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 Posted: Wed Jul 19, 2006 10:47 am
Too much to think about lately. Everything is so cluttered in my mind. I need to make connections, but it's just not happening. Maybe setting it on paper will help. Perhaps a list. 1). I had dinner with the Doctor the other night. THE Doctor. Moreau himself. I knew that Lauren was close to him, but.. I guess I never really thought about what the meant. Apparently it meant inviting the two of us up to his mansion (crazyfancy) for a meal and a chat. Of course we got the invitation just a few minutes before a Jeep showed up to take us up there. Moreau really goes all out when he wants to impress people. Lauren and I had tried to dress up a little, but he had these two absolutely gorgeous gowns waiting for us. Custom-made, with room for our tails and everything. So that was all lovely, and the food was great, but it was still awfully uncomfortable. I mean, what do you say to your girlfriend's "dad," when he's also the one turning you (and about 50 other people) into an animal? I mean, really. On top of that, he asked me to help him. Support him. Try to convert the others. I do try to help people, especially when they're new. Personally, I don't really mind being a red panda (although I'm considered one of the 'lucky' ones. I don't even want to get started on that topic), and it's nice here. It gets too hot and muggy, but the building's are air-conditioned, and I'm so much more relaxed than I ever was at home. I was always in school, there was always this pressure to succeed, to study, to do something. Here... I can be myself. No one knows how I was back home. I have friends here. I have Lauren. Of course I miss my family, especially my mom. I don't have any idea what she's been told about what happened to me, or if it's some big mystery.. I really can't think about that. Maybe I'm just trying to rationalize everything here, but it's the only way I can survive. I have to live in the present, for the future, because there's too much in the past that I'll never get back (and some of it I don't want to have back). In any case, I think I said I would help him. And I guess I am, by not putting up a big fuss, and just talking to people. Really though, this stuff can help people. For example, Cody. 2). Cody is ten. When I met him, I was shocked and appalled that they'd take a kid away from everything he knows, but they promised to cure him. He has Multiple Sclerosis, which I don't know much about, except that it's not pleasant and that people tend to die young. Cody is being turned into a dolphin, so at least he got a cool animal. I talked to him about them a little bit, and explained some of the concepts in the book he had that he didn't understand. Anyway, he's changed once now, and since then he hasn't needed his catheter, which I think was the most embarrassing part for him. So he's better. It's amazing. A scientific triumph, and a real reason for developing these serums. If only more people knew about that... Plus, we saw dolphins. There's a pod that must be local, because I've seen them several times when I was at the beach. I'd promised Cody we could go together and look for them, and we did. We swam out past the breakers (Cody with his new tail) and after a bit, they showed up. They're really such beautiful and amazing animals. People spend money to see them, or touch them, or even swim with them, but we just went out and there they were. 3). Enough about that, though. Natsumi is a Japanese girl, a couple of years younger than me. And she's pregnant. I think I was the first islander to find out (I'd be ridiculously surprised if the doctors didn't know), and I've actually felt the baby kick. The two of us got pretty excited about that, and Natsumi said she'd start thinking of names and stuff. But later, it occurred to me: What would even happen to a baby whose mother was being changed into something? Would the baby be born human, or part animal? Would it even live long enough to be born? Of course I can't talk to her about it, since I don't want to worry her. And maybe it'll be fine after all. I just can't help but wonder... Argh. I don't know anything about these serums, except that they change our DNA. We change physically and mentally, not just from the injections, but from what happens to us here, our relationships with the other islanders. I guess I've picked up some information, between my talk with Dr. Duvert and from what Lauren has told me, but I'm obviously not an expert. I just want to understand what's going on around me. Maybe I'm weird, but the whole concept fascinates me. Maybe I've read too much sci-fi/fantasy. Maybe I just wanted something extraordinary to happen to me. Something more than just being the nerdy little white girl with the funny name, who was probably gay and had a nervous breakdown. Or maybe I'm just deluding myself.
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Posted: Wed Jul 19, 2006 8:07 pm
Cue Protective Panda Natsumi Tanaka Natsumi frowned to herself, following a beatle on it's path towards the beach before losing it.. Again. Newt had made this look so much easier... After their little incident together, she'd picked up his habit of sneaking out at night to catch a few bugs for a snack. She wore her sweater this time, both to keep her comfortably warm and to hide her pregnancy... She had been lucky newt hadn't noticed. Along with that was one of her plain skirts, and sandals. She glanced around the edge of the trail just before her feet hit the sand of the beach... Beatles were preffered... Not so sticky, like the worms had been. Just pretend they are peanuts... she reminded herself, before a flicker of light caught her attention. Turning towards a noticable fire on the beach she curiously started for it, momentarily forgetting about her beatle hunt. Zachary Bloodstone The fire in question was nestled in a small hole dug out into the sand. Within it, pieces of paper curled, smoked, and burned. On the side, standing over the flames, was Zachary, ripping pages out of his notebook and tossing them to their destruction. Occassionally he bent down to pick up a bottle of vodka to soak the crackling fire and keep it burning.
Between the blinding brightness of the fire and the comfortable monotony of his actions, he didn't notice the approaching person. He reached into the notebook again, pulling out a pair of pages and crumpling and ripping them in the process. A careless toss and they were swallowed up in the unforgiving element.
Natsumi Tanaka Natsumi slowed as she got closer to the fire, driven by simple curiosity now... She felt her heart skip a beat at the first sight of the person tearing something... Some paper. The horns, the colors, with the added dramatic effect of the fire made him look like something out of hell.
She tried to shake that thought, it was just another islander. Perfectly harmless, right? Everyone else was... Either way, her curiosity was ebbed. It wasn't someone she knew and.. well, he looked busy. No need to say hello. And with that, she was ready to turn and go back the way she came. Zachary Bloodstone It was only when she got close that he heard her footsteps in the sand. After wavering a moment with a piece of paper in hs hand, he stopped, snapping the significantly more empty notebook shut and letting the page slip out of his fingers into the awaiting flames.
"Out late?" he remarked. He'd spent so long staring into the fire that the sea, beach, and jungle were all a splotchy dark blur. He blinked a couple of times, but whoever had approached him was nothing more than a human-shaped shadow a ways off. Some night vision he had, thwarted by twenty minutes of of bright light.
Natsumi Tanaka She jumped a bit when he spoke, fidgeting some. She almost felt like she'd been spying on him... Which made her feel more than awkward. "Y-Yes..." She admitted, turning back to face him. Clasping her hands together she simply stared, not sure what to say.. but also feeling obligated to say.. something. Anything. But that was a failed attempt, and her eyes slowly peered towards the fire... Vaugly wondering what he was doing, it certiantly wasn't hot dogs and smores. Awkardly, she continued, deciding to explain herself atleast alittle bit. "I was.. getting something to eat." She decided to refrain from saying what that something was. Zachary Bloodstone "I have to admit, it's nice to hear someone who sounds scared. I thought I was the only one. You know, if FDR had seen this place, he'd have changed his tune pretty quickly. 'Only thing we have to fear is fear itself'... hah." The other person's voice sounded female, but he couldn't see much. Was she new to the island? Still holding the notebook tightly with his left, he rubbed his eyes. "I guess I should mention you overshot the cafeteria by about a mile."
Things were finally coming into focus a bit. Her staring didn't go unnoticed; he rolled his eyes and his tail curled. From the odd look of her feet and the noticable tail, he gathered she'd been on the island long enough that he wasn't the first islander she'd met sporting the physical features of an animal or seven. Ivy alone had been the only islander to take a positive interest in his appearance, and things were not about to change. He looked her over again, curling his lip and letting one of the feline fangs that was threatening to protrude from his mouth show. "It's rude to stare."
Natsumi Tanaka Natsumi blinked, head spinning to try and wrap around what he was talking about. Fearing fear or something along those lines. She let out a meek awkward chuckle when he had laughed, pretending as though she had caught it.
She practically choked when he mentioned the cafeteria, yes that was true but.. thats not what she was eating. But she couldn't outright tell him that she was flouncing around eating bugs. "No.. I .. wasn't going there i was..." she gulped, trailing off. What would he think if he knew about that? But the conversation was obviously heading that direction, and she wasn't helping it.
She squeaked when he mentioned she was staring, not having noticed that until he said it... "Aa! I--" She quickly averted her eyes "I did not mean to.. I am sorry." The situation was getting even more awkward.. and the tone of his voice on that last part wasn't exactly reassuring. Zachary Bloodstone He swapped the notebook from one hand to the other so that he could hold his scale-covered left up in a silencing gesture. "Never mind," he grumbled.
"Of course you didn't. No one means to. You just couldn't avoid it because I look like a monster. Right?" The frills that had replaced his ears flared a little as he spoke. His fingers played along the spine of the notebook, claws occasionally hooking into the leatherlike material. Sunken, slitted eyes looked at and through the girl he spoke to. "But it's not just appearance. I am one. I've... I've hurt people before. Or tried." His next words came in a quiet breath. "I couldn't help it."
He gained his composture quickly, trying to brush some hair to the side of his face. "Is that why you're looking at me like that? Is it? Who else told you?"
Natsumi Tanaka She caught the movement, stopping her apologies abruptly, then moving her eyes back to the ground. She wasn't even sure if she should start looking at him when he started talking again.. but it would have been rude not to, so she rose her eyes to meet his, biting her lip some.
A monster? No... well... He did, but that wasn't why she was staring. Heck, she stared at everyone... mostly trying to guess their animals. Her heart was beating faster already, though it was slight until he said something about hurting people. Was he threatning her? Had she really made him that mad with staring? And what if he did? It was the dead of night... Alone on a beach... That didn't help the situation at all. She may not have been too scared before but she was getting there now.
She tried to compose herself, tried not to act childish and get frightened just because it was dark and there was someone talking about hurting people. She turned her eyes away to make sure she wouldn't stare again. "N-No... No one said.. anything. I was just trying to guess what you were, that is all." she said meekly, unable to come up with a lie as to why else she would be staring she just hoped the truth wouldn't be as insulting. Zachary Bloodstone "Guess what I am!? Good luck... whatever I am doesn't exist in nature for a good reason. For all intents and purposes, I'm a dragon." He spread his arms aggressively and took a step toward the girl. "Happy? Suppose that's the only entertainment now that doesn't involve serious injury. Guessing what everyone's going to become. Because you can't just ask."
After the short bit of frustration he'd released, he stood breathing somewhat heavily and clasping the notebook. Being angry was not fun, and going out of his way to scare people was not helpful to his situation. He'd done enough scaring when he wasn't in his right mind. He took a few steps so that the fire was now between them, and began to rip pages out of the notebook again to fill the silence. Rather than apologize for his actions, he chose to ignore that they'd happened.
Nita MacNeal For the second time that day, Nita found herself wandering beyond the village. And, for the second time that day, there was a fire on the beach. Two people this time, and the scent of burning paper on the breeze. The smaller person she recognized, even at a distance. "Hey! Natsumi!" she called, approaching the pair. "And.. Zach?" She fumbled for the other's name having only met him the once... when he had yelled at her and Rex. That was on the beach as well, come to think of it... Natsumi Tanaka For a moment, she thought her heart stopped... A mixture of general fear of him and a guilty feeling from getting him so mad at her. She found herself stumbling backwards, only to trip on her own feet in a slight panic and fall backwards onto her rear.
Asking would have been much ruder than guessing... Wouldn't it? And why on earth would injury be fun? Her mind was racing as he walked away, unable to say anything... And wishing she could. By now, she figured her reaction was aboutto get him mad at her...
And then she heard a familiar voice. At the moment, Nita seemed like her guardian angel. "N-Nita!" She squeaked, looking back towards her, she quickly pushed herself to her feet, moving over towards the familiar woman with a rather terrified smile. She wasn't going to run off at the moment, she felt that would be by far the rudest thing she had done, but she atleast wanted to be near Nita... For comfort reasons. "Z..Zach?" she questioned Nita, having caught a hint of the name. Her voice still trembling and weak, it sounded like she might have been ready to cry. Zachary Bloodstone Zach continued to throw paper to the flames. He glanced up when Nita said his name, but looked away just as quickly. He wouldn't have recognized her if the other girl - Natsumi, apparently - had said her name. The last time they'd met she'd been perfectly human. This was evidently no longer the case, judging by her fluffy tail and full coat of fur. When had they met before...
Oh, yes. It had been that time he and Rex had argued about something. He narrowed his eyes a little. There wasn't any way he'd remember it now. It had been months and months ago, and the only firsthand record he had of it now was currently a pile of ash in that fire. Whatever it was, though, it had been quite an argument.
"Nita," he acknowledged flatly. There were less than ten pages left now to burn.
Nita MacNeal Nita jumped as Natsumi fell backward into the sand. When the girl came to stand with her, Nita put a protective and reassuring hand on her shoulder. "It's okay," she said softly. "I'm here." Not that Nita was a terribly effective guardian (as she'd thought only a few hours earlier, speakign with Pyroth), but at least she was company-- and a witness. The cameras and microchips never even entered her thoughts. "It's been awhile," she said to Zach, sharp eyes taking in the extent of his changes. The tip of her tail twitched slightly, but otherwise Nita was still and on the alert. Natsumi Tanaka Natsumi bit her lip, putting a hand on the hand that had reached her shoulder and squeasing it a bit. Comfort.. Friend.. Witness. There it was. A false blanket of security she was more than willing to accept. She gulped, trying not to make her fear as obvious as it was getting, but also making sure to definatly not stare at this Zach person. Zachary Bloodstone "Can't disagree with that," he said idly, his tail swishing on the sand. The last page fluttered into the awaiting flames. He dropped the hollowed-out book on the sand.
The fire had once again screwed up his ability to see in the dark. He could barely see Nita and Natsumi now. He didn't care much, either. Natsumi had grated on his nerves for some reason. He'd been angry, and she'd just stood there and let him take things out on her. That wasn't how it was supposed to work, was it?
He brushed his hands together and start to walk past the two in the direction of the path back to the village. He'd finished what he came to the beach for. Never mind that the first law of the island was never to have privacy...
Nita MacNeal Nita frowned slightly at Zach, watching him drop the last bit of paper into the fire. As he walked off rudely, Nita grumbled and kicked some sand in his direction. Fortunately, the wind wasn't blowing hard enough to throw the grit back at her. "Are you okay?" Nita asked Natsumi. "What did he say to you?" Her frown deepened and she patted the girl's arm. Natsumi Tanaka Natsumi shifted uncomfortably as he walked past, looking back to Nita as her voice reached her. "I..." Natsumi stumbled, looking a bit shakey. "I beleive.. I stared.. and then he was mad... Something about hurting people.." The whole experience seemed to be blurring in her mind now, no real memory of the whole thing sticking except the look on his face.. The way he threw his arms at her. And for whatever reason, Nita's kindness wasn't helping her calm down any... It only made her want to cling on the familiar woman and cry, though she tried to refrain from that. Nita MacNeal Nita blinked. The whole explanation didn't make a lot of sense, but it was quite possible the encounter itself hadn't been exactly sensible. From her previous experience with Zach, he was prone to shouting and terrifying short girls. "Hey, it's okay. He's gone now. He yelled at me once, too, and I was really glad to have someone there with me." She pushed her bangs out of her face and sighed at the small, smoky fire. "We should probably put this out..." The red panda girl started shovelling sand over the flames with one foot, careful not to get too close. Nita was actually the same way when upset; someone being too nice to her just made her fall apart more. And then she'd start hyperventilating and her face would be red and blotchy for hours. It suddenly occurred to her that with her leathery black nose, it probably couldn't get all red and swollen anymore. Point one for being a red panda? Natsumi Tanaka Natsumi nodded, he was gone.. still she felt bad in a way. Sure he had been beyond scary and agressive to her, but she had brought it upon herself, hadn't she?
She turned to the fire, nodding and giving a quick whipe of her eyes. "Yes..." she nodded, allready feeling better. Her heart was starting to slow back down, rational thought returning.. The intial panic was ebbing. She mimiced Nita's actions, sliding her webbed foot through the sand to kick it onto the fire. Slightly suprised by jsut how much more sand the webbing was catching. "Thankyou..." she offered a smile to Nita, looking better allready, dispite perhaps a bit of a red face. Nita MacNeal "Don't worry about it. I guess he's just like that..." Nita sighed. Zach was one of the few people on the Island she actively disliked, the current situation only driving home her poor first impression. She hid a grin, noticing how well Natsumi's foot worked as a shovel. "I think that's about it," she said, examining the remains of the fire, now reduced to a pile of ash and sand. "I'd meant to come out here and swim a bit, or just look at the water but... Would you like me to walk to you back to the village? Or you can stay out here a bit, I certainly don't mind." Nita smiled sideways at Natsumi, hoping the girl had calmed down a bit. Natsumi Tanaka Natsumi nodded to Nita's statement. Fire was out, everything was good... In the time it had taken to cover the fire, she had calmed down significantly. Able to distract herself with the action at hand she had gotten her mind off of it.
She shifted, thinking over the two options a moment, she really just wanted to go hide in her duplex at the moment. "If... It is not too much trouble, could you walk me?" she bit her lip, looking to the shadowy figure of Nita hopefully. With the fire out, there wasn't much light, but the moon seemed to be doing a fairly good job. But at the same time, after that incident the dark was starting to creep her out. Nita MacNeal Putting the fire out had also given Zach plenty of time to get far ahead of them, so they shouldn't run into him on the way to the village. "It's really no trouble," Nita said, casting a very briefly wistful glance at the ocean. It would still be there tomorrow night, and she really didn't mind walking a friend home. She could see well enough in the dark anyway. Nita began to walk, her furred feet leaving little prints that were quickly filled in by the shifting sand.
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Posted: Sat Jul 22, 2006 12:02 am
"I'm Sorry, But Do You Have Leaves?" Alec Derring "AHHHH!!!!" Alec leaped up sideways, shocked that the pain hadn't subsided. It was a DREAM, a horrible dream, why was it still hurting!? Oh God, it hurt so much!
His head swirled in a dizzy stupor and the youngster teetered until he fell onto the floor of his duplex. His head, what was going on!? He held his palms out flat, smacking his temples over and over but the crunching, cracking, twisting tremors of pain only seemed to get worse. Unlike his nightmare, his screams broke freely from his strained vocal cords, incoherent shireks that came in spurts as the pain did.
Eyes were forced shut and he tried to roll back and forth, writhing on the carpetted floor until he roll far enough that he landed on his back. The sharpest pain, a spear stabbing straight into his spinal column like he was being silently chastized for the action. He was as if he was impaled, a stiff object underneath him preventing him from laying back.
Finally when he was able to calm a little, pain tolerance adjusting to the constant and shrill throbs, he managed to brace his arms infront of his so that his head hang towards the ground. His sobs came in gasps but his best attempts at catching his breathe weren't helping. Maybe he was hyperventilating? Water. Water. Need water. Throat so dry.
Slowly he crawled like a pathetic insect stamped and mushed into the ground, the bark on his knees catching on the carpet so that he didn't get very far. The com system. Need help. Dark black eyes glanced slowly up towards the doorway, sunlight streaming through the nearby window.
Big mistake. Nita MacNeal Nita was jerked out of a sound sleep by a high-pitched shriek. She sat up abruptly, legs automatically trying to drag her out of bed. Something was wrong, something was dangerous! The girl stood breathing hard, working to calm her furiously thumping heart, trying to make sense of the situation. Nothing in her room was moved. Everything was how it should be... She shifted uneasily, the scream echoing in her mind. Downstairs. Had something happened to Alec? She bit her lip, debating the wisdom of going to check on him. What if he had been attacked.. but what would attack a teenaged boy in his own duplex in the early hours of the morning? Looking down at herself to check that she was decently clothed, it suddenly hit her. Without further ado, Nita was on the balcony, hurrying down the steps and knocking on Alec's door, a bottle of Tylenol clenched in one had. "Alec?" she called, knocking. "Alec? Are you okay?" Alec Derring Alec heard the knock, jumping out of his skin as the sound jolted his sensitive and ever-throbbing temples. He was shaking from head to foot, not able to recognize such a simple and familiar noise.
For awhile he did his best to say nothing but found it hard to stay silent. If a wild beast was around, he'd surely be dinner for the simple reason that event though it was easy enough not to speak, he was still gasping for air in short gulps that shook his shoulders. "Nita?" The realization dawned on him as he heard the distinctly female voice, though at first his response was most likely much too shakey and quiet to be of use.
Swallowing a bit of air, he squinted towards the doorway once again although his retinas were screaming for somesort of shaded darkness. "NITAAA?!" He called out again with a bit more force though ending in a quiet whimper, his voice shaking and sounded very much frantic and afraid. Nita MacNeal Nita listened for any sign of movement from inside, praying Alec hadn't passed out. Or, if he had, that he'd left his door unlocked. Finally came that pathetic cry. "s**t s**t s**t," she muttered, turning the doorknob. Thank God, Nita thought as the door opened easily. "Oh, Alec," she said softly, kneeling beside him. He had definitely changed, and was looking distinctly more shark-like. Hopefully red pandas were novel enough not to be a post-change snack. "What do you need?" Nita asked, voice businesslike and caring all at once. "I've got pain relievers. I.. I heard you scream." Alec Derring Alec's mind raced as he realized his door may be locked and that he might have to actually walk over and unlock it. Fortunately the click of the doorknob put him at ease for a moment, long enough to forget to look away and subsequently receive another eyeful of sunlight. A strung out groan indicated his repeated mistake and he found himself unable to respond to Nita in anything more coherent than a few more groans of pain.
"Somethin' hawd.... hit me'ead..." He croaked, rolling onto his side beside Nita. Although he'd been grappling an his face for awhile now, it didn't seem to have sunk in yet that his facial structure had changed at all. "So thirsteh..." Nita MacNeal 'Hit his head, indeed.' Of course, Alec's newly changed face was the first thing Nita noticed. "Water," she said firmly. With a sympathetic glance, she stood quickly and found a relatively clean glass in the kitchen area. Nita returned, the glass full, and sat cross-legged on the floor. "Can you sit up? You shouldn't drink lying down." She twisted the bottle open and handed Alec the cup plus a couple pills. Alec Derring Alec gladly accepted the water and medication but didn't feel like budging at all. In that position the changes didn't hurt so badly. It was when he tried to move or reposition himself that he really felt the soreness throughout. "Muuuh..." He grunted pathetically but could already hear Nita's disapproving chatter, so he made an effort to sit up. It felt very odd to be sitting on his rump, on account of the awkward protrusions down his back but it at least gave him an opportunity to stare at his legs.
