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 Posted: Sun Jun 11, 2006 8:12 am
 Reuben
"Reuben... come on, sweetheart." The sound that the girl made- slapping her palms on the front of her thighs- would have been louder and more distinct, were it not for the muffling caused by the fur layer on both surfaces. It was enough, however, to incite Reuben to a happy panic. That soft, fur-on-fur clap, as well as that insistent yet sweet voice was familiar to him- in fact, they were the only sounds of love he had ever known in his life.
The once and never again lab dog took off at full tilt, bounding through the surf with an abandon wholly unknown to anything human. The wet packed sand reached up only a few feet past where the mutt ran- high tide was only now starting to ebb.
Emelyn kneeled down, crunching her clawed toes into the grey, cold sand in preparation for the furry bundle of attacking love that launched into her arms moments later. She lifted her chin up automatically, giving the medium-sized dog access to a wealth of skin from her neck to her chest to lick.
"Mnn- hm ha!" She practically giggled- his wiggling, happy body was palpable through the two furry conductors of paws that he?d pressed against Emelyn?s chest, and his tongue was wet and merciless.
"Alright, I think that's quite enough." She stood, looking down at the dog that was now rapt in attention. "Let's get you something to eat, okay?"
Reuben didn't understand what the large, furry creature he knew as his master and friend was saying. Except for a few words- his name, 'food', 'lets go' and a few sit and stay commands- everything Emelyn said was a multi-toned blur to him. He knew, however, to follow the woman everywhere unless she specified otherwise. Reuben couldn?t possibly ever put into words his role- or even completely understand the dimensions of his worth... but obviously, there was something beyond words that kept the two together, and that gave Reuben a sense that this is where he belonged.
The two, very different sorts of animals made their way towards a line of rocks that jutted out from the base of the mountain into the sea. It was only ten or fifteen feet into the water- much less during low tide- but even then, the tip was just far enough into the water to be a promising fishcatch.
Emelyn climbed out on the rocks like she had every few days for the past month, making care not to slip off the side of a rock- particularly those that found themselves the most frequently underwater, for they were covered in a slime-like algae. She'd learned the hard way one day when an anxious trip to check her net found her losing her grip on the slippery rock. She'd caught herself before tumbling into the water, grabbing at its slope with her arms and legs- however, therein lay the greatest means for injury, for the edges were crusted with sharp barnacles. Emelyn still had the sliver-like scabs beneath her stomach fur and on the insides of her arms- but the green muck she stepped upon was reminder enough as she made her way out to the end.
Reuben followed close behind- hopping from rock to rock, stopping only to sniff at the rock's edges as he went. Through the weeks, he had become quite adept at the various terrains of the island- Em had made sure of it. Beyond needing to crawl up and down the mountain each day, Emelyn knew that Reuben's best chance at survival on the island was to stay close to her- and since her daily routine contained anything from jungle-foraging to beach combing, she had indoctrinated him to everywhere on the island. ...Except the village. Although Aubrey's request that Emelyn return one day to the village was still fresh on her mind, the hedgehog-girl still had not convinced herself to step within its limits.
When Emelyn got to the final rock, she didn?t bother to squat or kneel upon it- she just flopped flat back onto her rear, dipped her legs into the water and hauled her net out of the water. She knew that the rear of her jean shorts would be covered with algae film- but she'd rather that, than bust her head open on a rock.
As she pulled her net out, she felt a cold nose on her back.
"Don't get too excited... I doubt there's anything inside. Yep. See?" She held the corner of the net- which was now sopping in her lap- over her shoulder for Reuben to see. "Empty as the dickens. Sorry about that, buddy." She dipped the net back into the water, making sure to keep it attached to the pegs she?d winnowed into the cracks between the rocks. She wasn?t surprised- she hadn't been expecting anything to be in the net in the first place. Emelyn had designed the fishcatch to function during low tide- the fish would come to the smell of the chum that she'd rubbed on the sides of the net, easily gaining access to the high-level opening during high tide, but becoming trapped when the water dipped back out on them again, exposing the top of the net to the open air and effectively trapping them. It was rare that a fish would remain in the net until high tide again, once it was given the chance to escape.
"No matter," she said, standing and stretching to the sun. "We'll get you some dried up at the cave. "Wanna go climbing?" Reuben answered with a furious tail wagging. He was up for anything.
Before they headed back up the mountain, Emelyn turned her eyes to the jungle, half-expecting someone to burst through the greenery. It had been weeks since she'd seen a soul besides Reuben- and she rather knew why that was. For one, her schedule had been co-opted to both accommodate her new companion... and to protect him. For the first two weeks, particularly, it had been touch-and-go as far as teaching the creature to climb the mountain, and that he wasn't to leave the cave without Emelyn. That meant that every time the dog had to relieve himself, or simply wanted to walk, he would whine her awake and, regardless of the hour, she?d go with him down the slope.
His protection wasn't a small part of her days. Rather, it was a constant reminder as she looked to the jungle, waiting for the moment that one of the many predators would burst through, out of control and hungry. And although the mutt's name was a food... didn't mean he was an easy meal. Emelyn had her knife at constant ready, these days less for herself- and more for the creature that had given her so much joy in the past few weeks.
"Alright, sweetheart. Homeward." And so, the two made their way back up the mountain- another day drenched in the company of one another- a happy repast of joy, iced only slightly with caution.
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Posted: Mon Jun 19, 2006 1:19 am
 Breaking the Fast of SolitudeNita MacNeal For the first time in several weeks, Nita crept along the path and into the jungle. Her body was still sore from her changes, especially her back and bottom; her new fluffy tail hung behind her, jeans hanging low from her hips. She felt trapped in her duplex, skittish and wanting the protective cover of the trees. It was good to be outside after the days spent in her duplex, suffering from withdrawal and then the night in the hospital. Nita could almost feel the red panda calming as she padded softly along the well-marked trail. Before very long, she gained confidence in her movements, aided by her improved senses of hearing and smell. Nita left the path and strode off amongst the trees, expertly avoiding rocks and fallen twigs. Emelyn "Reuben, for crying out loud... if you chase every lizard you find..." she called him back to her with a snap of her fingers, and the mutt toddled over to her with gusto. "Well... just remind me not to introduce you to Joli, okay?" This is what her days had become- happy, chatty days as she travelled through the woods and along the beach with her dog. She hadn't seen a soul in weeks, perhaps more- her inner clock had permanently frayed- but somehow, it didn't matter to her so much. There was a sort of happy permanence in these lazy, easy days- and it pleased her. Reuben broke their easy silence by making his body taught, pointing towards the woods. "What is it? Another lizard? Stay close to me, Reuben." But the dog took off- rushing through the brush- where he would collide directly with Nita. Nita MacNeal Nita's ears twitched. Something was there, something bigger than the insects and birds and various small mammals. She froze, all of her senses on the alert, as that something crashed through the underbrush. Before she even knew what she was doing, Nita found herself scrabbling up a tree, clawed fingers and toes finding purchase in the rough bark, her tail helping her balance. She perched on a wide branch about 15 feet above the ground, holding her body rigid. Emelyn "Reuben!" Emelyn tore through the bushes like a woman with a mission. He'd never run off like this before, but she didn't give herself time or cause to decide why he had left so. There was too much at stake to let herself believe that he had run after one of the islanders. ...The dangerous islanders. "REUBEN!" She screamed again, and was so intent to retrieve him that she hardly noticed he'd stopped at the base of a tree. Emelyn very nearly tipped over him at her full-tilt with her surprise, but stopped just in time to support herself with a front-lean into the tree. Reuben alternated looking up at the thing he had chased into the tree- and wagging his tail furiously, proud to show his mother what he'd done. "For crying out loud, what do you think you're... oh my god." She had looked up. The figure- red and rigid- was almost unrecognizable, until Emelyn cleared her mind of the shock. "Nita? Is that you?" Nita MacNeal Shouting.. and something scrabbling at the base of the tree. Nita peered down through the foliage to see a rather small brown and white dog. Her rational mind came back as her rapid heartbeat slowed. And.. was that voice familiar..? "Emelyn?" the red panda girl called softly. "Um.. is that your dog there?" Nita felt unaccountably embarrassed. The dog was clearly not much more than a puppy and it had chased her up a tree. Emelyn "Yes, and the mutt is harmless. I'm so sorry about this- he hasn't seen anyone but me, really. I think he just got excited. You can come on down." She turned to the mutt and pointed at the ground with a finger and said in a resolute voice, "Sit." The spaniel mix did as he was told, happy to be playing this new game. Nita MacNeal Nita nodded slowly, a bit tired from the sudden rush of adrenalin. Only then did she realize quite how far up she had climbed. With a touch of nervousness, Nita made her way to the ground. She dusted off her hands and kept her back to the broad tree-trunk. Just in case. However, it was really good to see Emelyn. Nita had worried about her a bit, out on her own, especially after Aubrey's attack. News of that had kept her from her trips into the jungle; no one had mentioned that the crisis was over. "Um," Nita began, her tail wrapping itself around her waist. "It's okay. I'm just a little jumpy." She smiled and held out her hand for the dog to sniff. Emelyn Reuben sniffed for what seemed like forever- here was such a strikingly new smell. She smelled... somewhat like his mother, but also- very much unalike. There was an animal-like fear running through her, and it excited the small-ish sized dog. But, at heart, he was a sweet, slobbery pushover, and had no intentions to harm Nita- what little instinct he had to chase and bark and growl was just that- the leftovers of a predatory survival that had long since worn out its need in his ancestory branch of genetics. Emelyn, on the other hand, was just now realizing that Nita was the first person she had see in weeks- and she unabashedly wrapped her arms around the woman's neck with glee. "It's been so long since I saw anyone out here. I was beginning to wonder if there was some sort of conspiracy," Em joked, knowing full well that her own desire to keep Reuben safe- plus the remnants of the terror that had befallen the island recently- had kept her away from the others. It was still good to see someone, again though. "And... you've changed. Well, I might add. That was quite a climb." Nita MacNeal Nita continued to hold very still, letting Reuben examine her furry hand for as long as he needed. She had never been particularly of dogs- either they were too big and a bit scary, or too yappy. Nita did not like being barked at or jumped on, but now that Reuben had calmed down, he seemed an okay sort. She was surprised by Emelyn's sudden enthusiastic hug but she returned it readily enough. "It's good to see you," Nita told her honestly. "I'd worried about you, all alone out here, but..." How much of her last couple of weeks did she really want to explain just now? "Well, I haven't been very social lately." Nita gave Reuben a few tentative scritches behind his floppy ears. "The change is new. Last night." Nita looked down at herself, not quite used to having so much fur. She laughed a little. "I didn't know I could do that!" she exlaimed, looking up into the branches of the tree. Emelyn "Well," Emelyn said, sensing that the atmosphere was one of some reluctance- the root of which she didn't understand... but wasn't willing to press, "nothing like getting chased by something unknown to bring out the instinct in all of us." Emelyn leaned down and gave the dog a scratch between his ears. "I'm really sorry about that, by the way. I haven't quite trained him to stay put when he smells something new. He's still pretty young." Nita MacNeal "It's really okay," Nita said with a smile. "Surprised me, is all. I can see now that he's just a puppy." She wondered absently how Emelyn had come across this dog; she doubted they were prevalent in the woods. However, a sudden realization came over her. "You've changed since I saw you last!" She could see that Emelyn also sported more fur and her face had pushed out more. Emelyn also smelled stronger, but Nita was unsure if that was from Emelyn's change or her own recent transformation. Emelyn "Oh, has it really been that long since we've seen each other? I've been this way for... oh, weeks." Emelyn paused, her mind rummaging through the passing of days. "Well, no, I guess that's right. It's been a long time since I've met anyone." She still saw an almost wary look on Nita's face- or perhaps it was from the sake of the transformation, but Emelyn wanted her to be at ease, just in case it was Reuben that was putting her off. The hedgehog-girl stayed knealt down by her dog, and ruffled the brown and white fur along his neck. "He's a sweetheart, really. His name is Reuben. Now that he knows you, I'm sure he'll leave you be if he comes across you again." Nita MacNeal "It really has been a while. I think I had only recently changed the first time, last I saw you." Although Nita still religiously kept track of the days, time blurred together, especially over longer periods. "Reuben?" Nita grinned and instantly regretted it. Such an expansive facial expression was just a bit too much for her new semi-muzzle. Nita crouched down, her tail flicking behind her, and held out her hand again. "I'm Nita," she said directly to Reuben. "I'm a friend, so please don't chase me up any more trees." Her eyes flicked towards Emelyn and she let out a giggle. It was a bit silly to talk to Reuben as if he would understand exactly what she meant. Although, considering the island they inhabited, maybe he would. At least it wouldn't do any harm. Emelyn In response, the dog sniffed voraciously at the newly-furred hand, then bounded past it to plant a series of happy, spastic licks on the neck of the woman. Only the feeling of Em's arms upon him, pulling him back, ceased the slobbering onslaught. Emelyn's laughter rang as she gave the creature one last hug before righting herself to a standing position. "I talk to him like that, too. ...It's too hard not to get into the hang of it. ...He keeps me company." She was glad that Nita hadn't asked where he had come from, although she felt guilty for not volunteering the information. It wasn't that she was ashamed of having Reuben, but the circumstances of his being with her were somewhat... tainted, for the sake of what she had done for Aubrey- and vice versa. "...So..." Emelyn said softly, eyeing the red fur up and down, still not entirely sure what Nita was becoming. "Any news from the village?" Nita MacNeal "Gah!" Nita jerked backwards, not expecting such an enthusiastic response. She wiped at her neck, a bit grossed out but mostly amused. She could take the slobbering in stride for now, although her neck would be thoroughly washed when she returned to her duplex. Nita stood and placed her hands on her hips, mock-glaring at the dog. "Well aren't you cute!" she said, her words exasperated but her tone full of amusement. She thought for a moment, searching for pertinent information. "Hm.. There are new people. Several that I've met, and there's construction on one side of the village. Looks like new duplexes." Nita chewed on the inside of her cheek. "Oh, and there's a new doctor. Or at least, she said she was new when I went to see her. I don't think Dr. Lockheart trusts her, and I don't either..." Emelyn "New duplexes, new people... new doctor." Emelyn repeated the words softly- a masochistic mantra to repeat to herself. "Does it ever end?" Being in the jungle like she was, away from people for long stretches of time, seeing only the steady ebb and flow of the tides and the clockwork dawns and dusks- Emelyn could almost believe that time stood still, that nothing had changed. Sometimes in her dreams, Emelyn saw a snowglobe- a small, contained toy of the island in which, truly, they were all trapped- but at least, no matter how many times the petultant child that was Moreau shook his toy, it would give him no more satisfaction than to rattle what already existed inside. It was...if not a sweet dream- at least a picture that was far from the nightmare of reality. Moreau was building more duplexes, hiring more doctors- changing the lives of more people, and ruining whatever chance the existing islanders had to begin to cope with their fated lot. How can one find peace, if you're constanly reminded by the image of fresh-faced new arrivals what you were, and if you find that you relive the pain of transformation and violation of your body every time someone new experiences the trauma of it? Emelyn answered her own question. Truly, it never would end. Nita MacNeal Nita shrugged, knowing that Emelyn wasn't expecting a verbal answer to her question. She leaned back against the tree-trunk again, somehow comforted by the feeling of the rough bark through her fur. "Anyway," she said earnestly, "I don't know how much contact you have with the labs," (at this point she cast a quick glance at Reuben), "but if you're summoned to go see a Dr. Frost, don't trust her. At least don't take any pills she gives you." Nita shuddered, the memory of her recent ordeal far to fresh in her mind. Emelyn Emelyn nodded, trying to push the morose thoughts from her mind. "I only go to the labs when I'm attacked, and need to be stitched up," she said, "but I'll be sure to avoid a Dr. Frost, if I come across her. ...So now they're giving out wacky pills, too?" Emelyn hadn't noticed the shudder that Nita had pinned onto the end of her words- and so she didn't guess that the girl was speaking from experience. Nita MacNeal "Jeez, you've been attacked out here? By what? Or.. who?" Nita frowned. So she had been right to be concerned for Em's safety. She stared at her darkened fuzzy toes. "I don't know what the pills are. She said they were a derivative of my Zoloft, to work better with my changes... but they weren't." Nita paused for a moment before concluding quietly, "It was bad." Emelyn Emelyn looked aside at the question of attack, instead watching Reuben as he ran around a nearby tree. He'd found another lizard and was enthralled that it could run so quickly around the tree's base. "Jamal got me pretty good... quite a long while ago, now. And a few others- it seems to me like they've gotten close. Or maybe I'm just paranoid." She exhaled, and as if it deflated her, she fell back to lean against the tree that Nita had made her temporary escape just minutes before. Her eyes were finally back to the panda-girl, and they shook as she slowly moved her head from side to side. It was look that almost seemed to garner... disappointment for the labs- as if she were in the position to dole out guilt and shame. "I didn't know you were on Zoloft. ...That's awful, that they didn't replace them. That must have wreaked havoc on your system. And with all the changes. Are you alright?" Nita MacNeal Nita smiled at the sight of Reuben running in circles and, with a pang, suddenly missed her kitties back at home. She nodded thoughtfully as Em spoke. As peaceful as the jungle was at the moment, there were definite dangers, and not from the native wildlife. She shrugged. "Yeah, I've been taking it for several years now. Anyway, I've got replacements now, but a few days ago I ended up in the hospital overnight to flush out my system." Nita swallowed, playing absently with her new tail. It was still quite sensitive, but was calming all the same. "I'm okay though, I think. Definitely feeling better." She sighed. "I do hope they'll tell me what it was I'd been given... Dr. Lockheart didn't even know that Dr. Frost had given me anything." Emelyn "I wouldn't be too surprised... if Dr. Lockheart was being kept out of the loop right now. The one time I really saw Moreau and Aubrey together- he didn't cater to her opinion at all- or ever defer to her. Now that she's injured- I don't know what that situation must be." She didn't mention the large engagement ring that Aubrey sported- or whether or not Nita had seen it or even knew about it... but somehow, she didn't feel like delivering what she felt to be some quite sobering news. The lizard had escaped its pursuer, it seems, for Emelyn found herself suddenly in the company of the floppy-eared dog once more. He'd come to sit next to her, and look up at her and Nita as if to ask them what was to happen next. Em gave a soft sigh- it barely cleared her lips, and she doubted if it was anything more than minutely audible. "Well, I'm glad you're feeling better. ...And your tail is... well, adorable, by the way. Sorry to bring it up, but I've been staring at it. Anyway- Reub's not had anything to eat since this morning, and I have to check my fishcatch before high tide comes back in. ...Come and see me soon, alright?" Nita MacNeal The red panda girl shook her head sadly. "It's a shame, I mean, she really does seem like she cares..." Nita shrugged again. In fact she hadn't noticed the large blue diamond on Aubrey's finger, but she hadn't been exactly lucid for much of her hospital stay. "Thank you," Nita said, in response to both the well-wishing and the compliment on her tail. "It is pretty cute, although it hurt like hell to grow!" She grinned, although not enough to hurt her newly-changed face again. "I'll be sure to come see you; it's great to know you're doing so well out here." Nita gave Reuben a quick pat and waved to Emelyn. As the pair strode off, Nita stood for a moment, hand resting on the rough bark of 'her' tree. She stared up into the branches, remembering fragments of a dream. Sighing, Nita turned back towards the village. Some Tylenol and a nap seemed like just what she needed.
