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 Posted: Wed Aug 30, 2006 2:56 am
Is the Luggage Here Yet?A happy birthday to Sabin - Gaius and Sayuri arrive on the islandSayuri Satoharu Sayuri folded and re-folded her kimono sleeves during the helicopter journey; through nerves and to stop herself from chewing on her nails. She could hear her heart in her ears, the noise of the blades and the engine adding to her general panic. Oh and the fact that the pilot was a man, and not Japanese, and so was the other passenger! Onesan had mentioned nothing about her flying with men as she went to start her new life with her Danna. But she would be brave, she would keep smiling..and she would try not to fall on her face when she left the helicopter when they arrived. She ventured a swift sidelong gaze at the other passenger before looking steadily ahead again, waiting for when they landed. Gaius Harper In the seat beside her, Gaius was equally fidgety, both with growing excitement, and with a sense of self-consciousness. He glanced over at the girl beside him and caught her quickly looking away. Running a hand through his hair, Gaius turned back to look out at the endless water around them. Seemed they'd been flying forever. His attention wavered, drifting back to the girl beside him. She was dressed - and painted! - very strangely, like one of those Asian dolls one would see in a toy shop. He had to wonder what was bringing her to the project... She must've been one of the actors. Hazarding a small wave to get her attention, Gaius offered sheepishly, "Um, hi! Since we're heading to the same place, I thought it would be rude not to introduce myself... My name's Gaius. Um, are you going to be working at the place...?" Sayuri Satoharu He had spoken to her! So now what was she to do? She looked at him properly for the first time, noting the colour of his hair and his oddly wide eyes. What did he mean by working? Well yes, she would probably entertain friends and working colleagues of her Danna-san, that would be work of a kind. She offered a small nod, pointing to herself. 'Satoharu Sayuri,' she looked at him once more then turned her head. 'Please not speak, sankyu.' and that was all she would say. They had to be almost there... Gaius Harper Gaius nodded politely to the name, then blinked. Seemed she wasn't in a chatting mood... He mumbled a quick apology and turned away to stare out the window again. True enough, there was something other than water out there! Giddyness rose inside him. This was the location of his new job! Sabin Duvert Some birthday. None of the staff had noticed. Well, unless you counted Davidson, one of his new, 'junior' labtechs who had been sucking up since he was assigned into Sabin's team. And Sabin didn't count him. His plan had failed.... or at least experienced some serious setbacks. Billy had not been nearly persuasive enough to lure Aubrey to his side. He had been so certain that it would have worked. But drughead Billy had managed to, instead of pulling her in closer, in pushing her further away - showing Aubrey just how much of a skeeze he was, and how little options she really had with him and a future. Moreau's meddling hadn't helped. Sabin had wanted to speak Personally with Moreau - whisper suspicion into his ears during Aubrey's.... "punishment". And build his suspicions. But like any time when Moreau was entrenched in anger... he locked himself away from everyone. And then, of course, Aubrey had to go and get herself hurt. So she was back. HE didn't yet know to what effect, but it was likely going to be a full reinstatement knowing Moreau. He'd seen neither hide nor hair from either of them since Aubrey had returned. So, of course, there had not been any mention of his birthday from him. Just.... likely shoved back to number three. And here he was, doing the welcome routine. Forgotten. Sabin had glanced over the paperwork. At least they might prove to be interesting... if nothing else. As the helicopter crested over the island and sunk down to the landing Pad, Sabin adjusted the tophat perched on his head, holding it steady in the face of the whipping winds of the landing chopper. Straightening his tie, and brushing the stirred dirt off of his dark, antiquated suit, Sabin strode forward to greet the newcomers - an amusement-part architect, and supposedly an honest-to-God modern Geisha. Sabin tipped the brim of his hat with a smile to the passengers, and extended his hand to the woman. "Welcome to the Island." Sayuri Satoharu What an odd, odd looking man! Sayuri inwardly exclaimed. Once more he strange to her eyes, but he had air of sophistication and so her training rose to greet that, if nothing else. She wasnt so sure about holding his hand, but a quick glance told her that her Danna-san was nowhere to be seen and it was rather that then fall out of the helicopter. She took his hand and allowed him to help her from it, only stumbling a little as she stood on the firm ground in her towering okobo. 'Ohayo,' she said softly, her gaze dropping to the floor, as she shuffled to one side. Gaius Harper Gaius set down his hefty luggage behind Sayuri to offer the strangely dressed man a smile and handshake in turn. He definitely had to be one of the park staff, judging from the ridiculous tophat and the whitened hair. "It's a pleasure and honor to be here!" Sabin Duvert "Welcome, both of you! My name is Dr. Sabin Duvert, and I wanted to be able to greet the two of you personally. And I apologize for the rather... rough means of transportation. But that is not yet high on our prority list until the island is much closer to being prepared for a public opening. Besides, it helps things remain quiet." He flashed Gaius a knowing smile as he gripped his hand in a firm return handshake. Then, bowing formally to Sayuri, he releived her of whatever luggage she might be carrying. "And... allow me. I must say, I have been anticipating your arrival." He met her eyes, holding them for a moment analytically, before giving an almost imperceptable smile and moving her things to the jeep. "There is a matter of formalities first. As we are on a tropical island, there are some unpleasant diseases that we will have to get the two of you immunized against before getting down to business." He extended an inviting hand to the vehicle. Sayuri Satoharu Sayuri paled at this doctor's words, not that it was noticeable under her face makeup. Was he, could he be the Danna-san that her onesan had said was so rich, important and handsome? She panicked, an uncertain smile on her face. 'Sankyu,' she finally managed to say, as she followed him. She wavered a little, but still managed to keep her balance. 'Diseases?' she asked, slipping back into her native tongue. Gaius Harper Gaius brought up the rear, carrying his own things to the Jeep the 'Doctor' has indicated and piling them in. His mind raced over the possibilities of what the island could be themed if this man was referring to himself as a Doctor... Could it be a lost tropical paradise of sorts? Like Robinson Crusoe, perhaps. That would require some treehouses and rope bridges... The mention of an immunization pulled Gaius out of his brainstorming to look at Doctor Sabin with surprise. "What? Diseases?" Sabin Duvert Sabin gave a dismissing wave of his hand to the concerned note echoed in both their voices - one understandable, and other he assumed. "Dengue fever to be precise. It's not lethal... usually. But you might wish it were with the hemmhorag..." He trailed off. "I'm sure you don't want me to go into the details. But lucky for us, there's a vaccination. I can drive you down to the labs for that before I get the two of you settled into your residencies." After seeing them and their things into the jeep, Sabin took his own seat behind the wheel, starting the engine, and setting off down a dirt road through thick jungles. The road was barely wide enough for the jeep to slip between low branches. The leaves brushed the side of the open-topped jeep frequently, though the white-haired man seemed unphased. "Satoharu-san, as... I believe you have been told... your education will be completed here before you will be expected to... fullfill your duties. But I have heard many a splended word from your Okiya." He let a smile spread across his face and glanced quickly back to her before directing his attention to Gaius. "And Mr. Harper, I'm quite enthusiastic about your imaginative designwork! We've got quite the project underway, and I trust your skills to really give it the grandoise presentation that it deserves. Did... the hiring agent tell you much? I tried to emphasize the importence of secrecy of our project." Sayuri Satoharu Her panic was lessened as she realised that she still continue her training before he expected anything of her. Not that really had any idea, she'd heard some of the Geisha talk about men and their 'snakes'. She wasnt sure what that had to do with anything. It was all very puzzling. Even more so were the words he spoke. Vacu-nashun? She decided to not let it worry her, he seemed cheerful enough and that meant things were going to be fine did it not? Sayuri was looking forward to seeing where she was staying, she wanted these shoes off as soon as possible. 'Onesan is ve-ry kind to talk of me,' she said carefully, one could almost hear the words falling into place. Gaius Harper The jungle scenery was a wonder to the man who'd lived most of his life in the urban sprawl. It was even better than anything he could pick up on the Discovery Channel! He nodded to Sabin's explanation of the fever, probably something local. Best not to go into the details for the lady's sake. He listened with interest as Sabin talked with the foreign girl. The park had to be quite well funded to be able to provide homeschooling for the younger actors! At the mention of his own work, Gaius's smile broadened into a positively boyish grin. "You really like it? I'm hoping to be able to get to work on some rough blueprints once I get a look at what you have already." He chuckled, eyes darting up at the bit of blue sky between the fronds. "Your agency definitely kept a tight lip on everything; I'm not even sure what the theme of the park is!" Sabin Duvert Sabin smiled confidently as he drove them through the jungle. Strange birdcalls and screeches of monkeys and other jungle denizens called out as the loud jeep rumbled through their territory. "I am sure that her words were only the truth." Sabin responded formally to Sayuri. "Ohh, I'm sure you'll be excited about the project, Gaius! And I can't wait to see your touches. It's... well I suppose now that you're here, I can give you a little taste... Picture this. You're a tourist. You arrive via a boat on a small dock, your guide leading you through paths through the jungle. Strange noises, animal sounds... sounds that don't sound quite native. You see a flitting through the woods as a strange creature darts briefly through your vision... It doesn't look quite like anything that you've ever seen before... anything in nature at all. See, we're wanting to restore man's imagination... make them believe in monsters again. And what better place to do that than somewhere remote like this. The jungle itself seems to breathe mystery and a hidden danger." Sabin's eyes lit up as he spoke, and only one hand remained on the wheel as the other gesticulated excitedly. He certainly seemed enthusiastic about the concept. "Of course.. it will all be perfectly safe.... but if we do this right, and have a suspension of disbelief... we can give them a taste of the danger that people only watch other people experiencing in adventure and exploration movies." Sabin's dialogue brought them to the end of the road, and a massive gate with the Feral Labs logo emblazoned across it. It swung open, bringing the jeep to a parking lot that Sabin parked the jeep into with an expert familiarity. Sayuri Satoharu Sayuri wasnt sure about that, but she wasnt going to bring up her mishaps to the person that was possibly her Danna. She merely nodded her head, the hair ornaments jangling a little as she listened to him talking to the other man in the vehicle. At the end of his words he pulled the jeep up and parked. She looked around, curious as to the design of the buildings. This was an odd place to continue her lessons, she wondered how many more Geisha were here. She waited to be let out of the jeep. Gaius Harper "Ah! I think I see what you're getting at. Something less 'safe', like a thriller," Gaius nodded, trying to contain his excitement and keep a professional air, though he couldn't keep it from his smile and eyes. This was going to be awesome! The metaphorical chance of a lifetime! They pulled up to what looked to be the staff building where the behind the scenes work was done. Gaius let out an impressed whistle as he stepped out of the jeep, surveying the buildings built into the hills. "You guys definitely spared no expense!" Noticing Sayuri still sitting in the car, the architect hurried to her door, opening it for her with a polite smile. Always best to treat a lady with proper manners, and he hoped it would make up for his intrusion on the helicopter. Sabin Duvert Sabin waited for them to leave, smiling and giving an approving nod to Gaius's chivalry. Sabin watched the way that Sayuri held herself, the practiced poise and grace. It was certainly interesting, getting more Japanese individuals since the Japan branch of Feral labs began sending personnel dossiers to Moreau. They were so interesting... seeing the different reactions to the island... and Natsumi's reaction to her 'translation' project had been so exquisite. "You've got it, Gaius. Very much like a thriller... meets action-adventure and horror. It should be wonderful. And yes, I'm certainly prepared to see my vision through... whatever it takes." Sayuri Satoharu Sayuri shrank back a little when the door was opened, but this man seemed polite enough and her obi knot was pressing really hard into her back now. She moved one leg along under her kimono, slipping out of the open doorway. And then she got into a fine tangle, having stepped on a kimono sleeve that was draped now on the floor. She tried tugging her sleeve from under her foot, overcompensating and pinwheeling a moment, hanging in mid air, a falling doll. As she landed in a heap next to the Jeep, she clipped her head on the way down, a knock hard enough to send her into sleepy-land and she lay quite still. Gaius Harper He saw it all in slow motion. The leg. The slip. The impact. He'd reached out, but was far too slow. Instead, Gaius was left there staring dumbly at the poor unconscious girl. Sabin Duvert Sabin's eyes bugged as he saw the trip and then the fall immediately after, wincing as her head impacted with the jeep. With a fluorish he moved to a kneel by her side, feeling the already forming bump on her head, his hands moving down to her neck to check for a pulse and breathing. Nodding to himself with a note of relief, he withdrew a walkie talkie from his belt. "She just .... hit her head... she'll be fine - we're at a medical facility. The poor thing... she must have had jet lag." Sabin winced, as he pressed a few numbers, talking vaguely to Gaius. A moment later there was a squark of static-filled voice on the handheld device. Raising it to speak. "Yes... we, uhm... had a small accident in the parking lot. Can you bring a chair... and get her into the clinic room for some attending and her innoculation?" A pause as he held it closer to her ear and more affirmative squarking. "Yes.... yes I'll drive her to her duplex afterwards.... yes... bottle... uhm.... bottle 32984." He said after a pause, and trying to remember a serum number. It was one from his lab, and it... should be suiting." Sabin stood up, dusting off his hands on his pants as not a few moments later a pair of men in hospital scrubs, one pushing a wheelchair exited the building and assisted Sabin in getting Sayuri into the chair. Turning back to Gaius with an apologetic smile, he patted him on the back. "I'm... sorry about that.... at least if she had to pick a place to hit her head, a hospital facility is a good one. Now... shall we get you your injection?" Gaius Harper All throughout the ordeal, Gaius fidgeted and lurked about, wondering if there was any way he could help. "Crud crud crud cruuud..." he muttered to himself under his breath. As far as he was concerned, he was the one responsible for Sayuri's fall. It was with relief that he watched her finally taken away. Seemed the 'Doctor' title wasn't just part of a character after all. Of course, that would make sense to have medics on hand. Still watching where Sayuri had disappeared to, Gaius nodded slightly. "Ah, right. The fever thing." He turned back to Sabin and gave a half-smile. "Lead the way!" Sabin Duvert Sabin nodded to Gaius. Besides, having to only keep one story straight might be simpler anyway.... but Sabin almost regretted not having a further opportunity to see if he could convince the young Geisha-in-training that he was the one for whom she had been sent. "Right, it shouldn't take long at all." Sabin smiled, leading him into the doors of the building and through a plush waiting-room with a beautiful view of the ocean over the jungle. But Sabin hardly paused as he pressed on, through a door and down a sterile hallway, to an elevator bay that dinged open at their arrival. Stepping inside, Sabin spoke aloud "Floor 8" And the machine jerked to motion, traveling quickly up the levels. "I know you've had a long trip. So for today, we'll just get your vaccination and to where you'll be staying. There will be paper available if you want to start sketching or jotting down ideas if your'e feeling particularly industrious, but you won't be expected to start for a couple of days. We want to give you the chance to familiarize yourself with the island first. To see what you've got to work with." The doors slid open into a large labroom, lined with mirrored cabinets. Gesturing to a chair, Sabin smiled and headed towards one of the cabinets, sliding it open with a wave of his hand, revealing shelves of small bottles that he began to peruse. Gaius Harper Gaius continued to be impressed by the scope of the building. It seemed far grander than any park resort he'd heard about! Of course, he'd never been in the staff buildings of one himself, so he wasn't the best to judge. Still, the voice activated elevator left him reeling. Everything... it was almost surreal! He followed behind Sabin, gawking unashamedly at the glistening clean surroundings. Taking the seat Sabin indicated, Gaius shifted to get a look at the contents of the cabinet Sabin was looking through, many of quite interesting colors. "So, uh, this dengue fever is pretty bad, then...?" Sabin Duvert Sabin nodded absently as he scanned the bottles. Surprisingly, greeting the new subjects today seemed to have lightened his mood. He couldn't help but get enthusiastic over the theme park idea... even if it WAS fabricated. And the man seemed to have an imagination lacking in so many today. After all.... it WAS his birthday. Were there any of his serums here? Unfortunately, he hadn't developed any of the PARTICULARLY special serums.... but there was the one. Sabin plucked the "pegasus" serum from the shelf with a kind smile. "HRmm? Yes, Dengue fever is no walk in the park... pardon the pun." He grinned, pulling out a needle and filling it with the translucent liquid and walking back to him, swabbing his arm with an alcohol-soaked cotton swab. "Bleeding, hemmhoraging, you know, nasty experience. - This will only sting for a moment." And with that, Sabin slipped the needle into his arm - followed by a pinch, a sting, and a hot sensation spreading through his body. A moment later, the needle was discarded, the arm re-swabbed, and Sabin clapped him on the back. "And that's that! It might give you a bit of a fever tonight, but the town hall at the center of... "the village" we call it - the residency area for staff - has anything you could need - medicines, toiletries, a cafeteria. I'll drive you down to your room and you can get some rest." Sabin smiled and gestured back to the elevator. Gaius Harper Gaius flexed his arm a moment, feeling the burning dissipating throughout his body. Yes, any shot was better than a hemmhoraging fever. Feeling that his arm was well enough once more, Gaius's smile brightened and he got to his feet and followed after Sabin. "Don't worry, I've always been a healthy fellow. I'm sure a little fever won't do me any harm." Sabin Duvert "Well glad to hear that. It can knock some for a loop after a day of travel, but I haven't seen anyone not back on their feet after a good night's rest. " Sabin led him back down the elevator and back the way they came out to the jeep. "I'll go ahead and get you to your duplex." He dug the key out of his pocket, handing it to him. A simple hotel-like key with a plastic keychain with the number 62 on it, and then got back into the driver's seat himself. After Gaius got in, Sabin started up the jeep, and headed out of the facilities through a different gate, down another jungle path. "Looking forward to working with you. So take the next couple days to get a feel for the island. A lot of it is completely virgin jungle - so we've got a lot to work with. Though, obviously, it's key to the mood to keep a lot of it still jungle." Gaius Harper "Most definitely," Gaius agreed. "A blend of architecture and nature... Yeah, this'll be a great challenge!" As they neared the duplexes, Gaius scanned over the layout with an interested eye. Quite a bit of housing for the workers! Turning to Sabin, he asked, "I was wondering... do all the staff live down here? Will I be able to meet some of them, possibly? It'd be great if I could get some feedback from people like the actors on what their expectations are..." Sabin Duvert Sabin nodded, a wry grin finding its way onto his face. "Yes, actually, we've got a good deal of character actors already in residence here in our 'village.'" Sabin continued as they made it into the village that he had mentioned - a wheel-like cluster of stacked duplexes around a large, central building. "This won't be privvy to any of the visitors, of course - it would kind of break the mood - as we didn't really go for theme with this. Just utility. Maybe we'll change that when we have the time later, to help the actors stay in character better even off-duty. But that will have to wait till we've got the architectural theme for the park itself." Sabin drove up to one of the buildings and stopped the car, gesturing to the top story. "And that's your room! You've got it to yourself. The young lady who you met today will be your downstairs 'roommate'." Sabin unloaded Gaius's bags, then wiped his hands off with a smile. "And... that's about it! If you've got any questions, you can dial '0' on the intercom in your room to reach me or one of the other staff up at the labs. And a lot of the other actors are already exploring their characters - getting a head start and all." Gaius Harper Gaius grinned, taking up his luggage. "Sounds great! Thank you very much, Doctor Duvert. I hope my designs can live up to your expectations!" With that, he gave the doctor a quick wave before the strange, but quite enthusiastic, doctor drove away. Taking a deep breath, Gaius turned to survey what would be his home for the duration of the project, still wondering at his wonderful luck. Yes, this would be quite an adventure indeed! Sabin Duvert Sabin grinned. "I'm sure that you'll be a wonderful addition to the project!" Then, he returned Gaius's enthusiasm with a parting wave and got back into the jeeps to go see to Sayuri.
