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 Posted: Wed Sep 07, 2005 8:59 pm
Ian sat back against the seat of the helicopter, his eyes closed to avoid nausea. Heights were not his thing. Even thinking about the fact that he was flying over the ocean was enough to make him slightly queasy. Tugging his shirt away from his chest, Ian realized just how much he had been sweating out of nerves.
It wasn't just being in the air that made him nervous, it was the upcoming training camp he was going to. He sighed. From what he had heard, these training camps were torture. People said that one was worked for 12 hours a day, expected to live like the knights they were enacting did, and forced to do this constantly for the entire 4 week period. It was Ian's own fault though. This training opportunity was his dream come true. With this he could be a knight at the rennaissance faires.
Ian felt the helicopter begin it's descent and sighed from relief. This flight was almost over and he could be on solid land again. Opening his eyes for the first time in the hours long flight, Ian had to wait for the copter to come into a focus before glancing at his silver wristwatch. He groaned, he had been in the helicopter for hours. It would take him a few minutes go regain his 'land legs' once they landed. He wondered if that would have him marked down for the training course, only a select few people would pass, he desperately wanted to be one of them.
The floor shuddered as the helicopter hit land and Ian undid his seatbelt standing up shakily to grab his one suitcase - training courses frowned upon frivolties - so Ian had taken only what he deemed necessary. Ian watched as the door opened and staggered onto the helipad glad to be on land at last.
A red haired man with yellow sunglasses was waiting there. He was wearing a sweater, on a tropical island. It did seem a bit ecentric. He had with him a thin younger woman who was sitting a jeep behind him.
"Welcome to the Island Mister..." he looked at a clipboard. "...Campbell."
"I am Dr. Nicholas Moreau, the resident physician, this is one of my assistants. We take care of the injuries here." Moreau smiled because this cover worked well, considering that he thought this was a Ren Faire camp. There were bound to be plenty of injuries.
Moreau smiled and continued "Also since this is an island there are some innoculations you'll need. Please, get in the jeep we'll drive you back."
Ian raised an eyebrow at the man, but as he spoke...the reasoning for sending the doctor became clearer. They didn't want him to get sick for the grueling work they had ahead. "er..." he began, unsure of how he sould address a doctor, in the end he decided not to address Moreau directly at all. "Ian. Call me Ian." He pondered for a moment. "Innoculations mean needles right?" an involuntary shudder crept down his spine at the thought. Ian did not like needles.
Ian now felt relatively steady on his legs and he started towards the jeep, being careful not to fall on his face and embarrass himself. Once in the jeep, he turned to the Doctor "How many...." he gulped, "how many injuries usually occur here?"
He was desperately hoping that there was the occasional injury, but not as many as may have happened in the days of real knights and real battles.
The younger woman sitting in the drivers seat of the jeep waved at Ian. "Heya Mr. Campbell." She was wearing a lab coat that was wide open with a black mesh shirt and a tank top underneath it with baggy black pants.
As soon as Ian and Doctor Moreau were in the car Lauren looked back at him, "buckle up!" She seemed highly excited and enthused. She put her foot hard on the gas as the jeep sped through the jungle weaving through the overgrowth. There were many points that you could swear you would hit a tree but she veered the other direction last minute through the road laughing.
"Sorry about that" She said but you could tell she really didn't mean it one bit.
Finally the jeep approached the gate of a huge laboratory. The gates opened automatically for the jeep allowing them to enter. Lauren swerved the Jeep as the tires squealed to a stop right in front of the entrance.
Oh, not... " Moreau was thrown off a bit by Lauren's driving, "too many injuries. But we keep a medical staff on hand just in case." Moreau grinned as the car cut through the underbrush.
As it arrived in front of the facilities he got out first. He opened the door for Ian to get out of as well. "This is the place, please follow me inside and to the elevator."
He walked towards the door with Ian "And yes, that does mean a shot, don't worry we'll try to make it brief and painless."
Ian could barely bring himself to unbuckle the seatbelt he had barely had time to fasten. That jeep ride was by far the most frightening experience he had ever had. Even worse than the helicopter. "-" he tried to speak but found his voice catching, clearing his throat he tried again. "This is a big medical building. How many people usually sign up for the training.
"Might as well get it over with..." he muttered to himself. "Surely that ride was much scarier than a shot could ever be...." Ian spoke louder so the doctor could hear "What sort of shot is it? I dunno how I am on my recent shots." He scratched his goatee, he had been rather lax about doctor visits. They were all vampires out for blood. 'We need blood for this' they would always say, but what good did it ever do. Exitting the jeep he followed behind the doctor, all the while muttering to himself about vampires and shots.
"Oh, over a dozen at the moment." Moreau smiled and lead Ian to the elevator which opened on it's own. It had no buttons on the inside. "Floor 8" he said and the elevator rose. When it arrived on the floor it dinged open. Moreau walked to a cabnet, ran his hand over a panel which opened itself. He pulled out a vial and inserted it into a needle. He handed this to Lauren.
"My assistant Lauren will be handling your injection Mr. Campbell. I will be supervising, don't worry. Go sit over there."
"so few..." Ian murmered quietly. That upped his chances of being in the final cut of people. "I would have thought it would be more popular." Ian tended to be completely oblivious to the fact that not everybody wanted the be a knight, and ths assumed many more people would have signed up for the course. As the elevator rose Ian marveled at the technology. There was so much for a ren faire training sight.
He stepped out of the elevator into the stark appearing room. and looked towards the table where the Doctor wanted him to sit. A cold sweat dripped down his forehead as Moreau gave the needle to Lauren. "Are you...are you sure you trust her with the needle?" he asked. "she...um...she scares me....."
He sat on the table, and tried to think of something to get his mind away from the incoming injection. He was a king.....no, a baron, medieval England. He had just had a traitorous serf beheaded. He closed his eyes and let his mind sink into itself.
Lauren was happy to walk into the room to watch the doctors injections. But when the doctor advised her to do the injection she was esthetic.
"OK!" She said as her eyes lit up wide. They shined as a girls eyes do when they are let loose on their bike for the first time.
And he trusted her so much, it was amazing. Her former doubts and worries about the doctor were now vanished and replaced with complete admiration and loyalty.
"Are you...are you sure you trust her with the needle?" he asked. "she...um...she scares me....."
Now her moment was ruined. She glared over evilly towards Ian when he said that. She refrained from the urge to make the injection as painful as possible because she knew the doc would frown on her hurting the subjects and she wanted to do it right. Maybe later on she could learn how to properly inject the subjects AND give them as much pain as possible.
She smiled wickedly at the thought of the pain he would go through hoping the doctor wouldn't allow him pain killers. That took all the fun out of the Dude's transform.
"Ah nothing to be scared of." She was trying to sound comforting, but the innate insincerity of the statement made it even more frightening. "Will only be a small p***k." She stopped herself from giggling immaturely and tried to act professional.
And then she grabbed his arm, tapped onto a vein and inserted the needle. Remarkably, it was just a tiny sting.
His knights were glad that their baron was no longer in danger. The serf had been punished for his insolence. Now the baron was to go riding to show the serfs that treachery was not tolerated. Mounting his horse the baron rode out onto the amin road down through the serf village. The baron only heard the twang of a bowstring then felt the arrow pierce his arm.......
Ian was back to reality instantly as the needle went into his arm. The needle stung, but it wasn't as bad as the shots he remembered as a kid were. As the liquid absorbed into his bloodstream, he stared at the round p***k in his arm where the needle had been. Small, he hoped he didn't get an infection or an allergic reaction.
Sighing, he decided it best to apologize to the girl, the shot hadn't hurt that much. But he was still scared, her driving would be forever engrained in his mind. But her injection was less reckless. "ah...thank you." he muttered, standing from the table. He said nothing else, and hoped she wouldn't drive with him in the vehicle again.
"I'll send you downstairs where you'll be shown out of the lab. The village you'll be staying in is up the way from the lab, practically outside of it." Moreau patted Ian on the back. "I hope you'll enjoy your stay here. All the rules are posted in the main cafeteria area."
Moreau smiled, with the story he had been given the boy wouldn't be fooled long, but it was already too late as the elevator shut behind him.
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Posted: Fri Sep 16, 2005 9:18 pm
Ian had gotten to the duplex that was now his and unpacked his single suitcase. In it were a few changes of clothes, a belt knife, a short sword, a wood-carving knife, and a few books. Putting his clothes away, Ian grabbed his sword and unsheathed it examining the blade for any mars from travel. Seeing none he returned it to the sheath and set it carefully among his clothes. The belt knife he put onto his belt, hoping he wouldn't be required to eat with a fork. The other knife went carefully into a place where it wouldn't harm anything.
Noticing how late it had become, Ian removed his clothes and lay down in his bed to sleep, scratching idly at where he had received his vaccination. Curling up, Ian fell into a restless sleep.
The Druid priest stood in his robes, speaking to the naked man kneeling before him. "Are you ready?" the priest asked of the man, and after a slight hesitation the man responded. "I am prepared."
"Good. Now become one with the nature you so love!" The priest raised his ahd and a single bolt of lightning fell upon the back of the man's neck. The man looked into the full moon, a feral glint in his eyes. WIth a yelp he ran into the distant forest leaving the Druid chanting behind.
Ian woke with a start, drenched with sweat he cautiously felt the back of his neck, the lightning had seemed so realistic. Feeling nothing, Ian closed his eyes and went to sleep again.
The arrow was nocked and ready. He waited for another sight of the wolf, hoping that he would have a clear shot. Silently he waited, watching for any sign of movement in the forest. Soon he got his wish, the silver wolf stalked along the well worn path, leaving nary a footprint behind. The man drew in his breath, arm tense to release the bow. The wolf came into range, now if it would only move a little to the right.....there! The bowstring twanged and the arrow was loose.
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Posted: Fri Sep 16, 2005 10:31 pm
Ian Campbell Ian had made himself as 'at home' as he could in his duplex, then decided to wander off exploring at the beach. He started across the sands before he saw other people off in the distance. Not being a very social person, Ian stopped walking and watched to see what the people were doing. Ian Campbell Ian continued to observe the group of people. They appeared to be talking. That was alright, people did talk. But what about? Ian was curious and sidled closer, the sand whispering softly under his booted feet. Soon he was close enough to make out voices. ' I need a drink' that was a female voice. But which one of the females was it? Ian stayed where he was, and began to listen to the conversation in earnest. It wasn't that he was intending to be rude, but there was no other way to find out about the other people he was to be training with. The Dude XD "Well, Hargun, I thought only me and Ambrose had changed thus far, but I guess Pyroth over there did, too. Hey Pyroth, come over here, don't be a stranger. None of us bite yet." - he grinned wide then turned to Greer "Hey, glad to have you back! I got just the drink in mind for you. Hold on" - stepping behind the bar he went rummaging thru the cabinets and mixing something together. He didn't look professional at it AT ALL, and he almost spilled Creme de Menthe all over the counter top. But after a bit of fussing he put a mint green milky beverage in front of Greer in a martini glass. "It's a grasshopper." - he informed her with a cheeky smile. Then he looked behind Greer into the distance. There was a man walking on the beach towards them. And he didn't look familiar. "Who's that?" - he asked noone in particullar, pointing at the man. Hargun Hargun smiled nicely to Pyroth after watching the Dude rumage about behind the bar. She took a much longer gulp of her water then wiped her mouth and looked over to where the Dude was pointing. "That looks like Timo- no... No thats not him.. That looks like a new arrival.." she said, now a bit curious. She figured with the amount of people here the doc wouldn't need a lot more.. but they just seemed to be appearing here and there one by one.. She took another drink of her water and set the glass down, then turned to a blank page in her sketchbook and simply started doodling everyone's faces until starting to work on a crude looking Doctor Moreau. Pyroth Ignatius Pyroth was stunned to say the least at the lack of negative reactions in the gathered people, to be honest, he had expected bedlam to break out. But this was much better, the quiet life was the good life. He complied with The Dude's request and moved a little closer, watching with interest as he mixed up a drink for Greer.
He gave Greer a nod of greeting too before turning his attention to the man on the beach, he was unfamiliar to Pyroth, and not meaning to seem too nosey, he returned his attention to the bar, Hargun's sketchbook piquing his interest.
He had been a tattoo artist for years as a cover job and had gotten pretty good at it. He wasn't amazing at any kind of life drawing but his traditional Gi art and design work was pretty good. Maybe he would ask to have a look at her drawings later, she was very good.
