn't getting locked away like she was. "I do not know..." She shifted, glancing away for a second. Her mind worked the idea for a moment or two more, it actually sounded pretty nice, and not even thinking about Thom in a boyfriend way, just a person, and a safe place, and just the fact she might be forced to live alittle like that. "Okay... I mean.. If it is safe." The nervious air about her seemed to thicken, but at the same time she looked hopeful.
Thomas: She had agreed? Thom blinked. He hadn't expected that. Natsumi had seemed so set against going anywhere the jungle... And now here she was, agreeing to come stay there with him? He slept in trees, he bathed in the lake, he....really couldn't see Natsumi living the same life. But she had agreed to, because he had asked her to. After a moment, he came to a decision and grinned, straightening up. "Better idea. We'll stay th' nights in your duplex, an' th' days outdoors. Therapy for th' both of us." If she could come outside, he could go inside.
Natsumi: The jungle was not a place for the girl, but it was better than alone... Or so she was thinking when she had agreed. While he thought, she waited, giving various glances here and there like she felt the urge to or whenever a noise was made. It made her feel strange, but there was no reason not to be safe... She snapped her attention back as he straightened, looking confused as he explained his new idea. her face light up alittle, oh much better. Much much better. "Okay." She gave a little nod, atleast this meant she could sleep peacefully.
Thomas: "Lovely," he grinned, looping an arm around her shoulders to steer her away from Antony's doorstep. "But th' day is still young, so for now it's off to th' lake."
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Posted: Thu Nov 16, 2006 5:03 pm
Snakes on a Beach!
Meeting Oz Osbourne Caldwell The tide was beginning to go out again, leaving a growing portion of the beach as solid, wet sand. Large, human footprints appeared from practically nowhere as Oz stepped from dry sand to damp sand to wet sand. Armed with a stick, he began writing 'SOS' messages in the sand for the hell of it. When that had been exhausted, Oz progressed onto immature doodles instead. Unable to lift his mood today, after a vast number of failed sandcastles, he finally retreated further back up the beach, onto the warm, soft sand. He plopped himself down and slowly reclined, resting his head on his hands and just staring up at the clouds. Thomas Brinley Staying in the duplex wasn't quite so terrifying anymore. However, it had the combined effect of chasing Thom away from the village during the daylight hours and making sunbathing part of the daily routine. No matter when they did to the air conditioner, he and Natsumi inevitably woke up freezing. The girl was still wary about returning to the beach after the Annie incident, but Thom knew that was where the sun was, and not even the threat of a rabid maneating wolf was enough to keep him away. He had been on the beach for most of the morning, had finished his own routine of sandcastles and immature doodles long before Oz had even arrived, and was dozing in the warmer sand further up the beach by the time Oz actually arrived. As a result, he completely failed to notice the 'normie' until Oz unwittingly approached the spot where he was sleeping. The cobra, wary out in the open, nagged at the back of Thom's mind until he reluctantly cracked an eye, lifting a hand to shade his face from the sun and searching for the cause of his wakening. At the sight of Oz's head sticking out above a sand dune not far to his right, Thom smirked, recognizing him almost immediately as the man he had terrified at the truth or dare party. "Oi then," he called over, not bothering to sit up. "What're you doin' on my beach?" Osbourne Caldwell Oz was quite confused by the sudden intrusion of a voice into the aura of silence and sleep that had surrounded him. He bolted upright and began scanning the beach. Nothing in front. Nothing to the right near the village path. Nothing to the lef...OH CRUD! It was the snake-thing again. There was no mistaking that poor creature. The people responsible were truly cruel to turn a man into one of those vicious, evil beasts. He froze completely, although happier with this distance between them than had been at the party. Should he answer? And how would he answer? Should he try to see Thom just like he had seen Gaius, and Sayuri, and Colche - a human trapped inside an animal's body? He was still unsure, and stared over at Thom with a morbid cusriosity, his aggitation quite visible in the odd twitch. Thomas Brinley Aha, it was worth talking just to see the man jump around like that. Still, Thom would have preferred if Oz hadn't stared after him as if he were some serial murderer. "I'm not goin' to eat you," Thom assured him with a grimace, bidding him sit down. "Not hungry enough." It was a joke, really, but Oz didn't need to know that. Osbourne Caldwell Oz smiled awkwardly back at Thom, shuffling a little closer until his innards told him to stay put. He was a good 8 feet from Thom, a good safety distance in his mind. But he couldn't lift his eyes from Thom's form, an action beyond his control for the time being. He had to wtach him, in case the snake part of him decided to strike. "So...ummm...do...you have a name...?" he asked amidst awkward gaps, only realising later that his question was downright stupid. Of course he had a name, but somewhere in his minscule mind, Oz almost expected it to be 'Slithers' or 'Scaley.' Thomas Brinley That was somewhat better, anyway. Oz's staring was still rather uncomfortable, however, and so Thom made it easier on them both by sitting up and stretching his short leg out infront of himself, as well as wrapping his tail around his