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Posted: Wed Aug 30, 2006 4:18 pm
An Introduction of Apocalyptic ProportionsGaius gets the talk from the polar opposites of Zach and RexGaius Harper Having dumped his things in the duplex, Gaius had taken the morning to nap and settle in. He was a bit disappointed to find the room had no kind of kitchen, but that made sense with the cafeteria nearby. Invigorated by his nap and feeling great aside from the injection spot that still itched a bit, Gaius'd decided to take a look at what the village provided. He wandered between the multiple duplexes, never catching any sight of other staff or actors around. Most likely busy with their own duties. However, the city boy felt drawn to the jungle at the edge of the clearing. This was what he had to work with for the park, after all. This jungle was the heart of the theme, embodying the thrill and inhuman monsters Sabin spoke of so enthusiastically. Gaius walked along the edge of the treeline, watching the shadows and wondering just what kind of animals actually lived in there. Zachary Bloodstone Rustle, rustle.Six months gone and six months different. It was hard to really put a claw - or finger, as they used to be - down on when he'd really felt his thoughts and personality change, as they seemed slower than the physical ones. His nervousness had melted away some, leaving him with anger. But right now, he was certain that his pining for the trees (among other things) was no product of his humanity. He didn't want to be out too much longer, or he was afraid he'd never leave the humid shade of the jungle. His skin was tougher in most places thanks to the scales, so rather than take the usual paths he made his own. It was much more solitary, and the less people he met the better. He felt the tips of his toes, wings, and tail start to tingle as numbness set into them. At the very least he didn't twitch as much now. Grumbling a noise that sounded half like a cat and half like a lizard, he pushed aside some plantlife, and walked right into a guy he'd never seen before in his life. Gaius Harper Gaius didn't even see it coming as something jumped right out of the bushes and ran into him. "Oomf!" He fell back a step, waving his arms to steady himself and ward off whatever'd barreled into him. Balance restored, he finally regained enough composure to see what was standing in front of him. Gaius froze, and gawked. This man - at least it resembled a man - was dressed in what had to be the most realistic costume Gaius had ever seen. Red scales that actually pushed out above his skin, frills glued to his jaw, the snout, the claws, the eyes! This was one of the monsters Sabin'd talked about! It took a moment for Gaius to catch himself staring, though it was with fascination rather than fear. A grin broke across his face. "That... is AMAZING! Is it hard wearing all that makeup? I had no idea the costumes were going to be so realistic, but with the rest of the facilities, I guess I shouldn't have expected anything less than nearly life-like!" Forgetting his manners in his excitement, Gaius grabbed at one of Zach's clawed hands with the intent to shake it warmly. "I hope I didn't damage anything when I ran into you! Hey, are those wings on your back?" Zachary Bloodstone "Hey!" Zach bounced backward as well, his frill open as wide as it could go. His tail snapped around his feet a couple of times. He itched to snap forward and bite, but by then the other person had backed off. Slitted eyes darted here and there, sizing up the man in front of him. At the same time, he brushed himself off as though unconsciously trying to rid himself of the feeling of another human being. If he were a man of stronger morals, Zach would almost have felt guilty for the similar sounding lie he told Hirohito. Almost. It wasn't hard to guess who'd told the guy this tale. "That'sss- um... well, you sssee..." He just couldn't say it to the guy. He'd been in a newcomer's place before, and quite honestly they never believed it. It wasn't worth telling the guy. He smiled a very fake smile back, exposing the huge canines and sharp teeth. His changes had made him so nervous about how he looked. God, he needed that new hat soon. "Costumesss? Oh, yeah." He let his scaly left hand be shaken, wiggling his claws around to keep from stabbing the brown-haired guy's own hands. His expression was still a little dumbstruck. He glanced down at the man's hands, looking for cuts. "I'm fine. Uh, are you okay though? And yeah... thessse are wingsss. Like them, huh?" He flapped them a little, though his wingspan wasn't impressively long. Gaius Harper Gaius stared with wonder at the moving frills and tail. He could only imagine what kind of motors were rigged up inside to get that kind of realistic movement. "Like them? They're awesome! Kinda small, but their movement is so real!" He stared as the dragon-man flapped them. Letting the hand go, Gaius fidgeted. He wanted to run a hand over the scaley texture and see if it felt as real as it looked - the hand certainly had. The actor seemed a bit self-conscious though, and that reminded Gaius of his own nerves. Jamming his hands into his pockets to keep them still, he offered a friendly smile to the fiersome-mawed face. "My name's Gaius... You can probably tell I'm new here. I'm going to be working on some of the architecture design." He sniffed, pulling a hand out to wipe his nose before pocketing it again. He couldn't get over how real those slitted eyes were. He almost swore he could see the pupils dilating and contracting. It was almost a bit unnerving. "So, uh, do you tend to wear all that often, then? Or is it just easier to leave it on when off-duty?" Rex Vadnais As the days passed since his last change, Rex fought his new instincts while trying to remain human and keep to his old routine. But recently the only thing he felt like doing was eating and sleeping. Rex figured that while they may have been turning him into some cat, they couldn't take all of the humanity in his mind.
So after his typical run along the beach Rex fumbled clumsily on his new feet through the jungle; the smell of lunch in the cafeteria acted as his guiding light through the dense foliage. He couldn't wait to sink his fangs into a juicy, rare flank of meat! Though a sound to the side seemed to distract him, two voices. One sounded vaguely familiar, though the other was completely new.
No longer thinking with his stomache, Rex adjusted his course just slightly enough to come crashing through the underbrush around the same place Zach had emerged minutes before.
The first thing Rex saw was the bulk of red with the despicable sneering face of a certain dragon he hated to remember. Though soon enough he noticed the other man; an exhuberant (if not awkward) smile leaked from his countenence.
"Zach." Rex said flatly. He couldn't focus on the other man at the moment. Zachary Bloodstone "Oh, you have no idea how real," he smiled, folding them against his back again. "It'sss easssy to figure out who'sss new here - they're the people that don't look or act like animalsss. And, uh, thisss? I wear it a lot. I don't think you'll ever sssee me without it." He turned his head at the sound of footsteps, ignoring Gaius for a moment, and narrowed his eyes at the lion as Rex approached them. Though the reasons for his contempt had long since faded into flitting memory, he knew that there had been reasons. It was good enough for him. He was silent for a moment, contemplating his words. His face lit up with an idea. "Rexsss!" he smirked, his voice sinisterly enthusiastic. "What great timing! I was jussst talking to Gaiusss here-" He made a casual wave of his hand at the nearby man - "about our cossstumesss. Why don't you tell him about yoursss?" He crossed his arms. This felt better than sinking his teeth into the furball ever could have been. Gaius Harper Gaius was was about to ask another question about the fins when another figure appeared from the jungle, this one dressed up as a very convincing lion. And it seemed the two knew each other, as the lion addressed the dragon as 'Zach.' However, the following exchange left the man at a loss. The lion, 'Rex' as he was named by Zach, didn't look happy to see his co-worker. And Gaius could almost swear he heard a note of jeering in Zach's voice as he spoke. Still, he was being introduced, and Gaius was ever one to want to make a good first impression. He offered a small wave to the lion, though he didn't offer a hand. "Um, hey! Good to meet you... You two know each other...?" Rex Vadnais "Unfortunately." Rex said flatly once again in regards to this Gaius' question. Though before the lion-man had the chance to elaborate on the subject, Zach's comment registered in his head.
"Costumes? What in the world are you talking about, Zach?" Rex sighed, seeing this oaf obviously hadn't changed a whole lot in the head since their last encounter. However, his exterior had certainly become quite a bit more reptilian. Rex grabbed a fistful of the thick fur trailing from his mane onto his chest by the cross of his necklace, tugging it as though he was uprooting a carrot. Though the fur stayed put, anchored into his skin as deeply as the very hair on his head. "This isn't a costume. Unfortunately, I can't exactly say that any of ours are."
Rex wiped the beads of sweat from his excerise on his brow that at clung to the fur on his face and sighed before turning to Gaius, talking as though he'd known the stranger his whole life, "Just ignore this guy. He kind of has a repution of ill will on newcomers." Rex certainly hadn't forgotten the day on the beach so many months ago. Poor Nita was terrified. Zachary Bloodstone Zach only kept smiling like a crocodile. He'd expected some sort of rebuttal from Rex. He clapped his mismatched hands together, but couldn't contain all of his malice. His tail flicked back and forth, though with every unintentional twitch it seemed to get number. He shuffled a little closer to Gaius. "Sssee? Rexss is a natural at acting. Sssometimesss he getsss a little too into it, though." "Not cossstumesss? I know they look pretty real, but they're not that convincssing." Silently he yearned for the earlier days when he'd have believed the lies he was putting out. He eyed Rex again. Last time he'd seen him, the guy had been pretty hairy, but only now did he look like a large cat, rather than a man with ravaging case of hypertrichosis. "Lisssten, maybe you should drop the act for a little while, he'sss new here." His facade crumbled slightly when he frowned at the last comment. "Oh?" Gaius Harper Gaius's smile was slowly fading as the two animal men talked. His eyes widened as Rex tugged on the hair of his mane. "N-not costumes...?" If all that hair wasn't a costume... what else could it be? "But... Sabin..." he protested feebly. Zach's smooth words were enough to assure Gaius's confused mind, though, and he managed a small chuckle. "Right. Acting..." Still, Rex had pulled pretty hard on his hair... And Zach's hand when he shook it... Besides that, he couldn't shake the feeling that there was a vendetta going on right over his head between the two. But Sabin had said there were actors who really got into character. Maybe this was some kind of initiation prank? Rex Vadnais "Pft, c'mon, I ain't no actor." Rex started, his fuse shorter with Zach than it was for other people, "We all know that these aren't just costumes. Heck, you think I'd go for a run in this costume by my own will?" Rex laughed as if only to reasure with himself that this wasn't a dream. Sure being a lion was cool and all, but he couldn't help but miss the mainland deep down. Rex looked to Gaius' face hoping to see a grin of agreement.
But he couldn't help but feel some confusion or discomfort eluding from the man.
It was only then Rex realised what Zach said. "He'sss new here."
"Wait... dude... you do know about this island, right?" Rex began to panic, he'd never broken the news of the island to someone before. He remembered how traumatic it'd been for him and Avery on their arrival. Please tell me you're just playing along... Zachary Bloodstone Ah, there was the key word. No one else would bother with the elaborate stories. He addressed Gaius again, ignoring the nervousness that was creeping into the onlooker's voice as he watched the squabble. "Hah, I knew you weren't that gullible. I mean, who are we really kidding? There'sss no sssuch thing as 'animal people'." The numbness had been creeping slowly up his tail muscles, and even part of the way into his wings, leaving them fairly motionless and almost nonexistant in his mind. Some part of him was a little disturbed not to feel anything from those new parts of him. Whether or not he liked it, he was growing used to being something other than human. Zach could barely conceal his laughter when he heard Rex gearing up to explain the truth about the island. "Oh no, not thisss story again... you want to give him nightmaresss?" Gaius Harper Gaius had to admit, all that fur had to be pretty dang hot in the tropical heat. But then, there were people in suits in the parks around Florida... "What do you mean, 'by your own will'?" he asked with unmasked confusion. When Rex asked him about the island, Gaius just shrugged, explaining, "I'm hired to work here as an architect on the island theme park. It's supposed to be a thriller-action-adventure theme based around the jungle and primal monsters... er, what I supposed you guys are supposed to be." Zach's encouragement only helped cement Gaius's faith in the story he'd been told. Sure, he'd been gullible in the past, but he wasn't about to be taken in again, even with such a... confusing ruse. The mention of a story did intrigue him, though. "A...story? About the island?" His eyes darted between the two men, unsure of where his trust really lay. Rex Vadnais Now a certain dragon was beginning to really get on Rex's nerves, "ZACH! Just SHUT UP for ONCE!" The deep rumble of a roar in the making resounded from Rex's bared lips. His fangs were long, sharp, and visible. Claws were flicked open to reveal a set of several daggers literally at his fingertips and the viscious glare of the lion looked out from Rex's blue eyes.
Then as if that didn't happen, Rex returned to normal, trying to speak in a casual and calm voice to Gaius as a human. Not as the beast he knew he was. His voice was sincere and worried, yet another soul was condemmed to the island. "Man... well..." Rex struggled for the correct way to word it, he'd never told anyone something as important as 'your life is changed forever.' He had to be straight with him.
"Gaius. Everything that you've been told about this island is... is a lie. There is no amusement park or whatever you were told, we're not actors, these aren't costumes." Rex sighed and massaged the bridge of his nose, dropping his gaurd and losing focus. "Um, this island is run by some nutcase that goes by the name of Moreau. We're all just his little pets, everyone here used to be human... but he's changing us all into animals."
