Cautious Waters
Emelyn
The largest lake on Hell Island was quite near the village. ...It was as close as Em ever dared to go to it. The hedgehog girl had not purposefully shunned the surrounding jungle that circled the duplexes, but as the months wore on, she'd found herself more and more seldom gracing the edge of Moreau's mock-civilization. It was as if the meaning behind the village- Moreau's hypocritical, lying appeals to the islander's need for comfort- could not be contained by the clearing, but bled into the surrounding trees, as well. Emelyn had not consciously thought on it- but, suffice it to say, had spent her time further away from that which she had scorned... more so every day.
The lake washed away any thoughts- it was cool, shaded, and easy, nestled in the nook of the woods and mostly hidden from the open sky. Emelyn's jean bottoms were discarded at the water's edge- one of the new bikinis that Cass had brought her upon her now so furry form- a light, bluish grey- a color that matched the makeshift flint knife tucked into the side of her bikini bottom more than her eyes.
Alec Derring
Alec had wandered along the edge of the river until it had begun to open up into a wider crevace in the earth. He was curious to watch the banks grow increasingly farther from eachother as he trudged on, so close to the water that his boots, too big for his feet, were sloshing in the saturated bankside and making amusing noises from the suction of the mud. The teen was almost surprised when he spotted a rather large lake ahead and grinning to himself, trotted on until he was on the shore.
"Cool." He smirked to himself, music blaring in his headphones. As he neared a particularly nice edge of the lakeside, he took off his shirt which had been itching him greatly recently, and boots. Oblivious to anyone nearby as he was expecting no one there, he took a seat and stuck his feet into the water. Reaching out, he scooped up a palmfull of water and let it run down the patches of skin on the back of his neck. Damn that felt a LOT better. Though the connection between the dry, grey skin and the aiding water was lost to him.
"Cool." He smirked to himself, music blaring in his headphones. As he neared a particularly nice edge of the lakeside, he took off his shirt which had been itching him greatly recently, and boots. Oblivious to anyone nearby as he was expecting no one there, he took a seat and stuck his feet into the water. Reaching out, he scooped up a palmfull of water and let it run down the patches of skin on the back of his neck. Damn that felt a LOT better. Though the connection between the dry, grey skin and the aiding water was lost to him.
Emelyn
Emelyn came up from the water, tossing back those few, now-heavier spines that stuck to her forehead, and kicked her legs in an easy circle. Treading water was easier than narrowing her eyes at the bank and trying to recognize the man she saw, sitting there. She didn't even know if he had seen her yet- but she swam several feet nearer to him before his face, though changed from what it was now- blinked to recognition in her mind. He had been at the truth or dare beach party. In fact, they had spoken. ...Sort of.
"Just going to dip your toes?" Emelyn called to him.
"Just going to dip your toes?" Emelyn called to him.
Alec Derring
Alec blinked in surprise, looking up at the furry girl as she swam nearer to him. He squinted, trying to recognize the face that was slightly muzzled and covered in fur, matted to her cheeks from the dampness. Her name wasn't coming to him but she seemed so familiar and generally harmless, oblivious to the fact that she was armed. "A' guess theh's no leeches?" The teen laughed nervously at his foolishness though her eyes made him relax for some reason. "A' was considerin."
Emelyn
"I've never picked up a leach in these waters," Emelyn would have shrugged, were her arms not otherwise occupied in treading water. "And I've swum here at least once a week for the past... five months."
Alec Derring
Alec looked pleased by the answer and braced his hands to his sides to begin slipping into the water until he stopped. "Uh... oh, d'ye mind?" The idea that this was her lake was possible and he didn't want to impede on her territory when he could easily trudge back to the river for a swim and not bother a soul.
Emelyn
Emelyn blinked for a moment, and said nothing, but then burst into a small, almost contained laugh. "No worries. Hedgehogs aren't territorial. ...Emelyn, by the way. I'm only saying so because I don't think I ever caught your name."
