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 Posted: Thu Apr 06, 2006 9:31 pm
[ Message temporarily off-line ]
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Posted: Fri Apr 07, 2006 12:36 am
Settling In..? It didn't take long for Nita to get most of her belongings stowed away. The fold-up hamper was in the bathroom, her shower supplies were arranged on the shelves in the tub, her meds were in the cabinet over the sink. There was lots of extra space in the dresser, and her hoodie was hung up neatly by the door. Her beloved bear Brownie and anciet feather-pillow were displayed at the head of the bed. There was only one major flaw. No bookshelves. Nita stood in the middle of the room, hands on her hips, thinking of how to rectify that problem. No bricks and boards were at hand to jerry-rig shelving... and the books could hardly stay packed up in backpack. She bit her lip with a soft "hmph" and settled for arranging them on the floor along a bit of unoccupied wall-space, under the weird screen and number pad. Definitely not perfect, but it would do for now. Despite the air-conditioning, the girl was sweaty. She suddenly realized how gross she felt from the travelling, from the drive through the jungle, that weird doctor and his injection... Without further ado, she stripped off her tanktop, jeans, and underpants, dropped them in the hamper, and stepped into the shower. The spray was just the right strength, and the water had just approached the right temperature when-- Twenty-twenty-twenty four hours to go I wanna be sedated
Nothin' to do and no where to go-o-oh, I wanna be sedated
Just get me to the airport, put me on a plane
Hurry hurry hurry before I go insane
I can't control my fingers I can't control my brain
Oh no no no no nooooThe lyrics were muffled, but the bass came through loud and clear, along with the crashing and banging of someone-- Alec!-- on a drumset. A large drumset, and one that had obviously not been in the punk boy's battered duffel. This was... not a good sign. Nita sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. She showered quickly to remove the sweat and grime of the day, vainly hoping that the boy would drum himself out by the time she exited the bathroom. No luck. Wrapped in a large clean towel, Nita glared at the floor. She jumped up and down a few times-- maybe Alec would hear and get the message. Unfortunately, any noise she made was only swallowed up by the ruckus below, and ended up in time with that blasted drumming. This was ridiculous. She needed to get out of the room. She pulled on fresh clothing and expertly put her long hair back into its customary braids. Locating her flip-flops and smearing a bit of sunscreen across her nose and on the tips of her ears, Nita grabbed her key and exited the duplex. She whacked on the door of #41 a couple of times, to no avail. Frustrated, she strode out across the open space, in search of.. something. She didn't know what. But whatever it was, it wouldn't have drums.
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Posted: Fri Apr 07, 2006 3:09 pm
The Doctor's Daughter Lauren Granger Lauren was walking back to her duplex from the labs. She had her mp3 player on her ears blasted loud as well, holding a arm load of books and wearing a lab coat with her hair back into a pony tail. She had just finished one of her lessons for the day and was quite chipper than she had been learning some about the genetics of making a serum. Nothing much, just some of the basics. Comming out of her day dreamy state, Lauren had noticed someone ahead. A red head, and she looked really familiar. She had to do a double take, pulling off her head phones and running towards the woman, nearly dropping her books. "Fi... er..." Lauren yelled happily as she ran after the woman, her tail wagging. Angharad Anderson Angharad was sitting on the top step of the stairs outside her duplex. She'd been surprised to hear signs of life from the places she'd thought were empty on her first day; so she was surprised when she suddenly observed a girl stomp out of the duplex next to hers.
She started to her feet, hand slightly outstretched. This girl.. looked normal, just like her and Fee! Was she not changed? Or a captive like them? She pattered down the steps, but stopped short as another young woman ran past. In a lab coat.
A technician??
She stood, looking dumb for a moment, staring at her new nextdoor neighbour. Nita MacNeal Several strides out away from the duplex, Nita glanced around for further signs of life. A normal-looking girl, perhaps a few years younger than her, was sitting on the porch of the duplex next door. The slender redhead would have turned to greet her, when someone yelled, "FIRE!" Her first instinct was to look for smoke, but her search was abruptly halted as a tall, lanky girl ran up to her. A tall, lanky girl.. with fur. And pointed ears. And a labcoat. "What the hell??" escaped her lips before she could stop herself. Nita backed up a bit, tossing an annoyed glance at #41, where Alec was still banging away. Lauren Granger Lauren stopped in her tracks as she noticed the red head wasn't the red head Lauren thought she was. "Damn... sorry I thought you were someone else." Then the what the hell escaped her lips. Lauren looked at her puzzled. She only noticed the other girl as the red head had turned to greet her. Lauren waiting, looking from one to the other. They were both unchanged, great... she hoped she didn't have to be the one to tell them. She hated that. Angharad Anderson The technician was changed. Changed, just like all the rest. But the redhead was still normal...
Angharad stepped forward, twisting her sleeves anxiously. Perhaps the furred girl could tell her more, if she was wearing a coat like that. A brief thought appeared in her head that she didn't know any creatures with horna and fur like that, but she swallowed and continued, her eyes and mind slowly accustomed over the past few days.
"E..excuse me? Do you work for the laboratory?"
She glanced sideways at the braided girl, and smiled tentatively. Nita MacNeal Oh yes. And the tall girl had horns. Nita blinked. "Um. No, I, ah, I'm pretty sure we haven't met before..." She sounded almost apologetic, not wanting to offend the.. person.. in front of her. As surreptitiously as possible, she inched towards the dark-haired girl, who, although a stranger, wasn't nearly as strange.Lauren Granger Lauren watched as the two girls looked at her as if she was a freak, or a monster. An overwhelming since of power filled her head, and was even more fueled by the burnette asking if she worked for the library. She smiled wryly. Oh yes, it was a bad thing to do wasn't it? "Yes, why yes I do." She said smiling. "Was there something I could assist you with?" It was a lie, but not a total lie. She WAS just learning and all but the attention felt so good. "No, I'm sorry miss, we havn't met have we." Lauren was fairly good at pulling off someone older than her, her voice being fairly deep for a girl but not too unfeminine. She tried to avoid laughing. Angharad Anderson "I didn't know they even experimented on the technicians," Angharad said, with a slight note of horror and/or distaste, before stopping short and looking sideways. The other girl must know. She must. So she continued, once again her voice hesitant.
"Isn't that... bizarre? Why on earth do you work for the place that's changing you?"
She also stepped a bit closer to the normal girl. This blonde was a bit.. disconcerting, and the changes didn't help either. Nita MacNeal "I'm sorry to interrupt, but what exactly is going on here?" Nita's voice rose a little as she suppressed panic. This-- what had the brunette said? This technician had fur and horns, for chrissake. "I only got here a couple of hours ago, and I'm supposed to be able to study in peace, and there's this guy drumming away downstairs, and you have horns!Nita's face flushed pink and her knees were a bit wobbly. "I'm sorry," she muttered again. "I think I need to sit down..." Lauren Granger "Why I work here isn't really your concern is it?" Lauren tried her best to sound like Moreau, "But if you MUST know, I came here and chose to change myself, injecting myself with the mongoose DNA." She stopped herself before she went on with a story that was too far fetched. Lauren pulled out her book, "Ah yes, our new subjects." Part of her heart was telling her to stop, she was being all too cruel but the old Lauren was shining through. The girl looked so much like Fire, it was pulled out some old emotions she hadn't felt in a long time. But it wasn't Fire, it was some spoiled girl who probably had it perfectly easy before comming onto the island. "Is that so? That is horrible, someone is drumming downstairs? I'll make a note of that and maybe we can change him into something horrible for you." She smiled at Nita. "Always happy to be of service." Lauren jotted down some scribbles in her notebook. "And how observant, I do have horns. I added them myself, but the pain was excrutiating." Angharad Anderson She had been wrong. This poor girl didn't know a thing, same as she had been. And this lab tech was scary Injecting herself? On purpose? And offering to do a favour by changing the unknown 'drummer' into something horrible was truly twisted.
Angharad knelt by the redhead. She didn't even know her name, but the feeling that was surely springing up in her right now was identical to her own a few days earlier.
"They didn't explain to you, either. This is a bit of a shock, but I only got here a few days ago too... and we're stuck here. And..." Angharad winced a little, and gripped the girl's shoulder, "... these people are going to turn us into animals. Like her," and she jabbed a thumb at the smiling mongoose woman. "We... we're in some kind of experiment...." Nita MacNeal Nita sat on the ground, chin resting on her knees, which poked through the holes in her jeans. "Oh," she said quietly. "I see." What? I don't see! This is ridiculous, this is impossible! It's a nightmare, or a horrible joke, or... potentially kind of cool. She quashed that errant thought as quickly as she could. Her eyes welled up and she dug the heels of her hands against them. She wouldn't cry, not out here in the open. She hated crying in public; she tended to hyperventilate, and her eyes would be red and puffy for hours. "An experiment..." she echoed. Looking up, she attempted a smile at Angharad and stared Lauren right in her orange eyes. "My name is Nita MacNeal." Whatever happened to her, she'd still be herself. Right? Lauren Granger Lauren crossed her arms and huffed at Angharad, "I am NOT an animal.. I'm only part animal. None of us are turning COMPLETELY into animals." She sighed, "We are combining animal and human dna and it isn't just for an experiment. Would you think someone would put this much money into research if it was just for kicks?" Inside, Lauren was cracking up laughing, "No, we're working on alternative methods for curing deadly diseases like... cancer." She had heard this line used before by Moreau long ago. Lauren reached her clawed hand out towards Nita, "Mine is Lauren..." She stopped for a second as a flash of inspiration hit her, "Lauren Moreau. I'm the doctors daughter." Her face was full of pride. And she was kind of, she would much rather be a Moreau than a Granger right now. To hell with her biological sperm donor. "And you are?" She asked towards Angharad, raising her eyebrow. This was all to great, but something was pulling at Lauren to stop the act. Ah well, too late to tell the truth right now. Besides, the truth wasn't any better. And it all wasn't a whole lie... just a partial one. Or at least that was how she justified things to herself. Angharad Anderson "Curing.. disease? That's not what Dr. Lockheart said," and a flash of suspicion appeared in Angharad's mind for a moment. Unfortunately, she was not a suspicious person.
"I'm... Angharad Anderson, Miss Moreau. And tell your father that perhaps he should get more willing subjects like yourself rather than just stealing people way or under false pretences." She fell silent suddenly, looking at the ground. Tears stung the back of her eyes suddenly; she had done something illegal, for once in her life, and they used that to justify her imprisonment.
She turned her attention to the redhead, own shoulders slumped.
"Nita.. I'm sorry that I had to tell you." Nita MacNeal Moreau. Lockheart. The doctors Nita had met just that afternoon. She rubbed at the injection mark on her arm. Under normal circumstances, Nita would have immediately asked what Lockheart had told Angharad, but she was hardly in a critical frame of mind. "It's not your fault," she told Angharad. "I guess it's better... It's better to know." She rubbed at the injection spot again and twisted the end of one long braid with her other hand. It was a nervous gesture, done almost unconsciously. She caught herself and gave Lauren a weird look. "I met him. Moreau, I mean. He--" He creeped me out, she almost said. "He gave me this," Nita finished lamely, indicating the spot on her arm, barely visible through the freckles. A sudden though occurred to her. "Do you know what I'm becoming?" Nita blurted out before she could stop herself. Lauren Granger Lauren just nodded at Angharad, "It's hard to accept I know." This was getting rather uncomfortable. She wondered how Aubrey and Moreau could deal with this constantly here on the island. Everyone seemed to hate them. Of course that wasn't too much different from how they usually felt about her. She shook her head at Nita, "I don't know, sorry. I don't have those records on hand." She lied. Moreau hadn't been telling her what people were becomming at all anymore like he used to. She didn't have access to such information before anyone else. "I'm sure you can ask a..." She stopped herself, "nother staff member. A head staff person would be sure to know." Angharad Anderson The redhaired girl seemed to be taking it all too calmly. That frightened Angharad a little bit, and she swung her head to look at her, giving her arm a little comforting squeeze. She'd pushed the fact that she would become a creature away, but never really considered which it would be. What happens if...? She stopped that thought with a brief, barely audible yelp and turned back to Lauren, feeling suddenly defenseless as the two girls were looking up at the standing technician. The daughter of the reclusive yet fear-inspiring doctor. But... she didn't know? Angharad didn't want to ask an intercom.
"How long has this project been running?" She suddenly said. Nita MacNeal Nita didn't hate anybody. That took too much effort. So did asking more questions. This Lauren girl didn't know, and she had no idea how to go about asking a staffmember. Maybe she didn't want to know either, really. She continued to sit, arms around her legs, chin on her knees, content to let Angharad ask the questions. She could sift through any information offered later. Maybe a snack would help. Nita pondered that for a moment, trying to remember when she'd last had anything to eat. Lauren Granger One girl seemed to be full of questions while the other, seemed in a bit of a daze. Lauren was worrying more at the later, because she seemed to be accepting things more. "About eight months, but I've not been here that long." She replied. "And Moreau had been building his serum much longer than that." She had no clue how long it took him to develop the serum that was injected into their dna. Possibly most of his life. Angharad Anderson She called her dad by his last name? So strange... eight months again. So many had been there that long. Perhaps it had started then.. last summer. When she was merrily looking forward to her last year of high school. And here she was, comforting a dazed girl when she felt like she was the one about to break.
"I.. I just need to get a drink for a second," and Angharad scrambled awkwardly to her feet. Suddenly she didn't want to be here, with this disturbing blonde girl, and even though guilt riddled her at leaving Nita, she just wanted to be away.
"Nita, I live up here, on the top floor. Next to you," and she ran up a few of the steps, clinging to the handrail. "If... if you want to talk to someone, I'm right here." And she was gone, the door banging on her duplex slightly louder than it should. Nita MacNeal Nita jerked up a bit when Angharad stood. A drink sounded like a good idea. Hopefully there was something in that minifridge.. water, or an overpriced Snickers bar, or, anything, really. "Okay," she whispered. "It was nice meeting you," she said automatically, not realizing how inane it sounded. Nita pulled herself up, dusted off her pants, gave Angharad and Lauren both a little wave, and retreated back into her room. So much for studying abroad. Lauren Granger "Right back atcha." Lauren replied in a more of a Lauren tone and manner. Lauren went back on her way to her duplex. She was both entertained at her masquerade and apalled at the same time. She shrugged off the later. The mongoose wanted to lecture the girl, she was suppose to make friends not enemies and lying wasn't a way to do that. Lauren had been bored though and they were practically asking for it. And it wasn't too large of a lie. They were both kind of cute too. Lauren smiled at that thought although she knew that none of them would ever like her. Some self depricating loneliness overcame her happy mood as Lauren trotted back to her duplex. She wondered how Awen was doing, she hadn't seen her friend in forever. She hoped things were alright. Sighing, Lauren went back to her room, dropping her books on the floor and plopped on her bed for a short nap.
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Posted: Fri Apr 07, 2006 7:45 pm
Nerdiness Overcomes Freaky Animal-People Nita MacNeal It had been a long night for a certain Nita MacNeal. After talking to Lauren and Angharad, she had found bottled water and a couple of candy bars in the minifridge. She'd ventured out again around false dawn, located the cafeteria, grabbed some toast, and scurried back to her duplex. By now she was restless, and reading in bed wasn't quite enough. She thought maybe she'd settle down in a quiet spot on the beach for a bit. Of course, she didn't know exactly where the beach was... In any case, she ended a little way into the lush jungle, following a faintly marked path. Nita wasn't really lost. It was more that she didn't know where she was, but then she didn't really have any specific destination in mind, so it hardly mattered. The hum of insects and the raucus calls of wild birds filled her ears, until she heard something a bit more familiar. Human voices. She angled slightly, still keeping the path in sight, sort of half-heartedly seeking the company that must be somewhere nearby. Cassidy Smith Cassidy shook her head. "I was miserable. Curled up somewhere with this girl, Kim, and slept through most of it. Couldn't really stay awake." She shrugged. "She's cold-blooded too, but I have no clue what she might be turning into." Something very strange, that was for certain. "What did you do? You're here, and in one piece, so you must have managed okay." Amaya Vaughan Unfortunatly for Nita, Amaya didn't notice the ever-approaching footsteps... the last thing she had on her mind was someone she didn't know, whom was completely human, would trapple upon the two reptiles.
"Ohhh, Kim. Yeah, I dunno either... I led her to camp. Nice to know she was alright." The girl smiled. "I... survived." Her tongue flickered. "I was away from camp when the rain started. I wouldn't have made it back if it weren't for Chubbs and a woman named... Lily, I believe." She paused. "They carried me back to camp." Nita MacNeal The voices grew clearer and eventually the speakers came into view. Nita stopped dead in her tracks. "Holy Mother of God," she whispered, crossing herself reflexively, a gesture she hadn't made in years. Right there in front of her were two women who had changed far more drastically than Lauren. They seemed to be some sort of lizard and a snake, although Nita had never seen any snake with feathers like that. A vague memory from a Comparative Studies class she'd taken tugged at the back of her mind. Confused, surprised, but not especially frightened, Nita took one step back-- and snapped a stick underfoot. She froze again, trying not to feel like she was guilty of spying. "Um," she said eloquently. "Hi." Cassidy Smith "I haven't met any Lily yet," Cassidy began, then turned in surprise. For a moment, she simply stared, her mouth slightly agape, before she closed it and her tongue flickered. Someone new, very likely. Good lord. "Er, hi there." Cass waved awkwardly. She glanced at Amaya, and plunged ahead, hoping it was all right, "We were just talking. Did you want to come join us?" Better that she see that there were still people under the scales, Cass supposed. Amaya Vaughan Amaya's head snapped around too look at the new girl, her body tensing and tongue flickering. She could taste her anxiety.
Run. Just run now.
And she agreed with herself this time.
"... Hi." The teen looked down at the ground, then between the two of them.
"... But... I... better be going. I havn't eaten anything today." It was only a partial lie. She was hungry.
"I'll see you around Cassidy. Come by to talk whenever you want." She gave her an appologetic look, knowing that she was leaving the snake woman with someone new to the island.
But right now... she just couldn't handle it. Not twice in the same day.