He felt like he was telling someone a family member died, only ten times worse. With a sigh, "You're... you're never going home, Gaius." Zachary Bloodstone For once, the dragon held his tongue, but there was still laughter in his slightly crinkled eyes. Those claws probably meant business, he figured. It was just a little sobering. For a moment, Rex wasn't just a big mangy cat, but a huge bloodthirsty brown bear... he shook his head, squeezing his eyes shut for a moment. The story was as disheartening as ever. No escape, no future, just life as an animal. As if it hadn't been said fifty times before. Someone must have forgotten to just make the introduction pamphlets. A Guide To Survival on a Mad Scientist-Run Island, that's what they needed around here. Nevertheless, Zach knew that the truth could be weak. After a lengthy pause, he started to clap, slowly, picking up speed. He was grinning again, displaying his own set of daggers. "Encore, Rexss!" "To be or not to be, that isss the question!" Zach bellowed dramatically, raising a hand to mockingly hold a skull. He made to stifle his laughter with his hand, but with a mouth so long it wasn't as concealing as it used to be. He put a hand on Rex's furry shoulder and leaned his head down, still giggling. Gaius Harper The architect felt rather awkward, finding himself between the two in what must have been some kind of rivalry. Rex's display of temper made him jump, taking a step back. Maybe... Maybe there was some truth... No one should be able to roar like that, should they? And the extending claws... He'd caught a glimpse of the teeth in the lion's mouth, and they sure looked firmly planted in his gums. "Wait..." Gaius said after Rex had finished his explanation. "What? Lies...? ...Moreau? I... I think I saw the name mentioned in the funding information for the job..." He was struggling to put sentences together. Everything was jumbled in his head. There was no way it could be true, yet everything looked to real to not be true. "But... I'm just here until the project is finished..." he floundered. Turning at the dragon's mocking voice, Gaius watched as he jeered at the lion. Something... seemed off. "This... this all has to be a joke, right?" He glanced between the two weakly, hoping against hope that that was the case. Rex Vadnais Rex sighed as his gut sunk to his toes and he got a weird clotted feeling in his throat. All he could do was just ignore Zach and hope he'd go away, "I wish it were just a joke. And I really hate to say it but... it's not." Rex was glad he was beginning to win Gaius over to his side.
"What'll it take to prove to you that this is real." Rex sighed anxiously, worried that Zach would retailiate with another misleading comment. "I can't take this off!" He moaned, tugging at the thick mane of hair and his long tail. "Look, there is no zipper. See for yourself!" He turned slowly like a chicken on a rotisserie, modeling as proof that this his feline features were indeed not make-up. Zachary Bloodstone Zach let go of Rex's shoulder to wipe a tear from his eye. He hadn't laughed that hard in... well... in all honesty he didn't remember laughing at all since before he'd arrived on this rock. Rex did look geninely worried at this point, but he was making it even harder by pointing out that there were no seams to his apparent 'costume'. Was it really worth keeping up the little game, just for the sake of a little fun? "Fine," he wheezed, still grinning wickedly. "Fine, Rexss." After taking a couple deep breaths to assumably gather his thoughts, he turned to Gaius with a completely serious face. "Gaiusss... Rexss is right. This placsse really is a mad scientist'sss little exssperiment. And you're going to become an animal, jussst like me and Rexss, and all the other people here. You're not leaving. None of us are. Ever. You just have to get usssed to it." He gave it time to sink in. The corner of his mouth twitched a little. But after a while, he couldn't hold it in any longer, bursting into loud hissing laughter, holding his forehead as he shook with mirth. "You- oh god - how do you keep a ssstraight facsse when- when you sssay that ssstuff?" Gaius Harper Gaius's face fell. Yes... the fur did look real, especially with a closer inspection. He could almost see the pores that they grew out from! "But... I don't see how that's even possible..." His hopes continued to fall apart as it seemed even Zach joined in the story. He let his head drop, trying to absorb everything they were saying. Never going home... The sudden burst of laughter snapped Gaius's head up, staring wide-eyed at the dragon-man. It had been a joke?! A bright flush colored Gaius's cheeks as he glared ashamedly at the two. "Dangit, you guys! Quit leading me on! Sure, you probably have a blast doing this to all the new guys, but really!" He shook his head, letting his scowl soften to a rueful grin. "You definitely had me going... Heh! I bet they stick the hair to you guys with some kind of glue that only comes off with a special solvent! Yeah, nice joke on the new guy." Rex Vadnais Rex's spirits rose, glad that Gaius was finally accepting his explanation and happy that Zach was finally giving in to the poor new guy as well.
Until Zach's last comment and Gaius following his lead.
Rex snarled wildy, the lion taking control of his mind for the first time in a long while. Rex roared wildly and planted a hard right hook on Zach's long jaw, "SHUT UP, YOU a*****e!" An increased panic followed as his heart raced and the lion continued to grunt primitively.
NOT letting that happen again, the Human Rex thought, shoving the lion's instincts back down into his gut before turning to Gaius. "What'll it take to make you believe me?!" Rex pleaded, a tone of desperation filled his voice. Zachary Bloodstone Zach was still laughing, till the punch sent him reeling. He backed up a couple of steps into a tree, his hands frantically grasping at his elongated face. The hot and painful taste of blood filled his mouth, and something painfully snagged on his tongue, forcing him to spit out a blood-covered tooth, wickedly sharp. There was blood pouring from his nose, too, the underdeveloped nasal passages yielding to even the smallest accidental pains. What had been just red-tinged skin pulled over his bizarre skull was now a mess of dripping crimson, coming from places that could never bleed on a costume. He gave a quiet gurgle of shock, unable to make his usual amount of small talk with his mouth in so much pain. Between his grasping fingers it was obvious he was bleeding from where the tooth had been knocked clean out. Gaius Harper Gaius stared wide-eyed. "No way..." That blood... It was streaming out of his snout. "No, that... that doesn't make sense!" He tried to fight the truth, but it was spitting a tooth out right in front of him. Ever trace of merriment dropped, leaving him standing there feeling empty and lost. "Please... No... This... It's real?" He looked from Zach to Rex, the one who'd apparantly been the 'honest' one. "But... a scientist... animal-people... this only happens in movies and books! I-I can't be a part of this!" Rex Vadnais "Gaius... I'm sorry..." Rex panted, trying to regain his calm. He saw the blood spilling from Zach's jaw and the took that had been expelled from his mouth. Rex's heart wrenched, he couldn't stand to see blood or pain from anyone. He sucked up the mixed emotions created at the sight of blood, one of which was hunger, and went to the man's side. "Zach let me help. You need to get cleaned up... I'm sorry, I- I just couldn't hold it!" He felt bad for his actions, even though he knew that Zach deserved it.
"And Gaius... I... UGH! This is so hard, I'm so sorry..." Zachary Bloodstone "Oh, id'sss real all right," he grumbled at Gaius, continuing to clamp his hands against his bleeding snout. His false friendliness was gone entirely. The bleeding obscured some of his speech, making it sound like he had a bad cold. "You bedder be hoping you god a nice fuzzy mammal like Regsss." As soon as Rex approached him Zach's eyes narrowed, the shadow of something wild and solitary in his expression. He shifted his hands so that one of them could keep pressure on the side of his mouth, while the other blood-covered hand lashed forward in warning, fingers curved ever so slightly An odd growling, hissing sound rumbled from his throat. "Ged away frumb be!" He winced, straining his jaw too much. The blood was still trickling unchecked from his mouth and nose. He needed a towel, and soon. Gaius Harper Unthinking, Gaius took a step forward, automatically moving to help Rex with Zach, before the dragon hissed and swiped at him. He stopped, staring at the two as if he was seeing them for the first time. The dragon with the stretched out and now broken nose, and frills sprouting all over him, and the lion, his face almost indistinguishable from an animal's. These guys used to be human. Like him. "Good God..." he breathed. "I'm going to be a monster..." It all hit him at once. There was no going home. He'd never see his family again. And the scientists were going to reduce him to a raving animal, just like Zach and Rex. It was like he was hit with a physical blow. Stumbling back, Gaius caught himself on a tree, breathing hard and staring sightlessly ahead. "This... This can't be real... My life... My friends..." Rex Vadnais Rex stopped outside of the striking range of Zach after he took a swipe at him. Apparently Zach was as heartless as he thought. "Fine, Zach. Bleed to death." A loathing sneer replaced his expression of anxiety that occupied his face moments before. If he didn't want the help, he wouldn't get it.
Instead, Rex shifted his focus to Gaius who has suddenly collapsed onto a nearby tree. "Oh no..." He ran to the human's aid instead, unfortunately Rex didn't have a whole lot that he could say. "Gaius, I- I know it's hard, but it's true..." He sighed, motioning for Gaius to sit back against the tree trunk as Rex crouched to his knees to comfort the man.
All of his experience on the island had taught Rex to not bring up the changes, but he couldn't help but blurt out. "Listen... the changes aren't so bad. I mean... well it sucks, but you get used to them. You'll live through it..." He was at a loss for words, too washed up by the large spectrum of emotion that he'd just been put through. "...and hey, life here isn't so bad! I mean, who can say that they got to spend their whole life on a tropical island." He couldn't help but feel like his pathetic attempts of cheering up the man were futile. His shoulders collapsed and he burried his head into his hands. The only thing heard behind his forming tears was a muffled "I"m sorry... so sorry..." Zachary Bloodstone Zach looked over at Gaius with an incredulous tone to his voice. "Id took you thad long to ged id, huh? Look, I tried to keeb you frumb finding oud. I really did. I don' sssubbose you'd have been ignorand for much longer dan a few daysss, bud really... you'll wish you had been. Any amound of time longer den duh day you god here." His voice gathered some curiosity. "You... did say 'Sssabin' earlier, righd? Did he gib you duh shot?" He hissed at Rex again. "I don' need your helb." At this point the numbness of his tail had spread right up to the beginning of his tailbone, leaving the entire structure of scale, bone, and muscle entirely limp and unfeeling. It was extremely uncomfortable, and there wasn't much to do about it. As much fun as he'd been having at the expense of the pair's fragile emotional states, he'd reached the end of it. The last thing he really wanted now was to be hanging around in a pool of blood while they cried on each others' shoulders. Gaius Harper Gaius continued to shake his head, trying to dispell the reality around him. He couldn't bring himself to look at Rex, though he mumbled a lie about being alright. Zach's derogatory tone dragged him out of his gloom, making him finally look up and ackowledge the scaled man. The previous despair was washed away, anger igniting instead. Gullible, he'd said earlier. Yes, Gaius had been gullible once again. Taken in by Sabin and Zach's forked tongues. "Yes," he grunted, "It was Sabin." Pushing himself up off of the tree, Gaius tentatively placed a hand on Rex's shoulder to try and show there were no hard feelings. He wondered at how he could have missed the fur growing right from Rex's skin. "Thanks... for being honest. I need some time... to think..." Rex Vadnais Sabin was a name that he'd heard used several times since his arrival at the island, though he'd never had the "pleasure" of actually getting to meet the b*****d. From what he'd heard he was one of the most despicable doctors on this rock, I wonder what he's like... probably some creep...
Rex let his hands drop and came to a stand once again as Gaius put his hand on his shoulder. "I totally understand, dude..." He looked into the man's eyes and sighed, disappointed that he couldn't do more to help. "Listen... I'm in duplex 35 if you ever need help around here. I'll try to help however I can." In the end, he'd truly forgotten about rough it was to be on the island. The lead quite pampered and refurbished lives in the end. But it was still hard to be happy. "I'm here for you." Zachary Bloodstone Zach continued to hold his bleeding face in his hands. The smell and taste of the blood was driving him crazy, even though he knew it was his own. Despite himself, he smirked when Gaius confirmed what Zach thought he'd heard. Grimacing, he stopped leaning against the tree. While Rex and Gaius had their heart-to-heart, he stole away toward his duplex, across the village, without another taunting word, his face slick with red. His tail dragged along the dirt behind him. Other than a swollen jaw and a couple of laughs, he'd gained nothing, and even now the laughs didn't seem worth the pain. Gaius Harper "Thanks..." he said to Rex's consoling. Zach's departure was completely ignored. "I'm in duplex 62. Right now, I think I just need a chance to let this all settle. Everything's mixed up inside... I'm not sure what I feel," he sighed. Giving the lion one last pat - it felt strange to actually come in contact with the half-creature - he turned away and made his own way towards the higher numbers, where his pillow and a blank ceiling waited. Rex Vadnais Rex nodded understandingly and didn't even give Zach's dragging away a second thought. Rex needed some time to think, he couldn't imagine having to give that talk ever again after having such an awkwardly traumatic encounter. "Anytime, bud..."
He did his best thinking in the water, so he dirged his way to the river to let the healing freshwater run through his fur. In his opinion, it was better than any shower could do.