"So, Dude, any idea what is causing these odd changes or if they are temporary?" Greer Cassenwari Greer giggled. She'd always liked grasshoppers. "Thanks!" Grabbing the glass she gulped down a third of the liquid before stopping to breathe, coughing a little and grinning a little madly. Maybe she could finally see what getting drunk was like! Turning to look over her shoulder, she giggled a little again. "New people are just popping up all over." Ian Campbell Ian had been listening to the conversations wondering what those 'changes' everyone had been talking about were. Sure the guy he was able to identify as Dude had some major issues with some excess skin webbing on his arms, but that wasn't too unusual was it? Ian had seen things about babies born like that on the news. And the Pyroth guy had a bit more hair than one would normally see, but Ian had heard of those things too. WHen he noticed that they saw him, he wandered a bit closer, unsure if they really wanted him to interrupt their conversation. "I'm Ian," he said hoping he wasn't being terribly rude. The Dude XD The Dude raised an eyebrow when Greer downed the half the drink, but decided not to interfere. Poor Greer. All she ever wanted to do was chase butterflies ... Before answering Pyroth's question the Dude dug around in the fridge and fished out two bottles of some fancy labelled beer. Amen for Moreau there, the Dude really had to give him some credit. He put one of the beers in front of Pyroth, and kept the other one for this new Ian guy. Both of them woudl probably need it. "Now, how could I break this to you not too gently, Pyroth ... NO. This ain't temporary. This is forever. In fact, it's just the beginning. And theey are caused by the injections you have been receiving." - he patted Pyroth on the shoulder then waved Ian to come sit with them all, and put the other beer bottle in front of him. "Hi Ian. I'm the Dude. Here ... you gonna need this one." - he tried to smile thru his whiskers. Noone was starting to cry on him yet ... thank heavens. Otherwise he'd have to send in Greer as the "woman" in, and she looked liek she'd rather ignore the situation all together ... Not that he blamed her. Hargun "Hiya Ian." Hargun said and finished the last of her water, setting the glass over on the bar then gathering up her sketchbook. "Its been quite a day guys.. I need to go home and get to rest.. maybe eat something too. The trama here just wore me out so.." she said smiling slightly. "Sorry to leave just when you guys got here, Pyroth and Ian. Im not offended by you guys being here.. no dont worry thats defiantely not it. Ill come back out later maybe.. I dunno." she said sighing. She really was a bit tired.. she noticed that sudden increase in drowsyness lately. She had also had urges to stay up late, just doing nothing. Often times she found herself falling to sleep at very early times in the morning. With that she slowly walked up the beach she had been down almost every day now and probably for the rest of her life. Pyroth Ignatius Pyroth wasn't normally a drinker, he referred intoxicants that he knew intimately to the erratic nature of alcohol. However, the Dude's words were certainly putting him well on the way to re-considering that stance.
It was definately a good thing that he was a very composed person who maintained a "que sera sera" outlook on the world, otherwise he might just have flaked out then. Instead he let out a deep sigh, opened the bottle and took a swig, anything to dull hearing those dreaded words with such certainty.
Only the beginning? How could it get worse? He dreaded to think.
"I suspected something was up from day one but didn't really have occaision to object."
His memory of being strapped to that table at gunpoint and injected with that inky serum was still pretty fresh, as was the horrible and strange dream that had followed.
"But how could anyone expect this? Seriously, just tell me I'm not going to die and I'll try to deal with this piece by piece." he looked up and asked what he felt he had to.
"How bad will it get?"
It was like stepping into some bizarre dream, the reality of the situation still not totally sinking into his mind, he couldn't let it or he'd probably go loopy, and if he did, then those scientists, they'd have won, wouldn't they? Greer Cassenwari "Bye Hargun!" Greer said cheerily, enjoying the warm sensation in her belly. Alcohol felt neat. Listening to Pyroth, she nodded. "We're all gonna be animals someday, with all these injections going around. Real episode, uh epidemic, those are." She gulped down more of her drink. She'd never had any alcohol before, and it was going right to her head. It certainly helped that her brain thought the current situation called for tipsyness, and so was using psychological effects to fill the gap until the alcohol hurried up and reacted with her biology. "Dude, you don't think I'll be an insectivore, do you?" She frowned at her glass. "Cause I don't wanna eat bugs. They're my friends." Ian Campbell Ian grabbed the drink from the one called Dude and pondered it carefully. Legally in teh U.S he wasn't allowed to drink, but was he in the U.S. anymore, he didn't know. Of couse in the 11th century younger people could drink, and this may have something to make the training camp more authentic. Opening the bottle he took an experimental swallow. It wasn't horrible, but he would have to acquire a taste for it. One of the girls - Hargun she had been called - ran off to go to her duplex and Ian felt relieved, one of two girls were gone, and he had made sure to be as far as he could without being rude from the other. He took another mouthful and heard the remaining female speak ' We're all gonna be animals someday...' Ian choked on his drink. What! he thought. have I landed on an island full of psychos?"Could you repeat that?" he asked slowly when he had finished coughing. "The part about animals?" The Dude XD "Nah, baby, I don't think that. Aubrey wouldn't do something so vial to you. Besides, even if the critter you become like bugs - you don't have to eat them, right? I mean, it's like in "Madagascar" with the lion. If your friends are your food, then you switch to sushi. Or ... ya know ... whatever you feel like eating instead." - he patted her on the head with his extra large hands then put a glass of water in front of her, for just in case. Turning to Ian the Dude waved his flippered hand around and then pointed to his whiskers: "See these? I am not sure what the staff int he labs told you, but if you got to this island and received an injection - you are going to trun into an animal of some sort. Or kind of a mix between an animal and a human. They promised us we will still be able to speak, but I am not sure how they would know that. Anyway. Here - feel - this is real allright. By the by, I was not born chocolate brown, I'm Irish. I started looking Polynesian only a few days ago, becasue I am turnign into a sea lion. And I suppoe they have dark skin ..." Pyroth Ignatius Pyroth listened with a distinct form of horror as The Dud described what had occured in his transformation so far, a sea lion? He had an idea what he was turning into? Pyroth could only hope to know. Whatever it was seemed canine. He decided to pipe in his own comment to Ian too.
"The man isn't lying, I'll tell you that much. I have never been this hairy." he shivered in revulsion at the unfamiliar thought of fur all across his body, like some kind of animal, something from the horror stories you used to hear round the campfire told to scare little children. "Nor did I have the..beginnings of a tail, which luckily you can't see. If you got the injection, I'd say frankly, you are as screwed as we are."
Without warning he stood up from the bar and picked up his bottle of beer which, being as unfamiliar to his system as it had been to greer, was beginning to set in, his thin build hadn't helped much either. "Sorry you guys, but I'm afraid I'm going to have to head back to my Duplex too, need to think this over, try and fit it all into perspective. Thanks for filling me in on the situation Dude, the news might not have been pleasant but ignorance is worse."
He let out a sigh "Keep me posted if anyone else shows signs of change, could you? Good luck Ian, sorry I didn't get a chance to talk much, but you will probably see more of me in future. Later."
And with that he made a somewhat zigzag path back up the beach, the alcohol creating a slightly fuzzy sheild against the horrors of his situation. As he went a thought struck him, what was Ambrose changing into if the Dude was becoming a sea lion? More to the point, what was he becoming? A dog? Or maybe just for irony he was becoming one the scavengers he chased off so often back home..a coyote.
The absurdity of it all made him grin like a madman and as he turned the bend he burst into somewhat manic laughter, what else could you do but laugh when your world became as surreal as this?
Well you could always get something else to eat.
He made a beeline for the cafeteria and then for his duplex.
Greer Cassenwari "Hee, hee, 'baby'." Greer chuckled, downing the last of her grasshopper and moving on to the water. Guh, that stuff didn't taste alcoholic! Oh well. Waving to the departing Pyroth, she crossed her arms on the bar top and rested her head on them. Sighing, she looked morosly from Dude to the new guy, Ian, and back again. "D'you think I can still be an entomologist when I'm part animal, or will the fur and/or feathers get in the way?" Ian Campbell Ian leaned back and downed ther rest of his beer. "Tail..." he muttered. He thought about his home, his dreams, and the one person that suppoted those dreams. "James." his mind was in turmoil. He was going to turn into an animal, he would never see James, or another Ren Faire again. "No training camp...." Ian knew he wasn't making sense, but with that sudden news and the effect of the alcohal, nothing made sense anymore. He looked at the round lump on his arm, where he had been given a vaccination for diseases. "The diseases...there are none?" Ian asked no one in particular. When Pyroth got up and left, Ian was startled from his stupor. Barons of old faced perils worse than this. Their brothers and family were killed everyday, or they were killed. That was the risks of living back then. Ian could handle that. This was just like 11th century Europe. "The barons shall live to rule again," he whispered before grinning. The Dude XD "Nope, no deadly rare diseases here thus far." The new guys was quite obviously stunned by the news. After patting him on the shoulder, the Dude left Ian to mull over the information and instead turned over to Greer, who was getting quite trashed. Did he really make that strong of a grashopper? Maybe she just had no tolerance, the Dude decided. Heh, tha'ts funny. A drunk entomologist XD "Hmmm ... that's a good question. Maybe you gonna get even better at catching bugs, ey? Maybe you'll get, like, mad monkey powers to climb any tree. Or ... or a sticky tongue, like a chameleon? That'd be handy, if one got over the gross factor" - he grinned wide. "Cheer up, you haven't gotten anything growing from you yet. Got still plenty of tiems to chase butterflies. Are the butterflies on this isalnd any good, anyway?" Greer Cassenwari "Ooo, reflexes. Reflexes would be neat." She finished her water, blowing a stray hair out of her eyes. "I've never had those. I'm clumsy." Greer smiled at the Dude, muzzily appreciating his attempts to make her feel better. Friends really were nice to have. She wished someone had told her that a long time ago, not that she would have listened. "B'tterflies is- are, okay. Never been a pretty bug kind of girl though. Was collecting them to avoid talking to Aubrey like Ambrose asked me to, cause I'm bad with the talking and the people. I like phasmids, mostly." Ian Campbell Ian sat thinking and his grin faded. This was like the 11th century, but how often did barons turn into animals? But they did face worse, and turning into an animal is childs play compared to a war. He imagined himself as a baron returning home after a war, his non-existant family running to greet him. But this was different, here he would have no one to wait for him. No one to give him favors when he rode off to joust. Mayhaps this was more like the pagans being hunted by the Christians. He could be a druid, chosen by the elders to represent the Horned One on Beltain. Yes, he was going to be the Horned One. "With horns like that of the great stag and a wiseness that knows no bounds." Ian looked towards Dude and the female, wondering how long it would be before he became hairy, or reptillian or anything like that. He sighed, and spoke. "Dude, how many people are here?" How many people are becoming like the ancient gods, he though to himself, unable to properly put that in the question. The Dude XD Yey, he scored a smile from a pretty girl! Greer was really cute when she was drunk, the Dude decided. In a clutzy geek kinda way. Happy to not have to talk about grave realities for a bit, he chatted away: "Oh no, don't worry, I totally get the avoiding real world bit. I dive for fish instead of hunt for insects though. If there were any neat bugs down there, i'd bring you some. I'm not sure how they'd look there, though. Are shrimp insects? I can bring you some mantis shrimp if I catch one. Oh - and what are phasmids? Like - roaches or something?" - the name "phasmid" sounded to the Dude like something out of a SciFi movie. He imagined a pissed off roach with laser guns and grinned wide. Sounded like "Starship Troopers". When Ian piped up from his sullen state the Dude answered: "I dunno. Let me count. In terms of girls we have Greer here, Hargun who left when you walked in, then Emelyn, Cassidy, Karma, Julianne, Thorn and Madison. In terms of guys we have Pyroth who just left, me, Ambrose, Matthew, Timothy and I think that's it? So, what, thirteen people? Fourteen with you." Greer Cassenwari "Crustaceans are underwater bugs, you know. Arthropods. And crabs are yummy." She closed her eyes, trying to remember something that might fit into this discussion. "In a really deep part of the oceans, I think they found a giant underwater pill bug. Y'know the tiny armored thingers that live in wood and roll up into balls when all scared? Them, but all huge and aqua-like." Hearing Ian's horn comment, she turned to peer at him curiosly. Was he drunk too? He was talking funny. The Dude wasn't drunk, but he was being nice as usual so that was okay. Why had she never done this drinking thing? "A phasmid is a stick insect. There are lots of kinds. Lots and lots. All really fun looking. Lacewings are the prettiest. Flying sticks!" She pulled off her jacket and tied it around her waist. Too hot! Ian Campbell Ian grimaced, were there really that many girls here? Hopefully he wouldn't have to interact with them much. What the Dude and Greer were talking about was pretty much going over Ian's head. European history he was good at, insects, he was not. "How many..." Ian swallowed hard "how many other people besides you and Pyroth have begun to change?" He was curious, wondering how fast the changes occured, and how long it would be before he changed. Deep down, underneath his terror at becoming