Wow. He was... leafing. What the hell, where'd his toes go? "Ugh." He muttered, still not forming comprehensible responses. He was too preoccupied with trying to wriggle what was left of his toes, now glaring down at the rubbery globs that ended his ankles. Without thinking to take the pills as well, the teen went about sucking down the water he was given, still finding himself immensely thirsty. "D'neh." He finally managed to make a response that was half-understandable, shifting his heels underneath him a bit as if he was contemplating standing but not trying it just yet. His head was still throbbing too much. Nita MacNeal Nita followed his gaze. So it looked like Alec would eventually lose his legs too... and were those leaves?? She caught a glimpse of fins along his back, along with the gills on his neck. "The pills," she reminded him gently. Nita was careful to keep her voice low, figuring if her face had changed that much, she would have a raging headache. She sat still except for her hands, which she wrung in her lap. Poor kid. Nita had never seen someone quite so soon after a change. It was harder than she'd imagined, and she hadn't even seen the transformation itself. Alec Derring Still a little confused and disoriented, he hadn't realized he was still gripping the tiny pills in his hand still until Nita mentioned them. Jolting back to reality, he shook his head a bit and all at once tried to pop them into his mouth.... and missed. It seemed he miscalculated the distance and such just a tad.
Flustered and aggitated, the teen quickly scrambled to gather them up from his lap and stuffed them past his sharp teeth to make sure he didn't miss this time. He almost went cross-eyed as he swallowed and finally noticed the narrow 'snout' he'd developed. Now he really was too afraid to look in the mirror.
Letting his head droop down, he began to sniffle again. Nita MacNeal Nita winced when he missed his mouth. Even with her proto-muzzle, her face was still shaped like a human's. "There you go," she muttered, venturing a quick pat on the arm. She really didn't know quite what to do when Alec started sniffling again. If it were pretty much anyone else, Nita would have just held on to them for a while, but her relationship with Alec was just so damn weird. Nita shifted slightly and hissed through her teeth as something sharp poked her thigh. Feeling around on the floor for a moment, she produced a small piece of jewelry. Alec's eyebrow stud. "Here..." Nita said tentatively, holding it towards him. Alec Derring Alec sadly looked over and held out his hand to accept the item. Staring at it in his palm, he squinted his onyx eyes until he realized just what it was. "Aw, wha' th'ell man." He whined again, poking at his prominant eyebrow ridge in a futile attempt to reattach it. He wasn't even sure if even had eyebrows anymore.
"This fookin sucks." The punkster sighed heavily and stared at his legs again, frowning deeply as his picked at the grin bits of foliage that stuck out from the barky areas. He had to gather the nerve to yank one out, automatically regertting it. The sensation was similar to plucking out one's eyelashes or a strand of hair, the stinging making his eyes water a bit more. Regardless, he continued picking at them further.
"At least a' still go' all me limbs.... no' countin' me toes." He turned suddenly to Nita, attempting a small optimistic smile that definetly was filled wit ha mix of naive misconception and a glimmer of hope. The expression would no doubt look a bit weird at first glance. It could've been worse, right? I could be in a wheelchair or fat as a... pig. Nita MacNeal Nita hid a smile. "Yeah, I don't think there's a hole there anymore, sorry." She had to admit, Alec was one of the few people she'd known who could pull off the eyebrow-stud look without looking stupid. She echoed his sigh, leaning against the wall and fiddling with the end of one long braid. "No kidding," she agreed. "It's not that bad though, really." Yup, those were definitely leaves. "And you're still breathing air, and you've got.. some of your mohawk left." Alec Derring Alec tried to lean back as well to mirror her position, stopping short as a stiff shark fin struck the surface of the wall and prevented him from going any further. Looks like he'd have to start sleeping on his side or stomach again from now on. "Ye think so?" He pouted, looking to the red panda girl as if her opinion about his looks actually accounted for anything. He poked at his face a bit more, finding it foreign and just plain out-there.
His face just about dropped when she mentioned his mohawk. SOME?!
"Ye fookin kiddin me!!!" He nearly shot up to his feet, stumbling to the side against a wall in pure dizziness and instability on his tender feet. He breathed deeply and rubbed the side of his head again, wishing he was back in his bed right about now. The bathroom looked so far away, he'd never make it to the sink in time. Nita MacNeal "It's really not," she repeated. Besides everyone on the island looked weird in some way or another, one of the 'lucky ones' or not. s**t s**t s**t. Nita jumped to her feet before she knew what she was doing. Hopefully Alec wouldn't fall over and need to be hauled into bed or something. "... Sorry," she whispered, covering her face with her hands. Alec Derring Alec turned and looked over at Nita, staring at her gestures for a moment. It was a little weird seeing her act so genuinely concerned, it didn't unsettle him as much as it surprised him. He always knew she wasn't just some bratty prude anyways, it was just fun telling her she was one to get a reaction.
"'Am sorreh." He surprisingly corrected her, clenching his teeth as he almost tip-toed over to his bed by himself though he couldn't say it didn't hurt like hell. "A' think a'm joost g'nneh go t'bed... again." The shark boy mumbled, feeling the urge to sleep off the pain now that the tylenol was starting to kick in. As he passed her on his way towards his bed, he stopped and hugged her arm. "Thanks." The gesture might not have been as outgoing as he usually preferred and quite possibly could've been mistaken for him requiring her physical support for a second, or maybe just the painkillers talking, but the thought was there.
Once he'd reached his destination, he flopped down onto his side. He missed the pillow entirely but it still felt better to be laying down instead of straining already-hurt muscles. Closing his dark eyes, he could feel the odd sensation of the flaps of skin on his neck moving once and awhile, pulling air inside along with his nostrils. It'd take awhile to get used to, for sure. Nita MacNeal Nita nodded slowly, eventually lowering her hands. "That's probably a good idea," she said. "Get some rest..." The girl bit her lip and almost jumped away at the minor hug. "You're welcome," she said solemnly, giving him a tentative pat on the shoulder. She made sure Alec got into bed okay and even pulled a bit of sheet up to cover him. Finding him already asleep, Nita fled to her duplex and collapsed into her own bed. Thoughts clamouring for attention, the red panda girl forced her mind to leave her alone for a while, or perhaps only plague her with dreams. As long as she could sleep.
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Posted: Sun Jul 23, 2006 10:03 pm
An Afterlife, Of Sorts Tommy Christian Tommy finishes blousing his last boot when he stands up and looks in the mirror. *Sigh...well, here goes nothing* He looks himself over. Decked out in full battle dress uniform, all neatly pressed with shining boots (though he has no idea how that came about; he's normally very sloppy when it comes to his uniform) he places his hat on top of his head and steps outside of his duplex and into the night. Nita MacNeal Nita walked slowly through the village, full with her latest meal and carrying a styrofoam box of bamboo and varied fruit. As she walked past the newest row of duplexes, a sudden ray of light appeared and disappeared: a door opening and closing. With a smile, the furred girl turned to wave at the man just stepping outside. It wasn't until after her automatic greeting that she realized the guy was fully human. And of course these were the newest duplexes. She could only pray the guy already knew what was going on... Tommy Christian Tommy steps out of his duplex and immediately turns around to look where he just came out of. *Apartments...? What the hell?* he thinks. Sighing, he turns and begins walking down the steps to ground level. There's a person waving at him, but it's too dark for him to make her out. He thinks it's a her, but of course he forgot to put in his contacts so everything is...fuzzy. A bit fuzzier than normal, actually. He cautiously waves back. "...um...hey," he calls to Nita. Nita MacNeal Well, so far so good. At least he's not gibbering about the fur. Or the tail, Nita thought drily. "Nice evening, isn't it?" she said, reassurred. Nita stepped off the path and approached Tommy. Her keen eyes examined him, noting his uniform and distinctive haircut. Army of some sort. Seemed the doctors were getting even bolder. "So... You been here long?" Nita asked, shifting her weight slightly. Tommy Christian The fuzzy blob walks toward Tommy in a friendly manner, this calms him down a bit. "I uh...I guess not. I mean I just woke up when this...guy...uh...." Tommy begins stuttering a bit as the fuzzy blob comes into focus. A few quick thoughts run through his head in the span of about a second: *What's with the costume...no not costume...the makeup? The expertly made makeup with moving tail? Oh wow...yeah...that's not right* Tommy's face goes from a nervous happy to a tad freaked out very soon after. His boots make a crunching noise on the ground as he takes a hesitant step backwards. Nita MacNeal Oh s**t. So he was really new. Nita stopped her forward progress and worked to look as non-threatening as possible. Considering this guy was a good foot taller than her, and probably trained in self defense, Nita thought the precaution was a bit ludicrous. "I'm sorry for not introducing myself," she said. "My name is Nita. Nita MacNeal." The red-head smiled again, although inwardly she was wondering how she managed to be the welcoming committee so often. Maybe they really should make brochures. Tommy Christian Tommy steps back once too far and trips over the staircase leading up to his duplex. Thankfully he doesn't hurt himself. He just unceremoniously sits down heavily on the step. He takes a couple of deep breaths while just staring at Nita. "Hoh...kay...huh...wow..." is all Tommy can think of to say. Nita MacNeal A frown momentarily crossed Nita's distinctly-marked face. She took a few careful steps forward, still carrying her box of food. "I, um, I'm not going to hurt you or anything," she said quietly. "I just.. Look, I'm just trying to be friendly." Nita tugged on one long braid. "Um.. Hm. You got a name?" Tommy Christian Tommy takes one more deep breath and blinks a few times. He takes off his hat, wipes his brow, and replaces it in a very forced motion. He then forces his eyes to look at Nita. "I'm...uh...my name's...Tommy. Tommy Christian," the cadet replies. Though he may be responding rationally, it's probably easy to tell that he's doing everything in his power not to break down completely. He silently praises the Academy for his boot camp training. Nita MacNeal Nita nodded. After a moment's hesitation, she sat on the step beside Tommy, still keeping a bit of distance between them (and curling her tail around her waist on the side not next to him). "Nice to meet you, Tommy," Nita replied politely. She sighed and tucked a bit of stray hair behind her elongated ears. "It's really not so bad here," she told him. "It does take some getting used to though." Nita bit her lip and fingered the tip of her tail absently. "What did they tell you to get you here?" Tommy Christian Tommy begins thinking of what they did tell him...was this Heaven? Hell? Purgatory? Was that guy really not just, to use Tommy's vernacular, blowing smoke up his a**? Tommy looks from his shined boots to Nita and back again. "I uh...he...when I woke up this guy told me I was in a 'transition' stage...that I was in my afterlife...or something..." Tommy gives a slight grin, not sure of anything now. He looks over Nita's form, from the pointy ears down to the bushy tail, and sighs. Nita MacNeal Nita stared at him for a moment. Oh dear Lord. "The afterlife??" she repeated, incredulous. "Wow. I must say they're getting more creative..." Nita shook her head, holding back gales of laughter. The afterlife, indeed! "I assure you that, I, at least, am very much alive. Changed, yes, torn away from my old life, but definitely not dead." Nita turned towards Tommy, leaning against the railing, letting him take in her changes. "This," she began, waving her arms to indicate the entire island, "is some extensive experiment. "Everyone here has been injected with a serum that somehow, through the 'marvels of science,'" (she made air-quotes with her fingers) "changes us. Into animals," Nita added, in case that wasn't already obvious. Tommy Christian Tommy nods in a way that says 'yeah, figured that' when Nita seems like she's about to explode from laughter. Tommy sighs again and looks over Nita once more as she turns toward him. *Yeah...that's real fur...the tail moves, and those ears...wow...yeah...* "Ex...Experiment? Huh...sounds like something out of a movie...well...something out of two movies and a book..." Tommy looks up at the moon and then back to Nita. He begins thinking that she must've been more than a little pretty before...whatever happened to her...happened. He blinks hard and shakes his head. He absently reaches his hand up and rubs a sore spot at the back of his neck. "But...you're serious? What, and y'all are all trapped here too?" Even though the truth is staring him in the face, he still needs to hear this from someone besides his own mind. Nita MacNeal "It's all very science-fictiony," Nita agreed. "But it's real, all right. Let's see. It's the end of July now..." She looked up at the dark sky, counting. "I've been here almost four months now, and I've changed twice. Some people I know have been here nearly a year now. I know a couple people have tried to escape, but... Well, there are cameras everywhere. And we've all got chips in us so they know where we are. There's some kind of command that can knock us out." Nita sighed. "Science fiction and Big Brother. But you deal with it, and really, it's not so bad here. I mean, we could all be trapped in little cages... At least we've got the whole island. Village, jungle, beach, a lake..." The girl shrugged. "Sorry if I'm telling you too much all at once. I always figured it's better to know what the hell is going on instead of denying it and going nuts over it." Tommy Christian Tommy is silent for a moment as he looks over Nita's face. He tries to read her face as he would in a poker tournament...but of course, that didn't work out too well with the other guy. However, Nita here had proof. He rubs the back of his neck again and winces slightly. *So...what, it's a mix between the movie No Escape, and the book 1984?* he thinks to himself. Of course he doesn't say this outloud... "But...why? I mean...there doesn't seem to be any...point to it. Why take a perfectly healthy person and...do...this to her?" he motions toward Nita, herself. Tommy looks more confused than freaked out now, with a hint of sadness at the immense waste. Nita MacNeal Ah yes, the all-important question. Not so much the 'how' but the 'why.' "I honestly don't know," Nita admitted, scratching lightly at one furred arm. She placed the box of bamboo on the step below her and pulled her knees up to her chest. "I've heard they're working on a cure for cancer... and there's a kid here who has MS, but after his first change at least some of the symptoms were gone. Really, there's so much potential." She paused for a moment. "I guess I'm sort of an anomaly here, but I honestly don't mind it so much." Tommy Christian "Cu...cure for cancer? B...but there's got to be a better way!" Tommy takes his hat off again...not much use really anymore. From the way she's describing it, Tommy's going to be stuck there for a long time. He sighs and looks to her after her last statement. "Potential, huh?" he asks, not unkindly, "Potential...yeah...Nita...right? Nita...do you have a family? People you care about outside of...here?" he gestures widely infront of him. "Because I do...I've got two older brothers, one who's severely handicapped that's going to need my help when my parents are no longer there. I've got two younger sisters, one of whom is barely ten years old. And my parents...*he sighs* my parents...s**t...I don't even know how my mother's going to react after hearing I'm missing..." Tommy thinks back to exactly how he got here, "Or dead." At this the cadet just stares off into the distance. "No way off...huh?" he asks quietly. Nita MacNeal "Maybe there is, maybe there isn't. But what's been done to us has been done. You can't change it, so you might as well accept it." Nita sighed and rested her chin on her knees. "Of course. Parents and a younger brother... But there are people here, too. People I care about, and that I wouldn't have met if I hadn't come here. So even if I could go back, how could I leave everyone? And if by some freak chance we were rescued... That's what we'd be. Freaks." Nita sighed again. "Here, at least, everyone ends up changed. I've been told I'm 'lucky' since I'm still a mammal. But can you imagine me back home? Walking around campus like this? Going to the grocery store, or trying to rent an apartment, or applying for jobs?" Tommy Christian Tommy looks her over again for the third time...he's still having trouble believing all of this. He finally pries his eyes away, hoping he wasn't seen as rude. He begins thinking on all that Nita has told him...no...no there had to be a way out. He wouldn't give up like she had. Hell, this could all still be some coma induced nightmare...right? No...no, this is real enough. The breeze ruffling his hair...and Nita's fur...confirmed it. "Well...how long until...you know...your first um....change? I mean, is it gradual or...all at once?" Tommy tries his best to get all of the information he can while his mind races on all of the possibilities. Nita MacNeal Nita wasn't exactly comfortable with the way Tommy kept looking at her, but at least they were curious looks and not 'oh God, she's a freak' looks. All things considered, the guy was taking the news pretty well. Good for him. "I'd been here about a month when I changed the first time. That seems to be pretty standard, although it takes longer for some people. The doctors inject you, and a few hours later... My second change was maybe six weeks after the first?" Nita shrugged her slim shoulders. "And before you ask, yes, it does hurt. But the pain goes away, and eventually everything just feels like... Well, it feels like a part of you, I guess." Tommy Christian Tommy leans back and stares at the stars, letting all of the information sink in. He tries to keep his mind busy, knowing that if left to its own devices he will surely freak out, go bananas, lose his marbles...choose your phrase. Then it hits him, the gentleman side of Tommy realizes that he's being awfully rude to this new aquaintance. "Damn...I'm...I'm sorry. I don't mean to grill you with all these questions or anything. It's just...I dunno, I mean...I'm supposed to be in Italy right now. Who'd a thunk a flock of birds could take down an air-force jet, eh? Goddamn...what a day..." He trails off while tracking the pattern of the big dipper. Gotta keep his mind busy. Nita MacNeal Nita smiled slightly, playing with one of her braids again. "It's okay, really. I know it's a lot to take in." She followed his gaze at the night sky. That was one of the nicest things about the island: the stars. Even when visiting family out in the country, Nita had never seen the stars so bright and clear. "An air-force jet, eh? Jesus... You're lucky you survived then." Nita raised a brow, a soundless query for more information, should Tommy choose to share it. Tommy Christian Tommy thinks back to...however many days ago. "Yeah...I was on my way to Aviano, Italy for Ops...er...I go to the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs...anyway, I was on my way over there in a C-17 when...s**t, I dunno what happened. I think a flock of birds took out the engines or something. Anyway, I finally got my parachute training put to good use when we all had to bail out of the aircraft," Tommy eyes seem to glaze over as he remembers for the first time his experience, "Next thing I knew, I was floating out at sea on my raft...days...goddamn, for days. I still don't know how long exactly. Finally I just passed out, you know? Thought I was dying...probably was. Anyway, I woke up in there," Tommy points to his duplex, "with this creepy guy dressed all in white telling me this was the ******** jerk..." he sighs and trails off. Nita MacNeal "Damn," Nita said simply. From his description, Tommy really was lucky to have survived. And, unless Feral Labs could control flocks of birds, his arrival really was an accident, and not some intended blow at the military. "Although I guess technically this is sort of an afterlife. A new life, at least." The girl snickered. It really was pretty funny. "The doctors around here have an interesting sense of humour, to say the least." Maybe they'd turn the guy into a seagull. Tommy Christian "A new life...well...we'll see. I hope to talk to whoever's in charge here tomorrow." Tommy shakes his head and puts his hat back on, "...though I wonder what their plans are for me...I mean, I didn't receive an injection...I don't think I did any way....huh..." He scratches absently at the back of his neck again. "Do you know who that guy was? The one who...greeted me. He was wearing all white, his ears were a little funny looking, and he had white hair about shoulder length?" Nita MacNeal "Dr. Moreau is the one in charge. And.. if you're here, you've been given an injection. Probably when you were asleep, or passed out. Whatever." Nita's eyes flicked at Tommy's hand's movement. She had her guesses as to the site of his primary injection. "White hair? That's Dr. Duvert. He's a bit.. off." Which would explain the whole 'after-life' trick. Nita yawned, and the girl covered her mouth quickly. "Sorry 'bout that. I should get back to my duplex, though, and get this stuff in the fridge." The red panda girl pointed at the box resting on the step below. "It was nice meeting you, though, and I wish you the best of luck getting in touch with the head honchos." Nita rolled her eyes as she hauled herself off the step, gathering her supply of bamboo, and brushing dirt off of her shorts and tail. "If you ever need anything, to talk or whatever, I'm just down the way, in number 44." After Tommy would reply, Nita waved set off down the path for home. Tommy Christian Tommy notes the rolling eyes and wonders the meaning...he had to guess that she thought it was useless to try. He gives a half-hearted grin and stands after she does. "Yeah...same here. And you know where I am I guess," Tommy says as he heads up the stairs to his own duplex. At the top he just watches Nita walk off, thinking to himself, trying to get keep his mind busy.