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Posted: Mon Jun 19, 2006 9:55 pm
Moreau is Playing an Adult Game... With a Child. Emelyn Emelyn had been so long in the water, floating and relaxing on the clear lake's surface- that her canine companion had taken to the shade, and slipped into a dreamless sleep. Every few minutes, the hedgehog-girl would turn one arm in the water, propelling her body into a lazy circle so that she might watch Reuben, assuring herself of his safety. But otherwise- it was a lazy day, and an easy one. Cody Archer Tired of being in his room crying, Cody had decided to take a walk around. But he didn't felt like wandering around the village and meeting someone by accident, so he headed lazily to the lake Emelyn "And when the moonshines, over the cowshed... I'll be waiting at the k-k-kitchen door..." Emelyn sang to herself, letting the notes drift out over the still water as did her body. She let herself drift nearer to the shore, her eyes closed to the soft sun. Cody Archer Cody heard the singing as he approached. For a second he thought of getting back, but he got curious as he saw the figure floating in the water
He couldn't place what type of animal the woman was. He'd never seen anything like it Emelyn Were he awake, Reuben would have bounded out of his shady spot and licked the boy all over. However, the canine'd had a very long, very exhausting day, and was still curled into a ball in the cool grey stripe cast out by the tree's form. It was Emelyn, instead, who was alerted to the presence of someone new- simply by the sudden insertion of a new smell on the air, drifting over the water with the currents. She let her legs sink into the water and swirled her arms until she was facing the shore- expecting to see one of her many islander friends, and so, a smile waited upon her lips. What she saw, though, nearly sank her. The boy couldn't be more than 11 years old. "Oh," Em said, the word escaping her in an exhale of surprise. Please let him be the son of one of the staffmembers... "Hello there." Cody Archer Cody hadn't noticed the dog, otherwise the first thing he would have done was petting it. His mom never let him have a dog. Said they'd fill the house with fur and dirt
He looked at the shiny spines sprouting along Emelyn's back as she rose. She seemed like a porcupine
"Hi" he felt a bit shy addressing people he didn't know "I'm Cody" Emelyn "Hi Cody," Em said, treading water. She was only about ten feet away from shore- just close enough to talk to him comfortably- but also, far enough away that she wouldn't startle him. "My name's Emelyn, but everyone calls me Em. ...I didn't mean to surprise you. I know I must look a little strange to you, right?" Cody Archer Cody took out the shoes and sat by the water to cool his feet down, splashing a bit
"A bit. I mean I can't figure out what animal you are" Emelyn "Oh. Well, that's easy." Emelyn was somewhat calmed by the fact that the boy knew that she was partially animalistic. It was looking more likely that he was the son of one of the labworkers. "Hedgehog. If I came out of the water, you'd be able to see my spines a little better. But see?" She spun one arm to propell herself into a slow circle, revealing those spines that came from her neck and head. Cody Archer "Wow. Do they hurt?" He looked amazed at the spines, wondering if she could throw them or something Emelyn "No, actually, they protect me." Emelyn said, the last words she said before breaking tread and swimming the last few feet to shore. It was obvious the boy wasn't afraid of her, and it was awkward to hold a conversation when one of the parties was nearly 75% under water. Emelyn stepped up onto the shore gingerly, her clawed toenails automatically attempting to grasp the rocks as she climbed up onto the land. She sat beside Cody on his left side, so that the roughly hewn knife she'd tucked into the side of her bikini wouldn't show to the boy. "I can put up the spines and keep other things away from me, if I wanted to. ...They only hurt if someone tries to rip them out. It's like your fingernails- you can cut them, and they don't hurt, but if you get too far down when you cut, or you try to rip them out, they hurt." Cody Archer He simply watched as Emelyn climbed out and sat next to him, looking at the spines and realising they came out directly from the skin. He really wanted to touch and see how sharp they were
"So... you can't throw them?" Emelyn The question surprised her, and a bubble of laughter escaped from her proto-muzzle. "Oh no. These suckers are pretty firmly lodged in there. The only way they come out is if someone yanks on 'em really hard- and then I bleed. Porcupines can release their quills, but not hedgehogs. ...If you want to touch one, you can. They're not actually that sharp." She couldn't help but see how young he was- and that his arm was bandaged. It was that strip of white material that set her ill-at-ease once more. But her mind held the possibilty out- securing it as an impossibility- she couldn't let herself believe that Moreau could stoop to this level of monstrosity. Cody Archer "Though all did"
Cody streched out his hand and let the palm brush the quills in a circular movement. It was a funny feeling that tickled his hand, making his chuckle a bit
But suddently his smile faded. He could no longer feel the quills' brushing. He lost all sensation of both hands Emelyn Emelyn's brows furrowed in concern- his words hadn't made much sense, and a strange look had come across his face. "Cody, are you alright?" Cody Archer Cody shook his head, staring at his hands
"It's my stupid MS again" Emelyn Emelyn was silent, water dripping off her onto the rock on which they sat. Finally- here was an answer to why this child was here. Again... Emelyn thought of the picture of Moreau that had subsisted in her mind for so long- of a man with one foot in heaven and another in hell. "...Is it just the neuropathy, or do you have vision and balance problems, as well? Would you like to stay here with me for a while, until it calms down?" Emelyn, during one of her many stays in a foreign country, had lived only a few blocks away from the home of the legendary Jacqueline du Pre, the British cellist who had lost her life to the awful condition. It was not unfamiliar to her. With the sound of his master's voice, Reuben stirred. Before he had a chance to even stretch properly, his floppy brown and white ears perked up and he made a beeline for the little boy, wagging his tail ferociously. Luckily, Em caught him in time to prevent him from knocking Cody over- but Reuben still strained against his collar, wiggling to try to reach the exceedingly green-eyed boy. Cody Archer "Neurowhat? No, just numbness. Though I get spasms sometimes too. And tiredness and bladder problems"
He felt strange but happy to be around someone that knew what his disease was, without being a doctor. It was a conforting feeling
"Yes please"
Cody smilled at the dog and reached out his hand to pet it. Though he couldn't feel he managed to move it rather well
"What's his name?" Emelyn "Neuropathy," Em said again, pronouncing it delicately and without sounding condescending, "it means the numbness that you get on your fingers. Some people get it on their toes, too. ...My sister used to have it. Neuropathy- not MS," she explained simply. She didn't elaborate that it had been an effect of her sister's chemo. "His name is Reuben. He keeps me company out here. ...Do you like dogs? Because I think he likes you." The mutt was indeed spasming gleefully beneath the boy's touch, ecstatic to feel the attention of someone new. While Em reigned the enthusiastic dog back from his warpath of glee, her mind was also rife with thought. ...So he had been brought to the island- likely alone. It nearly broke her heart. A faint glimmer sparked when he said he'd like her to stay with him until his episode passed- but there wasn't nearly enough light in that glimmer to illuminate what was an essentially bleak situation. Cody Archer "Oh! I get it on my feet too, but not very often. Made me fall down and hit me knee once" the memories of that episode weren't too painful luckly. He had received worse bruises while playing soccer
"I love dogs. Always wanted to have one, but mom wouldn't let me"
At the sudden mention of his mother Cody remembered he wasn't going to see his family anymore. A new wave of tears came to his eyes, but he brushed them away with his sleeve, felling awfully homesick again Emelyn Emelyn understood this change in his mood. It was too coincidental that he mentioned his mother and suddenly became teary eyed. Emelyn put an arm around his shoulder, feeling innately and fiercly protective of the boy already. "Well, any time you want to play with Reuben, you can. In fact, you can even take him back to your duplex with you some nights, if you don't want to be alone. ...Not that you'll ever be alone. You know that there are a lot of us here who will look out for you, right? I bet you've met some already who care about you." Cody Archer Cody rested his head against Emelyn's fur, leaning against her in search for that old, warm confort
"Won't he miss you?"
He pondered about what she just said. There were others here, probably away from their families too. But it felt strange them looking after him. He barely knew them, though they all seemed nice so far
"I-I dunno. I met Ambrose, Thom, Colche... Amaya, you... " Emelyn "See? They're all great people. You can go to any of them whenever you need something. We'll all be here for you, no matter where you are on the island." She held him close, tipping her head down to rest gently on his, musing on his list of 'have mets'. She didn't recognize the name Thom- and sadly thought that there must be more than just this poor child to grace Hell Island's shores. "And don't worry about Reuben. He loves company. He'd miss me if he was away for too long- but if you ever needed him, it would be just like a sleepover." She resisted the urge to brush some of the blonde hair away from his forehead tenderly- she was already feeling so protective of him. Cody Archer "Won't I bother them?" he always felt a bit insecure around new people. Part of his mother's teachings that had rubbed on him, never to bother people when you didn't know them. Something she had been careful about, ever since he asked a lady in a restaurant to kiss the pain away of his burned finger when he was two years old
Cody looked back at Reuben at petted him again, still leaning against Emelyn Emelyn "There are some people that you can go to at any time, and they'll not think you're bothering them. Ambrose and Amaya, most definitely. And I'm not easy to find- because I don't live in the village anymore... but I'm... here for you, too." Emelyn had almost said that she would 'always be there'- but truly, how could she make that promise when Cody would have no way to reach her? For the first time since the moment she said goodbye to the village after the lockout, Em had doubts about her choices, and whether she could serve a greater purpose in the village. "...Are you in a duplex by yourself, Cody?" Cody Archer "Where do you live then?" he didn't had noticed any other buildings besides the duplexes, the Town Hall and the Labs
Cody nodded at the last question "51" Emelyn "Well, I live out here. Up in the mountains, in a cave- and out in the open, here. It's easier now that I have more animal in me. ...Do you like being in the duplex?" Cody Archer Cody tried to imagine how a cave house would look like. Rocky probably
"What do you mean more animal in you?" he really didn't understood what she meant by that. For his being turned into an anthro was just the physical change, little or no new behaviours
"Yeah, I never had a big room just to myself" Emelyn "Good, well, I'm glad you like having a room to yourself." Emelyn, who had dried off somewhat from sitting under the sun, pulled her goggles up off her forehead and back into the mass of quills. She leaned back onto her hands, and thought of a way to answer Cody's question. "Well, when I say 'the animal in me', I just mean... by how much more animal-like I'm becoming. Sometimes the people here on the island call the animal and themselves by two different names- just to separate them, to still feel like themselves. We don't just look like animals- we all sort of act like them, a little bit. Which is why I can pull my spines up to protect myself. ...And why, if you see someone who looks like they're dangerous, or like they're going hunting- you should hide, or get help. Not everyone on the island is like Amaya and Ambrose." Emelyn wanted to snatch the words from the air- there was no need to scare him... but it would also be irresponsible, she knew, to tell Cody that everyone on the island was friendly and safe- when she knew very well that there were dangers to be found. Cody Archer Cody idly rubbed his hands together to drive the nubness away while listening to Emelyn's explanation
"So if I'm turning into a dolphin I will act like one? And why would people hunt others?" Emelyn "They don't always hunt others- only very rarely when one of the predators gets very hungry, do they slip and run after someone," Emelyn said, trying to be delicate but also warning, "but mostly, they hunt for animals- little ones, because they eat meat, now. Like Ambrose. He wouldn't hurt anyone, but sometimes he goes hunting so he can eat." Em looked at the little boy and his wide green eyes, framed by that halo of white blonde hair. He was so precious and inquisitive- and saddled with such a condition... that despite what it meant for his life, Emelyn could almost be somewhat glad that he was here, that he had a chance at a new life. ...Almost. Those parentless eyes, wide with questions- nearly ripped the answers right out of Emelyn. But she strung together something, anyway, as Reuben settled down to a comfortable lay between them, rolling upwards to get his belly scratched. "Well, you'll act a little bit like one, yes. Take on some of the physical traits. But if you're turning into a dolphin, I think that means you'll be very happy, and able to do some great things. But you'll still be you." Cody Archer "He hunts?" It was strange to imagine the sword fighting Ambrose chasing down a rabbit or something. But it seemed fitting... he was a wolf after all
He turned back to the dog for a moment, his hand recovered as he scratched him on a ticklish spot, making the leg paddle furiously
"Great things?" he could imagine a dolphin as happy, that permanent smile and cheerful whistles. But do great things? The only one he could thing was swimming Emelyn "Yeah... dolphins can jump, and they can send out high pitched sounds underwater to be able to 'see' things by the way the echos come back to you... let's see- dolphins can ride waves, too. That's a lot more than a hedgehog can do," Emelyn said, smiling. She'd since taken her arm from around Cody's shoulder, and brought it down to scratch Reuben in a sensitive spot he had, just under his left front leg. Cody Archer "Neat" Cody wasn't very fond of books, but now he was interested enough to do a little investigation on dolphins. There were tons of books back the entertainment room. Maybe there was some there about dolphins
"What can hedgehogs do? Can you run fast like Sonic?" Emelyn "Ooh... almost a year I got by without someone comparing me to Sonic," Em laughed. "Well... I can go a little quicker than I used to- but not nearly as fast as Sonic. But I can do a lot of boring stuff, like being able to tell what foods are poisonous and which aren't- and to curl up in a ball. And I can see in the dark really, really well. Hedgehogs are nocturnal- which means they're out at night, usually." Cody Archer Cody lauthed as well, imagining Emelyn running at an impossible high speed and rolling in a ball to cut through stuff. That seemed completely impossible, even for him. But it was funny anyway
"Wow, really? That's really cool" he wondered what it would be like to see in the dark Emelyn "I really like that one, too. That way, whenever Reuben needs to go out in the middle of the night, I can walk him down the mountain- or I can go out for walks in the middle of the night and see everything clearly." Cody Archer "Can dolphins see in the dark too?" he seriously hoped so Emelyn "You know what? I really don't know. But seas can get pretty dark, so I bet that they can sort of 'see' in the dark with their echolocation. But it's something you could probably look up." Cody Archer "Okay, I will"
He petted Reuben one more time and started putting his shoes on again. But before he got up he gave a big hug to Emelyn, careful not to let the quills touch the area where his catheter met the skin, under the bandage
"Thank you" Emelyn Emelyn returned the hug, shocked to feel the tiny body against hers- and a wave of something that she couldn't quite place rushed through her. How was this 21 year old- who had always lived for herself, practically reeking of the smell of independence- to understand that maternal feeling? It was animalistic, it was strong... but whether that animal was human or hedgehog... she'd never know. She barely understood the desire to protect Cody and hug him and find some way to make his world make sense again. Her mind was swimming- and all she could serve to do now was to release her hold on him, and give herself time to think about it all. "You're really welcome. I'm so glad I met you. ...Come and see me again soon, okay? Or I'll have to come and bring Reuben to spend some time with you." She beamed, and reached out to ruffle his hair affectionately. Cody Archer "I hope so" he yelled as he ran towards the village, waving as much as he could until the foliage hided them from view
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Posted: Mon Jun 19, 2006 10:06 pm