With a nod and sad smile to both of them, she stood and headed back towards civilization. Nita MacNeal Nita flinched as the lizard-girl dashed off, giving her a fleeting glimpse of a long tail and a back full of spines. She frowned, irrationally thinking she'd somehow scared the girl off. The other woman had stuck around, and had seemed friendly enough. Nita bit her lip then nodded, making her way over to-- "Quetzalcoatl!" she burst out. "Sorry!" She covered her mouth with her hands and peered at Cass, intrigued. "That was his name, the feathered serpent." The ghost of a smile flickered across her face. Cassidy Smith Cassidy stared for a moment, and burst out laughing. "You know, you're the first person who's actually got that. I was beginning to think Dr. Duvert had made him up." Forcing down the last few giggles, she continued, "I'm told that's who I'm supposed to end up looking like. I wouldn't really know, I'd never heard of Quetzalcoatl before I started sprouting feathers. My name's Cassidy. You can call me Cass." Nita MacNeal Nita turned bright pink and started laughing herself. "Really? I guess it is kind of obscure, but I was always a mythology buff, and a couple of quarters ago I took a class on Mesoamerican religion... And there you were, and it just flew out!" She grinned and cleared her throat before her giggles could become a bit hysterical. "Hi, Cass. I'm Nita, and new to this particular madness." She pushed her bangs out of her face and leaned against the tree. "It's been a long couple of days." Cassidy Smith "I can sort of guess you're new." Cass tilted her head. There was a certain shell-shocked way of looking at you that new people tended to have, and she'd seen that a lot, lately. "I hope you're doing okay." She tightened her fingers around the book resting on her lap. "It's... it can pretty weird, here. You've just been here a few days? That's all?" Nita MacNeal "Just since yesterday." Goodness, was it really only a day? "I was supposed to be studying abroad, but..." Nita trailed off and sighed quietly. "I keep thinking I'm going to wake up, you know? It's all a dream, and I'll write it down, and look at it later like, 'what the heck was I thinking that night?' But I've slept, and I don't think you're supposed to be able to sleep in a dream." She shrugged, glad that she had that tree at her back. At least something around here was solid. "I'm sorry I stared like that." She cocked her head to the side, unconsciously mimicking Cass' posture. "It's not really scary, just.. weird, like you said." Cassidy Smith Cass shrugged. The staring perhaps bothered her a little, but not as much as some people's reactions did. "It's nothing. I stare, myself, sometimes. Don't worry about it, really." She leaned her head back and stared up into the branches. "I wish I could tell you it was a dream. I wish you could tell that to me." Not finding whatever it was she was looking for in the leaves, she looked back at Nita with a slight shake of her head. "But... you find ways to stay sane." Most of them did, anyway. But there was no point in scaring Nita. Nita MacNeal Nita made a half-amused sort of noise and chewed on the insides of her cheeks for a moment. "I suppose you'd have to. Too easy to retreat into your own mind, convincing yourself everything is fine, is normal." She shifted her weight uneasily. That sounded far too much like what she had done a few years before, and not for any good reason like being stranded on a tropical island surrounded by animal-people. "I don't know where I am, really," she continued, only partially aware she was still speaking aloud. "Maybe call it a willing suspension of disbelief. Everything is so bizarre it has to become normal, but.. Oh, I don't know." Nita looked down at her shoes. "I'm rambling..." Cassidy Smith "Don't worry about it," Cass said gently. "Give it time. You haven't been here very long, and it's hard to cope." Ugh. It sounded to her like she was urging Nita to give up all hope, and that wasn't what she meant at all. "Once the shock wears off, you can try dealing with it properly," she suggested. Cassidy began to carefully uncoil herself, awkwardly, since she still wasn't entirely sure how all that tail worked. "You know your way back from here? I really do have to get back." Nita MacNeal Nita nodded. What Cass said made sense, and she knew she wasn't thinking properly. "Actually, no," she admitted, watching the uncoiling with interest. "I was kind of lost to begin with." Cassidy Smith "Ah, this place isn't really so big. You head that way," Cass pointed, "and just keep walking more-or-less straight and you come right out into the village." Ah, there. She was what might reasonably be called standing, were her legs actually involved in the process. "Do you want to tag along with me, or are you going to hang around here a little longer?" Nita MacNeal "That's not too hard. I'd found a bit of a path, earlier," she explained. "And I may as well go back. I meant to go to the beach, but that obviously didn't happen." Nita smiled again, in spite of herself. Cassidy Smith "Well then." Cassidy shifted her book to under one feathered arm, and smiled faintly. She was in a much better mood than she normally was, immediately after meeting new people. Quetzalcoatl, indeed. "I'll escort you back, and I can show you which way the beach is, too." She beckoned to Nita, and started her slow slither back towards the village. Nita MacNeal Nita followed Cass through the jungle, taking care not to step on her tail or anything. "Thanks a bunch," she said, and meant it. For the first time all day, Nita felt a curious form of optimism. Maybe it was out of place, but like Cass had said, people found ways to cope.
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Posted: Sat Apr 08, 2006 6:21 pm
Everyone's Saying Different Things to Me Nita MacNeal Having finally located the beach, Nita sat on a towel in the warm sand. Her knees were tucked up to her chest and she stared out at the ocean, mind forced blank. Her hair was loose and rippled in red waves down her thin back. The girl's skin smelled of coconut sunblock, freckles prominent on her face, shoulders, and arms. A paperback book lay next to her, closed. Well-worn flip-flops listed to the side, pushed that way by a mound of sand. The faint tinkle of music escaped the foam pads of her headphones. Wait in line
'Till your time
Ticking clock
Everyone stop
Everyone's saying different things to me
Different things to me
Everyone's saying different things to me
Different things to me
...
Do you believe
In what you see
Motionless wheel
Nothing is real
Wasting my time
In the waiting line
Do you believe in
What you see
...
Ah and I'll shout and I'll scream
But I'd rather not be seen
And I'll hide away for another day ... Emelyn ...So many newcomers. It practically broke her heart. Were so many subjects necessary for his research? Emelyn wondered if the 'good doctor' had even put his research to any good, thinking- and not for the first time- that Moreau was surely a man with one foot in heaven... and one foot in hell. The most she could hope was that his research truly did give someone comfort, in the long run. There was no part of Emelyn- despite the hatred she held for Moreau- that wished his vision utter ruin. For the price which his research had been obtained- was at too high a price for such ends. Emelyn had come down off the mountain to check on the food she'd left on her drying rack, when she'd seen the newcomer there, sitting on the sand, oblivious to the world around her. Em wondered if she should just let the girl be- give her those last minutes, hours of peace- if, indeed, she'd not yet learned the truth about the island. ...But then, a vision of Jamal dropping from the tree with the look of death of his face... caused the hair on her arm to stand on end- despite the humid heat. And Emelyn knew that there was more at stake than this girl's peace of mind. If she didn't know the truth about the island- she might be in danger. So, despite what she knew she must look like- her mess of spines piled atop her head and running down her back- her lack of shoes, her cut-off shorts and her bikini top- she came up to the girl, and sat several feet away from her in the sand- directly in her vision. "Hello," she said simply and pleasantly. Colche It was hard to go a day without smiling. The nature of things as they stood were good, she was happy, bouncy, not yet due for another change, though of course this thought never crossed her mind. What ever happened, happened in the world of the little cheetah girl. The walk of the cheetah is a gentle, graceful lope, but the tip toed walk of this cheetah was always full of a bounce. It was hard to keep her down.
Today was no exception, she was off to the beach, she wanted to stretch her legs, and have a sleep in the sun, or in the shade, maybe have a little swim and build a sand castle, which ever came first. However upon coming close to the small line of trees which bordered the beach her nose twitched. A familiar scent hit her sensitive nose and she puurred. Perhaps the simplicity of accepting who and what she was had made it so much easier for Colche to define people by their scents. There was another scent there too, but she ignored that as she strode through the tree line, bouncing on to the sand in a rather rushed, dusty manner before she broke in to a swift little run and virtually pounced Emelyn in a playful if rather exhuberant hug.
"Emlyn!" she stated with a rather loud puurr echoeing from her chest. After a moment she turned her big innocent blue gaze upon the red haired femme whom sat in the sand. A new person. Her ears flattened and she smiled in a grinning fashion flashing all of those sharp white fangs "Hai!" she giggles, Colche was far from shy, especially around females, males were another thing entirely, but she trusted women even if they weren't fuzzy, after all aubrey wasn't fuzzy and she was virtually her mother! Girls were good, it didn't even occur to her that she might frighten someone. It never did. Nita MacNeal Nita blinked slowly as something crossed her line of vision. In her sun-warmed and mind-numbed state, it took her a moment to realize that the "something" was a person. A woman, to precise, and changed, although not nearly as foreign-looking as Cass or the other lizard girl whose name Nita hadn't caught. Her mouth moved. "Oh," Nita replied softly, pulling her headphones down to hang around her neck. It occurred to her to say something further when yet another personage flew at her-- no, flew at the woman sitting across from her. Feline, Nita noted idly, but friendly. Exuberant. Such energy made her tired. She shook her head, as if to shake away the fog surrounding her thoughts and suffocating her. "Hello," she said a bit more clearly. Her toes wiggled into the sand. Emelyn Colche, as always- was a whirlwind of childish exuberance, and Emelyn found herself swept up in it, splayed out on her back in the sand before she could even hope to react. "Hello Colche," she said sweetly, accepting the tackle-embrace with a happy, if not full-voiced response. As she sat up, letting the air flow back into her lungs with deep breaths, she realized that was the second time in nearly the same number of weeks that she'd been tackled by a person transformed into a large cat. Luckily, this time all she had as a souvenier from the 'attack' was a back covered in sand and slightly shocked lungs. "I'm sorry," Em said, taking one last deep breath to fill out her shaking lungs, "I didn't know this would end up being an ambush," she said lightly, still smiling. "I'm Emelyn." Colche Colche puurred happily as she sat there, looking at the new person with curious eyes, Colche never exactly found it easy to define if people were upset at her actions, she was as usual just over excited at seeing a friend having not run off the worst of her energy yet. Her tail tip twitched as Em introduced herself and she was quick to follow "Colche" she smiled in a sweet, innocent manner as if nothing was wrong, they were three girls, sittingon a beach int he middle of some where. The fact that she and em were partially anamalistioc, didn't really occur to her as unusual.
She stayed quiet for a moment her blue eyes gaze fixed on Nita for a moment her ears perking slightly, the sound of the sea whispered in her furry ears and she turned ehr head to look at the water. She wouldn't be still for very long, long enough to get an introduction before she had to run off this boundless energy which stored itself up over night. Nita MacNeal Through the haze, Nita couldn't help but smile at Colche, even if just watching her was exhausting. "I'm Nita," she said. "It's nice to meet you, I suppose." Her eyes met Em's inquisitively, noting Colche's oddness that was more than the physical changes. She stretched her legs out a bit and pulled her hair off her back, securing it with an elastic from her wrist. With one smooth gesture, Nita set her MP3-player and paperback aside, doing her best to keep the sand out. Emelyn "You suppose?" Emelyn asked, not restating the words out of malice, but rather, a dawning of comprehension- mostly born out of Nita's almost nochalant reaction to the two animalistic girls. "So... I'm assuming you've met other... islanders, then?" Colche The cheetah girl's tongue stuck out a bit as she sat there "Nita" she puurred again her nose and ears twitching her tail tip flicking up little sand storms behind her. She was obviously rather hyper and needed to run off some energy. She opened her mouth to say something but really couldn't remember what she was going to comment on so her mouth closed again.
Her blue eyed gaze fled to the sky then and she gave a little sigh clambering to her forever clawed toes. Unlike other big cats, her claws had no sheathes, her feet were like track shoes. "Go run" she stated wrinkling her nose in a perfectly happy little smile. "Oh!" she paused only for a second to look at emelyn "Started story" she grins broadly looking at Nita, her tail tip still twitching in a spasmodic manner "byebye!" she grinned at the two and was away like a shot down the beach. Obviously she required a run, once this short burt of speed was over she would be tired and nap further down the beach. She was really much too hyper to be sitting still. Nita MacNeal Nita nodded at Emelyn. "Yeah, a few. A couple of them a lot less.. human-looking than you are." She gave a little wave as the feline- Colche, she reminded herself- dashed off down the beach. She wasn't nearly as calm about the whole situation as she outwardly appeared. At this point in time she was basically forcing herself to take things as they came at her. A breakdown would come later. She could feel it, tickling her like a feather. No time for that now. "They offered me a chance to study abroad. I guess that was a big fat lie..." Nita's voice held a bitter edge and the girl stared out past Em. Emelyn "Yeah.." she said- softly confirming what Nita obviously already knew. "...I'm sorry you had to come here. ...And I wish there was more I could do," she said, revealing herself already as someone who was openly concerned, "but if there's any questions you have... I'll be happy to try to answer them for you. ..I've been here since the beginning." Nita MacNeal "It's not your fault," Nita said automatically. Of course it wasn't Emelyn's fault, but that tended to be a stock reply to anyone apologizing to her. "I mean, I did walk right into the lion's den, as it were. She gave a little self-deprecating laugh and shook her head. "What's it like?" she finally asked. She meant the transformation itself, but also the general experience of being not-quite-human. Emelyn Emelyn found that she couldn't yet read Nita- hadn't grasped a handhold on her subtext, and didn't have an idea how to relate to her. It was yet to be seen whether the girl was always so guarded, or if it was her current, heartbreaking predicament that had caused such a wall to be erected. "Which, living on the island, being here... or the transformations?" Emelyn asked, matter-of-factly. She may not know how to relate to Nita, yet... but at least she could try to answer her questions. Nita MacNeal Nita bit her lip. "Both, I guess. The," here her voice quivered, "the changes, mostly. Do they tell you when it'll be? Or is that part of the experiment?" She leaned forward and put her chin on her knees again, brow wrinkled. This time she was going to pay attention to what was said. She had to focus on something, give her mind more information. That was how she worked. She might hate something, but she'd learn about it anyway. Emelyn "Well, as far as the changes go- as soon as everyone arrives, they get their first injection. ...I'm sure you've... already had yours," Emelyn said sympathetically, "and then- in a few weeks, you'll receive your second. Sometimes they'll call you to the labs for the second- or they'll do it while you're sleeping. In which case, most people have nightmares- and they wake up while they're changing." She held out her arms, as if to showcase those tawny-colored, fur-covered appendages, and turned them, showing her darkened fingernails on their way to becoming claws. "I've changed... twice. I don't know how many more there are. The first time, it didn't hurt much at all. I just had a little discomfort- chills- as the hair grew- and then some pain as my nose changed, and some internal changes. ...The second one was a little bit more painful, but it was over in a matter of an hour. And came months after the first change." She sighed, brushing her proto-spines away from her forehead, collecting a smear of dewy sweat on her palm as she did. "And as for living on the island... well... you'll find that some of the islanders are wonderful, amazing people. And some you should probably stay away from." Nita MacNeal Nita's brow wrinkled as she processed that stream of words. "I think I'd rather be warned, honestly. Be able to prepare myself as much as possible," she explained. Something occured to her. "They watch us all the time, don't they." She shuddered. Constant observation made her nervous; it reminded her of times she didn't like to recall. "Can we contact them? Or is it all one-way?" Emelyn's next bit of advice struck a chord. "The first transformed person I talked to... she bothered me. Said she was a lab technician, that she did all of this voluntarily." Emelyn "You can contact the lab at any time by using the intercom box in your room. ...But just a warning- they'll be able to see and hear you- they have cameras in every duplex." She didn't know how much of this Nita already knew- but telling the new islanders that they were being watched was a new staple for the anti-Moreau hedgehog. People had a right to know that their privacy- not to mention the sanctity of their lives and selves... were being violated. "Ah," Em said, nodding at Nita's final words. "That would be Lauren. Also goes by Thorn. ...She's been on Moreau's side ever since he told her what she was going to be transformed into. ...And asked her to be on his side." Emelyn suddenly remembered that she hadn't answered the girl's earlier question. "Oh, and that's how I found out what I was turning into, as well. ...Hedgehog," she said, as if it wasn't already slightly obvious, "...But not everyone knows wha they'll be. Moreau only told me because he thought it would help sway me to his side." Nita MacNeal "Oh, is that what that is? I didn't want to mess with it. Awfully high-tech." Nita twitched slightly as her suspicion was confirmed-- they were being watched. She covered her face for a moment. "Lauren. Yeah. She told me and another girl she was Moreau's daughter." She paused. "Under other circumstances, this whole thing would be fascinating. The technology, the skill involved... When I was little I always played at being an animal, or at changing into one. But in the games I could always change back, or when I couldn't, I could just stop playing." Emelyn Emelyn's heart was filled with nothing but pity for Lauren, when she heard Nita say that she was going about claiming to be Moreau's daughter. "Lauren... had a rough life before she got here. ...I think she wishes very much that she was Moreau's daughter. But unless she was pulling the wool over my eyes when Moreau summoned the two of us to his mansion... that night he tried to sway us to his side, like he said- well, I doubt that she's actually related to him. ...I feel very sorry for her, more often than not." Emelyn sighed. This was not an easy conversation. Nita had not responded to this change quite like any other she'd met- and although Emelyn was not the first changed individual she'd come across- Em still was reasonably surprised that the girl still had not either panicked, wove a story of denial and disbelief... or dropped her head into her hands and sobbed. What had her own reaction been? Emelyn tried to remember- but it was so long ago. She could hardly remember. Had she been on the island so long? "To tell you the absolute truth, turning into an animal isn't even the worst part of it all. Some people- they've been saddled with burdensome serums- they're turning into sad things that change them completely. ...Have you met Cass? Or, Cassidy, rather. Or- god forbid, Jamal," she breathed. "But most of us who are mammalian- we've found that the changes open up a new world. I can see in the dark, after all. It's an amazing thing." Nita MacNeal "I see... I didn't notice at the time, I was kind of in shock... but she called him "Moreau," not Dad or Father." Nita shrugged. It was easier to think about Lauren, and about other peoples' changes and problems, than the situation at hand. Even if their situation was, in fact, her own. "Cass was who I talked to yesterday. I, um," Nita grinned. "I yelled 'Quetzalcoatl' at her." She shook her head, amused. Emelyn It was so good to see her smiling. It gave Em hope that the girl wasn't completley trapped behind the 'wall' she seemed to be so intent to stand behind. "She must have gotten a kick out of that. ...Cass has been comparing herself to one since the wings started to grow." Nita MacNeal Nita even allowed herself to laugh. "She said I was the first person to get the reference." "I suppose... it could be amazing. The senses, the instincts... If only it were voluntary, instead of the product of some creepy doctor." She pulled the elastic out of her hair, ran her fingers through the wavy mass, and began to braid it back. "Anyway... I think I've been out in the sun for long enough. I don't want to burn my first time on the beach." Nita smiled again, the simple expression lighting up her face. "Thank you for the talk-- it's given me a lot to mull over." She stood and stretched, her thin body clearly outlined by her faded swimsuit. "Goodbye, Emelyn. I'm in duplex 42 if you ever want to find me." With that, she wrapped her book and MP3-player into her towel, slipped her sandals back on, and made her way across the sandy beach and back to the village.