Alec Derring
Alec chuckled a little as well, glad that he hadn't stumbled upon another pissed off islander that would want to scare him away. As she mentioned her name he snapped his fingers and pointed dramatically. "Emelyn, righ'." He nodded, the name now familiar from the truth or dare game they had participated in.
Convinced it was ok, the irish teen plopped himself into the water and treaded so that his neck was just above the surface. "Alec." He then swam a long stroke backwards, the rush of water over his back successfully easing any discomfort until it felt like it had never bothered him at all.
Convinced it was ok, the irish teen plopped himself into the water and treaded so that his neck was just above the surface. "Alec." He then swam a long stroke backwards, the rush of water over his back successfully easing any discomfort until it felt like it had never bothered him at all.
Emelyn
"Irish?" Em said simply, having heard enough of his accent to wonder. She'd not spent much time in Ireland during her travels- mostly England and Scotland- but she was curious, all the same.
She backpedaled, swimming back to the area she'd been before she'd seen the teen.
She backpedaled, swimming back to the area she'd been before she'd seen the teen.
Alec Derring
"Yeeep!" He smiled, contently portraying a dead man's float as he relaxed in the water. "Born n' bred. Wha' kinda name is Emelyn enehways?" Alec, figuring his hair was already ruined anyways, craned his neck back to dunk the rest of his head into the water.
Emelyn
Emelyn smiled. No one had ever thought to ask her about it.
"Oh, well... you'll love this. I know I do." She said with a sarcastic, yet still amused tone, "My grandpa looked it up for me once. I never had a chance to ask my parents. ...Raised by my grandpa," she expained briefly, "And apparently, Emelyn is derivative of a French name that means labor. Lovely, neh? ...My parents, apparently, were pretty weird. My little sister's name was Mizzie."
"Oh, well... you'll love this. I know I do." She said with a sarcastic, yet still amused tone, "My grandpa looked it up for me once. I never had a chance to ask my parents. ...Raised by my grandpa," she expained briefly, "And apparently, Emelyn is derivative of a French name that means labor. Lovely, neh? ...My parents, apparently, were pretty weird. My little sister's name was Mizzie."
Alec Derring
As he listened, Alec had rolled over in the water so that he was submersed to his nose, grey eyes watching her above the water's surface. "Mizzie." He nearly spat lake water as he suddenly laughed, having never met anyone so unfortunate to have been named that. "Is i' shor' fo' anythin?" For once he was genuinely interested in such a conversation, some people would've considered the topic to be too 'boring'.
"Emelyn's no' tha' bad, joos don' tell anehone wha' i' means." He smiled jokingly.
"Emelyn's no' tha' bad, joos don' tell anehone wha' i' means." He smiled jokingly.
Emelyn
"Amen- else they'd have me haulin' crap all over the island for them. ...And no. It wasn't short for anything. Just Mizzie." She said the name softly- even though she had made fun of it in the same breath as her own just moments before- there was something about this young man nearly choking on Miz's name that troubled her, somehow. She changed the stubject, not willing to dwell any longer on her sister's face in her memory.
"How long have you been here, Alec?"
"How long have you been here, Alec?"
Alec Derring
"Uhhhh..." He looked upwards as he tried to recall, alternating which eyes he squinted as he tried to peice the time together. He never bothered to keep track, that would depress him more than what he had to deal with on a daily basis. "More th'n a month f'sure. Mehbeh a half more." He waded through the water on his front, doing mini-laps of the area he kept to in order to give Em her space. "Wha' 'bout ye?" He was always interested in how long others had been here, hoping some day to be able to piece together a timeline for when this psychotic doctor had begun kidnapping innocent people for reasearch.
Emelyn
"Since August. ...I was among the first 'wave' of people to arrive. No one knew what was going on back then- no one had changed, and most people thought they were here for scholarships, or to clean the duplexes or..." Her voice trailed off as she paused her arms and legs, letting her body slide vertically down into the water. When she resurfaced, she wiped the water from her face and continued- but on a slightly different vein.
