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 Posted: Sat Mar 18, 2006 4:30 pm
Pyroth was unphased by Aubrey's snappish retort, if only because he felt she was going on the defensive through nerves or similar. He certainly would have been wary on this island where not everyone kept their blame to themselves. He shrugged
"I'm not complaining personally, I actually get better accomodation here than I did back home." he frowned slightly, Zach was expected to be a bit peeved, he was only just getting settled here, snapping wasn't really the best way to respond but he merely chalked that up to Aubrey being stressed at the moment.
He nodded in response to her comment "I appreciate it what with me being nothing but a moocher really." And it was true, he could have drowned out there in the ocean.
Pyroth was positively zen.
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Posted: Sat Mar 18, 2006 4:53 pm
Aubrey gave a heavy sigh, feeling a bit guilty at Zach's obvious intimidation. Aubrey wasn't generally an intimidating person, really. "I'm sorry," she said, addressing Zach. "But I promise you, I'm the only on staff here that cares about you guys an individuals. I'm doing my best to make you all as comforable as I can, because I'm not ignorant abuot why you guys are here, and I'm not going to pretend I am. But no one else here, Not Moreau, and I can promise you not Dr. Duvert, are at all about whether or not you're comfortable... you have the little things that just might help you guys feel alittle bit more like a new home than a cage. I'll be your guys' friend if you want me to. But at the very least don't disrespect me when I'm trying to help you guys out," she motioned to the beach bar. "I have to head-butt with the good doctor a lot because of my sympathies for the 'subjects,' so it gets really disheartening when everytime I come down here all I'm getting is attacked for trying to help you guys as much as I can."
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Posted: Sat Mar 18, 2006 5:38 pm
Zach still didn't look up. He'd been deliberate in his prodding, and the response shouldn't have surprised him. "No, don't apologize."
He shook out his loose sleeve, trying to dislodge as much sand as he could from it. All the while he listened to Aubrey. He looked again to Pyroth, who was a prime example of why he wasn't having a vacation so much as a nightmare. "I just... I can't get over the changing."
He looked to Aubrey. On the one hand, she seemed sincere. On the other, the threat and Jamal's cage. He wasn't going to trust her outright like Pyroth seemed to, but neither would he press her buttons again. "I... I didn't know. I've been hearing so many awful things..." He then motioned to the cool, collected Pyroth. "And I've seen enough islanders like this to sufficiently scare me out of my fear of them. I'm glad to hear you're on our side, but..."
But no matter whose side anyone was on, they were still on the island, and they'd still be turned into animals.
He got up slowly, his headache pains still fresh and hurting. "I'd better go..." Keeping his head bowed, he continued on his way down the beach. He was going back to his duplex, which was still effectively a prison no matter how much like a home it could look like.
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Posted: Sat Mar 18, 2006 5:52 pm
Pyroth merely watched the interchange between the two, well aware of the validity of Zach's argument, he'd been like that too at one point but now felt just too far gone to even feel like putting up a fight. He did appreciate to an extent what Aubrey was saying, didn't trust her entirely, he didn't trust anyone on the island fully yet but just felt that there was nothing that she would do to make things worse, people just seemed to use her as a handy target.
He approved of Zach, the man had one hell of a level head for having just stepped into something that felt as though it was just a bad trip and didn't comment when he was used as an example of a changed islander.
He stretched and yawned, revealing very canine teeth for just a second before he got to his feet and swept the sand off of his trousers. "I'm going to go pick up that JD I was talking about, it's all but calling my name." he smirked again. "Later Zach" he said with a nod to the man, then turning to Aubrey added "See you later and thanks for the concern on our behalf, not everyone cares to attack people without too much choice in what goes on here for the negative."
And with that the half-coyote strolled away up the beach towards the bar.
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Posted: Sat Mar 18, 2006 5:56 pm
Aubrey just nodded to them both, a bit perturbed at how the exchange went. She was really beginning to feel like trying to please everyone was doing nothing but annoy both sides. Maybe Moreau was right - they would never really trust her given her role in the project.
"Bye," she said weakly and looked helplessly down at the clipboard. "I think I should get back to my office. I'll send someone else to restock the bar." With that, she headed back towards the labs.
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Posted: Tue Mar 21, 2006 3:54 pm
New RP
Cassidy was lurking at the very edge of the beach, just under the trees. She had half a mind to try to climb one, but the other half of her brain was currently winning that battle, so she just hugged herself nervously.
She'd just had to get out of that room, but she couldn't quite bring herself to make it down to the cafeteria in the middle of the day--there could be people. She just... couldn't deal with that right now.
So, she'd struggled to pull on a shirt (a success, after a lot of difficulty), and slithered cautiously down to the beach. And while it felt good to be out of the duplex, she also felt horribly exposed.
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Posted: Tue Mar 21, 2006 4:06 pm
Zach was sitting at the top of a dune on the beach, staring at the ocean as it came in every time with a roar. His expression was lost, yearning, as though he were looking beyond the huge waves and blue sky. Two weeks on the island hadn't improved him at all. Despite everything he did, he could barely sleep at night, and dark circles formed under his eyes. His mouth was pulled into its usual frown, and his hair was being pushed about by the ocean breeze into a bit of a mess. He was leaning back on the one arm, and the other was somewhat loosely dressed. He was in a short sleeve shirt and baggy pants, and if he moved in certain ways it would be possible to see the scarred shoulder.