an animal was a wild exitement, an exitement akin to that of the Chosen on the eve of Beltain. Smothering that feeling underneath his common sense, Ian smiled grimly. "I don't suppose that this is actually a training camp is it?" The Dude XD The Dude had no clue what a stick insect was, so he listened to Greer's description and nodded: "Ah ... okey. COOL. How do you catch one? Like - do they fly around 'n stuff?" I mean she did say something about "lacewings". Must be abel to fly if it has wings ... M'okey ... now Greer was "stripping". The Dude has seen this behaviour before. First the jacket comes off, then thye move onto t-shirts. Time to run damage control. The Dude turned around and filled another glass with water, then rummaged to see whether Moreau had supplied some beer nuts or something, but found only lime wedges. He put the glass of water in front to Greer and a quarter of lime in front of her. "Here you go." - he grinned, hoping that this would be good enough to sober her up a little. Turning back to Ian, the Dude said: "As far as I know just me and Ambrose, and, well, Pyroth. And no, this is not a training camp. WHy are you so antisocial, anyway? Come closer, neither me nor Greer bite. Want a drink other then beer?" Greer Cassenwari Greer grabbed the proffered glass and drained it, nodding. "The lacewing kind fly, yup, but not to well. Short bursts, mainly gliding. You just wait till they're down low enough and then grab 'em. They don't bite." She blinked, feeling a little less fuzzy headed. Her mouth tasted funny. Huh. She waved to Ian. "Come be social! If I can do it, anyone can." Ian Campbell It figured. While he was turning into an animal there was no training camp. But at least he might be able to have some fun. At the Dude's suggestion, Ian moved closer, still trying to keep a polite distance away from Greer. "Does anyone here spar?" he asked. "Real swords. Or perhaps quarterstaff. Some of the trees in that forest have good wood to make a quarterstaff with." for the first time, Ian had spoken to Greer as well as Dude. "Antisocial..I guess. People and I just never got along. According to James, I dream too much and people can't relate to that." Ian did not realize that the Dude and Greer had no clue who James was, and thus did not clarify when he said that. Only three people had changed so far. Of 14 the Dude said were on the island. Ian frowned at this but refrained from making a comment on it. "I'll pass on the drink. Perhaps later." The Dude XD "Go girl!" - the Dude grinned and climbed over the bar to sit down next to Greer. It was nice to see her out of her shell and having fun. Go Greer indeed! If Ambrose was all in pieces about the change, then Greer must be, too. But she hasn't complained or cried and when the Dude dragged her into Ambrose's room that first night, she was a real champ. The Dude decided to tell that to Greer. "Hey, thank you for helping out with Ambrose that one time, Greer. I didn't know what to do there. I really didn't I just kinda wanted to run off and let somebody else handle this. So thanks, man. Errr .. I mean woman." - he scratched his head and grinned apologetically at the slip up. His stomach made a loud growling sound and the Dude grinned even wider, then patted it: "Hey, I am not sure about you guys, but I am starving. So I think I'm gonna go back to the village and grab a bite to eat." On his way out, he patted Ian on the shoulder: "You be nice to the lady, new guy. Or we beat you up!" With that he was out the door. Greer Cassenwari Greer smiled back at the Dude, embarrased by the praise. "That's what friends are for, I'm told." Waving as he retreated, cocked her head at Ian. "So what do you do?" Ian Campbell As the Dude left Ian suddenly felt very uncomfortable. He was stuck, alone with a woman, and there was no polite way to get out of this one. Shifting uneasily, he responded to her question, thinking his answer over carefully. He didn't want to sound like a moron. "Before coming here, I worked as a clerk at a grocery store. Before that....I dropped out of high school - I wasn't stupid!" he added quickly "I was just always dreaming. I couldn't pay attention in class so I always failed. In the end I dropped out and got a job there. Then there was this add in the newspaper, about a training camp for medieval style fighting used at ren faires. I figured working as a knight at a ren faire was the closest thing to me dream so I quit my job and came here. Why are you here?" That was the most Ian had ever spoken to a female in his entire life. Was something wrong with him, or was he just craving the social acceptance he had never gotten before? Greer Cassenwari "I'm an entomologist. I study insects." She kicked her feet happily. She was talking to someone she didn't know! As much as she wanted to stay human, island life was really good for her social skills, in that she was actually developing some. "Ren fair? I think I went to one of those once! With my dad." Her face fell for a moment at the mention of her father, but she quickly perked up again. "It was a lot of fun. I'm a fencer! A saberist. You do medieval sword fighting? Neat!" Ian Campbell "Study insects huh? Insects are okay, not want I'd want to study for the rest of my life." Ian perked up at her mention of the ren faire. That was something he could relate to, but was it worth talking to a female about? Yes, he decided. If it was a female he could talk to and not make a fool of himself, then he would. "I went to one with my dad and older brother. A long time ago, before Marcus died - Marcus is my older brother." Unbidden his eyes watered a little bit not knowing how Marcus had been spying on him before his death. "This watch I wear, it was Marcus' It was the only part of his body untorn by the claws of the wild dogs. I was the only one who wanted it after that. I have worn it ever since - 10 years now." Ian also thought about her fencing comment. "I tried fencing once. It's a lot different from fighting with broadswords. A lot more quick, and smoother. I tried archery one too, but that didn't go too well." Ian grimaced in memory. "James says it was because I dreamed too much." As Ian thought of James, a question arose in his mind. "Can we send letters from her. I want to send a letter to James. He wanted me to write if I arrived safely - I have a fear of flying so he thought to encourage me." Greer Cassenwari "You lost your brother? I'm sorry!" She frowned sympathetically. "I never had any siblings. Only child, me. Archery! Archery is great. I do that too. Lots of fun. Always wanted to try a crossbow, but Mum wouldn't let me. She thought I'd hurt something on the recoil, which knowing me I would. Skilled at getting hurt, me." She brushed her hair back nervously, realizing she'd been babbling. That probably meant the alcohol was leaving her system. Damn. That meant she'd be getting embarrassed and bad with people soon. "Letters? Nope. We're completely cut off from the outside world." She blinked at him. "Who's James?" Ian Campbell "Marcus was a good kid. I was 10 when he died, he was 12. He had a great sense of humor, but like Mom, he disapproved of my constant dreaming." He smiled at Greer mentioning she was an only child. "You were spoiled as an only child weren't you? Marcus was spoiled being the eldest, but I had stuff pretty alright. I was never good at archery, I could hit anything besides what I was aiming at. I got kicked out of the club right away." Ian paused, not sure what he should say about her thinking she was skilled at getting hurt. "Completely cut of...What about the helicopter? Surely that could deliver a letter. Just to let james know I'm safe. He doesn't need to know details." There was a desperation in Ian's voice, and in his next sentence it became clear as to why. "James is my younger brother. The only family that will talk to a failure like me." Greer Cassenwari "Spoiled? Dunno. Maybe. My dad and I were really close. Did everything together. He died when I was fifteen. Cancer." Why was she telling a practical stranger this? Goodness knew. At Ian's panic she only shook her head. "James is loyal to Doctor Moreau, and the good Doctor says no outside communiques. He won't deliver any letter unless the Doctor says he should, which he won't." Realizing how callous she sounded, she put a comforting hand on his shoulder. "I'm sorry." Ian Campbell Ian looked like he was going to cry, and he was. He wanted to send his brother a letter, but evidently all he had now was the people on this island. "How come the doctor doesn't allow letters? He seemed pretty nice when he gave me the injection - though he did lie to me about that, and the reason I was here. He still seemed nice enough." Ian bowed his head. "I never spoke to the pilot - his name is James too? People with that name can't be too bad of a person." Ian was rambling some more and also displaying a lack of common sense by trustin almost everyone even if they lied to him. Ian felt Greer's hand on his shoulder and flinched before just accepting that she was trying to give him comfort. "Don't be sorry, none of this is your fault." Greer Cassenwari Noting the flinch, she withdrew her hand. Oops. "The Doctor is doing some very illegal experiments on all of us here - I know if I was in his shoes I wouldn't want news of it getting out to the rest of the world. The greatest armies of the world would come to shut him down. Probably kill or lock us up to be tested somewhere, too..." Yeah, that was comforting. There, she was back to her own self, socially inept and crap with people. Wasn't that nice? Ian Campbell Ian felt Greer remove her hand and nodded. "I suppose so, but which country is this island a part of? This sort of experimentation might be legal in some places." Ian couldn't believe what he was saying. It sounded as if he was supporting the turning of people into animals. That inner part of himself he had been trying to suppress was becoming happier, and managing to seep past his barriers into his head. "Augh!" Ian groaned grabbing at his head tugging at some of his hair. He wasn't supposed to be happy about turning into an animal. Remember the Horned One The little part of himself said. You want to be the Horned One.Greer Cassenwari Greer leaned back, worried by someone who assaulted himself. "Um, I dunno which country we're part of. You'd have to ask the Doctor, although we could be privately owned..." He was odd, and she was back to her usual skittish self. Time to go. "Sorry Ian, but I should be going. I have a lot of cataloging to do, not to mention animalistic friends to check on. I'll... I'll see you later, okay?" Smiling, she beat a retreat back home to her duplex. He seemed nice enough, but next time she spent time with Ian she planned to have either the Dude or Ambrose along. Fencing wasn't very useful for self defense. Ian Campbell "Farewell," he said mournfully. What was he supposed to be doing now. Sighing, he went and grabbed another beer. Opening it he headed out along the beach back in the general direction of the village, taking his time to ponder his new home.
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Posted: Sat Sep 17, 2005 9:04 am
Ian Campbell Ian wandered along the beach towards the bar. he had found that it was a good place to relax and now went there everybody, often enjoying a beer while he daydreamt. Today was no different, and he walked across the sandy expanse his thoughts on his brother. He wondered how James was, and if he thought Ian was dead, died in the helicopter crash. As he approached the bar, he saw two people, both of which he did not recognize. Wandering if he should turn back to avoid them he halted uncertainly. Aubrey Lockheart Aubrey sat back down in her chair. Wait....so thats the SAME book he's been reading over and over...
"Oh...thats great..." she said. "I've never read it myself actually. Just seen the movie."
Aubrey's eyes caught sight of someone else coming up the beach. Another subject she never met. She wondered if she should keep her affiliation with Moreau under wraps for now...
She hated the fact that so many of the subjects weren't comfortable around her. At least these guys didn't look very threatening. Julian Vorpalle Julian awkwardly took a seat on another of the stools, crossing his legs.
"...It's really worth reading. Movies don't do justice at all." Closing the beloved text, he tucked it into his belt under his shirt. He glanced up to spot Aubrey looking at something - no, someone! After following her glance, he spotted Ian, a look of nervousness coming into his eyes.
Still smiling, he turned to look at the bar and everything on it. He was rather shy, really, and two people at once that he didn't know was a bit much for him. Still, he would deal with it...it wasn't the worst thing that could have happened. Ian Campbell Ian watched as the people looked at him, and seemed not to care he was there. Thinking he could avoid talking to them he went to the bar and sat on a stool, as far away from the woman as possible. He looked towards the other wondering which of the males he was. The Dude had mentioned a few, but Ian had never met them yet. He saw a bit of nervousness in the man's eyes and wonderd if it was him that made the guy nervous. He had already scared one girl off, maybe stories about him had spread. Giving the man a small smile he hoped to reassure him. "I don't bite." Aubrey Lockheart Aubrey just smiled and nodded as Julian put his book away. Her eyes wandered back over the newcomer. "Come on over," she said, standing and making her way behind the bar. "Might as well make myself useful - you boys want a drink?" Julian Vorpalle Julian was rather taken aback by the comment. "Ah - no, I...I didn't think you did...." His clear green gaze fell to the countertop for a moment as his cheeks burned a bit more.
He then looked back to Audrey, smiling shyly. "Oh - um - sure. Yes, please."
And thank you for knowing I'm a boy, he thought to himself for a moment. Ian Campbell Ian frowned at the man's odd behavior. He was really shy, much like Ian had been at one point. As the woman offered him a drink he looked over at her. "I guess. A beer if that's alright." His talking with Greer had inspired him to at least say hi to women, but he didn't think he was up to another long conversation. "What's your name?" he said, once again turning to the dark haired young man. "Mine is Ian. And your name would be helpful as well," he added as to not make the woman feel left out. Women don't belong in bars, he thought. There could be ruffians. A good night must always be able to defend a lady in need, but I don't even have my sword with me. Perhaps I could defend her without my sword, but if the ruffian will be armed....Then you must die defending her, the voice inside him that supported the fact he was turning into an animal said. You have always wanted to be an ancient knight. You should act like one and face everything with courage.Nodding to the voice, not remembering the two other people, Ian spoke softly. "To be a true knight...." Aubrey Lockheart Aubrey grabbed a beer and handed it to Ian.
She gave a wry smirk. "I shouldn't be serving ya'll drinks." She glanced at Julian. "especially you. But what fun would that be? What do you want?"