side. Now he didn't feel so awkward and Oz could satisfy his curiosity. The accent struck Thom first. It was almost bizarre hearing something so familiar after months on the island. The encounter would only be made more interesting if his name was recognized. He decided to risk it. "Thom Brinley. You are...?" Osbourne Caldwell Oz flinched as Thom moved to a more upright position, and his worried gaze now fell on the stumpy leg. His mouth dropped slightly in shock, his stomach clenching inside. He wrenched his eyes away, forcing himself to make eye-contact. He could at least be polite and talk to a face instead of a...scaley...stumpy limb. But the face wasn't much better at quelling Oz's poor nerves. The accent, however, had a similar effect on Oz. It was a bit lighter than his own, but that didn't matter - it was nice to see a fellow Brit. "A pleasure Thom. My name's Osbourne Caldwell, but you might as well call me Oz," he replied with an uneasy smile as he slowly adjusted to Thom's appearance. The name struck a chord, and it was clear from his facial expression that there was a glimmer of recognition, but it would take his mind a while to process it. "So...how long have...you been here?" Thomas Brinley Oh, he hadn't noticed the leg already? Well lovely, Thom had just brought more staring upon himself. Thom grimaced at Oz's dumbstruck expression, glaring slightly in irritation even after the normie resumed eye contact just to let it be known that staring was not approved. "I'd say it's a pleasure, but no one wants t' be welcomed onto this island." Recognition was to be expected, and Thom was almost disappointed when the name didn't spark anything. It did make things easier, however, and so he didn't press the issue, merely addressing Oz's question. "This is, what, November...? I've been 'ere since May. 'Owever long that's been." Osbourne Caldwell Oz literally looked the dunce as he began to count on his fingers from May to November. That was six fingers, so that was six months. And this is what Thom looked like after six months? The glare Thom was giving him went pretty much un-noticed at this point, since his mind was no pre-occupied with that bizarre feeling of 'human trapped inside an animals body' thing. This felt normal, but surreal at the same time. "Yeah...this place isn't all its cracked up to be...I dread to think whats round the corner," he said with some sadness, painfully aware of his awkward appearance amidst people who used to be human. "Has anyone...tried...to escape?" he asked after a brief silence, chewing his lip a little. This was a question he had wanted to ask before, but he needed someone who had been here a while. Thomas Brinley "I assume they told you some story, then?" Thom raised a brow, indicating that Oz should explain. In the mean time, he offered the shortened explanation of his own arrival. "I just woke up 'ere. They told me I could leave once I was healed. Bus wreck," he added bitterly, turning his glare now towards the labs. After a beat he sighed and returned his attention to the present, shrugging. "I b'lieve so, but I 'aven't discussed it with anyone. No one's succeeded, if they 'ave attempted it." Osbourne Caldwell "Yesh, they fed me a c**k and bull story, and the more I think about it, the more I feel like an utter prat for believing it," he sighed heavily, those bulky shoulders heaving. "I'm here for alcohol rehab," he said, scratching his arm idly. Thom's appearance was starting to settle into Oz's mind now, although he would probably have nightmares later. Thom's statement brought nothing but doom and gloom to Oz. He'd, maybe foolishly, entered into some sort of escape plot with Seth, and it was stupid to think no one else had tried it before. All he had to look forward to now, he supposed, was possibly being turned into a 'cool' animal. "A bus wreck? Ouch. And these guys just plucked you from the crash?" Thomas Brinley "Don't. Most of th' people 'ere now were lured over in some way or another." At Oz's brief explanation as to his arrival, Thom grimaced, reminded that he had been drinking more often of late than he would have liked prior to the island. It certainly wasn't anything serious, nor was it anything he couldn't control, but all the same. He would rather just avoid the stuff. The bus wreck was not something Thom particularly wanted to go into details on, especially since he could remember only scattered details from before the crash and nothing following it until he awoke on the island days later. Frowning pointedly at the ground, he shrugged, reaching for his cane to distract himself. "I suppose. It was a big wreck. They could've easily passed me off as dead. I think, in all honesty, I was the one least injured. An' to make up for it, they take my legs." He laughed. Osbourne Caldwell Oz had never been known for hus subtle approach to sensitive subjects, quite often being oblivious to how much he was prying. Today was different though. He'd been in a car crash before, and knew how much it could mess with your head. In fact, the crash was often a thinking point for Oz - why had he survived it only to throw his life down the toilet? He didn't share Thom's sense of humour and found the prospect of losing one's legs quite frightening. He even looked down at his own legs for a moment, almost as if he'd never see them again. "Heh, well, with the state of my legs, maybe they'll give me new ones," he tried to smile, but still found it distubing that he was starting to see some GOOD points in changing. Thomas Brinley It was a frightening subject. The idea that he might not have any legs to speak of following his next change absolutely terrified Thom. He coped by laughing. It he laughed, it seemed less real, and the change seemed far away. After his week of 'imprisonment', he wasn't entirely certain