Not a Woman... and Not a Sandwich... Meet another Snake Emelyn Not for the first time- and certainly not the last... Emelyn gave a silent thank you to Cassidy for her now long-ago gift of so many bikinis. The once bright white top that she'd relied on for so many months was now practically retired- replaced, now, with any range of technicolor tops that she could easily tie in between her spines. The light bluish-grey bikini that she wore as she watched Reuben play in the surf and chase crabs was no exception- its fresh newness seemed almost stiff against her skin, compared to the worn easiness of its cast-aside white cousin. "Hey, sweetheart! Don't get too deep in the surf! You'll get carried out by the tide!" And then, softer, "And why am I talking to a dog? Holy crap, I need to talk to more people." She laughed as she hunkered down upon the warm sand. Her beloved dog got one more good look for measure- then Em lay back and closed her eyes, her knees up to the sun but the rest of her flat against the beach. It was these lazy days that she loved... and particulary this day, she was determined not to think about the poor little boy she'd just met. Thomas Brinley Surprisingly, Thom thoughts--or lack thereof--were along much the same lines as Emelyn's. Ever since meeting the boy, he had felt a pang of guilt for bringing about the realization that Cody wouldn't be leaving. Mind, Cody had taken it fairly well, all things considering, but that wasn't the point. It would have been kinder to just leave the boy thinking he would be seeing his parents the day he was better, whenever that might be. He was feeling particularly antisocial as a result, but sulking indoors had never quite suited Thom. In an effort to avoid running into anyone, he had retreated to the beach with only his soccer ball for company, as per usual. Walking just at the edge of the waves, lazily dribbling his ball from foot to foot to prevent it from being swept further out, he completely failed to notice Emelyn resting farther up the beach. The dog, however, did not escape his notice. Indeed, the moment it caught his eye, something within him. The ball lay forgotten at his feet as he watched the pup, a slightly predatory gleam rising in his eyes. And, though all rationality said there was no possible way the pup was edible, the cobra said it was perfectly sized for dinner and, should it approach, would quickly become one. Emelyn Reuben saw Thom long before Em ever opened her eyes. She'd drawn her arms up over her ears and arcing over her head to rest in a folded pile above her head- closing herself off to the subtle sounds that Em would have otherwise picked up on. Otherwise, she would have keyed in to the crunch of sand beneath Thom's feet, upon the thud of the soccer ball upon the sand- and realized that the look in the snake-man's eyes was not only predatory, but also... aimed at her dog. Reuben, on the other hand, was as oblivious that his name was a sort of sandwich as the fact that not all people were friends. The only other two people he'd met had been the fuzzy woman who'd he'd had such fun with, rushing up a tree and exciting him... and the little boy that scratched his stomach so well. So Reuben ran full-tilt towards the slanted-browed man, his tongue lolling in the heat and his paws pounding in the surf. There was someone... to meet. Thomas Brinley The cobra was thrilled, though somewhat wary. Here was its meal running straight for it, but the pup seemed positively overjoyed to be approaching its end. It had seen him, that much was clear, so was the charge an attack? Thom's lip curled in a faint hiss, baring fangs that had not yet come to exist. The cobra attempted to coil, failed as it realized its limitations, and instead set the man at a crouch to greet the pup. The moment an overly friendly Reuben reached him, Thom's hand struck out and snatched the pup up by the scruff of the neck, lifting him with little effort as he straightened up. He grinned, pleased with the capture, and made for a deadly bite--but rationality kicked in once more, and he blinked down at the pup before dropping Reuben back to the sand, utterly confused. "Sorry, lad." Emelyn "I think something more than a sorry is required. Like, perhaps, an explanation." The voice was edged in ice. If Thom were to turn even a fraction, he'd see the hedgehog-woman sitting alert on the sand, her blue eyes steeled at the man who had just accosted her dog. Emelyn had been in dreamland- enough so to disregard the sound of the newcomer's feet upon the sand... but she was not so deep into her dreams that she could ignore the sound of her dog barking. She'd opened her eyes at Reuben's run, and watched in some sort of horror as the man she figured was crouching down to accept the dog in an embrace or a pet... instead snatched him up and dropped him again on the sand. Reuben slunk down to the sand, his fours folded practically in bows as he crawled away from the man. He didn't understand what had happened as he went submissively to Emelyn, waiting to be punished. He must have done something wrong. Thomas Brinley Thom's eyes followed the dog away, the hungry glaze returning slowly, but at the sound of a woman's voice he abruptly snapped back to his sense. Rubbing his head as if it were sore, he glanced towards Emelyn, looking momentarily baffled before her words clicked. He grimaced, automatically resuming dribbling the ball as he started over. "Had I an explanation, miss, I would gladly give it. But I 'aven't th' faintest idea what 'appened m'self." Sighing, Thom shook his head and let his hand fall. "Wasn't m'self for a moment there. I am sorry, really. Couldn't've fit the pup down m' throat if I'd wanted to." Now where had that come from? Thom frowned, surprised by his own comment, and shot a glare to the scales leering from the back of his hand. "Ah.. I suppose I must be hungry." Emelyn "Down your throat?" Emelyn calmed somewhat, seeing that the man's eyes had changed since that predatory ...lapse in judgement. Something else about him gave the hedgehog in her a very particular message: this is potentially edible. With that signal, Emelyn had some idea what the man was- beyond somewhat irresponsible with animals and strangely attractive, that is. "Snake, I assume." She put her hand out for Reuben to come to, and when he flipped belly-up in the sand, Emelyn rubbed his stomach as if to say 'you did nothing wrong'. She still wasn't looking at her dog, however- but focused on the man she knew she'd not met yet. Thomas Brinley "As far as I can tell," he admitted somewhat quieter, glare fading to a look of resignation. Pausing a few feet away from Emelyn, he deftly paused the soccer ball, hesitating as if debating whether to sit or remain standing. "An' you are, what, some kind of hedgehog?" Ahh, here was something he had never expected to see even in his dreams: a hedgehog woman in a bikini. Mind, quills aside, it wasn't a bad view, just...different. A hedgehog woman with a dog. He was half tempted to ask if the pup had once been an islander. "Thom Brinley. You are...?" Emelyn "Emelyn. Emelyn White. The biggest hedgehog you're ever likely to see." A small smile crept to her lips- or, rather, what was left of them- and she overruled a strange urge she had to stand and offer her hand to Thom. She chalked it up to the sake of his accent and kept her seat- and hand- steady. "And this little guy is Reuben." She stroked his white belly gently with her own, furred hand. "And don't worry about... before. He's not hurt. But I suggest to keep yourself fed at all times. The animal instincts are so much stronger when you're hungry." Thomas Brinley He cracked a grin at her introduction, nodding politely in response, but there the formality ended. Coming to a decision, he dropped to sit on the sand, placing the soccer ball at his side and immediately sinking his feet to his ankles in the sand. "A pleasure, Emelyn. And Reuben," he added, offering a hand towards the pup for inspection. "Y'know it's gettin' bad when I start picturin' my football as a rabbit," he complained. "I'll try t' stay, ah, well fed. You'll not be an attempted meal again," he promised, nodding seriously to Reuben. Emelyn Reuben flipped over onto his stomach and accepted the offer of the hand to sniff- and while he decided that Thom was a decent sort of animal, Emelyn was remembering that Cody had mentioned a Thom just earlier that day, while telling her which people he'd met that had taken care of him. In those few moments, it took only the Englishman's apology- which she believed was sincere- and the sweet young boy's word that Thom was a "good guy" to accept the snake-man. And, for someone in Emelyn's situation, where the decision of who can be trusted and who couldn't... could be the last decision she ever made... that meant something- beyond animalistic nature... and more than sheer human faith. It was somewhere, nestled- almost protected- in the limbo between the two. "I believe you. ...And I'm sorry about sniping at you. I'm just very protective of him- especially with the sort that's usually about around here." Thomas Brinley Thom seemed pleased by the pup's acceptance, smiling and, after giving Reuben a moment to sniff at his hand, cheerfully scritching the pup's stomach. Briefly the cobra returned, arguing that the pup was completely vulnerable once more, but Thom stubbornly shoved it away, consoling the snake with the knowledge that their next stop would be the cafeteria. He glanced up only slightly at Emelyn's words, almost immediately returning his gaze to the puppy. Nevermind the fact that a hedgehog woman was the more unusual sight; he hadn't played with a dog in ages, traveling as he always was, especially with the Cup coming up. "Quite alright, an' quite understandable. I wouldn't trust many around him either. I 'adn't expected.. Well, I'll be better prepared now." Emelyn Emelyn nodded, assuming by prepared he meant to heed her advice. "Well, most of the predators have found that the more they eat, the more the instincts let them be." While Thom was focused on the dog, Em was watching him. The excuse she gave herself was one of caution: watch for any instinct of turning, just in case he becomes dangerous... but truly, she knew that it was just that- an excuse. Thom didn't seem to have enough natural weapons to be dangerous, yet- and besides, it was unlikely that where she was staring was possessed of a weapon, anyway- so her defense... quite fell through. Something about the way his brow folded down, making a near-'V' - caused his eyes to seem all so vivid- even dangerous. Emelyn supposed that it was the animal in him, but the visage fascinated her. "So... if you don't mind my asking- how long have you been here?" Thomas Brinley "It's been difficult lately," Thom replied absently without looking up, much more interested in the puppy at present. "Eatin' correctly, I mean. Nothin' 'as seemed quite...fitting since th' change. I'll 'ave t' just grin an' bear it, I suppose." Despite the unsettling topic, he was already grinning, shifting his scritches to lightly tug at Reuben's muzzle in an attempt to rile the puppy into playing. "How long?" he repeated, assuring himself of her question. Finally looking up, he shrugged, counting the days in his head. "Been about a month now, I b'lieve. Give or take a few days. You on the other 'and... Some time, I'm guessin'? You're not quite as far as some others I've met, though." Emelyn "Well, honestly I don't think I have much further to go. This is... about it as far as hedgehogs go. I've even entertained the idea that I may be done with it. And I've been here for... well, it depends on what month it is. But in any case... August. I was in the first wave. And speaking of waves..." she stood, brushing the sand out of her fur and rolling herself up onto the balls of her feet to stretch. "I hope I can trust you with my dog for a moment, because I'm roasting." With that, she walked with her head tipped back to the sun, goggles reflecting the sunlight, headed straight for the surf. It hadn't been lost upon her that Thom was more interested in the dog than the conversation- and so, the waves had beckoned. It was a preferable option to becoming irritated with the man. ...She would return in a moment- but at least for now, Thom was on his own. Thomas Brinley "It's June," he offered off-hand, then tensed, grin fading. Ten months.. Ten months she had been here. Thom's good mood faded momentarily as the realization that he wouldn't be leaving struck home once more, and by the time his thoughts cleared Em was halfway to the water. Blinking, he glanced after her, then down towards Reuben, quirking a brow at the pup before climbing to his feet. Expecting the dog to follow, he started after the hedgehog woman, resuming his lazy dribbling as he walked. "If that's th' form you're stuck in, then you're damn lucky," he shouted after her, grin returning. "At least y'still look...mostly human, save a few differences. And fur." Emelyn Emelyn stopped at the edge of the surf, the wet, packed sand collecting under her toes as she pivoted to look over her shoulder. Thom had crawled to his feet as well, she was surprised to see. But it was the sound of the compliment that had turned her in surprise. He'd said that she was damn lucky, if this was the 'form she was stuck in'. Emelyn wasn't the sort to blush often- and this was no exception, but she did feel a happy flush in her throat... until he finished his sentence. Then she shrugged off her slight disappointment at the true meaning of the words, and gave a soft smile. He'd meant that she was lucky to be a hedgehog- to look somewhat human... it hadn't been a remark upon her looks, as the hedgehog-girl had originally assumed. "Oh. Well, yeah. It could be worse. Hold on. I'll just dip under. I don't mean to be a rude conversationalist or anything, but I've been outdoors all day. This fur heats up pretty quickly." With that, she tipped her head back to her goal- the ever-expanding, inescapable sea, and waded through until she was just above knee deep. Then, as a wave rolled in, she allowed herself to half-dive into the shallow shelf, slicing into the water with ease. It was cool, easy, and refreshing. She gave herself only a minute or so, before coming up once more. Thomas Brinley A hidden compliment, perhaps. If one could be covered in fur and spines and still look very, very nice in a bikini, it was saying something. But at the same time, she was...well, practically an animal, and humanoid or not, Thom was still human enough that he wasn't interested in fur. Or relationships. Yet. ...Of course, wet, fur hardly mattered, and one dripping, bikini-clad woman surfacing on a beach was the same as another. He quirked a brow appreciatively, half tempted to join her in the waves, but for the time being remained in the shallows, pausing once the water reached mid-shin. "Understandable, of course. One good thing t'say of scales: I won't 'ave that problem." Emelyn Emelyn answered with a nod, rubbing the water off her face in a upwards motion that stopped at the edge of her goggles. She blinked the last few drops off her eyelashes, then trained her temporarily foggy vision to Thom. "...Have you met Cassidy?" Thomas Brinley Thom abused the opportunity to indulge himself in a...few once-overs, though he sobered up somewhat at her question, frowning faintly and folding his arms across his chest. "Mn. Indeed. Somethin' for me t'look forward to, eh?" Emelyn "She's done wonders with what she has, though. ...It's sobering to see her- but if you'd seen all the things she's been able to do, I think it actually can be something to look forward to." She was both supporting Cassidy and explaining why she'd asked, all in one. There was no need to frighten the man- but rather, she seeked to possibly empower. At least, up to the shadow of a doubt. He'd obviously transformed once already- and Emelyn didn't envy him the ones that would follow. But at least he could know that there were others to support him. But he'd already met Cassidy- and he seemed to be... if not at peace with his lot, at least calmed in its midst. It was yet another glimmer of possibility that flickered in Emelyn's mind: how could she bring anyone comfort, or ease anyone's transition, if she was out here, rather than in the village, where everyone was? How could Cody come to her when he was frightened in the middle of the night- who would Fiona turn to if she had some new escape plan to hatch? Emelyn did not think that she was the sole person that the islanders could turn to- far, far from it. But there was something about taking herself out of the line of aid that suddenly felt... selfish to her. Or at least contrived. She was confused, and found herself wading back to shore, nose pointing to the sand. "I wish I could tell you it's not so bad a place... that you get used to it." Her eyes met his. "The latter... is somewhat true. Acceptance comes and goes- like high and low tide. But you can't get used to it. Just try to find some way to deal with it." Thomas Brinley He was silent throughout the entirety of her explanation, glowering darkly from behind green-gold eyes. He had accepted it, yes, however regretfully, but he could see no good in the transformation. Cassidy had done well. He? He would not. After speaking with Cassidy, after experiencing his first change, the thought of the next...terrified him. From what he had learned, he was farther than Cassidy had been after her first change. More scales, he had a tail, his feet were already going... After the next? Who knew what could be expected. He was quite sure he would lose the ability to walk, at the very least. And he intended to make the best of his ability every waking moment until then. "It's easy t' deal with things now," he finally replied, lifting a hand to rub the back of his neck. "It's.. th' next change I'm worried about. I can't...not...walk. An' my feet are already goin'." As if to enforce his point, he lifted one foot from the water, gesturing to the nearly unrecognizable area that had once been toes. Emelyn Emelyn saw the stubs of feet he now possessed, and in her mind, likenened them to sheathless hooves. She didn't allow herself to linger on them, dragging her eyes upwards to meet his eyes- which seemed inflamed with something- she didn't know what. "And you've only changed the once?" Her words were soft. Emelyn couldn't recall if Cassidy had been so far along after her first transformation. It had been a long time ago- and back then, so many of them were still in a panic about what was happening to them- not much had been guaged for posterity's sake. Thomas Brinley The moment he was sure she had seen, he let his foot fall beneath the surface of the water, hiding it from sight and mind as if doing so would prevent it from being real. "Just the once," he murmured, nodding slightly. Grimacing, he turned, pacing back towards the shore and attempting to keep his temper in check. "I've spoken t' Cassidy since--she wasn't this far after her first change. Just scales, really, an' tongue. My tongue's still fine, but my feet? My tail?" He hissed through his teeth in displeasure, throwing up a hand. "And, if that wasn't enough, I'm losin' my 'air." Emelyn "I wish there was an 'at least' I could tell you. But... the transitions will be rough. Between walking and... losing your legs, it'll be very awkward." She spoke gingerly, even though she was almost assured that Cassidy would have warned him. "But when you're further along- three or four changes into it, I think you'll find that you'll be able to move quickly enough and even use the muscles in your lower torso as a sort of leg... if only to... kick." She couldn't help but notice his constant, almost worrying attention to the soccerball he'd brought with him to the sand, and wondered if that was the source of some of his distress. "And everyone changes differently. Even with similar animals. Although... truthfully, there aren't many." She hardly knew what to say except what she would have liked to hear, in the beginning. "It's not easy, but it's so much better when you know what to expect. So if you ever need help, I'm always here to answer questions. ...And... you do know about the cameras, don't you? Has someone warned you, yet?" Thomas Brinley "Somehow, I'd imagined they would be," he replied sharply, but sighed, grudgingly nodding in agreement as Emelyn continued. "From what I've gathered, those changes'll be a long while in coming. An' th' stages in between will be awkward an' uncomfortable." He fell silent, remaining so for a long pause before returning his eyes to the hedgehog woman. "I appreciate your advice. And offer. Which duplex are you in? ...And I'm afraid no one's mentioned cameras, no." Emelyn "The cameras," Emelyn said, starting in on the easier issue to explain, "are everywhere. In the jungle, on this beach, in the duplexes. The entire island is monitored. Some places are also miked- but I don't know where, exactly. ...I make a note of warning newcomers, now. Just so they know what's happened to their privacy. And... I don't live in a duplex anymore. Mine has been empty since January. ...I live up on the mountain, now." She knelt down next to Reuben, scratching his now-wet fur and dropping her head to rest on his back. Thomas Brinley "Brilliant." Thom sighed, wiping a hand down his face. "Good t'know no one else I've spoken with thought t' tell me. Thank you f' doin' so. I'll keep that in mind." It was a way to mock Duvert without retribution, anyway. "You live..." Trailing off, he raised a brow and glanced towards the quite obvious mountain looming up from the jungle. "...Righto, well, perhaps I'll come hunt you down if m' legs 'old out. I'm in duplex 45 if you brave th' village again. For now... I'm goin' to 'ead back b'fore I eat your dog." He cracked a grin, nodding a goodbye before retrieving his soccer ball and starting away. "Was nice meetin' you, Emelyn." Emelyn "And you, Thom. ...Take care of yourself." With that, she watched the Englishman leave, and as the snake-man disappeared into the jungle, she called Reuben to accompany her out to her fishcatch. In this day, she had met two newcomers to the island. ...Her mind would not let her dwell on how many more there must be.