Then she looked back Ian. "Aubrey Lockheart" she said, hoping they didn't know who she was
Julian Vorpalle Laughing in spite of himself, Julian thought for a moment. He really didn't drink very often, and when he did, someone else usually ordered it for him.
"...Er...Shirley Temple?" He'd heard the term somewhere before, and figured he would give it a try. Of course, he was mostly hoping that it was something alchoholic - he had no idea what he was actually ordering.
He then looked to Ian, finally brushing the hair from his eyes. "...Julian. Julian Vorpalle. Pleased to meet you, I'm sure, Mr. Ian...and you, Miss Lockheart."
He didn't seem to recognize either of the names, for the moment - but then again, he had been reading an awful lot, and didn't recognize much on the Island, yet, anyhow. Choosing to ignore Ian's mumblings, he simply looked back at the bartop.
I wonder if they're both here for the same thing I am.... Ian Campbell Ian accepted the drink and looked at the woman. He did not recognize the name from those the Dude had mentioned days earlier. "Pleased to meet you Miss Lockheart. And you too Julian. Your name sounds a lot like a girl that the Dude said was on the island. Have you met her yet?" Ian took a sip of his beer. Contemplating what was going on. Aubrey Lockheart Aubrey smiled at Julian's innocence. It was probably for the best then, not to give him alcohol. She whipped him up a Temple, complete with a few cherries on top, and handed it over to him. "So... how are ...things... going with you?" She looked nervous for some reason, but curious Julian Vorpalle Julian wasn't much one for being curt - but he did choose to ignore the comment about the girl. It seems that particular rumor was getting a bit more...widespread.
So the Shirley Temple really...wasn't alcoholic. Ah, well - it looked good. Happily, he took a sip, watching Aubrey with a smile.
"...Okay, I guess. I mean, they've...been better...." His tone varied a bit in emotion towards the end of his sentence - but he was trying rather hard not to think about THOSE things. Aubrey Lockheart Aubrey came back around and sat in her stool, taking some more sups of her screwdriver. "I see..." She felt a tug at her conscience. She should probably tell him who exactly she was.
"Is there anything I can do to make it better?" she asked. It was an ambiguous enough question. She tried to look interested and helpful, but there was probably a glimmer of guilt in her eyes. Julian Vorpalle Julian smiled again - but what was odd was that while his smile grew wider, his eyes started to glimmer with a sense of anxiety.
"...No, I...don't think so. I mean...it's...it's already been started, and I don't know if stopping it would...would...." He trailed off for a moment.
"...Were...were you brought here, too?" He took a sip of his drink, trying not too fall back into the fear he had felt before he had buried himself in Alice. Aubrey Lockheart Aubrey watched the boy and she frowned. She couldn't stand to lie to their faces. She threw her head back and downed the last of her drink. "I came here to work for Dr. Moreau," she said, staring out into the beach. Julian Vorpalle Julian had been mid-sip when she said that - he nearly choked on his drink. After a moment of gulping and sputtering, he looked at her with the widest grin yet, eyes wide and nervous.
"...Oh...so...you're...you're...a staff member?" Aubrey Lockheart Aubrey stood up, distracting herself with making another drink. THe kid was smiling at her. o-O Oh my god...was this kid like... crazy?
Aubrey frowned, but saw no reason to lie. "Yes," she mumbled. "I'm Dr. Moreau's..." she abuot said 'second in command' but stopped herself. While that was technically true, she really didn't have command over much, what with Moreau being such a control-freak and all. "Personal assistant, and lead researcher." She flinched, waiting for his reaction. At least that didn't sound quite as damning. Julian Vorpalle Julian kept his eyes on her, that strange, strained grin never once leaving his face.
"...Oh...wow...."
His mind raced. She was one of THEM. The people who were turning humans into animals. One of the staff who so carefully concealed what was happening....
Taking another gulp of his drink, he gave a tiny, nervous giggle.
"...Well...probably better pay than writing...." Aubrey Lockheart Aubrey looked distinctly nervous, but at least he didn't like... lunge at her throat or anything.
"heheheh...." she giggled back uncertainly. "I suppose so. I... I actually didn't do it for the money, though!" she quickly added, not wanting to seem like she was doing this to these people for money. Not that her real reason for doing this was sounded much more sane. Ian Campbell Ian had been listening as Miss Lockheart...er Dr. Lockheart and Julian talked. Gaping when she had mentioned working for the doctor. Finally he broke and decided to directly speak with her. "So you work for Doctor Moreau." Ian decided it was a stretch, but he needed to ask this question. "Do you think it would be alrightto at least have my brother informed that I made it to the place. Greer told me I couldn't, but nothing about here needs to be mentioned. He just needs to be told I arrived safely, and that maybe I have decided to stay here for therest of my life. The others said I couldn't leave, but I don't want him to worry." Ian realized he was rambling and looked at Dr. Lockheart with pleading eyes. "Please," he whispered fighting the urge to cry. Julian Vorpalle Julian was going to say something, but went silent as Ian began to speak. His brother, hm?
...Come to think of it, he wondered if his parents would start to worry. Other than them, he had little in the way of family...and he certainly didn't have a girlfriend. It would likely be months...maybe a year before anyone would really start to worry about him.
He took a sip of his drink, outwardly still smiling despite his inward cringe. Aubrey Lockheart AUbrey lost track of what she was trying to make, and ended up just pouring together a few random liquors and fruit juices. "Yes, I work," she said then took a a big sip of her concoction and grimaced. She looked over at Ian, but failed to meet his eyes. "I'm sorry, I can't do that. I can't make any contact to the outside world..." Ian Campbell Ian felt his heart drop down to his stomach, and resisted crying though his eyes grew very misty. "Thank you anyway," he managed to choke out. It was obvious he was on the verge of crying. Ian thought of what he knew of Moreau. He had seemed nice, but lied...But he seemed nice, which is what mattered to Ian (who lacked in general common sense). Dr. Lockheart seemed nice too. As did everyone that he had met on the island. Perhaps.....who could he trust though. "Dr.," he started to speak then had to clear his throat. "Dr., who on this island can be trusted?" He swallowed the rest of his beer, then, to save Aubrey the trouble, went to get another one by himself. Ian looked towards Julian knowing that a shy guy like that could be trusted. Then at Aubrey. Her refusal to meet his eyes told him that she had compassion of some sort and that she could probably be trusted. Ian sighed, and for the first time, comsulted his inner voice. Trust her, it told Ian. If it weren't for her and Moreau, you wouldn't have the opportunity for your dreams to come true.Ian sighed. It figured that the voice would say that. "I need some straight answers," he said finally. Julian Vorpalle Julian watched and listened, staring down at his drink.
"...Straight answers...would be nice."
The smile quivered on his lips, though his eyes were darkened. He was very afraid...all he wanted was to read right now, and get away from things. Aubrey Lockheart Dispite its flavor, Aubrey kept drinking, suddenly liking the burn of the alcohol on her throat.
"You can trust me," she said. "There's no point in lying anymore."
She looked between the two of them, a pleading look on her eyes. "I'm here to be your friend, if you all could let me. I'm...I'm not a bad person. I want to make this as easy as possible for you. We can work together, you know, to achieve such great things." Ian Campbell "To be our friend..." echoed Ian softly. He believed her. Now that they were on the island, lies were useless. "Great things.........how like the druids." Ian's eyes widened. He had not intended to bring up the comparison the voice made. "Great people." again, he had not meant to say that. Ian turned towards Julian, as if tryingto gain courage for his next remark. Ian looked into Aubrey's eyes. "I trust you." he said knowing he may have sealed his fate with that remark. Julian Vorpalle "Great things, hm?" He sipped his drink, the wide grin flashing pearly white teeth.
Really, she seemed nice enough...but...but she was one of THEM.
He glanced to Ian, a note of worry in his eyes. This man seemed to have made his choice...was it his turn? Was he about to be put on the spot? Aubrey Lockheart Aubrey finished her second drink and behan to reach for a third but stopped herself. Getting wasted was probably a bad idea.
She sat back down and moped, feeling guilty again. She gave a weak smile to Ian. "Thank you..."
The ocean looked so beautiful, she thought as she looked it over. "This all as just been much more.. intense than I think I imagined when I first signed up. On so many levels." Ian Campbell At Aubrey's thank you Ian felt a lot better about what he had done. From what he could tell, Aubrey had many of the islanders who didn't like her because she worked with Moreau. "No problem." then hearing her last comment, "more intense? How so?" Ian pondered waht she knew about everything and wondered if she knew about the druids. Addressing both Lockheart and Julian, Ian spoke his question. "Do either of you know much about the druids?" Julian Vorpalle What to say? Too many people talking at once...being shy as he was, this was all rather hard for him to swallow.
He finished his drink.
"...No, I don't," he said through his smile. "...But...I'll have to hear about them some other time. I think...I think I need a nap." Aubrey Lockheart Aubrey ran a hand through her hair. "Lots of ways. I mean, working so close and personal with Moreau is something I've wanted to do since high school. Just being here... there's a lot of things I didn't expect. Its wonderful, but overwhelming in some ways." Ian Campbell Ian swallowed the rest of his second beer and smiled at Aubrey. "Your dreams are coming true. That's important. And napping is good. It puts the mind at ease." Now what in the hell was he doing smiling at a female. Disgusted with himself he muttered to himself. "Her dreams came true.....mine came true, in an ironic kinda way....SHould we all be happy now?" Ian frowned, tugging at his hair with his right hand. "I'm turning into something cool right?" Why had he asked that. He tugged harder at his hair. What is this part of me I cannot escape.?" Recalling what he hadsaid to Julian, Ian thought for a moment. "Would a nap clear my mind too?" Aubrey Lockheart Aubrey raised her eyebrows at Ian. "Yeah.... maybe a nap would help.."
These people were.. weird. After all, maybe Moreau was finished with Lauren for the day anyway. "It was nice talking to you two. If you need anything, just let me know. I do my best to help.." Aubrey quickly cleansed her glasses in the sink and headed back up towards the labs. Julian Vorpalle He was suddenly very tired.
"...Yes...overwhelming. And I...really do need a nap. Good night to you both...and thank you for the drink, Miss Lockheart."
With one last polite smile, Julian stumbled off...looking rather dazed and confused.
Must...must get back to Alice.
Back to Wonderland. Ian Campbell Ian watched as both of his drinking buddies left. Sitting on the stool he began to laugh, his voice fading into the open waves of the ocean.
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Posted: Thu Sep 22, 2005 8:37 pm
Ian Campbell Ian moved to the side as he entered the cafeteria and saw a dog rocketing towards him. "What the...." he muttered "What's a dog doing here..." Looking up from the animal he spotted a rather large-ish group of people. Among them were only two people he had met, the Dude and Hargun. Wandering over nervously he smiled slightly. "Hi. Um..." He had spotted Ambrose, wondering what the man had thought about his abrupt departure the last time they had seen each other. "Mind if I join you?" he asked, "I'm Ian." He looked around and saw how many people had started to change....how long until he too would. As his gaze wandered over the faces of the people, he couldn't help but think about how long before they all changed. Amaya Vaughan "Yeah, guess you could say that. This was supossed to be a little get-away for orphaned teenagers." Amaya jumped at Ambrose's sudden coughing fit, eyes wide. "Oh god, sorry." She laughed nervously and started to swing her feet again. Blinking, she watched the tiny dog scramble and frowned, slumping into her chair. "Awwww..." She wanted to cuddle it... Amaya turned and reached up to shake Vasile's hand, but stopped and looked directly into his eyes. "Vasile... DiRossi...?" She blinked a few more times before having an epiphany. "Hey! Your an actor, right?" Queen of obvious, thy name is Amaya. "But... why're you here?" The young girl stared up at him, rather shocked to find someone so well-known.