what was real and what was not, even having progressed so far towards normalcy. Maybe he was dead, maybe he was alive, maybe he was asleep and merely dreaming. Whatever the case, he had a leg and a half, and there was no use crying for the half that was gone. It wasn't coming back. "They very well might," Thom pointed out, looking up and glancing towards Oz's legs. It was his turn to stare, if he could find something worth staring at. "A few of th' people 'ere are actually benefittin' from the changes, if you want to look at it that way. For example, there's a kid 'ere with, what was it, multiple sclerosis? An' th' changes could save 'is life. I think it's th' lab's way of balancin' out karma." Osbourne Caldwell Oz's brow furrowed in a moment of worry, his already lumpy left eyebrow crinkling even further. There wouldn't be much for Thom to stare at, save for the scars on his arms and face, and the bent nose. Oh, and the beer belly. "Ah, so they're trying to justify what they do by doing a few good deeds," he said, wrinkling his nose in disdain. "Not exactly what they should put on a brochure though - 'We can save your life but you'll lose your humanity and look like a freak.'" His voice dripping with bitter sarcasm, he suddenly remembered the present company and grimaced, avoiding eye contact for a moment, "Err...sorry..." he apologised. Thomas Brinley "No offense taken," Thom assured him, waving a hand dismissively. "I am well aware that I look next t' nothin' like I did before. So I'll pardon th' freak remark if you pardon my be'avior at th' bonfire. Minor perk of th' changes is scarin' the 'ell out of new arrivals." He flashed a toothy grin, then, with some effort, climbed to his feet, using his tail as a substitute for his short leg. Osbourne Caldwell Oz fidgeted nervously, even more so as Thom stood up. Well, struggled to stand up. A part of him had to admit the tail thing was cool, but the rest of him just couldn't fathom how he was still sane after changing that much. "Well...ummm...I have a...fear of snakes, so you...weren't to know, not really your fault," he replied sheepishly. Thomas Brinley Thom was silently for a long moment, possibly debating between taking offense and playing the guilt card or just lunging forward and terrifying Oz because he could. Finally, however, he simply seemed to lose interest, dusting sand off of his shorts. "There's a woman 'ere, Cassidy, 'oo's been 'ere longer than I 'ave. Deathly afraid of snakes, an' she's turnin' in to one. I 'aven't seen her in a while," he admitted, looking back up. After a beat, he shrugged and continued. "You learn to adapt. Or, rather, you adapt or you go mad. You adapt or you make enemies. We're all in th' same boat. Old fears don't matter if you focus on the 'uman." Osbourne Caldwell "You have got to be kidding me...oh bugger!" he began, a semi-frightened voice descending into an exclamation. What made things worse - he'd told Doctor Duvert that he was afraid of snakes. Things were not looking good for poor Oz. At Thom's 'advice,' he sighed heavily, his large shoulders slumping even more. He started to feel like a real jerk. It was obvious Thom wasn't a snake in his mind, and looking back to the party, his ations were just the same kind of prank Oz would have pulled on someone else. If he had a scaley tail, that is. "Heh, I don't think I could get any madder even if a hippo mooned me," he smirked. Thomas Brinley "I could argue, but I'll spare you more fears." Being mooned by hippos were the least of his worries. But tales of imprisonment and roaches and rats could wait. Oz had only just arrived, after all. Hopefully he would never need to learn just how far the labs would go. Clearing his throat, Thom nodded back towards the jungle and the village. "I should be 'eadin' back. I'm supposed to meet Natsumi before goin' to 'er duplex." Osbourne Caldwell Oz could also think of a lot worse things than a hippo who was an exhibitionist, but a little bit like Thom, humour could sometimes be a good distraction. "Natsumi? So snake-man has a sweet-heart," he said, cocking an eyebrow and casting him a cheeky smirk. "It was a pleasure meeting you Thom." He waved him off, and then pulled his knees up a bit, reclining backwards and just watching the horizon. "Oh...its a shame how things have turned out...you were really good on the field," he called after Thom, his tone rather sombre. Thom's name and circumstances had finally made a connection in Oz's thick skull during their conversation, and only now did it feel appropriate to say anything. Thomas Brinley "We can pretend, anyway," he replied cryptically, but answered the smirk with a grin of his own. "A pleasure meetin' you as well, Oz." With a nod of his head, he turned to go, progressing somewhat awkwardly over the shifting sands. However, he paused in step at Oz's call, grip tightening somewhat on his cane. He sent a glare towards his short leg, then, without looking back, lifted a hand in awknowledgement of Oz's words before continuing on his way. "Ta." Osbourne Caldwell Oz gave a great sigh as Thom disappeared into the jungle. He wrapped his arms across his knees and fiddled with his fingers for a moment. Almost as if they had been given a death sentence and he was saying his goodbyes. He might have to say goodbye to a lot of things really. He just didn't know. And it was that that drove Oz insane. The not-knowing. He suddenly flopped backwards, arms eagle-spread and legs extended in the warm sand. Amidst the myriad of thoughts, he kept going back to Thom, mostly his sporting background. It brought a small smile to his face to think he would have a British sports buddy...if he could get past the whole scale thing. Maybe losing my legs would be a good thing - no more pain
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