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Posted: Sat Sep 02, 2006 8:36 pm
A Sandwich at SunsetGaius learns how forceful a particular squirrel-woman can beGaius Harper After his first meeting with the dragon and lion, Gaius had retreated to his room, where he spent the better part of a day lying on the bed... just thinking. Considering everything in his life had been completely scrambled in one afternoon, Gaius was feeling less than peachy. Here he was, on an island full of monster-people, and soon going to join them, if Rex was right. It was something he would rather not face. However, he knew it would be impossible to hole up forever. After just one day, Gaius was already going crazy pacing in his small duplex, and his stomach demanded attention. Sneaking out in the late afternoon, Gaius stopped by the cafeteria, grabbing himself a sandwich with the intension of returning to his duplex, but once outside, he found his feet carrying himself down one of the paths from the village. The air was beginning to cool with the sun lowering in the sky, and Gaius couldn't help but admire the surroundings. Soon there was sand under his feet, and an expanse of ocean greeted him, painted red and orange with the setting sun. Settling down on the sand with his sandwich, Gaius let out a long sigh. It was almost perfect... if only he could stop picturing Rex and Zach's fearsome maws in front of him, and wondering how long before he saw the same thing in the mirror. Antoinette Devereux Dusk was coming. And that meant Antony could go out to the beach without fear of being sunburned. That and she had some thinking to do as well. Smoke dangling from her lips, the albino made her way out along the still sun warm sand, the small carbonate grains squishing up between her toes pleasantly. That alone was distraction enough, but her mind was also elsewhere, and she didn't notice the man just ahead of where she was walking. Her tails flicked pensively behind her, and she looked as if she were deep in thought. Gaius Harper Gaius took a bite of his sandwich, enjoying his self-made meal and letting his worries melt away with the satisfaction of his most basic necessity. Lying back, Gaius set the sandwich on his chest. At least out here he was alone. No mad scientists or animal-people to worry about. It seemed he'd thought too soon as the sound of crunching sand behind him alerted him to approaching company. Tilting his head back, Gaius got an upside-down view of what looked to be a white cat of some sort with far more tails than any creature had any business possessing. He yelped in surprise and scrambled upright, dropping his sandwich in the process. Antoinette Devereux His yelp startled her, and she froze immediately. Everything from her tails to her nose were still, well except her chest, which was heaving quicker than usual. <********," she finally said when she realized it was just a normal guy, "Please tell me you've already been told...?" With her luck, he hadn't yet. The look on her face explained just how much she hoped that was the case, and she gave an extra deep suck of her cancer stick just in case it wasn't. Gaius Harper He remained sitting in the sand where he was, half of a meat sandwich still hanging from his shirt, staring wide-eyed at the lady in front of him. It took a moment for her question to get through to him. Finding his voice, Gaius stammered, "T-told...? ...Oh! Yeah... Though I'm still not used to the site of animal people." He chuckled weakly and winced. "...Sorry. Give me some time, I'll work on it..." Antoinette Devereux "You best. Imagine how it feels to be on the receiving end of such a reaction." She raised an eyebrow to punctuate her statement before stepping forward to pluck the meat from the front of his shirt and pop it in her mouth. This way, she could chew on it thoughtfully. Or just chew to buy time. Her right hand was offered for a firm handshake, "I'm Antony." Gaius Harper Gaius winced again, realizing how rude he was being. "Sorry, I didn't mean any..." His apology was interrupted by the sudden purloining of what had remained of his sandwich. He blinked, glancing down at the sandy mess that was the rest of his sandwich, and back up at Antony. It was all too surreal for him to handle. Shaking his head, Gaius broke into a fit of chuckling. "Ha ha! I know this has to be real, it's too weird to be a dream!" He brushed his sandy hand on his jeans before gripping her clawed hand and shaking it, finally breaking into an actual smile. "I'm Gaius." Picking off a bit of cheese still clinging to his clothes, he stuffed it in his mouth and reguarded her. "So... I have to ask, how long do I have before I join the likes of you anyways? I looked in the mirror earlier, and I don't seem to be sprouting fur yet as far as I can tell." Antoinette Devereux "Pleasure," she responded before plunking her rear down on a sandwhich free patch of sand. His question moments later caused her to look up at him, chewing on her lip ring absently. "Well... I think it depends... But if you go too long without the next injection you get sick. Probably has something to do with your cells being unstable and breaking down, but I'm not a doctor..." Antony shrugged, not really offering what she used to be as to not bring up bitter feelings. This way, she wouldn't be too cranky about not being able to drive, or even work on cars. Not to mention her tattoos being hidden and the fact that she couldn't simply go to work and actually accomplish anything anymore. Gaius Harper He nodded slowly, absorbing the information. "So... it's more injections?" This was all new to him, having only learned the basics in his previous encounter. Thankfully, Antony seemed far from being angry, or a sneak like that Zach. For that matter... she was the first woman he'd encountered on the island, at least the first changed one. He glanced back at her, eyes lingering on her face, wondering what she had used to look like under the fur. Looking away quickly, he frowned and furrowed his brows. "...I'm sorry..." Antoinette Devereux "I'm used to stares, before the island too... So no worries," she waved off his apology before moving to actually explain herself. "I was a tattoo artist, but all my own ink is bloody covered by fur now." A growl escaped her muzzle, but it was rather soft considering. Her tails did most of the 'talking,' and lashed behind her when she mentioned the fur. Gaius Harper "Ah, well..." Gaius scratched at the back of his neck, a nervous habit of his. "I meant... I'm sorry for you being here. And that your tattoos are covered..." he trailed off and shrugged. "They were probably pretty." The movement of her tails caught his attention. So many of them... It was still hard for him to not think of the limbs as costume props, but they were all part of Antony's body. He couldn't fathom having so many of anything. He opened his mouth to ask how they felt, but quickly closed it and looked back out at the water. Best not to be rude. Instead, he asked, "Do you still do tattoo art? I'd love to see samples of your work." Antoinette Devereux The cigarette, after lasting its final drag, was snuffed into the sand next to her. "It's not your fault," she said slowly, as if he really wasn't understanding her. Luckily, he shifted the topic towards one of her passions, and she took the bait. It was safer, at least. "Yeah, back in my duplex... Not that I have my studio room here, but I guess stacks of sketchbooks will do..." What she really wanted was to be able to get up under her Sandy again, and then drive. She didn't care where too, as long as it was driving. Gaius Harper Somehow, despite Antony's strange appearance, it felt almost normal to be talking about tattoo sketchbooks compaired to everything else he'd gone through the past two days. He just wished he knew how to relate better to her. She wasn't the type of girl he would have been around much at home, so he felt a level of seperation beyond the difference in their state of humanity. "That'd be fun sometime..." he said. He didn't feel like moving quite yet, enjoying the breeze off the ocean as the sun disappeared. The first stars were beginning to peek out above them. Gaius leaned back on his hands, a small smile spreading across his face. "Being out here under the stars remind me of camping with my dad..." The smile suddenly vanished. He facepalmed and fell back on the sand, angry with himself. And he'd been able to forget everything for a couple minutes, then he had to go and remind himself! "Damnit! Why am I here... I don't deserve this! You don't deserve this!" He groaned. "I'm a mess..." Antoinette Devereux The moment he mentioned camping with his dad, Antony braced herself for an explosion of sorts. "What'd they tell you?" She asked as calmly as possible considering he was giving her exactly what she didn't want, pity. Hopefully, he wouldn't go on about it too much and the squirrel woman wouldn't lose her temper. Gaius Harper He remained lying on his back, hand over his face as he answered, "That I'm stuck here. Never going home or seeing my family. It's just hard to really understand." He let his hand drop back onto the sand. Never going to see his father again... What would he think? The last thing Gaius wanted was to worry his family. "I wonder if they'll even know what's happened to me..." Well, wasn't he a little ray of sunshine. Though, considering the situation he was in, it wasn't exactly conducive to a cheerful attitude. Antoinette Devereux Antony narrowed her eyes at him, the red irises taking on a whole new intensity as he continued to talk. "You're dead, as far as anyone else knows... All of us are dead, so ******** get a hold of yourself." The squirrel woman stood swiftly, towering over him as her own temper got the better of her thanks to the recent stressing events. "Stop ******** acting like you're the only one here doomed to this fate! That you're not the only person worried about those in your life. At least you have family. It was just me, and my father... Not a day goes by without me thinking of how much pain and guilt I've caused him." She wasn't pacing, but the tails behind her were speaking volumes for the intensity of her anger. "Now I'm not saying you need to take the news gracefully and suck it up because then I'd be a ******** hypocrite, but for ******** sake stop pissing and moaning like a pathetic emo kid who just got dumped by their girlfriend. Throw a ******** tantrum for all I care, but I've had my fill of pity parties since December! And let me tell you... They. Do not. HELP!" By the time she was finished, her chest was heaving and she was looming over the much taller, and definitely much stronger man. Gaius Harper The furry woman's angry outburst sent Gaius scrambling up to avoid her wrath. A flush of shame colored his face. Much as he hated to admit it, what she said was true. He was acting like a kid. Part of him argued that he was due his self-pity, but the better part joined Antony in kicking himself mentally for falling into such a lousy state of mind. He looked up at the furious woman standing over him. She made quite a fearsome image with her red eyes and tails writhing like angry snakes behind her. Gulping, Gaius nodded slightly, rather cowed. He felt like a kid being reprimanded in school. "Y-yes ma'am... Please don't hurt me?" he added with a shadow of a smile. Antoinette Devereux "Don't ma'am me," she snapped, frowning and crossing her arms, "I am not -that- old yet." The next question made her grin, which looked rather maddening in her current state of mind. "Don't give me a reason to then," Antony replied, baring her teeth in a wicked grin, "Unless you're into pain... Then that could be arranged..." A wink was added as her color slowly returned, or rather her lack of color returned. Either way, she looked as if she was calming down. As long as he didn't start whining like a little girl again, that is. Gaius Harper Gaius chuckled slightly, the implication of Antony's wink and offer flying over his head. "That's okay. I get enough of that working with a hammer." Getting back up to his feet, Gaius started brushing off the loads of sand that'd caked his back and rustled his hair quickly, leaving it more messy than usual. That completed, he turned back towards the ocean, though his eyes lingered on Antony. A thought flashed in his head. "You've been here for a while..." he spoke in a conspiratorial hush, "Has... anyone tried escaping?" Antoinette Devereux "Carpenter?" She asked, eyebrow raising in genuine interest, "I'm a mechanic." Being a prey of sorts, Antony kept her eyes on him at all times since he was much bigger than her. Human or not, the squirrel was always uneasy about strangers. A shake of her head was the initial response to his question, "Yes, but this place is locked down tighter than the White House. Cameras are everywhere, and the only way off the island is via the 'copter you came here on... Assuming you didn't wash up on the beach or anything." Running her hand on her face, she sighed in a frustrated manner. "I've learned that it's best to stay on the labs' good side, because then they'll make it a more pleasant living situation. Don't piss off the guy in charge though... Last person who did no longer has his goodies..." She trailed off, watching him to make sure he understood before continuing, "Think tentacle p***s... Or whatever the equivilant is for an octopus." A wave of her hand was offered before she headed for the water, motioning him to come with her. Gaius Harper "Architect, or at least was trying to be, but I do a lot of construction." He looked back at her with interest. "What kind of machines did you work with?" The news about the cameras was new, and got Gaius looking back over his shoulder, as if expecting to see a glass lens peeking out from the foilage. "Cameras? That makes it harder..." He nodded to her suggestions. "Yeah. That Moreau guy, right? I heard Rex mention him..." However, the next bit sent all the blood draining from Gaius's face. "T-tentacle p***s?" He stared at her with unmasked horror. "H-holy hell... How does that even work?" Antoinette Devereux "Car mechanic," she replied on her way down to the water. Hopefully here, the labs couldn't hear them over the sounds of the crashing waves. Stripping her tank and her jeans off, she tossed them up beach and away from the tide. Though the sun was setting, Antony could see the color drain from his face as clear as day. "You don't want to know," she said simply. Really, even she didn't want to know, but unfortunately that wasn't a luxury she was able to enjoy. When she was left in her bikini, Antony finally stepped into the surf, glancing back at him to make sure he was coming. Gaius Harper Terrible, horrible images played out behind Gaius's eyes before a shirt landing in the sand before him caught his attention. If anyone was watching him, they could see the wheels slowly turning as he stared at the shirt, trying to figure out its significance, and then the moment of realization when his paled face snapped back to a bright red and his eyes bulged. When Antony had first appeared, Gaius had been too preoccupied by her animal qualities to mind much that she was a shapely woman and attractive to a degree, but now in her state of undress, he couldn't help but notice. Needless to say, Antony and her bikini had sent Gaius's brain tripping all over itself. He remained rooted where he was, staring dumbly at Antony when she glanced back. It took him a moment to realize that she wanted him to follow. He yanked off his shirt and rolled up his pant legs as he hopped down towards the water after her. Antoinette Devereux The look on his face did not go unnoticed, and Antony's ego was boosted, silent compliment tucked away in case the information gleaned would be useful. Moments later, the squirrel woman was the one to preform a double take. God bless hard working men. An appreciative look and a whistle were tossed at him before she continued wading into the waves, tails becoming wet and waterlogged. Luckily, they didn't stay out of water long. She'd wait till he was in the water with her before speaking again. Gaius Harper The whistle was quite plain in intent, causing Gaius to flush even more and duck his head in response, though a goofy grin cracked his face. He sloshed out into the water after Antony, grateful for the cool water, and took a moment to duck his head under before flipping it back with a stream of water. Once he was wading around chest level, he hazarded a look back at the furred woman. "S-so..." he said, finding his tongue, "You worked a lot with cars...?" Yeah, obvious question. At least he was trying. Antoinette Devereux "Mostly, but I'm very good with my hands..." She trailed off, enjoying the torturing banter. After all, she hadn't seen a guy blush like so in quite a while. "So I can fix just about anything." While her grin was innocent, her eyes gave away her amusement. "Anyways... I've been thinking a lot lately, and I got this stupid idea about possibly doing messages in bottles. We'd have to research a lot, and figure out lots of minute logistics... Which I think, given our professions, wouldn't be so hard for us..." Her eyebrows raised in a silent 'what do you think' sort of question. Gaius Harper His already embarassed attitude plus his nature as a young man made it all too easy for the hand comment to send his mind off spiralling down the dirty path, making Gaius squirm. And he could tell she was enjoying his torment, which only made him more self-conscious. "Y-you're wicked, you know that?" he managed with a teasing half-smile. He listened with interest to the bottle idea, eyes lighting up as he nodded. "Yeah... Yeah! If we can get our hands on some information... We'll have to figure out currents, at least. I wonder if there's a map of this area of the ocean..." An excited look filled his eyes. With the job a bust, he'd been lost without anything to apply himself to, and now here was an outlet for all his energy. Maybe he wouldn't have to end up like the others after all! "Is there a way to get the info we'll need...?" Antoinette Devereux "I know," she drawled, a lopsided smirk gracing her muzzle for a moment. "There needs to be a reason for them not to suspect any of the bottles that we throw in the water first. Drunken idea maybe, but have us putting nonsense in the bottles at first. Or things that seem meaningless... There also has to be a reason for us to continue to visit each other often..." Even as she spoke about their plan, Antony kept her seductive attitude. This way, the cameras would just see her as trying to seduce another hot male, which, given her history, wasn't that irregular. During her speaking, she brought herself closer to him, bringing her fingertips to trail over the edge of her bikini top. "Considering my nature," the woman motioned to her pseudo-advances, "What do you suggest?" Gaius Harper "Meaningless... Yeah. If these labs are as careful as you say they are, they'd try to pick up some of our bottles..." He scratched his chin, looking out at the horizon. "I remember seeing a reef when we flew over... We'll have that to deal with too..." He was wrested from brainstorming by Antony's approach. The blush was back, and he took a gulp, blue eyes locked on hers. "S-s-s-suggest?" He blinked. Little red warning lights were blinking inside his head. The lines between teasing and reality were blurring, leaving him confused and unsure. "I, er... m-maybe if you want to show me those tattoo sketchbooks..." Antoinette Devereux "Storms and riptides would probably be the best bets," she agreed, cocking her head to the side as if trying to get a better look at him from her vantage. Now, how to word this...? "Well you see... As you said, I'm wicked, and if I didn't try and take advantage of such an attractive man..." A fingertip trailed between his pecs slowly, "Then I'm sure that'd put up red flags... And we don't want red flags now do we?" The squirrel woman smiled, her eyes managing to brew a serious gaze to them even through her faux seductions. "You'll only have to follow my lead, and I promise it'll be rather painless." Once he understood and they were both on the same page, then they could continue planning. Gaius Harper A hand suddenly caught hers as it ran along his chest. There were still boundaries he wasn't ready to cross, teasing or no, and she'd tread into that area. His eyes met hers and he nodded slowly, though he remained tensed. "Alright, if it's a show for the labs... but only a show." He let that hang before releasing her hand, relaxing back to his embarassed state. "S-sorry, I just... yeah. Just