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Posted: Sun Apr 09, 2006 4:56 pm
Motionless Wheel, Nothing Is Real The music from downstairs had continued to blast, but at least the drumming had stopped. Nita lay on the bed, face-down, her pillow jammed over her head and headphones playing in her ears. This whole situation was impossible. People trapped on an island, some of them for at least eight months, being turned into animals. If she had ever hallucinated before, Nita wouldn't have trusted her own eyes, but she'd seen too many transformed islanders already. Lauren, Cass, that lizard girl, Emelyn; the three she'd spoken with had said basically the same thing. It was real. It would happen to her. The worst part was that she had no control over anything. She was being watched, being monitered, constantly. They were probably watching her, right now, as she seemed to sink into the mattress, trying not to cry or scream or throw things. That wasn't her way. She'd bottle it all up; take things one day at a time, one horrifying revelation at a time, one transformation at a time. There was no reason why she couldn't actually do what she'd come here for. She would read and write, creating new worlds and people from her dreams, absorbing them into her own being and projecting herself upon them. She would explore the jungle and the beaches, for once in her life being free of deadlines and classes, a lifetime away from the expectations of her parents. She would a place for herself here, deliberately shying away from the bars of her cage, which, after all, were at the edge of the island. She reached out a hand and snagged Brownie by one paw. Turning onto her side, she curled up in a fetal position, ignoring the discomfort of her headphones digging into one side of her head. A single tear leaked out of each tightly shut eye.
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Posted: Mon Apr 10, 2006 7:59 pm
The Drunken Drummer-Boy Alec Derring Alec shuffled towards the cafeteria, hands stuffed in his pockets with his head hanging low. The normally-bubbly teen had one thing on his mind; eating. So much so that he almost missed the note on the front door entirely. "Hm?" He squinted as he scanned it, expression changing a few times throughout the duration of the read. He definetly thought it was interesting, especially the bit on musical talent though he wasn't sure if he was sure of himself enough to participate. "Eh, we'll see." He hm'ed and pushed open the door to the caf.
The teen made a b-line for the food, piling it on high. Nita MacNeal Most of Nita's forays to the cafeteria had been at odd enough hours that she'd been the only one there. Furthermore, she'd been sure to carry food back to stock her minifridge. This time, however, she had company. A few minutes after Alec arrived, Nita made her way through the door. She stopped for a moment to read through the note. A party. Heck, she might even go. Nita went through the buffet line, snagging a grilled cheese sandwich, some fries, and raw vegetables. Holding her tray carefully so as not to spill anything, she sat at the same table as Alec on a whim. "Hey," she said. "How've you been?" She was determined to be polite, even if his music and drumming (and last night's shenanigans! D: ) had been driving her nuts. Alec Derring "Aye." Alec mumbled, holding his head in a hand as if the act of speaking was painful enough. "Am' alrigh'." He murmured and opened his eyes, the realization of who he was talking to finally sinking in. He gave a heavy sigh, tossing his boots up to prop them onto the vacant chair to his side. "Gotta 'eahache." The teen winced but reached over to spoon chunk of meatloaf into his mouth, greatful his stomach was allowing him to keep things down.
"And ye?" He motioned to her with the fork. "How are ye fairin?" Nita MacNeal "I'm okay, I guess. Trying not to think about stuff too much." Surely by now he'd have been given the pertinent information. She eyed him, slightly amused. "You hung over?" Nita ate rather slowly, taking small, even bites from her sandwich. Alec Derring Maybe on another day, Alec couldn't responded with a boy 'Maybe' or some other smart-a** reply, but today he was suffering way too much to give the effort. "Ye." He scoffed at himself, rubbing his eyes as he took a long slug of water from his cup. "'ad a liiiittle too much las' nigh'." He smirked, though there really wasn't much to laugh about. Repetitive puking definetly was not a highlight of the day. Nita MacNeal Nita sniffed, feeling a bit sorry for him nonetheless. "Keep drinking water," she advised. "And bread is good; it'll settle your stomach." Serves you right, a tiny part of her thought. She'd witnessed too many hangovers over the years, although she'd never herself been more than tipsy. "I'll be 21 next month. You?" She raised her brows in query. Alec Derring Alec did as was suggested, grasping his water glass to drain most into his mouth. He incoherently wondered if meatloaf contained any bread, uncaringly stuffing more into his mouth. He shut his eyes and wrinkled his nose as he chewed, though stopped what he was doing the minute she asked of his age. The teen glared up at the red-head, though his expression wasn't angry in any way it definetly conveyed a "Don't even start". He'd had enough of that guilt for one day. Amaya Vaughan Amaya had been spending her days in multiple ways. Basking, watching movies, sewing... as much as she could, cleaning... y'know, anything to keep her mind occupied. Today she was in a rather average mood. Not good, not bad.
She swayed into the cafeteria, tail moving from side to side behind her. The iguana paused as she noticed Nita, the girl she had run away from days before. And Alec, the one that had run away from her before then. Odd how such a thing worked out.
A forced smile played her scaley face as she walked to the foodline and grabbed some egg salad along with a bottled water. Like most days, her changes were mostly out in the open. The girl wore a hat to conceal at least some of her baldness, a halter top, and a pair of black shorts that road low, due to her tail. Nita MacNeal Nita blinked, wondering why he'd be so touchy about the subject of age. Whatever. Despite his hangover and activities she'd overhead last night, she pegged him as about her little brother's age. A blur of green entered her peripheral vision and she recognized the scaly girl from the jungle. She watched her for a moment, curious, but not staring. As the girl turned away from the food line, Nita waved. "Hey. Care to join us?" Alec Derring Oh great. He winced inwardly, watching Amaya stride through the door looking quite cheerful today. Another to observe his misery. If this kept up, the entire island would know by next nightfall. "Aye Amaya." The teen mumbled as best he could, waving a spare hand as he tipped his water glass over to see, to his dismay, that there wasn't much left. Amaya Vaughan "Uh... sure." Thank god she wasn't running away. Though last time she didn't seem like she was going to either. But that had been right after the situation with Alec and... she wasn't exactly prepared for it to happen again, even if there was a 50% chance.
Amaya voice was still rather timid and quiet for obvious reasons as she walked over to them. Her long claws clicked on the tile flooring until she grabbed the other chair next to the punk, spinning it around so she could sit on it backwards.
The lizard raised a non-existant brow at Alec who seemed... sick. Or tired. Or some-OHHHH. Oh. She gave a mock glare. "Party last night?" Nita MacNeal "That's your name? Amaya? It's pretty." Nita nodded. "Sorry if I scared you or somethint the other day... I'm Nita." She finished her sandwich and nibbled daintily at a few french fries. "Alec here is hung over." She grinned wickedly, gesturing with a half-eaten fry. Alec Derring Alec rubbed the side of his face, the smell of Nita's fries making his stomach turn. He nodded solemnly at Amaya's question, about to ellaborate until Nita took it upon herself to do so. "Go n' shite." He muttered to the redhead, half-meaning what he was saying. Her teasing definetly wasn't helping the situation.
He wouldn't ask if the staff provided tylenol to the "guests", figuring he was better off without it. The teen pushed his tray further from himself, glancing at Amaya as she perched herself nearby. Amaya Vaughan "Yeah, thanks." Amaya smiled slightly. "Nice to meet you... sorry about running away last time. I hadn't had a very pleasent day prior." Green eyes then went over to Alec.
"I guessed." The teen smirked and poked at her egg salad a little before eating some of it, her long fingers awkwardly holding the fork. After she swallowed what was in her mouth, she stared at Alec for a moment. She had never really seen someone her own age have a hangover.
A long, pointed finger pointed to the cafeteria woman that was behind protective glass. "If you ask her, she can probably give you something for it." Amaya's hand dropped to curl in her lap once more. "I don't blame you though, I guess it's nice to drown out reality for awhile." Nita MacNeal Nita rolled her eyes at the suggestion. "Right back at'cha, kiddo." Definitely about her brother's age. However, she left off teasing him; he looked miserable enough. Turning back to Amaya, she nodded. "It's okay. I had a good talk with Cassidy after you, ah, left." Nita twirled the end of one braid idly, picking at the baby carrots on her plate. "Oh, and I've got aspirin in my duplex, if you want any," she offered, taking pity on Alec. Alec Derring Kiddo.
Alec seethed at the word, particularly sensitive at the moment. He did however, show some restraint and held back the string of curses that he really wanted to let fly. He contented himself with falling silent and listening to the two chat instead, having second thoughts about the only food he'd seen all day. "Neh thanks." He responded in monotone, resuming picking at his meatloaf.
"Ye guys goin' t'the parteh?" The teen randomly asked, still seemingly focused on picking at his food. Amaya Vaughan "Ah." The reptile stated simply to Nita, taking another forkfull from her food.
Party? Oh right, that thing on the door. "I dunno... possibly." She paused. "Not sure who Fiona is. Or if it's some weird trick by the labs." Nita MacNeal Nita resisted a smirk. Whoops. She'd pissed him off. Oh well. His loud music, drumming, and other things had been needling her since she arrived. "Hm? Oh, maybe. Depends when it is..." Oh wait. "Not that I've really got anything else going on," she concluded. "A trick by the labs?" Nita frowned. "What good would that do?" Alec Derring Alec hadn't even considered the announcement to be a trap or prank contrived by the laboratory staff. Seeing the mention of musical talent and possible fun, the teen had simply accepted it for what it was besides the fact he had no idea who Fiona was. Or did he?
Groggy mind worked hard to try and recollect the conversation from early yesturday, finding it difficult to formulate the facts. "Fiona." He repeated until it dawned on him. "Thas' Anne's roomie." He nodded in agreeance with himself, talking with a full mouth. "They're from Canada." He chirped incoherently, stuffing even more into his mouth as his appetite was clearly nagging at him. "Nice gals." Amaya Vaughan Amaya simply shrugged at Nita and poked at her food. "Dunno, but they like to play a lot of pranks to torment us. Or at least some of us."
Though upon hearing that the other teen actually knew said girl... maybe it wasn't. "I could be wrong, though." She shrugged. Nita MacNeal "How delightful," Nita muttered, taking a quick drink. "Anne? Would that be Angharad, next door to us? I met her; she did seem nice." She shrugged and pushed her tray away. "A beach party thing could be fun, though. Get peoples' minds off of things and stuff." Alec Derring Alec nodded to Nita and reached for his glass again, only to remember it was empty by it's weight. Eyes shifted to Amaya as he gave a pleading gesture, flopping his chest onto the cafeteria table and allowing his face to smush into the surface. "Ugh."
A party did seem like a fun idea though, warranted that nothing unexpected would happen in the process. "A' could play me drums." He couldn't help but crack a small smile. "A' d'neh, a parteh seems fun."
Said the guy with the hangover. Amaya Vaughan The iguana met Alec's pleading look with a raised brow. She stared at him for a moment before sighing and grabbing his glass with three fingers.
"Your such a lazy a**. Get yourself some damn tylenol." She commanded while getting up and refilling his glass. Nita MacNeal Nita started to say something snarky in response to his offer to play, but abruptly shut her mouth. It wouldn't do to annoy him too much, since it seemed like they'd be neighbors for a long time. And maybe he'd get that memo eventually. She snorted as he flopped over onto the table, resisting the urge to pat him on the back. "Is the water helping at all?" she asked, a bit of concern edging into her tone. Alec Derring Alec whimpered pathetically when Amaya rose in a huff to leave the table, face turning to watch her go. When he realized she was going to refill his glass however, a wide grin spread across his face before turning his head towards Nita. "Aww, d'n worreh 'bout me, luv." He teased and snickered, obviously regaining his playful nature despite his apparent "suffering". Amaya Vaughan Amaya fetched his water and then got some tylenol from the woman behind the counter, barely saying a word to her as it was handed over. She returned to the table and set the glass and packet down in front of Alec before sitting back down.
He better be damn grateful. Nita MacNeal She should have said something snarky. Nita rolled her eyes at Alec. "I wasn't worried," she retorted. "Just making sure you weren't about to barf all over the place." She grinned at Amaya when she returned with the water. "You're too nice to him, you know," she said, her smile taking the sting out of her words. "Anyway, I'd best be going. It was lovely meeting you, Amaya." She stood up smoothly and bussed her tray, making sure to grab some snack food for later. "Feel better," she told Alec. "And next time, drink a lot of water before you go to bed." In an odd mood, Nita strode out of the cafeteria and went back to her room. Alec Derring "Will do!" Alec called back to Nita, snickering at her attempts at callous replies. He watched her until she reached the door before turning in his seat to face Amaya again. "Thanks a lo'" He smiled and gulped down the tylenol and some water to wash it down. "Yer a doll."
Finishing the rest of his water, the punk teen stood up and took his tray. "A' think a' need some sleep." He chuckled groggily, hand landing on the iguana's shoulder as he passed by her. "Seeya Amaya." He was either too out of it to be afraid of her anymore or actually warming up to the unfortunate girl, it was hard to tell. Amaya Vaughan "Oh I know." The girl said before taking a forkful of eggsalad. She nodded to Nita as she left. "See ya, nice meeting you too."
She only partially watched the UK punk down the tylenol, eyes only moving from her food when he stood up. "S'no problem. Take care and I'll see ya later."
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Posted: Tue Apr 11, 2006 4:01 pm
Party Planning and Some Yelling Fiona Brooks
Fiona wandered slowly up and down the beach, pausing every once in a while to inspect the terrain, occasionally scratching things into the sand with her foot. She walked up to the edge of the forest, leaning against a tree and appreciating the shade for a moment while she mumbled various things to herself.Zachary Bloodstone Zach looked out at the ocean, the edge of the waves splashing over his feet, as he clutched something small in his hand. His clothing was simple, white, and the sleeve of his shirt was short enough that a lot of red scale was visible on his arm. A pair of sunglasses protected his eyes from being seen. His feet were again bare - it was easier for him to walk on his feet now than it had been for a while, and he hadn't had the misfortune of stepping on anything he'd regret. He scanned some of the roving clouds that dotted the edge of the horizon, as if looking for something. However, with a look of defeat, the object was soon returned to a shirt pocket.
He was about to head back to the village, when he spotted a person he hadn't seen before. From where he was, he couldn't see a hint of change on them. More new people? He didn't dare count how long he'd been here, but he had to admit it was a significantly long time. The doctors like Sabin could easily have ensnared many more people. Frowning, he dug his feet into the sand and climbed up the dune, tail sluggishly swishing behind him.
"Lost?" he asked wryly, his voice a little fainter than normal. He was hoping she'd been introduced to the island already. The last time he'd tried to explain, it hadn't gone over well.
Nita MacNeal Nita lay stretched out on her towel on the ocean-side of a dune, thoroughly slathered with sunscreen, attempting a tan. Not that it would probably work-- she'd turn pink, acquire more freckles, and otherwise remain as white as ever. In any case, the sun felt nice, and it was relaxing. She'd been dozing, moments from sleep, when faint scratchy footsteps caught her attention. She propped herself up on her elbows and gazed around for the source. Fiona Brooks Taking in Zach's appearance with a quick, cursory glance, Fiona grinned and shook her head. "Nope. I'm actually scouting out a good spot to throw a party- you wouldn't happen to know any choice areas, would you? Maybe somewhere a sort of stage could be set up?" She allowed her eyes to dance curiously over his horns and fangs, an unobtrusive smile touching her lips. "I'm Fiona, by the way." The girl extended her hand in greeting, feeling no need to add on her surname. Formalities, pah. Who needed 'em?
Out of the corner of her eye she noticed something on the beach that wasn't sand or scraggly grass and, catching sight of movement, she turned to look momentarily at what she gathered was another person. Holding back the shout of welcome that threatened to spring from her mouth, Fiona waited to see if she would get up and approach or just roll back over. Zachary Bloodstone Zach wished he could disappear. He knew he had to get used to the looks, people attempting to read him like a book by the sight of his horns and tail. Grabbing any excuse to avoid her gaze a moment longer, he gave a quick glance toward the new sound of a person on the beach. Looked like someone was trying to cook themselves in the sunlight. The girl looked paler than even he had been before he'd begun to change color. No changes to that girl, either. He felt a spark of envy. The sunglasses threatened to slip off his nose as he turned back to face the girl, but he quickly readjusted them with the one hand. If anything, he wouldn't let her see his eyes.
After a moment of hesitation, he shook her hand. He tried to keep his fingers gripping hers as lightly as he possibly could, afraid of scratching her with his claws, and broke it off after a couple of seconds. Her reason for being on the beach stunned him for a moment. He forgot entirely about what she asked him, wondering how anyone could possibly have a reason for a party in such a dismal place. "A party? You... do you know what's going on here? Have you met anyone else who looks like an animal?"
"I'm just not thinking today." He shook his head. Probably, he'd have to enjoy this total lack of horror at his appearance for as long as it lasted. "Where are my manners? I'm Zachary."