"Wait, make-up? What?" She raised a brow and looked to Ambrose and the Dude, utterly confused. "And uh, heya Timothy." She gave a slight wave, wiggling in her seat. GOD THE CONFUSION. Amaya looked back over to Hargun. "... You should really go sleep if your that tired." Subconciously a gloved hand reached over to the large fluffy lump on the table and scratched it between his ears, having forgotten all the nasty glares it had been giving everyone and everything. Hearing someone new, she turned around and gave a wave up to Ian. "Heya Ian, names Amaya. Got here about yesterday." She held her free hand out to him. Ambrose Maurlias Ambrose blinked as the cafeteria began to get even MORE crowded. Had someone turned on a magnet or something? He looked to Timothy again and did a double take. He ... had started to change as well. Black and white fur was sprouting from various locations of his body, and his ears had grown and rounded. Something in the back of his mind prodded the word "skunk" at him, and Ambrose shifted nervously, once again feeling slightly better at the doctor's choice of his own animal. "Timothy... I'm sorry.." he began, patting the man on the shoulder. He looked incredulously to Vasile, but merely shook his head. Ambrose looked over to Ian as he approached, recognizing one of teh people who had fled at his arrival in to the cafeteria the other day. He had found out later from Colche that he hadn't really scared her off... but what about him? And with the present company also sprouting fur or flippers and Ian's... arrival and not departure... perhaps he had left for another reason as well..? Ambrose reached out to shake Ian's hand. Even though Ambrose was well practiced in teh proper way to introduce himself, with Ian his handshake was a bit hesitant, not quite as confident and strong. "Ian... yes - I remember you from the other day... I had thought that I frightened you off. You left before you could give me your name." Ambrose glanced over to Amaya again as she gushed over the movie star. It certainly was an ecclectic group of people.... he glaned around the table... perhaps the closest thing to a family he'd have here... the people he'd be sharing the rest of his life with...? Timothy Matthews Timothy got an entire plate of shrimp and sat down, he then sat there and begin to munch them one by one. It felt right for some reason. After he realized what he was doing he looked back up, hearing everyone and feeling Ambrose's pat. "Thanks Dude, Ambrose. It's a little weird but I'll adjust." Timothy shrugged, he really wasn't that well off on it but he didn't want to sound that... cowardly in front of Vasile. Timothy nodded to Ian, the new commer. He hadn't met him before either. He sort of saw a similarity between himself and this guy, well he would have if he wasn't sprouting fur. "I'm just here to eat and chit chat, don't mind me." Hargun Aikason Hargun grumbled at Amaya with her head still flat on the table. "Whats it look like Im trying to do right now?" she made a snorting noise, obviously a lazy laugh and murmered. "Im eating the table, cant you tell.." she said sarcastically. Apon hearing Vasile's name quite a few times she finally realized a celebrity was here on the island. Though she wasnt really a fan of his and didnt know about him THAT much.. just his name, she looked up, her hair stringling in her eyes and glanced at him and put her head back down. "Heya Ian." she said, and tried to lift her hand up to make a small wave. She turned a bit and looked at Timothy's plate for a sec, just curious if he had developed some odd appetite like some of the others did. The Dude XD The Dude stood up and followed after Vasile, leaving the Captain in Amaya's capable hands. The kitty was actually purring. Granted it still sounded rather like a growl, but whatever that girl was doing, the Captain aproved. "So hey, Vasile, how's your script studying going?" - he grinned at the actor, and picked up a plate. With a nonchalant expression he began piling shrimp onto his plate ... one dozen ... two dozen ... three ... Lowering his voice to a very private whisper, he added: "Heard you've been practicing love scenes on a good friend of mine here ... just a friendly advice - you brag to anyone about that and I tell Cass. And I'd say some flowers and a sweet sentimental apology letter is also in order. What do you think?" He quirked his eyebrow at Vasile and put a shrimp into his mouth, swallowing it without chewing. Ian Campbell Ian nodded at Amaya's introduction and after shaking Ambrose's hand, shook hers. "Arrived yesterday huh?" Ian said to Amaya. "Heh, always trying to get more people....acting like there's not enough of us as is." Ian turned to Ambrose. "Ambrose wasn't it? Sorry for bailing on you, but after the other girl fled, and I having scared away all the other people I've met on the island...I was having problems with coping." He rubbed a hand on the back of his neck in a nervous gesture. "Yeah, sorry 'bout that." Ian sighed as he glanced around looking at those who said hi when his gaze came across Timothy. With the exception of the white in his hair and the fur, he could have passed as a twin brother to his own little brother back in the states. "Hmm, Timothy.....did you know - wait of course you wouldn't know...I'm such an idiot. But you resemble my little brother. He'd be about your age I think....." Ian halted he was rambling, excessively. Turning slightly red Ian moved towards the food table mumbling a quick "hello" to Hargun Amaya Vaughan Amaya stared at Vasile like HE was the one with flippers and watched him walk over to get some food. "... Has... anyone told 'im? And why is he here? Is this some movie or some-GOD I'M CONFUSED!" Gloved hands shot up to grab her head before a loud thud echoed once her cranium made contact with the table and stayed there. "... Ow. That wasn't something smart to do."
Gradually, she turned her head to look at Hargun through her mess of raven locks. "I mean in a BED not on a table. Though the table does taste pretty good, doesn't it?" She gave a snort and went back to stareing at it. "Scrumtious." It was then that she realized her hand wasn't touching red fur anymore. A gloved hand rose from her lap and scurried over much like Thing from the Adam's Family so she could continue to scratch the Cap'n between his ears. Ambrose Maurlias Ambrose had paused in his conversation to wolf through a good portion of the steaks he had brought with him to the table. Although, while he was eating them quite quickly, he did have good manners in his defense. He chewed quickly with his mouth closed, and sliced them with his knife pre-eating. Finally, taking a break, he spoke up again. "That's ironic, Ian." He began . "And here I thought my apperance was the cause for yours and Colche's departure. Perhaps there have been a series of miscommunications." Ambrose watched the Dude go speak with Vasile and turned his attention back to the people he was less familiar with. He shook his head sadly at Amaya. "Everyone here was given a different... er... cover story." He kept his voice down, careful not to speak loud enough to catch Vasile's attention who was already distracted by the Dude. "His was just more.. well... watertight than most peoples'. Probably because the Doctor doesn't want to deal with him when he DOES find out any sooner than he needs to. His thoughts lingered on her, and, to be honest, he was glad that at least he didn't have to break the news to her. "I'm sorry.... I don't know what things were like for you before you came here... but I DO hope that it won't be that bad for you here. I really want to believe that they're starting to think more about who they bring - people who don't have as much to lose back on the mainland.... unlike Hargun and Timothy and Vasile and me." She looked so young, too... had her whole life ahead of her. Even if she was an orphan. So many dependent people here... Colche... perhaps her... then again - youth didn't necessarily mean she couldn't take care of herself. "Thorn" seemed the perfect example of bullheaded independence in someone so young. "Well.... if you need anything... don't hesitate to ask -" He gave her a smile. "your resident wolfman." He said jokingly with an odd mix of bitterness and sarcasm thrown in. "And good luck, Timothy.... it... to be honest.... isn't something exactly simple to adjust to." He sighed, taking a consoling bite of meat. Vasile DiRossi Vasile looked in digust at all the shrimp he piled on his plate, and he suddenly wished he hadn't grabbed the few he did. But then he composed himself and put on a very smug smile and looked straiht up at the Dude. "Brag?" he asked, mocking insult. "Come now. For one, if you've heard abuot that then it isn't me you should worry about kissing and telling." He moved down the line, but stayed close enough to Dude so he could hear without raising his voice. "Anyway, I don't need to brag. I'm confident in my abilities in a lover, and unlike some men," he stopped to give an accusatory glare to Dude, "I don't need to brag to reassure myself of my sexual mastery." That was partially true at least. It's bad publicity to go around and brag about the women that you've slept with. And being he was a famous movie star, it was the women who did most of the bragging. Vasile continued, "as for an apology, I don't think thats necessary. I didn't do anything to her that she wasn't positively begging for by the end of it. I had fun. She had fun. And we went our seperate ways. She gave no indication she wanted me to stick around and complicate things." Vasile glaced back over the dude and popped a grape in his mouth from the fruit bar. "You think you have me all figured out don't you? Just because I enjoy sex, and have proven myself a capable lover doesn't mean I view women as mindless little toys." He paused, watching his expression. "That's what you thought, isn't it? To be honest the woman in question proved herself to be very intelligent and engaging. In addition to being absolutely dynamite in bed, in case you're wondering." He grinned. "But just because I don't want to wisk off and elope every woman I enjoy having a little fun with doesn't mean I don't value them as human being." Vasile sneered and spun around on his heel. "Anyway," he said over his shoulder. "At the very least maybe now you won't think me to a f**, eh?" He ran a hair through his hair flippantly and strode out of the cafeteria, waving to the Dude with a smile and twirl as if they had just had a brotherly jest. Timothy Matthews Timothy noticed Vasile go as he was finishing his plate of shrimp which he'd... quite frankly devoured. Strangely enough, some new basic instinct of his felt like he thought they were going to move any second. He watched Vasile go, feeling foolish and sort of upset. But he was full now. "Hey, you didn't have to be so rude." "Anyway everyone, it was nice meeting you but I'm gonna go as well. Work on my music for bit. I hope you understand..." Timothy trailed off and when Vasile was safetly at a distance he jetted out too. Hargun Aikason Hargun laughed at Amaya's comment about the table. "Its truly is much better than the other food here." she lifted her head up once more and yawned a very heavy yawn and scratched her tummy. "Well, I hate to join the bandwagon guys, but Im gonna go home and take a well needed nap." she said, stretching and getting up out of her chair. It suprised her how she casually mentioned her duplex as /home/. One could hardly call a hotel/apartment sized room a home. Either that or she was just too used to living in a normal house. She patted Amaya on the back before leaving, and tried to sound as reassuring as she could. "I was confused at first too.. then depressed... then just.. here. Youll get used to it and we're all here with yah so.. GOODNIGHT EVERYONE.." she said, slumping out into the sunlight and wincing at its brightness as she walked out towards the duplexes. (wrapped for me) The Dude XD The Dude listened to Vasile's tirade calmly. All the snide remarks and cheap stabs amused him. He just kept eating the shrimp in front of Vasile, being pretty gross about it on purpose. His sense of taste has considerably weakened since the injection, he noticed. Normally this amount of raw shrimp would have caused a gag reflex even in him. But when the primadona strutted out of the cafeteria without even giving him the chance to respond, he tensed up. Setting the plate down, he followed Vasile out, catching up with him right outside the cafeteria. "Hold up here, Vasile. First of all - I didn't needed those details. I kinda consider her my little sister, and while it's nice to know she's dynamite in bed, she was not all too dynamite when she came to talk to me about all this, superstar. But hey, as long as you are not gonna brag, good by me." - he was keeping his voice down still, to keep the conversation private. "And I suppose you a right. Flowers might be a bit overkill. She doesn't really want to see your face any longer, to be honest. I just thought that a few orchids might, ya know ... sway her opinion of you? Make you appear less like a pompous d**k? Your pick, really. You'll be seeing all of us for a while, boy. Better start thinking about not making enemies ..." At that moment Hargun and Timothy had walked out of the cafeteria after them as well, so the Dude stopped talking. Ian Campbell Ian watched as many of the people left the cafeteria. Grabbing some food he sat down at the seat Hargun had vacated and began to eat, pausing every so often to speak with Ambrose. "It seems this entire island is a cancerous mass of miscommunication." Now how did he know such refined words? He had never used the word cancerous in civilized conversation before in his life. "Everyone being told something different, and then there are the people who cannot seem to understand what is happening." Ian looked at his plate thinking. "Even if everyone did understand though, they would still possibly refuse to accept it. Such is the way of people." Amaya Vaughan "Ohhhh, I see." Amaya finally peeled her head off the table and folded an arm under her chin to rest on it as she pet Captain Morgan with her other hand. "I'm not missing much. I stayed at the orphanage for almost three years after my gran'ma passed on. People don't exactly want a 15 year old kid who's just gonna grow up and leave soon anyway, y'know?" She turned her head so she could lay it sideways and look up at him, smiling. "Thanks... I'm just glad I'm not the only one here or something." The young girl paused, frowning for but a moment. "I just really don't like being alone. Not having any family or friends or anything. Kinda makes me like it here, despite the 'Doctor Dolittle gone crazy' thing." She then quickly added: "Though it's not like I'm just gonna roll over for him or anything. You still have family back home, so I'll try my best to get you back there. Pops would want me to try and fight back, no matter how subtle it may be." An almost forced laugh escaped her lips as she looked back over to the Captain.
Bright green eyes trailed Vasile as he left, then went to Timothy as he got up. "See ya Timothy, nice meeting you." She gave a slight wave before letting her arm flop back onto the table so she could resume scratching the large fluffy cat. "Oh yes." Amaya smiled at Hargun, liking the girl who seemed to fall around her age. That was nice, least she might NOT be the youngest one here. Absently, she wondered how old she really was but didn't get time to ask as the red-head stood up and patted her on the back. "See ya Hargun and thanks." Her hand rose once more and haved before flopping back down. Ah, petting a cat. One of lifes most simple pleasures.
It was then that she realized she had been the only one who didn't get anything to eat. Feeling awkward she stood and bussed the cup off coffee that had long since gone cold. After silently grabbing merely an apple and a can of Pepsi she returned to her seat and set the apple down as she opened up her soda. For some reason she had never been one for sitting down and eating a large meal, only taking snacks throughout the day when she started to get a little hungry. Amaya then noticed Vasile and Dude kinda of... skidaddle at the same time and as she looked at the door she asked Ambrose and Ian almost in a whisper; "Hey... is something going on with Mister Dude and Vasile?" Green gaze looked back to them, a little worried. Oh god, what if they were having a fight? Vasile DiRossi ((sorry if its out of order, I've got to leave soon and its just between Dude and Vasile anyway))/ Vasile turned around and glared. "Well if she was having morning-after remorse, Mr. Dude, then she certainly didn't feel the need to say so to me at the time. And she certainly wasn't uncomfortable with what we were doign the night before. If she has a problem with me, she could be coming to me, not whining to you. She's a big girl, who can make her own decisions."