a show." Antoinette Devereux Her brow furrowed inquisitively, and she nodded, understanding the body language he projected as clear as day. "Just tell me if something bothers you," she drawled softly, moving her hand under the waves to find his hand with hers, twining their fingers together. Antony could tell he was inexperienced as well as guarded, so she figured it was best to tread lightly as to not make him too uncomfortable. It's what she'd do anyways. "I had some random ideas of what to put inside them. Photographs would be too obvious, but I'm sure sand could be determined by a geologist or something. They have forensic geologists I think. Maybe an old plane ticket stub or a social security number? It's something that'd need to be thought about, I'd say..." Gaius Harper Gaius let her catch his hand, lowering his eyes to the water. "Thank you..." he said softly. "Sand?" He looked back up, curious how that could help them. "Hm... yeah, maybe a bit of plant too..." Antony seemed to have a good understanding of what needed to be done. He'd let her run the show on this. "Is there anything I can do to help? I'm new, but maybe that can be used to our advantage?" Antoinette Devereux "The plant would probably decompose though," she commented, chewing on her lip ring for a bit as she let her thumb run across his hand to test the waters. Maybe alcohol would be needed to loosen him up. "I could do some drunken or high bullshit with a few bottles, and I think it best if only one of us do the bottle releasing. Probably me since I'm not new. New people tend to want to scrap together escape plots right off the bat... That and it's not new for me to get piss drunk and do stupid things." Antony grinned, taking a small step or so closer to him to keep his blush going. Maybe they'd think she was jacking him off underwater or something else lewd. Gaius Harper Gaius gulped, though he didn't pull his hand away from hers. "Y-Yeah, that wouldn't be so good..." "I could try to get my hands on some bottles too... I won't do anything with them... but I could 'forget' them s-somewhere... Or maybe we could send out empty bottles too, to throw them off..." Antoinette Devereux "Unless you drink, don't worry about collecting them. Work more on the currents and research. Since you asked me about escape plans, it would make sense for you to research ways to get off." Her other hand went under water and gently caught his free wrist, bringing it to place on her waist and setting her hand atop his to keep it there. "It's not so scary," she commented with a smile to hopefully try and put him at ease. The squirrel woman continued on the subject almost immediately, "But make sure you research a whole variety of things, and not just what we need... Throw them off by over researching something else. Things like that." Gaius Harper He froze, literally froze, when she placed his hand on her waist. He desperately wanted to pull away, feeling like he was treading on quicksand, but he would have to pull it out from her hand, and his desire to not offend her made him keep it there. Still, the look of an animal ready to buck and run entered his eyes. It was hard for him to concentrate, with Antony's game of flip-flop between flirting and planning, but he reminded himself it was for the unseen cameras, and nodded, agreeing with her advice. "I'll look into obscure things, make it seem like I'm doing it from boredom... But... how can I get my hands on books with the info we need? They don't have a library here with this kind of stuff in it, do they?" Antoinette Devereux "Relax," she whispered, trying not to be too amused by all this. Considering how he was acting, Antony would bet a good amount of money on him being a virgin. The next question caused her to 'hmm' ever so lightly, letting her hair fall into her face as her brow furrowed in thought. "I've seen books in the Entertainment Room... And there's obviously no access to the internet. All else fails you can try requesting them by dialing '0' on your intercom." Gaius Harper Relax. Right, easier said than done. Gaius hadn't felt this awkward since his friends had sprung a saucy girl on him in a bar in college. His fingers twitched above her hip. "Y-You mean the labs will actually give you things if you ask for it?" He blinked at the new revelation. "I thought that - since they've trapped us and all - that we'd be at their mercy or something like that." Antoinette Devereux "More or less," she murmured, letting the hand ontop of his and her hip slide to rest on his forearm. "If you need new clothes and stuff, they'll get you whatever you want. Moreau's bloody rich, so unless you piss him off... It's pretty comfy on the island. Except the whole, turning into giant animals thing..." A half smile was offered after she sized up his strong frame again, "Is all that from your job or...?" Gaius Harper Gaius was sorely tempted to pull his hand away when it was freed and catch hers, but he made himself stay, at least for a little longer. He offered a shy grin and tilted his head. "I don't know, the multi-tailed cat-lady look kinda works for you...." To her question, he shrugged slightly and grinned. "Mostly. I haven't had too much luck yet with architecture jobs, so I've been doing a lot of contractor work, and I spend days out building houses for people, but I do visit the gym a couple times a week. I like to stay healthy." And, though he didn't realize it himself, he was a little vain about his body, though he didn't know how good he had it. Antoinette Devereux "Cat-lady?" Antony repeated slowly, as if she hadn't heard him right and saying it again would make things clearer. "Try an albino squirrel," she clarified with a dry voice, eyes narrowing somewhat. Clearly, she had been offended by him mistaking her for a giant p***y. Though his answer was noted, she didn't even think to reply to it. He had called her a cat, after all. Gaius Harper He caught the sharp look and winced, wondering what he'd said this time. When she clarified, he blinked blankly. "Squirrel? I... I didn't know they even came in white! I thought they were all grey and brown." Well, if Antony was touchy on appearance, then it made sense she'd be touchy on such a subject too. Smiling apologetically, he lowered his head, not wanting her to be angry with him. "Sorry... Animals aren't my specialty, and I'm a real dunce sometimes. Well, most of the time." Antoinette Devereux "Clearly, you've never been to D.C.," she replied simply, shaking her head. "I think most animals can have albino varieties, though." When he insulted himself, Antony frowned and raised the hand up that was on his forearm to ruffle his hair on his lowered head. It was a gesture of comfort, and once she was finished, the squirrel women let it linger on the back of his neck, fingers playing through the hair there. "Architects aren't dunces." Gaius Harper Gaius scrunched up an eye and chuckled as she ruffled his hair. He didn't even mind the hand on the back of his neck too much, though their closing proximity kept him from fully relaxing. "Thank you," he smiled. "That's nice to hear." A light out over the ocean caught his eye and he turned his head to look. The moon was rising up in the sky, bathing the water with silvery light. He didn't realize they'd been out there all that long. "You know, it really is beautiful out here," he whispered to himself, but loud enough for Antony to easily hear. Antoinette Devereux Antony glanced over where he was looking and made a sort of 'ohh' noise, regardless of the fact that she had seen it many times before. "You forget when don't pay attention, or are stuck in a duplex out of the sun." She absently leaned against him partially thanks to a wave and the rest due to the fact that she was trying to get a better look at the moon. Gaius Harper If Gaius had had fur, it probably would have stood up on end. Instead, he tensed up. He could feel her wet fur against his chest, even smell the salt and lingering scent of shampoo in her hair. Suddenly losing his nerve, Gaius took a hurried step back, letting go of her waist, though his hand remained clasped with hers. Realizing what he'd done, he winced apologetically and scratched at the back of his neck, avoiding her eyes. "I-I'm sorry... It's late, and I should probably get back to my duplex before I can't see the path..." Antoinette Devereux She jumped as he suddenly took a step back, stumbling only slightly when what she was leaning against suddenly disappeared. His question caused her to raise an eyebrow and then sigh softly. Looking towards the beach, she squinted for a moment before turning to face him and catching his lips in hers for as long as he'd allow it. When the kiss was broken, she gave him a pat on the shoulder. "Figured I'd throw you for another loop before you left lil' ol' me." Gaius Harper Gaius arched back in shock, caught completely offguard by the kiss. He wasn't sure how long it lasted, though a part of him was almost sad when they parted. When was the last time he'd been kissed by a girl? Was it that date a couple years back? He remained stuck where he was for a moment, staring down at Antony with that same dumbfounded look that he seemed to have patented. His brain took a bit longer to get back into gear, restarting with a visible shake of his head. Slipping his hand from hers, he flashed a bashful, if still surprised, smile. "I, er, uh, well, you definitely did." He turned away slowly, beginning to wade back towards the shore, but stopped and glanced over his shoulder at her. "I'll, uh, keep in contact with you on the plan. I'm in duplex 62 if you need me." Antoinette Devereux It was hard not to feel smug, but she did let her ego swell up a tad bit more before starting after him at a slow pace. "I'm in 30," she replied, shaking her tails out as much as possible once she stepped out of the ocean to gather her clothes. "Practice makes perfect," the squirrel woman murmured while shrugging her shorts on and tossing her tank over her shoulder. "Want me to walk you back?" Gaius Harper Gaius leaned over, picking up his shirt as he walked, as well as snagging his shoes. He missed the practice comment, and shook his head at her offer, flashing his sheepish smile again. "Nah. I think I'm going to wander some more and enjoy the night air." He gave a little wave as he turned towards the jungle path. "Er, I'll be seeing you, then. And here's hoping." Yep, Gaius had plenty to keep his mind occupied tonight. Antoinette Devereux Antony waved, and then made her way back to her duplex before the salt could dry in all her fur. She needed a shower, and to plot a bit as well.
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Posted: Tue Sep 05, 2006 11:34 pm
Left For DeadGaius finds Tommy out in the jungle and tries to help the island's rebelTommy Christian Tommy leans back against the rockface overhang he found in the mountains, cold and lonely. It's been days since he was kicked out of the village and hasn't seen a soul since. .oO(I'm going to die out here...) he thinks to himself for about the hundreth time, (starving to death...goddamnit...what a way to go.) Tommy has been sleeping more and more lately in his lean-to. He was able to construct it using his BDU jacket (which had almost killed him due to the pain in his ribs and lung). The cadet looks much thinner than he once did and more than a little unhealthy. The blinks a few times and feels unconsciousness try to bash its way into his mind. Gaius Harper After the excitement of the past couple of days, Gaius felt a need to get away from the Village, if at least for a little while. The edge of the jungle was ever-present at the corners of his vision, calling to him. Grabbing a bag from his duplex and stocking up on some water and food from the caf, Gaius set off into the jungle. Surprisingly, there were already clear paths cut through the trees, apparantly well-used by the other island inhabitants. Leaving about mid-day, it was some hours before Gaius found himself wandering in the direction of the mountainous region of the island. The fresh air was invigorating, as was the act of exerting himself physically. He'd never had landscapes like this to travel through back home in the states. There was a profound sense of isolation out here in the wild jungle of the island. So it was a surprise when Gaius stumbled upon Tommy. Pushing his way out of the trees, Gaius's first sight was of the make-shift jacket-tent. Nearing it, he caught sight of the guy inside, and approached at a quickening pace. The guy looked to be injured, or sick. That was dangerous out here in the wild! It wasn't until he was about a yard away that Gaius noticed the bizarrely-elongated fingers. He stopped in his tracks, unsure of whether to approach any closer or not. His encounters with the animal-people had been unpredictable, at best, but this one looked more human than animal... "H-hey there!" he hazzarded. "Do you need help?" Tommy Christian A buzzing noise fills Tommy's ears as Gaius's words fall bluntly around him. .oO(No...I don't want to wake up...it still hurts up there. Just sleep...sleep until the pain goes away). Tommy's eyes flutter open a moment before he squeezes them shut. .oO(Goddamn...wait...is someone here?) His eyes flutter open again, but there is not much there besides grogginess. Gaius Harper Ah damn, the guy was definitely in bad shape. Figuring he was too ill to try and attack Gaius at all, the architect closed the distance and knelt down beside Tommy. His hand first went to Tommy's forehead, feeling the heat radiating from it. Shoot, a fever. That usually meant there was more wrong below the surface. Sliding his bag off his shoulders, Gaius quickly dug out the first aid kit he'd packed, as well as one of his old shirts and a water bottle. Dousing the shirt, he placed it on the guy's forehead to help cool him off. Then his eyes passed down over the rest of the guy. His limbs looked to be okay, but he definitely looked mal-nourished. Looking back up at Tommy's face, Gaius asked, "Can you tell me where you're hurt? I'll try and help, but I have to know what's wrong first..." Tommy Christian The ********...? What is this? Tommy's eyes begin to focus on the man who is busy trying to help him. For a brief moment he tenses up, thinking that they've come to give him another injection, but his quick mind eases this suspician as he sees the bright red cross of a first aid kit. There's a quick intake of breath as the cold shirt is placed against his forehead. Tommy lets out a low groan, his lung and ribs starting to hurt again. "Wha...whadya say? I...urrrhh...my ribs...they're broke" Gaius Harper "Broken ribs?" Gaius winced. "Damn..." There was nothing to do for broken ribs but let them heal themselves. And from the sound of it, this guy was in a hell of a lot of pain thanks to them. Gaius wondered how long he'd been out here like this... He probably couldn't even fend for himself. Glancing around the small camp area, Gaius found no sight of anything edible. Well, he'd already resolved to help this guy when he'd approached him. Unpacking one of the sandwiches he'd made earlier, Gaius pulled back the tinfoil wrapping and held it out towards the guy. "Here, do you think you can manage some food? It'll help things heal..." Tommy Christian Slowly, Tommy's mind began to unfuddle itself; digging itself out of the tarpit it had become. We may actually get full sentences soon. Tommy studies the man's face for a moment as he tries to remember what exactly is going on. .oO(Huh...completely unchanged...goddamnit, I didn't help anything...) Tommy eyes the offered sandwich with both longing and disgust, if such a thing were possible. "I'm...*wincecoughwince* I can't...I can't eat that..." Tommy reaches up and weakly taps his nosferatu-like fangs with the side of a spindly finger, "...vampire bat." Tommy grins a little at this which turns into a demented chuckling. It's obviously causing him pain, but he can't control himself. He feels like just letting go and allowing himself to freak right the ******** out. The chuckling quickly turns to dry sobbing as he's forced to face his current situation. He covers his face with his freakishly deformed hands. Gaius Harper Gaius gave Tommy's refusal a confused look before he explained his unfortunate diet. His stomach cringed inside him. The labs could even change eating habits? "V-Vampire bat... That would explain the ears... and hands..." A sympathetic twitch went through his own fingers at the sight of the stretched digits. They looked so awkward. Then the chuckling came, degrading into sobbing as Gaius watched, feeling immensely awkward. It was embarassing, to a degree, to see a grown, tough man sobbing behind his hands, but what was even more embarassing was that Gaius could see himself in Tommy's place. He'd been on the verge of that state just the other night before Antony had straightened him out. Gaius offered the bat-man a tentative pat on the shoulder, all the while wishing he was a better comforter, and smiled weakly. "I... I know it's bad, but at least you're alive, right? Things could be worse." Tommy Christian Tommy's degraded emotional state cleared up after a moment. He looks up at gaius with blood-shot eyes. "...You shouldn't be here, man...they'll lock you out like they did me if you give me anything..." Tommy stares at his hands for a moment, "I tried to escape...no...no, not just escape. I tried to get rid of the man who's doing all of this to us...it's just that Moreau was one step ahead...that's all. Now I'm here. They want me to die out here, and...and I think I'm going to let them do it. Just...God...I wouldn't want anyone to be stuck out here like this..." Gaius Harper A look of surprise, as well as a hint of admiration, crossed Gaius's face. This guy had some guts, if he'd gone after this terrible 'Moreau' himself. "That you even attempted that... wow." He shook his head slightly, ignoring Tommy's pleading warning. "I doubt they'll care much about what I do... I'm just a new guy, after all," he grinned and gave a half-shrug. "And I'm not about to let you die out here, not even if those lab guys want it." Gaius picked up the waterbottle he'd set aside and pulled off the top, offering it to Tommy to take. "Here, take some water at least, and..." He dug a small bottle out of the first-aid kit, taken from his own duplex. "Here's some pain-killers for the ribs. Listen, maybe I should get you back to the duplexes, you're in no condition to survive on your own out here..." Tommy Christian Tommy takes on a look of wonder at the sight of pills. He takes the bottle of water and pills gingerly, afraid they may dissapear, and quickly downs two pills. He leans his head back in placebo bliss. "Oh...Goddamn...thanks, man...but..." Tommy sighs and looks back to Gaius, "But they won't let me back there. According to the announcement they made concerning my...'punishment,' I'll be zapped into unconsciousness the moment I get within one hundred feet of the village." Tommy sighs and shakes his head. Gaius Harper Gaius's brows met as he listened. "Not even for medical reasons...? Harsh. But, I guess trying to take down the head guy has its consequences..." He hadn't been on the island at the time of the announcement, but he could imagine this Moreau fellow was not one to mess around. Picking up the unwrapped sandwich, Gaius took a bite himself, gesturing for Tommy to keep the bottle. "S'alrighf," he said around a mouthful, "Ah've mo' back a' the duplex." Something Tommy mentioned struck Gaius as curious, though. He was still learning about all the ins and outs of the island and its security. Swallowing down his sandwich, Gaius looked curiously at his camp-companion. "Just wondering... what do you mean by 'zapped'? Do they have rayguns or something?" Tommy Christian Tommy stares as Gaius takes a bite from the sandwhich. Oh God how he wishes he could do that...he's so hungry...the bat-man blinks a few times and looks back to his helper. "From what I understand, they implant a chip or something into everyone here 'n can make you go unconscious...or just paralyze you...at will. I didn't really believe it myself until it happened. Nope, this place is pretty much the nicest prison in the world." Tommy shakes his head a bit, both from this horrifying notion and exaustion creeping back to greet him. Gaius Harper "'Nicest prison in the world.' That's a good way to put it," Gaius agreed. "Getting out is going to be hard... but..." A gleam of determination lit up Gaius's eyes. He scanned the area with a couple glances, wondering if they really had cameras this far out, and leaned closer to Tommy. A hard smile spread across his face. "Listen, what you did wasn't for nothing. Don't give up hope yet. There's... actions being taken by others. Hold on to your bravery and keep on fighting." All of this came out in a rushed whisper, and Gaius sat back at the end, eating his sandwich and acting as if nothing had happened, though his face remained set. If Tommy could have the guts to take on the labs, then Gaius could at least do his best to honor that bravery and cary out his part of the deal with Antony and the bottles. Tommy Christian Tommy sees the same gleam in the eyes of Gaius as he imagines that he had after his first change. He blinks a few times after the man's hurried whisper. For a moment Tommy draws in on himself; a mind at war: Here I am...a day or so away from dying, all because I tried to rock the boat. Why couldn't I have just left well enough alone? Just...just let them...turn me into a monster...take away my hands...Goddamn them ...