Nita MacNeal Nita sat up the rest of the way and scooted off her towel, careful not to get sand all over it. Heedless of the sand's heat, she padded barefoot up the dune and over to the pair who'd interrupted her nap. Her sharp eyes took in the details of the man's changes, and she wondered what on earth he was supposed to be. The girl was tall and fair-skinned, and apparently still completely human. Suddenly realizing she was only in her bathing suit, Nita crossed her arms across her chest as she approached them. Picking up the end of Zach's question, she asked, "Are you Fiona then? I saw your sign in the caf." Fiona Brooks She beamed broadly at being identified by the girl. "That's me alright- Fiona Brooks at your service. Pleasure to meet you both." So the crappy little sign had actually worked! "Yep, a party is just what this place needs. Because all this ridiculous s**t is happening, I think people should lighten up and relax, and prove that no matter what the damn labs do to us, we're still human inside and our spirits can't be broken. Besides, parties are fun." Fiona added childishly, excitement leaking into her tone. "There's going to be a bunch of fire pits, waaa-aaay along there," she traced the shore with a finger, "and then somewhere in the middle of it all, a kind of make-shift stage, if I can actually find people to play music. And maybe one big fire to crowd around." Her toes began to curl in anticipation. "Either of you any good at music?" Zachary Bloodstone Zach's new redness hid what would otherwise have been a blush. There was one thing he wasn't used to, and it was the easygoing dressing style of people on the island. While nowhere near as drastic as Colche, he didn't feel comfortable looking at almost-naked girls, this one included. His tail picked up a little more pace from his discomfort. He opened his mouth a moment to say something to her, but closed it quickly as she asked a question and filled the otherwise odd silence.
So Fiona did know. This was strange. This was very strange. He silently mused how she wouldn't be so upbeat when the labs got to her as well. It wasn't a very nice thought, but he hadn't been having the happiest ones lately. The object in his shirt pocket seemed like a lead weight on him, but he'd let go of it eventually. It was keeping his spirits dampened a lot just having it close. Maybe he could just try to pretend things weren't as bad as they were, for the sake of the few sorry souls who'd just arrived. "Uh-huh... Sounds like a big job. When were you going to have this... party... anyhow?"
"You'd be surprised how easy it for them to win," he mumbled, leering at her from behind the tinted glass, though he doubted she could hear every word clearly. Louder, he masked his words with a real answer, giving her a flicker of a smile.. "I'm no musician, sorry."
Nita MacNeal "I'm Nita," she said, offering one hand to shake, then promptly recrossing her arms self-consciously, casting a sidelong glance at Zach. 'I met your friend; you guys live next door to me." Nita had never been the most social creature, but usually she had homework or studying to do. Since that wasn't exactly a pressing issue here, she was actually a bit excited at the prospect. Nita turned pink. "I sing, sort of," she offered. "I mean, I took voice lessons for years, and I was always in choir, but I kind of freak out when I sing on my own..." Her voice trailed off and she wondered why she'd volunteered that information. A simple "No, sorry," would have been much easier! Fiona Brooks Rather oblivious to Zach's discomfort at Nita's state of dress, Fiona stretched and tilted her face to the sky, enjoying the feel of warm sunlight on her cheeks. "Well, not too soon I figure, because I need to get enough people aware of it, and I need to find some people who'll help me dig the fire pits, and cook food and stuff. And of course, I need to root out all the musicians." Here she turned to Nita. "Well, you probably wouldn't have to sing alone. Will you do it if there are other people there with you? I'd offer to sing too, but I'm told I sound like a goose suffocating on a fifty-year-old clarinet." Fiona grinned broadly. Rex Vadnais Rex ran along the sandy shore as part of his daily routine. Clad soley in his jeans, accompanied by his cross necklace and ring, as usual, Rex soaked in the sunshine and enjoyed the sea breeze. His runs often felt repetitive, though they were relaxing and essetially the only thing he could do to keep working out. Back home he went to the gym nearly every spare second he had, the excerise was something he loved.
Padded footfall after another, he noticed three figures standing farther down the beach. Rex squinted his eyes against the sun's blaring light, though the only one he could make out was the red-scaled Zach, he couldn't tell who the other two were.
Eventually he approached the crowd and realized why he couldn't tell who the others were, he'd yet to meet them. Rex slowed to a stop a few feet away, panting, "What's up, Zach." He flicked his head in Zach direction, then looked to the two ladies standing to his side, "And I don't believe we've met, I'm Rex." He grinned friendily and extended a hand to shake. Zachary Bloodstone Zach glanced between the two girls but said nothing. His one hand creeped to cover the scales at the top of his neck, a habit he was starting to form. He was almost going to just leave them to their party planning when Rex arrived.
Rex was someone he knew, but barely. While the man appeared friendly enough, Zach was bothered by him somehow. He couldn't put a finger on it and never tried. Most likely he was still disturbed by how the man had changed from a human into something else, right before his eyes. Looking at Rex reminded him of the man that he'd met previously, and it was simply spooky to see how drastically people changed.
"Hey..." He nodded at Rex. What more could he say? The guy was shirtless in front of a couple of chattering girls. There really wasn't anything one could do but watch.
Nita MacNeal "Maybe..." Nita said, dubiously. Fortunately for her, a distraction! This new guy was considerably more chipper than the rather twitchy Zach, ( and pretty cute, too, she thought very quietly) and also exhibited minor but noticeable changes. "Er.. hi there. I'm Nita." She shook Rex's hand timidly, seeming to shrink back into herself. Why did I leave my towel over there? She twirled the end of one long braid, a subconsciously nervous gesture. Fiona Brooks "Hi!" Fiona said cheerfully, her attention pouncing from trying to lure Nita into her plans over to the fur that was sprouting on this man's rather attractive chest. Since when did she find hairy guys attractive? Ew. Without a single falter, her eyes met with his face and she grinned broadly. "I'm Fiona. I don't know if you've heard, it's sort of a new idea, but I'm going to be planning a beach party some time in the future and I'm trying to get people to come. Would you wanna help dig the fire-pits, or cook food, or play music or something?" A girl on a mission, she was. The other people hadn't had anything interesting to talk about anyways. She cocked her head at Zach and Nita. "That goes for you too, eh? I'll take all the help I can get. Can any of you guys cook? I'm okay at it, but I'd rather be wandering around meeting people and junk. I guess we could have shifts, if there were enough volunteers." Rex Vadnais Rex glanced around the small circle, examining the faces. he'd known Zach and been with him on several previous occasions, though the girls were a refreshing change of pace.
He shook the red-head's hand, "Nita.." repeating her name after the girl so it sunk into his head. But watched as she curiously shrunk into herself. A reserved one, huh? Though his thoughts were abruptly interrupted by the chipper girl next to them, "Fio-" He started to repeat, as always, though was quickly cut off by the girl's recruiting. He smiled, stretching his arms and legs a little bit so he could cool down from the run. He wiped a little sweat from his brow and responded with, "I'll gladly help with whatever. I'm not the greatest chef, but I'll sure help you set up with whatever." Nita MacNeal Nita gave Rex a shy little smile and turned back to Fiona. "Depends what you want to have available. Grilling hotdogs or burgers would be pretty easy, or vegetable kebabs for any vegetarians around." She shrugged, deciding to focus on organization instead of her self-consciousness. "I can help keep track of who's doing what, at least. I'm good at that." Nita nodded again and forced herself to stop messing with her hair. Fiona Brooks "Hotdogs and vegetable kebabs sound perfect," she enthused, clearly happy to have found helpers. "That's great, I love planning stuff but I'm not much of an organizer. I could write up a list for you, if you wanted, of who's doing what. I could like... put a sign-up sheet on my room door. But that's so impersonal." Fiona wrinkled her nose.
"You could help with digging the fire-pits and gathering rocks from the jungle," she said to Rex, obviously taking his fine shape into account, "and maybe help me figure out how to make a sort of stage. If worst comes to worst we could just weigh down a bunch of spare blankets and sheets, I guess, but I sort of wanted to save those for seating." It was then that Fiona noticed the miniature stub of a tail hanging from his pants. What her eyes were doing on that part of his anatomy, goodness knows, but her reaction was instantaneous and irrevocable. "Oh. My gosh. Your tail is so adorable." Rex Vadnais Rex smiled, this was exactly what he'd been looking for since his arrival on the island. SOMETHING TO DO! He'd have to tell Avery as well, he knew that his little buddy had been dying of boredom. Obviously he was some kind of party king-queen back on the mainland. "What about you, Zach? Want to help us out?" Rex grinned broadly and would've punched the man playfully in the shoulder, though there wasn't an arm there to hit and he didn't want to jab the poor guy in the rib.
"I could do that," he nodded, glad he could finally be useful for something, "I'm in duplex 35 if you need to get me any information or something." He'd been lost in the thought of organizing a mental checklist of things to do when his thoughts came to a halt and Fiona's squeal. Rex laughed "Really?" he rubbed his arm bashfully, a cute grin leaking out the side of his lips. He wasn't used to people liking the changes, let alone his own. "Thanks..." a cough of a laugh followed in quick succesion. Fiona Brooks Fiona laughed a little, casting a long, sweeping glance across the beach. "Well, thanks a ton for your help, guys. If you can find anyone else who can help set up, or just spread the word about there being a party in a couple weeks or so. Ooohh, and keep an ear out for musical talents. So anyways, I can feel a nasty sunburn coming on and I'm parched, so I'm going to get back to my room. I'll see you guys again!" She waved, turned, and began the walk along the treeline to the duplexes. Zachary Bloodstone Zach had to admit that the antics of the two women as they fawned over Rex were somewhat predictable. They were girls, after all. Ignoring the reminding weight in his shirt pocket, he smirked at what they were saying. It was so... human.
So why the hell didn't he feel like one any more?
Fiona left before he could tell her he doubted he'd be there, to help or to hang out. Parties weren't enjoyable for him, even when he had been scale-free. Now that he was even more warped in appearance, it would be close to unbearable. He didn't feel right in his own skin. The reflection he'd seen in the river was still fresh in his thoughts, helping to keep him in constant turmoil over what he was really becoming.
He was snapped out of his idle thinking when the chittering conversation was ended and Rex had pointedly spoken his name. The sunglasses just couldn't seem to stay perched on his nose, so he pushed them back where they should have been and glanced at Rex. His voice had gone a little hollow again. "Oh. Oh, sure, I guess. I don't think there's a lot I could do, though..." He shrugged his shoulders, emphasizing his point without another word on the subject.
Zach's tail curled a little as a thought struck him. "Um, Nita... if you don't mind me asking, when did you get here?"
Nita MacNeal "Alright, Fiona, I'll let you know." Nita waved as the other girl left. It felt good to have something to plan. Zach's question took her by surprise. However, she'd been keeping track of the days, so she knew exactly how long it had been. "I got here almost a week ago, on Thursday the 6th. Why do you ask?" Rex Vadnais Rex made his final wave to Fiona, "Bye! It was nice meeting you!" Finally there was somehting to look forward to...
Rex wasn't surprised by Zach's uninterest. For some reason he always seemed awkward and insociable around people, Rex on the other hand adored having company and going out for the occasion drink. Nothing too wild, though. He simply nodded his head at Zach's statement and let him continue on his ways, maybe he'd change over time.
"A week ago? Wow, has everything settled in for you yet? Like, are you.. at peace with th'island?" Rex remembered his conversation with the boy, Alec, who also arrived here recently, though he didn't know an exact date. He merely shrugged it off as some odd coincidence. Zachary Bloodstone Zach's face fell, and behind the sunglasses his eyes went wide with realization. He hadn't had much interest in Nita's arrival, seeing as she was completely used to the island's odd-looking inhabitants. He figured she'd been stuck on the island far too long regardless. The only number he had to go by was the day he'd arrived at this new circle of hell, also, incidentally, on a 6th. He hadn't had the heart to try counting the days after a certain point, and the passing of time had turned into an uncertain and immeasurable blur. That was, until now. Five weeks. Five whole weeks.
"Oh... I don't know. I was surprised you and Fiona weren't bothered by... all of this." He swept his hand upward in the general direction of his horns and other facial changes, the less-than-stoic look in his eyes still hidden. "For your sake, I really hope you can avoid changing, for as long as possible. You still have a chance."
Such bland and blunt wording of what he was sure she already knew well. Zach's gaze jumped to Rex. An... odd choice of words. It sounded more like the lion-man was asking about a terminal illness. Though, in a way, it seemed like they were never going to recover. He leaned his head back as hes spoke, as if to include the sky in the conversation. "We're as good as dead here, huh? Or worse..."
Nita MacNeal "At peace?" Nita laughed nervously. "Not... really. I'm trying not to think about it too much. I was supposed to be away for a couple of months anyway. 'Studying abroad,' they told me." She shrugged and dug her toes into the sand. "I do think Fiona has the right idea. There's no point in moping around all day, and the people I've met so far have been pretty nice." Nita winced at Zach's final pronouncement. She'd been suicidal before... not recently, but such statements tended to weigh on her. Nita bit her lip and made a noncommittal sort of "hnn." Rex Vadnais "Well, I hope that things begin to clear up for you..." Rex trailed off in a lame attempt to be comforting. "It really isn't so bad here, I mean, how many people get to live on a tropical island for their whole lives?" He smiled and looked to the sky, "To me, the whole animal thing is just a set back we're going to have to live with." He shrugged, intense blue eyes looking down to Nita and Zach, unsure if this was helping change their philosophies at all. Rex truly liked it here, the twisted doctors probably didn't like to look at him being happy. Just the thought made a snerk on his face.
Rex yawned toothily and scratched his chest lazily, he'd been sleeping alot more than usual recently. Though Rex forced himself to get up early in order to keep his oh-so-busy scheduel in order. Zachary Bloodstone "I suppose... but I'm finding less and less to be happy about, personally. Very optimistic though, I hope it works for you." The object in his shirt pocket was still quite heavy in his thoughts. Zach shifted a foot out of the sand, his long toes looking strangely off. His head dropped back to its usual angle and he cast his eyes toward Nita for a moment. After a brief pause, he gave an wordless grunt and looked back at Rex.
Zach grabbed the side of his sunglasses and neatly pulled them off, blinking the bright sunlight out of his starkly yellow eyes. There seemed to be little emotion in them at the moment, amplified by the odd color. "Just a setback?" he asked incredulously. Rex's easygoing attitude had grated on him before, but never like this. Just hearing the predicament they were in spoken of as nothing but a little problem seemed insane. He thrust Nita's presence out of his mind as he focused his words on the lion-man alone.
"You are becoming a lion. I'm becoming a... god knows what, some giant lizard. And... I've lost control of myself around several islander who I have nothing against, and I'm pretty sure it has to do with turning red and scaly. It's horrible. I don't know if it's happened to you, maybe it never will. But there's a few people I almost killed here, and to them, I don't think this is just a little setback in their lives. It sure as hell isn't for me."
Nita MacNeal Nita stepped back, alarmed at the bitterness and anger in Zach's voice. "Jeez," she muttered. He'd nearly killed people? What if this twitchy guy was one of those Emelyn had warned her about? And what if whatever she turned into made her lose control like that? Considerably shaken, she bit her lip and started messing with her braids again. "I'm, um, I think I'm gonna go..." She shifted towards Rex, not wanting to turn her back on Zach. "I'm in duplex 42, if you want to do more party planning or anything..." Rex Vadnais Rex simply watched in awe as Zach suddenly turned on him. His big blue eyes welled with anger at the sudden change in attitude, he stood with a shoulder in front of Nita protectively. This was going to be a new side of Rex, he rarely got angry, but Zach tugged at a new thread. "Zachary, what is your problem?! I haven't done anything other than be kind to you since the first time I met you, what do you have against me?! Don't think that I can't see it in you."
Rex's chest welled and suddenly the buff man appeared a considerable big larger. "I honestly can't figure it out, you're always such a negative person! I've been happy, cheerful and accepting to you for as long as I've known you, but whenever you're around things just get dark!" His voice was deep and stern, tail stiffened like a pole and the hair on the back of his neck was on end. "We're never getting off this island, we're never going to be human again and we're never going get to see people on the mainland again, EVER! Accept it!" His voice roared with a low rumble as he spoke and his hands were clenched in tight fists, Rex's claws digging into his palms painfully.
"Don't think that I'm some delusional pretty boy who is oblivious to everything thats going on, I've heard that steriotype too many times back in school. I KNOW WHAT'S HAPPENING HERE! You don't think I want to stop it?!" He paused, breathing heavily as the anger pulsed through his veins. Rex wanted to scream, yell, roar. He wanted to lash out fiercely and strike Zach hard, sink his fangs into the man's red scales.
WHAT AM I DOING?! "GggggrAHH!" Rex moaned loudly, clutching his wild hair with padded hands. The human mind began to kick back into gear. He breathed deep, strong and long breaths, slowly but surely getting back in control. He paced a few breathes back and forth (though still guarding Nita), then dropped his hands limply to his sides, breathed once more and continued in a soft, pleading tone. "Zach... I'm sorry, if I could do anything to change all of this," Rex tossed a hand in the lab's general direction, "I would... but I can't, and I know that." He was panting, eyes slowly getting more and more watery, Rex's emotions were on his fingertips. He felt like just breaking down... where was Julie... she wouldn't like to see him like this...
He continued to repeat the words over and over in a quavered voice, "I'm sorry.. I'm sorry..." Zachary Bloodstone Zach's mind was a blur as Rex snapped back. Almost instinctively, he bared his oversized teeth, and a faint mixture of a hiss and growl emmanated from deep in his throat. Something stirred in him, nothing he could have noticed, but it seemed to be in silent agreement with the rush of anger that had threatened for so long to come out. He took a few steps backward, as if in preparation to run, before he started to speak. "You know what it is about you? You think this place is okay. You think it's just fine to be turned into a- an inhuman freak! I don't think it's fair for you to lie to the new people! This is an atrocity! Neither of us are even halfway to what people like... like Cassidy, or Pyroth, are, but you can sure as hell bet that's what's in store for all of us."
His grimace was replaced by a grin, which tugged the corners of his mouth only the slightest bit further than they'd already gone. "Dark, huh? I didn't think it would be that much of a surprise. I'd like to see how enjoyable your life would still be if I ripped your goddamn arm off right now. It would probably still be happy. You know, I can't even so much as ******** CLAP. How would it feel, Rex? Just another 'minor setback' for you?"