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Posted: Mon Jul 24, 2006 11:16 pm
Reserved for Zach Rp.... Emelyn They walked through the jungle, pressing through the heavy heat with almost as much difficulty as it took to push aside the local- almost impervious fauna- these two, very different sort of animals. One, happy as a clam- yet somewhat furrier... bounded through the underbrush, tongue lolling from a canine muzzle. The second walked on two legs and smiled as her fuzzy companion enjoyed their excursion. The past few weeks for them had been- if not perfect... at least beautiful in its flaws. Emelyn and Reuben- found a quiet peace in their repast. Who knew if the insertion of another islander would complicate that peace- or make it all so much more enjoyable... Zachary Bloodstone One of the other islanders in question was also walking the forest, occasionally swatting at the whining insects that flew too close to his face or attempted to bite him elsewhere. His "ears", as he chose to think of them, were folded back considerably, almost touching his neck. The expression on his face was somber, but softened slightly by the mounting list of regrets he had since he'd set foot in the helicopter months ago. The rustling of leaves was a dead giveaway that someone or something was around. His eyes darted around, trying to find the source of the noise. Admittedly he knew it was hard to avoid running into islanders no matter where he went, but it wasn't something he enjoyed. "Who's there?" Emelyn The hedgehog-girl paused at the sound of the voice- surprised- but not so much so that she lost her senses. She snapped at Reuben immediately, and the spaniel-mix sunk to the earth on command, his ears anxious to hear the sound of the other voice once more, and tail wagging, happy to be finally playing the wonderful 'snap' game with his tall, furry master. They had been practicing it for weeks- and as soon as he'd understood what she'd been after (getting the hang of the 'game'), he just knew they'd play it soon. Once she was sure that Reuben was secure down on the ground- not bounding after the voice, she called into the brush. "...It's Emelyn." Zachary Bloodstone He started to bare his teeth at the rustling leaves, the frill shifting and spreading slightly in a miniature mimicking of one of the many animals accounting for his bizarre DNA. The answer he recieved shocked him, leaving him speechless. Somehow he'd written her off as someone he didn't expect to see again, given how she was never in the village. Emelyn... one of the first islanders he'd met, and the only one who'd had the sense to pack a weapon on them. She didn't know what he'd done to Aubrey, did she? He hoped not. Every time they met he was more bestial, and this time was awfully difficult to explain. The frill dropped to the sides of his face again sheepishly. "Oh, uh, E-Emelyn... long time no see?" He reached to hold some of the large leaves out of the way and find where she was, though he moved slowly. His left arm hung loosely at his side. The chance meeting coupled with the cloistering heat was making him flashback to earlier days when the limb was as gone as it had been the day it had been unceremoniously amputated. Emelyn It took the woman a long eye-soak to realize the breadth of the changes that had swept over her friend- and, without thinking to the effect of his feelings- she allowed herself the lingering stare as she appraised what the labs had done to him. In the end, she only smiled- beamed, really- and nodded, glad that he was obviously in control of herself. She didn't need to go for the knife in the pocket of her jeanshorts. "I know. ...Long enough for you to change. ...Don't take this the wrong way, but it suits you. And at least- I can still recognize you. I'm glad for it." A third member of the encounter was still pressed to the earth, his tail wagging furiously and his ears alert at the thought of meeting someone new. He stayed put, however, turning his head to Emelyn and eliciting a high-pitched whine of protest that he'd not been given permission to greet the newcomer. Zachary Bloodstone He, too, regarded Emelyn with his eyes for several seconds. What had been a furry human face the last time he'd seen it now sported a muzzle. Wispy connections were made in his mind, that Emelyn was Emelyn whether or not her face had been pinched into an animal's. The rest of her was furrier as well. A pang of guilt at his actions toward the asian girl he'd met several nights ago flared. Staring was not a crime here. Finally, he drew his gaze back to her face. "And you, too. You look... different." He struggled for words, but in the end he had to settle for bluntness. Confusion crossed his face at her comment, but he didn't delve into the subject. Trying to dispell the awkwardness was difficult. One clawed finger was jabbed in the direction of the mutt. "That had better not be another islander..." Emelyn A certain note chimed in Emelyn's head at the word 'different'. It seemed to say something more than the positive responses that others had given her, and it made her frown, somewhat- or, rather, what she could manage of a frown with her muzzle-like mouth. She knew that she had changed again, since living out in the wild- but, unlike the other islanders who woke up and had to face a mirror every morning- Emelyn had no idea what she really looked like. The sea was never so glassy clear to provide an adequate looking glass- and the lake, though calmer, was always bombarded with sunlight- and could not hope to pick out the form of a hedgehog girl, leaning over with a wonder of her own face. So despite what could be garnered from what she could see- or feel- Emelyn did not know what the changes had done to her, or how she appeared. So although she did not care for what others thought of her- she was still hoping, in this context- that they would say sweet things- as they... were her only reflection. But Zach's comment about Reuben made her smile. "No, no- just a regular old mutt-puppy. Reuben, say hello." With the emphasis on the final word, the dog understood the command that meant he had permission to leave- and bounded up to the dragon man, intent to sniff every cranny of his puzzling combination. All manners of smells accosted the little dog's nose- and caused his tail to wag furiously. This was a whole weatlh of friends, all wrapped up into one. Zachary Bloodstone Zach missed seeing her frown, looking instead down at the dog and contemplating. "Reuben, huh?" As it started sniffing him, Zach reached tentatively down to pat the dog's head, keeping his wickedly clawed fingers pointed up and his movements slow. The last thing Emelyn needed was her dog gutted by a careless movement. "Have you had him the whole time you've been here?" In the twist of fate that led him to the island he'd been robbed of his knowledge of the world, even though said world had shrunk to one island in the middle of a vast ocean. The other people who were supposed to be at the very least acquaintances were still mysterious. Their futures were all certain, but their pasts he had little idea of. Emelyn "No, actually. Just for a little while. Few months, I guess." She shrugged, and gave an easy smile. "I lose track of the time out here rather quickly." She didn't offer the information about where exactly Reuben had come from- that was for anyone who was willing to ask directly. Thus far, no one had. Emelyn could only wonder what the other islanders would think about Reuben's origins- especially in that he had been a gift for an act that saved one of the staff.... the veritable pariahs of this Hell Island. In saving one of 'the enemy', Emelyn harbored an inkling of a fear that perhaps that would make her one, as well. Zachary Bloodstone "Oh..." Dogs were something that easily had nothing to do with the island. Maybe it was someone else's pet; there were some islanders that probably couldn't trust themselves with their own animals any more. Still, the likelihood of getting an animal out of thin air here was not high. "Where'd you find him?" Emelyn Emelyn scratched at the point on her neck where fur met spines. She did not want to lie- but gave a little half-sigh before explaining. "Actually, he was given to me. After the whole attack-on-Aubrey fiasco, I guess I was the one who found her first. I called the labs, got her help in time. After she was out of bed, she said that she really wanted to do something to repay me- but the only thing I could think of that I'd accept was something to keep me company... so I told her to free a lab dog or cat or something for me." She gave a short burst of a whistle, and Reuben stopped harassing Zach for long enough to return to Emelyn and lean up against her legs, tongue lolling from his mouth and tail keeping up a tempo. Zachary Bloodstone He had been tempted to scratch behind the dogs ears, but with claws like his he had to refrain. He couldn't help but wince at the mention of the incident. She must not have known the level of involvement he'd had in that, or she wouldn't have stopped to chat. No sense ruining a good friendship; he'd keep his mouth shut about it to her. "Uh... lucky you found her, huh?" he said, trying not to let his voice betray his uneasiness. In some sense, Emelyn had done 'the right thing', and he had to give her that. Even if Zach did wish a horrible fate onto the staff of the island, he hadn't been keen on being the one to administer it. He felt like he was on extremely thin ice just talking about it. Over two months later, the passive-agressive threats he'd recieved weren't forgotten. That, and being reminded of the extreme unpleasantness of waking up bathed in blood. Time to change the subject, he thought desperately. "If you needed company, why didn't you come back to the village? Everyone's there... except you." Emelyn Emelyn shrugged, and leaned down to clap her palms on her thighs to call her dog back over to her. As she ruffled Reuben about the ears, she kept her eyes down in his fur- although, truly, they were more off in 'space' - than truly occupying this world. "Not something I'm ready for, yet." She said. "It's just not the right place for me right now. But I appreciate the sentiment."
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Posted: Tue Jul 25, 2006 11:53 pm
Wrong Inside Emelyn Reuben lay, asleep in the shadow of the mountain. Every once and a while he'd lift his head up and look around with lazy eyes at his surroundings- the bar of sand they were on- the foliage not thirty feet away that marked the edge of the jungle- or to scratch at an itchy spot... before tucking his head back down between his front legs and drifting away again. Another soul was on that beach- and she... was wide awake. It was Emelyn, sitting ten or so feet away from her tired little muttpuppy, cutting strips of dried fish that she'd pulled from her drying rack. Before her was a flat, grey rock she'd found in the caves and had been using as a makeshift cutting board. Her knife was in one hand, and, at her elbow, one of her baskets sat, ready to take not only the fish that had been completed, but also her whetting board for hauling up the mountain. It was repetitive work- and she knew that the salt she'd soaked the fish in would seep into the fur on her fingers and she'd smell like salt for days- but there were worst things than repetition. Thinking... was one of them. The monotony of her task blocked out all that. Made her mind as rolling and regular as the beautiful blue sea. Thomas Brinley Thom, on the other hand, had one thing on his mind: the small package of DVDs he had received that morning from Sabin. His recordings of the World Cup. They had finally arrived, and he had been hard pressed not to watch them the moment he had been completely awake. He had waited so long without them, endured the season with the knowledge that his team was playing, proceeding, moving on despite the lack of one certain player. However, that didn't mean they were doing well. He was quite sure they were managing, but he was worried all the same that their progress had been hindered. It had been all he could do to force himself not to run to the entertainment room and the TV there to watch. But when he had gone to find Natsumi to join him...she wasn't home. The bloody raving morning person wasn't home. And he had promised to wait for her to watch. Damn it all. But it was fine, it was fine... He could wait a few hours, could manage that long. To distract himself from temptation, he had retreated to the beach for a long jog. He had passed up Emelyn before he realized he had even seen her and paused in step, glancing back over his shoulder, then starting in her direction. "Hard work?" Emelyn Emelyn gave a soft smile. She'd been wondering if the man would run by her- or notice her there, in the sand. "Not really. Just time consuming." She held up a small square of fish- one that had already gone through her salting and drying process. "Would you like some?" She asked with a wry smile. "It's awful stuff." Thomas Brinley He crouched at her side, nose wrinkling as he eyed the fish, but at her offer he accepted a small piece, lifting it to eye level. "...You only live once." He popped the piece of dried fish into his mouth, chewing contemplatively, and finally grimaced slightly, swallowing nonetheless. "Mmn, you're right. Needs somethin'. Why don't y'just come pick up some food in th' cafeteria? I knw you're not fond of th' village, but... You wouldn't 'ave t' stay long." Emelyn A strange flash of something went through Emelyn's eyes. It could have been sadness, or perhaps a sort of understanding. But then it was gone as quickly as it came. "Well... then I'd still be accepting something from Moreau. I'd be giving him the opportunity to take something away from me." It was a rote response, to some extent. But then she smiled- not about anything that had to do with her boycott of Moreau's proto-civilization- but that he'd taken the bit of fish. She wouldn't say- but it had impressed her. Thomas Brinley "Well, yes an' no," he argued good naturedly, dropping to sit on the warm sand at her side. Thom had never been fond of sand previous to the island. It got into absolutely everything and was a pain and a half to wash off. But, since his change especially, there hadn't been much nicer than stretching out on the warm sand for a long nap, wallowing down and cleaning up with a quick dip in the waves afterwards. He had a new found love for beaches since scales had appeared along his arms and legs. He eyed the basket of fish, as if contemplating a second piece, but soon disregarded it in favor of continuing the conversation. "He very well could take the ability t' rely on the cafeteria from you, but you've learn t' survive without it. So abuse his generosity while y' can, then shove it in his face when you can fall back on your own skill if needed." Emelyn The look on Emelyn's face was that of a girl... who was tired. If she had been lax to let herself think before, now- was no exception. Something about the day, about how she'd lain awake the past few nights- left her in silence. And when she finally did respond, her words were simple- not tainted by anything other than her gentle smile. "I think the real question... is why everyone is so keen to have me return to the village." It was a rhetorical question... that Emelyn hoped Thom would have an answer to. Thomas Brinley He puzzled over her response for a moment, weighing the possibilities. Nothing particularly stood out. To stall for time, he amused himself by worming his toe-less feet down into the sand, hands soon joining them as they fell palms-down at his sides to prop himself up. "I'm not sure, t' be 'onest. I think, as unpredictable as this island is, it's reassurin' t' know everyone's in arm's reach. A short walk or a speaker away if y' need t' check on 'em or just want a talk. With you out 'ere.. No one can ever be completely sure that you're safe, or that you're around if they need t' find you for any reason. It's a bit unnervin'. Leads t' worryin'. That, an' I'm sure you're just missed." He flashed a grin, shrugging. "Either, or, all of the above." Emelyn In that instant... Emelyn did something that a woman should never do in front of a man- at least... for the sake of their general inability to deal with it. ...She began to cry. It was not a bawling, heavy torrent- nor one of those noisy, red-nosed breakdowns in which the eyes turn practically haggard with the exertion of one's misery- but rather, a quick welling of emotion that spilled out of her eyes with a soft, almost squeaking sigh that came as a ragged inhale of breath. An infant wealth of moisture poured down from her eyes in an instant and... almost as quickly, she reached up to wipe them away. But this was not a momentary welling of tears- these, like the complicated emotion behind their creation- would replenish themselves, and Emelyn realized that a hurried coverup would not and could not suffice here. She put her head down into her hands- not to hide- simply resting her cheeks on either palm and shaking her head in a show of self-disgust at the outburst. "I'm... sorry," she said softly, a hiccuping sigh breaking up her words. "I don't know what's wrong with me." She turned her head away. Thomas Brinley Tears? Why were there tears?! What had he said?! "Ah, no, don't cry..." Damn it all to bloody hell, what had he done this time? If someone punched him for this in three days time he may be forced to kill someone. Sabin sounded like a good aim, even if the man had just given him the entire World Cup on DVDs. Maybe some other staff someone. Or Antony or Kaveri. But for now, he should probably concentrate on cheering her up, rather than plotting the demise of other islanders should he fail to bring back a smile. "Oi now," he interrupted, shifting to one knee and lifting a hand to her chin. Turning her head back to face his, he wiped away her tears with his thumb, offing a half-smile. "No tears, right? Buck up, c'mon. Can't 'ave any of the others out for m' blood again." Emelyn Emelyn was- if not returned to her placid emotional state- at least surprised out of the bulk of her tears by Thom's gentle, almost desperate measures to dispose of her tears. She shook her head softly to move his hand away from her face- but not because she hadn't appreciated the touch of someone. Those who had come across her in the past handful of months- as few and far between as they had been- may or may not have noticed that the hedgehog girl found nearly any excuse to touch them- and whether it was a hug hello or a comforting hand on the arm... more often than not, Emelyn didn't realize she'd done it. She didn't realize that there was something that she couldn't create for herself out here. There was no wild, feral version... of human affection. It was something that Moreau had no hold on, no lease on offering it up to the islanders to try and gain their loyalty. If anything- it was the one true thing he could never touch... and yet, Emelyn had accidentally given it away with the rest of the village's comforts- scorned it as surely as she'd scorned her duplex. The months in the wild- over half a year, now- had taken its toll on Emelyn. And Thom- poor Thom, who barely knew the hedgehog girl- and certainly had never met her before her feral escapade- was receiving the climax of it. "I'm sorry." There were no rampant tears- only residual moisture, and a welling beneath her blue eyes that would not fall. Her voice, now, was the great betrayer of her emotions. It was soft- and yet- damaged, somehow. "It's just been a long time out here. I didn't know it was...getting to me the way it was. You didn't do anything wrong." She looked directly into his eyes, a silent apology waiting within hers. Thomas Brinley Thom was a very...physical person by nature. He had never really been a 'let's sit around a chat' kind of guy. He enjoyed talking, mind, but he had trouble focusing on the conversation if it went on for long. He much preferred chatting over a game of soccer, or going for a walk, or a swim, or ANYTHING but sitting still for any length of time. And this had expanded to other aspects of his relationships with various people. Back home, he had been in near constant company with some members of the team or other, and that meant joking punches and shoves and occasional all out tackles with brilliantly scored points. With women... Well, Thom was esily distracted from any intellectual relationship by his own impatience in conversations and, thus, those were primarily physical as well. Little touches here and there meant nothing to him. He allowed her to pull away without a word, pleased that her tears had slowed at the very least, even if she seemed prone to starting the water works up again. Sitting back, he shook his head, chuckling softly. "No worries, I assure you. But there you 'ave it, a perfectly good reason to return--You want to." Emelyn "Umh," she said- more of an exasperated sound than a word- a mere huff of breath peppered with noise as she wiped her face with her hand. "I don't even know if I want to. After all this time, going would be giving up." Of all things- a smile came to her lips. But it was a wry, ironic smile amidst the rest of her emotional canvas of face. "Not that I know what I'd be giving up. But I just don't think I'd be happy in the village." Emelyn stopped then, to realize what she was saying- and to whom she was saying it- and was aghast. "Thom- I'm sorry. I really shouldn't have said anything. Look at me, putting on a scene. I don't even know how you've been doing. What was that you said- earlier... about... someone being out for your blood?" She said it incredulously, still using her fingers to gingerly wipe the fur on her face clean. Then, she had another sad moment when she remembered that she didn't even know what she looked like- what her last transformation had done to her- or how human her face really looked. What Thom saw- Emelyn had no inkling of. She hadn't for months. And- instead of imagining herself as her first transformation, what she had seen in a mirror before being delivered into the wild- a part of her let her pretend that she was as she had been before. Human- beautiful... normal. Thomas Brinley "So give it a try?" He raised a brow, glancing sideways to her. "You won't know until y' do, right. Where's the 'arm? Some risks're worth takin'." Rock climbing without a harness, jumping off a bridge for a dollar, those sort of things. Or, on a milder note, facing a fear, trying something new... Dare to live. It made life more interesting. And then...his grin faded, and he shrugged, turning his attention out towards the water instead. Almost immediately, however, he laughed, grin returning. "Eh, I 'aven't made th' best impression on...most of th' islanders, I'm afraid. We 'ad a football match a few weeks back, made m'self a few enemies. But 'ey, you're speakin' to the Official Island d**k'ead. I dare say I'm vain enough t' question th' title, but there y'go." Emelyn Emelyn did not repond to Thom's remarks about trying to return to the village. As far as she was concerned, the subject was closed. That... and she couldn't hope to explain any further to the man a subject that had become so important to her- how her decision to live in the wild and her subsequent troubles because of it had become a sort of framework for her life. She'd focused on surviving, on contesting Moreau's hypocrisy- first, to find some way to give herself comfort after feeling so lost and abandoned during the lockout, and after what had transpired between she and Ambrose. Even Moreau had promised to make her life worthwhile- to take care of her, give her precedence... and while she didn't care for the preferential treatment- she did hope that it meant she wasn't alone. But after she'd found herself unceremoniously dumped into the wild, cold and alone... she'd realized the true meaning of what it was to be abandoned. She had told this to no one- for, truly, she didn't quite understand it as being within the numbers of her motives- but one of the reasons she had refused to return to the village with the others... was due to that gnawing, cold feeling in her gut as she'd stood on the edge- watching the others happily returning to their showers and their comfortable beds. It meant not only that they were easily bought, but as a symbol that it could only be a matter of time before Em might be abandoned- yet again. But she knew that there was no way she could simply walk back into the village as if nothing happened. It would mean that Moreau had won- and, more than that- she would have cast aside a half a year of her life to a cause that obviously wasn't worth fighting for. It was too painful a thought to dwell upon... and Thom... would never understand. Emelyn barely did, herself. Instead, her words revolved around his. "...I doubt you're a... dickhead." She said, smiling genuinely at trying to force the imagery from her mind. "And no one makes a good impression on everyone here. ...Having 'enemies' peppers the boredom. I think people make up reasons to be offended just to have something else to focus on. It probably just means that you're interesting enough to be that new focus."