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Posted: Tue Jul 25, 2006 4:59 pm
Avery, in the Entertainment Room, with a DVD! Avery Calder The TV was off for once, and Avery had settled down on the couch in the entertainment room, laying on his stomach as he wrote in the Dream Diary that Dr. Frost had given him. It seemed like ever since he received this book, he had been having more and more nightmares. Or perhaps he was always having them - he just hadn't been remembering them until he started writing them down? He had noticed that a lot of his nightmares were recurring, never exactly the same but always very similar. He sighed a little as he wrote the last part of his nightmare in his scratchy handwriting; one thing he didn't like about writing his nightmares was that he had to think about them again. He just hoped Dr. Frost would be able to help him get rid of the nightmares once she read everything he's been writing. Nita MacNeal Nita wandered into the entertainment room carrying a stack of books and DVDs in her arms. She automatically began placing them on their proper shelves, not even noticing Avery until her ears caught the scratching of a pen on paper. "Oh!" she exclaimed, turning around and nearly dropping the last couple DVDs. "Sorry, I didn't notice you at first..." The red panda girl looked at Avery carefully, trying to decide if they'd met before. Avery Calder Avery almost didn't notice the panda girl come into the room either, but as she got closer to the shelves his ears perked up at her footsteps. "Hey," he grinned at the girl, and sat up on the couch, closing the diary. "Sorry," he laughed, "I didn't mean to scare you, I promise!" The girl seemed very vaguely familiar, but he wouldn't quite place where he might have met her before. Of course, she most likely looked a lot different when Avery first saw her. "Hmm... I feel like I've met you before. The red hair is familiar..." Nita MacNeal Nita quickly shelved the offending DVDs and perched on the arm of the couch. "Nah, didn't scare me. There just isn't usually anyone in here when I am." She grinned back at Avery. He was definitely familiar... Her hands went up to her hair, which was one feature that had stayed the same throughout her changes. "I'm Nita," she said. "And I think we have met, but damned if I can remember when." Nita shook her head, thinking. Whoever this guy was, he probably hadn't been quite so furry when she'd seen him before. And, on a similar note, she probably hadn't been either. Avery Calder "Nita, Nita," he repeated to himself, trying to remember. It's been so very long since he's seen anyone human on the island - a disturbing thought. "Well, I'm Avery," he said, wondering if the girl would remember his name, at least. Why couldn't he remember? Had he been drunk? "Oh... was it at the party a while ago? We played some drinking game, right? I don't think there's been another party since then, that I know of..." Nita MacNeal "Yeah!" Nita perked up and nodded. "Fee's beach party thing, and the game of I Never." She paused for a moment before continuing, "Damn, that was a long time ago... I hadn't changed at all yet." The events of that evening started to come back. That was the night a drunken Lauren had confided in her and said she was pretty... and then had a shouting match with Fee. "I think we were the ones that actually started the game," Nita laughed. "Us, and Rex and Fiona, I think." Avery Calder "Ahh, that's right! It's all coming back to me now," Avery grinned, his tail lightly thumping on the couch behind him as it wagged. "Yeah, you look a lot different now. Not bad or anything," he added, quickly. "I mean, just different. Glad to see you didn't get stuck with something... slimy." Nita MacNeal Nita slid down onto the couch to sit cross-legged, facing Avery with her tail hanging down to the floor. "You do too," she pointed out, not at all offended. "But yeah, I'm glad I'm still a mammal." And other things she'd never thought she'd say. "So... What have you been up to, I guess?" Nita tried not to giggle, watching Avery's tail wag. Avery Calder "Ehh... not much to do around here, really. Just trying to keep myself entertained," Avery shrugged. "My boyfriend's birthday was just a few days ago... of course, the bastards injected him, and he transformed on the same day," he said, bitterness obvious in his voice. "It wasn't too bad of a transformation though, so..." he shrugged, and looked at Nita. "And what about you, how are you doing?" Nita MacNeal The red panda girl nodded. "Aw, man, he changed on his birthday? That had to have sucked." Nita made a face at the prospect. "What's he turning into?" She pulled her tail into her lap and stroked the end of it absently. "I read a lot, and watch movies," she said, indicating the shelves running along the walls of the room. "And I wander around, in the jungle, or on the beach. It's so nice and quiet out there, you know?" Avery Calder "He's turning into a skunk - have you met him? His name's Timothy." Avery relaxed back on the couch, setting his diary and pen off to the side, forgetting about them for the moment. "Hmm, I guess it is," Avery murmured, but he didn't seem all that pleased about it. "Kind of boring... no excitement. Not the good kind, anyway. I want to get out and do stuff, but there's nothing exciting to do. I feel like I've done everything here already." Nita MacNeal "Hmmm." Nita thought for a moment, shifting through her mental list of names and faces. "I don't think I've met him. It's weird, I run into so many people, but I know there are a lot I've never seen or talked to." She made another face. "I seem to keep running into new people. Like, new to the island." Nita quirked a grin. "What's the 'good kind' of excitement?" Avery Calder "Yeah, same here, although usually the new people I meet now have already gone through at least one change. I'd hate to be the one to have to break the news to someone, yanno?" Avery shook his head. When would they stop? Didn't they have enough subjects by now? "There are lots of different kinds of good excitement," Avery grinned with a slight leer. "But the kind I'm talking about is parties, fun, games! Big group get togethers, not just hanging out with one or two people at a time. I mean, that's all well and good, but I'm a social guy! I like hanging out in big groups." Nita MacNeal "I've had to break the news a few times now. Just my luck, eh? I ran into a guy a couple nights ago, and he was just stepping out of his duplex for the first time. He was.. surprised, to say the least, not to mention he'd woken up here and been told he was dead. This was supposed to be some sort of afterlife, if you can believe that." Nita smacked her forhead. "I was like, 'Uh, no, you're still alive. But... you're gonna turn into an animal. Sorry.'" That had been an interesting discussion, even though Tommy had taken the news pretty well, at least on the outside. Nita snickered, having a pretty good idea of what Avery meant. "Well, I was never one for big crowds, but I know what you mean." Avery Calder "Afterlife!?" Avery couldn't help but laugh at that. How could anyone think something like that? "Well, I'm not sure which news would be easier to take. Poor guy... I wonder what made him think that?" Avery thought out loud. "That's okay! But every once in a while is fun, right!? There should be another party soon. That would be great - and at least it would be something different going on, right?" Avery seemed excited at the thought of a party, tail wagging against the back of the couch again, but he didn't seem to take much notice. Nita MacNeal Nita snickered at the memory. "Oh, I know! I had to try so hard not to fall off the steps laughing. I feel bad for the guy, though. He's military or something, and the plane he was on went down. So I guess it was believable that he'd died. But yeah. I'd rather be here than dying out at sea." She shrugged, grinning slightly. Nita really had made a sort of life for herself. "A party? I dunno, the last one didn't end too well. Maybe you'd left by then, but, ah, some.. tempers got enflamed," she said carefully. "Not that something like that would necessarily happen again, but it's something to keep in mind." Avery Calder "Oh really? I don't really remember much near the end..." Avery sighed deeply, wondering if a party really would be a good idea. "I wouldn't want people getting all pissed at each other. Parties are supposed to be fun, I hate it when things get ruined like that... people need to learn to relax sometimes." Nita MacNeal Nita winced. "It wouldn't have been bad, except Fee got up and tried to start a revolution or something and Lauren practically launched herself at her. It was a bit of a mess." Nita shifted, drawing her knees up to chest, tail curling around her feet. "I just really hate when people get mad, especially at me, or even just around me. Maybe I'm just too non-confrontational..." Her voice trailed off and she shrugged lamely. Avery Calder "Ah, don't feel bad about it... I'm the same way. I just get scared, I - well, I'm kind of a coward..." Avery looked a little embarrassed. He wanted to be brave, he really did, but his first instincts were always to freeze up or run away - even before the changes. "When people start yelling or screaming or whatever, I just cringe and wanna get out of there, A-S-A-P." Nita MacNeal "The old 'fight-or-flight' instinct, I guess," Nita said, attempting a laugh. "Maybe it's more about survival than cowardice. I mean, if someone attacked me physically instead of verbally, I don't think I'd do very well at fending them off. I'd just want to get the hell away. So maybe it's the same with yelling. The same feeling of helplessness... or something." Avery Calder Avery nodded. "Yeah, I guess so. But still, I wish I could stick up for myself and fight back, you know? I'm a guy! That's what I'm supposed to do. I've already been attacked on the island, and if it weren't for the little chip things... I dunno what would have happened. I froze up the first time..." he sighed. Nita MacNeal "Jesus. You were attacked? By who??" Nita asked, clearly surprised. Sure, she'd heard about people being attacked, but not from one of them in person. "I've been yelled at a couple of times." She frowned, but cracked a smile after a moment. "I also got chased up a tree by a small dog. Now that was fight-or-flight!" Avery Calder "A small dog?" Avery laughed. "Huh, maybe he could give me a lesson or two in bravery..." he joked. "Yeah... I was attacked by Zach. Twice actually... first time he was drunk, and the second time was right after his change... guess he gets violent or something after he changes - not that I blame him, just wish he didn't try to take it out on other people. We've talked though, so things are a bit better. I just gotta make sure to avoid him if he looks different." Nita MacNeal Nita grinned at Avery. "I was really jumpy since I'd just changed, and something came at me. So -whoosh!- There I was, about fifteen feet up in a tree. I was a bit embarrassed at the time, but it was pretty funny after the fact." "Zach, huh? He's one of the people that yelled at me. And then the only other time I ran into him, he was busy yelling at someone else." Nita rolled her eyes. "Just changed or not, I have to say I'm not terribly impressed with him." She shook her head again and pulled the elastics off the ends of her braids. Avery Calder "Zach was the one? Well, maybe he's just got some anger issues then... I wonder if it's because he's turning into a dragon? Maybe it's messing with his head or something," Avery suggested, thinking. "Actually, I noticed I've changed a bit too, since my transformations. I've always been a clingy person, but now... I mean, sometimes I can't sleep just because Tim isn't near me." He couldn't help but wonder what he would be like in the end of all this. How much will he have changed... physically and mentally? Nita MacNeal Nita blinked. "A dragon? Good grief. You know, after you've been here a while, you think you can't be surprised anymore, but geez. My downstairs neighbor is definitely turning into a shark, but he's also got leaves." She shook her head in disbelief. The red panda girl looked at Avery closely. "You're.. a dog of some kind? I guess the clingyness would make sense, then. I mostly just get nervous around people I don't know, especially if it's obvious they're a predator. Part of me wants to dash up a tree and hide." Nita grinned. Avery Calder "A shark with leaves? What the hell? That's not even... that doesn't even make any sense! What are they just doing, throwing random crap into a syringe and injecting people now?" Avery sighed. A dragon, and a shark with leaves... what will they come up with next? "Yeah, I'm a dog of some sort... no idea what kind, though." Avery tilted his head slightly, looking at Nita curiously. "Hmm... so what are you turning into, then? I can't tell... kinda like your tail, though." Nita MacNeal "I have absolutely no idea. That's what it seems like, sometimes." Nita echoed Avery's sigh and finger-combed her hair. "Something that comes in yellow," she mused. "A retriever or a lab, maybe?" Nita paused in her grooming for a moment. "Hm? A red panda. I forget that people don't usually know about them." She giggled at Avery's expression; with his head cocked to the side like that, he really did look like a puppy. "Your tail is cute, too," Nita said with a grin. Avery Calder "Hmm, one of those could be it... I feel like a shaved poodle right now though, with the way my fur is growing in," Avery sighed, a little bit over-dramatically. He was obviously not pleased about his patches of fur. "Thanks! It's annoying sometimes, though. It does things even when I don't want it to, like wagging randomly. A red panda, huh? Yeah, I never heard of it before... I've heard of regular pandas though. I didn't think they had such long tails?" he asked, peering at Nita's tail. Nita MacNeal Nita frowned sympathetically, although the patches weren't too noticeable under his clothing. She supposed she was fortunate that her fur was coming in pretty evenly. "I always hated seeing poodles and other dogs all shaved like that. I mean, it's not like you're patchy on purpose, but with poodles, someone actually made them look that stupid. She began rebraiding her hair, nimble fingers working quickly through the long strands. "I don't think giant pandas, the black and white ones, I don't think they have tails. Red pandas look a lot like raccoons, except for the coloring. They're supposed to be more closely related to weasels and ferrets, although they eat bamboo like giant pandas." Nita laughed softly at herself, tying off one braid and switching to work on the other side. "I did my research." Avery Calder "God, at least my tail isn't getting clipped or anything. I don't mind looking like a shaved poodle, as long as nothing on me gets clipped," Avery shuddered at the thought. " Ohh, so they're smaller animals then... raccoons are kinda cute," he commented, watching the girl as she braided her hair. Absently, he raised his hand and toyed with the end of his own hair as he thought. "So I guess that means you'll start eating bamboo too, hunh? Ugh, I hope I don't have to eat... dog food now, or something," Avery made a face at that - even just thinking about it made him feel a bit sick. Nita MacNeal Not to mention other things that could be clipped or snipped. "We had red pandas at the zoo back home. They're cuter than raccoons," Nita said playfully. "I already eat bamboo, though. It's pretty good. Besides, it shows up in Asian food all the time. And I've never met a domesticated dog that wouldn't rather eat someone's hamburger than dog food." Avery Calder "Really?" Avery didn't look like the thought of eating bamboo was very appetizing. "I guess I never really ate much Asian food then... but at least you know you already like it, so it won't be so bad! And that's true, I don't have to beg for the human food," he grinned, chuckling a bit. Nita MacNeal "To be honest, I usually picked the bamboo out of my lo mein. But at least it wasn't foreign as a 'food,' you know? Not like bugs or something." Nita made a face. "My girlfriend eats bugs sometimes, and it doesn't bother me, but I just politely decline when she offers." Both braids finished, Nita tucked the last few stray bits behind her ears and sat back against the arm of the couch. Avery Calder "Girlfriend?" Avery's ears perked up and he grinned, raising his eyebrows at her. "Really now? Who might this girlfriend be?" He could remember that one girl, Lauren - the one who was actually on Moreau's side - she was hard to forget for her views alone. Avery wondered if she ever returned the playboy she took to the shelves. Nita MacNeal Nita blushed through her fur, hoping in vain that Avery either didn't know Lauren, or wasn't blatantly angry at her. Lauren tended to piss people off, except for the few who weren't rabidly against Moreau, like Rex. "Um.. It's Lauren," she said, keeping her tone bland. Avery Calder "Aha, her! I've met her," Avery nodded, the grin still on his face. "She seems cool - if not very outspoken," he chuckled. "Can't say I really understand her views on this whole... situation... but, at least she's happy here then, right? And now she's got a pretty girlfriend too, another reason for her to like it here." Nita MacNeal Visibly relieved, Nita returned the grin. "She is pretty cool. I don't really agree with her fully, but.. I know why she feels the way he does. And yeah, if I hadn't ended up here, I'd never have met her." She blushed slightly when Avery said she was pretty, but she took it as a compliment nonetheless. Besides, Avery seemed thoroughly 'taken.' Avery Calder "That's pretty much the way I've started to feel, too... I mean, I would still rather not be turning into a dog - but here, I have Tim, and he makes me really happy," Avery smiled. "Speaking of which, I think I should be heading back to my duplex now..." He stretched and stood up, picking up his dream diary and looking down at Nita. "I'm sure I'll see you around, it was nice talking to again - sober this time," he chuckled. Nita MacNeal Nita nodded in agreement, although she didn't mention that she didn't particularly mind being turned into a red panda. Except for the pain of the transformations themselves, it really wasn't so bad. She stretched and stood as well. "Alright, I'm sure I'll see you around, Avery. I'm in number 44, if you ever need to find me." Avery Calder "Tim and I are in 32," Avery smiled. "See ya later!" he said, and he headed off out of the entertainment room and back to his own duplex, tail wagging behind him the whole way. Nita MacNeal Nita waved good-bye to Avery. She spent a few minutes browsing the shelves and chose another armful of movies to watch. Before heading back to her duplex, she also made a quick trip to the cafteria to grab her usual selection of bamboo and snacks.
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Posted: Fri Jul 28, 2006 9:02 am
"Er.. That Tail is Attached." Nita MacNeal As usual, once the heat of the day began to retreat, leaving the island pleasantly dusky, Nita walked along the beach, shuffling her furred toes through the sand. Also as usual, she wore her torn jeans low to accomodate her tail, as well as a cotton tanktop. For once her hair was loose, rippling down her back and ruffled by the evening's breezes. On a whim, she approached the beach bar, wondering if others might be about. So far, it seemed, she was alone, however, and she poured herself a moderate rum and Coke. Sitting back in a foldable lawn-chair, Nita put her feet up on a cooler and sipped her drink, enjoying the grandeur of the setting sun. Trapped or not, the island was gorgeous, and the red panda girl was regularly enthralled by the wonders around her. Maryke Jimenez
After entering her new duplex, which nicely enough lived up to her very high standards, Maryke felt a new rush of energy flow through her body and forgot all about her desire to take a bath and go to sleep. The night was still young! Who was she to turn down an oppurtunity to live up her first day here. She let a small happy sigh escape her lips as she readied herself in the bathroom, reapplying makeup and giving herself a more spouts of perfume.
After pushing up her cleavage and giving herself an 'a** check' to make sure everything was smoldering she nodded at her reflection in approval. Leaving her duplex, and locking it up tight, she finally headed towards and into the so called 'Beach Bar.' Once there she frowned. It was......well different to say the least. And rather empty at the moment. She stepped further into the room, looking around and noting each thing she approved or disapproved of. So much so that she hadn't noticed the panda girl, well that was until she saw a flicker of something out of the corner of her eye.
Once she turned her head further, and looked at what was sitting there, she gave a yelped and cried, "What the <******** class="clear"> Nita MacNeal Nita squeaked in alarm, her drink sloshing over the brim of her glass. "s**t," she muttered, placing it on the cooler and reaching for a napkin. Soda in one's fur was highly unpleasant. It wasn't until Nita had mopped up a bit that she looked at the woman who had startled her. Damn. She was gorgeous. And, Nita realized after a second glance, she was completely human. From her reaction... Oh sweet Jesus. Another new person.The young woman stood, keeping a friendly (at least neutral) expression on her face. "Good evening," Nita said carefully. Maryke Jimenez
After her initial shock wore off, Maryke let a smooth grin slip to her features, eyes bright and interested. "Well, I'll be damned....I was right," she said cooly, walking over, with her hips swaying with every movement she made. "This place does have some of jungle theme going on..." She frowned slightly, and a perfectly arched eyebrow went up to show what she thought. "Can't say I approve, I mean....what are you wearing?"
Completely unabashed the madame took the remaining steps to get to Nita and then took it upon herself to run her fingers through the girl's fur, still thinking it was a costume of some sort. "Must be a b***h to wear this in the heat," she murmured, letting her fingers graze over the shouldblade and then to the collarbone.
"Oh you have got to be shitting me," she said after giving the fur an analytical eye. "Don't tell me this is real red panda....hmmmm, guess the taste here isn't as bad as I thought," she finally concluded.
Nita MacNeal Nita flushed under her fur, too surprised to move away from the woman. She was just as beautiful close up. "Uh. I'm wearing jeans and a tank-top?" Nita replied rather stupidly. And then she was touching her. Nita leaned against the bar, doing her best (which wasn't very good) to appear nonchalant. "Oh, it's real red panda, alright," she muttered. Sort of. Maryke Jimenez
"I meant underneath...the jeans and tank," the madame replied, giving a small look of pity at the girl's choices for wearing over the costume. She must be dying wearing s**t like this out in the jungle. Maryke moved her hand away and then grabbed Nita's side with her other hand, more for support and to try to get the girl to turn around. She bent over slightly, leaning down and making a grab for Nita's tail.
"Oh this is beautiful," she murmured, eyes looking at it in a delight. "Jesus, and these people are wasting it on some gimpy costume. I wonder if they would consider selling me the whole thing. I'm sure I can have someone make a hat and few other choice assecories out of this".
With that she stood back and moved away from Nita, smoothing down her clothes and tossing her hair back a little. "Now then," she said, connecting her eyes with the other's, "One Tequila Sunrise please, go easy on the o.j, I wanna let loose a little."
Nita MacNeal Nita caught the look and stiffened defensively. "The fur," she said, with an edge in her voice, "is attached." She jerked away as the woman went for her tail. Now, now, not on the first date!With as much dignity as she could muster, Nita reclaimed her tail, carefully smoothing down the ruffled fur. Accessory, indeed. She breathed in and out a few times. "The tail is also attached," she remarked pointedly. Her brows rose at the woman's request. "The bar's open. Help yourself." Nita backed away, taking a seat on a high bar stool, keeping her tail out of grabbing range. Awen Zyn The manta girl for months now had been swimming solely in the lakes and rivers of the island. After her incedent and learning that salt water could kill her, Awen had decided it best to keep to the fresh water lanes. But the manta just wouldn't accept that. Something about the salt water smell, the cool breeze and the sound of waves drew Awen to the beach.
She had been going for a stroll, with her legs up to her calves in the water when she noticed there were people by the beach bar. She smiled softly and realised she didn't really know either one. The girl with long brown hair appeared to be new, the other however was covered in red fur and it was obious she had been here awhile. The red locks of hair briefly struck a cord in Awen's mind and she was sure she'd seen this girl before, if but briefly.
Deciding she had had enough alone time Awen wandered towards the bar. "Hello there." She called waving her hand, the long webbing clearly visible. Maryke Jimenez
"Attached," Maryke bristled, confusion etched all over her features. "What the hell do you mean attached....." Before she could get an answer she looked over as someone called out ********?? Her heart began to race as the feeling of dread that swept over her when she first arrived came back in full force. She knew jungles didn't have blue fishy....things in them, which meant that. Wait....no. That was stupid. Wasn't it?
"What's going on here??" she asked the air, hoping either of the women-esque creatures would answer. She tried really hard to keep the panic out of her voice, but it was a slowly loosing battle.
Nita MacNeal Never had Nita been so relieved to see a fellow islander. A fellow changed islander. Even though she only vaguely recognized Awen, she thought she remembered liking the girl from the brief previous association. Had that been Fiona's beach party as well? In any case, Nita waved back at Awen. Maybe the manta girl was better at explaining the situation. "Hi," she replied, looking uneasily between Awen and Maryke. "And.. attached as in.. it grows from my skin..." Nita bit her lip, staring at the smooth surface of the bar. Awen Zyn Awen lowered her arms instantly hearing the panic in the unchanged woman's voice. This was not going to be pretty. She stepped up into the beach bar and gave Nita a small smile. "New islander then...?"
Turning her attention to Maryke she have a half hearted sigh. "My name's Awen." She said softly. "And try to stay calm, no one's going to hurt you here. We don't mean to scare you at all...."
She gestured to a stool. "You.. may want to sit down." Maryke Jimenez
She looked from one to the other and then blanched, her stomach twisted in knots as her heart tried very hard to burst out of her chest it seemed like. All at once she remembered Sabin's little spiel and instantly wondered if these people were inflicted with that 'Dingo Fever' or whatever he had called it. Could a disease make you look like....that?? She didn't know and she sure as hell didn't want to find out. But, she had recieved a vacination, had been given a shot just a few hours ago! So....she was okay... right?
Bracing herself, Maryke slowly sat down on an empty barstool, in between where Nita was sitting and Awen was standing. "I'm not scared," she said turning towards the blue girl and attempting to look confident, easily making it look so. "I just want to know what the hells going on..."
Nita MacNeal Nita nodded back at Awen. "I have a feeling we're the first she's met," she said under her breath to the blue-haired girl. She was relieved to know that Awen was going about this in a straight-forward manner. "Basically... we're being turned into animals. I know it sounds impossible, but as you've already noticed..." Nita gestured to her tail, hanging down off the stool behind her. "Red panda." She idly traced designs in the water rings on the surface of the bar. Awen Zyn "A doctor Moreau runs this island. He has tricked or taken people from all over the world and brought them here to the island for his experiments." Awen continues were Nita left off. "There studying some sort of gene therapy, to my understanding. They are researching the effects and properties of their serums. People have been taken here for a number of reasons, I for example had hydrophobia, so they wanted to see what transforming me into a manta ray would do. Other people have some diseases or conditions or defects that they are trying to erradicate from our systems." She was piecing together all that she learned from her time on the island as well as everything Sabin had mentioned.
If someone didn't know better it would sound like Awen had the entire inside scoop like a lab tech. She was very glad Fee wasn't here at the moment to hear all of this.
"We're tricked and brought here and we can never again leave. I'm sorry, really sorry you had to hear it like this. But... the sooner you know the truth, the sooner you can get over it. Lying for the doctors and beating around the bush never helped before..." Maryke Jimenez
She listened intently, though her head was lowered slightly and her hazel eyes were staring at the same spot on the bar listlessly. Too many things were running through her head right then and there. Shock for one, fear for another, but when all was said and down the presiding emotion was of course anger. She had been on the run from the ******** FBI for god's sake. If they couldn't take her, then who the hell could? She thought no one would ever be able to hold down the swanky madame. She was the one who called all the shots! She was the one who was at the top! And she was the one who did all the tricking! But, now.....
"That son of a b***h!" She suddenly yelled jumping up from where she was sitting, after what seemed like an eternity of silence since Awen had spoken. "I'm going to kill that ******** doctor...he....he lied to me. ME!"
She was pissed, beyond pissed. Speaking not to the them, but to herself and by default they could listen in. She was at a loss, completely and utterly. Maryke could only think of only one thing to do, so reaching into the backpocket of her low rising jeans she fished out her cell phone.
"I'm calling my lawer!" she announced, before attempting to punch in some numbers. Her face went utterly livid when she realized, however, that the phone did not work.
Nita MacNeal Nita sat quietly through Awen's explanation, occasionally nodding to emphasize a fact she already knew. "I was supposed to be studying abroad," Nita added. "And while I suppose this is technically 'abroad,' it wasn't precisely what I'd been expecting." It didn't occur to Nita to wonder why Awen had such an eloquent explanation, rather, she was mostly just relieved to have someone else doing the talking. She almost smiled at Maryke's reaction, watching curiously to see what would happen with the phone. She had figured that cell phones didn't work on the island-- surely others had brought them along-- and clearly she was correct in her assumption. "I don't think your lawyer can help you now," Nita said softly, shaking her head. Maryke Jimenez
This was bad. Very bad. She had run away from one problem and straight into another. Maryke stared down at the phone, squeezing it so hard that her knuckles were begining to turn white. Anger had taken hold of her and the sad fact of the matter was, that there wasn't anything she could do about this. Out there, in the real world, she would have had Sabin and this Moreau person taken care of. There wasn't nothing she couldn't do with a little cash flow or a cleavage shot.
But here, out 'in the wild' Rules were different. Fine. Maryke would just have to learn how the game was played and then rest assured she'd claw her way to the top. She was bright a woman, and knew what wonders manipulation could hold. Granted the whole turning into an animal stitch would put a damper on things, but right now revenge was the only thing that concerned her. She would get it, she just needed to figure out how.