He clutched his hand to his face and made another louder growling sound of frustration. Rex had spoken what he never wanted to hear aloud, no matter how much he knew it had to be true. "Don't give me that garbage either! You just accept it like there's no possible way to win! There has to be a way off of here, and a way to become normal again! I can't believe this! Just... just shut up!"
He took in a gasping breath and leered angrily at Rex with wide, thoughtless yellow eyes. The claws of his feet were trying to dig into the sand as hard as they could, though it sifted around them and prompted further attempts. His tail was lashing wildly, striking up the occasional flurry of sand as it slashed through. Several more times, and he could feel the beginning of a wheeze as he drew in air. The anger wasn't going to hold out much longer, as the first tendrils of regret had begun to creep from his words to strangle his thoughts. He shook his head. "********... I can't believe- I don't care. I'm sick of this... goodbye, Nita. Have a nice life, Rex."
Still wheezing slightly, he turned to clamber up the dunes into the shady jungle. Back to his graffiti-ridden duplex, his twisted reflection in the mirror, and an object of hope that had turned into a nightmarish reminder that he had none left.
For him, it was too late to be sorry this time.
Nita MacNeal Nita stayed well behind Rex, furious at herself for being such a wimp, but frankly, she was terrified. What were these men doing? How could they suddenly act like such animals? She was barely listening to their angry words, but the meaning was clear enough. She shook when Rex's voice approached a roar, wanting to flee, wanting to crawl into a whole and turn invisible. And then he broke down. She moved to place a comforting hand on his arm, but jumped back again when Zach growled. "Neither of us are even halfway to what people like... like Cassidy, or Pyroth, are, but you can sure as hell bet that's what's in store for all of us."Cassidy. She may be far more changed, but she had acted so civilized, so human, so much more so than both Rex and Zach were acting at the moment. She considered screaming something to that effect at Zach, hoping he'd just shut up and leave. And he did. Wheezing and seeming somehow broken, Zach walked away, leaving Nita holding back tears and feeling vaguely sick to her stomach. Rex Vadnais Rex listened in silence as Zach had his turn to vent. He sniffed occasionally, but sat there with damp eyes quietly. He had so much to say in retalliation, even though he'd never met these Cassidy and Pyroth people. His breathing quickened, however his countenence remained the same. Rex was seconds away from simply turning and walking away, though Zach beat him to it.
Rex watched bodly as Zach scurried back into the village, standing tall until the man was out of sight. And the instant he disappeared beyond the dune, Rex collapsed into a small ball in the sand, cradling his legs with and arched back. His cross tattoo sprawled to the cloudless sky and Rex mumbled a quick prayer, "O Heavenly Father... please forgive me and my actions in these times of despare. May you shelter us in your love and bless Zach's soul. I trust in you to point me in the right direction, Amen." he finished with a snivel as a tear ran down his cheeks.
After a moment silence save the ocean's waves, the man came to his feet, deflated, red and wet. He turned to Nita, who wasn't looking too well. He'd let her act how she felt was right since he'd only just met her and didn't want to make her uncomfortable. Rex wiped a tear from his face and smiled nervously, "Wow... I haven't done that in years." he sighed solemnly and waited for the sea breeze to cool his fury. Nita MacNeal Nita's jaw dropped as Rex plummeted to the ground. She crossed herself automatically when he finished his prayer and wiped a few tears from her own eyes. A lump in her throat made it difficult to breathe. She balled her hands into fists, furious and confused. "It's.. it's okay," she whispered. The guy seriously looked like he needed a hug. And even though she was still a bit afraid of him, she needed one too. Nita folded herself against his chest, not even noticing or caring that he wasn't wearing a shirt, and wept silently. Huge tears ran down her cheeks and her whole face turned blotchy and pink, but just at that moment, she really didn't care. Rex Vadnais Rex smiled and embraced the girl in a strong-armed hug. He'd soaked up most his tears, though was still panting and had a wet nose. It didn't matter to him though. Rex held her close against his chest, then pulled back and said, "I'll walk you back to your duplex... do you have everything?" He saw the towel and other eclected things down at the bottom of the dune.
Rex held them in his arms and hiked to the top of the dune, smiling and nodding his head in the direction of the village. "Which duplex are you?" Nita MacNeal Nita rubbed her eyes and sniffled for a moment. "Thanks," she muttered, a bit shaky. When he returned, she smiled, cheeks damp, but tears stopped for the time being. She slipped on her sandals and wrapped her towel around her waist, for once not worrying about the sand. "I'm in 42." Appreciating the company, she headed towards the little village and her duplex, which she'd left unlocked. Rex Vadnais Rex trudged slowly into the village, examining the duplex numbers until his eyes fell upon 42, on the second floor of one of the duplexes. The two went up the stairs and Rex stood outside her door, politely handing Nita the beach supplies.
"It was really nice to meet you Nita, and thanks for the hug back there on the beach..." Rex trailed off quietly and shuffled the ground with his feet. His blue eyes were bloodshot and Rex was just plain ehausted, but he had enough energy for a proper good-bye. "I'm in 35 if you ever need me or you want to talk or.. something," Rex smiled and began his decent down the stairs, "I'll catch y'around."
Rex walked what seemed like a mile to his duplex door and entered his room, exhausted. He stank from his run and the emotions in his mind, but he didn't care. Instead he curled up under the scratchy bed sheets and cried, hugging a pillow close to his body since there wasn't another person there to hold... He missed Julie... he needed Julie... but he couldn't have Julie, she'd already moved on...
Slowly, the tears were washed away by sleep as Rex passed into dreamland. Nita MacNeal "You, too," she said, attempting a smile. "And yeah, I'll see you around." Rex left, and Nita closed the door and locked it. She stood leaning her head against the frame for a moment, then turned, hung up her towel, and flung herself onto her bed and cried.
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Posted: Wed Apr 12, 2006 1:55 pm
Stick Together and Avoid the Scary Ones Nita MacNeal Nita hadn't slept well that night, having kept bursting into tears and rocking back and forth on the bed, clutching her bear. By mid-morning she had calmed down, although she still felt a bit overwhelmed. After showering and eating a quick lunch, Nita was mostly back to normal, although her nose and eyes were still a bit puffy. She took a few deep breaths and climbed the steps of the duplex next door. She knocked and hoped that Angharad was in, and wouldn't mind her stopping by... Angharad Anderson Angharad was lying face down on her bed, papers crumpled under her fist. There were a couple of opened boxes strewn on the floor, hospital-clean clothes,a few books, a ream of paper and a box of pencils had been included in her request for supplies. She hadn't bothered with unpacking the clothes yet; at least it meant she could wear some clean tomorrow. It was the paper she had craved, and the ones on her bed were covered in scrawled thoughts and words.
The knock startled her out of her semisomlent state, and she blinked. Fee normally banged on the ceiling (Angharad's floor) before she came up. So.. someone else?
She hopped up, almost tripping over the boxes that still didn't in anyway fill the spartan room. Opening the door cautiously, she blinked. The redhead from next door? She scrambled for a name.
"Hey, .. Nita," She smiled happily and surprised, before sobering a little. "What's up? You want to come in?" Nita MacNeal "Hey... Do you mind?" Nita tugged at a braid nervously. She wouldn't normally have gone out of her way to seek someone out, but she really needed some company. Some normal company. She peeked past Angharad, hoping she wasn't interrupting anything crucial. Angharad Anderson "Not at all. In fact I'll be glad of the company," and Angharad smiled a small smile, opening the door further and gesturing politely in. "Sorry for the mess... I really needed some things of my own, so I ordered them.. but I haven't been bothered to take them out yet." She laughed slightly, closing the door and kicking stuff aside.
She tilted her head as she sat down on the bed, leaving enough space to be sat beside.
"So... how are you holding up?"
Angharad still felt guilty for inadvertantly springng the fact that not all was as it seemed on the girl, and she hugged her knees as she waited for an answer. Nita MacNeal Nita glanced around the room and sank gratefully onto the bed. "I.. I was okay, getting along pretty well, trying not to think about stuff." She twirled the end of one braid as she spoke. "I talked to some pretty neat people and learned a bit more about this place..." She shrugged and figured she'd pass along the warning. "This girl Emelyn said there were a few people to watch out for. She was right." Her voice trailed off and she stared at the floor for a moment. Angharad Anderson "You.. met someone like that?" Angharad asked, a note of sympathy creeping in. "The worst I've met was that Lauren girl, but..."
She paused, before continuing.
"Are.. you okay? No-one tried to hurt you or something?" She remembered the David bear looking helpless as he said that the instincts would have forced him to chase her that day. Nita MacNeal Oh yeah. Lauren. Nita pushed her to back of her mind to think about later. "Not.. really. But he screamed and said some pretty horrible things. I'd been at the beach," she started to explain, "And I ran into your friend, Fiona, right? This Zach guy was there, and then another guy, Rex, stopped by. We were just talking about the party Fiona's planning, and then she had to go." Nita took a deep breath, remembering. "Rex was being really nice, concerned, you know, because I'm new. And then Zach completely freaked the hell out and yelled at us, saying he'd lost control around people and seriously tried to kill them!" She bit her lip, her eyes tearing up again at the memory. Angharad Anderson Angharad caught her breath, partly from imagining the situation, and partly from concern.After a moment she reached out hesitantly to put her hand on Nita's shoulder. "I'm sure he couldn't, wouldn't be allowed to kill anyone," she said stoutly. The unspoken thought remained in her head; that on an island coverd in cameras, she could not imagine they were not under constant surveillance. She'd seen enough reports on lab animal testing to know that there was no point in wasting valuable test subjects.
But for now, she just kept her hand there still, hoping to be comforting, a least a little. Nita MacNeal Nita smiled a little and patted Angharad's hand. "Oh I'm sure they have ways of stopping people from gettin seriously injured... That's not what bothered me so much, even though I absolutely hate getting yelled at." She thought for a moment. How to put her fear into words? "What freaked me out, I think," she began slowly, "Was that he had absolutely lost control. Rex did, too, a bit. They were yelling and pacing and- and growling like animals!" The last part came out in a rush and Nita brushed away a few errant tears. It took all of her self-control not to fall over in a little heap-- she'd done that too much the night before. Angharad Anderson Angharad looked to the side, her own dismay seeping in. This was becoming too much evidence againstany good things; the thought of two angry men pacing like tigers in a cage frightened her, and the inevitable thought crept in that it might happen to them too... please not a predator, she thought fervently, fingers wrinkling the blanket in their clutch.
"I would.. offer you some tea or something, but I'm low on stocks," and she suddenly snorted a bit at her own lack of ability to say anything useful, and said so apologetically.
"I guess.. we have to stick together, and pull through what's happening around us," she said finally, green eyes distant. Nita MacNeal "The thing is... these men weren't even changed all that much. I mean, I've met several others here that looked a lot weirder.. a lot more.. animalistic, but they were perfectly civil!" Nita sighed and bit her lip. She grinned at the would-be offer of tea. "That's okay. I'm not a big drinker of tea anyway." She sat cross-legged, suprisingly cheered by that little slip. "Yeah," she said in agreement. "Stick together and avoid the scary ones!" Angharad Anderson Angharad debated pressing more on the subject of the men, but decided against it in the end. Instead she ventured onto the other topic.
"Avoiding the scary ones sounds like an eminently good idea," she laughed quietly. Did you say you met Fee - Fiona?" Her face brightened hopefully. "I know she's planning this party, but I don't know what she's been mentioning to everyone else."
She leant over, her grin wry and her tone conspiratorial. "To be honest, I was a bit unsure. I mean - I don't know if I'd be able to get into party spirit just quite at the moment." She picked at a thread on her sleeve idly. Nita MacNeal Nita slipped off her sandals and sat cross-legged, clearly a bit more comfortable now in Annie's presence. "She wants it on the beach, with a bonfire, food, and music if she can get it. Seems like she's basically trying to spread the word. She's remarkably good at convincing people to help her." Nita grinned and nodded as Angharad leaned forward. "I know what you mean, and I've never really been a fan of parties, anyway. I figure, if we have to be stuck here, at least it's on a gorgeous island, with some pretty decent people, so we might as well enjoy ourselves as much as possible." Angharad Anderson "There is that way of putting it." Annie grinned slightly at the description of Fiona. "And Fee's always been like that. Sometimes I wish I could do things the way she does." The admiration was plain in her voice for her best friend, and her face lightened a little.
"Also, if a lot of people come.. I can get the shocks all over at once... right?" She smiled sidelong. Nita MacNeal Nita snickered at Angharad's expression. "I'm not giving up, not at all, but it certainly won't hurt to have some fun." She nodded, a determined look on her face. "And hey," she continued, softly, "A lot of people don't look so bad. And even Cass, who's a giant snake with wings, well, we had a really good talk the other day. They're still people. We're still people." Nita smiled; a real smile. She squeezed Annie's hand. "Thanks for listening. It really helped..." Angharad Anderson Angharad smiled in return, and squeezed back. "Hey, I'm not going anywhere if you ever want to talk again," she said quietly with a hesitant smile. She kept the recoil of repulsion at the thought of a giant snake person completely to herself, and told herself determinedly that Nita was right. They all were still people. Nita MacNeal "Yeah..." Most likely, Angharad really wouldn't be going anywhere. Nita pushed the thought away fiercely. "Anyway, I'm gonna go and make up some lists for this party." Nita unfolded her slender legs and stood up, knees popping. She made an amused face at the sound, obviously well-accustomed to it. "Thanks again," she said, and made her way to the door. Angharad Anderson "No problem at all," And Angharad stood hurriedly, as it was only polite. "And.. thanks for the help on the party." She smiled. "I'm sure I'll see you there, if I don't before." She waved her fingers slightly by way of farewell.