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Posted: Sun Aug 13, 2006 8:43 pm
Resistance in your own Way Emelyn To say that Emelyn relied entirely on nature for her survival- was a throroughly interesting... if not completely true fact. Though the bulk of her days were consumed with gathering food- mostly through gathering, some fishing and hunting- and in creating other things from the bounty of the land that would sustain her in her mountain home- there were some things... that were not quite hedgehog about the girl... and more human than she would ever hope to shed. Emelyn stood up behind the beach bar counter and snapped the strap of her bikini back in place from where it had slid down her shoulder. Her clothes were certainly one human trapping she was unwilling to give up. Although she didn't judge Cassidy or Greer for their obvious disregard of clothing, Emelyn didn't think there would ever come a day that she would be able to do the same. There was not an inch upon the girl that could be reasonably described as 'bare'- and yet... one thing that prevailed in her mishmosh of DNA and instincts... was that very human quality- of modesty. "Reuben, don't run off!" She called out to the dog where he bounded through the surf, trying to catch the waves with great wide bites. Emelyn didn't like being so far away from him- but there didn't seem to be anyone else around, and he hadn't wanted to follow her behind the narrow counter while she stored her berries in the beach bar refridgerator. So she watched him from where she stood, palms down on the bar counter, and one hedgehog-esque foot up against the inside of her other leg, not unlike a flamingo. Tommy Christian While looking off after her dog, Em may be able to see a humanoid form slowly walking down the beach. The fully human young man looks deep in thought, and yet there seems to be a carefree attitude in the way he carries himself as he strolls. Hands thrust into the pockets of his beat up brown leather jacket, a grin touches the corner of his mouth as he spots the complete and utter joy that is a dog just digging being a dog. He continues to walk down the beach toward the bar as he watches the dog frolic. Emelyn Emelyn did see the man walking down the long stretch of sand that had become one of her many homes during her half of a year in the wild. What she didn't see... were any animalistic features, or a look of fear or anger on his face. He was in normal garb- no white coat or haughty expression, so there was little doubt in the hedgehog-girl's mind that he was an islander- and by the looks of him, a new one. Emelyn gave a sigh- just a single, sad exhale of breath that said so much in its brevity. Another islander. Would Moreau ever stop? ...She came around the side of the beach bar and sat up on a stool, letting her furred legs hand down. She put one elbow back on the bar to support herself- there was no need to go run to greet the newcomer- not when she might become his first sight of Moreau's intentions. Let him walk to his fate, rather than be greeted by it. But Reuben had no such hang ups or musings on fate. All he saw was a man- another big playtoy. He practically leapt from the surf and made a beeline for the man, sniffing him and wagging his brown tail with glee. This one smelled funny: he was less 'complex' than his mother and her tall, furry friends. Tommy Christian Tommy's slow progress toward the beach bar was cut short by the assult of the small furry devil. A short bark of laughter escapes the man, the first in a long time for him. Tommy kneels down, not minding the wet dog in the least. A quick ruffle of the head and a scritch behind the ears soon follows. "Hey there, buddy...you here alone?" Tommy asks in that goofy way one does when speaking to something that he knows can't understand him. With a small smile on his face, he looks up and around for an owner...no...no...ah...there. At the bar. There's someone. Tommy stands, both knees giving off a small popping sound, and heads in that direction. He gives his friendliest grin and a short wave in Em's direction. Emelyn Emelyn was surprised by the wave- even at the twenty paces or so that the man was from her, she knew she'd probably still be visible as a 'furred woman'. But all that told her was that she was not his first 'eyefeast' of islander. And so- she waved back. And smiled. "Hello," she said, even before the man would reach her. Reuben practically danced at his side, bounding up and trying to get more ear scratches. "I see you've met Reuben. ...And I'm Emelyn." Tommy Christian Tommy keeps the grin on his face as he periodically reaches down to pet the friendly dog at his side. .oO(Oh God...what the hell are they turning her into? Jesus...poor girl...I swear I'll take down as many of those bastards as I can before they do that to me) He does his best not to show at all what he's thinking, the only noticeable thing is that his grin seems fake for a moment before relaxing back to normalcy. "Reuben, huh?" he asks while smiling down at the happy puppy "And...Emelyn, alrighty. I'll have to remember that...Oh! I'm Tommy by the way, Tommy Christian," he introduces himself once he gets a bit closer to her. Emelyn "Tommy." She repeated it for the sake of remembering, keeping the smile on her face even through the momentary faltering of his own. It was another jab- albeit a small one- that reminded her that she didn't even know what her transformation had done to her, what she looked like. For all she knew, Tommy was looking into the face of something truly disquieting. "If you ever have trouble remembering, you can just call me Em. Most people do, anyway." She paused for a moment before finishing her statement. "Hedgehog, by the way. In case you were wondering." She gave a soft, almost sad smile. "I suppose you've already heard 'the spiel'?" Tommy Christian Tommy's grin drops to more of what he's feeling as he walks further into the bar. Though his sad smile portrays one who has given up hope, his eyes show something different: a grim determination of sorts. He begins walking around the bar, looking for something to drink, "Hedgehog? ...goddamn...yeah...yeah I've heard it. I think it was...Nita...yeah, Nita's her name...she's the one who um...greeted me here." Emelyn Em nodded. "Nita's a good sort. You're probably not likely to get a better explanation than from her. But if you have any more questions- anything you still want to know, or to say- I'll help any way I can." She turned to watch him as he walked around the bar. "I've been here for... well... I don't know what day it is, actually. I live out here, in the wild. So I don't know what month it even is. But if it's August, like I think it is..." She stopped to think- and it was that pause of calculation that gave her, truly, the grimmest realization she'd had in a long while. The pause lasted longer than her thought- for as soon as she'd come across it in her mind... she'd gone into a form of shock. When she did speak again, her voice was so much angrier, so much sadder than it had been before. "A year. I've been here a year. A ******** year." The final three words were whispered- no more than angry hisses of breaths that she said while gritting her teeth, looking away from Tommy and focusing on the angry side of her- mostly... so that the moisture welling up deep in her eyes didn't come to the surface- so that she didn't to to Tommy what she'd done to Thom. Tommy Christian Tommy kept rummaging about the bar, pulling out a nice bottle of bourbon and a can of coke. He stops though, the moment he hears she's been living in the wild. He turns to her, listening to her every word after that. .oO(The wild? By choice? Oh God...what the hell more could've happened to her to make...to make her want to live out...there?) He watches her as she calculates how long she's been here...and sees the transformation of anger. He watches as what seemed to be quiet apathy broke forth and changed into what could be violent fury. Tommy was both sad and slightly pleased to hear this though. Sad, because he hated to see anyone, even his worst enemies, suffering. Pleased because he may have finally found one person who's not going to take this s**t from the bastards on high any longer. "And in that year...they do this..." Tommy shakes his head and looks down at the bar. "...goddamn..." Emelyn Emelyn brought her hand up to her face and rubbed at her nose almost violently with her thumb and forefinger- careful not to gouge herself with one of her claws. It was as if she was determined to root the 'sniffles' out before they ever had a chance to start. "This Hell Island's not so terrible a place as people may be telling you," she said, softly. Reuben still wagged his tail incessantly, leaning up agains the bar looking for attention. He was oblivious to the moodchange. "...But it will suck out your soul." Tommy Christian Tommy watches her for a moment before pouring himself a drink. He stares at the swirling amber liquid a moment before speaking: "Heh...actually, most are telling me exactly that: That this place isn't so bad after a while...you'll get used to it...all that s**t...I dunno, maybe it's because I'm new...maybe it's because it hasn't happened to me yet...hell, maybe it's because I'm just stupid...but lemme tell you, I'm sure as hell not about to just lay down and die so these bastards can get their jollies." .oO(Jesus...don't push her too much, Tommy...she's seems about ready to break down) He sighs, "But then again...I may just be stupid..." Emelyn Emelyn gave Tommy a small, reassuring smile. "Hey, no self-depricating on the beach. ...You're not stupid. And everyone has a way of resisting, here. Some just don't show it the same way as others. ...It always starts off with the more obvious ways. Some people try to storm the labs, or attack one of the doctors. But... some people's spirits get broken- others, they just go underground with their rebellion." She turned to look him square in the eyes- thinking, with his clean-shave and crew cut that he was probably the sort to respect a more military approach to life. "...We're all fighting. All the time. Even if only to keep sane." Tommy Christian He downs the small amount of amber liquid and looks back to Em as she speaks. He holds her gaze until she is finished before looking back down at his empty glass. .oO(Well...at least I'm not the first to try and escape...of course, that's both good and bad.) "There have been attacks on the labs before, then?" He asks, seemingly very interested. Emelyn She laughed- a single huff that was more a rounded breath than an escape of real mirth. "Hardly. People being shocked by the fences- people pounding on the doors- nothing more than that. It's a fortress. ...And there are cameras all over the island. There's no way you can plot an escape with the constant surveillance. Even out here." She put her hands up, indicating the warm, balmy air around them. "The labs know everything I do. And I've not stepped foot in the village or my duplex since January 1st." Emelyn said what she did matter-of-factly, without sorrow or anger. They were simply what was- and, although she did not want to discourage Tommy- she also didn't want to lead him on, drag him down a path he'd not be able to reconcile with true possibility. Tommy Christian Tommy continues to stare down at his glass, one hand clutching it, the other the bottle of bourbon. He considers for a brief moment just saying 'to Hell with it' and getting pissfaced...let the doctors do whatever to him...let them mutilate him so bad that not even his mother could tell that it was him...his knuckles go white from gribbing the bottle neck so hard and he quickly releases it. His hand trembles a bit before he stuffs it into his jacket pocket. "...How...uh...how long does it take? ...and...and does it hurt?" Emelyn Emelyn had not truly been 'herself' for a long while. In the ways that mattered- her self confidence, her understanding of herself and her fate... even in the way she went about her days with a sort of compromised yet still beautiful optomism- she had survived, even thrived in the wild as well as she had for the past half year- as long as she'd kept true to herself. But in the past few months, something had gripped her, changed her- made her- if not afraid, then perhaps weary. She'd not realized how fraught she was- with confusion and fear... anger... and lonliness. Something had changed in Emelyn White. And she didn't know entirely what it was. But there was still something that she could do- just as well as she ever could. She could give comfort, and answer people's questions. Emelyn leaned over the bar, getting nearer to Tommy, and her voice was low, calming, and comforting as she spoke. "The first transformation... should come in a few weeks after you first get here, and receive what they call the 'immunization' shot. It's really the first primer injection. ...The first change is always the most slight. Just a few features change... shift. Then the changes are further apart- by months. I've only changed three times, and I've been here a year. And...it does hurt. Sometimes a little, sometimes a little more. It depends on what's changing. My last change just felt like a headache, a bad sunburn... and a nosebleed. It was barely anything at all." She left out that the one before had involved over 6,000 spines shooting out from her back- a cavalcade of knives forcing themselves out through flesh in an agonizing parade of pain. Some things- he could discover on his own. Besides, she didn't even know what animal he'd have. He could have it very easy- or very hard. Tommy Christian Tommy looks to Emelyn as she speaks, taking in every word. He nods his head every once in a while, trying to take it all in. And it seems he is...for the first time here on the island...he is. "...Jesus...I don't know what to say...I...I just pray I get to keep my hands...that's all..." He leans against the back of the bar and stares out toward the ocean, seemingly lost in thought. Emelyn "Well... I know you're probably livid at them right now- and would rather scream at them than talk... but you can always call the labs on your intercom system... and ask them what your serum is. Ask for Aubrey, or Sabin. They're the most likely to tell you. ...Aubrey's your best bet. She's the least likely to have had anything to do with your arrival, as well. So- you could feel a little less like you're asking them for anything when you call." Emelyn wished she could give him some hope about the possibility of keeping his hands- or keeping his sanity, his pride, for that matter. All she could do was offer herself- her company, her answers- although, these days, she didn't know how much she was truly worth, in the state she was in. "And if you ever need anything, you can come looking for me. I'm usually on the beach, or out in the jungle. ...I live in a cave up on the mountain. One of the others could help you find me. I'm always here to help." Tommy Christian Tommy's eyes slowly turn to look at Em's, "Thanks, Em...I mean that too...you seem to be one of the few people here who's not stuck in their own delusion about this place," he sighs, "it truly is nice though, to be able to talk to someone." Emelyn She laughed again- this time, a little more mirth than derision coming from her proto-muzzle. "Oh, I have delusions about this place. They're just not quite as fluffy as some of the others. ...They haven't had to make their own meals for half a year. Oh, which reminds me. The berries in the fridge aren't for the beach bar. They're mine. So hands off." She said it with a wide smile though, to let him know she was kidding. "...But it's been nice to meet you, Tommy. Truly- take me up on my offer if you ever need anything. I'm only an island-search away. ...Come on Reuben." She clapped her hands together to get the mutt's attention, readying herself to leave. Tommy Christian A grin breaks his mood as Em speaks, "Hah! nah, I wouldn't dream of it...but yeah, I'll have to take you up on that some day...see you later...you too, Reuben..." He smiles as they leave...his mood a bit brighter. Emelyn Emelyn walked away with Reuben at her side, not looking back over her shoulder to see if Tommy watched them as they went. Instead, she looked down at her wet, happy dog and smiled. "Nice man, hm, Reuben?" The dog only wagged his tail, happy and oblivious to the meaning of the sounds his human made. But Emelyn smiled and nodded as if he'd spoken an earful. "Yeah. I think so, too. Come on, boy." And with that, the girl and her dog- went back up the mountain.
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Posted: Sun Sep 03, 2006 5:06 pm
Let's Talk of Something Else Natsumi Tanaka Natsumi was once again wandering down the beach, doing nothing in paticular but walk... She liked walking. It made her feel like she was getting somewhere, even if she was only walking in circles stranded on an island. Thoguh she found herself working alot less as her webbed-feet kept her from sinking into the sand at her pace. Which was a strange feeling in itself, part of her missed the feeling of sand between her toes... And the other part enjoyed the minor ability.
Still, those weren't where her thoughts were. Her thoughts, as she watched the waves lap against the shore, were on her unborn child. Her mind wouldn't stop asking.. And there were little things she'd noticed, whenever her stomach growled the baby didn't kick like it had before. Infact, now that she thought about it... It hadn't kicked at all. Which worried her, though she didn't have the facts to back that worry up so she simply kept her behavior observational for now. Emelyn Sometimes- it seemed to Em that her entire life had been swallowed by the expanse of ocean paired with the long stretch of sand that was the edge of Moreau's Island. More often than not, the girl found herself here- collecting food, bathing, or just staring out at the horizon... and thinking. On that day, she had only just come down from the mountain- Reuben was still asleep up in the cave- with the intention of checking her drying rack. It was nice to have a little something for the dog when he woke up, to tide him over until her next big fishcatch. But on that day, something else distracted her- the sight of a girl walking along the sandy main- also, it seems, deep in thought. And deep in change. Emelyn raised a hand as she hopped off the final rock that connected with the sand. She didn't call out- not yet- but walked towards the girl, wondering what she was becoming, more every step as her features solidified. Natsumi Tanaka Movement eventually caught the girls attention, negated eyes darting towards the figure with a bit of a jump. Her hands automatically went to fidget with the edge of her sweater, she'd been debating giving up the old thing... It was hardly working anymore, though some of the men still didn't catch on. Joshua and Newton in paticular, of which she was thankful for.
Once the sweater was safely in place, she offered a tiny smile as she neared the woman... Whom she was just now noting the various changes on. Natsumi hadn't seen many people changed beyond what she just recently hit... Though she had no clue as to which was which. Either way, this woman was obviously changed... Though it wasn't scary like the others she'd seen. She gave a light bow and stopped, as the woman seemed to be heading to greet her. "Good evening..." She greeted, voice lightly accented. Emelyn "And you," Emelyn said, a pleased lilt to her voice as she found herself suddenly immersed in an almost poised atmosphere, born from those first few, almost meticulous words from the newcomer's lips, and the minute bow. The notion didn't occur to the hedgehog-girl in words, but it made her comfortable- almost at ease- to move out of the 'survival mode' that had surrounded her all these many months, and into a dignified, human setting. The cameras that watched the islanders without fail might pick up on this meeting- but not that human quality to it, or how they had summarily put aside their animal features to be something more- or less- than the 'sum of their parts'. "I'm Emelyn." She saw the way the girl had worried the edge of her sweater, as if the singular attention to the fabric would give her strength. "...I'm sorry if I startled you. I was just coming down off the mountain." Natsumi Tanaka Natsumi smiled some at the general returned politness. She was, and always would be one of formalities... It had been too far shoved into her to ever be taken out by any animal serum, or atleast that was how she felt now... Uncontiously she had tilted and dug her feet into the sand.