"Who ended up giving you 'the talk'? Telling you what was the deal around here?"
"Who ended up giving you 'the talk'? Telling you what was the deal around here?"
Alec Derring
Alec was left speechless as he heard her loud and clear, his mind working out just how long that had been. How did the Doctor successfully keep this twisted charade going without someone in the world realizing it? From what he gathered, the guy had taken close to 45 people in total, from what he could gather from the numbered duplexes. It was like he was being hit with the realization of the island's true purpose all over again.
His expression fell blank as he stared back at her unbelieving, finding it interesting she'd bring up the subject of who'd initially broke the news to him. "Antony." He finally managed to respond, rubbing at his flattened nose in irritation.
His expression fell blank as he stared back at her unbelieving, finding it interesting she'd bring up the subject of who'd initially broke the news to him. "Antony." He finally managed to respond, rubbing at his flattened nose in irritation.
Emelyn
"Mm." Emelyn said, knowing the name only by reputation- and that one brief meeting during truth or dare, "Well, the person who told me was Moreau. He also told me what I was becoming, and asked me to submit willingly to the experiments. ...Is your nose alright?"
Alec Derring
Alec frowned when he heard how the Doctor had treated Emelyn, somehow in some spineless way grateful that he had acted somewhat mild mannered the first and only time he had met Moreau. "Asked ye? Wha' if ye said neh?" He was about to let the retorical question slide until he muttered an additional, "Oh righ', 'e woulda thrown ye in a cage o' somethin."
Her question suddenly brought to attention his own actions, and like a chastized child he quickly dropped his hand back into the water. "Ye, am fine." In an attempt to deflect the attention and concerned he might offend her by his words, he changed the subject slightly. "Sorreh. Do ye agree wi' th' Doc o' somethin? Cuz a' met a' girl 'ou was glad abou' it all an' thas ekay if ye are..." He stammered on nervously, failing to notice how careful he always was about not offending anyone on the island.
Her question suddenly brought to attention his own actions, and like a chastized child he quickly dropped his hand back into the water. "Ye, am fine." In an attempt to deflect the attention and concerned he might offend her by his words, he changed the subject slightly. "Sorreh. Do ye agree wi' th' Doc o' somethin? Cuz a' met a' girl 'ou was glad abou' it all an' thas ekay if ye are..." He stammered on nervously, failing to notice how careful he always was about not offending anyone on the island.
Emelyn
"No," Emelyn said, as steady-voiced as Alec was shaky about the subject. "I don't agree with him. ...Back then, when he asked me- he told me that his research was going to cure cancer. And I thought that by saying yes, I'd be doing some good with my life. But- since then, I've found that there's nothing worth this. Moreau has never proven to do anything good with his research- but... even if he does- he's a man with one foot in heaven and another in hell. I can't live that way. I can't even live in the village. It's too close to the hypocrisy."
Alec Derring
Alec eyed the hedgehog girl in wonder, only to glance around the lake area as he thought. "Oh... ye live 'ere then?" He'd never considered the idea that anyone had willing left the village to live on their own in the wild. It made more sense the more he thought about it, seeing as some more 'changed' people might feel more at home in the environment they resembled.
"Good on ye." He nodded, not as if she needed his approval or support. Someone standing up for what they believed in always scored points in Alec's book.
"Good on ye." He nodded, not as if she needed his approval or support. Someone standing up for what they believed in always scored points in Alec's book.
Emelyn
"Thank you. I've lived in the wild since January. ...Just after Christmas- since the infamous 'lockout' you may have heard of." She was about to tell him where she lived- up on the mountain- but something about the steely grey eyes and the almost flattened look that his transformation had brought to him made her slightly wary, and she asked, instead, "Alec? Do you know what you're becoming?"
Alec Derring
Alec nodded in agreement when he remembered Antony telling him about the lockout event, still somehow glad he wasn't there for that great insanity.