That was the harder part, the part that took some thinking. And with everything that had just happened, what she had just learned, was doing nothing but throw her mind around like a rag doll. She sighed and leaned over the bar, head in hands, and upper body completely lain over it. Had she been bent over just another inch her crack would be showing, not that she'd care in a situation such as this.
"What am I going to do...." she murmured quietly, squeezing her eyes shut.
Nita MacNeal Nita watched the new woman fold herself over the counter as Awen indicated she needed to go. Shaking her head softly, Nita was inexplicably sorry for Maryke, obnoxious behavior aside. Learning the true nature of the island was difficult for anyone. Moving hesitantly, Nita placed a furred hand on Maryke's shoulder. "You'll survive," she said softly. "It's what we all do." Maryke Jimenez
Maryke stayed there for what seemed like an eternity over that counter, eyes shut and body twitching when Nita laid a hand on her. Not because of Nita iof herself, but because Maryke was on edge. She could deal with this, she was dealing. Retribution aside Maryke wasn't a stranger to playing a Roman in Rome therefore in this situation she could act how the 'natives' did. She could adjust until she found some way off this godforsaken island. She was going to ask more questions, demand answers, but she had a feeling they had all been asked and answered before. Surely, she wasn't the only one driven enough to get the hell out of here.
But, that would be for later. She could inwardly plan all that. Quick as a whip the madam was back in her element. If she was going to get off this hell hole she'd at least need to learn more about this place and the people in it. She slowly slid her body back up and to her full height, looking over to Nita as she did. Underneath the wardrobe and the fur, she could almost see the human left in her. Well that was....promising. If not a little creepy.
"Sorry I felt you up earlier," she said simply, letting a light shrug grace her shoulders as she moved a strand of wavy brown hair out of her face. She extended her hand and let one of her more casual grin slip to her full lips. "Maryke," she said simply.
Nita MacNeal Nita could practically hear the gears turning and twisting in Maryke's head. This woman was obviously someone who always got what she wanted, one way or another. She wondered how long it would take her to realize that what she wanted hardly mattered here. The red panda girl withdrew her hand and met Maryke's gaze. In spite of the fur and animalistic features, Nita still felt like herself. Whether or not 'herself' was completely human was another question all together. "Yes, well," Nita said, shrugging slightly. Being felt up like that had been distinctly weird, and she didn't want to say, 'Oh it's alright,' because it wasn't, really. But she would accept the apology. "I'm Nita." Maryke Jimenez
Maryke sighed, leaning back against the bar slightly, and resting an elbow on it. She could sense the tension hanging in the air and the last thing she wanted was to go around pissing off the locals. If it was one thing she knew, it was people. And no matter how high up you were it didn't matter unless you had a leg to stand on.
"Look," she said honestly, "Clearly, we've gotten off to bad start. I..." she raised an eyebrow at the red fur once more. "..misjudged you and I'm usually not this..." she fished for the right word and then merely shrugged, "much of a b***h. Let's say I buy you a drink, hmmm?" she asked before she sighed, after hearing that outloud a new realization struck her. "My money isn't good here, is it?" a rhetorical question that she quickly followed with, "Well, why don't I fix you one then."
Nita MacNeal At least she was willing to make amends. Nita brushed her long hair out of her eyes, suddenly noticing how much Maryke resembled pictures of her own mother as a young woman. Their attitudes were radically different, but the features had a similar Latin cast. Nita nodded solemnly. "This kind of thing is enough to make the kindest-hearted person a b***h," she said, only to crack a smile a moment later. "And uh.. yeah. No need for money here. But thanks." She looked across the bar at the cooler where she had been resting her feet. Her half-finished drink sat nearly forgotten, ice melted and probably flat. "Rum and diet Coke is what I had before," she offered. "At least they keep this place well-stocked. And the cafeteria isn't bad, for what it is." Maryke Jimenez
She chuckled at Nita's first comment and playfully retorted with, "Honey, I was born a b***h." Meant in jest, she was quickly letting her sour mood turn light as she looked around at what the bar had to offer. She looked over at Nita's drink and guessed it had already gone flat.
Thus she set about fixing her another one, sliding it over to the panda girl once she was done. "Hmmm," she murmured, wondering what it was that she could fix herself based off what was available. Settling on a straight up screwdriver when all she could really find was vodka and orange juice. Once she finished she plopped back into the seat next to Nita.
"So...'Nita'...is that short for something?" she asked, trying to make light conversation.
Nita MacNeal Nita snickered appreciatively. "I always had people say they could hardly imagine me getting angry-- and the prospect scared them." She sipped her new drink slowly, knowing that her altered metabolism worked slowly as well. Alcohol took a while to get to her, but if she crossed her limit even a little, it would hit her hard. She held her glass up in a mocking toast. "To bitches, then," Nita quipped. Maryke's question surprised her; as far as she could remember, the only islander who knew 'Nita' was a nickname was Rex. "It's Juanita, actually," she said. Maryke Jimenez
"Here, here," Maryke grinned raising her own glass to the mock toast and clanking it against Nita's lightly. At the full name she nodded, "Figured as much..." Without any more care to the name game Maryke began to rummage through the handbag she had brought with her, withdrawing a packet of luckies as she did. She pulled out a particulary nice stick and held her lighter in one hand.
"Don't mind do you?" she asked, though didn't wait for an answer before she lit up anyway. "Nervous habit...and right now..." She looked back over and chuckled, "You're not going to lunge over and eat me are you?"
She was only half serious, if even that. The more she was chatting with the girl the more she realized Nita was in fact, human. Despite the outward appearance. Hell, Mary'd hung around all sorts of types. Well...human people were just another set to add to that list she supposed. She didn't bother to remind herself that she would soon become one.
Nita MacNeal Nita's brows rose in silent query. It was much more common for people to ask if she were joking than accepting it with such aplomb. Particularly when 'Juanita' was followed by 'MacNeal.' She waved a hand to indicate she didn't mind the smoke, although the smell irritated her sensitive nose. The bar was open-air, however, and Nita would hardly begrudge Maryke the cigarrette's calming effects. "Hardly," Nita answered, blue-green eyes crinkling with her amusement. "Only if you were made of bamboo." Maryke Jimenez
Maryke was never one to pry thus she didn't bother questioning further, afterall who didn't have things that were too personal to mention. She took a long drag off the cigarette and let out the smoke through her nose and mouth, half closing her eyes as she let her nerves calm some.
At Nita's reply she grinned showing off her dimples and raised an eyebrow, "How do you know I'm not?" Bad jokes and nervousness usually went hand in hand, for her or anyone. But she was quickly settling into this new enviroment. She was going to ask if there WAS people like Nita who would very well eat her, but she thought better of it. She didn't want to give herself more things to worry about.
"You know," she said raising her head slightly and looking up to the stars before slowly looking back down towards Nita. "Just four hours ago I was worried about whether or not this place was going to have a closet big enough for all my clothes I brought...but now?" she shook her head, "Un ******** believable....was it this hard for you when you first learned?"
Nita MacNeal Nita leaned forward as if to inspect Maryke for signs of bamboo. "Hm, nope, bamboo free." She considered warning Maryke about a few of the less pleasant islanders (which basically meant Zach or Billy), but decided she didn't want to worry her. Besides, Maryke seemed like a woman who could take care of herself. She sipped her drink, enjoying the warmth of the rum. "Yeah. It was hard. I mean, I believed it right away... I had a damn good example right in front of me. But it still took time to sink in. As I recall, I sat down rather hard." Maryke Jimenez
"Yeah, no kiddin'," she nodded, holding the stick between two fingers as it rested next to her lips. "I'm still a total spacecadet over it," she said waving her free hand to her head, "But....I guess....it doesn't really matter now." She hadn't meant to let her voice trail off into weaker tones. It sounded like she was weak herself, and showing any sign that things might be effecting her was just something she didn't do. She decided it was best not to dwell on it.
"I mean, I don't even know what he injected me with," she said, hazel eyes regaining some of the fire she usually had. She took another long drag and then put out the cigarette, giving Nita an analytical eye. From her feet to her middle and then finally back to the panda girl's eyes.
"God, I hope I got something like you. Hell, there's still some guys who'd go crazy over you," she said at nodding at Nita's features in approval, "Don't mean to sound superficial or anything but...." she blanched, "I don't want it to be a pig or something...and I'm not sure I even wanna know even if I could..."
Nita MacNeal "It's hard to think about too much even now, and I've been here since the beginning of April," Nita admitted. "But.. what's done is done, I suppose." Nita colored slightly at the brief examination and cleared her throat surreptitiously. Not that she particularly cared if guys thought she was attractive. "I've been told I'm one of the 'lucky ones'," she said, knocking back another mouthful of her drink. "There's a guy turning into an octopus, for Chrissake." Nita paused before continuing. "You can ask, though. I wanted to know..." Maryke Jimenez
Maryke outwardly cringed at the idea of the octopus man, now THAT had to be a disgusting creature. She shook her head at Nita's next words. "Hell no, I don't...not now anyway," she said with the smallest grimace. "I'd rather be surprised, 'sides if I don't know it makes it easier to ignore....or as best as I can anyway"
She thought for a moment and then sighed, "It's gettin' late, and I think I'm going to go home," said with a snarl with the thought of that's what home was now, "and take a long hot bubble bath."
She stood up and stretched her arms high above her head before gathering up her things. She looked back down at Nita and let a geniune smile show. "It was nice meetin' you Nita, and hell, for something I used to wear, you're not half bad." She began walking and turned back, giving off a little wave. "F'you ever need anything, or just get bored, I'm in 56."
With that she walked off, cursing her evident bad luck in life.
Nita MacNeal Nita shrugged. It was her decision; Nita preferred to be prepared. She glanced out across the beach, surprised at how dark it had gotten. Although Nita had never been one for bubble baths, she nodded amiably. "That sounds nice." She quirked a brow at the 'for something I used to wear' comment and waved. "I'm in 44," Nita called after her. "I'll see you around, I'm sure." Nita sighed and finished her drink quickly. Although it probably wasn't necessary, she rinsed her glass and Maryke's, as well as dumping out the remains of her first drink. With the bar tidied up, Nita left. She sat silently on the beach, alone with her thoughts, surrounded only by the stars in the sky.
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Posted: Sat Jul 29, 2006 6:24 pm
Tall-Houses and Tree-Houses Joshua Rivers Joshua felt like it was getting harder and harder for him to stay inside. Everything was too small, not quite big enough for him to be comfortable. Beds and chairs were awkward and he still wasn't quite steady with his new height yet. He was, at least, managing not to bump his head anymore - too much. He had realized, for all his time spent here, he had yet to visit the beach. No trees and wide open space, it sounded like a good spot to relax for a while and perhaps read a book. He grabbed a towel and a book on giraffes (he had returned the ones he had already read to the island's "library"), and made his way down to the beach. Yes, it was much nicer here - and far less cramped. He set down the towel on the sand and sat down (slowly, as it seemed it was much harder to sit down the taller you were). It was quiet and peaceful here too, so he stretched his legs out in front of him before opening his book, ready to lose himself in knowledge to forget everything else. Nita MacNeal In spite of her arboreal leanings, Nita spent quite a while on the beach. Most days found her sitting in the shade of a dune, reading or just thinking, as well as occasional jaunts to the beach bar. On this particular day, Nita simply walked along the water's edge, her clawed toes sinking into the damp sand with every step. A long shadow encroached on the left edge of her periferal vision. With a shrug, Nita veered away from the water, curious as to who else might be inhabiting this particular bit of space. She approached quietly, and as she did so, the girl realized just why the shadow was so long. Even sitting down, this man was nearly her height; standing, he was probably close to double her meager 60 inches. And then his face was familiar, albeit changed. "Joshua..?" Nita asked tentatively. Joshua Rivers He looked up when he heard someone approaching, and smiled at the familiar face. "Ah, hello Miss Nita... it's good to see you again," he said, as if everything was perfectly normal and that he barely had to move his head to look at her face. Joshua closed his book, making room for her on the towel in case she wanted to sit down as well. "How have you been?" he asked, noticing that she was... much more furry than the last time he had seen her. Nita MacNeal Oh good, Nita thought. He recognized me. But then, there weren't too many other tiny red-headed girls with braids down to their waists. Changes aside, she was still recognizable. Josh, however, was definitely... tall. Very very tall. Nita accepted the offered spot on the towel, sitting on her feet so she wouldn't seem quite so small compared to him. "Nice to see you," she said. Nita pulled a face. "And, well, I've been okay, I guess. I keep running into new people." Joshua Rivers Joshua cringed at the thought - so the doctors were still bringing more people to the island? He supposed there were plenty of different species to go around, at any rate. He wondered what the purpose of all of this was - what were they trying to prove, or was this just some sick joke? "I'm sorry to hear that... it makes me curious to find out just how many people are on this island. I haven't run into too many other people myself, I've been feeling rather... anti-social," he murmured. "I see that you've changed since I last saw you, though," he said, looking down at her with sympathy. "Do you know how many times the changes are supposed to happen?" Nita MacNeal Nita shrugged and fiddled with the fraying hem of her shorts. "I met a woman last night who mentioned being in duplex 56... So I guess about that many. That's over a dozen new people just since I got here, in April." She looked up (way up) at Josh, sparing a glance for the book he'd been reading. "I see you changed too," she remarked. "A giraffe, I take it?" She shook her head, considering. The mere idea of being so tall was really strange; Nita wondered how he dealt with basic things like chairs and doorways. "I've changed twice now," Nita told him. "I know several people who have changed three times, and heard of a girl who's.. done. So I think that means four, total." Joshua Rivers "Mm, yes. A giraffe... a Dr. Lockheart informed me of what I was becoming before my first change." He looked down at his long arms and legs, sighing. "Even now, I still can't imagine it. She said they also made a special arrangement to allow me to keep my hands since, apparently, other people turning into hooved animals aren't so lucky." "I guess they they are doing me a favor in that sense." Joshua flexed his fingers, wondering if he should clip the thick nails or if they would just grow right back the next time he changed. "I suppose that means you have just two more to go then, hm? What do you think will happen after it's finished?" Nita MacNeal Nita leaned over to inspect Joshua's arms and held hers out to compare. Although they were covered in darkish fur and tipped with claws, her hands were still undeniably human in origin. She didn't want to think what would happen if she lost her hands to hooves. "I hope that works," she said honestly. "I really wouldn't want to not be able to write anymore..." Nita chewed her lip for a moment, considering the question. "I don't know. Hopefully they'd just let us live the rest of our lives in peace. It would be something, at least." Joshua Rivers Joshua couldn't help noticing the difference in length of their arms, and even though he knew everyone else here were turning into animals as well, it still embarrassed him. "Yes, I hope it works too, I like writing... but it sounded to me like this isn't something they have tried before. I can't help but wonder what kind of "special arrangements" they did, exactly." That, and he hoped they knew what they were doing - he wouldn't want to be even more horribly disfigured. "That would be nice, but... I don't know about peace. They are still controlling everything here, and we'll still be animals..." Nita MacNeal Nita shrugged. "But then, how much of any of this have they really done before?" she pointed out. "I mean, it is an experiment..." Yet again the phrase 'one of the lucky ones' floated through her mind. She turned away for a few minutes, staring out at the sparkling sand and the grey-blue-green water. "At least when we're done, it'll be stable. At least we know we'll be the same. And we're not supposed to be all animal... I still feel like myself, you know? I know I look different and all, but I'm still Nita on the inside." Joshua Rivers "I guess you're right. I suppose I will get used to being so tall eventually... I will just have to hope I don't grow anymore, else I really won't be able to fit in the buildings... it's already hard enough." Normally he wasn't the kind of person to complain about things, but in this case, he felt it was just. He wished he could have chosen the animal he'd have to turn into, if he had to become one. Odd as it was, he couldn't help feeling a little jealous of people who weren't turning into quite so strange animals. Nita MacNeal Nita patted Josh's arm sympathetically. "Maybe they could put you in a double duplex. Like two stories without the floor in middle so you'd be more on the right scale. It's the least they could do.. and something for the islanders who need to be in water. My downstairs neighbor is turning into a shark of some sort, and this girl Awen is a manta ray." She sniffed as a rather humorous thought occurred to her. "I should ask for a tree-house. I always wanted one when I was a kid, but we didn't have the right kind of trees in our yard. But now I'd have a good excuse!" The red panda girl grinned sideways at Josh, eyes glinting at her joke. Joshua Rivers He chuckled at the joke, grinning at her. "That's a good point. I think I saw some bigger duplexes around, but they didn't seem to be occupied. There were some that were partially in the water, too - maybe the people changing into aquatic animals will be moved there?" he guessed. "Perhaps I'll ask to be moved when I get back to my duplex. It would be nice to get a bed I could actually fit in." "Besides," he added, "I think my current upstairs neighbor is turning into an unfortunate animal as well... whatever it is, I heard very, very strange noises coming from the duplex above me one night. I might go as far as to say they were a little creepy, I was still getting used to this whole 'changing into an animal' idea." Nita MacNeal "Hm, I don't think I've seen the ones in the water, but I saw some that looked like they were on stilts, way up off the ground. For.. birds or bat-people, maybe? D'you think they could maybe even be able to fly a little bit?" Nita rested her chin on her knees, considering that. "They'd probably be too heavy. Neat to think about, though." When it came to 're-homing' people, she wondered if she'd even want a new downstairs neighbor. As annoying as Alec could be, he'd sort of grown on her, and after his recent transformation they had even come to some sort of accord. At least she knew Alec. "Who is your neighbor, anyway? I think you're in the duplex next to mine, but I don't know if I've met who lives above you." Joshua Rivers "Mmm. Yes, probably too heavy to fly... and even if they could, I doubt that would go over well. If they could fly, then they might be able to get off the island to get help... I'm sure the doctors here wouldn't allow that." Although he couldn't help but wonder if that could be true. Perhaps it could be kept secret from the doctors, and they could escape back to the mainland for help. "Ahh, I believe her name is Kaveri... she was the first person I met here when I arrived, after Dr. Duvert dropped me off." Joshua wouldn't mind being moved away from her, considering what happened on that day. The thought of eating rotten, raw dead animals disturbed him, to say the least. Nita MacNeal "I'm sure that's something they've thought of, and there's always those chips to knock us out anyway." Nita shrugged again; if others did manage to escape, odds were she wouldn't really want to leave. She knew Lauren wouldn't go, and Nita wouldn't leave Lauren. "Kaveri," Nita repeated. "Actually.. the name sounds familiar. Oh, I know!" She snickered. "Not long after I got here, there was a game of Truth or Dare on the beach. Dumb, I know, but it was kinda fun. Anyway, she was there... and I haven't seen her since then." Joshua Rivers "Well, when I saw her, she was changed... lets just say I'm not the only one on the island with a long neck. Hers seemed to be more flexible, though... so I don't think she is turning into a giraffe, too," he said, but he couldn't think of what, exactly she was turning into. "Besides that, she... ate a dead rabbit, right in front of me," Joshua shuddered at the memory. "Not even skinned. Just... raw." Nita MacNeal Nita did a classic double-take. "She ate a raw, dead, rabbit?" She shook her head, a rather disgusted expression across her face. "I know some people eat really rare steaks, but ew. Just.. ew." Of course, her own girlfriend ate bugs, but that was different somehow. Not to mention rabbits were cute. And pets. "And that was the first thing you saw when you got here? That's awful." What a welcome. "What do giraffes eat, anyway?" Nita asked, curious. Joshua Rivers "It was rather tramatizing, to say the least," Joshua grimaced a little. "Thankfully - according to the books provided here on the island - giraffes just stick to various from various trees and shrubs, which shouldn't be too bad. Just like a salad. Except for the cud... but maybe I won't have to deal with that," he hoped. If so, he probably wouldn't be eating out in public anymore. Nita MacNeal "That doesn't sound bad at all." Nita nodded thoughtfully, tracing little designs in the sand with one finger. "Except for the cud, yeah. I hadn't thought about that." Ugh. Chewing cud... ew. One of Nita's worst fears was vomitting, so having to hack stuff up on a regular basis would be absolutely awful. She'd much prefer having random leaves than have to chew cud. "I eat a lot of bamboo. Other vegetables and fruits as well, and occasionally meat, but.. mostly bamboo." Joshua Rivers While Joshua didn't fear vomiting, it certainly wasn't something he liked to do. And chewing cud seemed even worse... "Well, it looks to me like you won't have to deal with that," he said, smiling at her. "And those foods are normal, so it shouldn't be too difficult for you to adjust. Just have to get used to eating less of other things, is all." Nita MacNeal "Oh, I don't mind it, really. And apparently captive red pandas will eat meat, they just.. don't in the wild." Nita snorted. "If I don't count as a captive red panda, then I don't know what does!" She was joking, of course. Mostly. Nita looked up at the sky, realizing how warm it had gotten. "Hey, I need to get back to my duplex before I heat up too much, but it was really nice talking to you, Josh." Joshua Rivers "It was nice talking to you again too, Nita," Joshua said, smiling. "I think I'm going to stay out here a bit longer and get some more reading done. Take care of yourself, I'll see you around." Nita MacNeal Nita stood up carefully so as not to get too much sand on Josh's towel. With a cheerful wave and a smile, she set off towards the jungle. The trees would protect her from the hot rays of the midday sun as she made her way back to the village and her duplex.
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Posted: Thu Aug 03, 2006 9:22 pm
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Posted: Sun Aug 06, 2006 2:21 pm
Boobs On the Beach Maryke Jimenez
Maryke sighed all onto herself as she walked along the beach, sandals in one hand and a small bag full of her 'beach' things in the other. She enjoyed the feel of the sand between her toes as she walked. It was calming. And it was quiet here, no one around. And for that she was thankful. The ordeal last night had been stressful to say the least. Jamal for one thing, Antony for another. It's not like she didn't expect to make a few enemies in coming here, afterall the madame seemed to make them where ever she went. It was the sad fact that she was weaker then they were. She lacked influence and power here. That was getting to her.
But, that was okay. She could play it cool and maybe she'd save her neck. In the meantime she might as well relax a little. At least until she figured out what to do with herself. She continued to walk until finally she found a good spot and squatted down in front of it, smoothing down her pale blue bikini once she did and taking to rummaging through her bag for her beach towel.
Nita MacNeal It was a bit early for Nita to be out on the beach, as she generally prefered the cooler (and sun-blocked) climes of the jungle while the sun was still out in full force. However, the girl was restless and a bit bored with her normal routine. As such, Nita had left her duplex carrying a large towel, a paperback, and wearing her old faded bathing suit. She walked in the surf to keep herself relatively cool, intent on finding an appropriate spot to stretch out and read. A flash of pale blue and brown distracted her, not to mention the modest curves of.. Maryke. Nita stood still in the wet sand, stomach roiling strangely. Her semi-muzzled mouth quirked a slight frown at her nervousness. You're being ridiculous, Neets, she told herself sternly. It's just Maryke. Just another islander. Like you. Nita squared her shoulders and veered off across the beach towards her. "Hey," Nita called out once she was just a couple of yards away. "How've you been?" She bit the inside of her cheek, standing awkwardly and feeling remarkably young. Young, gawky, self-conscious, and hairy; not at all like the generally self-possessed young woman she knew she was. Maryke Jimenez
Maryke found what she was looking for and laid out her beach towel, her back arched and the delicate curves of her body showing nicely as she stretched forward to get the towel in place. Once she did the madame set back a little to go back into her bag before she heard someone calling. She instantly turned her head, shielding her eyes against the sun despite the fact that she was wearing sunglasses.