"I am Natsumi Tanaka." she returned, smiling cheerily. Even if her more recent changes unnerved her it wasn't nearly as bad.. Newton had called them pretty, afterall... and that was enough reassurance to help the girl try and ignor them. "No, no." She shook her head a bit "I was just thinking..." she paused, trailing her eyes to said mountain curiously. "Really?" she brought her attention back to Emelyn, vaugly wondering why she would have been up on a mountian. At the same time, she was slightly impressed... Before her changes, she was one to generally avoid dirt and all those other things that made girls squeal in horror. Eating bugs changed that for the most part, but she still didn't see herself climbing up a mountain. Emelyn Emelyn nodded, a smile on her face and her eyes on Natsumi's. It was just another part of her subconscious desire to have some slight sanctuary from the world of Moreau- to pretend they were simply two women conversing, rather than a mishmosh of DNA just trying to survive in a hostile environment. The typical 'once over' that islanders traditionally gave one another- would not come from Emelyn this time. "It's a nice place to think," she said, not referencing Natsumi's apparent amazement at her having come off the mountain with anything more than that cursory nod. "All that ocean, all that view." She looked out, then, to the endless blue against blue- wincing in the light, but still afixing her stubborn eyes to that seeming eternity. "It's beautiful, isn't it? ...The horizon, I mean." She turned back to look at Natsumi after a moment, her smile replaced by another- somewhat sadder one. "But doesn't that say something... when the most beautiful thing around... is the sight of the furthest away you could go...." Natsumi Tanaka Natsumi had already given her the once-over when she was approaching, and was content with whatever she had gathered with that. However, Emelyn's attitude in pretending to simply be two women was contagious in a way, Natsumi found herself forgetting about the traditional 'what animal are you?' talk, and was rather grateful for not having to explain that she had no idea and didn't want to ask.
"Aa.." she nodded to show she understood, allowing herself to think on that a moment. She'd heard about people climbing mountains to gain enlightenment, so it made sense it would be a good place to think. She followed Emelyn's gaze out to the water, flinching at the initial burst of light as her eyes tried to adjust and barely watering as they should have.
She turned back as Emelyn spoke again, blinking several times to try and fix the momentary dryness that had hit her eyes. "Mm.. It is." she agreed, reaching her hands up to rub at her eyes in a last-ditch effort to get rid of that feeling. Thankfully, it worked, to which she dropped her hands again and blinked a few extra times as everything settled, noting that wierd occurance in the back of her mind. She listened quietly, biting her lip as the words tried to sink in... The tip of her tail twitched, and she nodded. "Yes..." she responded simply, returning the sad sort of smile with her own equally sad smile. Emelyn For a moment, Emelyn thought that there were tears in the girl's eyes. But then she recognized that sort of half-blinking, downward tilt of the head that she herself had to strain against- having been stubborn enough to experience it herself on a daily basis. It seemed she and Natsumi had something else in common, besides their commonality in 'thinking places': that stubborn human streak that caused them to rebel agains their animal weakness. "The sun bothers me, too," Em admitted- a delicate step into the realm of their transformations. "There's a shady bit next to the mountain. If it's not interrupting, would you like to come sit?" She smiled again, a friendly gesture to the poignantly strangely featured- yet beautiful girl. "I have some dried berries over near my drying rack- we can have an impromptu little sit-in." Natsumi Tanaka Natsumi gave a soft noise, the kind that resembled a laugh in the 'oh you noticed' fasion. She decided against going into other various annoyances that had come with her changes, then nodded to the offer of sitting somewhere. "No, you would not be interupting... I would love to." she finished with a nod and a warmer smile than the one she had given before, taking a step - after moving her foot out of the sand with a breif glance to them - as if to say 'lead the way.' Emelyn Emelyn gave a deep nod, then lead Natsumi to the shaded area created by an overhang of rock that jutted forth from the great mountain. It was a favorite spot of Reuben, that shady enclosure- and that thought drew Emelyn's eyes briefly upward- towards the cave she knew was not visible from this angle, yet still, she looked homewards: wondering if Reuben had awoken, yet. But there was no sign of the brown and white fuzz-bucket, so she ducked under the overhanging and sat, reaching out to draw the basket nearer to her as she did. Her drying rack was right next to them- no more than a few feet away- and on it, several flayed and salted fish hung over the makeshift poles, waiting for the sun to ready them for Emelyn's saving and consumption. Em normally would have explained it- it was a strange sight, after all. But with their little mock charade of normalcy- the thought didn't even cross her mind. "Berry?" She offered a shallow handful of the small, sweet reds to the girl. Natsumi Tanaka Natsumi followed quietly, not noticing the breif glance up the mountain. She slipped herself under, taking a seat in the traditional japanese style. Her hands automatically went to her lap, as her tail curled itself closer to her.
She glanced around the small area, feeling the releif on her eyes almost the instant she hit the shade. She glanced around, first noticing the drying rack. She wasn't sure what to think about it... She hadn't seen anything like it before, except perhaps in those novelty paintings that tried to depict ancient Japan... Still this definatly wasn't ancient Japan and therefore it seemed out of place. But ignoring that for the moment, she smiled and nodded. "Aa.. Yes, please." she held out a webbed hand to take the berries... Atleast the changes made a good mock-bowl. Cupping them like that, she pulled them closer picking one out and poping it into her mouth. She blinked some, a bit suprised... She used to like berries, hadn't she? Now they seemed to taste funny, and her stomach turned in disagreement. She hid those feeling sbehind a smile, assuming perhaps it was just these kind of berries. Emelyn Normally, Emelyn might have noticed the momentary change of expression on the girl's face- if only for that polite smile and proprietary face. She herself would go to any ends not to inconvenience anyone, or to offend another soul. So she would have recognized that put-upon smile. ...If she wasn't focused back out on the ocean. "Do you like to swim?" She asked gingerly, not intendnig to return to the water- but still, intent to have a conversation with this girl that did not include the harsh realities of the island. She also tread lightly forth with the question, hoping that whatever her transformation was... didn't hinder her, or make the question a sad one. Natsumi Tanaka Natsumi shifted the berries in her hand, wanting to wait a moment before daring on the next one. Maybe it had just been a bad berry... She drew her attention up from the little red foods at the question, nodding some. "Aa... Yes. I used to back home in the school pool... I have not been able to try here yet." She admitted a bit sadly, though still smiling, vaugly wondering if she still could or if she'd end up like whatever had happend to Bobby... It had been a breif conversation, but enough to keep her a bit wary of wanting to swim. Emelyn "Hm." Emelyn said, realizing that her thinly-laid plans were already caving through. There was little she could say to keep the subject completely off the table. Anything at this point that she had to say, without seriously skewing off into the inane... would either refer to the situation at hand- or remind Natsumi of what she'd left behind. So Emelyn sighed, and wrapped her fingers around themselves and dropped them to her lap. "So how long have you been here, now, Natsumi?" The girl may not have been swimming since she left the old 'school pond'- but now, she would have little choice but to dive in to this conversation. Emelyn only hoped that she could 'swim'. Natsumi Tanaka Natsumi had allowed herself to get a bit distracted, also causing her to forget to do the polite repeat of Emelyn's question. However, her company was speaking again, so she decided to let that bit of conversation slip. It was probably better that way anyways... She didn't want to draw attention to the reason she hadn't been swimming yet. "I have been here since May." she paused, idly shifting the berries in her hand and lifting one to try again. "How long have you been here?" she offered a small smile, placing the berry into her mouth only to be met with the same off-taste and displeasure as before. Emelyn Her answer was short. "A year." But it said so very much. Natsumi Tanaka Natsumi bit her lip at that... A whole year? Her head spun at the sudden reality shift. Perhaps.. somewhere, in the back of her mind she had hoped that it would only take a few months... Peopel would be noticed missing, or whatever would happen... It would have been stopped.
But a whole year? She hadn't even been here.. what? 3 months?
She swallowed hard, mouth opening as she tried to think of something, and after another moment of pause she let something slip out "... I am sorry." She shot her eyes to the side, tail wiggling some to find a more comfortable position. She fell into another awkward silence after that, trying to find something else to speak of. Some topic change... Something happier than the fact they were stuck here for what seemed like all eternity. The only thing her mind came to were her new friends... but it would do. "Have you met Thomas? Or... Nita?" she smiled, it was a random subject but... she thought of Thom and Nita as her best friends, and atleast for her the thought of them seemed to lift her mood. Then there was Alec and Newton... But she'd mention them after the first two. No need to bombard her with names. Emelyn Emelyn smiled, grateful for the obvious shift in the conversation. "Yes, I have. In fact, Nita and I had an... interesting interlude. My dog chased her up a tree, poor thing." Emelyn laughed. "She'd only just changed, and she didn't have any clue she could shimmy up a tree so quickly until there was a barking dog at her heels." She didn't mention the recent crying incident with poor Thom- that would only drag out another painful subject. Natsumi Tanaka Despite the few words lacking in her vocabulary, she was able to get the just of what Emelyn had said. A smile tugged at the yough girls lips as the mental image of Nita, calm sweet Nita, rushing up a tree came into her head. She bit her lip to supress the laugh that followed, covering her face with a free hand so she could let out a few soft chuckles.
As that subsided, she spoke through her hand "Poor Nita." she gave another soft noise, moving her hand down as she grasped at the next bit of conversation. "You have a dog?" Natsumi liked the conversation... It made her feel young in a way, like back in highschool where all life seemed to be was to make friends and talk together. Meeting new people nad hearing about their traits always filled her mind with thoughts about how they were doing... and other things about the new people, enough so that whenever she met someone new she was able to let go of any thoughts about herself and live in a rather blissful denial state. Emelyn The mention of Reuben gave Emelyn pause. He'd been up in the caves for quite a while. It made her uneasy to think of him waking up and finding she wasn't back yet. He had always waited for her- she'd made it clear to him with reinforcement and repeated teachings that he was not to go up and down the mountain on his own- who knew what or who was lurking in those caves, beyond just the danger of the slope that peaked in certain places. But there was still that niggling fear in her mind that, if she left him long enough, he'd try to find his own way down. "Yes. His name is Reuben. He's a little spaniel mix. I wish he were here to meet you- but he's been up in the cave sleeping. ...Actually, I should probably get back to him. I don't want him trying to get down alone." She stood, then, crouching to step free of the overhang.Then she stood and brushed the sand off the back of her jeanshorts and gave Natsumi a genuine smile. "It was really... very nice meeting you, Nat." She didn't realize she'd shortened the girl's name. Nicknames were automatic for Emelyn. "If you ever want to chat, I'm usually around here."
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Posted: Sun Sep 03, 2006 5:09 pm
Unsettling Caring Emelyn She was giving him more free reign these days than she had, before. The little brown and white dog rushed off into the brush, intent upon a chipmunk that he'd smelled- and as Emelyn watched him go, she gave herself some praise for letting go of some of her fears. She had too long held in her mind the assumption that Reuben would be eaten or killed, were he to stray further than his nose could take him fro her. Consequently, the only times the dog was ever away from his owner was when she was assured of his safety- which was seldom. Only recently had the girl decided to give the dog more freedom- agonizing over the decision as if he were her child and she had to reproach herself for being too overprotective. In the end, she let him roam more- with the thought that her reasoning was to give him some breathing room. The reality behind her decision, however, wasn't fully known even to her. She wouldn't have believed it, anyway, if she were to realize that the reason she'd let go of the 'leash' had more to do with her own weakening resolve and overwhelmed emotions than her beliefs on 'animal freedom'. Taking care of Reuben was a full time job... and there was a part of her that was silently working to give herself a break- even if she didn't know. And so she stood alone, then, in the woods, waiting, and knowing that he would come back to her as long as she stayed there. The woods, though never completely silent- were at a sort of natural calm, the sounds more ethereal than harsh, and the sun dampened by the canopy. Emelyn let her mind empty, and stood- no thoughts in the way of her solitude. Lucas Wickham As Lucas walked through the jungle he couldn't help but think about the first time he had been there. It was impossible to think about anything else since there was nothing here to distract him. Though he made sure to watch were he stepped and kept his ears open, he would lose himself to recalling his conversations with Ambrose and Emerwyn. Adjusting the strap of his messenger bag into a better position, Lucas grabbed a stick from off the ground and absently began tapping it against the trunks of trees he passed. Emelyn Emelyn heard the noise before Reuben did- not for the sake of her hearing (which was not much more evolved than that of a human's), but rather, with how much closer she was to the impending man than her dog- whom had taken his leave of his 'mother' with a cheerful, chipmunk-intent abandon. "Reuben?" Emelyn more asked than called. Lucas Wickham Lucas did not catch the name spoken, but he did hear what sounded like a human voice. Curious, he stopped for a minute, letting his stick rest by his side while he waited to see if the voice would speak again. When nothing came immediately, he started forward, wondering a little if it had been his imagination. Peeking around trees and peering in different directions, he called out. "Is someone there?" Emelyn Emelyn nodded- more to herself than anything else, confirming that she was likely right- Reuben was in no danger. He was far enough away, and besides- the voice was still very human. "Yes," she said, taking only a step forward before remembering that she was staying in the same place for her dog's benefit, then stopped and crossed her arms beneath her green-bikini top. The fur on her arms touched the fur on her stomach. "Right through here." She guided the voice. Lucas Wickham So there was someone there. Following the voice, he soon found himself standing in front of another of the Island's inhabitants. He surmised, after spotting the spines along her back, that this one had been crossed with a hedghog. Like it had been with Emerwyn and Ambrose, he studied them for a moment. "Oh, hi. I hope I'm not disturbing. I was just going for a walk." He remained standing near a tree. Even though she called him toward her, he still wasn't sure about intruding any further. "My name is Lucas," he added. Emelyn There was something steady in him- nonplussed yet respectful. He had the look of a boy you'd find in the back of a library, nose attached to a book seemingly permanently, but who would reach down with an almost sixth sense to move his things further under the desk as people passed, determined not to let them get in anyone's way. It made Emelyn smile to think. "No, you're not disturbing me at all. ...I'm just waiting for my dog to get back." She'd noticed the once-over, but, as always, chalked it up to the sake of her transformations. It was difficult for a girl to be offended by eyes on her... when she was the visage of a living Sega Game character. "I'm Emelyn. Most people call me Em. ...Nice to meet you, Lucas." Lucas Wickham Lucas smiled at her introduction. "Nice to meet you, Em." Stepping forward, he sunk down to the ground a couple of feet in front of her. Pushing his bag so it rested against his back, he glanced around at their surroundings, then back to Em. "So did you take a walk out here with your dog? Did he run away?" Emelyn "Mmn," she said, an agreeing murmur to answer the first half of his question. "But he didn't run away. I just let him chase something off. He probably caught scent of a squirrel. ...He'll be back in a while." Lucas Wickham "Ah." He, personally, would probably have second thoughts about letting a pet wander around free in the jungle, but Em had obviously been on the Island much longer than him and knew more than he did. "How long have you been here? I just arrived a short time ago, though, it feels longer." Emelyn An apologetic smile graced the hedgehog-girl's face before her answer. "A year. I've been here a little over a year, now, I guess. ...I lose track of time out here." Lucas Wickham "A lot of the people I've met so far have been here that long." He twisted the stick he still had into the dirt. Something occured to him. "You wouldn't happen to be one of the people that tried to threaten Moreau?" Emelyn Before Emelyn could respond that she had been in the 'first wave' of islanders to arrive- and to relive that there had been a time when none of them knew what was going on... and that the faces around her were all still human, Lucas asked something that furrowed her brows. "Tried to threaten Moreau? ...No. Why, who's threatened Moreau? How?" It didn't surprise her that she was out of the loop- but, even so, it didn't occur to her to let Lucas know why she was. This was her life, now- it was what was natural to her. Lucas Wickham "An announcement was made a few days ago. I don't know much more than what little Moreau said over the speakers in the Village, but it seems some people attacked his fiance and threatened him." He paused a moment to recall everything that had been said. "Moreau has punished them by locking them out of their homes and they aren't allowed to come close to the village. If they do, he would knock them out." He paused again. "They can do that?" He wondered how they could manage it. "Anyway, no one can help them, like feeding or bringing them supplies. If they do they'll also receive the same punishment. I was trying to find out more." Before she could ask, he added. "I have no idea who did it." Emelyn "Poor Aubrey," Em said, low and soft. "If people keep it up, we're going to lose our one advocate." She didn't like the idea of Aubrey being attacked again- but, figured that if the greatest punishment Moreau had for the culprits was isolation from the village, that they mustn't have injured Aubrey very much. Had they injured her seriously, Em knew that Moreau would have done something terrible in respone. But, then again, those days Em didn't put much stock behind exile being in the 'doghouse'. "And to knock us out, by the way, all they have to do is say "Subject Whomever: Sleep"- and some chip we have that they've implanted in us will immediately render us unconscious. ...Makes it difficult to think you have a free will. Technically, a lot of our decisions have been made for us." The words, for all their many meanings, were said with a sort of starkness. Lucas Wickham "Oh, Aubrey. That was the name." He'd forgotten the name and had been wondering about it since he had his talk with Emerwyn. "One advocate?" This made him worry. "A chip, huh?" Sounded a lot like something out of a science fiction novel he'd read. He wondered how they had implanted it. Noting her tone, he worried if it was a bad idea to continue with this subject. "What decisions? I know we can't decide to leave and we can't decide to not become an animal, but what else? I'm still trying to figure out this place." Emelyn A croak of a laugh was the precursor to her speaking. "Your mind goes a mile a minute, doesn't it? Yes. I don't know how many of the staff you've met- but, in my experience, the only one with even a shred of a conscience is Aubrey. ...Dr Lockheart. The others... don't seem to have any qualms. If anything, I've found them- deliriously happy with their progress in the de-evolution of our lives." She paused there, as if to swallow the fumes of such a weighty speech. She hadn't intended to sound so flighty, so... thickened with prose. She shook her head and continued. "They tell us where to live. What to eat... even with their little mindgames, they try to make us think a certain way... fear certain things. Moreau's use of 'exile' from