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Nita pulled her knees up to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. After a few minutes of nearly silent crying, only marked by the occasional tear or ragged breath, she seemed to come back to herself. She breathed slowly and deeply, wiping her face on her sleeves.

"'S not your fault," she mumbled. "You didn't know."

Nita sniffed and nodded slightly, letting go of her knees. She leaned to the side and rested against Oz's shoulder for just a minute. If she stayed too long, she'd just fall apart more from the sympathy.

"Thanks," she said softly, pulling away from the much larger man. "I try not to think about it too much, you know? But it's not something I can, or should, ever forget."

Nita had always hated crying in public: her face always got red and splotchy, her nose ran, her eyes puffed up and got bloodshot, and she'd once been asked if, after a crying fit, she were actually stoned. But covered in fur as she now was, she probably looked relatively normal. At least, as normal as one can look after being turned into a red panda. Nita forced herself to calm down; as it was she'd feel shaky for hours afterwards.

"I guess they don't want us to panic," she said quietly. "Although panicking would probably be an acceptable response." A tiny smile tugged at her lips.

"Tough cookie," Nita repeated. "That's a phrase I haven't heard in forever."

Nita laughed in spite of herself. Accepting Oz's hand, she hopped down from the woodpile. She busied herself with cleaning off her own pants, although they could certainly have used a wash before.

Only then realizing how light it had become, Nita nodded. "Sure, I could use some breakfast."

New RP

Sophie was particularily excited, though she couldn't tell quite why. Maybe her medicine had started working again to make her more alert, or maybe she was just getting nervous over calling someone she barely knew, but either way, adrenaline seemed to rush through her veins, and she paced back and forth from within the interior of her duplex with her arms crossed.

Why was she so nervous, anyway? She'd sung and danced in front of total strangers, so why was it so awkward to make one phone call? Sophie figured it was probably because she knew that once she talked to Gaius, once she started working with him, she'd have a purpose, and a new direction in life. It was exciting, it was new, but it was also a bit nervewracking, just to let go of everything she'd known before in exchange for this new chance to live. Of course, she could just stay all mopey and upset about the Island and it's vices, but she knew she couldn't be like that forever: it had to be this way, and it had to be now. She'd moped long enough.

So, checking the paper only six times, she dialed the number for Gaius's duplex, her leg twitching as she anxiously waited for him to answer.

"Oh! Uhm...hi. This is Gaius, right?" Sophie didn't know why the sudden noise made her jump, but it had, and she spent a moment putting her hair back in place before speaking again.

"It's Sophie: also known as the blonde chick with elf ears. You got a moment?"

"Yeah, we met in the cafeteria," Sophie responded, glad that he remembered her at least. That meant that she wouldn't have to do more introductions.

"Well, I heard you were the one working on the theater project and all that jazz, and I was kinda wondering if there were any spots open for people to work. I mean, I don't know how much I could do, but if I saw the site then I think I could get a general idea...just a little help, y'know?" She crossed her fingers and shook them, hoping and praying for a 'yes'. After all, she'd already gotten dressed for some sort of outdoor work in her khaki shorts and an older t-shirt. True, she normally wouldn't wear it on account of the fact that she'd have to shave every hour or so to keep her legs hair-free, but that's what her long, crazy multi-colored socks were for.