Her face broke off into a smile as she saw who it was. For a minute there she was scared it might be someone new or one of the many she didn't want to talk to right then and there. But, it was only Nita. And despite their strange original meeting, she didn't mind the panda girl.
"Hey," she called back, waving Nita over as she went back to her bag. "Wanna join me for a bake?"
She wasn't sure if Nita could even get a tan beneath the fur or if the sun was welcome to it, but she figured she might as well ask anyway.
Nita MacNeal Nita smiled back, relieved at the welcome. She attempted to keep her eyes politely averted, although Maryke seemed the type not to mind being looked at. Even so, Nita preferred not to be quite so obvious. "Yeah, sure. Although I don't really tan anymore. Actually, I never did before, either." She spread out her towel and set down her book. The girl sat cross-legged and shoved stray wisps of hair out of her eyes. "So," she began, looking sideways at Maryke (to keep the sun out of her eyes, of course). "How've you been since.. you know." Nita waved a furred hand slightly, indicating their previous meeting. Maryke Jimenez
Considering Maryke wasn't aware of Nita's sexuality, and didn't really care for that matter, she didn't notice the discomfort she brought the other and wouldn't have noticed had the panda girl snuck a glance or two. She finished pulled out her lotion and began spreading some on her arms, neck and a small trace amount on her collarbone before she set it down and looked back over at Nita.
"Figured you didn't, fur and all..." she said sprawling out on her stomach and removing her top to get her full back heated in the sun. Not that anything could be seen, mind you, the towel was covering her goodies and even if she sat up a little she'd still be mostly covered.
"Oh yeah I know," she chuckled at Nita's next comment, "Definitely. I'm alright. Had a few interesting engagements, but I'm still alive...." she removed her glasses and sighed softly. "Mind doing my back?" she asked, indicating the lotion nearby.
Nita MacNeal "It's actually kind of nice, since I used to just freckle and burn. At least now I don't need to bother with sunscreen." Nita shrugged and looked dispassionately at her furred arms and legs, therefore missing Maryke's disrobing. "Alive is good," Nita replied cheekily. She turned back towards the woman at her chuckle, surprised to be presented with her bare back and the lotion. "Uhm. Sure." She blinked a few times, now very glad that the fur on her face hid her flushed cheeks. The red panda girl squirted a generous amount of lotion onto Maryke's back and spread it around, keeping the layer as even as possible. The stuff felt weird on her palms and unpleasantly sticky on the fine fuzz between her fingers. Maryke Jimenez
"mmmm..." Maryke moaned as Nita's hands first connected with her back, until her small cries of relaxation broke off into little giggles. The fur tickled! "Okay, okay, m'good....thanks" she replied after she felt the lotion cover all the parts she wanted it to.
"Sadistic hellhole or not," she mused, "Gotta love the view..." She let out another soft sigh and then settled, feeling her bones and muscles ease off the tension as the sun hit her in all the right places. "So what's your story? How's the island life treatin' you? Boyfriend...? Friends...?"
Nita MacNeal Nita tried to ignore the moaning, although she did venture a quick tickle of Maryke's ribs when the woman started giggling. "There you go," she said, wiping her hands together in a rather futile effort to rid them of the excess goop. It would take some serious washing to get it all out of her fur. She lay stomach-down on her towel, propping her chin on her folded hands, ankles crossed in the air. "It is beautiful," she agreed readily, taking a few deep breaths of the warm salty air. "My story? Not that interesting, really. This was supposed to be a sort of study abroad program." Nita shrugged slightly, a remarkable feat when lying down. "I've made a place for myself though, odd as it seems. And I do have friends and stuff, moreso than I ever did back home." She skimmed over the boyfriend topic, including whatever could be construed by 'stuff.' Maryke Jimenez
She nodded, listening peacefully with her eyes closed as she did so. "Yeah, I getcha... never really had a problem in the friends department myself, but..." she stopped for a moment, opening her eyes and then she shifted her weight.
She moved on to her side, one arm draped across her chest to cover herself while the other propped her head up as she looked over at the other. 'You know, I think I've met more geniune people. Well excluding that bitchy squrriel and that sexual frutrated tiger I met last night that is. But the rest of you? I was just telling Awen how surprising it is. Still human...but I mean..." she nodded her head towards Nita's features and fur. "Anyway, it's just nice to be surrounded by people who aren't after my money or tits, you know. Real people."
Nita MacNeal Nita shifted slightly to face Maryke, nearly-exposed breasts regardless. She smiled, a thoughtful look on her face. "There are good people here, definitely. At least we're all going through the same s**t. We're all just trying to survive here. Even if we're being turned into different things, we're all being changed. Physically and mentally. But in spite of those changes, we're still human." She paused a moment, thinking about the pair Maryke must have run into. Nita had still not met Jamal, but the squirrel-woman must be Antony. "Most of us, at least. I won't tell you that everyone has such a great handle on themselves, because that would be a flat-out lie. But most of us work to retain our humanity." "As for you money, it doesn't mean anything here. There's no point in trying to flaunt it or get it. If you really need material goods, you can request stuff from the labs. They do try to keep us happy, as much as possible." Nita snickered. "And your tits? Well, we are still human!" Maryke Jimenez
Maryke nodded at the money thing, she had already figured that. Hell, she figured that one out on the same night she arrived. But, at the other comment she laughed loudly, her dimples showing and her neck high and thrown back. "I've already got the memo on that, but thanks," she said changing position yet again. This time she was on her back, breasts kissing air, as she put back on her sunglasses and rested her hands back behind her head.
"Apparently I owe tiger boy some nookie for helpin' me out of the jungle last night," she said staring up at the sky, not really caring that her body could be seen. This was how she usually spent beachtime with her girlfriends, just chilling and hanging around. "Not that I plan on paying up my end of the bargain," she added with a dry laugh, "But, I know how the sex game's played around here."
Nita MacNeal "Yes, well," Nita said, laughing and still a tiny bit embarrassed. And then Maryke went for the full frontal nudity. Nita practically choked on her laugh, hurrying to regain her composure. She was still a modest girl, although she had certainly had to get over a lot of her hang-ups regarding her body. Being turned into an animal tends to do that. Even so, she just plain wasn't used to people wandering around naked-- except for Colche, but that was different. Nita sighed softly, deliberately keeping her eyes above chest-level and on the conversation at hand. Which, of course, was about sex. Delightful. "The sex game?" she questioned, tone raising at the end of the phrase. Sex was definitely fun, or so she had learned, but.. for Nita, at least, it was hardly a game. Maryke Jimenez
Maryke hadn't caught Nita's reaction, she was too busy thinking all onto herself. When she did catch the question however she let out a small, "Hmmmm?"
Oh, right. THE sex game. Something she guessed Nita probably knew nothing about. Nita was your plain jane type of girl, or so Maryke assumed at the first impressions she was given. She'd be the type that went to college, studied hard, get all those good grades and little gold stars. Then fall in love with some nobody, have a small but meaninful career, pop out babies, and then hit the retirement home thinking she lived life good. That wasn't how Maryke worked at all. So naturally she assumed Nita might be taken aback by her countenance.
"Back home...in L.A... my business was pleasure," she admitted. She no longer cared who knew, she figured none of them would judge her and if they did, wouldn't really matter. All things considered.
Nita MacNeal In some respects, Maryke was right. Nita was quiet, well-behaved, valedictorian, Honors' student, and all the rest. On the other hand, however, Nita had no particular desire to marry that whitebread nobody. Children were a possibility, and as for a career? It was because Nita had no idea what she wanted to do with her English degree that she had gone to her guidance counsellor in the first place. Nita wondered, occasionally, if the woman had been employed by Feral Labs, or if it was just a freak chance that she ended up with those brochures... Nita was pulled from her thoughts by Maryke's explanation. Ah. That sex game, indeed. "I see," Nita said pensively. Not judgmentally, but it did give Maryke some context. "I take it you were successful?" She raised a brow; Maryke was hardly a simple streetwalker. Maryke Jimenez
"Quite," She bristled, grinning widely. "Of course I should mention that I'm not exactly the one that does the grunt work, so to speak." She figured with just by saying pleasure was her job then the other would probably assume hooker. But, she was no third rate trick, and anyone who was familar with the game knew that money didn't come as easily as some campy Julia Roberts bullshit fairytale movie. Nope, the one that held the power and wealth was the dictator behind the others.
"I have a great ring of clients and about 200 girls working for me worldwide," she continued. Was she being show offy? maybe a little, but she liked to also point out the fact that what she had, was actually a business. Unlike what most people assumed it was. "Each girl can rank in about 15 to 20 grand, it all depends."
She finally sat up and looked over at Nita, that cheshire cat grin still on her lips. "So yeah....I'm pretty successful with what I do." She leaned in a little, close to Nita, an eyebrow raised. "Think any less of me?"
Nita MacNeal "That is impressive," Nita told her honestly. One would have to have a hard head for business to keep track of all that. Nita flinched at the woman's proximity, her bare breasts far from being on her mind; the red panda girl was simply a fan of keeping her own personal space. She narrowed her eyes momentarily as if inspecting Maryke's leer. "No," she said simply. "You are what you are-- or were. You're hardly the only one in the world to be pre-judged for something commonly considered 'unacceptable.'" You know, like being gay. Whatever.Maryke Jimenez
"Thanks," she murmured, pulling away and looking around for her top. The sun was now being clouded over so it was kind of pointless. Once she found it, she pulled it back on and rummaged through her bag, pulling out a bottle of water and tossing it to Nita before getting one out for herself.
"I guess that's the real kicker," she said nodding and agreeing to Nita's next statement. "Nothing matters here." She sighed as memories began to float to her head, of course most of them pinpointed on a certain someone. Someone she was trying real hard to forget. "Hell, I'm running from the FBI for christsakes, well that and...I'm having trouble admitting to myself that I might be possibly," she blanched and muttered, "be in love with someone...a girl at that."
She didn't know which was worse, the fact that she was possibly in love, or the fact that it was a woman she might be possibly in love with. Especially someone of her type. She also wondered if Nita would be judgmental over that fact, but figured she would be too tactful to admit it if she was.
Nita MacNeal Nita caught the bottle clumsily, relieved that Maryke was putting her breasts away. It was much easier to talk to people when they weren't flashing you. "Jesus, the FBI?" Nita repeated quietly. Her next statement, however, really threw her for a loop. Her brows raised at Maryke, a tiny smile lurking at the corners of her lips. "It's nothing to be ashamed of, you know. Even if some people don't exactly approve of that either. Believe me, I know." Nita twisted off the bottle cap and took a few careful sips of water. Maryke Jimenez
Maryke took a long sip of water and then stretched, still obvlious to the fact that her bare chest had bothered Nita at all. It was just a common occurrance where she had come from. Then again the people she had surrounded herself with lacked morals all together.
"Yeah the FBI," she nodded putting the water back down and taking to sitting indian style. "Oh I'm not ashamed of it, there's not much I AM ashamed of...just confused..." She raised a brow as well when Nita continued, "Hmmm, was that 'I know' in you're trying to sympathize with me or an 'I know' like little miss Nita is sapphically inclined."
She leaned in forward, her hazel eyes dancing with the prospect of some juicy gossip. "Do tell..."
Nita MacNeal "Hm, yeah, confusion is pretty typical." Nita shrugged at Maryke's questioning. She spilled a little water on her hands, which still felt covered in lotion. Sticking the bottle upright in the sand, she quirked a brow back at Maryke. "Let's just say I can sympathize as well as empathize." It briefly crossed her mind that Maryke's FBI troubles barely phased her. Ah well. Coming to terms with one's homosexual tendencies was at least much more relevant. Maryke Jimenez
"Oh I knew you were checking me out," she grinned. Nope that was definitely not an advance. Just an attempt at humor, albiet a poor one. "I don't think I'm a lesbian, in fact I'd much rather have a big chunk of man meat then..." she stopped and frowned slightly. "Well, anyway...so I don't think I'll be playing muff diving minnie anytime soon, but it's just....this girl. You know."
She sighed and sat back a little, running a hand behind her neck. "She's a complete and utter b***h and I hate her. In fact I've thought about having her killed countless times...but," she gave off a little pout. "I just can't get her out of my head...no matter how hard I try."
Nita MacNeal Nita shrugged again and held up her hands in a 'Hey, can you really blame me?' gesture. "Although," she pointed out, grinning, " You're the one who felt me up!" She retrieved the bottle from the sand and drank. At least the clouds over the sun kept her from getting too warm. Nita snickered again, although she was listening carefully and seriously considering her words. "Well, sometimes it just happens that way, I guess. Maybe not exactly wanting someone killed.. or at least, not having that as a feasible option. " She flashed a grin. "But attraction is weird. It rarely makes much sense." Like dating the adopted daughter of the Island's head honcho. Maryke Jimenez
"Oh how could I resist," She said, mock checking Nita out, "I mean red panda? That's my favorite..." She laughed and then waved off the comment.
"I guess it does, I mean...well, I don't really have anything to worry about here. And besides even if we did try something out...wouldn't work. *I* do not love, at least not in that way. I can't settle down, it's just not possible. Besides, she's under me...I'm practically her BOSS...."
Okay, so maybe Maryke was now venting a little bit, well how could she not, she never admitted that to anyone. Not even herself.
Nita MacNeal "Psh, red pandas are totally the best!" she quipped, eyes flashing her amusement. Nita hummed non-commitally at the mini-rant. Not wanting a relationship because of the boss/employee dynamic made sense, but not ever loving someone? At times, Nita could be an optimist in spite of herself. "You're here now, anyway," she finally managed, flicking the bottle cap absently with one dark nail. "And she's not. So.. I guess you don't have to worry, like you said, but.. it still matters." The girl shrugged, looking past Maryke. Maryke Jimenez
"Yeah....yeah I getcha," she said, finally calming some and letting off some of the fire that was burning in her eyes. "But, if I ever do make it back, and I'm sure I will...I'll probably just have her killed and have the whole thing done with. "
Yeah, that was the best course of action to take. At least in her mind anyway. "So what about you?" She asked, wanting to drive the conversation away from herself for a while. Probably a first for the madame. "What's your girl like?" Of course by now Maryke knew Nita must have a girlfriend, it was pretty obvious to the brunette.
Nita MacNeal Nita made another of her noncommittal hums, in response to both Maryke's assuredness of getting off the Island as well as the potential death of her 'employee.' She had serious doubts regarding the likelihood of either of those scenarios coming to pass. Her girlfriend. Was she really that transparent? "Her name is Lauren. She's very tall and thin, and pretty although she doesn't always believe me. And uh, she's turning into a mongoose." With horns. And voluntarily, or at least as voluntarily as one could do anything on the island. And she calls Moreau her father. But Maryke probably didn't need to know all of that. Maryke Jimenez
Maryke stared blankly at Nita for the longest time during the panda girl's mantra of talking. She wasn't sure what she had been expecting but....wait....
"A moongoose," she asked, blinking a few times. "Oh...that.... " she shrugged, "That sounds great. I'm sure she's nice....so I guess it doesn't matter...I mean different.." okay this was wierd. And strange. Not mention it was weighing in on Mary's brain, the whole thing was. "species. You can still have sex and stuff?"
She was simply curious. Who could blame her?
Nita MacNeal Nita's voice trailed off when she noticed the blank look she was getting. "Um. Yes. A mongoose. But uh, we're still people, remember?" She quirked a brow at Maryke. It had never really occurred to her that she and Lauren were so different. Or that they could be seen as so different. Not to mention that red pandas were supposed to be distantly related to things like ferrets, weasels.. and mongeese. Mongooses? And Maryke probably didn't need (or want) to know that either. "But if you want to break it down like that, pretty much everyone is something 'different' here. It hasn't seemed to stop other people from sleeping together." Maryke Jimenez
"Right, sorry..." she said quickly, completely forgetting the fact that the human side of these people probably outweighed the animal side. "Human of course....I just couldn't understand how..." she waved off her mistake, "Forget it, I get it now. Right, right. Well good for you two then. I hope I get to meet her someday, if she's your girlfriend she must be killer..." she added with a sloppy grin.
She began gathering up her things and shoving them into her bag. "But, right now I've got a migraine the size of the island so I think I'm going to take some downtime in my duplex. Tell your girl I said hi..."
And with that the madame began to walk off. Learning more from their conversation then she would ever let on or admit to.
Nita MacNeal Nita really couldn't blame her for not understanding. She probably wouldn't understand until she changed, until she came to terms with her fate. "Oh. Um, thanks, I guess. I'll-- I'll tell her," she stuttered, as Maryke beat a hasty retreat. "Feel better!" she called after her. No kidding.Flopping over onto her stomach, Nita retrieved her book and brushed a few grains of sand from the cover. While the light held, she might as well do what she'd originally planned.
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Posted: Sun Aug 13, 2006 12:40 pm
Crying Over Spilled Ink William Woodrow Billy had woken from his strange dream by a sudden pain in his arm and rear. Or so it seemed that way in the very least- it was a dull sort of ache that felt as though it had been caused not too long ago. s**t- two injections? He hadn't heard any talk about more than one at a time, and that worried him, understandably. He didn't want to be here. He didn't want to be alone. Where the hell could he go? Duplex one- no, that would be an incredably stupid place to go. Antony- he'd go to Antony. She might still annoy him, but she was the closest to a trusted friend he had.
He wobbled as he crutched from his duplex through the night, panting heavily. He could feel his skin already crawling with the beginning tingle of change. He wasn't going to make it- bollocks. Nita MacNeal Nita was just coming from the cafeteria, her stomach full of bamboo, her body ready for a bit of a nap before perhaps heading to the beach or back into the jungle. Her sharp ears heard Billy's heavy breathing and she twitched slightly. The red panda girl had been keeping to herself lately and hadn't run into many people on her routes from her duplex to the cafeteria, and out to the jungle or beach. She peered into the darkness, easily locating the origin of the sound. A tentacled figure on crutches came into view, her eyes able to use the glimmers of light from the surrounding duplexes. She frowned at his stumbling gait-- perhaps he was drunk, or maybe that was just how he had to move these days. In any case, Nita had no great desire to strike up a conversation, so she readied herself to pass him by unnoticed. William Woodrow That was when he gave a sudden, sharp cry of alarm and horror as he dropped ot the ground- something was wrong with his legs- terribly wrong! They twisted and sagged, the bones having suddenly dissolved away. The mounds of leg-fless that still looked faily human stretched and flattened into true tentacles splayed out around him. "Ah- Feckin'-!" Nita MacNeal Or.. not drunk. Changing. s**t, s**t, s**t! Nita thought furiously, rooted to her spot on the path. Even though she had seen Alec only moments after his second transformation, she had never actually witnessed the twisting of limbs and sickening crunch of various parts of anatomy shifting, growing, or disappearing all together. And of course it had to be Billy-- at least Alec was somewhat of a friend. Nita approached him tentatively, determined to help if she could. "s**t," she said quietly. "Can you get back into your duplex?" William Woodrow "ME LEGS!" He shreiked in horror, laying on his back with his new tentacled limbs flialing in a terrified fashion, "Ahh..." He convulsed, his coloring shifting oddly in the moonlight untill he was quite easy to spot- white pigmentation spreading over him as the chemicals that gave him his octopussian chemilic abilities effected the rest of his body untill he was completely white. He was soon spoiled by his terror-induced gush of ink from his mouth, staining his white chest. His hair seemed to be shedding, dropping to his shoulders limply, pale, almost white as his pigmentation was drained away. His skin splotched madly, rossettes of red bubbling up through his skin, "I... FECKIN'-!" Nita MacNeal "I guess I'll take that as a 'no'," Nita muttered, eyes wide, furred hands covering her mouth. She couldn't remember how far gone his legs had been before, but the writhing mass of former limbs in front of her was just.. awful. Her gut clenched at the sight of the ink and she stepped back involuntarily. Steeling her nerve, Nita crouched near Billy; all she could do at the moment was wait for the changes to finish. William Woodrow That was when there was a sickening sort of wet rip and pop and Billy's eyes widened in pain. Slender spines were sliding from his head between his thinned hair in a row that went down the back of his neck to the small of his back, bristling in a fin-like arch befor a bit of webbing laced up around them. He had rolled onto his back, giving her a good view of the skeleton tatoo suddenly impaled by the growth of the fish-like spiny fin. It tensed and relaxed against him, finally staying erect as he gave a frightened groan of pain and fresh horror. Octopi didn't have fins! What the hell had-?
His thoughts were cut off as his face tingled and flattened, his eyes glistening, becoming rounder, more like cepholopodian eyes sunken into his face that had speckled with blue, his skin inable to make up it's mind what color it should be.