******** all. I can take this and more. And this guy? I warned him and he still wants to do something about it. s**t, he's seen the condition I'm in and he's not daunted in the least. Better than Alec, no offense to the kid, but he just wasn't up to it. Alec was a bad choice...but this guy...hell, he says he's already got others on his side. ******** this, I'm not dying out here!A grin spread across Tommy's face, showing off the razor-like fangs that adorn his mouth. "Name's Tommy." Gaius Harper Gaius waited patiently as Tommy sat and thought; Whatever he decided was up to him now. So when the grin came, Gaius greeted it with a friendly one of his own, straight, normal teeth to contrast the fangs of Tommy. He held out a hand for him to shake, not thinking of the difficulties his companion might have with the act. "I'm Gaius. Gaius Harper. And, if you ever get back into the village, I'm in Duplex 62." Tommy Christian Tommy reaches out to shake Gaius's hand if only by habit. His hand would seem a bit frail, but otherwise none to different from his own...minus the long fingers that is. "You heading out?" he asks, secretely loving the simple act of conversation. Tommy winces a bit from hunger pangs but other than that, he just looks over gaius again. Gaius Harper Truthfully, with his water bottle gone, Gaius would have to head back to the village sooner than he'd been expecting. But Tommy seemed sorry to see him go. Gaius sighed, torn on the inside. "I should start back soon, it's going to take me a while to find my way... Even if this is an island, it's easy to get lost out here. But..." he looked back at Tommy with a friendly smile, "I can spare a little time, I guess." Making himself more comfortable, Gaius shifted over to lean against the rock wall beside Tommy. "So... what did you do before you came here? I met a woman who was a mechanic once. Seems a lot of people have been taken from their lives..." Tommy Christian Tommy glances over at Gaius for a moment before leaning his head back against the rock and sighing. What he really needed was something to eat...er...drink. Maybe I can catch something...and drink...GOD! Why!? Stop thinking like that!Gaius's word caught up to him and Tommy closes his eyes in thought, "I was a cadet in officer training school up at the US Air Force Academy in Colorado. Goddamn that seems a long time ago now." Gaius Harper Oblivious to Tommy's instinctive hunger, Gaius listened, eyebrows raising slightly. "The Air Force? Really? I... I'd actually thought about joining, once... But I didn't want to leave my dad alone. Still... I've always wondered what it would be like to fly by myself." He chuckled, shaking his head. "I always figured I'd take flying lessons later, when I was settled and could take the time. Guess that's going to have to wait a while!" Tommy Christian "Yeah..." Tommy sighs and begins chuckling, "It's kinda ironic, actually...I wasn't pilot qualified back at the Academy...I'm colorblind. But here, it seems I'll get my wings...at the expense of my hands." Tommy is silent for a moment until another hunger pang hits him, "Goddamn, I've gotta get something to eat...It's been two days since I've had anything of sustinence in me..." The bat-man pushes off against the rock wall and begins to rise, in obvious pain from his ribs. Gaius Harper "Colorblind? So, what, you see everything in greys?" Gaius tilted his head inquisitively. At the mention of Tommy's hands, he winced sympathetically, though didn't yet consider himself undergoing such changes. All this animal stuff was still too distant for him. Things happening to other people, not himself, though Tommy'd struck close to home. He reminded him of the kind of guys he'd hang around back in school or in the work force. At his mention of food, Gaius frowned. "But I thought you said you couldn't eat anything...?" He stood up as well, though he let Tommy rise on his own, not wanting to intrude on his self-reliance. Tommy Christian Tommy grins at that, "Nah, I just have trouble differentiating between extremely slight differences in the color green." Tommy places a hand near the massive bruise at his side once he has straightened up. Goddamnit this still hurts."From what I've tried, I just can't eat solid foods. I just end up throwing it up. If I can get my hands on a protein shake or something...I haven't...ugh...I haven't actually tried blood yet." Gaius Harper Gaius nodded, grateful for the explanation. "I guess I can see how that can make problems..." Since Tommy was standing up, Gaius figured he'd be moving to get food. Packing and shouldering his bag took only a moment and he was soon standing beside the guy. "B-blood?" His face blanched. "I-I can't imagine trying that at all..." The very thought made his insides squirm. "But... I don't imagine there's any place you can find a protein shake out here... Maybe in the caf?" he offered hopefully, forgetting about the punishment Tommy'd mentioned. "It's a walk away, but we could get there in a couple hours if we push it." Tommy Christian "Yeah...me neither...but anyway, they claim that I can't go within 100 feet of the village or I'll get knocked out or something. In all honesty though, if it's between that or starving out here, I'll try my hand at the shock therapy any day, you know?" Tommy heads off in the direction of the village, taking a swig from the water bottle as he goes. Gaius Harper "I dunno, shocked to unconsciousness doesn't sound like it can be good for you..." Gaius trailed behind Tommy a bit, keeping an eye on the guy. It was obvious he was still in a whole lot of pain, but he hoped the medications he'd brought were taking the edge off at least. He seemed better than when he'd first come across the guy in any case. The going was a bit rough, with the uneven roots crossing the path at random. Gaius just hoped Tommy'd be able to manage the hike. Tommy Christian "Yeah, but it's not nearly as bad as the alternative. Besides...I honestly wonder if they'd even notice it. I mean, if you think about it, they must spend a shitload of cash on this place, right? They wouldn't just let one of their subjects die out here...right?" he asks, sounding hopeful. Tommy seemed to be handling the rough terrain rather well. His combat boots holding up fine and his conditioning in 7,258 feet above sea level has helped him stay in shape. Still, every now and again he turns too hard and his ribs begin to hurt again. Gaius Harper Gaius grunted non-commitally, hoping that Tommy's theory was right... for his sake. Considering it'd taken a couple hours for Gaius to get out this far, they made good time. Having a steady pace helped, and Gaius wasn't taking a leisurely stroll this time. "Wonder if they really do have cameras out here..." he muttered to himself at one point. It seemed unlikely with all of the foilage, but Gaius didn't know the extent of the lab's reach. Tommy Christian Tommy just keeps on trucking, doing his best not to show how much pain he was in. "That's what I'm told...every inch of this place is covered. That or motion sensors everywhere," Tommy says and shrugs. He slows up a bit once he sees the clearing up ahead which means the village is near. Gaius Harper Motion sensors... The architect hadn't thought of that. Somehow, it made sense. They had to some kind of tracking means, at least. He continued on past Tommy as he slowed and glanced back over his shoulder. "...You holding up okay? You don't look unconscious yet," he added with a teasing chuckle. Tommy Christian Tommy keeps on walking until he reaches the ede of the clearing. He pauses a moment, hovering one foot over the edge...and steps over. There's nothing. He takes a nother step, a grin spreading over his face. "HAH! Eat my s**t muthafu..." Tommy's face goes rigged and his left eye twitches a few times as he is shocked into unconsciousness. He falls to the ground in a heap. Gaius Harper Gaius watched intently as Tommy took a step... and then another. A victorious grin spread across his face, thinking they'd somehow managed to catch the labs in a bluff. "Haha! That's it Tommy, just-" His words were cut off as Tommy suddenly went straight as a flagpole, and then crumpled to the ground in an unconscious pile. "Tommy!" Gaius yelped, rushing back to the guy. A touch assured him he was still alive, but out for the count. And such trauma couldn't be good on his ribs. "Ah shoot..." Gaius cursed. Grabbing the guy under the armpits, Gaius hauled him back away from the village with much grunting and dragging. Once they were back well within the trees, he let the body down to rest on the ground, anxiously looking Tommy over. How long did the shock last anyways? Gaius couldn't leave him alone and unconscious like this... Tommy Christian Tommy would lay unconscious for the better part of ten minutes, a leg twitching every now and then. Soon though, he begins to stir, a groan escaping his mouth that may or may not be a curse depicting a vulgar way in which Moreau came into this world. He blinks his eyes a few times, his peepers being more bloodshot than ever. "...didn't work...did it?" He asks after a few minutes of just laying there. Gaius Harper Gaius shook his head sadly. "Sorry pal... Looks like they're good on their word." He remained squatting beside Tommy, glancing between him and the village. Maybe... Maybe he could grab something for the guy... Gaius Harper He shook his head, eyes saddening despite the smile on his lips. "I'm sorry to hear that... But I can't just leave a guy dying out in the jungle, can I? Listen, maybe I can grab a shake for you... I'll just run in really fast, and run back here. Maybe they wouldn't notice..." Tommy Christian "I couldn't let you do that, man..." Tommy says, even though he so wants to tell him to run as fast as he can and get him food, "I mean...no...don't do that for me. I'd more like to kill myself than to see another person locked out..." Tommy sits up and looks to Gaius, "Just...I can make it back on my own...maybe I'll set up a snare...or something." He refuses to think of what he'd do if he actually caught something. Gaius Harper Gaius's face scrunched up in disgust, imagining what Tommy'd have to resort to. "Maybe... Maybe there's some kind of trees with fruit out here. There has to be, this is a tropical island, right? Maybe you could suck on them for food..." His shrug was hopeful, if unsure. He had no clue if what he said was true, but it was possible, right? Pulling off his bag once more, Gaius pulled out the few personal items he'd brought, and handed the bag over to Tommy, complete with packed food, first aid kit, and a change of clothes. "Here, you can make better use of this stuff. Maybe you can mash up the food and mix it with water so you can get it down?" Tommy Christian Tommy stands with a grunt of effort. For a second it seems he may pass out again, but he stabilizes himself at the last moment. He shakes his head, "I'm sorry Gaius...that'd be just as if you went to get me food from town. It's a d**k move they did...but I don't want to see anyone else suffer because of me. I'll...I'll manage. I always have before." Tommy gives a slight grin and turns to move off in the direction of the jungle. Gaius Harper The poor guy... Gaius couldn't help but feel sorry for him. He had it tough. Really tough. At least in the village, Gaius had a place to live and food to eat. To see the labs do this to a guy... It only strengthened his resolve. He'd get them off that island. For Tommy's sake, and everyone else under the thumb of that cursed Moreau and Sabin. He stepped after Tommy, catching him with a hand on the shoulder, and gave it a quick supportive squeeze. "Stay strong, okay? Show those lab rats you're made of better stuff than they are." Tommy Christian Tommy laughs, though it's hard to tell if there's any real humor in it. "Yeah...I'll try, Gaius...I'll try." He refrains from returning the pat due to obvious reasons concerning his hands before he turns and starts off back into the jungle. Gaius Harper After watching Tommy head off, Gaius sighed and shook his head. What a life they had. Reshouldering his bag, he turned back towards the village, intent on the cafeteria and a good meal.
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Posted: Wed Sep 06, 2006 5:00 pm
Harrison Ford Makes Ancient Look AwesomeMarshall runs into Gaius in the entertainment room and hit it offGaius Harper It'd only been about an hour since Gaius had returned from his expedition through the jungle. Stopping by the cafeteria, he'd grabbed a cooked steak (being careful to avoid the raw ones), along with some fresh greens he'd been hankering the past day. He didn't feel like returning to his duplex quite yet, so Gaius took to wandering through the rest of the village. He recalled seeing an entertainment room marked on the map he had... Figuring dinner and a movie would be a good way to spend the early evening, Gaius made a bee-line for the large building. What he found made the guy whistle in appreciation. There was quite a collection of movies of all sorts, and the massive kind of widescreen TV one'd only see in the stores. And better yet, well worn-in couches! Flopping down on one, he set down his food stuff and went over to the wall of movies to start fingering through them for something good. Marshall_Green "Ahhh...Bitter." Marshall said with a smile, enjoying an artificially-flavored Popsicle, in particular a neon-green Lime flavored one. Being on the island, he had found himself eating frozen and cold foods more than he usually did. Of course, he always had a bit of a sweet tooth, so he didn't seem to notice this dietary change.
Deciding to check out the Entertainment Room to pick up a few DVDs before heading to his duplex, Marshall was surprised to see some one else already browsing the library. He was rather tall, much taller than Marshall would ever dream of being, well built, and most importantly...human.
"...'Sup?" Marshall said to the unknown man with a smile, the Popsicle still in his mouth. Gaius Harper Gaius jerked back from the Harrison Ford movie he'd been reading, surprised by the voice. He hadn't even heard anyone come in. Looking back over his shoulder, he was even more surprised to see who the voice belonged to. Unless this guy had something hidden under that orange vest, he was the first actual human Gaius had seen since arriving in the village. A second glance over proved that Gaius was indeed not seeing things. That had to mean the guy was a recent arrival as well. He wondered just how recent... "Um, hey!" he said with a small wave, managing a half-smile. "I, uh, was just looking for a movie to watch." He gestured at the shelves, unaware of the obviousness of his statement. Marshall_Green "Find any thing good yet?" Marshall asked as he finished up his popsicle. He was kind of enjoying talking to some one with out fur or scales.
Of course, I'll be like them soon enough I guess...
Pocketing the wooden stick, he proceeded to move next to the tall man and browse DVDs along side him. Now, how does one strike up conversation with a perfect stranger?
"Sooo...Know what you're turning into yet?"
...Obviously, not like that.
Gaius Harper "Actually, there's some good stuff in here. I found a couple of the Indiana Jones movies, and there's always Last of the Mohicans or The Patriot.." Gaius pulled out the movies as he went, figuring he could make a pile and work through it. Not like anyone would mind if the movies were out of order, right? There was a moment of awkward silence as Gaius continued to look over the library, wondering what to say to the guy. How much did he know? He couldn't help but feel tense. What if he had to break the news? He hardly knew anything himself! So, it was probably a surprise to Marshall when his blunt question was received with a sigh of relief and slumped shoulders. Gaius turned a grin on him, saying, "You have no idea how glad I am right now. I was thinking, since you're... you know, human and all," he waved a hand at Marshall's face, "that maybe you'd just arrived, and didn't know about the lab and animals and stuff..." "And..." Gaius's expression blanked for a moment before his brows met. "...I don't know! I actually hadn't even considered that. I mean, I guess I'm still getting used to the idea..." Marshall_Green Marshall couldn't help but let out a small laugh, "Heh, no, no...I learnt all about it from a red bear-squirrel-panda thing named Nita. Of course, meeting a talking Dragon-thing in the middle of a Jungle just kind of put the last nail in the coffin, y'know?...And do they got Raiders of the Lost Arc?" Marshall asked, before looking up at the fellow human. He felt a sense of...relief, really.
At least I'm not going this alone.
"I'm Marshall, by the way." he added with a smile, extending his hand. Gaius Harper Gaius took the hand gratefully, guiltily happy that for once it wasn't covered with fur, scales, or unusually long fingers. "I'm Gaius. Just got here a little less than a week ago... Wow, it's kinda surprising to think it's already been that long. I guess time flies by..." Pulling out the Arc movie, Gaius tosses it to Marshall and heads back to the couch, letting him do the honors of putting the DVD in. In the meantime, he flopped on the couch, pulling his plate over and starting on his steak. "So... have you met many people here? It looks like there's a lot of duplexes around, and I keep running into strange animal-people. I just wonder how many people this Moreau's got on this island." Marshall_Green Marshall happily put the DVD into the player, enjoying the fact that he was going to get to watch one of the greatest movies of all time on a television this large. He then went over to one of the worn out recliners and took a seat.
"Hmmm...Well...So far only three. This weird guy with white hair, Nita the red-raccoon-bear-marmoset, and this weird dragon guy...I think his name was Zeb or some thing." Marshall said, realsing how little of the island he had seen.
"Well...I'm down at Duplex 59, so I guess there's a lot of people around here...I'm kind of ashamed to admit it, but...I'm looking foward to seeing them. I mean...Animal people...Whoda thunk it, eh?" Gaius Harper Gaius chewed lazily, letting his mind relax into that wonderful bliss of TV-watching. He'd been on edge ever since he arrived. A little relief was badly needed. However, it seemed he wasn't going to get it so easy. The mention of not only a white-haired guy, but a dragon yanked him back into sharp reality, making him bolt upright on the couch. "You met Zach?!" He looked at Marshall with wide-eyes. "That weirdo? What did he tell you?!" Marshall_Green "Woah, easy, easy...He just told me he was wearing a costume. But...I get the feeling he was full of crap...And possibly vicadin." Marshall said, holding his hands up defensively.
"I take it you met him before?" Marshall asked, ignoring Indie run away from a giant boulder. Gaius Harper He sat back on the couch, grabbing his fork from where it fell and grumbling moodily. "Yeah, I met him before... He was the first guy I ran into on this island, before I knew the truth. He played me for an idiot, convincing me this place was a theme park. I'd probably still be thinking that if it wasn't for Rex coming to my rescue. He ended up nailing Zach one on the jaw." He continued to stew as he cut off another piece of meat and gnawed on it, not enjoying it as much as he usually did. His eyes were on the TV screen, but they didn't seem to really be watching Indie's adventures so much as whatever was going on inside Gaius's head. Marshall_Green "Huh..." was all Marshall was able to say. He felt bad for putting Gaius in such a sour mood. They had that in common; an extreme dislike for being lied to.