Vasile started to walk away, then turned around. "Perhaps I'll leave her a note if its bothering her so bad. But don't forget, sir, in your rush to hate me that it takes two to do the nasty."The Dude XD There were people around now and he was not comfortable to discuss the issue any further. He already said too much anyway. Gah, this man was annoying ... be cool, Dude. Be cool. Giving him a black eye will not solve anything here. Why did he even bother to talk to this twerp? "You know what, buddy? Forget I said anything. Just ... forget it." - the Dude sighed. "We'll talk once you get your second injection, Don Juan." He was not stopping Vasile any longer, instead, he turned around and trotted off down the path towards the beach. Man, a swim sounded very nice right about now. (And I am out as well. Good night everyone! Thanks Vasile for sticking around.) Ambrose Maurlias Ambrose waved to Hargun. "Take care, and go get some rest. You look like you could use it." He turned his attention back to Ian after he finished his steak. "Unfortunately it does appear so..." he sighed. "And I'm having a hard enough time accepting it myself. I don't want to, dammit... I can't accept that this is IT. Even the... furriness aside, stuck here..." he shook his head and looked to the young girl. "Being alone is hard..." He moved his fork around on the empty plate. "And that's really brave of you. I... I do have a family back home - and a wonderful girlfriend... But you shouldn't have to worry about me. Althought I'm glad to hear that at least maybe you can make the best of this... but still, none of us should have to be here. None of us should be forced to stay here and participate in this science experiment gone horrribly awry for the rest of our lives." Ambrose stifled a yawn. "I should probably head back to my room as well. Eating tends to make me sleepy.... He nodded to them and stood up. "I wish you the best - all three of you. And I'm easy to find if you have any questions or learn anything significant." With a small wave Ambrose bussed his tray and headed out the door, back to his duplex for a nice post-meal nap. ((Ambrose... signing off. Early classes in the morrow)) Ian Campbell Ian waved farewell as Ambrose left and finished his meal. As he took care of his plate he turned to Amaya. "Take care of yourself, don't let yourself be fooled by anything here. Demons lurk" Now what had inspired him to say that bit? To avoid further embarassment Ian quickly dismissed himself "Really sorry....urgent necessity. Must go.." CLutching his stomach for added effect to the falsehood Ian ran fromthe cafeteria. Amaya Vaughan Amaya had taken a bite out of her apple as she listened to Ambrose. He was right, none of them really deserved this. She swallowed what was in her mouth and waved as he headed out. "See ya Ambrose!" He was pretty nice... all the people here seemed to be pretty nice, actually. The thought of FOREVER on the Island still haden't sunk in yet, probably wouldn't for at least a few months. "Gotcha." She gave a thumbs up and a quick 'see-ya' to Ian as he left.
There she was in the cafeteria alone again. Oy.
... Eh, oh well. Time to explore a bit. After finishing her apple she snatched her soda and headed back to her duplex to grab a few things.((Marker! *clicks little movie thingy* :B ))
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Posted: Thu Sep 22, 2005 8:37 pm
Ian had met so many interesting people at the cafeteria. Some had begun to change already....he hadn't realized there would be so many people on the island.
One that caught his eye was a young man named Timothy. Timohty looked so much like James (minus the changes) that it made Ian sad to see him on the island. It was like seeing his own brother there. After he made it back to his duplex he lay on his bead with his hands behind his neck.
"James," he began. "I know you are probably worried about me...but perhaps it is better you think me dead, died in a helicopter crash...." he sighed. "I wonder what you are up to....have you gone off to college yet? I hope your happy..." Ian closed his eyes, picturing his brothers smiling face.
Oh stop moping fool! A voice interrupted his thoughts. Moping won't let you see James again.....I saw Timothy, I can know what you feel as well, remember. You dolt! Isn't this what yo've wanted? Deep down....I'm you, I know! Suck it up and learn to enjoy yourself, James is probablyhappier now that he doesn't have to worry about you!
"Shut up!" growled Ian putting a pillow over his head. "I don't need to listen to this!" but he knew the voice was correct in a way, still buried under the pillow, Ian felt the salty tears burning their way out of his eyes.
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Posted: Thu Sep 22, 2005 11:08 pm
Amaya Vaughan Amaya lay under the shade of a large palm tree, her arms curled under her small pumpkin-shaped bookbag to make a makeshift pillow. Most of her day had been spent wandering about the Island, but head always had made her a bit sleepy. She had just sat down to take a rest and had ended up dozing off.
A moan escaped her mouth as the sun reached her shut eyelids, a gloved hand going up to cover her sensitive eyes as she rolled over onto her back to look up at the large leaves of the palm. Man, today was beautiful... Ian Campbell Ian wandered down the sandy shores of the beach heading towards the beach bar. As he walked leisurely towards it, he spied on of the people he had met yesterday. Upon getting closer he recognized her as the one hehad warned about demons. Damn, he thought. I wonder if she thinks I'm crazy...after a comment likethat surely she does.Veering in Amaya's general direction Ian came closer and he smiled at her apparent dozing. "Hello," he greeted. Amaya Vaughan "Hn...?" The young girl blinked a few times then looked over at Ian. "Hey... Hey!" She smiled and rubbed her eyes before sitting up. "Your Ian, right? How're you doin'?" Ian Campbell "Yeah, Ian." He replied. "I'm doing alright actually. Considering why we are actually here and all. How 'bout you?" Ian linked both his hands behind his neck, "You seemed to be thinking a minute ago." Amaya Vaughan "Actually, I just woke up from a nap." Amaya laughed slightly and grabbed her bookbag before standing. "I try not to think much about why were here and such, just makes the reality of it all sink in faster and I'd really rather not get all angsty." She brushed the sand off her bookbag and up it on before brushing the sand off her pinestripe pants and shirt. "Y'know, people deal with the only way they know how..." Her voice trailed off for a minute as she looked up at him. "But if you wanted someone to talk to about it I'm all ears." She kind of hoped he did and wanted to get to know Ian better. He seemed like a pretty okay guy. Ian Campbell Ian started to say something then stopped. The inner self was speaking to him again and he didn't want to slip up. Pushing the voice to the back of his head, he brought up the main subject he had been thinking about. "I just miss my little brother. Yesterday, when I met Timothy...Timothy could pass as James' identical twin, with the exception of the changes." Ian grimaced, "Sorry, didn't mean to ramble there. WHen I start speaking I just can't stop for some reason." Or that only happened here, he reflected. Just what urged him to talk to people here, he never had before.Maybe it is because you don't want to get lonely. The voice pushed its way to the front of Ian's mind. You cannot remain a recluse in life forever. The druids never did.Ian frowned at the voice then realized how he must lookto Amaya. FOrcing a smile he tried to become more cheerful. "Lookon the brightside, this is a tropical island we get to spend the rest of our lives in." Amaya Vaughan "Oh... I see. I thought you two looked pretty identical myself. It must be hard." Amaya patted his shoulder then laughed slightly. "It seems like you need more cheering up then I do." She looked around and her eyes rested on the beach bar. "We can go over there so you can have a drink if you want." Even though she was out of the United States and could probably legally drink here she wouldn't... it didn't seem right. She just hoped they had soda there. "C'mon." Amaya smiled cheerfully and grabbed his hand, leading him over towards it. Ian Campbell Ian felt Amaya grab his hand and flinched ever so slightly, hoping she hadn't noticed. He let himself be led to the bar, and once there he got himself a beer. Looking over at her, Ian wondered if she drank. "WHat do you want?" he asked. "There's all sorts of stuff here." Ian opened his drink and took a sip. "Yeah, I suppose I do need to be cheered up." He smiled wryly. "I never thought I'd ever hear myself saying that to anybody. Yet hereI am, doing exactly that." Amaya Vaughan "Anything non-alcoholic, really... do they have any soda?" She walked up by him and peeked around him into the fridge. Jeeze... most of these she didn't even know what they were. A frown played on her features and she looked to Ian, hopeing he might know what was non-alcoholic and what wasen't. "Well, everyone needs to be cheered up sooner or later. I just figured that instead of wallowing I coulda kinda help with that... y'know? Make people feel a little better about what all is going on even if it may be kind of subtle." She shrugged and crouched beside him, head in her palms. Ian Campbell Ian rummaged around looking for soda. Finding one inthe back he handed it to her. "I hope you like that flavor...I think it was the only one. ANd that is really nice of you to cheer people up. It is better than wallowing, which is kind of what I've been doing. I've been wallowing in missing my brother." Ian took another sawllow of beer. "I think I can cope...eventually" He did not admit that the voice was getting stronger,getting more control.....No one knew about the voice, but the day he coped would be the day teh voice took over. Amaya Vaughan "Thanks." Amaya took the soda and popped it open, taking a sip. "Well, you have every right too. I mean, you love your brother and you'll never be able to see him again... maybe." God, she just made the situtation probably much worse. Think THEN speak, Amaya. After mentally hitting herself for what she had just said, she motioned Ian over to the stools and took a seat on one with a hop. Danm stools made for giants. "But you don't know that for sure, right? There's always the chance of escape. Or he'll let us go. Or something like that. Don't give your hopes up just yet, y'never know what life might throw at you." Her legs started to kick back and forth, a habit she had gotten whenever her feet didn't touch the ground. Ian Campbell "I guess you're right, no use being down. James wouldn't want me to be sad, he was the type of person who always saw the good side." Ian thought about her life comment. "If life gives you lemons......that's what this place was supposed to be for me....it might still be." He clamped his hand over his mouth. Bad, no mentioning the creepy excited side of him. Removing his hand he drank more, wondering if it would be better to stop drinking as to let the voice have less control. Amaya Vaughan "Exactly. That's why I'm trying to help others out instead of focusing on myself. I know my parents and gran'ma would want me to be happy, regardless of what's happening... though they wouldn't want me to roll over for a madman either, so that's why I'm gonna try my hardest to help everyone find a way off this Island." The young girl kicked her feet back and forth some more and took a sip of her soda before raising a brow at Ian. "Huh? What'd ya mean?" Green eyes looked up at him with the curiosity of a young child. Ian Campbell Ian flushed a light red. A bright girl like Amaya would have definately noticed what he said and wanted to know more about it. WOuld he tell her about the voice? No, she didn't need to know that much. "ALright," he said."I came here because I was told it was a training camp for Ren Faire knights. I have always liked all things medieval, especially the druids. DO you know much about the druids?" He didn't wait for an answer. "The druids worshipped many gods and godesses, many of them appearing as animals. One of them in particular - The Horned One - a white stag. He was the guardian of the forests and very wise. He seemed human but had the hornes and mane of a stag. Manyof the lesser known guardians were like that as well, but the stag is the most well known. That's why it might be good here. I am reminded of the druids." Amaya Vaughan Amaya blinked and listened in silence as he filled her in why he was here and who exactly these 'druids' were. Once he was finished she thought for a moment, her eyes not leaving his. "... Ohhhh! Well, that's kinda neat. It's a good way to look at things, too." She took another sip of her soda, using two hands to hold it out of habit. She looked incredibly young sitting there, holding her can with two hands in fear that she might drop it and kicking her feet back and forth like a child. "Do you know if your turning into a stag? That'd be kinda neat and something you could sorta find comfort in, right?" Ian Campbell "I guess my bro rubbed off on me a bit. Without him around I need to be optimistic. A stag though..." His grew to a murmer. "A stag would be nice. They are such noble creatures...too good for me to ever turn into though." Ian smiled at Amaya, "the thought is nice though." You can be noble though, the voice remarked. Deep inside, you have the heart of a great person. Just accept it. Ian thought that over a second, "maybe....I might need to ask what I'm turning into. They've told theother people who have asked. What about you? WHat do you want to become?" Amaya Vaughan "Hey, your plenty noble." She grinned and nudged Ian in his arm with her elbow. Another sip was taken out of her soda as she thought over the question. Man... she never really thought about it before. "Can't really say... guess a kitty would be nice." Amaya just shrugged her tiny shoulders. "Their arn't many animals I really dislike, so it's kind of hard to pick which one I'd want to turn into..." She trailed off for a second and was about to take another drink before quickly adding. "'Cept monkies. I don't like monkies." A finger pointed at Ian to make her point before she was content enough to drink her soda again. Ian Campbell "Heh, monkeys are weird. Except for lemurs...except they aren't really considered monkeys much anymore,the do share common ancestry though." There he was, probably boring poor Amaya with his store of useless knowledge. "I prefer cervids to most other types of animals. That's why a stag appeals to me." Ian finished his beer and leaned back against the counter. "Many things cannot be changed,but those we cannot, we must see the best in." Amaya Vaughan "Yeah! Ring-tailed lemurs are really cute. I like their fluffy tails." Amaya smiled and kicked her feet back and forth. "What's cervid mean? Like... hooved animals?" She wasn't bored by him in the least. As long as the conversation kept going, she would never be bored... and even if the conversation did somehow manage to stop, she'd probably find something else to talk about randomly. Like the heat. GOD THIS HEAT. Ian Campbell Ian shook his head. "Not hooves, antlers. It's how they are seperated from the bovidae - cattle. Ring-tailed lemurs are nice....I was allowed to hold one once, on a zoo field trip in elementary school. It was really soft." Ian smiled, his talk of animals didn't seem to be boring Amaya, but he had to make sure. "I'm not boring you am I?" Amaya Vaughan "Ohhhheywait... Bulls have horns, don't they? And their cattle... right?" She raised her eyebrows up at him after taking another sip of her soda. "And your lucky. I've only got to hold a baby alligator. Really cute, though!" Amaya grinned and kicked her feet, laughing slightly. "No, why would you be?" Ian Campbell Ian smiled when Amaya said she wasn't bored. "Most people get bored talking about animals with me...I tend to ramble. And yesbulls have horns, but antlers have multiple prongs while horns do no. Cervids and Bovidae are both subsections of the same family - the family that has horns. The other family has hooved animals such as hoses and zebra - that do not have horns." Ian's mind began to wander. "That always made me wonder about unicorns. Horned horses they are said to be, but if they had a horn, they would be part of the Bovidae. Don't you agree? Perhaps they would be in a seperate category since they only have one horn instead of two as well." Amaya Vaughan "Well, most people are probably too... upset or something to really talk about animals when you stop to think about the situation." Amaya gave a shrug and sipped her soda. "Ah, okay. I think I get it now..." She then looked down at her soda and thought about the whole unicorn thing. "Yeah, unicorns would be in their own catagory... or in a catagory that was for all mythical beasts if they lived on Earth today since I think they had magical powers or something." Ian Campbell Ian nodded in agreement still leaning against the bar. "It's getting late, do you want me to walk you back to your duplex? I'm in number 19." Amaya Vaughan "Really?" Green eyes looked around... man, it was getting kinda late. "Sure!" After guzzling down her soda and throwing it in the trash can she hopped down from the stool. "Hey, I'm in number 20 right above you! That's pretty neat." Ian Campbell Yeah, it was 'neat'. "That's good, we're heading for the same place." Moving away from the counter, Ian walked with Amaya back to the village and the duplexes. Amaya Vaughan Amaya smiled and followed Ian all the way back to their duplexes. After giving a final wave and a goodnight, she headed upstairs into her own.((That's a wrap!))