Once nothing was left but the two pinhole nostrils of his nose, his front teeth began to creak and swell, arching out of his mouth in the beginnings of a psudo-beak. His tentacles wrapped around her for support, unable to stop his own cries of alarm and fear. Nita MacNeal Nita stared in shock and horror as the spines emerged. So many of them.. it looked even more painful than growing so much of her long tail all at once. When the tentacles encroached, it took all of Nita's ability not to echo the man's cries, a muffled whimper escaped her throat. Jesus Christ, let this be over soon, she half-prayed, half-demanded. Her skin felt cold and clammy under her fur although her face felt hot and her stomach proceeded to tie itself in knots, not unlike the movements Billy's tentacles were making. William Woodrow To the elbow, his arms had become tentacles, rather than just his hands. His color changing had continued rapidly, but it seemed his changes were slowing. He gasped for breath, his lungs having shrunk and made it difficult to breath, quieting for just a moment as he stared up at Nita's face in fright, trembling violently. That was when the second injection seemed to overtake him and he shuttered, his eyes widening further as he felt someting distinctevly whither and shrink behind his tentacles. "Ah- feckin'... ********... ********-!" he groped at himself with his tentacle tips, but by the time he had managed to roll onto his back with his leg tentacles flailed, all that could be spotted under his webbing as white, sucker-lined octopussian flesh. He gulped at the air, hyperventilating in his panic befor one of his flailing tentacle tips flaired up with the strangest sensation. A wave of sensitivity and almost erotic sensuality bubbled through as it blosomed into a fully formed and rather unmorphic hectocotylus. "Tha'... b*****d!" In his panic, his ink came up again, but this time far more forcefully, able to actually squirt forward, splattering Nita's face and front accidentally. Nita MacNeal Nita flinched away from Billy, wanting nothing more than to escape his grasp and hide in her duplex for the next hundred years. She tried to cover her eyes and ears, unable to block out the sights and sounds. She swallowed convulsively as Billy exposed his webbed underside, not at all relieved not to see normal male genitalia. The lack of anything remotely human downstairs was infinitely more disturbing than randomly getting flashed. And then he inked. Nita blocked what she could, still unable to get away from the flailing octopus-man. She heaved, fighting to control her stomach and trying not to think how Billy had essentially vomited all over. Oh, that was so much worse than the prospect of having to chew cud. Nita gasped, spitting ink away from her proto-muzzle. Tears leaked from her eyes, leaving streaky paths through the ink. "Oh ********, oh holy s**t," she whispered over and over, feeling increasingly ill and miserable. William Woodrow Finally, it seemed over, and Billy's coloration slowly stabilized into it's nutral lavender-grey, his hair stark against his skin now. Hegasped and panted for breath, limbs quivering as he stared at the black sky in horror, "Jesus... Feckin'... Bollocks..." Nita MacNeal As Billy calmed, and the changes seemed to have run their course, Nita pulled herself away from the mass of clingy tentacles. At least her fur had protected her from the vicious suckers, but the phantom residue of such handling was such a violation of Nita's body and personal space. She sat weakly on the grass lining the village paths, shaking and futilely wiping at her face and front. If she thought about exactly what she was wiping off, she would surely be sick. "Yeah, you're not ******** kidding," she managed, gulping at the cool night air. William Woodrow He was still trembling, his voice weak and wavering as he spoke nerviously and breathily, "Is... it as bad... as it feels it is?" Nita MacNeal Nita clasped her knees to her chest, shaking and still resisting the urge to heave up a lot of bamboo. She shook her head in a helpless manner. "I didn't really see you before..." Her palms dug into her eyes, pushing at the tears that continued to roll down her face. "It's-- it's pretty bad, though," Nita told him honestly, her voice and breathing distinctly ragged. William Woodrow He continued his deep, weazing breaths. He couldn't seem to be able to catch his breath- his shrunken lungs difficult to keep his body happy. He wanted water. He couldn't sit up, his limbs too weak and painfull. He swallowed, attempting to at least wipe off the spilled ink from what remained of his scraggly, illkept beard- (it had been difficult to maintain it without hands and hew asn't about to try a razor with a tentacle). The beginnings of the beak made it difficult to speak, his words muddled. He recognized the red hair, even if the muzzle and furr were unfamiliar, "We'f... me' b'fer ha'n' we?" Nita MacNeal Billy wasn't too hard to understand, considering Nita was used to Alec's accent and enormous mouth full of teeth. She strained to hear him, though, almost missing his question in the midst of her own shock. "Yeah," she said. "A couple of times. First time, you yelled at me, and the other time you were picking s**t up off your lawn." William Woodrow He nodded, once again trying to sit up, but failed. "It's 'peem a rough ride. Sorry if I aint ver' good at bein' social." He seemed embarassed, anxious and nervious underneith his collected exterior. He needed to get back to his Duplex. The octopus craved his territory and Billy craved to not be looked at just then, but he could bearly move. Nita MacNeal "Hmm," Nita said softly. "Thanks for apologizing, I guess. I do know it's tough around here..." Her voice trailed off and she let herself look more carefully at Billy. "Your duplex is one of these close ones, right? You should probably get into some water." With the major crisis over, Nita could finally think of the practical side of the situation. And even though she didn't particularly like Billy any better, he was being screwed over by a damned awful transformation; it just wasn't in her to leave him stranded on the road. William Woodrow He made a little noise in t he back of his throat as he flopped, tentacles wrything and slithering over eachother as he tried to make sence of his limbs as they stood now, managing to roll over onto his belly at the very least. His spiny fins quivered, his skin splothing in agitation. He seemed intent on trying to at least crawl back, despite his lack of legs as he groped for his fallen crutches with a couple trembling tentacles. Nita MacNeal Nita made as if to help Billy stand.. or.. whatever he would end up doing but the all-too-recent memory of the feeling of his tentacles wrapped around her made her shudder violently. She stayed a couple feet away from him, eyeing his limbs dubiously. Once the girl was sure Billy was safely home, she would be more than ready to flee towards her duplex for a shower. A really long, hot shower. William Woodrow But he thrashed a tentacle with an angered snarl, "Gerroff'me! I don' need yer help!" The crutches would do no good, but he seemed intent to drag himself back over, gasping and sputtering for air miserably. Nita MacNeal Nita stepped back farther, even though she hadn't actually touched him. She didn't want to hover and piss him off, but she did want to make sure he would be okay. Hopefully he really would be able to make it on his own, since Nita didn't know what use she actually could be if he needed someone to lean on. At least she was willing to try. William Woodrow He managed to drag himself through the gravel a few feet befor he was too out of breath, his face a few inches from the dirt. s**t. But no. He could do it. He could go back to his damn home himself. Moureau was watching- he knew he was watching. Of course he was watching. He was always ******** watching. "SURE Y'LAUGH!" He screamed up at the hidden cameras he knew had to be placed everywhere, "But y'won'.... be laughin'.... ferever, Doc!!" Nita MacNeal The red panda girl followed Billy slowly, rather impressed by his tenacity. She flinched when he started screaming, looking nervously around for the cameras. His rage was justified, and if Moreau was really laughing... Nita pushed the thought away. This was no time to deal with issues of morality. With every passing moment, she could feel the black ink drying on her fur, causing it to stick up in little tufts. Nita scrubbed at her face nervously, which only served to spread the sticky stuff to her hands. She shuddered, wanting more and more to flee the scene. William Woodrow "Jes'... leave me be-" He growled, panting still as he resituated to try crawling again. He had to get to the grass. The pebbles were harsh on his sensitive stomach. Water... he needed water. "I can do it!" Grab the ground, grab the ground, tug, grab the ground tug, inches at a time. He couldn't breathe. Nita MacNeal Nita bit her lip, torn between wanting to help in any way she could and her strong desire to get the hell away. She took a single step closer, pitying the man dragging himself like a wounded animal. And like a wounded animal, he would rather attack her than let her get near. "I'm sorry," she said softly, ears lying back against her head. William Woodrow He made a sudden hissing noise, twisting his head for ink to suddenly spray from his mouth at her in a black, water-pistol-like repetitive squirt. "Away from me!" Nita MacNeal This time, at least, Nita recognized the warning signs and jumped backwards with an indignant squawk. The ink fell short, only splattering her feet. That was the last straw. She glared and fled into the night, muttering something about 'damned ungrateful octopuses' under her breath.
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Posted: Sat Aug 19, 2006 7:33 pm
In Moult Cassidy Smith To the casual observer, Cassidy was not looking well. She had been napping on a patch of sand on the beach, half in the sun and half in the shade, comfortable and oblivious to the world for some hours. Her feathers were definitely looking rather bedraggled and ratty, though, and her scales, usually bright, were dull and milky. Her eyes were clouded over; she'd certainly been able to see when she'd come down to the beach, even if her vision had been a bit... off. She'd merely put it down to a sleepless night, or perhaps some sort of virus that snakes might be susceptible to. At last, she began to stir, the itch that had been bothering her most of the day finally interfering with her sleep. Nita MacNeal Nita had spent the past few days studiously avoiding the other Islanders, having shut herself in her duplex. Witnessing Billy's transformation had disturbed her much more than she wanted to admit. However, there were only so many days Nita could spend cooped up without longing for the sights and sounds of the jungle. And so the red panda girl had spent most of the day perched in various trees, only to emerge in the late afternoon. She trudged out towards the water, not watching her feet-- and tripped over the end of Cassidy's tail. Nita stumbled forward, cursing and apologizing in the same breath. "Oh! Jesus. I'm so sorry; I wasn't looking...!" Cassidy Smith Startled from sleep, and unable to see, Cass's first impulse was to lunge and bite. "What...?" She propped herself up on an elbow and tried to look around, but she saw nothing. Nothing! Even in the darkness, lately, she'd been able to see fairly well. "Who's there?" Her voice was tight and frightened, and her tongue flickered, tasting Nita's scent. "Nita? Nita, I can't see. What's happened? Why is it so dark?" She could just pinpoint a warm spot, not far, and she turned to face what she hoped was Nita. Still, it unnerved her, and she could not shake the instinct to bite hard and flee up the nearest tree. She scratched furiously at her arms; she really would have to ask for some sort of cream or something... maybe a bath, when she got back to her room. Her hands hurt, though, and the motions were clumsy. Nita MacNeal Nita jerked back, also feeling an awful lot like fleeing up a convenient tree. "What? It's not dark, Cass, it's the middle of the afternoon." She pointed at the sky, even though it obviously wasn't helpful. The girl approached Cassidy more carefully, kneeling next to her and peering into her face. "Um. Your eyes are clouded over," she announced, concern evident in her voice. "I don't.. I don't know what that could mean," Nita finished lamely. She bit her lip thoughtfully. "I could get help..." Her voice trailed off as she watched Cass scratching. Snakes do shed their skins, she thought. Cassidy Smith "They're what?" Cass's voice cracked. "I'm blind, now, on top of everything else? Blind, and itchy, and... they've got to know already. The staff. Them and their cameras." Her tongue flicked wildly, and she touched the corners of her eyes as gently as she could. Her fingers looked sort of distorted, and cramped with pain, but she tried to scratch the scales that were beginning to grow up down the centre of her face; they likely had started while she was sleeping. Cass was ignorant to these facts, however, only aware that she itched, and that her hands hurt her more every minute. "You could help me back to my duplex, maybe," she suggested, though she was doubting her ability to make it that far right now. Nita MacNeal A frown flitted across Nita's features. Those were definitely scales spreading even more over Cassidy's face. Nita glanced at the snake-woman's hands, her attention caught by the oddly-shaped fingers. Oh s**t."Actually... I'm sure they know," she said softly. "I think," Nita paused, a lump having risen in her throat, "Cass, I think you're changing again." She sat back on her heels, unsure whether Cass would want her around during the transformation. Billy sure hadn't; but Cassidy was nothing like Billy. She was a friend. Cassidy Smith That's what she'd thought, when she'd woken early in the morning from a nightmare she'd rather not remember, but nothing had seemed to be changed. "I can't be," Cass protested, glancing around in vain. Her hands did feel strange, but she couldn't feel them properly to find out what was happening. There were pinfeathers beginning to sprout from them, though; she remembered that feeling all too well. There was an aching in her legs, too, and it was starting to spread. "I think you're right," she moaned. Nita MacNeal "I'm so sorry," Nita muttered, unable to keep from watching the feathers emerging from Cass' mangled hands. "Would you like me to stay? Or do you want to be alone?" she asked, not sure which she personally preferred. Nita chewed at the inside of her cheek, hoping (rather selfishly) that Cassidy's change wouldn't be as awful to watch as Billy's. Cassidy Smith Cass hesitated, not sure what she preferred herself. "I can't see, Nita. I really," she winced at a sudden spasm of pain, waited for it to pass, or at least fade somewhat, and finished in a meek voice, "I really don't want to be alone right now." Her legs, or what was left of them, were already beginning to shrink visibly, and was her neck a little longer? She tucked her head under her wings, birdlike, trying to shut everything out. Nita MacNeal Nita nodded meekly, wishing Cass still had functioning hands to hold. Or at least something that could be comforting..! "Then I'll stay," she said. Her voice wobbled dangerously; Nita cleared her throat and repeated, "I'll stay right here." She winced as the remains of Cass' legs withered away and her neck stretched out. How much more snake-like could she even get without just being a really big snake... with wings? Cassidy Smith Cassidy winced at Nita's voice; this not being able to see thing was sort of disorienting, and worrying, and that alone was nearly enough to make her panic. She raised her head again, her face distorted and snake-like. "Thank you," she said, though the words were strange-sounding from an unfamiliar throat. She fell down onto the sand, writhing a little on her stomach, whimpering softly, making small cracks and pops as drastic skeletal changes occurred. Nita MacNeal Nita sat quietly in the sand, drawing her knees up to her chest. The sounds of bones moving and changing provoked an empathetic response. Nita's stomach roiled slightly and her own spine twinged oddly. A few tears welled up in her eyes, pushed impatiently away by furred palms. Her crying wouldn't make Cass hurt any less. Cassidy Smith Cass could hear Nita making some sort of sound, but she couldn't interpret it. Whether this was partly a lack of visual cues, or partly her own distress, was hard to say. Her body, slowly and excruciatingly, was thinning out, becoming more and more snakelike, almost completely inhuman. Cass could only lay her head on the sand (even if it was in a way that would have been terribly uncomfortable even that morning) and wait for it to end, her wings spread out over the ground. Eventually, the pain subsided to a horrible, dull ache; it was not much of an improvement, but it was at least something. Cassidy raised her head a little. "I still can't see," she whispered, her tongue flickering. It at least smelled like Nita was still there. "And I still itch..." Whether out of instinct or just to soothe the itching, she began rubbing her face against the ground, against her wings where she could reach, and the skin began to peel back a little. Nita MacNeal In spite of her hunched-up position, Nita was determined to keep watching. As much as she wanted to look away, Cass deserved to have someone see the last bits of her human body fade away. At Cassidy's final pronouncement, Nita voiced her earlier thought. "Don't snakes shed their skin?" She peered speculatively at the still-peeling skin on the snake-woman's face. The mere suggestion of that much itching made Nita's fur stand up on end, fluffing out around the outlines of her clothing. Cassidy Smith "I never thought of that..." Cassidy was making quick work of it now, and the clouded scales began to peel off in a long strip, showing bright and healthy green beneath, and clear yellow eyes. She made an attempt to pry at it with her hands, but they were gone, and she could see now she had lost all remnant of thumbs and fingers, it all grown together and feathered. She glanced over Nita, flicked her tongue, and without knowing quite why, began to squirm, scattering the last remnants of her hair into the sand. The instincts, at least, served her well; the skin began to peel back, though it snagged awkwardly around her feathers. Nita MacNeal Nita's blue eyes widened when the dull film peeled away, revealing a rather beautiful animal underneath. A beautiful animal, and one that hardly looked like the Cassidy she had known before. "Well," Nita began softly. "Can you at least see now?" She shifted forward, not quite yet aware of how strange it was to be talking to a giant green snake with wings. Cassidy Smith "Yeah... yeah, I can see. I knew I wasn't feeling well... I should have stayed back in my room..." A little more work and the skin stripped off, leaving a long bit of tissue-like material on the sunny sand. Cass stared at it in a mixture of horror and amazement. She made an attempt to straighten up, but her body was unfamiliar now, and it didn't seem to behave the way she expected it to. She only succeeded in raising herself high enough to flick her wings clear of sand and fold them against her body. Cass strained to look at herself, and did not like what she found. "... oh my god." Nita MacNeal Nita wouldn't have been feeling very well either, if her body had been preparing to do that. At least, for Cassidy, the changes were over. She wouldn't ever have to wake up with an injection mark, fearing the worst. The worst had already happened. "Yeah..." Nita shook her head from side to side. She had absolutely no clue what she could say now. Cassidy Smith Cassidy turned, trying to look at herself. "I'm not even... I'm just a big snake. I'm just a..." Okay. Try not to panic. Couldn't panic. Must not fear, fear is the mind-killer... She took a deep breath, or as deep as she could manage. She coiled herself up into a heap, and managed to lift her head, her neck, a bit of body, in something that to the part of her desperate to still be human was as close to a real sit as she could manage. Cass looked at Nita in dismay, unable to speak. Nita MacNeal "With wings," Nita added before she could stop herself. Her hands flew up to cover her mouth and she muttered apologies between her fingers. She sat looking back at Cass, both relieved and horrified that the changes had stopped. At least it looked like Cass could sit up somewhat... "I guess now you really look like Quetzalcoatl," Nita said quietly, the barest hint of amusement in her voice. Cassidy Smith Cass would have smiled, but her mouth did not seem suited to that. She extended a wind, curled her head around to look at it critically. "I am a goddess," she said, rather dazed, and shook her head. That didn't sound right to her. She folded the wing against her side again. "It wasn't supposed to... I didn't expect... how am I going to get back inside my duplex?" The tip of her tail curled agitatedly in the sand. Nita MacNeal Nita did smile a little, glad that her half-joke hadn't completely fallen flat. "You are beautiful, though," she offered. "The colors, I mean." She pushed her hair out of her face and smiled a bit more broadly, albeit shyly. "Oh... I can let you in this time, at least. And then.. see if you can a different kind of door-knob?" She considered for a moment. "Maybe an automatic door, like in grocery stores or something." Cassidy Smith If she could have blushed, she would have. "Thank you," Cassidy said, with a bashful bob of her head. She watched Nita with one eye. "And I would really appreciate the help. I guess in the meantime I can at least prop the door open and hope it doesn't shut on me." This was worse than losing her legs. She could deal with that. But her hands? Another deep, imperceptible breath. She uncoiled herself again, and tried to slither forward as she had before, with her head high. She could do it, she discovered, but it was hard, and she would need practice; she was built to slither along with her chin on the ground. "This is going to be... um." Nita MacNeal "It's really no trouble. And maybe we can find a big rock or a brick to put in the doorway." Nita stood and brushed the sand from her tail and pants. Even those small movements brought home the enormity of Cass' metamorphosis-- she didn't even have hands anymore. "It's okay," she said again. "You just.. take all the time you need." Cassidy Smith Cass nodded vaguely, and leaving her skin on the beach for a lack of a way to carry it or any particular desire for the thing, she began to slither over the sand. She was more than a little amazed at the ease at which is came, compared to her comparitively awkward motions before. So much muscle, all devoted to movement... "Well. Let's go, then. I'd really like to find a mirror..." She sighed a bit, and headed off, with a quick glance back to make sure Nita would follow.
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Posted: Sat Aug 26, 2006 1:58 pm
I don't know if I can do this anymore. I saw Billy change a couple weeks ago, and he was even more unpleasant to me. Not that I blame him, exactly, under the circumstances, but I just wanted to help. Or at least get him back to his duplex so he wasn't writhing around in the middle of the damn village. And what do I get? Covered in octopus ink. I almost threw up right then and there. The top I was wearing is ruined, and it took so many washes to get that awful black stuff out of my hair and fur. If I never have to face him again, that's quite fine by me. I avoided everyone for a week. And then when I finally thought I could handle be around people again, I ran into Cassidy. She was blind and terrified, and she's usually such a collected person. And then she changed by basically shedding her skin-- and the last vestiges of her human appearance. I didn't think we were supposed to change that much! She's... a big snake. With full wings. Quetzalcoatl to a T. No more hands. I can't even imagine. Being turned all animal like that seems unnecessarily cruel. Of course, just a few months ago I couldn't really imagine being turned into a red panda. Perhaps as a whim, but not.. living like this. But I survive. I have to. I guess I had deluded myself into thinking it wasn't so bad here. And I guess, for me, it's not. I'm still fascinated by the process, and by the possibilities. But then again, I'm one of the guiltily 'lucky' ones.
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Posted: Sat Sep 02, 2006 11:55 pm
The Panda and the Penguin Nita MacNeal Nita woke up late, her stomach growling protest at its emptiness. And of course, Nita's supply of food was gone. She squinted at the noontime sun streaming into her window. The trek to the cafeteria would be uncomfortably warm, but at least the building was air-conditioned. A few minutes later, the girl was casually dressed, her hair confined to braids as usual. She entered the cafeteria with a sigh, thoroughly grateful of the chilled air. Nita went through the line, nodding at the serving woman, before taking a seat at a nearby table. Marshall_Green Marshall had spent the day wandering around the "resort", finding some places he'd want to remember...The beach bar, the arcade, that one room with all those DVDs (which he'd have to take inventory of later), and last but not least; the cafeteria.
Shoving his hands into his pockets, he walked into the well-lit room, seeing a rather strangely-happy woman standing behind a counter, a red-headed girl with her back to him eating some thing, and...A BUFFET!
Ignoring the red-headed girl for the time being, he went over to the food, placing some sushi (which looked better than it usually did for some reason), cookies, and a can of Coke on the tray. He turned around, smiling, before dropping his tray in uter shock.
...WAS THAT A TAIL?!?! Nita MacNeal Nita jumped several inches out of her chair at the sudden noise. She had seen Marshall enter, but it hadn't registered that he was still completely human. Or that he might not have known the truth about the place yet. "Um," she began, eyeing the spilled food. "There's some paper towels over there." The red panda girl pointed across the room, doing her best to act as if guys dropped trays at her appearance every day. Marshall_Green Calm down, Marshall...Calm down...She's probably just...Cosplaying...Yeah, its a resort after all. They probably have people dressued up as...red...lemur...bear things, right? That makes perfect sense! Yeah! She's just cosplaying. That fluffy tail is just animatronic. Just shrug it off!
"Oh, heh heh...Um, sorry about that. Must've spaced out or some thing." Marshall said with an akward laugh, walking over and grabbing the paper towels. "So, how much they paying you?" he asked her as he kneeled down to clean up the pudding cup and raw fish that fell. Nita MacNeal "It's alright," Nita told him. And it was, really. A dropped tray and a bit of staring was hardly the worst reaction she'd received. Like being felt up, or having it made obvious they thought she was crazy. Nita blinked. "Paid?" she repeated. Oh boy. "Unfortunately, I'm not paid anything." Except for Moreau giving her that enormous TV and the clothing. She sighed. "Let me guess... I'm the first person you've met here," she said dryly. Marshall_Green Marshall looked up from his mess-cleaning with a raised eye-brow. What did she mean she wasn't payed? Wasn't that slave labor? Was she one of those island natives that gets enslaved by the insane and mean-spirited foreigner?! He's seen that in movies! It must be true!
Right. And Pegasus is going to live next door.
"Um...Actually, you're the second. The first person I met was this really weird white-haired guy...He was pretty nice though. He dressed like he was in the 1700s but still." Marshall said with a smile as he finished up cleaning the spilled pudding. Nita MacNeal So much for the vain hope that this guy already knew what was going on. "That would have been Dr. Duvert. And he gave you a shot for what's supposed to be for some nasty tropical disease." Nita's tone indicated that she spoke from experience. She nibbled idly on a handful of bamboo leaves. "Look. You might want to come sit down. Some people take this pretty hard." Marshall_Green Marshall cocked his head to the side, totally confused by what this red-headed...And red-bodied, as the case may be...girl meant. "You mean it wasn't for some rare tropical disease thing?" he asked as he took a seat, not really sure what she was about to tell him.
But he got the sinking feeling... that it had some thing to do with her costume. Nita MacNeal Oh boy. "Not exactly. It's rare, all right, and it only happens here. But it's something they do to us. Dr. Moreau is in charge, and has been developing a serum-based technology that basically turns humans into animals." Nita looked directly at Marshall, trying to judge his reaction. After a moment of silence she added, "I'm becoming a red panda." Marshall_Green Marshall raised an eye brow. She had to be joking. Or looney. No, she seemed far too stable to be insane. That Sabin fellow was probably more insane, all things considered. His face was, in a sense, unreadable. He wasn't sure if she was being serious or just picking on him.
"...You sure its just not a costume?"
Yes. He was seriously THAT dense. Nita MacNeal "If this is a costume, your head is made of tissue paper." Nita cracked a grin and held out her arm. "See? Fur. Growing from my skin. If you pull on it, it hurts. Same with the tail. Lemme tell you, that thing was a b***h to grow!" The girl cocked a brow back at Marshall. "I'm Nita, by the way. Apparently I got to play Welcoming Committee this time." Marshall_Green "Well...This is rather strange." Marshall said, rubbing the back of his neck. At a closer look, there was no way to deny that it was fur. Real fur.