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Posted: Thu Apr 13, 2006 7:03 pm
Emelyn, Queen of Water-Related Trickery Nita MacNeal It had been a full week since Nita had arrived on the island. She had already had several pretty drastic changes of mood, and was currently trying to quiet the myriad thoughts that had been distracting her. Instead of wandering around the village, or lying out on the beach (where she might easily run into Zach again), Nita chose to follow a small stream that trickled past. The stream deepened and widened, eventually becoming a respectably sized river. Nita stuffed her socks into her shoes and hung them around her neck by the laces, enjoying the coolness of damp soil under her feet. She watched the ground carefully for sharp sticks or rocks, lulled by the soft sounds of the water. Emelyn Emelyn burst up through the water, gasping for breath- and facing- not entirely away from the newcomer, but enough that, with her eyes still closed against the droplets of water that sat on her lids, and her torso at 3/4ths profile to her, Emelyn would still believe that she was alone. She ran her hands up through the mass of proto-spines that could not reasonably be called hair anymore, then scraped at her eyes with the sides of her hands. Em had been underwater for far too long- especially since she'd never been able to hold her breath for very long. Nita MacNeal A sudden splash distracted Nita, who whirled around just in time to see Emelyn emerge from the depths of the river. "Oh!" she gasped, nearly stumbling over her own feet. "Emelyn..?" she asked tentatively, approaching the water's edge. "Are.. are you alright?" Nita set her shoes down on a dry patch of grass and rolled up her jeans to just below her knees, ready to help Em to the bank, should she need it. She sincerely hoped the hedgehog girl hadn't just been about to drown. Emelyn Em's torso jerked around, so startled was she to hear someone calling her name. "Nita!" She said, the name fresh on her memory. It hadn't been that long since she'd met the girl. "I'm just fine... I was just underwater a little too long." She tread where she was, moving slowly into the slightly deeper slope of the river. It was just a tributary here, but there were still a few edges where you couldn't touch the bottom. Emelyn looked the girl up and down, kicking against the gentle current to propel her forward. "How have you been?" Nita MacNeal "Ack!" Nita squeaked, in turn surprised by Em's startlement. "Good, just making sure I wasn't about to have to haul you out because," she grinned, "I'm not that good a swimmer!" The ripply water looked wonderfully cool, and not moving so quickly that the pebbly bottom was obscured. Nita waded in up to her shins, sighing happily. She leaned down to wet her hands and rub water on her face and arms. The fair-skinned girl was still unused to the constant heat and humidity of the island. "I've been... alright, mostly. Thinking a lot, and reading." Emelyn Em nodded. "They've got a good library there in the village. ...I'll give them that." She said it both to ease the girl's mind somewhat about her predicament without painting a perfect picture of the island... and to let her know that the library existed, if she'd not known about it before. She could only imagine what Nita had been thinking about- probably quite troubling things, if her own realization of the island's purpose was any indicator- but at least she was thinking, letting her mind muse on her predicament- yet escaping this place through books. It was probably too early to know for sure, but Emelyn had an idea that, in the long run, Nita would find a way to cope and maybe even thrive here. Nita MacNeal "Do they really? I'll have to check that out some time. I brought quite a few with me, but I'm a fast reader." A library. That was reassuring, Nita thought. At least someone around here had their priorities in order! Nita had a tendency to dive into her books, escaping into other worlds, a tendency which had gotten her into trouble in the past. Mostly, however, reading was a refuge for her, a temporary way to forget her own problems. It was when her immersion became not-so-temporary that problems occurred. "How about you? Do you.. stay out here?" Nita had noticed that Em was wearing the same thing she'd had on the last time they'd met, plus the basket Emelyn had had on the beach. The warm sun beat down on her, tempting Nita to plunge into the water, but she didn't want to get her clothes wet, and her modesty kept her from stripping down. Emelyn "Oh, didn't I tell you last time? I'm sorry." She gave a kick, and let herself be propelled through the water with a gentle ease. "Yes, I've been living out here for months. ...I think since... just after Christmas?" Her eyes tilted up to heaven: had it really been that long since Moreau's last, filthy trick? Nita MacNeal "Really? That's-- wow, that's almost four months!" Nita exclaimed, impressed and a little horrified. She had never been the outdoorsy type, although she was enjoying being outside on the island. She'd only been camping as a Girl Scout, and a couple of summers at a friend's church camp, where they had been in cabins anyway. Nita did not enjoy feeling dirty, and just the thought of not being able to shower regularly gave her the creeps. "Why?" she asked, perplexed. "I can understand camping out for a few days, for fun..." (Although she probably never would), "but why so long?" A few feet away, a grey boulder sat squatly, just the right size and distance from the water for a small girl to perch on. Nita settled herself, feet dangling a few inches above the surface of the river. Emelyn "Weeell.." Em said, tipping back into a float, thinking that she really ought to come up with a more succinct explanation of her 'sabbatical' one of these days. "I don't know if anyone has told you yet... but a few months ago, Moreau decided to do some sort of experiment... and he locked us all out of the duplexes and out of the little phony civilization he'd built. We were forced to live out here for... oh... at least a month. It could have been more." She stretched out in the water, putting her arms above her head summarily, then back to her sides. "The others would know the time. They went back to the village after he opened it back up. The would have learned the date, looked at their calendars. ...Gotten back to their 'lives'. I decided not to go back." She looked over to where Nita sat. "After he made such a point that he could take away our comfort... I couldn't just crawl back to his village and prove his point that we were under his control. So I stayed out here. My choice. That one less thing that he can take away. ...Aren't you coming in? The water's fine." Nita MacNeal Nita listened quietly, brows raising further at every sentence. "Oh my god," Nita muttered, shocked. "That's horrible! I can't believe.. well, actually, I can believe they'd do that." She snorted softly, a contemptuous noise directed at the powers that be. "I know I'm dependant on that faux-society, but good on you for staying out here," Nita said, her tone sincere. She stared at the water for a few more minutes, debating. Then, with a shrug, she pulled off her t-shirt and jeans, revealing pink cotton underpants and a white bra. Her numerous freckles extended down past her collarbones, which, along with her ribs, showed prominently through her pale skin. A pair of small white scars stretched acroos her left hip-bone. Doing her best not to be too self-conscious, Nita waded into the river, finally sinking down until the water reached her shoulders. Emelyn "Oh," Emelyn said, after Nita had waded into the water. "Don't worry about the whole 'relying on the faux-society' thing. I don't judge anyone for wanting to stay in the village." She paused, seeing the freckles that seemed like constellations on the pale girl. "Aw... I miss my freckles," Em said softly and a little amused, rubbing at her cheek. Nita MacNeal "Well good. Because I like showers," Nita said seriously, a smile threatening the corners of her lips. "This is awfully nice, though. I'm a little white girl who's not used to it being this hot.. at least not in April." She dunked her head, getting wet all over, then bobbed back up, careful to stay where her feet could touch bottom. "Really?" She held out her arms in front of her, gazing at them dispassionately. "You can have some of mine; I've got plenty." She giggled, part of her wondering what she would look like without her freckles. It was a weird thought. Emelyn She smiled, wondering how much longer she could stay in the water without finding an answer Ambrose's cheeky 'hedgehog prune' question. But for now, she was still enjoying the water enough to stay mostly beneath the surface. Only her head poked up out of cool blue. "That's awfully nice of you," she said, her voice a fluffy English accent as she spoke. "But no thanks. I don't think they'd fit. Mine were brown. And I didn't have nearly as many as you." ...She had been joking, but suddenly, Emelyn realized that letting Nita know that soon she'd look so different... perhaps wasn't the kindest thing to do. "I'm sorry." Emelyn said- covering not just her freckle-talk... but also as a sympathy for that blanket of the unexpected that Nita faced. Nita MacNeal "Well, fine!" Nita replied, imitating Em's accent and haughty manner, sticking her nose in the air. "I'll just keep them all to myself!" She giggled and was brought up short by Emelyn's apology. "It's okay," she said, shrugging. "Hopefully I won't be anything too weird. I mean, a hedgehog doesn't seem so bad. They're really cute! And the spines suit you somehow." That was the first time Nita had spoken blatantly about her impending transformation. It wasn't so bad if she thought of it as something in a story. This was just the next level of involvement... "Someone said I could use that intercom thing and ask. I've been considering it." Nita trailed a finger along the surface of the water, watching the ripples that followed the slim digit. Emelyn "Thank you," Emelyn said, accepting the compliment with an easy smile. "...You know, it's funny to think that those new people to the island- like yourself- will only see me the way I am now. You'll never know what I used to be." Emelyn had never thought about it before- not until Nita had issued that sweet compliment about how her spines 'suited' her. She knew that the true 'her' was not the visage she projected- not her skin or flesh or bones- but it was still strange to think that the only witnesses to her life- how she'd appeared before- were contained in a handful of islanders that had been there with her, since the beginning. "And I think that was me," Emelyn said, recalling their conversation with a laugh. "I seem to remember telling someone about the intercom system on the beach. Seems to be you that springs to mind." Nita MacNeal Nita blushed. It was actually a bit hard for her to imagine Emelyn without her spines. "I bet you were pretty, though," she said, without thinking. "I mean! Um. You're still pretty, and... Oh hell. You know what I mean!" She dunked her head under the water again, trying to calm her furiously pink cheeks. She resurfaced and brushed the water out of her eyes, peeking through her fingers at Emelyn. "Oh! Was that you? I've heard so much from a couple of different people... My mind's all mixed up!" She tugged one of her long braids, embarrassed. Emelyn Emelyn couldn't help but breaking out into laughter. "You poor thing. Your cheeks are as red as your head," she said, splashing the girl with a friendly scoop at the surface of the water. "Word to the wise- don't listen to a word I say!" She laughed, and ducked beneath the water. Nita MacNeal Nita turned even redder and giggled. "Gah!" she sputtered, the splash of water catching her in the face. "Hey, no fair!" she protested, as Em ducked underwater and just out of reach. She waited for Em to emerge and splashed her back, immediately scooting back several feet with her arms up to ward off further attacks. Emelyn "Geeeh!" Emelyn squealed, turning her face aside, anticipating the splash. Nita was out of reach for another above-the-water attack, so she dove beneath the water and tugged Nita beneath the surface- quite summarily, since she didn't know how well of a swimmer she was- then let her free and surfaced. Nita MacNeal Nita shrieked as she was tugged underwater, hoping that Em remembered she'd said she didn't swim well. She managed to hold her breath before her head went under, and almost as soon as it happened, she had bobbed back up, blowing water out of her nose. "Gack!" she choked, her sinuses tingling slightly. "I should have seen that coming!" Emelyn Emelyn burst up from the water in time to hear Nita's words- tossing her mane of keratin-stiffened hair back with a dew-throwing gesture. Em put her hands on her hips. "Yes," she said, a triumphant smile on her face, "you should have. Emelyn, Queen of the River, has spoken." Nita MacNeal "'Queen of the River,' is it? More like 'Emelyn, Queen of Water-Related Trickery!'" Nita grinned, imitating her stance. "I'll get you for that! Maybe not today, maybe not toorrow, but someday," she intoned. Nita nearly doubled over laughing at the 'threat.' She was hardly intimidating, even less-so in nothing but underclothes and her long hair weighed down by water. Emelyn "Well, as long as there's still the word 'Queen' attached, I can fuzz the rest out." She stretched up, standing on the balls of her feet, eking her torso out of the water an inch further as she tensed all the muscles in her legs. "Ooh, this feels good. ...I used to make fun of those older women who do water aerobics, but ooh... stretching in the water really relaxes your muscles." She exhaled and let herself fall back to a stance with her flat feet. Nita MacNeal Nita grinned again. "But would a tiara sit right over your hair?" She cocked her head to the side, imagining the balancing act that would ensue. She stretched as well, shoulders popping. "And would you make fun of them if they weren't two-hundred pounds and wearing, like, hideous polka-dotted bathing suits?" Nita wrinkled her nose, amused. "How old are you, anyway?" Emelyn "One," Emelyn said, putting her fingers out to tick out her answers on them, "I don't think this really counts as hair anymore. But damn skippy I could get a tiara in there. Priorities. Two. ...Oh heck no... but hey, who am I to judge these days?" She put her arms straight out to her sides and spun, exhibiting her furry form in all it's 'glory', before turning back to Nita. "And I'm 21. ...Had my birthday in December. ...You?" Emelyn asked, praying that she was older- just for the sake of her having had more life outside this island prison. Nita MacNeal "I'm sure you'd look lovely in a tiara, hair or not." Nita watched Em spin, amused. "My arms are fuzzy, too, you just can't really see it because the hair is so light." She held out her arm to compare. "I'll turn 21 next month," she replied. Her birthday would be interesting this year. She'd known she'd be out of town for it, but she didn't think it would be quite this "out of town." Emelyn "Well.." Emelyn said, softly, glad that the girl wasn't- say-17 or 18, "we'll have to have a big party. If you wanted it to be a more typical 21st birthday, we could even have it on the beach. There's a beachbar there." As she spoke, Emelyn stepped up onto the bank, standing with her back to the sun. "It's been great to talk to you again," she said with a tiny yawn, "but after all that stretching and swimming- and that sun," she said, jerking a thumb up and over her shoulder, "I think I'm ready for a little mountain nap." Nita MacNeal "Oh! This girl Fiona is planning a beach party, although she's not sure when it'll be. I don't know if that counts as returning to society, but she's really excited about it." Nita traipsed out of the water and worked on wringing out her hair. "I don't need anything special for my birthday, but I could pretend Fiona's thing was partially for me." She nodded and brushed large droplets off of her arms and legs. With most of the moisture wrung out, and the rest quickly evaporating with the heat, Nita pulled her jeans and t-shirt back on. "Anyway, I'll see you around, I'm sure." Once she was re-dressed, her shoes hung around her neck, she waved and followed the river back towards the village, smiling slightly to herself.
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Posted: Sat Apr 15, 2006 8:00 pm
Meeting the Squirrel Nita MacNeal Nita made her way from her duplex to the cafeteria, figuring she'd grab a hot meal instead of living off of what she had stored in her minifridge. As usual, she was dressed casually in jeans and a t-shirt, her long hair braided back. Her fair skin was slightly pink and her freckles more pronounced from her exposure to the sun. She glanced at the notice on the door regarding Fee's party, reminding herself to get in touch with neighbor about that before long. Grabbing a tray, she went through the line, picking out a simple salad and some pasta. She sat at an unoccupied table in a corner, pulling out her ever-present book to read while she ate. Antoinette Devereux Antony, with a cigarette in hand, was about to open the door and stroll right in when she saw someone else there, and with an eyeroll, she took one last long drag before dropping the smoke and snuffing it out with her shoe. She was tired, but in a relatively good mood, thanks to a certain Irish teenager. Nodding towards the redhead, she gathered her own tray full of food, making sure to grab a bowl full of nuts and seeds for later. So far, they had been the only dietary change her body had demanded. "Mind if I join you?" The tattooed woman asked, tails flicking behind her warily at the new girl, "I'm Antony." If she freaked out, so be it. Nita MacNeal Nita jumped slightly, having been absorbed in her book, but nodded. "Sure, have a seat." She looked up, noting the woman's fur and odd eyes, wondering where she'd heard the name before. Oh. Her eyebrows raised before she could stop them, putting her book aside. "I'm Nita," she said simply. Antoinette Devereux "You've heard of me?" She inquired while sitting down, raising her eyebrows herself, it's not like the look Nita had given her was entirely foreign to her. "Which girl is gossiping about me now?" The second question was stated bluntly and surprisingly without the least bit of anger. Girls who didn't understand her tended to form negative opinions rather quickly. Mostly because they thought she was 'hogging' all the men from being in loving, caring relationships with them. Nita MacNeal "What? No one's said anything to me." Nita paused a moment, wondering how to word the next part delicately. "I live in duplex 42. Above Alec." She coughed, expertly twirling a bit of pasta around her fork, and gave Antony a bland look. A smile twitched at the corners of her mouth, and she took a drink to cover it. Antoinette Devereux "Entirely sucks to be you," she grinned, obviously not ashamed that this girl knew she and Alec had been having sex, "And I'll try and keep that at my duplex, so you don't have to be bothered by that... Can't help you with the drums though..." Antony chuckled, taking a few bites of her food before chewing thoughtfully, "Who have you met so far?" Nita MacNeal Nita made a face. "The drums are a bit much, yeah. And thanks for the concern," she added, only a little bit sarcastic. She wrinkled her nose and grinned to take the sting out of her words. "Who've I met?" she repeated, giving herself a moment to formulate a list. "Um, Lauren, Emelyn, Cass, Amaya, Rex, and Zach. Oh, Annie and Fee, who live next door, plus you and Alec, of course." She took a few bites of her salad. "How many people are there here, anyway?" Antoinette Devereux "I don't think I've met the first two, but as far as the amount of people here, at least 42 now..." She shrugged, taking a drink of her water before popping a few walnuts into her mouth. The number seemed to just keep going up and up at an alarming rate. Nita MacNeal "Geez," Nita muttered. "I wonder if anyone else has shown up since I arrived..." She stared at the table for a few minutes, poking at her book. "How'd you end up here?" Antoinette Devereux "Won a free vacation," she said gruffly through the food in her mouth, swallowing before continuing, "Merry ******** Christmas huh?" Nita MacNeal "Ha!" Nita laughed humourlessly. "I was supposed to be doing a study-abroad type of thing. So much for that, hm?" She shrugged. Then, remembering something Emelyn had told her, she continued, "Damn, so you were just in time for that lock-out, right?" Antoinette Devereux "Oh yes, two months on the beach... I've never been so sick of coconut and sand," she frowned, but shrugged her shoulders. It had happened, and was now over. There wasn't much she could do about it now. Nita MacNeal "Hmm," Nita muttered, not really knowing what to say next. She hadn't had nearly this much trouble talking to Cass or Em. Looking down at her plate, Nita realized she'd finished her dinner. "Well, I think I'm gonna get going... It really was nice meeting you, Antony." Nita smiled. It actually had been nice, if a bit awkward. Antoinette Devereux Antony nodded, waving good-bye to the red head before returning to her dinner, "Nice meeting you too Nita." Nita MacNeal Nita grabbed her book and bussed her tray. With a quick wave to Antony, she exited the cafeteria. Maybe she'd take a walk in a bit. It was nice on the beach at night, and she didn't worry about getting burned.
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Posted: Tue Apr 18, 2006 8:57 pm
Truth or Dare?
Backdated AIM RP-- Saturday night, 4/15 at the beach bar.Nita Nita walked quietly down the beach, right where the waves met the sand. It was dark and amazingly peaceful. After a few minutes' walking, Nita pulled off her shoes and went barefoot, letting little tendrils of the waves swirl around her toes and fill in her footprints. Off in the distance, she saw lights and heard the voices of a rather large group of islanders, only a few familiar to her. With a shrug, she left the hard-packed sand for the loose dry stuff, which was harder to walk on. A small open structure came into view; apparently she had found the beach bar of which Emelyn had spoken. Quietly, without attracting much notice, the slim girl poured herself a fruity beverage and found a seat... Continues here.
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Posted: Wed Apr 19, 2006 8:48 pm
William Woodrow Billy sat on the sand at the beach, as he had done the past few days, staring off at the distance. The waves of desire, as he liked to call them, had been coming and going. Most people in his situation would at least have a peer group of understanding individuals to share the pain. Most would have a loving councelor there to hold his hand and tell him it would be alright. And they didn't remove testicals or genetically mutilate you. He wanted off. He wanted a fix. He wanted a fight. He wanted a drink. He wanted a ********.
Hell, he wanted a lot of things, he was pretty sure he wasn't going to get any time soon.