the village is just one way of telling the rest of the villagers "you can be next. I can take this away from you at any time." It's a reminder that even though they want us to think we're safe normally, that really... they hold the power. THey can take anything away from us at any time. You may think you've decided to... try to escape, or not. ...Or to attack a staff member, or not. But really, all our choices- all their outcomes- are already predetermined." The sound of a barking animal coming closer gave Emelyn pause for a moment and she looked off into the distance, her mind swimming. For once, a crack in her armor had appeared- and it grew longer by the second. Lucas Wickham He ran fingers through his hair. "I'm cursed with brain that never stops." After Emelyn had finished speaking he was quiet, except for a short "hmm." Finally he ran his stick through the dirt near his foot. Lucas turned toward the barking at the same time Emelyn did, but his eyes drifted back towards her. It was very clear that this person had gone through a lot. Who was he to say anything? He had been here about two weeks. He still knew very little about the Island. "I imagine you were here for the black-out." Their topic had lead his mind back to Emerwyn's mention of it the day before. Emelyn Despite herself- particularly despite the crack that was still working its way around her fragile soul, Emelyn smiled. It was not an amused smile, nor a wry one- just a solid smile that spoke to something she couldn't possibly express. It was a stark smile, and a complex one all at once. "If you mean the lockout, yes. ...Sometimes I think that event was the turning point." She didn't say to what- for a little dog came bounding through the brush, his tongue lolling from one side of his mouth, and his eyes filled with delight at seeing his mother with someone new. Reuben made no short work of running to the new person and sticking his nose directly into the one place he might serve to gain the best 'scents': Lucas' crotch. Lucas Wickham He smiled at the dog as it bounded over to them, but returned his attention to Em. "Turning p- Whoa!" he laughed and gently lifted the dog away. "Getting a little too familiar there, little guy." He pet the dog's fur and then set him down near Em. Lucas had never been particularly fond of dogs. Not that he hated them, he just never really had much desire to have anything to do with them. They were a nice pet, but not one he ever felt himself capable of handling. Emelyn Emelyn couldn't help but to laugh as Lucas set the medium-sized dog down near her. Reuben had allowed himself to be repositioned, going practically limp in the man's arms. He'd been carried down enough rough spots on the mountain by Em to know that wriggling was not allowed when he was in someone's arms. He wasn't a heavy dog, Em knew- just awkward. "I'm sorry. He's never done that before. ...He must really like you. Reuben you bad dog." Reuben toddled around Emelyn with a goofy canine grin on his face and a wagging tail to match. He didn't recognize the words 'bad dog'- not when she spoke them in such an amused, obviously happy voice. For all he knew, she'd just extolled his virtues as the best dog ever born. ...Life was easy for Reuben. Happier, certainly, since his release into Emelyn's care. The days in testing, the nights in cages... his life as a labdog was all but forgotten, the only remnants of which were the dreams he still had, imagining trying to turn around and finding only bars. It seems even the most innocent of creatures to grace the shores of Doctor Moreau's Island- would come away with a taint that even love could not erase. Lucas Wickham "No, it's all right." He smiled, showing he was not at all bothered. He was actually grateful to the dog. It was good to hear her laugh after all the anger and hard to interpret looks he was seeing. He had been about to change the subject and the dog had helped in that. "Did you bring this guy with you when you came to the Island?" Emelyn "No. I've only had him for a few months. He was a gift from Aubrey after I found her the last time she was attacked by an islander and got her some help. I think she figured that everyone else would have just left her there. ...I certainly hope she was wrong. But in any case, she wanted to give me something in return- and all I could bear to accept from her or the labs was one of the lab animals." She crouched down and ruffled Reuben's fur. "Set one of them free." It was the most straightforward version of how she'd gained Reuben that she'd ever told. She didn't know whether it was because Lucas was so obviously new, and wouldn't have the same hang-ups about the staff as some of the longer islanders... or if it was something in the way he'd asked her the question- that Em wouldn't have dreamed to answer in any way but the simple, honest truth. Lucas Wickham "Wow... the last she was attacked? How many times has she been attacked?" The question was more a thought spoken aloud. He didn't really expect a response. If this woman was their only advocate and people were attacking her to get to Moreau, he was amazed she didn't hate all of the Islanders. He smiled and looked down at the dog. "What a nice mom you've got." He sighed and leaned back a bit. "I have, or had, a pet. At least I know she'll be cared for back home." Emelyn Emelyn was beginning to become used to Lucas' thought pattern- his way of speech which spoke to an inner treadmill of musings- and found herself falling into pattern with it, answering in jolts and shorts, and allowing the conversation to unfold as it may. "She's been attacked... several times. More than will do any of us any good. ...What sort of pet is it?" Emelyn strayed away from the subject of who would be taking care of it; no need to remind him of the people he'd likely never see again. She also didn't respond to his comment to Reuben- not so much that it was focused to the dog, but rather, because the words made her blush. The flushed coloring was hidden by the dark fur on her cheeks, but Em was still embarrassed. Had she been so long isolated out here, that the simplest compliment could make her feel so unsettled? She dismissed the thought. Lucas Wickham He felt bad for Aubrey and wondered what people were thinking it would accomplish. "A box turtle. I named her Boxxy. My dad gave her to me when I was little. I'm glad Nonie is there to care for her. Though, she was never really fond of her." He laughed, recalling the time the old woman first met Boxxy and tried to hold her. Emelyn "A box turtle named Boxxy." Emelyn laughed- more out of sheer mirth than out of a desire to tease. "Well, I suppose it's not any better than a dog named after a sandwich on an island of critters who might want to eat him." Then, since he'd brought up the name, Emelyn didn't feel badly about asking about her, she added: "Nonie? Is that your grandmother?" Lucas Wickham "Yeah, I was a real creative kid," he joined in on the laughter. "She is as good as any grandmother. But no, we're not related. She's actually my landlady," he grinned. "She took care of me while my dad worked. I never knew any of my grandparents." He was surprised he was not saddened by talking and thinking about a woman he so desperately wished to see, but knew he couldn't ever again. But right now there wasn't any sadness. Just love and good memories. He wasn't sure why. Emelyn "She sounds like your adopted grandma. ...Like a pretty classy lady. It's too bad you didn't get to know your grandparents, though. I didn't know most of mine, either. My mother's parents died before I was born, and so did my paternal grandmother. But my Grandpa John and I were really close. ...He was the one who raised me." An image of the white-headed New Englander was conjured up in her mind- and she saw him, sitting on the deck of The Wilhemina in the damnable old nasty deck chair, his fishing pole between his knees and a bit of a licorice pipe protruding from his lips. It was a gentle memory, and a sweet one- and Em almost expected him to raise his hand and wave, welcoming his granddaughters onto the boat for a 'pipe'... but then she cancelled the memory, rubbed it out before she realized that she would have set Mizzie at her side. Lucas Wickham "Both of my father's parents had already passed on by the time I was born. I know nothing about my mother's side of the family. Though, I think we received a few Christmas cards from someone that I think was my grandma. If I ever met them I don't remember." Lucas shrugged, then smiled pleasantly. "Sounds like we have a bit in common." Emelyn Emelyn smiled, and settled down to sit on the forest floor. Reuben half-crawled in her lap, bowing his head down upon her knee, still standing on his back legs, tail wagging. "Where are you from?" Lucas Wickham "Me? The Village, Duplex 57," he laughed and waved his hand. "Kidding. I know what you mean. I'm from Michigan. What about you?" Emelyn "All over. I travelled with a youth diplomacy group since I was about 12... until about two years ago. But before then, I lived with my grandfather and my sister on the shore of Rhode Island. ...But recently I've been making my 'homestead' in a cave at about the treelevel on the mountain." Lucas Wickham "A youth diplomacy group?" He couldn't recall ever hearing of something like that before. "The shore? It must have been nice. I'd always wanted to travel, see the ocean or any large body of water. I lived my life up until now in Michigan, the Great Lake state, and all I've ever seen is land. Traveling wasn't something my family could afford." He blinked, wondering if he'd heard right. "A cave? You live out here in a cave? In a mountain?" Emelyn This time, Em cut most of the questions out. Em didn't much want to regale her days as a member of a UN-sanctioned group of young 'diplomats' who were essentially sent into already buffered-zones to do gruntwork, or to return to her days on the shores of Rhode Island, looking out at the sea and wishing she were back in her helmel, around-the-world bunch. Instead, she went right to the heart of it. "Yes. If you go to the beach, there's a point in the mountain that crawls up from the shore that's not too steep. If you climb up to about the point where the trees have thinned on the opposite side, you'll find a cave. It's not very tall, but it's a good ten or fifteen feet deep. I've been living there since... well, I don't know, exactly. Since the rest of the islanders returned to the village after the lockout. I've been in the wild since January. But.... I've lost track of the months since then." Lucas Wickham He gaped at her for a moment. Even as she was, covered in fur and spines, likely with some of the instincts of her animal, she was still a girl and it amazed him that she had managed out in a wild, in a cave on a mountain. "All by yourself? Well, excluding Reuben here." He gestured toward the dog in her lap. "Why didn't you go back?" Emelyn Her eyes had been on the dog as he spoke, looking absently through his fur to see if he'd picked up any more ticks she'd have to twist out- but then, afterwards, she dropped her head to the dog's form, resting her cheek on his furry back. It was there, with her eyes closed and her arms wrapped about the brown and white dog, that she answered. "Moreau threw us into the wild for no reason other than to let us know that he still had control over us. He kept us there for weeks, maybe even months- and then, when he was ready, he opened up the village." She opened her eyes. "It was like a host of little wet, tired dogs crawling back into the house of the man who had beat them the night before, then thrown them out into the cold. You could see it in their faces- they'd been defeated. Beaten down. They were all so tired and hungry and scared that they went back without a murmur. And I just couldn't." Emelyn lifted her head up and looked into the eyes of a man she'd only just met, and was more honest with him than she'd been with any other who had asked the same question of her the past half a year. Truly, she was being more honest to herself. "I stood on the edge of the village and watched everyone go back to him. He'd proved his point- that he could take away our comfort at any time. ...I don't know how you found out about this place, Lucas. I mean, about the truth. I don't know who told you. ...Do you know who told me? ....Moreau. Back in the beginning, I was one of the first to be told the truth. And it came from Moreau himself. He dressed me up and paraded me into his mansion and sat me down at a fancy dinner and told me about his grand vision. He asked me to be a part of it, said that he needed me and that I was special. ...I won't go into why. It seems so stupid now. But- he threw me out, too. He cast me into the cold and he left me alone and hungry and afraid. So he proved his point. And I proved mine. ...That I wouldn't go back to that hypocrisy." Lucas Wickham While she spoke, Lucas watched her quietly, a sympathetic look on his face. "When Emerwyn first told me about it I'd assumed it had been a test. What with everyone here being experiments and all." He hadn't considered it might have also been a lesson and reminder of Moreau's power. He could see that part of it now. He was silent for another few minutes as he let his eyes look over Emelyn, unsure of what to say. This woman had been hurt and that pained him. He wanted to place a hand on her head or shoulder, give her some kind of comfort, but he kept his hands in his lap. Finally he spoke again. "I can't imagine what everyone went through during the lock-out. But I know what it's like to be hurt." He paused. "Are you happy out here?" Emelyn During Lucas' response, Reuben had crawled out of Emelyn's lap and curled around behind her, his head somewhere near the back of her left flank, his belly pressed up against the cool jungle earth. Emelyn put a hand down to rest on the furry creature's back, and she sighed. "No. But I don't think I've been happy here for a long time. So I guess it doesn't matter where I accomplish that." Try as she may, she couldn't make her words come out nonchalant. Lucas Wickham He nodded. He had a feeling there was more to what she was telling him, but it was only a feeling. "Do you plan to stay out here forever?" Emelyn Like a storm peals over a clear sky in an instant, blotting out the sun, so did Emelyn's eyes glass over with a fear as she looked into a future of 'forever'. The horizon was dim- the days ahead were grey and bleak, and the days behind did little for comfort, so far away- and so unreachable, as the tide of her days drew her further away from the shore of what had been her happiness. The pause was pregnant- an unhappy miscarriage of thought and fear, and it went on as she nearly forgot where she was. Then, the storm passed- although grey skies remained. "I... don't plan on anything. Life is one day at a time." Lucas Wickham His chest tightened a little when he noticed the look in her eyes and for a moment he worried she really would cry. He waited for the tears to fall, but she held them back. "Live one day at a time... yeah. But you are not happy out here. Is there nothing in this place that makes you happy? Anyone?" Emelyn Emelyn looked at Lucas- and found her eyes steeling into his, her eyebrows furrowing down. Faint lines of focus- or frustration- appeared through the lighter hairs on her brow. "What a terrible question." She seemed angry. "No. The answer is no. Nothing here makes me happy. More often than not, the things that I do surround myself with... are just there to keep me alive. To keep me from..." the pause was audible. "Well. Just to keep me alive." Lucas Wickham He winced. "I'm sorry. I just..." He sighed and looked down at his hands. "It's just sad to see someone so unhappy. That they are so alone. That they live every day just to live." His eyes fell on Reuben. "Even your friend there... Is he here to keep you alive?" Emelyn Emelyn experienced the odd sensation of being irritated, tired, and glad all at once, and it set her into a constant whirring state between the three. One moment, her eyes would be the picture of anger, then, she'd practically slump in upon herself for the sake of her exhaustion- all the while, a part of her was shocked and desperate for someone to understand, someone to care more about her than just what she could do for them. It was an entirely new experience for her, and she didn't know how to respond. ...Emelyn was the quintessential 'candle'... forever lighting the way for others while consuming herself. On this island of such perfect grief, she had long given way to the needs of others. This slip into an empathetic frame of mind had somehow become the entirety of her days- and, not since her days in the arms of Ambrose had she found someone whose desire to see her okay outweighed their own need to be heard, to be comforted. It had been so long- even before Ambrose, that seemingly minute moment of her life that had not gone beyond simple affection and mutual attraction- there had only been Mizzie and Grandpa John, dead now for several years. It would take Emelyn a while to be able to process the sort of comfort that Lucas provided. "He... he needs me." She was befuddled, lost, somehow, and her words sounded small. "I love him, but I'm always so afraid he'll be hurt- killed... taken away. I need to be okay so that I can protect him. He gives me company... but no." Lucas Wickham He smiled softly. "Every person worries about those things. When we love something we worry. We want nothing more than to protect and care for them." He clasped his hands in his lap. "To me it seems like being out here, all alone, isn't safe. For either of you." He rubbed the back of his neck. There was more he wanted to say, but he couldn't bring himself to say it. Emelyn "I've been out here since January, and I'm still here. I think I can take care of myself." The words weren't spoken out of malice or self-righteousness... but neither were they matter-of-fact. If anything, they were truth with the undertone of a double meaning- as if to say, 'yes, I am physically safe- but there are other parts of me that are more in danger from living out here'. It was the closest to an admittance that Emelyn would allow herself to approach. Lucas Wickham Lucas nodded. He wasn't going to argue with her. He just met her, knew little about her and it just wasn't his place to tell her what she should or shouldn't do. However, it worried him. From the short time he'd been with her he knew that she was hurting and, whether she realized it or not, was cutting herself off from everyone out in a cave in the wild. He was kind of surprised that the labs had allowed it. But then, they could always be looking at this as an unexpected experiment of an Islander making out on their own. And if the labs really did have cameras everywhere, surely they would lend assistance if something ever happened to her? "Sorry. I didn't mean to imply that you couldn't take care of yourself." He sighed. While he tried to decide what to say next he reached into his bag and pulled out a caramel candy, offering one to Em. "Do those spines hurt?" Emelyn At the offering of candy, a small part of Emelyn was immediately cheered. It was that same part of her that would always think of ice cream when she heard 'The Entertainer'- and that would make her think of long afternoons on the dock whenever someone mentioned licorice. Inside us all, there is a child who holds tight to their memories- to the smells, sounds and tastes that link them to a fond, sweet innocence of youth. Emelyn took the caramel candy- the first bit of sweetness that didn't come from a berry- that she'd had for many months. She rolled it along her tongue for a moment before answering, then pressed it against the roof of her mouth- delighted to find that her now so hedgehog-like palate did not reject the bit of sweetness, but rather, revelled in it, marvelling at its complexity and joy of flavor. Emelyn was experiencing the flavor of 'sweet'- not only for the first time in a long while... but also, in a way... for the first time in her life. "Mm." It was a sound of pleasure, before she finally answered his question. "No. Not unless someone tugs at them really hard. ...They didn't feel too peachy coming out, though- but some of them just transformed out of my regular hair. The rest came through my back. ...This candy is very good, thank you." Lucas Wickham "They probably make it hard to sleep and lean against stuff." He tipped a little to the side to get a better look at one of the spines in her hair. "At least you didn't get mixed with a porcupine. That might have been worse." He imagined needles pushing out from his own back and winced. Silently he prayed that he would not turn into a porcupine. "I'm glad you like it. Do you want another? I've got plenty?" He always enjoyed a candy whenever he started to feel uncomfortable or needed to calm down. It helped relax him. Emelyn "Mm... after I've sucked this one to death, I'll have another." She'd pushed the slowly diminishing sweet to the pocket of her left cheek, pinning it there between the pink flesh and her elongated hedgehog chompers. Emelyn smiled- knowing what a strange comment it would have been, out of context- but she said nothing more on the subject. "But it's actually not too much of a problem for sleeping. I've always slept on my stomach- now the habit's just reinforced. ...And I bet sitting down would be a pain..." Emelyn considered, "I hadn't thought about it. I've been in the wild since the bulk of my transformations occurred. I've never sat on a legitimate chair, with a back... with all these spines. ...Hugging's a problem, though. And normal shirts don't fit." Lucas Wickham He smiled, reached into his bag again and held out a handful of them to her. "Here, you can take these." For a moment he wondered how she could comfortably sleep on her chest with a ch- he immediately pulled himself away from that line of thinking. "At least you have all that fur to keep you warm." Emelyn "Thanks!" Em took the offered candies and shoved them, one by one, into the pockets of her jeans. They would make very welcome treats later. Reuben even lifted up his head