Instead of bugging out, living in denile, or yelling at her, he seemed almost...unphased. But this was only on the surface. Underneath it all, he was scared beyond reason. A tail! A tail of all things! And FUR! Must've been itchy to grow...But the tail! Shrugging off the tail phobia and taking her rather furry hand, he shook it happily.
"The name's Marshall. Its nice to meet you, Nita." Nita MacNeal Nita was distinctly relieved to see Marshall taking the news so well. Of course, she was hardly the most disturbing person he could have met. And at least she would tell him the truth. "Nice to meet you, too," she said with a grin. "So. What'd they tell you to get you here?" Nita sat back in her seat, sipping at her soda. Marshall_Green "Well...Two weeks payed vacation at a private resort...Now that I think about it, I should've known it was a total scam." Marshall said with a slight chuckle, "But I never thought it'd be this...strange. No offense!" Marshall said, not sure how sensitive she was about the whole ordeal.
"So, um...What else are people...Turning into?" he asked. He TRIED to find a better way to word it, but in all honesty that was just impossible. Nita MacNeal "Well, the island does look like a resort.. and it is private!" Nita snickered. "No offense taken. You learn pretty quickly there's no real point in getting all huffy. Since everyone's turning into something.The red-head tugged thoughtfully at the end of one long braid. "Let's see. My neighbor downstairs is a shark of some sort. The guy next door is a giraffe... I have a friend turning into a lion and another is a snow leopard." She hesitated for a moment. "If you see a purple guy with tentacles, that's Billy. He's.. not exactly the friendliest of people." Nita shuddered, remembering her last encounter with the octopus-man. It had taken ages to get that nasty black ink out of her fur. Marshall_Green Marshall nodded, almost like he was taking notes mentally. "So...A giraffe, a shark, an octopus, a snow leopard, and a lion!" Marshall repeated. He then started to picture them in his head. If they were any thing like Nita, they all must be rather civilised for animal-people...That sounds almost a little racist!
"So...Um...How do you get from human to...?" he wasn't sure how to word it. Animal? Were-person? ...Furry thing? Nita MacNeal "It's all in the injections they give you. The first one, when you get here, is supposed to prepare your body for the changes or something. For the changes themselves, they usually inject you when you're asleep. It varies from person to person, but I changed the first time after I'd been here about a month, and the second change was maybe six weeks later." Nita paused for a moment. "Jesus. I've been here for almost five months now..." Although she still kept track of the passage of time, putting it like that made it seem a lot longer. Marshall_Green He listened intently, hanging on every word she said. This was so amazing for him; Animal People! He'd been drawing them for years, but to know they kind of existed...Well, he didn't want to, but he found it cooler than it should've been. That was until she mentioned how long she'd been there. Marshall bit his bottom lip, thinking about being here for that long. His job, his freinds, his family...Oh lord...I shouldn't ask. I really shouldn't. It'll just end up really bad. Really, really, bad...But...
"...Has any one...Ever been able to...Leave?" Nita MacNeal Nita shook her head. "No. We're not allowed any contact with the outside world at all. But really... I mean, I'm still relatively normal-looking. Can you imagine me walking around on campus, or going for job-interviews?" She shrugged and finished up her brunch. "Look, I'm sorry I had to dump all this on you, but you needed to know." Marshall_Green "N-No, its fine...I much rather hear it from a nice person...Um, well, it was very nice to meet you, Nita...I wish it was under better circumstances, but, um...I'll catch you around. I'm down at 59, if you ever want to drop by or some thing." Marshall said, with a forced smile that didn't even fool himself.
Getting up, he waved to her good bye as he walked out the front doors, hands burried deep inside his vest pockets.
That last part...That last part was the stinger... Nita MacNeal Damn. 59? And people had been so surprised to learn there were over 40 people when she'd arrived! "Take care of yourself, Marshall, okay? And I'm in 42, if you ever need anything." Nita watched him leave, staring blankly at the door. Eventually, the girl shook herself back to reality. Not particularly wanting to be cooped up in her duplex just then, Nita strode out of the village and into the jungle.
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Posted: Mon Sep 11, 2006 3:22 pm
Metaplot: The Death of Fiona Fiona_Brooks Fiona was in a daze. Since her change, her whole body felt foreign, alien to her. Her limbs didn't seem to work properly anymore, and a salvaged sturdy treebranch served to aide her hobbled movement. The pain of her last transformation and her paranoia, ever snapped twig, every rustle in the jungle set her fur on edge. And above all else, she felt very alone. Where was Annie? The labs, those bastards... they had to have her. What sorts of things were they doing to her?
Her mind flashed back on the animals that they had seen in cages in the lab during the raid that had gotten them both there. Now they were the animals in cages. Annie in THEIR cage, Fiona in a cage as well. While hers may not have bars or wires... it was a cage enough. She couldn't leave, she was alone.
The week since her last change had granted her a strange mix of clarity and haziness. One thing was VERY clear: she had to find Annie. She had to save her; she got her into this mess, and Goddammit, she was going to get her out.
She didn't know where she was walking, just that she WAS walking, that she was finally doing something. She let instinct guide her more than anything else. And who knew how long she walked at her slow, limping pace.... but eventually the sounds and smells of people reached her. She hesitated, sniffing the air quickly, heart thumping in her chest. It was hard for her to move, the rabbit instincts telling her that the sounds and smells of lots of people- especially those predator scents, were dangerous. They'd hurt her and Annie!
But... as she sniffed... on particular scent was plucked out of the mass of cooking meat, people, and noise. A very familiar scent.
"Annie??" Fiona whispered in a choked sob. Without thinking twice, she hobbled as quickly as she could towards the smell, her heart thumping once again, but for a completely different reason. Angharad Anderson The nightmares had returned that night. Worse than they had been when she was in the labs. She woke up feeling sore and tired and paranoid. Were the labs going to take her again? Was she going to be in so much pain again..?
A long shower did nothing to shake her uneasy feeling, so figuring a nice meal might help, she left her duplex, wandering slowly in the general direction of the cafeteria. Fiona_Brooks Fiona burst from the treeline, looking very different than the last time Angharad had seen her. But her own changes were for once the last thing on her mind. She had closed half the distance between them, crying Angharad's name before she even recognized that she wasn't the only one who had changed.
She slowed only marginally, however, her extatic tone now hushed and sympathetic. "Annie... My god.... what did they do to you?? She hobbled closer, flinging her arms around her old friend. "Where have you been? What did they do? You don't deserve this! I'll... I'll make them pay for this, Annie! How dare they make you a carnivore.."
Angharad Anderson Annie virtually jumped out of her skin as the figure approached. Fiona flug her arms around her neck before Annie's brain finally comprehended what was happening. "Fiona?!"
After she recovered, she tightened her arms around her and returned the hug, bauring her face in the fur on Fiona's shoulder. She breathed in her sent, letting a whine slip out. Fiona_Brooks
Fiona made a frustrated noise, but just held her friend tighter for a moment. But how could it be that simple? She was just.. here? Where were the men with guns, where were the needles..? Had they just released her?
"What did they do to you?" Fiona asked again, pulling away from Angharad. "They... changed you... but you were gone for so long. I thought they'd taken you away from me." She cried in frustration, wiping at her eyes and nose and trying not to cry. She couldn't cry, she had to be strong.
Sid Eisley Sid emerged from the cafeteria, full and content despite being painfully sober. As he hobbled towards home he slid the packet of cigarettes from their place tugged in the sleeve of his shirt. Getting one out with his teeth was a simple enough task, even if his cane made walking and trying to light it that much more difficult. He was about to start digging through his pockets with his lighter when he stumbled upon the tender moment... between bunny and a dog girl? And so his lighter was momentarily forgotten. He stopped a few yards away, just close enough to hear, and stared. Angharad Anderson Annie felt her mind go fuzzy as she nuzzled on her friend. Something was twisting inside her, building... a hunger, a pain... something came over her that was like a mix of nausea and adrenaline.
"I was asleep for most of it.." she managed to get out, but she couldn't seem to keep her mind open on what happening.
"Oh, Fiona...look at you.." she lifted a claw-tipped hand to her cheek and searched her face, looking for any semblance of her best friend in her eyes.
She tried to smile, but something came over her and she doubled over in pain, stumbling backwards a few paces. Newton Filinas Newt had been out on his way to check the evening dumpster behind the cafeteria when he heard voices. Immediatly, he took cover, instinct insisting that a position behind a garbage can or strategically placed bush would be a much better action than leaving himself open to possible preditors. By the time he had situated himself in the dirt under a bush by one of the duplex fronts, the frog-man peered intently out to see who he had stumbled across- hopefully they had been too wrapped up in themselves to notice him. Fiona_Brooks
"That's... good at least." Fiona murmured. "Probably didn't want you to remember the.." She trailed off. She was about to say the 'horrors', but Annie was always the sensitive one, the one that she should protect from those sorts of thoughts.
So instead, she ran her hand through her hair and just shook her head. She'd make them pay for what they did to her. They could beat her, shock her, twist her legs.... but not Annie... not sweet Annie.
Fiona shook her head. "Don't... don't worry about me." She said, a small, wincing smile on her face. "
But when Annie doubled over, Fiona's heart jumped into her throat again.
"Annie!!" She called out, kneeling by her, hand on her back. "What's wrong?!"
Gaius Harper Gaius had just emerged from his duplex, heading on his way over to the cafeteria for a late meal. With all the developments of the past days, he'd been hoping to avoid contact for a while, for fear of getting entangled in any more plots or secrets. He nearly stumbled upon the scene taking place in the village, stopping as he rounded a corner of the duplexes. There was what looked like a rabbit girl and another girl with too much hair. However, something looked off. Nita MacNeal Nita had been sweeping dust out the door of her duplex when Annie walked past. Since she hadn't seen her neighbor in quite some time (and.. had she been so furry during their last encounter?), Nita put her broom aside and hurried down the path after her. She had raised her hand to wave and call out just as Fiona came tearing out of the jungle. Not wanting to interrupt the two friends during their heartfelt reunion, Nita stepped off the path. Perhaps she would catch up with the pair of them later. Angharad Anderson "NO!" Annie suddenly called out, falling backwards onto her rear and clutching at her head. "Not again..."
Almost immediately Annie's body seemed to sort of contort... shoulder's broadening and bulking, causing her shirt to pull at the seems. "Not again..." she cried between clenched teeth. Fur starter to spread over the exposed skin on her arms and legs at an alarming fast pace.
Sid Eisley The changes started before Sid could quite reach a conclusion on whether or not he should come forward, or at least announce himself. The ferocity of the changes was enough to make his mouth slip open in shock. The cigarette fell to the ground. Fiona_Brooks
"Annie!" Fiona rushes to her side again, not letting her get more than an arms' bready away from her. "No... no... not you. Not this." The pain was very vidid in Fee's memory from her own change not a week ago. It was miserable, horrible.... and Annie shouldn't have to go through it.
"God damn you..." Fiona all but growled under her breath, not towards Annie... but towards those ever-present watchers. "GOD DAMN YOU!" She said again, filling her lungs with the curse, shouting as loud as she could, hoping to reach the very labs themselves. "NOT ANNIE!"
Angharad Anderson The changes were faster than normal. Frightening fast. She held it in as long as she could, but as she shirt ripped open and her skirt burst at the seems from the sudden shift in mass, her mouth opened in a wail of agony.
The heat from her body came off her in waves. Thick brown fur had nearly completely covered her body by the time she flung herself forward. It was an attempt to get up, to run away somewhere and hide, but the mix of pain and a sudden shift in her center of gravity and change in her foot structure sent her face-first into the dirt.
She screamed into the ground, pounding her fists as face began to contort, pushing forward as a audible crack could be heard as her once-human nose and maxilla ridges broke away from her skull. Gaius Harper At first Gaius thought she was having stomach pains, the way she was bent over, but when her shoulders started expanding to the point of ripping her shirt, Gaius's mouth had dropped open and eyes bugged. This... This... There was only one thing this sight he was witnessing could be. The spreading fur confirmed it without a doubt. Suddenly, he felt weak at the knees, and had to catch himself on the wall as he stared on in horror. Fiona_Brooks
"ANNIE!!!!!" Fiona screamed, tears now coming to her eyes unhindered. It was torturous to witness, and as much pain as she remembered from her own change, it wasn't this bad, it couldn't have been this bad. The sounds, the speed of the change... and the horrifying expression on Annie's face. IT would have been bad to witness ANYONE going through this.. as her face seemed to break.... but Annie... her Annie.
She could hardly articulate definate words between her sobs. She just flung her arms around her neck and hoped that being there would somehow help her.
"HELP!" She called out plaintively to the crowd that was gathering. "DO something! Pleaseeee~" She wailed.
Jamal_Reedy "Anotha' one," Jamal growled bitterly to himself as he leaned heavily against a tree, eyes narrowed sharply as he watched the scene unfold. He had been off on his own for a long time now...weeks...months...maybe longer for all he knew. His senses were growing keener by the day and with it, his instincts. It was those very instincts that pulled the tiger man back towards the fringes of humanity to witness what was happening now thanks to the screaming and the thick, choking smell of fear. He was making no pains to hide himself in the shadows as he stood there, his eyes continually glaring at the wolf girl as the tiger gave a twinge of dismay; the scent of predator was growing stronger as the girl's transformation progressed. If anyone looked in his direction, he paid them no mind. He doubted any would address him anyway. They certainly were not his friends. Angharad Anderson The final parts of the changes came just as swiftly as the rest. Her face pushed out and her feet and hands twisted into paws. As quickly as it had started, it was over, leaving Annie a breathless, quivering, hulking beast on the ground.
Nothing was right. The smells, the sounds. Annie had never felt so disoriented her life. She was hungry, scared, in pain... and something was clinging to her. She bared her teeth and growled, shoving Fiona roughly and she got to her feet.
Her sore limbs cried out in pain to her brain, but she swallowed it down and stood, looking around with cold, inhuman eyes. Her new nose was working furiously, catching a new array of sents. Her stomach growled, a ravenous hunger sweeping over her lupine brain. She needed sustenance to make up for the sudden change in her body mass and metabolism.
Suddenly, she was starving! She was going to die if she didn't get food. Her eyes settled on the prey animal in front of her and a neuron-fire later she sprung forward, sinking her teeth in her shoulder.
Fiona_Brooks
Fiona Screamed. The world was being torn apart. Her friend, her best friend, and the only other person here she could trust had just... bitten her. She could see the fear, the pain... and a deeper madness in her eyes. Something had broken in Annie and Fiona couldn't see her friend in those eyes.
That fear struck her deeper than the pain of the bite in her shoulder. This wasn't Annie. This wasn't Annie at all! What had they done to her?! They had taken away her freedoom. Because of her, they had taken away Annie's freedom as well. And now, after leaving her a mockery of what she used to be - lame, and the very animal she had tried to rescue from the labs back home... they were taking Annie away from her too.
"Annie.... please... it's me... Fiona!" She whimpered, clutching her shoulder - but the pain was only a ghost in the back of her mind thanks to the fear and shock at seeing the monster that they had turned her into. "Annie.. . don't leave me alone..." She whispered.
Newton Filinas When the wolf girl lunged, Newt gave a horrified cry that he immediatly regretted, trembling as he huddled down deeper under his protective shrubbery. Changes didn't- that was too fast! And now she was *attacking*?? The labs would send her sleeping befor things got out of hand, though- He clung to the branches, waiting for her to be buzzed. Sid Eisley Sid gasped at the sight of the wolf girl sinking her teeth in the rabbit. He staggered back a pace, barely keeping himself from falling backwards entirely. He glanced around... He wanted to do something... but that would likely just get him maimed, too. Maybe someone else would step in, someone more capable of dealing with a crazed animal. Jamal_Reedy Jamal stared mutely at the scene until suddenly, the newly transformed girl made a fast, frenzied move towards the girl who had been screaming for help. Before he could think, the smell of blood was in the air and the tiger was taking charge. Instantly, his ears pulled forward and his mouth parted, the semi-saber teeth glinting wetly as his nerves crackled hot with the urge to overthrow the smaller predator. It would be so easy.... He pushed away from the tree he had been leaning on and crept forward slightly, dropping to an all-fours position in the taller grass beforehand. Jamal didn't go far though. There were too many people around and that was enough to keep the tiger leery and that in turn let Jamal pull himself into check. The tiger man remained crouched, but definately more visible than he had been. Angharad Anderson It was uncertain if it was Fiona's words, or the sudden, shocking pain that ripped through her own body as the buzzer in her neck went off.
Fiona fell to her knees as she jerked her head away, dislodging her teeth from her flesh and flailing backwards, claws going to the back of her neck.
She let something between a scream and a howl as the electric current kept coming. She stumbled around, her knees shaking and beginning to fail her and claws and dug at her own neck. Yellow eyes were wide and pleading, terrified as blood began to soar her fur.
But she kept digging. Flailing around in a tight circle her howl turned to loud, canine whines of torture as she claws broke through skin.
With an agonizing howl, her claws just started grabbing mounds of flesh and fur. Crazed panic wouldn't allow her to stop - not until the pain went away.
In a matter of seconds, Annie had virtually ripped open the back of her neck, and in her paws as she stared in shock, was a small, smoking rice-sized electrical device. Gaius Harper Gaius swallowed, a stinging taste of bile in the back of his throat. He'd been told there were changes. He just hadn't known how violent or swift they were. And now, now he was witnessing what looked like two friends turning on each other. All humanity gone. "Holy mother of God..." And then she was ripping at the back of her neck, like a crazed bee had gotten into her spine. Gaius was afraid she was going to end up killing herself until she finally stopped, looking at something in her paw. From his position, he couldn't see it. He wasn't sure he wanted to. Fiona_Brooks Hot liquid seeped through Fiona's fingers where they clutched her injured shoulder.... but her eyes widened as Angharad began to dig into the back of her own neck. The muscles back there were swollen oddly, her whole neck distorted from the change to push her into a more canine form.
It was disturbing to watch. "Annie! STOP!" She wailed, trying to clutch at her arms as she continued to mutilate herself. Everyone else had faded into the background, and despite the crowd, Fiona felt like she was in her own personal nightmare. She didn't have any fear for herself. Everything was already gone. She clung to Annie, begging her to stop, to snap out of it...
Jamal_Reedy The stench of blood was overpowering and it was driving the predator in Jamal absolutely insane. He gave a growl as he sucked in a deep breath and advanced further. As he moved, he now watched the crazed girl turn her new weaponry on herself. Well...that was new.... His last thought was to help the poor girl; he didn't owe her anything. He did, however, need to satisfy the urge to at least check out the 'kill'. The tiger man slowly advanced again, giving all those nearby sharp stares if they looked his way. When the wolf girl started to lose steam and appeared to be in a daze, his gaze pinpointed on her hands, which she seemed to be staring at. From his position, it looked like lots of torn flesh and blood. Nita MacNeal Nita froze when Fiona began shrieking for help. Her alarm and the sense of predator in the area were palpable; before she knew it, the red panda girl had dashed up the tree she had been standing next to. A hint of movement off to the side caught her eye in the midst of all the hubbub. Another predator was nearby, ready to pounce. And then there was the sickening smell of blood and the sound of rending flesh as Annie tore.. something out of her neck. "Oh holy God," Nita muttered, just able to make out the shine of metal from her perch. "She ripped out her ******** chip." Angharad Anderson Fiona's desperate cries fell on deaf ears, but as she clung to her she caused the wolf-woman to drop the small devide, sending it to the ground.
Not that the creature that used to be Annie had any clue what she was looking at, but it made her angry that the other female had knocked her out her hand. Her lips curled back in a growl as she stared at her.
The smell. The hot, thick stench of blood was everywhere now, permeating the area. Suddenly, Annie remembered what she was doing. The hunt had been interrupted by the pain, but now the pain was gone. And her prey... her prey was right there.
The chip forgotten, Annie leaped forward, knocking Fiona clear on her back and Annie landed directly on top of her. She sunk her teeth into soft flesh of her throat and let the instinct wash over her.
She tried to shake her prey, but Fiona was far too large. So she jerked her head swiftly to the right, until she met resistance, then jerked her head sharply to the left. And again... and again.. and again...
...until it finally gave way. Annie jerked her head back, taking most of Fiona's throat with her, and Fiona's body fell lifeless to the ground.
Sid Eisley Sid remained planted where he was, his grip on his cane tight enough to make his knuckles go white. First the wolf-girl tore a piece out of herself... then out of nowhere (at least as far as he could see) the tiger-man emerged. "Jesus Cartwheeling Christ," Sid hissed through his teeth. And then the rabbit girl become a chewtoy. As far as he knew, there was nothing that could have stopped it. Running was sounding better and better, but he couldn't do that. He'd only come off as easy prey... And besides that, he couldn't so much as look away. Fiona_Brooks
Fiona barely had time to react as she saw Annie turn towards her with murder in her eyes. Her friend was gone, she realized that now. Too far gone. She made to stumble backwards, but as she put weight on her left leg, it buckled. The change had left her physically lame, and even with the walking stick, she could barely move faster than a hobble.
As Annie's jaws closed around Fiona's neck, hot tears splashed down her cheeks as she reached silently up to Annie's face to stroke the side of her face lovingly. "I'm sorr-" She breathed, her last words.... before her neck was ripped away from her.
Her hand fell limp to the dirt path she lay on as a spreading red wetness flowered out from around her.
Jamal_Reedy Jamal saw the mass of bloody odds and ends fall to the ground and it was then that his keen predator eyes caught sight of gentle wisps of smoke curling upward as the blood gave off a slightly burnt odor. He hadn't the foggiest idea what it was, but it certainly didn't look organic. It looked too dark and solid to be something of that nature. He crawled forward with a more urgent motion, now letting a rumbling growl fall from his throat. By now, Annie had jumped Fiona and was rendering the rabbit girl into a bloodied, torn corpse. Jamal's gaze continued to fall on the chip. This was nature. Kill or be killed. To Jamal, this horrid scene of murder playing out before him was nothing more than him taking down a boar in the jungle. Been there, done that. Besides, he could chase the other off if he really -wanted- to. Or so the tiger thought. Gaius Harper He couldn't tear his eyes away. He wanted to, but he couldn't. Every part of him was frozen. It all happened so fast... or slow. Time was irrelevent. The newly wolf girl tackled the rabbit, and ravaged her throat until she was nothing but a lifeless bloody mess. "NOOO!" Gaius chocked out the cry, taking a stumbling step forward. No! Where were the labs? Where were the cameras? Why, why had this happened? All his life, he'd never seen someone die in front of him. Now he had. Newton Filinas Newt gaped at what he saw, inable to speak, inable to think, frozen under his bush where his jumper unfortunatly became alittle wetter. Don't move don't move don't move or be eaten don't move or be eaten! The already timid man mixed with a timid animal with a dash of grotesque murder left him stunned. Just breath just breath- he couldn't! The wolf would hear him and come to snap up delicious froggy bits in it's mouth in two bites he was a small animal and there were preditors around! Sid Eisley Sid was speechless. He remained standing there, fixed in place... at least until the sight of the carnage mixed unpleasantly with the fact he just ate. Forgetting about not drawing attention to himself, or that he was supposed to act like he'd seen it all, he had just enough time to stagger a few steps away before throwing up. So not cool. Nita MacNeal Nita didn't dare even move farther up in the tree. The tiniest movement could alert Annie - or whatever Annie had become - or the tiger-man to her presence. She could only watch in shock and horror as Fiona's throat was ripped out. Her stomach lurched at the sight and smell of so much blood and.. other matter. The red panda girl clung to the branch, sweating and trying not to vomit. She cursed her cowardice, but really... What could she possibly have done? Angharad Anderson Annie swallowed and then took a few good sniffs to make sure the prey was dead. She crouched on all fours over the body, snarling at the tiger... he was getting awfully close. This was her kill, not his.