Overall, William Woodrow was depressed. Nita MacNeal Nita wandered down the beach barefoot, jeans rolled up to her knees, enjoying the cool, crisp feeling of sand under her feet. She stared out towards the horizon, taking in deep breaths of the fresh air. Standing still for a moment, she pulled the elastics out of her braids and ran her fingers through her long hair, letting it fall in waves down to the small of her back. She shook her head and made off skipping along the waterline, twirling, arms outstretched, every few yards. A figure sitting off in the distance brought back her more typical reserve, and she approached the strange man slowly, not wanting to startle him. William Woodrow He was so lost in his own thoughts, he didn't even hear her approach, his ears locked on the sound of the waves and the wind through the jungle behind him. His bedraggled shirt was closed and the sleeves down, for the most part hiding his deformities. Nita MacNeal The slim girl stopped a few feet away from him, wondering if he'd mind if she just sat down near him. With a shrug, she flopped down to sit cross-legged a companionable distance away from him. Nita dug one hand into the sand, pulling out a few smooth shells. The largest was almost perfect, only missing a few tiny chips. She sat examining it for a few minutes, not minding the breeze that blew her hair into her eyes. "It's beautiful out here, isn't it," she said softly, glancing out across the water. William Woodrow At the sudden sound of another voice, Billy jumped, the moment of panic triggering the tiny instinctual octopus inside him, sending him coughing and sputtering as he tried to ink without the ability to do so, mearly nearly choking himself. He raised a malformed, suckered hand to his chest, weezing to catch his breath, "Frigh'en th'feckin' s**t o' me, y'damn harlot!" Nita MacNeal Nita jumped too, dropping her shell. "Jeez!" she exclaimed, trying to calm her racing heart. "I didn't mean to startle you," she said, apologetically, ignoring the 'harlot' comment for the moment. Her eyebrows rose as she took in the sight of his malformed hand and.. suckers? Clearing her throat to regain her composure, she retrieved her shell and resumed her careful tactile exploration of its surface. William Woodrow "Y'don' interupt a man when he's ponderin' an' full o' angst, lass!" He snapped, eyes narrowed to glare at her. The fabric of his shirt shifted strangley as the tentacles underneith resituated more comfortably. Nita MacNeal "I said I didn't mean to startle you," Nita huffed, scooting back a couple of feet. So much for a companionable quiet! She eyed the movement of his shirt, not sure if she wanted to know what was being hidden. "You just looked like you might need some cheering," she muttered under her breath. Not another obnoxious guy! she moaned inwardly. William Woodrow He settled, resting his hands on his knees as he glared at the horizon again, grumling under his breath. "Cheerin', aye, tha's wha' I need f'sure." Nita MacNeal Nita sighed. "I'm probably gonna regret this, but what's wrong?" She peered at Billy out of the corner of her eye and shrugged. "I'm Nita, by the way." William Woodrow He gave her a sideways glance, brows furrowed, "D'ye go' a week t'listen t' me list?" Nita MacNeal Nita resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "Go for it" she said, her tone dry. "Not like I've got to get anywhere else in a hurry." She shifted her legs so she could rest her chin on her knees. William Woodrow "Ye can't be serious," He snored, glancing at her up and down, "Y' don' think y'really wan' t'know. It's rather complicated." Nita MacNeal Nita wrapped her arms around herself, not particularly comfortable with a stranger looking her up and down like that. She suppressed a shudder. "Fine, I'm not therapist anyway. I guess I was just a bit concerned for a fellow human being." Nita put a very slight emphasis on those last two words and bit her lip in thought. William Woodrow He had actually been ready to tell. Ready to talk. Ready to tell her everything about Edel, about the drugs, about how pissed off he was about the whole situation from start to end. But no, just as he thought, she was just trying to be nice. She didn't really want to know. He grunted. It seemed everyone was so capable of just... sucking their situation up and bearing with it together. But no one cared for him. Not really. The mad druggy. If only they knew the rest of it, I'm sure you'd become even more popular. Even the furry Antony had her ******** buddy... James or whatever she had called him. Who did Billy have? A red head named Nita whom he had never seen befor and looked human and innocent. What the hell did she know about all this? She was probably a damn virgin too. Nita MacNeal After a few moments of a rather uncomfortable silence, Nita turned to face Billy. She brushed her hair out of her eyes and attempted a smile. "I promise I'll listen," she said softly. She was, in fact, trying to be nice-- and she really did want to know. William Woodrow "Where d'I begin? Th'fact I'm a bloody druggy goin' through withdrawl, th'fact we're all mutatin' into bloody animals or th'fact even if I DID escape, th'moment I step foot in society again, I'll get a bullet in th'back o' me head?" Nita MacNeal Oh boy."Well... as trite as it sounds, start at the beginning," Nita suggested. "You've got a name, I suppose?" She picked up her shell again and fiddled with it absently, fully focused on the strange and distressed man in front of her. William Woodrow "William," He grunted, "Billy." Nita MacNeal "Billy," she repeated. "I'll remember it." After a moment, she continued, "I'm well aware of the 'turning into animals' bit... so... which came first, the drugs or the threat of a bullet in your head?" Under normal circumstances, Nita might have been afraid. This Billy was a druggy, and apparently violent. But at the moment.. he just seemed depressed. And depression was something Nita knew all too well. William Woodrow "Ach, one followed th'other," He motioned wearily. "Set up by a bad relationship," That was the easiest way to put it, wasn't it? "I din' e'en want t'do it! I had nothin' against th'guy! Bu' nooo she was all "Oh, ye'll do it fer me, woncha', lad?" wit' promises o' a sexual nature and suchlike! Then suddenly she's all "Y'damn madman! Y'killed me Da!!" Wha' was I supposed t'do??" Nita MacNeal "Hmm. Really does seem like you got the short end of the stick." Of course, there was probably a lot he wasn't telling her, but if this was what he needed to say, so be it. "Did she turn you in?" Nita asked, having a likely suspicion she knew where this was going. William Woodrow He turned to gape at her, brows furrowed, "Y'seem none too put off by wha' I jes' told ye." Nita MacNeal Nita shrugged. "You look like you could use a nonjudgmental ear. And well, I guess I'm not as easy to shock as I might seem." After all, she'd mostly kept her calm when faced with the true nature of the Island.. and assured that she was in for the same fate. William Woodrow He grunted, turning back to stare at the water, "Everyone on this damn island is mad." Nita MacNeal "That's quite possible," Nita said equably. "At least we're all crazy together..." She sighed and worked on rebraiding her hair. William Woodrow He leaned back with a sigh, still scowling at the water, intent on watching the sun set when it came. Absently, a tentacle slid out from his shirt sleeve to rub his nose, rather than upset his balance. Nita MacNeal The setting sun was beautiful over the water, so much clearer and more colorful than the ones at home. Braids finished, Nita leaned her chin on her knees and stared out across the ocean. She noticed the tentacle sliding out of Billy's shirt, but did her best not to jump or otherwise make a big deal out of it. William Woodrow After a while, he turned to stare at her, eyes narrowed and lips pursed. Finally, he seemed to come to some sort of conclusion. "Wha' are y'takin'? I want some." Nita MacNeal "Hm? Zoloft, for OCD and depression," she answered promptly, not fully understanding the implications of the question. "But unless you've got either of those, it wouldn't do you a lot of good." Nita shrugged; the idea that he'd meant something stronger not even occurring to her. William Woodrow He turned to face her, crawling towards her with a dark expression. His eyes were narrowed, hsi brows furrowed, "Yer far too calm fer it t'jes' be feckin' Zoloft. I jes' confessed t'murder, y'dumb brat!" He snapped. Nita MacNeal Nita crab-walked backwards a few feet, suddenly much less calm. "I assure you, that's all that's in my system, except for whatever the doctors here may have given me," she spat. She glared at Billy. Nita was anything but stupid, even if her mouth did sometimes work faster than her brain. "And I'm not a dumb brat!" William Woodrow "They killed me, tha's wha' they done! Dragged me down t'this island o' hell an 'yer jes' sighin' over th'sunset!" He snapped, obviously unsettled. "They set y'up an' they hack y'apart an' they take away EVERYTHING! Even yer damn SPECIES! So wha' are ye? An ocelot? A god damn platipus??" Nita MacNeal "They killed you?" Nita snorted. "You look alive to me, and what was that about a bullet in your head if you went back? Seems to me, you could be a hell of a lot worse off. I'm not saying I agree with what they're doing here, all against someone's will, but what makes a human anyway?" She took a deep breath and continued. "I've seen people here who barely even look like "normal" humans anymore, but they still speak, and read, and have friends. They adapt, they make a place for themselves. Isn't that what being "human" is about? Surviving, no matter what?" Nita worried the shell in one hand, the other bracing herself behind her back. "And I dunno what they're making me," she admitted, her voice low. "But maybe I'll ask." She bit her lips and watched Billy carefully for any further signs of an attack. William Woodrow "Look a' ye! Y'don' even give a crap! No' e'en battin' an eye!" He roared, "O'course, s'*easy* fer you, aint it? Bloody easy!" Suddenly, he grabbled at the buttons of his shirt with his mutated hands, ripping the buttons open to show her the three tentacles and stull healing tentacle nub, "Y'don' have t'dread how on earth this coul' GET WORSE!" Nita MacNeal Nita glared. She hated when people yelled at her. "I do give a crap, why else would I have sat here and tried to talk to you? This isn't easy for any of us, and so what if I appear calm? You don't know me, you don't know how I deal with s**t, you don't know anything!" She shook her head, disgusted. "All you do is mope around and freak out at people who're just trying to be nice." She scrambled to her feet, arms across her chest, when he pulled his shirt open. The waving tentacles fascinated her, making her a bit queasy. "Don't I?" she asked coldly. "I don't know what they've done to me, how bad it will be, what I'll have to go through. I dread it every minute, but I try not to let it consume me, because I'm better than that." A fine speech it was, if only her voice hadn't cracked horribly towards the end of it, full of fury and a healthy dose of terror. William Woodrow "An y'think y'know *me*, bloody hypocrit?" He snapped befor stumbling to his own feet, snatching up any belongings of his that he might have dropped, "I hope y'turn into a tick!" He spat pointedly befor turning to storm off and away down the beach away from her. Nita MacNeal "I didn't know you; that was the point!" Nita grumbled, suppressing tears yet again. She grabbed her shell and whirled around, intent on stomping down the beach away from Billy. I hope y'turn into a tick!She turned back to glare at his back. "******** you," she muttered. "******** you in the ear." It wasn't a brilliant comeback, but it was damned satisfying.
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Posted: Sun Apr 23, 2006 2:31 pm
The Beach Party Fiona Brooks The word was spread, the posters were posted, and the time had finally arrived. As the sun began to set, Fiona scurried between the five fire-pits dug intermittently along the beach, lighting the piles of wood and checking that the blankets were arranged on the sand just so. When night finally fell, the entire area was illuminated by an orange glow, and on two of the fires were placed metal grills. Logs and driftwood had been collected from the shores and jungle, pulled up close to the flames and covered with blankets which looked suspiciously like the extra bedspread available to islanders. Coolers with various beverages (stolen from cafeteria and beach-bar alike) scattered the sands here and there, and closer to the jungle in the middle of it all was a 'platform' constructed of sheets weighted down with rocks. Within a matter of minutes, the smell of cooking food wafted through the trees and towards the village. The party had begun. Continues here.
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Posted: Sun Apr 23, 2006 10:23 pm
I Never: Part One Avery Calder "Aw, come on, Awen! Join us! How about this, you can drink soda instead, okay?" Avery said, encouraging her. He felt weird when people got left out, especially if they were his friends. "Bah, I'm only 19! Who cares about drinking ages when you're turning into an animal? I think we're all entitled to do whatever the hell we want, right? Not that it's really stopped me from drinking before I got here, but that's besides the point," he chuckled. "I missed out on a game of Truth or Dare?" Avery asked, looking disappointed. "Aww. Well, I Never it is, then! Who wants to go first? Everyone know how to play?" Awen Zyn Awen looked away seeing some of the spite in Fiona's eyes. She could understand why Fiona was upset, should she have known the truth. In Awen's mind though, she offered to help Fee and she shouldn't be acting like this. She was going to be critical but it was only to keep Fiona and the other people involved safe, she explained that to the red head. Why was the girl acting this way then? Could she have found out?
Glancing over at Avery and Nita, she smiled. "Well in Canada we'd all be of age to drink." She shrugged a little bit. "Actually.. I think I'm going to head out for a bit. I'm hungry and..well... no offence to your party Fiona but nothing here is very good for my system." She smiled apologetically and stood up. "I'll probably be back later."
She was a little hungry but that wasn't why she left. She could definately feel the tension between her and Fiona, and she didn't want to hazard onto why right now. She would come back later, but only join in if there were more people around to make the split a little less obvious. Awen really hoped the girl hadn't found out... She made her way back towards town. Fiona Brooks "Not me," Fiona said cheerfully, "I'm only seventeen. Well, almost eighteen. In the summer." She opened her bottle and took a sip of it, stretching back on the blanket. "Oh well, whatever. Seeya." Once the obligatory farewell had been made, Fee turned to the remaining people. "So you wanna start, Avery?" Avery Calder "Alright then, see you later, Awen!" he said to her, then looked back at Fiona and Nita. "Down to three I guess. Sure, I'll go first..." he said, and thought for a moment. "Okay... uh, man, it's been so long since I've played this. Um, I've never... slept with a stranger," he said, grinning. He didn't really know what these girls were like, but he supposed this was a good way to find out. Nita MacNeal "Aw, see ya, Awen," Nita called. She'd noticed the tension between Awen and Fee, but didn't want to ask about it. "Hey, wait, remind me how the game goes; I've never actually played!" She sat back on her elbows, glancing at her drink. Fiona Brooks "Define stranger," she snickered, "no, I kid. I haven't ever had sex with someone I didn't know. Hehe... 'done the nasty in the pasty'. What a great show. I'm going to miss T.V. But no, never slept with a stranger." Fiona picked at the label of her drink, looking to Nita. "Well, you take turns saying something you've never done and if the other people have done it, they take a drink. At least that's the way I've always played it." Avery Calder "Done the nasty in the pasty? Can't say I remember where that's from," Avery laughed. "Yep, that's exactly how you play... so what about you, Nita, ever done it with someone you don't know?" he asked, grinning and leering at her, teasing. Nita MacNeal Nita looked at Fee quizzically, not recognizing the quote. "Ohhh, okay, that makes sense." She looked up at the sky, as if pondering her answer.... "Nope, never done it with a stranger." She crossed her eyes at Avery. Fiona Brooks "It's from Futurama," she said with a laugh. "Is it my turn? Okaayyy, let's see. I have never... had sex with a girl." Fiona crossed her legs and looked at Avery expectantly, sticking out her tongue. Avery Calder Avery laughed, "aww, come on now! Fine then," he grinned before taking a gulp from his drink. He figured he couldn't win with either version of that question... oh well, not like he minded having to drink! Nita MacNeal "Oh, right, the thing where Frye is his own grandfather?" Nita giggled. An excellent episode! Nita turned slightly pink at the question, and refrained from taking a drink. "All right, I guess it's my turn. Um... I've never had sex with a guy!" At this rate, Nita was going to get thirsty..! Rex Vadnais A huffing noise could be heard from the jungle as the man made his way back to the camp. Rex finally came back from his little adventure in the woods shlepping quite a large load. He not only carried a large bushel in his arms, but tied a vine about his body, trailing off behind him it wrapped several times around more wood. Rex acted like an ox, dragging the fire fuel ot the center of the fire pits. He clawed off the vines with ease and panted. "That ought to be enough to get us through..." He saw Avery and the two girls sitting together and questioned, "What'd I miss?" Fiona Brooks Fiona grinned, saying "You've caught me," and took a drink. She smacked her lips and suddenly remembered the kebab she'd neglected, picking it up again from her knee and scarfing down the remainder as fast as she could without ingesting the skewer. "Heeeey, Rex! We're just playing some I Never. Grab a drink and have a seat!" Avery Calder Avery flushed a bit and cleared his throat, before taking another gulp from the bottle in his hands. Well, now that's out of the way! "Welcome back, Rex!" he said as if he hadn't just admitted that he's shagged another guy before, and he scooted over to make sure Rex had room to sit down with them. : Fiona sent a glance at Avery. "Seriously? Nice." She said with a smirk. "Whose turn is it now?" William Woodrow: "Ach, I think it'd be me then," William sat back, thinking idly, "I've ne'er had a shag on th'island here." That was a good one. Might prove to be interesting. Ambrose Maurlias: Ambrose opened and closed his mouth. "And we're off to a great start." And took a big swig of his drink. Nita MacNeal: Nita glanced around... and didn't take a drink. Fiona Brooks: Fiona didn't touch her drink, but watched everyone else curiously. Antoinette Devereux: Antony simply rolled her eyes and took a drink of her beer, taking a mental note of who drank and who didn't. Angelina Swanson: Angelina giggled and scooted closer to Ambrose. "Yeah, right." She took a sig from the Smirnoff Ice she was nursing. Rex Vadnais: Rex laughed a bit, his beer sitting in front of his. "No shag... Zachary Bloodstone: Zach glanced down into his drink, which remained untouched. Avery Calder: Avery flushed just a little again, and he took another gulp of his drink. Lauren Granger: Lauren glanced over at all the people drinking, really wishing she could take a swig. William Woodrow: Billy snickered, elbowing the person next to him "Don' think th'dragon's e'er been shagged t'begin wit." Rex Vadnais: Rex chuckled at Avery, drinking when everyone else hadn't. He stood out like a sore thumb. "This is interesting..." Angelina Swanson: "Not lack of desire, apparently. Zach was Mr. Popular at Truth or Dare the other night." Fiona Brooks: Her eyes flickered over to Avery and she wiggled her eyebrows at him. Somebody has been a busy little bee. Ambrose Maurlias: Ambrose lifted an eyebrow at Zach. "reeeally?" He smirked, but said nothing further. William Woodrow: "There was Truth or dare? An I missed it?" Billy tossed his hands up in mock disappointment. Ambrose Maurlias: "I'm certain that there will be followup opportunities, William." Ambrose commented. "And I know how silly it is, but honestly it's a well-needed break sometimes from the seriousness inherant here." Rex Vadnais: "Alrighty, whose next... How about you Lauren?" He messed with the dewed beer around his bottle innocently... Antoinette Devereux: "Yep, missed me make out with Kaveri," she grunted, adding a sneer to the girl's name. Angelina Swanson: Angelina murmured something abuot "does not play well with others" in response to Billy. William Woodrow: Billy's eyebrows raised as he poured himself another shot of rum for the fun of it, "Well, feck me!"