Welcome to Gaia! ::

Gaius's ears perked up as Lucas talked, his intensity fading a bit. Slowly, he nodded. "Yeah... no, we don't want to go into this without thinking... I'm just anxious... You're right though, we should think it over."

The need for information was a problematic one... Gaius scratched his scruffy black beard. Then Thom spoke up. He blinked. "Bia?" Slowly, a smile crossed his face.

"Right then," he nodded as the snake finished, standing up himself. "We know what we need to do for now... I'll search out more people who'd be loyal to us. But be careful if you do talk to anyone... Talk near the ocean, as far from the cameras as you can get. That's the best way."

"Bia told me what I was turnin' in to," Thom offered dryly, mind wandering back to the unfortunate meeting in the entertainment room.

However, after a beat he smiled and lifted a hand in goodbye. "I'll be in touch." And, turning, he quickly climbed back up into the tree he had earlier vacated, from there beginning away through the branches, very soon completely lost to sight from the path.

In response, Lucas lifted his own hand to Thom as the snake took off up the closest tree and disappeared.

He nodded to Gaius. "I was thinking the same. I'd rather not deal with any staff members myself." Turning to head in a different direction, Lucas called after him. "Take care of yourself. Good luck." Lowering his hand, the dhole signalled to the two dogs and they started back for the Village.

END

Zach felt restless, even a little sick. It had been some time since the night he got drunk. He remembered the dhole was there, for some reason, and discussing things that in retrospect may not have been the best things to say to him. Too late to do anything but hope that Lucas had been just as drunk, or more.

The jungle still seemed like a dangerous place, and Zach never ventured near it if he could help it. The neat path between the village and the beach was the closest he would get. There were usually people around the beach at all times of day, but if he was lucky there would be no one. In all honesty he couldn't swim; not before when he had only one arm, and not now that he was weighted down by a few extra limbs. Wading into the ocean was about the closest he got to it. There was something about swimming that intrigued him, and being unable to was just as much of a mental itch as not being able to fly. He wanted to do both, but he couldn't.

He should have been paying attention to his surroundings (and more importantly, to the presence of a familiar human snake in a tree not far away), but he had been lulled into a false sense of security over the past few months. He'd buzzed out Thom with the panic button before, and he could do it again to anyone who threatened him. What with all the cameras around here, no one would think of ambushing him for the hell of it. Yes, for a victim of multiple attempts on his life, he was pretty safe.

The movement caught his eye and adrenaline rushed through his system as he realized it was the cobra. He stopped, even taking a step backward.

"Not long enough," he replied sourly. Nothing seemed to teach the cobra to leave him alone, which was unnerving. The way he was clenching his jaw in his nervousness had his frill spread wide. He eyed the space below the branch. Maybe if he darted past Thom fast enough, nothing would happen... he was unsure if he could make it past the cobra without him pulling something underhanded. The grin plastered on Thom's face could mean nothing good. He took a step forward again, trying to work up some confidence. "And now I'll be on my way again."

At the sight of the cobra coming down from the tree, he took two steps backward. At this rate, he'd never get to the beach.

Thom terrified him. Even though he'd seen the cobra zapped the last time they'd met, nothing was going to rid him of the memory of nearly being strangled to death. There was something wrong with Thom. He was crazy, and dangerous. Zach opened his mouth slightly while he thought of what to say, knowing there was nothing good about the cobra keeping tabs on him. He kept his eye on Thom the whole time, afraid that looking away for one second might be lethal. "That's, uh, that's great. Really. Can't say the same about you, though. Maybe if you weren't skulking around like that all the time there'd be more people would have to say about you."

"Uh-huh." Zach had no idea what he was talking about, assuming it was just crazy babbling on the part of Thom. Word certainly traveled quickly around here. Lucas must have been eager for some kind of revenge. He rolled his eye a little, though the lack of an accompanying movement in his left socket made the action feel very weird. As if his frill being spread wasn't enough, he was raising his wings as well. Looking big was important. He couldn't let Thom get to him. Especially not about that. He'd been drunk and worrying too much when he was talking to Lucas. He held up a finger, switching it to two as he spoke the other number. "Alright. One, it was an accident. Two, she's didn't die, so everything is fine. Thrilling, huh?"