A man came stumbling forward and she gave a snapping bark as her fur bristled. It was a warning: stay away.
She went back towards her meal, nose deep in another bite before the adrenaline finally started to wear away.
Then there was a sudden change in Annie's posture as she jerked her head away from its meal, a panicked, dismayed horror in her eyes.
"Fiona?"
Annie's paw-hands gripped her shoulders and began to shake. "Fiona? FIONA?!"
Jamal_Reedy Jamal snarled back at the wolf girl out of reflex even if he, at the moment, wanted nothing to do with the kill at that moment. There was something about that dark, foreign object laying on the blood-soddened ground that even kept his tiger instincts at bay. The tiger man was not a genius by any stretch of the imagination, but even HE was starting to make some ends connect here. The wolf girl should have been buzzed, and had been to judge how she had started flailing about before she turned her friend into a chew toy....but now she was still concious and her neck was tore open. Even Jamal couldn't fail to see a sort of connection here. Was it possible she ripped out the buzzer? A devilish smile slowly curled onto his muzzle as he reached out to try to pluck the chip from the grass, ignoring Annie's tortured screams now for her dead comrade. Sid Eisley Sid, still doubled over but with nothing left but bile, wiped his mouth and slowly looked back to the scene. Knee be damned, he was all running away... At least until the wolf girl snapped out of it. He still wasn't above moving away slowly as he stared, if nothing else it got him away from his ex-lunch. Island of Moreau Minutes later the sound of Jeeps could be heard approaching. Three of them to be exactly, armed to the teeth with gaurds. The barreled into the village, guns ready... and no one looked happy. Gaius Harper Gaius stopped at the sudden bark, hands raised. He was approaching a wild animal, not a girl. The sight of her gorging on her friend's body was too much. Gaius closed his eyes, taking a deep breathe to calm his rioting stomach. The small, sad voice made him look up again. Now she'd realized what she'd done... Gaius's face twisted into a harsh grimace. Anger, grief, and an overwhelming horror racked at his insides, almost too painful to bear. There was nothing he could do, nothing he could change, and it tore at the ever-productive man's core. Angharad Anderson The sound of the approaching Jeeps struck something inside Annie's tattered soul. Her face sobbing wet with tears and blood, she couldn't control the penic washing over her.
She couldn't face what she had done.. not to Fiona.. not to her best friend..
..and she couldn't be caught. She couldn' go back. Run away run away... this meal was lost to her..
With a whine, Annie gave one last sorrowful look to her fallen friend before turning on her paws and fleeing into the jungle opposite the approach of the Jeeps, leaving a trail of blood behind her. Jamal_Reedy Jamal grabbed the bloody mass as he heard the faint rumblings of an engine heading their way. No surprise there, after what had happened. He, almost frantic in his motions, tried to jam the mass into his jean short pocket, but the fabric had long been worn out and the chip would never stay there. Even he felt a little off, realizing that there was 'human' blood on this fragment of flesh, but his only other idea was to jam it into his mouth to hide it. He did so quickly, but he wasn't sure if he managed before the staff showed. He did back away quickly as they barged out with shotguns, glaring hotly at them with intense distrust. He made no move to attack though. Not now. Of course, jamming a buzzer in ones mouth wasn't the smartest idea. He could only hope it was disarmed after being forcibly ripped from it's host. Nita MacNeal Silent tears ran down Nita's cheeks as she cried for both of her friends. There was no way Fee could have survived that, and now that Annie realized what she had done... For the first time the girl noticed the other bystanders, none of them familiar, and two of them unchanged. More newcomers.. and what a welcome. "Oh, Annie. Oh, Fee," Nita whispered, somewhat relieved to see the Jeeps trundling along the path. But why were they so late? Surely the cameras would have caught this, even if Annie's chip was working! Her relief was short-lived, however, when Annie promptly disappeared into the jungle. And it seemed the fearsome-looking tiger-man was looking for confrontation. Sabin Duvert In the Jeep in the middle, in the passenger seat besides a guard, a face familar to some, a man with shock-white hair, tophat and dark clothing bore a grave expression. "YOU!" He pointed at one of the other jeeps. "FOLLOW HER INTO THE JUNGLE! DON'T LOSE HER WHATEVER YOU DO!" The guards in the jeep responded quickly without a word of backtalk, heading out in the direction Annie had fled. There was a snarl on Sabin's face. Things had gone to s**t. This wasn't supposed to happen. That's what the chips were for. Not five minutes ago he had been in his lab when he got the call - a frantic labtech on moniter duty screaming a barely legible string of expletives with a vague story in there about someone killing someone. Someone was going to have to answer for this. "EVERYONE! CLEAR THE SQUARE NOW." Sabin yelled to the people gathered around. The other jeep rumbled to a stop, four armed guardsmen exiting with high-powered rifles at ready. Newton Filinas Newt flinched at the sound of Sabin's voice and the approaching jeeps, but instinct forced him to stay unmoving untill all immediate dangers had passed- no one had seen him, no one noticed him yet... no one would eat him yet... It was strange how long he could hold his breath for, but he didn't question it. Or rather, he blamed it on the frog and moved passed it. Don't think don't think. Nothing happened. He wasn't here. He was somewhere else. Sid Eisley Sid didn't have to be told twice. He turned and quickly moved away from the square, painfully aware he was just going to suffer for the effort later. So long as he put as much distance between himself and the armed men in the meantime he didn't care. Jamal_Reedy Guns. Jamal resisted the urge to snarl some sort of violent threat at the white haired man that he recognized from so long ago. The acidic tang of burnt blood made him wrinkle his muzzle in displeasure but he kept his jaw clamped firm. Slowly, he backed away, keeping his face forward to keep an eye on those with guns, and tried to retreat in a manner that wouldn't look suspicious. Gaius Harper Gaius ignored the order, spinning on the familiar face. All the bottled anger and injustice from the past week came rushing to the top, killing any common sense in the guy. "Sabin!" He snarled. "What the hell just happened?! She... She..." His hand flailed back at the bloody mess behind him. It wasn't right. None of it was. His eyes were accusing and angry. "She was murdered!" Sabin Duvert The jeep Sabin was in rumbled to a stop besides Fiona's body, the guardsman staying in the car with the motor running. Circled by the other four guards, Sabin kept his eyes on the others who were still visable at the scene, Particularly Jamal, despite the fact that it appeared as if he was leaving. His eyes snapped to Gaius. As much as he liked the fellow from their initial meeting, he didn't have time for this. "Not now, Gaius." He spoke harsly. "Subject Harper Sleep." He spoke clearly but clipped. He was in a hurry. While it was likely beyond ANY help for Fiona, if there HAD been any chance to save her it it fell to him that it was too late to bring her back, then he didn't doubt Moreau would find a way to blame him. Then, carefully, he stooped, lowering his eyes only long enough to scoop up Fiona's still form, not seeming to care that as he picked her up, his whole front was bathed in her blood. Then, he walked back into the jeep. "Drive." The gaurdsman flubbered, staring aghast at the body besides him. "But sir-" "DRIVE!" Sabin roared. There was no more protest. THe jeep turned around, and headed back towards the labs. Jamal_Reedy Jamal retreated far enough away that he was probably deemed to be harmless and sat down in the grass, tail curling primly about his haunches as he sat and watched the body be rounded up. It was hard for him to not drop his jaw, the large object in his maw urging him to swallow due to the flesh surrounding his prize. As the jeep drove away, he tried to pull the chip from his mouth as discretely as possible, giving the impression he was simply picking his teeth or scratching his nose. He turned the chip over and over in his hands, examining it with a critical eye. He knew little about electronics other than stuff you bought at a K-mart or a Radio Shack, but he knew this -had- to be the chip. And if not a chip, then something else that the docs didn't want them to know about. Gaius Harper Gaius's mouth opened at Sabin's sharp statement, but any further words were cut off as a sudden jolt from a chip in the back of his neck that he'd never knew existed sent the man crumpling to the ground unconscious. Jamal_Reedy Jamal methodically cleansed the chip of muscle and blood, sending the damp bits covered in saliva into the grass. He idly licked his fingers clean as he once more turned the chip over in one palm, then slowly faded into the jungle. He had some thinking to do.
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Posted: Mon Sep 11, 2006 9:30 pm
"They Were Best Friends! Nita MacNeal Nita waited for the Jeep to drive off before descending shakily from the tree. The bark tore at her bare hands and feet as she slithered down much less gracefully than she normally did. She took a few deep breaths, keeping her nose blocked. The stench of death was overpowering, but she couldn't just leave Gaius lying prone in the middle of the path. At least he was still human, and much more likely to accept her help. She wobbled over to where he lay and crouched beside him. "Hey," she said, shaking his shoulder. "You okay?" Gaius Harper "Unngh..." he groaned. The eye not pressed into the dirt cracked open, looking up at the fuzzy red blur standing over him. Everything felt stiff, and his head hurt. At least, for the moment, he'd forgotten the murder scene, his brain writing it off as a weird dream. He managed to roll over onto his back, and frowned up at the girl standing over him. "Wha... happened? Why'm I on the ground...?" Newton Filinas When the potential preditors had split, the frog underthe bush finally found the courage to attempt to leap forward. He crawled meakly at first, his heart still racing and mind still spinning. That girl had- and the rabbit and- the wolf- and the blood- the blood and the van- He hadn't even realized he was still soiled untill he spotted the two islanders remaining on the road and quickly dodged back under his bush with a terrified wimper. Nita MacNeal "You got ordered to sleep," Nita said, finding his latter question much easier to answer. And what had happened? She sat down on the ground, hard, visibly shaking. Her eyes strayed past Gaius to the bloody splotches in the dirt. "It was Fee. And Annie," she gulped, hugging her knees to her chest. Nita's ears twitched at Newt's wimper, but the sound barely penetrated her consciousness. Gaius Harper "Ordered to... sleep?" He furrowed his brows, trying to get his groggy brain to work properly. Yes, there'd been Sabin, and he'd said something... A pain in his neck... But why had Sabin been covered in blood? Why had he looked so stressed? "Fee? Annie?" he continued to repeat her answers. His eyes followed hers, turning his head to the mess of red and fur that was all that was left of the terrible scene. Gaius's heart leapt into his chest as he stared wide-eyed. "I-I didn't think it was real..." He looked back at the girl huddled beside him, shaking terribly. His first instinct was to comfort her, but the best he could manage was laying a hand on one of the arms wrapped around her legs. "Did... did they save the rabbit...?" Newton Filinas "Duh-duh-duh-DEAD DEAD Sh-sh-sh-she was DEAD!" Newt finally shreiked, the terror no longer able to be bottled up any longer. "Th-they let it happen! Th-they let it happen!!" Nita MacNeal Nita shook her head helplessly. "Her name was Fiona," she managed, tears wetting her furry cheeks. Her leg flinched away initially at Gaius' touch but she let it stay. She kept her eyes trained on the stained dirt only a few feet away. She jumped when Newt shrieked from the bushes. The stutter was immediately recognizeable, even if she hadn't seen Newt all changed. It was enough to make her look at him with reddened eyes. "I know," she said tonelessly. "I saw." Gaius Harper She's dead. The thought rang endlessly in Gaius's head, bouncing around as it multiplied, taking everything over. She's dead she's dead she's dead... Outwardly, Gaius's face was blank, staring past both Nita and Newt. How... How did this happen? Why hadn't the labs been there? Couldn't they see everything? Sabin had been there. Gaius shook himself out of his thoughts, noticing the green guy for the first time. He looked positively shaken, but Gaius's first concern was the girl beside him. She's spoken their names... From that much, he could gather she had known them. "I'm... I'm sorry. I'm sorry." It was all he could offer her. Newton Filinas Newt carefully hopped out of the bushes towards the scene of the crime. His heart was racing, his eyes wide as he clumsily made to unbutton his jumper. He kept his head down to hide his embarassment, and peeled the top half of his jumper down to try to hide his soiled mistake. "Sh-she... she j-just..." His voice broke, and he burried his face in his webbed hands. Nita MacNeal Under the circumstances, Nita was hardly about to notice something as trivial as Newt's wet pants. The smell and sight of the path was suddenly too much for her; Nita leapt to her feet and threw up in the bushes so recently inhabited by Newt. She stumbled a few feet and sat down in the grass, out of the immediate presence of too many bodily emissions. "Ugh," she choked, scrubbing at her face. Wrapping her arms around her legs, she buried her face in her knees and wept, choking and shuddering. Gaius Harper Everything felt heavy as Gaius pulled himself up off the ground. He glanced back at the bloody pool that was quickly soaking into the ground and shivered. The proximity of it made him feel blood-covered and soiled himself. Wearing a haggard expression, he turned away in time to catch the other guy pulling off his stained clothes. Normally he would've been embarassed at the sight of a man losing control, but after seeing the wolf tear out Fiona's throat with her own teeth. He shivered, rubbing his arms despite the warmth of the island air. "I thought the labs were supposed to be able to stop stuff like that..." he said to no one in particular. Newton Filinas "Th-they are, th-they are.... th-they are but they didn't st-stop him..." Newt murmured, his already weak voice wavering even worse. He watched them both uselessly, arms hugging eachother- despite the fact he often felt hot and chafed in his clothing, right then he felt cold. Horribly cold. He wanted to go hide in his muddy bathtub. Nita MacNeal Nita chewed the insides of her cheeks and spat in an attempt to rid her mouth of the acidic taste of bile. The awful scene replayed in her mind on a loop; she bit her lip until it bled. "They were best friends," Nita muttered. "They lived next to me. They were my friends. They were best friends..." Gaius Harper Gaius's stomach clenched as he turned wide-eyes on Nita. "They were friends?" He didn't wait for an answer. He didn't need to. Her face had told him enough. His fists clenched, tendons showing out against skin as horror turned to anger. "They... The labs... Didn't stop them. They didn't stop this, when they were the ones who started it!" He raised his head to glare up the road, nostrils flaring in an angry snort. "The wolf... Annie... Didn't kill Fee. Moreau killed her. Moreau killed Fee." He spoke with finality. This was Moreau's doing. Yes. Moreau had taken away their humanity, turned them into animals. He'd seen the mess that called himself Billy, had seen a girl cannibalize her best friend. It terrified him to the point of fury. Would he be next? Would he turn on Marshall? On Antony? He couldn't believe it was Annie's own behavior that had led to this. It was too horrible for him to handle. "It's his fault." Newton Filinas "N-no.. no... no... th-the doc-doctor... th-the... the d-doctor wouldn't... he... scuh-science...." Newt babbled, trembling harder. It was difficult to stay loyal in the face of the circle of blood and remnant carnage that used to be a young girl. "He w-wouldn't... " He turned him into a frog for his own clumsiness, his rational side reminded him, but Newt pushed those thoughts away, attempting to grip to what little pride he had left. He lifted the courner of his jumper-top to stare at the Feral Labs patch intently. Nita MacNeal Replaying. The crunch of bones and muscles. A buzzing. Too much blood. "I.. I think they tried to stop her," Nita said, remembering in spite of herself. She reached up to touch the base of her neck. "Annie tore her own chip out." Her hand fell into her lap; she stared at it, unseeing, clearly in shock. Nita gulped. "She tore the chip out and killed Fee." Gaius Harper Gaius blinked, face falling as his little fortress of toothpicks he'd built on blaming the scientist was badly dented. Somewhere in his mind, it had been so simple to put it all in black and white. The labs were evil, Annie and Fee were the victims. That was how it should be. But now... "They... tried?" his voice wavered. "But... I guess they sent the jeeps and guards because of the cameras... but..." He glanced back at Nita. She sat still, like a statue. Poor girl... "This shouldn't have happened." Newton Filinas Newt sat in a more humanish position- far more human than he had thought himself capable for months now, and gently fidgeted with the patch in question. It had gotten dirty, so dirty like the rest of his jumpers... but no blood.. hopefully there never would be blood. Snakes- Thom... he remembered feeling so terrified- everytime he had seen Cassie... but they seemed nice, but what if they suddenly grew hungry for frog? What if with the next change he could be next? Or anyone? The labs should have known- did they even care? His enormous eyes glistened with tears, dribbling down his sallow, skinny, amphibious face. Nita MacNeal "No," Nita agreed, her voice flat with suppressed emotion. "It shouldn't have happened. Annie was such a sweet girl... They were best friends!" Her last protestation came out as a near-shriek. She curled up with her tail wrapped around her feet, her entire body once again wracked with shudders, although no more tears fell. She had seen the whole thing and hadn't been able to stop it. She hadn't been able to do anything. She had been frozen with fear, unable even to look away. And now Fiona was dead, and Annie... Who knew what would be done to Annie when the guards caught her? Gaius Harper Gaius's resolve finally broke. Oh God, why were they on this island? He'd never realized the full extent of the horror in which he was quickly sinking. Being turned into animal-creatures was one thing, but losing themselves to the point of hunting each other as predator and prey... He didn't let himself break down, though. He was alone there with a furry girl on the brink of breaking down, and the green fellow was crying his massive eyes out. No, he had to be the strong one. Sucking in his own emotions with a deep breathe, Gaius went over to kneel beside Nita, wrapping his arms around her in an attempt at a comforting hug. "Shhh. Shhh... Take it easy. Deep breaths..." Glancing up from his position, he looked over at Newt with concerned eyes. "Are you okay, pal?" Newton Filinas Newt didn't answer, scratching at the patch as though to see if it would peal off. Snakes and birds and larger beasts... cats and dogs and the list went on... he waslow on the food chain, wasn't he? But hadn't he always been? Who would be eaten next? "Sh-she... ate her..." Nita MacNeal Nita's body sagged against Gaius, no longer willing to support itself. She sniffled a few times and wiped her face, which was visibly red and puffy, even through her fur. "Thanks," she whispered between breaths. In. Out. In. Hold. Out. Try not to hyperventilate. Slow. Calm. Pulling away from Gaius, Nita shoved damp tendrils of hair out of her eyes and mouth. Finally pulling herself together enough to pay attention to her surrounding, the red panda girl finally noticed Newt as more than something periphery. The poor guy was always so nervous, and it was obvious he had also been a witness to the atrocity. Nita tugged his hand to stop his scratching. He'd only hurt himself. Gaius Harper He didn't try to stop her when she pulled away. It was one thing to hug a girl in comfort, that he could handle. If she had had enough, then that was good enough for him. He rubbed at his eyes, which had begun throbbing, and the pain seemed to be spreading to his temples. Whether it was stress or after-effects of the chip, he wasn't sure. But he wasn't going to leave just yet. Following after the red-furred girl, Gaius stood a little away, kicking at the dirt and trying not to intrude. She seemed to know the man, while Gaius was still a stranger. Newton Filinas Newt glanced up at Nita miserably, his throat puffing as he held his breath, but he managed to keep the croaks at bay. "I... I... I sh-should... sh-should go b-back..." He murmured in a wavering, shaking voice. Nita MacNeal Nita attempted a smile, although it ended up being more of a grimace. "If you're sure..." she said, hesitating. "I don't think anyone's going to eat you. This was all a freak accident." Freak accident. The phrase echoed uncomfortably in her mind. Nita fidgetted with the end of one rather ragged braid, in no mood to be consoling, but not wanting to get angry or annoyed with Newt. Gaius Harper Gaius sighed deeply and rubbed his neck, shoulders sagging, and offered a cheerless smile. "Going back... sounds like a good idea." He looked back over his shoulder at the scene one last time, eyes glazing as he retreated back into himself, unable to deal with the implications or aftermath just yet. That would wait for his duplex and bed. He offered a hand to Newt to help him up, too tired to care about how slimey or soiled he may be. "Need any help getting back to your place...?" He made the offer to Nita as well, glancing between the two. Newton Filinas "Fruh-freak... f-freak incident... r-right..." He nodded, as though attempting to convince himself to be convinced, but failed miserably. He glanced up as Gaius offered his hand, timidly reaching up to take it. Not many people offered to actualyl touch him these days, and he didn't blame them. Nita MacNeal Nita patted Newt's hand briefly and pulled herself up. Her legs only wobbled a little; the original shock wearing off, leaving numbness in its wake. With a few deep breaths to steady herself, Nita set herself in the direction of her duplex. It took all of her will-power to look straight ahead, to avoid glancing back towards the cafeteria. Her eyes slid sideways towards Gaius. "Thank you," she told him quietly. "I'm sorry. I don't know your name..." Gaius Harper The large fellow hauled Newt up to his feet, probably a bit higher than Newt could actually stand comfortably, and gave him a genial pat on the shoulder. "There you go, buddy." He nodded in response to Nita's thanks, tilting his head slightly as a more real smile graced his face. "It's okay. Thanks for waking me up. I'd probably still be lying in the dirt. And... I'm Gaius." His smile turned sad as he gave a half-shrug. "Wish we could've met on a happier note..." Glancing back at Newt, he waited until he was situated and hopefully able to walk. He looked positively shaken. Gaius felt terrible for the guy, and offered a friendly smile. "Don't worry... I'm sure the labs will keep better watch after that. You'll be safe." Newton Filinas Newt pulled his hand back, fiddling with his webbing awkwardly as he sank into his comfortable froggish posture. He didn't feel much like dumpster diving anymore. Nita MacNeal "But yeah..." The red panda girl shook her head. "I'm Nita." She lapsed into silence as they walked (and hopped) down the path. "What a ******** day. Jesus Christ." Gaius Harper Gaius's cheek twitched as he stared at his feet. "Couldn't have said it better myself..." He let out one last sigh, seeming to have plenty of them to spare today, and turned away from the two to head towards his own duplex. He gave them a brief nod as he went, hands slipping into his pockets. "I'll be seeing you two... Stay safe." What a week. Gaius doubted he'd be getting much sleep for some time. Newton Filinas Newt said nothing, his eyes wide and round still, even now, as he numbly hopped back towards his duplex for a long cold soak in his mud-filled tub where he could eat all the bugs he could catch and pretend he was in a safe little aquarium somewhere. Newton Filinas was not a fan of the wild. Nita MacNeal "You too," Nita muttered, as she walked the last few yards to her own duplex. If only she had never left it to follow Annie. She nearly tripped over the broom in the doorway. Kicking it savagely aside, Nita flung herself onto her bed, shoved her face into her pillow, and screamed.
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