* Antoinette Devereux: "No." Lauren Granger: "Well, s**t..." Lauren went through her mind at what she had not done, "Never have I ever done drugs on the island... well drugs that are illeagal in the US." She watched others for reactions, refraining from drinking herself. Ambrose Maurlias: Ambrose smiled, not touching his glass at this one. Rex Vadnais: Rex's beer sat boredly in front of him... Angelina Swanson: Angelina shrugged, watching the others while not taking a drink herself. Zachary Bloodstone: Again, Zach had no reason to drink. He glanced idly at Antony, hoping that she wouldn't need dragging back to her duplex a second time. Fiona Brooks: Again, Fiona was forced to leave her cooler alone. Oh bother. Antoinette Devereux: Another swig was swallowed as she attempted to straighten her legs without anyone looking at them. Avery Calder: Finally, Avery didn't have to drink this time, but he was pretty sure he could guess who would as he glanced around. William Woodrow: Billy's expression darkened for a long while befor he forwent the shot glass and drank from the bottle. Antoinette Devereux: "Nothing hard," she added moments later. Lauren Granger: Lauren was secretly trying to avoid drinking, but didn't want to be cope out in front of Fee. She shot her an evil glare for no good reason from her seat across the fire. Nita MacNeal: "Only prescriptions," Nita quipped, NOT looking at Billy. Avery Calder: "... so, those injections don't count as having done illegal drugs, do they?" Avery raised an eyebrow. "I'm pretty sure those are illegal." William Woodrow: William didn't seem to be liking this game anymore, fidgeting anxiously as he caught his breath from his swig. Angelina Swanson: "Well, I don't think anyone really willingly participated." Fiona Brooks: Fiona sent a wicked glare right back at the creepy horned girl, but couldn't help but grin at Avery. "You have a point." Ambrose Maurlias: Ambrose chuckled and nodded to Avery. "Good point!" Lauren Granger: Lauren shook her head, "Technicality..." She couldn't disagree though and took a shot from her glass. Antoinette Devereux: Antony eyed Billy and gave him a 'behave for ******** sake' look. Ambrose Maurlias: "Dragonboy!" Ambrose barked, picking up on the monicker and eager to retaliate from people calling him wolfman all the time. "Your turn, you're next in the circle!" William Woodrow: Billy's eyebrow raised as he glanced over at the yellow-furred girl, wondering if she had in her possession anything... interesting. Rex Vadnais: Rex averted his eyes from Zach, he still felt the need to appologize, but this wasn't the time or the place... Avery Calder: "Hmm, well, I'll just drink anyway in that case," Avery grinned, taking a sip as well. Fiona Brooks: Still she refused to touch her drink in what little act of defiance she could conjure. Maybe if she pretended hard enough that she hadn't been injected, it would go away. Ambrose Maurlias: Ambrose gave in and took a small lap from his drink. "Fine, if we're counting that." Fiona Brooks: Fiona sighed and rested her drink on her knee. "Guess I'll go, then. I've never... uhm... kissed someone in the rain." Ambrose Maurlias: Ambrose smiled and took another drink, thinking back. Lauren Granger: Lauren took a shot, yet again her fast mongoose metabolism already starting to feel a buzz. Angelina Swanson: Angelina giggled and took a sip from her bottle, nudging Ambrose. "Our first kiss." Rex Vadnais: Rex finally popped off his beer cap and took a swig, "That's a shame..." He sighed, recalling the memory with Julie at a garden in China Town... Nita MacNeal: "Aw, that's sweet," Nita said to Angelina, leaving her drink untouched. Antoinette Devereux: Antony took a quiet swig, glad she had chosen beer and not her usual vodka. Avery Calder: Avery had to think about that for a moment, but he couldn't remember having kissed anyone in the rain before, so he didn't take a drink. Zachary Bloodstone: Zach avoided his drink once more. The one real relationship he did have spent little time being experienced in the rain. William Woodrow: Again, Billy took a swig from his bottle of rum, his expression growing darker with the night, and his gentle wobble progressed. He didn't know half the people here. They didn't know him. What did it matter? Just a game. Lauren Granger: "Yeah, very sweet." Happy memories floated in Lauren's head as she sighed, remembering her times with Fire. Although the kiss was more out of lack of building then romance, it was still nice. Fiona Brooks: "Alright, whose turn is it? What about you, Zach?" Fiona touched her drink hopefully. Zachary Bloodstone: Zach looked up. Well, on the plus side, he figured he wouldn't get particularly drunk tonight. "Oh, uh, alright. I've never..." His eyes locked momentarily on Rex, before sweeping the rest of the people. Zachary Bloodstone: A stupid idea came into his head. "I've never grown fur." Angelina Swanson: Angelina shrugged and took a drink, patting Ambrose on the knee sympathetically Antoinette Devereux: Antony narrowed her eyes dangerously at Zach, red eyes accentuating her glare in the firelight. Ambrose Maurlias: Ambrose glared at Zach wryly. "Touche." And took a big drink, as it appeared he was the MOST changed there. Rex Vadnais: "Harsh..." Rex chuckled, swigging his drink and scratching his chest with pride. Fiona Brooks: "Dammit, I'm going to be completely sober by the end of this game, aren't I?" Avery Calder: Avery couldn't hold back a small bark of laughter at that, and he took a gulp of his drink. "Oh well... can't deny it, I guess." Antoinette Devereux: Either way, she took a swig and plotted for her turn. Nita MacNeal: "Seems I will be, too, Fee," Nita grinned, elbowing Fiona. Zachary Bloodstone: He looked over at Fiona. "You and me both." William Woodrow: "Rather furr than tentacles, aye?" Billy grunted, glaring at his half empty bottle. Lauren Granger: Lauren took half of her shot in, feeling more buzzed, "******** Yeah I'm growing fur!" She said throwing the glass into the fire as she laughed. Ambrose Maurlias: "Perhaps not." Ambrose grinned at Fiona. Ambrose looked a bit started at Lauren's gusto. Fiona Brooks: The girl shot an icy glare at Lauren, her upper lip twitching in indication of the snarl that wanted to appear on her face. Must keep control, for the sake of the party. No matter how annoying she was. Rex Vadnais: Rex sat contently, his beer sitting inside him awkwardly. He wasn't too big of a drinker... "You next, Avery!" Rex said, punching the man's shoulder next to him. Antoinette Devereux: A glare was also sent toward Lauren, but otherwise, Antony stayed quiet. William Woodrow: Between turns, Billy took a sip just in case. Drink and be merry. Right. Don't think about the deformities hiding in his shirt and the freak show company surrounding him. Just a big party. Right. Lauren Granger: Lauren smiled wryly towards Fee noticing her icy glare, and too happy with herself to notice Antony's. Avery Calder: Avery was startled when Lauren yelled out, and then almost fell over sideways when Rex punched him in the shoulder. "Ouch," he laughed. "Careful, man. Okay, so, ummm... I've never gone skinny dipping." Zachary Bloodstone: Zach was a bit disturbed by Lauren's giddiness, but said nothing. At this rate, his drink was going to evaporate before he had so much as a drop of it. Fiona Brooks: "Finally!" Fiona shouted, making quite the production of her gulp of cooler. Angelina Swanson: Angelina took another drink with a smile. Lauren Granger: Lauren was a little puzzled at that one, "Does taking a bath in the river count?" Ambrose Maurlias: Ambrose sighed, taking yet ANOTHER drink. "Is this 'get Ambrose drunk' night?" Rex Vadnais: "Oops, sorry man..." he laughed, Rex had certainly done that a few times too many. He sipped his beer down and turned back to the boy next to him. "I find it hard to believe that you've never gone skinny dipping..." William Woodrow: "Ach, tha' aint me," Billy shouted almost with too much enthusiasm befor working on his bottle again. Avery Calder: "Oh, wait, s**t, I've done that too," Avery laughed a bit, remembering and grinning sheepishly before he took a drink too. "Whoops?" Nita MacNeal: "Nope, not unless swimming in your undewear counts..." Antoinette Devereux: Antony, once again, took a long swig of her beer and motioned for someone to hand her a new one. She'd be needing it by the looks of it. Rex Vadnais: Rex smiled, "You just wanted another drink, didn't chu'Avery..." William Woodrow: "It certainly don't!" Billy snapped at Nita with a glare. "Don' be borin'." Ambrose Maurlias: Ambrose paused, sloshing his drink around as he considered. Finally, eying Fiona with a smirk. "Since you complained. I've never flashed anyone!" Nita MacNeal: Nita pointedly ignored Billy. Rex Vadnais: Rex grabbed one more beer out of the cooler and tossed it to the squirrel. His own beer remained untouched for this round though. "I've only flashed on accident!" Fiona Brooks: The girl let out a laugh, happy to see that somebody was on her side, and had herself another swig. Angelina Swanson: Angelina took a quick sip, then looked innocent. Ambrose Maurlias: Ambrose paused, then eyed her curiously. "Was that someone not me?" William Woodrow: It seemed Nita wasn't the only one ignoring Billy, and with just over a quarter of a bottle of rum left, perhaps it was for the best. Lauren Granger: Lauren decided that bathing in the river did not count since she was unanswered. She could not remember flashing anyone and refrained from another drink. Antoinette Devereux: The squirrel woman finished her drink and glared at whoever was next to the cooler. "Another beer." Zachary Bloodstone: Zach loosely traced a finger around the rim of his still-full drink. Angelina Swanson: Angelina shrugged and batted her eyelashes. Ambrose Maurlias: He mock-scowled and prodded her. "Well, go on then, you're turn." Antoinette Devereux: Antony caught the new drink and finished off the old one, "Thanks." Nita MacNeal: Nita sipped idly at her drink-- she was thirsty. x_x Angelina Swanson: Angelina gave an impish look. "I've never been injected multiple times and not changed!" Ambrose Maurlias: He huffed again. "Something tells me that I'm going to be hit a lot tonight with my changes." He took another pull. Nita MacNeal: Nita blinked at Angelina.. as far as she knew, she'd only been injected that one time. Fiona Brooks: Fiona let her drink be, happy about the fact for once. Antoinette Devereux: She sneered at Angelina, but took a drink anyways, "Cheap shot." Rex Vadnais: Rex drunk once again, drumming his clawed fingers along the bar-top as his tail flipped around outside his sagging borardshorts... Zachary Bloodstone: With a frown, Zach finally took a drink. What a reason... Ambrose Maurlias: "NOW you will get to drink, Zach." Ambrose chuckled. William Woodrow: Under his shirt, Billy's tentacles wrythed, dipping into sight for a moment befor dissappearing again, "Oh, aint ye jes' one feckin' lucky b***h?" He snapped, face contorted with drunken bitterment. Avery Calder: Avery couldn't remember being injected at all, let alone how many times, but he figured it must have been at least once, so he took another sip of his drink. Lauren Granger: Lauren took yet another drink. Sitting down everything felt fine, and good too. The whole world felt really good. "YES! Done that too!!" She knew she would get dirty looks again, if not more later but she didn't give a ******** Swanson: Angelina have a sarcastic smile to Billy. "Aren't I? They don't know why it doesn't work on me." Antoinette Devereux: Rolling her eyes, Antony fished in her pocked for her smokes and took two out, offering Billy one. Maybe then he'd calm down. Rex Vadnais: It had been quite some time, and Rex hadn't done anything to contribute much to the game. "I've never... had a one night stand..." He winked and set his drink down along the bar. William Woodrow: one Billy waited for Antony to light it for him befor he stood, trying to keep himself calm as well as he glanced away from the fire. Just a game. Just a stupid game. Antoinette Devereux: After lighting her own smoke, Antony pulled the cig from her lips and took a gulp. William Woodrow: When he heard Rex's input, he laughed sharply, "D'ye mean makin' one o' at th'receivin' end o' one, lad?"* Zachary Bloodstone: "Heh..." he smirked back to Ambrose, ignoring his drink again. Fiona Brooks: "Not me," Fiona murmured, although she noted with some interest the people who did take drinks. Angelina Swanson: Angelina heaved a sigh and took a drink from her bottle. looking apologetically to Ambrose. Ambrose Maurlias: Ambrose smiled proudly, leaving his glass alone. Rex Vadnais: "Either end, Billy." Though by the looks of you, I think we all know the answer...William Woodrow: Billy waited for the clarification from Rex with a smirk. Avery Calder: Avery didn't take a drink, leaning back on his hands on the blanket and watching everyone else's responces. Lauren Granger: Lauren looked at her next drink, watching other drink as it stayed put. She was a lot of things, but not a slut at least. William Woodrow: At Rex's remark, Billy took a staggering step backward, glaring down at him, "An' wha'd'y'mean by tha', eh?" Nita MacNeal: Nita shrugged. Not done that, either... Antoinette Devereux: She looked around, noticing it was her turn and sighed, debating on who she wanted to make drink. "I've never had an erection." Fie on men tonight. Fiona Brooks: Again, Fiona's drink was to suffer lonliness. Ambrose Maurlias: Ambrose snorted. "Not fair!" And took another drink. He was satring to feel rather tipsy. Even with small sips Angelina Swanson: Angelina raised a finger. "Guessing you mean penile erections. Technically, you know..." she trailed off suggestively. Joliette Rigiel has entered the room. Zachary Bloodstone: Zach took a quick drink, saying nothing and refusing to looking above the rim. Avery Calder: "Well, I guess I don't even need to think about that one," Avery chuckled, taking another gulp from his drink and finishing it off. "Hey, someone pass me another drink..?" Antoinette Devereux: "Yes Angelina, a normal erection that includes a c**k." Lauren Granger: Lauren laughed at loud as all the men taking drinks. She wondered if she would take a drink, what everyone else would think. She pretended to lift her glass up, eyeing Nita as she did so, giving her a wink. But then dropped it. Rex Vadnais: "Darn you Antony!" he drank... Lauren Granger: before it reached her lips Fiona Brooks: Fiona rolled her eyes at Lauren's bluff- attention whore. William Woodrow: "Bloody hell, where'd th'whole bottle get to?" Billy glared at his nearly empty bottle of rum, wobbling as he dropped to sit beside the squirrel girl once more, face flushed with drink. Rex Vadnais: Rex laughed out loud at Lauren, he knew she was a lesbian, but that caught him off guard Nita MacNeal: Nita blinked at Lauren. A wink? 0_o Antoinette Devereux: Antony simply grinned at Rex, "Hey, I've already gone through a bottle." William Woodrow: "Ach, so have I!" Although it wasn't beer. Antoinette Devereux: "Yeah, and since the last time you were this drunk Nubby happened... Maybe we should switch you to water." Avery Calder: "Me too, although I started on it earlier," he said. "Speaking of which, I need another," Avery stood up, grabbing himself another bottle, and sitting back down again. William Woodrow: "Wha'? Tha's'posed t'be a feckin' joke? Give th'octopus some water? Eh, squiddy? Give me a bloody beer." Joliette Rigiel: Joliette walked along the water's edge staring at the sand, she didn't even notice the group till she was almost on them. When she looked up she blinked in surprise and half wished to disappear "Uh hi..." Fiona Brooks: "Hey!" Fiona said, waving. "Come join the party!" Ambrose Maurlias: Ambrose rolled his eyes at William. "I think you're a bit quick to take an insult, William." The wolfman glanced up to see a woman he hadn't seen since the lockout. Antoinette Devereux: Sighing softly, she absently nudged where his broken tentacle would be, glaring up at Joli suddenly. Ambrose Maurlias: "So it would be your turn, William." Lauren Granger: Lauren waved wildly at Joli, "JOOLLIII!!!" She leaped up giving the girl a hug. It hit her suddenly, "I need something less... yeah.." She went over to grab some beer. Rex Vadnais: Rex waved to Joli, looking scalier than usual. Then turned back to the circle, "Full loop already? That was quick..." Zachary Bloodstone: Zach was surprised to see Joliette around, but waved to her. At least there were a few people on the island he wasn't a little cross with, or vice versa. "Hey, Joliette!" William Woodrow: Thankfully, the tentacle had healed and regenerated slightly, saving him from pain, "Is it now?" He glared at the wolf man. "My turn fer' wha'?" it took him a few seconds befor it came back to him. William Woodrow: "Ah! Th'game! Aye. Well... I ne'er... I ne'er got t'eat any damn American apple pie while I was there! Or all them fancy flavors o' ice cream!" Ambrose Maurlias: Ambrose looked surprised. And tipsy. "You've never had apple pie?" He took a swig. Joliette Rigiel: Joliette went a lil wideeyed to be enveloped in a overenthusistic hug, looked around and then trudged over and sat with Zach "Uh thanks" she pulled the warm shirt she wore more around her Angelina Swanson: "Oh bother," she sighed and took a drink. Thankfully her beverage of choice was a light one. Nita MacNeal: Nita was finally able to take a drink. Lauren Granger: Laren wobbled a bit to her seat, "Mmmm... apple pie." She was starting to get hungry as she took a small drink. "I want some apple pie! You think there will be some tomorrow?" She looked at the person next to her hopefully. Rex Vadnais: Rex drank, not ever having much of a chance to leave the U.S. for anything besides that fateful cruise. Now it seemed as though the many countries and continents of the worlds were completely fictional or irrelevant. He drank again. Fiona Brooks: Fiona left her drink alone, but stood up. "Well, since there are lots of people here to keep you all busy, I'm going to run off and try and get some music. I'll be back eventually, but don't stop having fun!" Joliette Rigiel: Joliette looked at Zach and whispered "Uh what are we doing?" Zachary Bloodstone: Zach took a sip, not wanting to end up as drunk as several of the group were headed toward becoming. The alcohol was just barely starting to kick in with the little he'd had. Ambrose Maurlias: "Goodnight, Fiona!" Ambrose waved with a smile. Rex Vadnais: "Sure thing, Fiona! Get some good songs, will yeh?" Antoinette Devereux: Antony drinked, staying rather quiet. Fiona Brooks: "Only the best," she said with a wink, and then turned to scurry towards the village. Avery Calder: Avery shrugged, opening his new drink and taking a sip. He was definately starting to feel the buzz from the alcohol. Avery Calder: Absently, he recalled the last time he got drunk, at the beach bar with Zach... and he glanced over at him, hoping he wouldn't drink much more. Lauren Granger: Lauren stood up, waving her bottle in the air, "Never have I ever... finished high school." She looked rather sad about this, puzzled for a second. Maybe she shouldn't have announced that. Fiona Brooks has left the room. Angelina Swanson: Angelina gave a slight frown and sipped. William Woodrow: Funnily enough, Billy didn't take a drink, and not because of his empty rum bottle. Ambrose Maurlias: Ambrose sighed, taking ANOTHER swig with a belated giggle. Rex Vadnais: Rex finished off his first beer with the last one from Lauren, recalling her sad history that day they went swimming. He set the other one behind him and grabbed a new beer from the cooler. Avery Calder: Again, Avery took another sip, thinking about how he wished he'd gone to collage. Zachary Bloodstone: "'I Never.' Just drink if you've done what's said. Speaking of which..." Sticking his own drink into the sand, he went to get a beer for Joliette. Zachary Bloodstone: His tail briefly knocked against Avery as he made for the drink cooler, and he stepped away from the blonde quickly, almost guiltily. Avery Calder: Avery flinched at the contact, startled, and he scooted closer to Rex without even thinking about it, eyeing Zach cautiously. Nita MacNeal: Nita sipped at her drink. She'd definitely finished high school, even if her senior year had been horrible. Joliette Rigiel: "if I've never" she blinked and her tongue flickered, she fidgetted with her skirt and tried to get comfortable while watching Rex Vadnais: Rex's body next to Avery's seemed huge, he looked at Avery who was watching Zach. Oh... Zach... He rubbed Avery's shoulder protectively and turned back to the game. Rex Vadnais: "Who next?" Zachary Bloodstone: He passed the drink to Joliette and sat down in front of his own. Zach took another sip, starting to feel a little warm. His brain chose to ignore it. Antoinette Devereux: She took a drank at Lauren's 'I never.' Joliette Rigiel: Joliette took the drink trying to remember the last time she'd had alcohol, perhaps it'd be a way to relax today and get what she felt were problems off her mind "So uh what do I do?" she asked zach again Angelina Swanson: "I think its back to Zachy-boy." Ambrose Maurlias: Ambrose chuckled, far too readily at the nickname.
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