and sniffed, and his tail made a slow, entreating thump against her back- as if to ask for one himself. But Em made deliberate work of pushing the candies down into her pockets without a second thought to the dog- who eventually lay back down on the earth with a canine-like sigh. "...Do ... you know what animal you've been infused with, Lucas?" Lucas Wickham His shoulder's shrugged. "Haven't a clue. Since I found out the truth from Ambrose I've been trying to guess what it could be. Mr. Duvert was the one who injected me and I've tried to recall anything from that day that might offer a clue. Knowing my luck, it's probably a platypus." Emelyn A soft smile was Em's only reply. It was the only sympathy, she knew from experience, that most people could bear at this juncture. "Dr. Duvert has a strange- but not cruel sense of humor, I've found. ...But the first transformation is never too difficult. And it will be spread out, over time. At least it won't... sneak up on you." Lucas Wickham "Dr. Duvert seemed like a nice guy when I met him. He said he was interested in some of the same things as me. Now I don't know if he was lying to continue stringing me along or meant it. I'm also starting to wonder if he deliberately set me up to run into Ambrose." "Oh well... whatever it is, it is. Can't stop it now. I'll just have to live with it." He pushed his glasses back up onto the bridge of his nose. "Sneak up on me, huh?" Emelyn "So you've met Ambrose." Somehow, the name brought up some of the old, stilted emotions, and she found herself puzzled that it carried such a strange note with her. This emotional interlude had dragged old emotions- ones that were long dead and would remain that way- to the surface in an awkward way. "He's a very good man. ...I've not seen him for a while. ...How is he?" Lucas Wickham "Yeah, he was the one who told me about the Island. When I last saw him he wasn't doing too well. I ran into him while he was transforming. He was in a lot of pain, but I think some of it started to pass after a while." Emelyn "When he was... transforming? He's transformed again?" Emelyn was surprised. Had it really been that long since she'd seen him? She tried to conjure up an image of what he'd looked like before- back in the early days, when they were all still just humans, sitting around a cafeteria table talking over each other. The memory... was too fuzzy for her tastes. Lucas Wickham Lucas nodded. "Yeah. I thought he was a werewolf for a while there," he laughed, embarassed as he recalled the memory of Ambrose correcting him. "I think he said it was his last transformation." Emelyn There wasn't much to say to that. It was as hard to imagine what Ambrose looked like now- as it was to remember exactly what he was before he had been... tainted. Beyond that, she didn't want to think on it- to remind herself that she didn't even know what she looked like. Some things are too painful to set upon the tip of your consciousness. It's better to balance them- somewhere in the back, where they can spin, unknowing of your main psyche. "Have you met many others?" Lucas Wickham "No. Not many. Just you, Ambrose, and Emerwyn. After I heard the truth it took me a while to come to terms with some things. So I spent a lot of my first week in my duplex. Finally I'd had enough and decided to meet people and explore." He was surprised he had admitted that much, though he was sure he wouldn't say any more on the subject. He didn't really feel like discussing what had gone on for the first few days on the Island. Emelyn "Sounds like me. ...After Moreau told me, I locked myself in my duplex for a week. Of course, I was also feeling guilty." She stopped, then waved her hand up as if to erase the words from the air. "But that's a long story." Lucas Wickham "Guilty? Why? If you don't mind me asking. It's not like I've got anything else to do with my time on a tropical Island." He smiled pleasantly. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want." Emelyn "...Lucas?" It was more of a statement than a question- and yet, that hint of an uplift in her voice changed the nature of it completely. "I think you're aiming to know more about me than anyone else on the island." It was a peculiar statement- said... in an equally peculiar tone of voice. "Well... to try and make the long story a little shorter... I agreed when Moreau asked me to be on 'his side', and to undergo the experiments willingly. He said all these things that sounded wonderful, like he was going to cure cancer and that he wasn't really going to hurt anyone. I believed him- and I was in just the right place to be a foolish, dumb martyr about it, and feel like I was giving my life up for something that mattered. I don't have anyone to go back home to, so it wouldn't be like I was making them suffer for my absence. ...I was just..." she stopped, the writer in her searching for the right word. "Floating, anyway. So what did it matter if I stopped in a place where I might do some good? But I still felt guilty enough for volunteering for something that had put so many of the other islander's lives in this hell. I didn't want to face them- and I was still playing the martyr. There. Wish you hadn't asked now, hm?" It was said in a mirthful tone. But she was only half-kidding. Lucas Wickham "What? Can't a person be curious about his prisonmates?" He grinned. He wondered if she was being serious. Surely there were people on the Island that she was friends with. Had no one really talked to her about these things? "At the time you agreed, did you know that he was tricking other's into coming to the Island?" He rubbed his shoulder. "I don't think you should be guilty. You weren't thinking selfishly. You thought it was going to do some good and help people. Sounds like Moreau took advantage of that. And you still would have turned into an animal and more people would have been brought to the Island regardless." Emelyn "Yes, I think I did know. We'd all talked about how we got to the island over cafeteria meals- wondering why we were all there for different reasons. ...I don't think I put two and two together until after I agreed, though. ...I know that sounds like I'm trying to make it right- but I really don't think it was on my mind. It was only afterwards that it happened." A small huff of a laugh escaped her lips. Reuben's ears perked up- the huffing noise was similar to a command she had to tell him to wait- but when she continued to speak, he calmed again into his prone position, curled protectively around his 'mother'. "You know, I wasn't even supposed to come to the island. My boat capsized in a storm. ...I guess the island saved my life." Lucas Wickham "I got here believing I was going to investigate mysterious attacks on local wildlife. I should have paid more attention to the company name." He let out a slow breath. "So you are a boater? I'd always wanted to ride on a boat. Doesn't seem like that will happen now. But at least I got a helicopter ride," he grinned. Emelyn "Well, at least you'll get to examine some 'bizarre wildlife' in reality. ...Down to the bones of the place, it's pretty interesting... if it wasn't the end of our free lives, that is. ..And no." Another huff of a laugh escaped- but Reuben ignored this one. "It was my Grandfather's boat. He left it to my sister and me... but I never wanted to take it out until... after. When it sank down to the reefs around the island, that was the first time I'd ever taken The Wilhemina out for a true cruise." Lucas Wickham "I'd always hoped to see something unreal. Never really thought I'd become part of it." He raised an eyebrow. "After?" Emelyn "After she died. Cancer." Four words that twisted her from the inside out. Lucas Wickham He gave her a sympathetic and apologetic look. "I'm sorry." Emelyn "Thank you." The words were soft. Defeated. It had been weeks since she'd let herself remember her sister- to think on that sweet, unassuming face. "Her name was Mizzie." Lucas Wickham "Mizzie? Is that short for something?" He'd never heard a name like that before. "I never had any siblings of my own. It was just me and my dad." Emelyn She smiled. "No. Short for nothing. Emelyn and Mizzie. My parents must have had a strange sense of name aesthetics. ...It's too bad you didn't have any siblings. Was it lonely, growing up?" Emelyn couldn't imagine the family dynamic without her sister- without that constant companion, another version of yourself that mirrored all your best qualities and ignored all your worst. Lucas Wickham "Sometimes it was lonely. My dad worked a lot and Nonie had to work to maintain the building, so she couldn't be around all the time. But my childhood was still a happy one." Emelyn "Well... now you've got a great big family. After you've met more people, I can guarantee someone is going to 'adopt' you. We've got surrogat brothers and sisters... mothers, aunts... fathers- it's a whole Disney family reunion." Lucas Wickham Lucas chuckled. "Adopt me, huh? Has someone adopted you?" Emelyn A soft smile crossed the girl's face. It was either acutely happy... or somewhat sad. The expression would be puzzling. "Not in name, no. But I think I'm everyone's sister. Or their distant aunt, out living on a mountain. ...It's more the younger crowd that has glommed together." Lucas Wickham "I'll be the crazy uncle that pinches everyone's cheeks and brings green bean casserole to everything," he laughed. Emelyn Emelyn laughed- genuinely- in return, at the lovably weird response. "It takes a crazy uncle. Mine were all a little crazy. ...All the good extended family should be, y'know." Lucas Wickham "I didn't have much of an extended family, actually. So no uncles of my own. But Nonie had a crazy brother. He was a fun guy." Family was not really a topic he enjoyed discussing. He wasn't sure why he hadn't changed the subject yet. Maybe because it seemed to cheer Emelyn up? Emelyn Emelyn paused in her response, to watch Reuben stand, stretch his legs, then wander around to sniff at the foliage. "So it was just you, your dad, and ...Nonie? ...That sounds a little lonely. What did you do to keep yourself occupied when they were away?" Lucas Wickham "It was fine. When I was little I'd play with a few of the other kids in the building. The rest of the time I'd watch tv, read, or play with toys." He stretched. He'd been sitting in the same position for a while. "My father got me interested in science fiction and fantasy stories. I'm a bit of a nut for the paranormal." Emelyn Em noticed the shift in his posture and his position, and she took the half-cue to stand, and call Reuben back over to her. "Well," she said, using the opportunity to stretch, herself, "not to try and play Pollyanna... but you'll get plenty of the supernatural here." Lucas Wickham "Indeed." He pulled himself to his feet and stretched some more. "I'm sorry to bring this to an end, but it's getting late. I try to get back my room before dark. I'm still getting used to this place and I don't want to get lost out here." Emelyn "It's alright. I really have to get going, too. Reuben's getting antsy. I don't want him to run too far off. ...But it was really nice meeting you, Lucas. ...Come look for me again sometime. I've already given you directions to 'the house'. She gave him a warm, inviting smile, then leaned down to give the spaniel-mix a loving pat. "Come on Reu." With that, she made to leave. Lucas Wickham "Sure. It was nice meeting you. I'll come around sometime soon. See you around, Em. Take care." He watched her go and when she was out of sight, he then left himself.
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Posted: Mon Sep 18, 2006 7:54 pm
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Posted: Mon Sep 18, 2006 7:59 pm
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Posted: Wed Sep 20, 2006 4:30 pm
The initial fever and injection-prickmark likely go unnoticed with the other symptoms that Emelyn has been expressing recently. However.... as under the weather as Emelyn has been, there are some developments that are certainly unrelated to komodo dragon attacks. Namely, the spines that already covered her back push out even longer - and certainly not painlessly. And even the edges of her mantle of quills extends out further, more new spines growing in - the pain of a thousand quills that by now was a distant memory now springing to the very immediate, forefront of your mind. Then, to top it all off, the small muzzle that you had - that perhaps you never even got a good look at aches, grinds, and pushes out before your eyes. The process is dizzying, painful... but, ironically, despite how sore you feel after the change, the other injuries you sustained from the attack are left almost negligible... a strange system of exchange - immediate, almost excruciating pain... to release you from the remnant ailments. 
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Island of Moreau Vice Captain
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Posted: Wed Sep 20, 2006 11:39 pm
Apocalypse In those those last few minutes, Emelyn was alone... as the apocalypse reigned. It's such a strong word. Apocalypse. To many, it conjures up fantastical visions of death and destruction. The end of the world, the revelation bore by the angels. The word of God, tainted with the sins of man, raining down like fire to destroy what had been good and whole upon the earth. It is... to some ... the ultimate ending. But, what is an Apocalypse- but the ending of an era, the final judgement of an age. In very literal meaning, 'The Apocalypse' means the lifting of a veil. Something new was being revealed to Emelyn- and it meant the ending of everything else she had ever known. Pain found her where she slept. Emelyn was jerked from a fitful, awful dream by an unexplicably more terrible reality. The clothes of sleep were heavy upon her: a rainment of drowsy, half-terrifying lullabies of her nightmares that made her groggy, disoriented. She was torn from these garments of confusion only by the pain- it solidified, turned hard and cruel. The aches and fevers of the previous week were forgotten- dismissed by a mind occupied by so much more. A cavalcade of new spines were born in her back, the ball-like follicles sucking up nutrients from the blood to harden and settle in those taut stripes of muscles along her already so-hedgehog like form. Her blood, though it carried the agent of change with it, sheparding it through the girl's veins like a deadly host- was incensed at this theft, and retaliated in the only way it knew how. Torture... pain... the sensation of something being harmed- is all electrical. The skin itself does not have the ability to cry out- nor do bones carry within them the means to complain. It is the nervous system- that vast, electrical machine that wires every body to understand the outside world, that manipulates these sensations. Pain... is a terrible thing, and yet, it alerts us to what we cannot otherwise know: to keep our bodies out of harm's way- to give our hapless skin and bones a chance to heal when something is done to them. To Emelyn, however- there was no way to prevent her agony- she lived in harm's way. She drowned in it. Emelyn's body responded the way it knew how- to alert the brain to its trouble, to this thieving outsider... by lighting up every miniscule branch of the nervous system so that it cried out in pain. It knew no reprieve, as her body screamed on- not realizing that its response was ten, twenty fold to the actual damages it suffered- and that, no how matter how loud it screamed... there was nothing that anyone could do. Long after the blood from her protruding nose had spilt down her front- after the stain of red had left its mark on the fur of her chest and in the palms of her now unhuman hands... Emelyn found herself standing- still alone- before the mirror in Lucas's duplex. Her eyes were clouded from tears, and her legs shaky. And not from any physical ache. It was the first time Emelyn had seen herself since Christmas. Really, truly seen herself except in the distorted reflections that moving water could provide. She had avoided her own eyes... cast away the thought of her own image... for so long that she had almost forgotten that a picture of herself existed- and that there was something to her that was altogether... less than human. There would be no forgetting, now. As she stood at the mirror, both furred palms against it, the reflection of her face the meat between them... she died. In all ways that mattered, Emelyn White died inside. The face that looked back at her was not her own- it was not even a mockery of her own. It was hideous. It was wrong. It was anything but human... and nothing if not the cruelest picture of what she had become. Tears streamed down her face- as Emelyn openly wept at the sight of herself. She was sick to her stomach, then, at the image of that disgusting maw opening with misery to allow the sobs through. It was hard to explain how she felt, in that moment. Liken it... to holding on to one of your rings, to pull it from your finger- and finding that the skin, itself, peels off: sloughs into the palm of your other hand. Even if the action was somehow completely free of pain, just the image of it is enough to churn your stomach. It's not right. It's unnatural. Emelyn would never be able to look in the mirror again, and see the girl she would be in her dreams. Her self image would never connect with what that awful reflection showed- and so, she would always be lost, torn between the reconciliation of what was... and what was supposed to be. It was a joke- a vicious twist of Moreau's nature- that the monster in the mirror cried as she did, its eyes puffed with fear and sadness, just as her own. It mocked her. It belittled her pain. There would be none around to see Emelyn cast her arm upwards to strike at the mirror. Not even Reuben- who Lucas must have taken away earlier that day- would see his master beating the mirror again and again with her fists, her elbows and her claws. There would be none to see the action- but, perhaps one would see the blood and shattered glass when he returned. Emelyn would not be there to know. For as soon as she stood, only strands of a reflection staring back at her from the slivers of glass that remained in the now bloodied frame... she realized two things. First... that if a man was only their image, then she finally knew what she was. Broken. Shattered. And Bloodied. At that moment, Emelyn wanted to destroy everything that was whole and beautiful. Destruction chewed at her soul and saw everything as hateful and wrong. She longed to tear the sheets to shreds- to punch holes through the windows and wipe her bloodied, malformed hands down the walls until stripes of hateful red blood crisscrossed the entire room. But the second thing Emelyn realized was that, despite everything, guilt still filled her nostrils with a sour rot at the thought of the mayhem. She couldn't possibly stay here and destroy the way her heart yearned to. So she left everything behind- the bag by the bed which contained the only treasures she had left... Lucas... Reuben, her dignity and the last strands of her self-worth.... they were all abandoned as she returned to a place she said she would have rather died than stepped foot into. ...It didn't matter now. She was already dead. Duplex #8 was dusty, unused, and stale when the new 100% islander stepped into its walls. By the end of an hour, it was also bloodied, mangled, and utterly destroyed: and filled with one occupant who was... as her duplex. Bloodied... Mangled.... And utterly destroyed. To this girl- now more hedgehog than man- who huddled in a closet surrounded by blankets she had shredded and old clothes that mocked what she could never again become... The apocalypse had come.
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Posted: Sun Sep 24, 2006 10:31 am
4 days later Huddled, rocking, and shaking from her hunger and the delirium brought by having no water for four days- and very little before that, Emelyn was still a ball in the bottom of the closet. Almost two days before, the hunger had snapped her- bowed her in half as sure as her hedgehog muscles done so. It was then that the girl had begun to gnash her teeth- a compulsive, steady gnaw that continued its onslaught no matter what got in its way. Her tongue was wise, and kept back, darting around the roof of her mouth as if to derive some sustenance from it- but her cheeks, and their limited ability of movement- were not so lucky. The pain did not deter her. In this frame of mind, it was a dull whisper that joined the chorus of crazed voices in her mind: it was lost in the crowd. For two days, her teeth scraped up against that soft flesh- they grated against the pink until it was a mess of red. The only thing that kept the blood from rolling down her throat was her folded-over position: as she gnawed, it trickled between the opening of her muzzle and onto the floor around her. For two days, she chewed- until the flesh of her cheek was as soft as wet newspaper- if she tried, either her tongue or her fingers could have pushed right through- force the gummy flesh to either side. Only an eventual tightness in her jaw from working so long stopped this particular sort... of madness. It wouldn't be long until she would begin to contract her fingers, ended in such vicious claws- scraping away at what it cradled: the long, porcine muzzle filled with the scent of blood.
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Island of Moreau Vice Captain
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Posted: Sun Sep 24, 2006 6:17 pm
It's only about thirty minutes or so after Emelyn begins tearing at her own muzzle that a tingle at the base of her spine quickly spreads, drowning her in unconsciousness.
Two guards are subsequently sent to collect Emelyn (who are lucky to not have to be given the other more unforutnate duty of scouring the jungle in search of Jamal..).
She's sedated, and brought into the labs for an acessment of her final change, a medical acessment of the damange she had wrought, and then medical treatment of the damage.
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