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Posted: Fri Sep 30, 2005 5:42 pm
Ian ended up at the beach game of Truth or Dare! Beach thread, page 18!
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Posted: Sat Oct 01, 2005 4:47 pm
Ian Campbell Ian found himself wandering through the dense jungle on the island. It was so peaceful here and it reminded him of his old home. Feeling a twinge of homesickness at the thought of his old forest, he purposely cast his mind away from that thought. Pressing his hand against the bark of a tree thoughtfully, he inhaled the fresh scent of the forest, closing his eyes to the world sorrounding him. Amaya Vaughan A soft humming came from a few feet away, slowly turned into soft spoken singing.
"And I'm haaaaunted, by the lives that I have loved, and actions that I've hated...
I'm haaaaaunted
By the lives that wove the web, inside my haunted head..."
Amaya sat leaned up against one of the many trees, bobbing her head to the music blaring in her headphones and tapping her feet to the rythme. She seemed oblivious to everything around her, tiny frame curled up and chin resting on her knee. Ian Campbell Ian moved away from the tree and continued into the forest. Shortly thereafter he heard the sound of muffled singing. Approaching the noise he saw Amay resting by a tree. Approaching her his boots were muffled on the soft turf of the forest floor. "Amaya," he said his voice soft tapping her on the shoulder gently. Amaya Vaughan "YAUGHA!" Amaya jumped, spinning around with wide green eyes behind her glasses. "Ian!" Breathing a sigh of relife, she reached back into her bookbag and turned off her CD player before pushing her headphones around her neck. "Hey, sorry about that. Was zoned out." She stood and smiled up at him. "So how're you doin'?" Ian Campbell Ian gave a small smile. "I didn't mean to frighten you. I was just wandering around when I heard you singing." He touched the bark of the tree. "It's so peaceful here.." His voice had a faraway cast to it, almsot as if he was becoming a part of himself lost years ago. "Just you and the natural elements of nature." He seemed to forget that Amaya was there for a minute, resting his palm against the roughness of the tree. "Did you ever have a place you could truly feel relaxed in Amaya?" he asked finally remembering her presence. Amaya Vaughan "It's alright, I'm just jumpy." She watched him, looking up at the canopy of trees. "Yeah... Dad owned a cabin up in the mountains and he took me there a few times. It was nice to get even farther away from civilization where you had to be inside by dark and could watch the bear, deer, and coyote outback at night. We had a feeder too and I always loved watching the bear come and lick honey and peanut butter off of it." A sad smile spread across her features, the thought of never going there again weighing heavily on her shoulders. Ian Campbell Ian nodded, he understood that. "I used to live right by a forest. The forest was part ofour property. When I was 11 we moved away to the city though, my older brother Marcus had been killed in those woods and my mother didn't want to live with the memories." he sighed. "Those woods were my true home. But I now feel comfortable in any type of foresty area, that happens when one has lived in the city for 9 years." He shifted uncomfortably. "What will happen to these woods if they need to add more duplexes? If we are stuck here, there could be countless other people who will be as well. Amaya Vaughan Amaya visably winced. Living in the city for nine years? That was tourture, though she could understand if his mother wanted to move away. It would be even worse if what Ian said came true too. "I doubt they'd do that, but it's possible. They've gotta have something for us to explore and hang out in that isn't man-made... Otherwise I'd go insane." Ian Campbell He nodded again. "We could always do like what happens in movies. You know stand her with signs and try to single-handedly save the jungle." Ian was trying to make light of the situation, but inwardly he was hoping there would never be enough people to warrant the destruction of the forest. "Many man-made things bother me. I guess that's why I always liked the Druids, they incorperated themselves into nature, not destroying nature selfishly." He smiled, thinking about the druids seemed to make him really happy now. Amaya Vaughan The young girl laughed slightly. "Yeah, chain ourselves to the trees and make picket signs." She listened to him quietly, hands locking behind her head. "Yeah, I think some people are stupid. Like how the forests are being clear-cut just for more homes. People don't know when to stop." Ian Campbell "People are stupid I agree." Ian shuddered as a memory came up unbidden. "Do you want to explore the rest of the forest with me? You seem to apreciate the finer aspect of what's around us." He moved away from the tree and looked into the deeper shade of the trees. "There are so many things that could be here, yet to be discovered." Amaya Vaughan Amaya grinned and nodded, following Ian. "Of course! I was exploring earlier, but stopped to rest and listen to some music." It was nice to meet someone who cared so deeply about nature and respected it like she did. Ian Campbell Ian led Amaya deeper into the jungle until they reached what seemed to be the center of it. "Listen," Ian said into the silence. "This is near the center of the jungle. According to myth, the creatres passed secrets through the center of the forest. "Maybe if we listen we can hear some of those secrets." There was an odd glint in Ian's green eyes as he stared out into the jungle seeming to be listening intently. Amaya Vaughan Stopping behind Ian, she listened in silence. The animals of the carribean called out to each other in their own native tounges, chatting about gossip and the goings on in the jungle. It was peaceful here... so peaceful Amaya could probably just fall asleep listening to them chatter. Ian Campbell Ian also listened, quieting his breathing so it couldn't be heard amongst the noises of the animals. It was so calming listening to the sounds that were so natural and untouched by the influence of man. Sitting against a trunk of a tree Ian closed his eyes to better enjoy the influence of the fresh air. Amaya Vaughan Instead of finding something to sit on, Amaya simply flung herself back and landed with a thud in the lush grass. Sprawling on her back, she stared up at the canopy before closing her eyes to listen.
Though after awhile, she broke the silence in almost a whisper. "Do you know what your turning into yet?" Ian Campbell Ian shook his head, the realized that with his eyes closed he didn't know if Amaya was looking at him or not. "No, not yet. I've been wondering but am actually rather afraid to find out. I'll probably ask after I change a little bit like some of the others." Ian shuddered a bit at that. "Do you know what you're going to be?" Amaya Vaughan "Same here..." Amaya's words were soft and drawn out, like she was only partially there. "Lauren knows, but she won't tell me even when I got the courage to ask her. She wanted me to fork over my CD player just to find out." Her brow furrowed even though her eyes were closed, blocking green orbs from sunlight. Ian Campbell "Lauren..." Ian frowned trying to remember how he knew that name...Oh yeah! "I met her, she and Moreau met me at the helipad....she drove the jeep." A bit of fear had crept into his voice. "I never again want to be in a vehicle she is driving...then Moreau let her give me the injection....She is rather creepy...And she tried to get your CD player? I'm sure some of the other lab techs will tell you for free." Amaya Vaughan "Yeah, I know..." Amaya glared up at nothing, using an arm to shield her eyes. "She seemed so nice when I arrived here, then I met up with her again and she's a totally different person. I dunno what to think." Ian Campbell Ian sighed inwardly "When I first got here I was a completely different person too...this island changes people. Perhaps for the worst, but for me...I'm not sure if it's better or not." Ian opened his eyes to stare into the jungle. "I've noticed the other people I've met changing as well - and not just physically." Amaya Vaughan "Really? How?" The young girl pushed herself to a sitting position, looking up at him. She didn't know anyone before the Island or really notice changes since she was only here for about two weeks. Ian Campbell Ian looked to the side and shifted uncomfortably. "I was....very.....antisocial I guess. Didn't really talk to anyone. I preferred to keep to myself. Now I find it easier just to talk to the people here..and hope I don't scare them. I've scared three or four of the people I've met." Emerwyn Emerwyn felt sick. Her thoughts were positively swimming with all the things Greer had told her the day before. Visions of her horrible dream flashed before her face, seeming as tangible as the trees that she now walked through. This forest was gorgeous. She hadn't been around this many trees since before she moved into the city... She only did beacause of her job... She loved the trees. They were the perfect example of how something as small as a simple thought can evolve into something large, grand, full of life. And they supplied so much life. And were so beautiful. She must have been walking for a couple of hours when she heard voices off to the right. She drifted in their direction, ever so slightly, not wanting to intrude. Amaya Vaughan "Well your certainly getting better." She smiled up at him, legs curling to her chest and gloved hands wrapping around them. "How can you scare people off? You don't seem scary to me." Large green eyes looked up at him, oblivious to the woman approaching from behind. Ian Campbell Ian rubbed a palm on the back of his neck in a nervous gesture. "I think they were caught off guard when I talked to myself sometimes. Not everybody is comfortable with that." He spied movement coming from behind Amaya. "Feel free to come out and join us," he called being unable to identify who it was at the current moment. Emerwyn Emerwyn jumped slightly, at the raised voice, directed at her. Slowly, tentatively, she walked forward. The man she was now facing looked familiar. Indeed, he was the young man she'd only barely met in the cafeteria. She was glad. She wanted to reconcile with him. The other was a young woman she had never seen before. Of course, she'd barely met anyone here... "Hello," Emerwyn was surprised at how shy she felt. She also become suddenly aware of her new clothes that Moreau had gotten made for her. They were less conservative than she would have liked. She closed her coat around herself a little tighter. "I never got to introduce myself," she addressed first the young man, then both of them. "I'm Emerwyn. I'm... new here." Amaya Vaughan "What's so wrong with talking to yourself? I do it too." Amaya raised a brow, not understanding. Her attention was soon diverted though once Ian pointed out that someone was behind her. She turned her head around, looking over at the woman. "Hello! It's nice to meet you Emerwyn." A genuine smile spread across her young features. "My names Amaya." It seemed like she might have bumped into Ian once before and she was new... poor lady was probably scared. Ian Campbell "Emerwyn...so that's your name." Ian smiled at her. "I'm Ian. I apologize for the incident in the cafeteria." His smile faded to a frown. "I was just rather nervous, and thought I had scared the poor long haired girl and was afraid I would scare you as well. Again, my apologies." He looked again to Amaya. "You talk to yourself as well?" he was slightly surprised, AMaya didn't seem the type to talk to herself. Emerwyn Talking to themselves? Emerwyn felt more embarassed. She must have walked in on a deep conversation. Ian didn't seem to mind too much. "Ian. It's a pleasure. And Amaya. That's alright, about the cafeteria. Colche's probably fine... I had only just met her that day... It was my first day here... and it was before I knew..." Amaya Vaughan Amaya nodded, grinning like it was something to be proud of. Her expression then faultered and changed at the sadness in the woman's voice and she physically withdrew a bit. She opened her mouth to say something but couldn't think of any words of comfort to Emerwyn and promptly shut her trap, messing with her raven locks. Ian Campbell Ian felt a sudden urge to give the Emerwyn a hug, but didn't know how she'd receive it. Instead he stood up and awkwardly patted her shoulder. "It's alright," he said. "We're all changing, we can make it through together." Emerwyn She smiled ruefully. She began to wonder if anyone had come here intentionally. But she didn't feel she yet had the right to ask. When Ian placed his hand on her shoulder, Emerwyn felt a surge of emotion similay to when Greer comforted her last night. She reached up and grasped his hand instinctively. "You don't know how much that alone means to me." Her hand lowered. "But I'm sorry. I'm probably depressing you." She glanced over at Amaya as well. Ian Campbell Ian watched Amaya leave then turned back to Emerwyn. "It's alright, I've gotten used to the idea of changing. It's not something I want..." the voice in the back of Ian's head snorted but remained silent. "But we can't do anything about it. At leat it could be worse, the other people here could be horrible, but most of them are nice." Emerwyn "It is good to know that someone is suffering with you... wait," Emerwyn laughed. It came out high pitched, and awkward, like she hadn't laughed in a long time, which was true. "That didn't come out right." She leaned up against a tree, starting to relax. Ian Campbell Ian laughed with her, having a