He heard a strange noise from above and behind him. Not like feet, which had a rhythmic sound to them, but a dragging sound. With a sigh, he turned around, expecting to see someone - or thing - totally unfamiliar, perhaps even disgusting.
Instead, he saw Cassidy.
He let out a cry of mixed surprise and horror, though he quickly curbed it. The last time they'd met, he'd been frightened of her. She looked even more snakelike than before, and most of her hair and legs had... vanished. Biting his tongue, he waited for his revulsion to subside before he could speak to her, knowing that he'd still probably sound as fearful of her new look as he truly was.
"C-Cassidy?" he asked, tentatively, "What happened?"
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Posted: Tue Mar 21, 2006 4:12 pm
Cassidy gave a small squeak. She hadn't expected to find anyone, and had to fight the urge to hurry back the way she'd come.
She cringed when Zach cried out, though she could hardly blame him. "I guess I had another injection," she said softly. "I'm sorry. I didn't know you were here." Her tongue flickered, while she stared pointedly at some point in the sand between them.
"I'm... I'm a little surprised you actually recognized me," she admitted. "But then, I don't suppose there are very many other people here it could be."
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Posted: Tue Mar 21, 2006 4:47 pm
He stared at her directly, feeling his horror melt into pity for the twisted snakelike creature she was becoming. While beautiful, the wings seemed out of place and more of a twisted choice than anything benign. Soon, he realized his impoliteness, and looked down. His words were vague. "It's not your fault."
He gave a nervous laugh. "I haven't met anyone else with parrot wings yet..."
He looked back at her again, avoiding looking her directly in the unblinking eye. She looked so sad... Perhaps she needed company. Well, he had his to offer. He failed to realize the irony of what he said as he waved her over. "Hey, come sit over here."
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Posted: Tue Mar 21, 2006 4:56 pm
"Really? You don't mind?" Cassidy brightened a little.
She slithered carefully over the sand, her wings half-spread. It felt good under her scales, warmed by the sun, and pleasantly rough. Okay. This wasn't so bad. She could do this.
Ugh, it was like learning to walk. For a third time.
Sitting posed a problem... while she was relatively sure she had a butt somewhere, she wasn't really sure where it was anymore. Cass turned a moment, and eventually settled herself down into a sort of half-coil which seemed comfortable enough. She gave an embarassed smile and tried to look like she had known what she was doing.
"The wings are Dr. Duvert's fault," she said, offhand.
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Posted: Tue Mar 21, 2006 5:19 pm
"Not at all," Zach smiled to her. Her appearance was still something he had yet to be used to, but he could hide his fears now.
He watched her strange slithering movements with interest, and once she'd found a comfortable "sitting" spot, he pulled himself into a crosslegged one. He looked over at her at the mention of the name. "They're all insane, aren't they? These doctors... quacks, really."
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Posted: Tue Mar 21, 2006 5:24 pm
"Completely insane," she agreed. She shook her head. "You know, he told me he gave me the wings to make it easier one me. Easier!" Cassidy gave a feathery shrug. "I'd like to see him grow them and see how much easier he thinks it is."
She shifted a little, and found her gaze drifting to his missing arm. She'd noticed that the first time they'd met, but the scarring surprised her. She'd more-or-less assumed he'd never had that arm, but apparently he had lost it.
"I'm sorry," she said. "I'm ranting a little. It's been... an interesting few days."
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Posted: Tue Mar 21, 2006 5:47 pm
"Those feathers do look painful to grow... I mean, if the transformations are painful..." He looked away from her wings sharply. "I hope they aren't." Though, Rex had certainly been screaming a lot during his.
He chuckled wryly. "I wouldn't mind seeing that psychopath sprout some feathers, personally. I really don't blame you. Get it all out."
"They had no right-" His eyes quickly swept her outlandish appearance. "To turn you into some kind of... of guinea pig for their twisted amusement." Noticing her gaze, he moved his left shoulder purposely around to hide it. He felt a little heat creep up his face, a product of embarassment. He brushed his bangs back into place with his hand.
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Posted: Tue Mar 21, 2006 5:55 pm
"They gave me a book," Cass said slowly. She waved her hands in the air for a moment, trying to articulate her thoughts. "For Christmas. About ket. Kets. Kwet. Quetzalcoatl." She said it slowly. "I think that's how you say it. Some South American feathered snake god I'd never heard of. Like that was supposed to make it better." She punctuated this with a tongue flicker, and shook her head. "I don't know," she said, softer.
"I didn't mean to stare," she found herself saying. "I mean, I'm the last person who should be bothered by things like that. I mean, I'm not. I'm really not."
Apparently her lack of feet was not going to keep her from putting her foot in her mouth.
Flustered, she added, "I should probably just shut up, now."
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Posted: Tue Mar 21, 2006 7:12 pm
He nodded. The myth seemed vaguely familiar, like some inane fact he'd learned in high school. It seemed to account for the torturous practical joke they were pulling on her. He winced a little bit at the tongue.
"No no. It's my fault - I really need to stop wearing clothes like this," he sighed. He gave her a sideways glance. "I'm too self-conscious about it, but I just can't help myself. I guess both of us hoped no one else would be at the beach today, and yet..."
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