"So, Gaius...Whadja do before you came here? Construction? Hit man? Professional Wrestling?" Marshall asked, trying to change the subject before Gaius got even more angry. Gaius Harper Gaius blinked and turned to stare at Marshall. "Hitman? You being serious?" A grin tugged at his mouth. "Nah, I was kinda in construction... I did a lot of contract work, though I was trying towards being an architect." He took a bite of an apple and shrugged. "That's what got me here, actually... Just not much luck I guess." He glanced over Marshall. He had a young face, making it difficult to guess his exact age. "So... what kind of life did you have pre-island? Did you do any kind of schooling?" Marshall_Green "Um..." Marshall wasn't able to make contact, rubbing the back of his neck and looking out of the corner of his eyes, "I, um...Never really went to college...I graduated from Highschool and got an internship so...I just didn't see the point." he said, slightly red in the face from embarassment.
"I mean, I could've...My grades weren't great but I never had to repeat any classes...Well, I did have to retake PE but, y'know..." he said with a meek shrug. Gaius Harper "Ah, don't worry! Lots of people've been successful without going to college," he assured Marshall, adding on a beaming grin. "It was just required for my particular profession. If I could have, I would have liked to stay with my father, but he re-married, so I'm sure he's doing fine..." His smile lessened a couple degrees, but remained. He was determined not to sink into a fowl mood again, not on this subject. Sucking it up, he turned the subject to something more cheerful and inane. "You know, while Raiders of the Lost Arc is good and all... I think The Last Crusade is the best of the three. You just can't beat Sean Connery." Marshall_Green Marshall was relived by Gaius' thoughts on College education. Usually when some one found out he never attended a class, they looked down on him.
"I have to disagree. While Sean Connery is possibly the most awesome man alive, Raiders is the best in the trilogy. I mean, giant boulders, Harrison Ford before he was ancient, Nazi's with melting faces...Its classic!" Marshall said, finding himself more and more relaxed in the over-sized chair. Gaius Harper "Hey, Harrison Ford makes ancient look awesome," Gaius countered. "And Last Crusade has more plot than the other two combined. Just look at all the clues! The trials! Sheer genius, I tell you!" It was rather ridiculous. Here they were, trapped on an island, facing the fate of being turned slowly into animal-creatures, never to see their homes again, and they were arguing over movies from the 80's. A grin cracked Gaius's face, and then a chuckle which quickly grew into a shaking laugh. "Ha HA ha ha!" He rolled back on the couch, hand going to his face. "We have to, without a doubt, be the two silliest people in this place." Marshall_Green Marshall looked over at Gaius, shocked at first, but soon found himself chuckling, then chorteling, and finally full on laughing along with his new found friend. Perhaps it was stress, perhaps it was just because he was laughing, or maybe it was just finally finding contentment after being with out it for so long.
Besides, just because you're doomed to a life of being an Animal doesn't mean you had to be miserable about it. Gaius Harper It took a while for Gaius to recover himself, though random chuckles still gripped him. "Hehe... Ah, sorry. I think I just really, really needed a laugh. Things have just been so loopy the last couple days." He pushed himself back up on the couch, sparing the TV a look to see how the movie was progressing. Seemed Indie had gotten himself into a bit of a hard spot, as always. Part of him wished he was like that daring treasure hunter; A bit of brawling and some quick thinking could get him out of any spot with a little luck. Maybe he'd know what to do on this island... A dry chuckle escaped Gaius. "Now there's a motto to live by... 'What Would Indie Do?'" Marshall_Green Marshall had barely stopped laughing from the last unexplained fit before Gaius said "What would Indie do," some how this line was just cheesy enough to make Marshall burst into laughter all over again.
"That was...Heh...The worst...heh...pun I've ever...heh...Heard!" he managed to wheeze out between chuckles. Gaius Harper Gaius snorted and grinned, reaching hand over to threaten noogying Marshall. "Now you're just hummoring me!" Still, it was nice to have an inane, normal conversation, no matter how ridiculous. It was like being back home in the summer, having a movie night with friends. "We should have popcorn for this," he stated out of the blue. "And sodas. Movies need sodas." Marshall_Green "And M&Ms. Can't have a movie with out M&Ms." Marshall said, stretching his arm over his head, still grinning. He wasn't sure why he was in such a good mood now. Maybe it was because he felt like he just made his first real friend on this island. It was nice, no point in denying that.
"I'll help you carry it if you want to go grab 'em." he added, looking away from the movie. For one of his favorite films, he wasn't really watching it all that much. Gaius Harper "Hmm..." He considered the movie a moment, wondering if he was willing to get out of his comfortable and wonderfully lazy position on the couch and make the treck to the caf. He'd just eaten, so he wasn't particularly hungry... But Marshall seemed eager, so shrugging, Gaius got up and went to the TV to push the 'pause' button. "Alright!" he said, turning back to his friend and giving him a light kick to the feet to get him moving, "It's a deal. Let's go!" Marshall_Green "A'ight." Marshall said, jumping to his feet, streaching his other arm now. He couldn't help but feel like he was almost suffering from Jet Lag. But he was having a good time with his freind AND about to get some of his favorite candy. Who could go to sleep now?!
"So...This is kind of a weird question but...What'd they tell you to get you to come here? They got me with a free payed vacation." Marshall said as the two of them went towards the cafeteria. He didn't sound bitter about it, for some strange reason. He was talking about it like it was some sort of fact of life, We were tricked, forced on an island and we're losing our humanity. No point getting bent out of shape over some thing as silly as THAT! Gaius Harper Normally the subject would've brought up bitter emotions in Gaius, but Marshall's layed-back attitude to it all helped soften everything. The simple guy smiled ruefully instead. "I was contacted by a branch of a company funded by Feral Labs with an offer for a job working as an architect on an island theme park. I signed the contract and everything... So, really, legally I'm stuck here, though they never mentioned any experiment in the documents. I must've missed it in the fine print. Never liked that legal stuff anyways." He wrinkled his nose. "Always been kinda sketchy to me." "Anyways, Sabin kept up the act, and so did Zach... Rex was the one who told me the truth." Marshall_Green "Huh...I'd like to meet this 'Rex' guy...Even if he does have a silly name. Heh heh...Think he's an Elivis impersonator on the side?" Marshall said, some how managing to top Gaius' Indiana Jone's pun with a latin pun.
Marshall opened the door, holding it open for his freind with his foot. "So, what ya think of the food here?" Gaius Harper "I've never heard of a lion impersonating Elvis..." Gaius smirked. "Thanks," he responded automatically, slipping inside the caf before Marshall. The place was empty, thankfully, aside from the cafeteria crew. "Actually, it's pretty good, considering everything. The labs could have given us bread and water if they wanted, considering we don't have any choice. The food's fresh and there's a lot of variety." The M&M's and other candies were located in the dessert area over at the end of the buffet. Gaius snagged a couple bowls on his way. "Still," he continued, "it can't beat home-cooked meals!" Marshall_Green "A lion impersonation Elvis...Probably does 'Hunka Burnin' Love' and then eats the audience." Marshall chuckled, taking one of the bowls from Gaius.
"Home-cooked meals?" Marshall asked Gaius as he walked over to the candy counter and filled one of the bowls with M&Ms, "You mean, you cook?" Gaius Harper Gaius's chest swelled with noticeable pride as he grinned. "Yep! Living on your own in an appartment tends to make it necessary, unless you don't mind pizza or Chinese for every meal of the day." He dug the bowl in his hand into a container of pre-popped popcorn. Not as good as fresh, but it was time efficent, and otherwise they'd have to ask the caf lady for packets. Gaius continued talking as he plucked some kernels from his bowl, gesturing with them before stuffing them in his mouth. "I've always found it to be fun, and in its own way a kind of art. Architecture allows me to be creative, but I still have to work within certain rules reguarding structure and safety and measurements. With cooking, I can be as exact or as loose as I want, and experiment with whatever seems interesting. Maybe a little more oregano, or an extra dash of lemon juice could make all the difference in a meal." He spoke with unusual gusto for such a subject, sounding more like a connoisseur of art than a middle-class working guy who enjoyed cooking as a hobby. Marshall_Green Marshall couldn't help but giggle slightly at Gaius' enthusiasm. It wasn't that he was insulting him for being passionate about cooking. Actually, he kind of liked that about his new freind. It was more about the fact that Marshall knew that he sounded like that when he talked about a few choice things.
"Heh...Sounds like we got the same job!" Marshall laughed as he pulled a bottle of Coke and a bottle of Orange Soda from the large refigerator. "And I'll have you know an all Chineese-and-Mexican food diet is perfectly healthy!...Okay, thats a blatant lie but still." Gaius Harper Marshall's laughter made Gaius realize how silly he probably sounded, and ducked his head self-consciously. "Really?" He kept his eyes on the popcorn in his hands, making his way beside Marshall towards the cafeteria doors. "What's your job anyways?" Marshall_Green "I was a cartoonist...Animator...dude. Heh heh, in short I drew cartoons. Not the most glamorous, but...I dunno. I really loved it. Making people smile and jazz. I also had this little side-thing going on with a Web Comic...Y'know what those are, right?" Marshall asked, sodas in one hand and bowl of M&Ms in the other. He wasn't trying to be rude, but there were a lot of people out there who didn't know people would put there own comic strips online. Gaius Harper Gaius looked up at Marshall, eyebrows raised. "Cartoonist? Really? Man, that's... well, really cool!" He grinned. Though he'd largely out-grown them, like any American boy, Gaius had grown up on the cartoons of Saturday mornings and after-school, with a healthy dose of Disney. "Did you work on any movies? I wonder if I've seen any of them..." He nodded at the webcomic question. "Yeah... I think I know what they are. I had a friend who followed a bunch. He'd always print up ones and post them on the bulletin board at work. I never really got into them myself, I didn't do much internet stuff." Marshall_Green "Movies? Nah...Thats for the really good guys. I just did kids shows...Magic Fish, Cartoon Panic...I never really got to do the popular shows, but who cares? I still loved every second ot it..." Marshall said, looking at the ground, remembering fond memories.
...Yeah, it hurt. A lot. But no point remenessing. He had a movie to watch!
"Well, we got every thing?" Gaius Harper Gaius smiled and nodded vaguely, having never heard of the shows. Kids shows... He just didn't have time or a reason to watch them at his age. He held up the popcorn in an affirmative. "Let's go! We can't leave Indie hanging in the midst of a fight!" Marshall_Green "Sure can't...Espcially not in the BEST Indiana Jones film." Marshall said with a smirk as the two freinds headed back towards the Entertainment Room, junk food in hand.
***
As the small crate with the Lost Arc in it was slowly pulled away into the distance on the TV screen, Marshall sat there, finishing up the rest of the pop-corn with a half-asleep look in his eyes. An empty orange soda bottle sat next to him, waiting for its turn to go into the trash can.
"Lord that is such an awesome film." Marshall said, as he put the bowl down on the coffee table. Gaius Harper A yawn escaped Gaius. The movie had been great, the company was fun, and now he was full of junk food. "I strongly agree..." Another yawn escaped him. "Yaaww-gah. What time is it anyways? It can't be that late..." Pushing himself up, Gaius picked up Marshall's bowl and his own bottle. "I should get back to my duplex..." Marshall_Green Marshall couldn't help but release an equally large yawn. "Yeah...It is kinda late." he agreed, rubbing his eyes. He wasn't sure WHY he was so tired...Maybe it was all the M&Ms and Popcorn. Picking up his own bottle, he slowly got up and treaded over to the trashcan, throwing both the bottle and his over-kept popsicle stick into the trash.
"What Duplex are you in, any way?" Marhall asked. He had asked a lot of questions tonight, he wasn't sure why but he didn't really care. Gaius Harper "I'm in Duplex 62. It's pretty far out from the center." Gaius picked up his used plate and silverware as well, stacking them on top of the bowl. He'd make a stop by the caf on the way back. "Feel free to stop by if you ever want, though I can't guarantee how clean it'll be," he grinned warmly. "But a normal face is a welcome sight anytime." Marshall_Green Marshall blinked when Gaius said he was in duplex 62. Marshall was never really good at math, but he could do the basics. Lets see...
"Dude, I think we're neighbours." Marshall chuckled lightly. At least he had cool neighbours here, right?
"Well, guess I'll see ya around, eh? I'm at 59." Marshall added with a smile, patting his new freind on the shoulder before heading back to his duplex.
Junk food and Inidiana Jones...Oh yeah, this really WAS a hell hole. Gaius Harper Gaius filed the number away and gave him a friendly goodbye before taking the dishes towards the caf. A thought clenched his stomach. The lower numbered people he'd met... They were changed, some quite a bit. Maybe the duplex numbers were related to the number of subjects...? He shook his head. No, that couldn't be the case. Things were too good to dwell on whatever doom they had coming. Instead, he began humming that familiar theme of the brave treasure hunting adventurer and wandered off into the dark.
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Posted: Fri Sep 08, 2006 3:55 pm
An annoucement booms across the speakers as Moreau's voice returns. "So that it is known, Zachary Bloodstone has decided to violate the policy that I laid down concerning the punishment of Tommy Christian and Alec Dunning for the attempted murder of Dr. Aubrey Lockheart."
Moreau's voice paused as it boomed across the village and much of the island. "Therefore, he is subject ot the same fate, anyone caught helping any of them with food, water, or any kind of supplies will be punished in the same way. They will not be able to approach the village and those new subjects who were unaware who have aided them, you are now warned."
Don't test me."
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Posted: Sat Sep 09, 2006 6:35 pm
Gaius was in his duplex as the announcement was made. The loud voice booming over speakers he hadn’t even known about startled the still-sleeping man, sending him bolting up in bed wide-eyed.
It took him a moment to realize what was going on. He recognized several of the names. Zach, and Tommy… The others he had no idea about. It surprised him, to the point of snapping his head towards the intercom unit, when he heard Tommy’s name associated with an attempted murder on a Doctor Aubrey of all people. He’d thought the guy had tried to take down Moreau… not another doctor! Gaius frowned, perplexed by the news. Tommy… The guy had attempted murder of all things! And on a woman! Whether she was innocent or not didn’t matter, that he’d tried to do such a thing… He hadn’t told Gaius anything about that kind of act. He’d just assumed Tommy had tried to take down Moreau, force him to meet their demands… But murder! It left Gaius’s head spinning.
The second part of the announcement brought him sharply back to reality. So, it seemed Zach was to deal with the same trouble as Tommy. Gaius grinned, a sense of justice cheering him up. Good. If there was any guy who deserved that, it was Zach.
Wait, what did the announcement just say? Gaius froze, eyes widening. His mind flashed back to the previous day’s encounter. The pain killers passing from his hand to Tommy’s… The water bottle from his backpack…
If he wasn’t already sitting down, Gaius would have sunk back onto the bed, staring blankly in disbelief.
“I came… that close…” Inadvertently, through his actions, Gaius had come within a hair of being kicked out of the village himself. Though he’d only been there a few days, the idea of being stuck out in the jungle, provision-less and without shelter… He didn’t know anything about the island yet!
And he’d been helping a murderer. But Moreau was the one providing his duplex and food. He was the one changing them.
Gaius sat, torn between his loyalties, a sense of betrayal pervading his thoughts. Who could he trust on this island?