"A' d'neh abou' the wehd stoof on me arms," The teen lifted an arm out of the water and bent it back to expose the woody bark that spread around the joint area, now much more flexible by the administered moisture. "bu' a think 'am turnin in'teh a shawk. See?" Without thinking twice, he swam closer to Emelyn and curled back his lips into a sneer to point at the rows of sharp, curved teeth in his mouth as evidence.
"A' d'neh abou' the wehd stoof on me arms," The teen lifted an arm out of the water and bent it back to expose the woody bark that spread around the joint area, now much more flexible by the administered moisture. "bu' a think 'am turnin in'teh a shawk. See?" Without thinking twice, he swam closer to Emelyn and curled back his lips into a sneer to point at the rows of sharp, curved teeth in his mouth as evidence.
Emelyn
"Whoah," Em said, backing up as the shark-teen came nearer to her, "I'll believe you at that distance. No offense, but I've found the animal instinct is the strongest when you're in a natural environment for it." He would have only had his first transformation, but he had to learn now that there was a measure of self-control to be had when in 'his animal's' niche. She knew well enough that she'd been more in commune with 'the hedgehog' than ever before- these past few months.
Alec Derring
Alec failed to understand and looked hurt by her reaction, having not expected it from her. He complied however, and in an attempt to reconcile, swam back a meter or two as well. He felt comfortable by the distance now, re-composing himself. "Sorreh." The word was uttered low though he tried his best not to look fazed in the least. "'Won't happen again." He quietly wondered if he was making her uncomfortable and if it was time to leave.
Alec Derring
Alec failed to understand and looked hurt by her reaction, having not expected it from her. He complied however, and in an attempt to reconcile, swam back a meter or two as well. He felt comfortable by the distance now, re-composing himself. "Sorreh." The word was uttered low though he tried his best not to look fazed in the least. "'Won't happen again." He quietly wondered if he was making her uncomfortable and if it was time to leave.
Emelyn
"Don't worry about it," Em said, "I didn't actually think you were going to do anything. It's a... natural reaction more than anything." The teen had seemed... almost stunned- hurt by her words. And even though Em would have done the same thing, given the chance to repeat the past minute of her life, she still felt badly for putting the mostly-human boy on edge. "It's just... you get jumpy living in the wild. Things happen."
Alec Derring
"Oh, a' believe ye. Wha', wi' th'thing 'bout Aubreh." He countered, finding it hard to forget the ordeal they had all just gone through with the attack on the Staff member in the jungle. He had wandered that place so much recently, perhaps he was being too sure of himself and how safe it really was. "S'undehstandable." Although he accepted the explaination as plausible, he was still quiter now than before.
The real question was, was it safer in the false safety of the village or the more natural environment that suited one best?
"A' betteh get back behfore a catch a' flu." He chuckled lightly, backstroking towards where he had left his shirt.
The real question was, was it safer in the false safety of the village or the more natural environment that suited one best?
"A' betteh get back behfore a catch a' flu." He chuckled lightly, backstroking towards where he had left his shirt.
Emelyn
"Alrighty. ...Well, it was nice talking to you, Alec. If you ever need anything, I can usually be found on the beach or out on the mountain. ...Take care of yourself." The girl backstroked away from the shore as she spoke. In these long, almost aching days in which nothing filled the voids of time- she had no intention to let her baths cut shorter than two hours. She had a long time left in the water.
Alec Derring
When he reached the shore he pulled himself out, yanking the shirt over himself despite the fact they he was still soaking wet. HE turned and waved before he left, calling out over the lake. "Nice t'meet ye Emelyn! 'Am 'n numbeh forteh-woon joost so yanno." He chuckled again at this, knowing well that the chance of her stopping in for a chat was very slim. He'd be surprised to see her even near the village from now on. Another wave and he was gone, disppeared into the jungle to orient himself to the direction of the village.