good time, finally being more at ease with the prospect of changing. "I understand what you mean, though it isn't good to be suffering at all." Ian was still smiling, "How long have you been here? I've been for a little over two weeks I think." Emerwyn "Barely two days, actually. I was found on the beach by the gracious Doctor. yesterday morning. I was shipwrecked. He didn't hesitiate to get me situated here." Emerwyn scowled at her own mention of Moreau. She was sure Ian shared her hatred of the mad Doctor. Ian Campbell Ian frowned at the thought of Moreau. He had seemed like an alright guy, except for the lying.. And he had lied to Emerwyn, how dishonorable. "I signed up to come to the island," he said. "Albeit it was under false pretenses, but he shouldn't ahve lied to you." Ian made up his mind to dislike Moreau. "I wish you could go home...I really do." Ian held out his hand in a gesture of console. Emerwyn Emerwyn sighed and took Ian's hand in reply. Back where we started. But she truly appreciated the support he was giving her. How could he have thought he'd scare her away? "Why, how, of all the places the ship could have gone down... why here?" Ian Campbell Ian gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. "Tides," he said. "I'll bet the Doctor shose this island beause tides would bring any shipwrecked people here." Ian knew nothing about tides, but Moreau was smart, he had probably thought shipwrecks in the Bermuda Triangle would bring in plenty of victims, and he chose an island that the tides crossed. "That sone of a...." Ian stopped his sentence unsure of what the woman thought of the use of expletives. Emerwyn "-b***h." She finished the sentence for him, and smiled again. Emerwyn had a different theory. "I felt something strange when the ship began to go under. Like a very heavy jolt. It's either the ship was over some rocks or, my personal theory, the Doctor has some kind of mechanism or technology to sink ships. Of course, when people are lost at sea, there's not much hope in finding them... I'm as good as dead to the outside world." Ian Campbell Ian gave a growl-like noise. "Makes me want to hurt him. He has no right......." Ian's fist clenched then relaxed. "Hurting him'll do no good...he's too smart for that." Ian listened as Emerwyn said she was as good as dead. He nodded slowly "Better that people think you are dead then them waiting back at home for you to return. Less pressure that way." Ian winced as he thought of James, wondering if the little brother thought him dead. "I am probably known as dead by now." he sighed, he was supposed to be helping cheer up Emerwyn, not get all depressed himself. He forced a smile. "On the bright side it means you aren't always getting pestered by wayward relatives." Emerwyn Emerwyn smiled grimly at Ian's attempt at consoling. "But it hurts. If my... friend is still alive himself... and there's still a chance that I could..." No! she told herself angerly. Don't start that again! It only hurts more every time you think of him! "I suppose this is an island of lost souls..." Ian Campbell Lost souls That comment hit Ian like a rock. It was true. He himself was also lost, he had outwardly adapted but inwardly he wasn't quite ready to accept being stuck here. "I'm sorry," he said. "I didn't mean to bring up anything painful. I don't want to be stuck here either. All my life I was searching for somewhere to belong. I really don't think here is it." Ian sighed. "I have to get back to my duplex, it's getting really quiet." That was true, the animals had stopped calling to one another, "Will you walk with me? That way neither of us get lonely?" Emerwyn "That's alright," she said. After all of this is over, none of us will ever belong... Ian must have been more aware of his surroundings than Emerwyn, but she could not deny a strange still in the air. She had spent too long in the city. The prospect of not being lonely was one Emerwyn could not yet fathom, but she did not delay in accepting the request. She set off with Ian, and tilted her face to the sky, breathing in the cooling evening air. Maybe we can belong here... alike in all our differences.Ian Campbell Ian walked leisurely towards the edge of the jungle where he knew the duplexes lay. They reached them in good time and Ian bade farewell to Emerwyn smiling and heading back to his own duplex in a rather good mood. Emerwyn Emerwyn waved herself and walked towards her duplex. She looked up once again at the night sky. A new beginning? I guess I could do that...The door to her room shut. When she went to sleep that night, the nightmare did not haunt her dreams.
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Posted: Sat Oct 01, 2005 5:43 pm
After parting with Emerwyn, Ian headed back to his duplex and collapsed on the bed, thinking about all that had transpired. He found himself strangely calm and relaxed as he stared at the ceiling blankly, his mind active. Sometime during the whirlwind of mental activity Ian fell into a fitfull sleep.
A deep gust of wind rustled the branches of the old oak tree, leaves blowing in a scattered pattern all about the moor. A lightning bolt struck the dry grass causing it to burst into flame, fed by the cruel spirit of the wind. The fire rose and the screams of the people could be heard from the small village nearby. Children crying as they were fleeing from the great flames.
The oak tree stood alone, in the deserted moor, the fire licking ever so closer...then touching his great roots. He stood there not fighting the flames as they consumed him, such was the way of trees, they had to submit to the force of the fire that was far more powerful then they.
The people entered the remains of their charred village, determined to rebuild what they had lost. A young man looked over the blackened moorland his heart going out to the ancient tree that had lost his life. Wandering over to the burnt remnants of the old oak he pressed his hand silently on the ashy bark. A jolt went through him paralyzing him, rendering him unable to battle the foreign forces entering his body. After several minutes he collapsed onto the ground.
He woke up to feelings of pain throughout his entire body. He stood shakily wondering how long he'd been alone. Staggering back to the village he discovered the villagers still poking about the remains seeing if there were any salvageable items from before the great fire. A villager looked up and spotted him pointing and speaking to the others. They too looked and some had fear enter their eyes. They backed away, and the ones in white robes slowly prowled towards him, a glint in their pale eyes.
The boy paled and took a few steps backwards, then turning he fled away, but the robed ones were faster then he, they caught him and held him, stabbing him with a spear. He cried out, his voice hoarse with pain. They released him with the one wound, binding his arms with rope and leading him towards the forest. Once there they released his rope. Giving him a knife they told him that he was to watch over the forest and if he ever failed in his duty, all would die.
The boy watched the men leave then collapsed on the forest floor, bleeding sliently into the night.
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Posted: Sat Oct 01, 2005 6:42 pm
You wake up with a headache. Not a little one, a splitting migraine that seems to center on two sides of your head. Then to make matters worse you start itching all over, your arms, your face. As you scratch your arms you scratch, soft fur, as it grows slowly before your eyes. You look at your fingers and your feet, even as the nails start to hurt. You watch the nail darken then thicken and grow over the fingers. Dark thick nubs tip each of your fingers and toes now. You feel your ears seem to pull as they grow, matched only by another pulling of your tail bone as it grows a little. They also seem furred, the tail now residing uncomfortably in your pants and the long ears. But you notice, you can hear decently better than before, and smell, and taste. Your stomach grumbles, your craving greens, even the grass outside your door not sounding so bad. But most likely your new diet will be fed by the vegeatables and fruits provided on the island. You only have a moment to consider this when your headache gets worse, if that's possible, as slowly and painfully two nubs grow from the side of your head. Slowly turning into small antlers.  The pain subsides, and your left there, not fully human, now part red stag. ((Once you do a reaction post to the changes as they happen, you will be free to RP on the island.))
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Posted: Sat Oct 01, 2005 11:54 pm
Ian woke up due to the severity of pain coursing through his weary body. He hurt all over and was itchy. Still half asleep he scratched at his arms ignoring the pain on his head. As he scratched to the point of near pain, a new texture reached his fingers. "No!" he gasped as the voice in his head began to laugh gleefully. Looking down at his arms he saw redish hair growing at a leisurely rate that caused Ian a lot of distress to look at.
Finally! the voice cackled at him. This is what we've been waiting for. Now our dreams will come true!
"Not my dreams," Ian managed to growl through the pain and itchyness. "Your dreams. I was quite happy being human." That last was a lie and Ian knew it, but currently his mind was a little muddled. Ian looked down at his hands, as the voice began to whisper to him.
You were never happy being human. I remember all the times you wished you were dead. This is our true dream! This is our destiny Ian, our destiny! I am you, I am your inner self. I can help you Ian, let me help you.
"No, I don't need any help." Ian watched as his fingernails grew darker and began to cover the tips of his fingers, the same happening to his toes. "What the hell am I?" he whimpered, stumbling out of the bed and collapsing in a heap on the floor clutching his his head and groaning.
Ian, the voice said urgently. Let me help you. I can help you! You don't need to suffer!
"I can't," Ian's voice had become hoarse. "I don't want you here!" He felt a tugging sensation on his ears, tears entered his deep green eyes and he tried to blink them away. "I don't want this. This isn't what I want!"
It may not be what you want, but this is what Ian wants. The real Ian, not the Ian that was created in defense from the world. I am you, I am the real you, the person you suppressed years ago. Let me come back! Let me live again... the voice had become pleading.
"No-" Ian protests became weaker as he began to hear things much clearer than before. Tentatively he reached his hands up and felt his ears with his palm. He shuddered at them, they were pointed-ish and furry. The tears began to leak onto his cheeks as he curled tighter. "Someone....help" he whispered, feeling a tugging at his tailbone.
Sssh, the voice soothed. Everything will be alright. Just stop denying me. Admit I exist, coexist with me. We can coexist together. As one...
"Not yet" Gasped Ian feeling his tailbone pull. "I don't think I can handle being that kid again..." The bone stopped pulling and Ian felt a lump in his pants, being uncomfortably crushed against his buttocks.
Now is the best time, the voice intoned and became silent, but Ian could feel its presence ever so insistant at the edge of his consciousness. His stomach growled and Ian felt the urge to graze. Ian had no time to think about the oddity of that because at that moment his head felt like it was splitting in two. He cried out in pain and the voice saw a gap in his carefully erected barriers. Slipping past, it embedded itself in his mind, merging the two personalities into one.
Ian felt his hair shift as the apparent cracking of his skull got worse, it was as if his hair had to now fall around an obstacle instead of straight down his head. He lay on the floor for several minutes as the pain subsided from his body. Getting shakily to his now odd looking feet he stumbled over to the mirror, his eyes staring at the reflection before him. What was he? He wondered staring at himself. Staring at the horns that had appeared atop his head, the pointy ears where his himan ones had been only the day before. He looked sad, but a small smile crept over his face, this was after all, what he had wanted.
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Posted: Sun Oct 02, 2005 2:45 pm
Attached to the front of your duplex door is a handwritten note with the Feral Labs logo in the top left corner.
In a flowery script, the following message is written:
The Invitation You are cordially invited to a meet and greet Halloween costume party to take place Halloween night. The staff will be setting up a tent just for this occasion and will be catering, of course. We know that you most likely did not pack costumes, so if you will just leave a message with the staff (through the intercom) to let us know what you would like to dress as, we will be able to procure a costume for you. ~Aubrey heart
((OOC: The Halloween party will take place in a separate thread in the guild that will be made for the event. The event will last in real time from Friday Oct 28 till the end of actual Halloween, Monday the 31st. Feel free to come and go at your leisure. If you would like to get artwork of your character in costume, we can post it in the first post or two of the event thread - PM the art to Sabin Duvert and he will collect it to post when he builds the thread.))
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Posted: Thu Oct 13, 2005 1:01 pm
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Posted: Thu Oct 13, 2005 1:03 pm
[ Message temporarily off-line ]
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