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Posted: Sat Sep 09, 2006 6:45 pm
Digging It DeeperGaius meets Billy and strikes a deal with the octopus involving liquor and bottlesWilliam Woodrow It was unclear how long the octopus floated unconcious in the lake, but the water had slowly pushed him to shore. His tentacles moved with the light waves, his still humanoid torso and head half submerged in the shallows, but beached in the rocks and mud well enough. His white hair and strange, uncontrolled pigmentation stood out under the filth and grime he had collected. Not too far away, his wheelchair lay on it's side in the water. Gaius Harper Once again, Gaius was out wandering. The openness of the island and his overwhelming amount of free-time had awakened an odd wanderlust in him. He had a lot to think about after the encounter with Tommy and the announcement from the labs. How close he’d come to Tommy’s fate had shaken him and his resolve. Tommy’d never said he’d attempted murder. So his feet carried him not into the jungle, but towards a path from the village that led to a lake of sorts. He walked, hands in pockets and head lowered, lost in his mind, until he was within sight of the water. Glancing up, he froze in place, staring at what, for all appearance, looked like a twisted corpse. “Holy hell!” He looked around for anyone else in the area, but it looked like he was the only one there. Panic twisted his stomach. What… what if someone thought he had something to do with the dead… person… thing? He’d already gotten off with a warning… Slowly, he stepped closer, drawn by morbid curiosity. Gaius figured he should at least see who the body was, and maybe figure out something to do with it… William Woodrow This corpse had tentacles that swirled about it in the water and twitched occasionally- the body was alive. The water had washed most of the blood off of him, as well as the ink, but his teeth were eternally stained. His skin soon turned from a greyish blue to a deep red, the pigment crawling over him in veined splotches that as soon as they had completed themselves seemed to fade to black and then green, reacting to whatever was going on in his unconcious mind. Gaius Harper Gaius stopped, eyes bulging. Okay... dead bodies were not supposed to change color like that! And what he'd taken to be seaweed or vines twitched and moved along with the body. Things were just getting better and better. Forcing himself to move closer, Gaius was able to make out a filthy-but-humanish head floating in the water. And, from what he could tell, the thing was still alive. His face wrinkled up, wondering if the slimey thing was another creation of the labs. How... how could they create something like this? He wasn't able to bring himself to touch it yet, and instead nudged Billy's shoulder with a toe of his shoe. "H-hey... are you awake?" William Woodrow The effects of the octopus's shock seemed to have run their course and he flinched at the sudden nudge, head jerking up out of the water for a quick, gargling gasp befor he gagged and coughed, attempting to get the air out of his gills and the water out of his lungs. "Bloody- FECKIN' christ..." He weased, limbs worming around so he could try to hold himself up. His shoulders ached where Maryke had punched him, but a bruse wasnothing compaired to the bite he had taken out of her. The events came flooding back into his harassed and chemically imbalanced mind and he gave a hiss of frustration. Gaius Harper “Gah haha!” Gaius jumped back as the body cursed and moved, tentacles moving with a sloshing wet sound that belonged in a horror movie. “Uh! Uh!” “D-Do you need help…?” he offered, despite the obvious condition of the slimy tentacled man. William Woodrow Billy grunted, peering up through his soggy, muddy white hair at the human man, his color shifting from grey to a more brownish hue, "Eh?" He tried to snort, but with the lack of any real nose, it was difficult. His nervious twitch took over the muscle under his eye and he glanced away, "No, I'm fine an' bloody dandy. So sod off, Normie." That said, he twisted in the shallows, tentacles extending to drag himself into deeper waters towards where his chair still lay, "Bollocks tha' b***h!" Gaius Harper Gaius couldn’t help but stare. Alright, it was a man – a surly, cursing man – who was obviously injured… well, he looked like it, and crippled. But, he was angry, and Gaius really, really didn’t want to know what that slimy skin felt like. His eyes followed Billy’s movement towards what looked like a wheelchair. Gaaah, he really was a cripple. Curse his boy-scout, goody-goody side. It was like a little old woman trying to cross the street. Groaning inwardly, Gaius stepped forward, though he didn’t extend a hand. “Hey! Hey, uh, take it easy! I-I can help, er, somehow… You, uh, want that wheelchair…?” William Woodrow "I don' need yer help! Go take them fingers an' opposable thumbs o' yers an' shove 'em up yer arse," The irritated octopus snarled, managing to swim the rest of the way to his chair to examine the damage. It seemed in one piece, save for some nicks and dings from the rocks- the problem was pulling it upright. He wrapped his tentacles around a bar, tugging as hard as he could, but the chair was too heavy for his soft octopussian limbs. Gaius Harper Gaius grumbled to himself, but held his tongue. The sight of tentacles in place of arms, legs... Using his own, fully healthy legs, Gaius walked over to the wheelchair, and picked it up easily, righting it for the squid-man and holding it steady. "You're welcome." William Woodrow Billy glared up at the human intently, the spines along the top of his head and down his back twitching irritably, "Then y'might as well drag it up t'th'tree there, if yer gonna be a hero. Y'feel li' a better person now, do ye?" What had that b***h *wanted* anyway? Just to d**k around with him? Yet more proof that women only wanted to ******** with his head. All of them, the whole gender. And you know what? ******** humans too. He was officially a speciesist. Gaius Harper "Hey, I'm just helping you! The least you could do is be a little more polite, if not grateful." Gaius shot the man a look that said the hero jab had been less than well received. However, now that he'd gotten the wheelchair up, he wasn't about to leave the guy. And it'd only give the squid actual reason to hate him. "Come on and climb up, I'll get you to the tree at least. And if you're injured, I know basic first aid..." William Woodrow "I don' need a ride," The octopus sneered, glaring still as he fidgeted, "An' wha' reason d'I got t'be t'be polite, Normie?" Gaius Harper "Weeeell," Gaius clenched his teeth, "for one thing, you were unconscious when I found you, lying half in the water, and I'm offering to push you out of the water without knowing who you are while taking your lashing? You're lucky I'm a nice guy, or you'd probably still be lying there mimicing a lava lamp." William Woodrow "It aint non o' yer business wha' I was doin'!" He snapped, swimming away a few feet, his limbs pins and needles from laying in the water still for so long. "Wha' d'ye want from me, eh? It aint me fault I'm th'way I am, so go feck yerself!" Gaius Harper An exasperated sigh escaped Gaius. Now the man-thing was swimming away from the wheelchair. He wasn’t about to chase the man. While Gaius wasn’t a squeamish person normally, and was used to handling nasty materials for work, but the idea that that skin was once human… He couldn’t bring himself to do it. It’d make this surreal meeting all too real. “I don’t want anything from you, I swear,” he said honestly. “How could I leave anyone in your condition alone?” He bit off the bit about Billy being unable to lift his own wheelchair. “Call me a boyscout if you want, it wouldn’t be the first time I’ve gotten that, but I’m not helping you for anything personal, aside from duty.” William Woodrow At that, the octopus man whirled around, "Wha'd'y'mean me condition? Y't'ink I can't do nothin'? Is tha' wha' y't'ink?" Gaius Harper Gaius held up a hand defensively. It was already too late to not anger the squid, but he didn't need him getting violent. "I meant knocked out unconscious by whatever got you. I'm not saying you can't do anything - hell, with eight limbs I bet you can do plenty of things!" William Woodrow "And it were them t'ings wha' got me knocked unconcious! There, satisfied?" Billy fumed. Gaius Harper Then maybe you should be more careful with them. Gaius had to fight back a snicker, letting his goody-goody-ness slip a bit to enjoy a bit of personal wicked humor. He couldn't keep all of it from showing in his face, a twist of the lips and twitch of the eyes giving him away. He'd never been a good poker player. The water had long soaked into his shoes as he remained standing there in the shallows with one hand on the wheelchair, which he now shook to make the chair rattle. "Do you want your wheelchair or not? I can move it onto more stable ground for you." William Woodrow Billy gave a frustrated sigh, frowning down at the water just under his scraggly beard. "Wheel it t'th'grass'n I'll get in on me own." At least his temper seemed to have died down. It just didn't have the fire it used to. Gaius Harper "Alright." That was an easy enough request to complete. It took a bit of lifting to get the wheelchair over the edge, but he managed to maneuver it easily enough to where Billy'd wanted it, and kicked one of the locks into place. "There. Is there anything else I can help you with?" He fired off the last question out of politeness. "If not, I'll stop bothering you..." William Woodrow The man in the water waited untill Gauis had situated his chair, watching carefully. What did this normie expect of him? What did he want? No one did anything without alterior motives, it had been Billy's experience. Once the lock had been thrown, he crawled up to the lakeside, managing to pull himself up to crawl sadly towards his chair. "Actually..." He weased, "Maybe there is somethin' y'coul' do fer me. Wha's yer name, Normie?" He huffed as he wrapped his tentacles around the arms of the chair to hoist himself up. Gaius Harper Gaius stepped back, letting Billy propel himself. It wasn't entirely due to Billy's appearance - yes, it creeped him out in a way that a horror movie monster gone real would - it was for the same reason Gaius hadn't helped Tommy get to his feet. Every man needed and prided his autonomy to some extent. However, it didn't mean he had to watch Billy's slithering-sliding crawl. Gaius averted his eyes, looking out over the lake instead. Billy's question made him glance back briefly, then look away again. "I'm Gaius... And yeah, as you've pointed out, I'm normal. Hope to get out of here before that changes..." He stole a glance back at Billy, wondering if that was the extent of the lab's terrible experiments. Reducing them all to half-animal freaks... "What do... er, what can I do for you?" William Woodrow The octopus man gave a snicker as he settled into his chair more comfortably, ready to dry out a little bit- the part of him that was still human needed a breath of fresh air now and then- especially after a rather pride-smashing sexual misadventure. He wove a tentacle as though curling a finger, "C'mere t'me, Normie." Gaius Harper It was against his better judgement, but Gaius obeyed, taking one step, then another, until he was standing beside the wheelchair-bound octopus-man. William Woodrow "Closer. There's cameras everywhere," He hissed, keeping his inhuman eyes on the lake. Gaius Harper Gaius blinked. But he was standing right next to him! He couldn't want him to... He gulped, grateful he could stand unpleasant smells. He leaned forward, crouching slightly, so his head was closer to Billy's level, and looked at him cautiously. "So I've learned..." he muttered. William Woodrow Billy's voice lowered suddenly, level and soft but still audible just to Gaius, "D'y'know where th'beach bar is, lad?" Gaius Harper The man's eyebrow bounced up in a curious look. "Yes... What about it?" William Woodrow "I'm in a rut here, lad, Y'gotta understand!" He hissed in a heated whisper, "If y'take a waterbottle an' fill it wit' vodka, no one can see th'difference... I'm bein' tortured an' it aint righ'... jes' a wee sip fer a sad shell o' a man, Gaius, brother-" A tentacle had slid around the human man's hand, grasping it tightly to emphasize his desperate situation. Gaius Harper Gaius cringed at the tentacle touch, pulling it away slightly to no avail. "I-I dunno... It's not right they've turned you into this, but... C-Can't you get drinks by yourself? I mean, I could roll down you there if you have trouble traveling..." The man was crazy, that much he was certain. Crazy and obviously an alcoholic. And he had a tight grip on Gaius's arm, which only served to make him all the more uncomfortable. William Woodrow "They won' let me," Billy hissed angrilly, "Not a cigarette, no' drink nor sniff nor nothin'! Please... it aint hurtin' no one, no one'll know. Believe me, I know how t'do this. Y'won't get caught an' I'll jes' get th'buzz if anythin'! C'mone, please? I'll wait here fer ye!" Gaius Harper He was going to protest again when a sudden flash of idea struck. His eyes shot around for any sign of cameras, then back at Billy, and he leaned closer to speak in a hushed tone. "Listen... I'll get you some drinks, okay? A supply... but I'm going to keep the empty bottles. The thing is... I need a safe place to store them, out of sight from watching eyes..." William Woodrow "I can hide bottles no problem," Billy raised another tentacle to join the first, his face lighting up with devious excitement. "Aint no underwater cameras- jes' leave them under a marked rock up th'river a ways. Then it aint too obvious! It can be our drop point," This was more familiar. This Billy knew. They were striking a deal. Get things moved, get things out, get things done. Get things drank, get things dimmed, get things gone. His cheak twitched again and he waited for Gaius's conclusion. Gaius Harper Gaius's head twitched in the slight movement of a nod, ever cautious of what the cameras observed. His gripped hand twitched, feeling the brush of suction cups sliding over it. Every instinct told him this character was bad news, but he ignored it. "Right. A marked rock... Nothing obvious. I'll leave waterbottles of vodka and the empty bottles there for you to pick up." A small smile twitched at the corner of his mouth. "We both benefit, and hopefully others by the end." William Woodrow "Two plus two equals four, right?" The octopus laughed and finally let go, looking extatic- someone finally agreed to help! "I'll pick up t'night a' midnight." Gaius Harper "Uh, right..." Gaius smiled wincingly, having no clue what the octopus was babbling about. "Then, if that's settled..." He stood back up, relieved to finally be free of the clinging grip. "And just so I know... what's your name?" William Woodrow "William," He said, "Call me Billy," He said. "Thank you!" He nearly cried. Too long, it had been too long- he should have been better than this. He could have found a solution long ago- this would work. It was going to work and oh sweet Lord, he'd sleep soundly for the first time in months. If ever there was a man who needed a drink, it was William Woodrow. Gaius Harper "Billy," he repeated. "I'll remember that." The man's exclamation and change in attitude touched Gaius, softening some of his dislike of the fellow. Sure, he was a rough guy, but it wasn't his fault. He didn't like the guy, but he wasn't going to hold the harsh exchange against him. Gaius only hoped he could get out of there before he ended up like Billy. Giving the octopus-man a tip of the head and two-finger salute, Gaius grinned and turned to start back towards the village. "Thanks for the help!" William Woodrow "No, thank YOU!" Billy reiterated, turning his chair to watch Gaius go. Tonight. Tonight tonight tonight. He could wait. He could wait.
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Posted: Sun Sep 10, 2006 11:36 pm
A Couple Containers of Questionable LiquidGaius picks up Marshall and the vodka at the beach bar; Continued from Here: Light Weight RPGaius Harper It seemed Sid was in luck, as the sound of footsteps on the sand and a pleasant humming came from the beach nearby. Gaius was heading for the beach bar, a mission to complete not only for Billy, but for Antony, Tommy and himself as well. Noticing Sid, he held up a hand in a friendly greeting, at the same time hoping he wasn't looking suspicious. "Hey there! Uh, nice day today, isn't it?" Sid Eisley "Sure is..." If he sounded hesitant to reply, it was because he was surprised to see another normal person in such a short amount of time. He glanced down at where Marshall had decided to pass out before returning his attention to Gaiuse with an appraising look. "Y'know, I really hate to impose right off the bat, and I'm sure you're eager to get at the stuff back here... But I sorta need to ask a favor of you. Well, more like he does." He nudged Marshall with his cane that time. "See, if I were to carry him home I'd have to drag him by his shirt- or maybe his leg- and that'd just be unpleasant for everyone." Gaius Harper Gaius gave Sid an odd look as he approached, and craned his neck to see what he was poking at. Recognizing the guy he'd just watched movies with the other night, Gaius exclaimed, "Marshall! Hey, what happened? Is he okay?" The sight of him lying on the ground brought horrific images to mind, his thoughts jumping to images of wild animals attacking his buddy, or maybe the labs had gotten to him. That was it! It was all Gaius's fault! They'd done this to Marshall because of him! Sid Eisley "He's fiiiiine," Sid said, assuming drawing out the word inherently made it more reassuring and believable. "Just can't hold his liquor is all. I tried to stop him, but he went right for the strong stuff. Call it diving in only to hit the bottom of the pool, no even a tenth of a point for style... That makes sense, doesn't it?" He wasn't exactly immune to the effects himself, but he didn't let that stop him. "So, since you two seem to already know each other, I'm assuming it won't be a problem? Make that hoping, sincerely hoping. Ardently hoping." Gaius Harper Gaius crouched next to his unconscious friend, frowning as he listened to Sid. "Sheesh, he must have really done himself in... Is he even legal age?" He shook his head, not looking up at the old guy nearby. "Yeah... Yeah, it's okay. Good thing I came when I did. Well, thanks for not leaving him alone, and not letting him kill himself... I'll take him back to his duplex." Sid Eisley "I forgot to ask." And once Gaius picked the unconscious Marshall up, Sid tipped him a cheerful salute. "Thanks, man. Couldn't have done it without you." Gaius Harper Gaius shifted Marshall over one of his shoulders, thankful the guy's pretty light, and shot Sid an amused grin. "No problem... but, uh, could I get a quick favor from you too? Can you point me to where the vodka bottles are stored...?" Sid Eisley "That'd beeee..." He had to look before he can point. "Right there." And after that he sank back on to a barstool, perfectly content to drink alone, just as soon as he was, that is. Gaius Harper "Thanks, I, uh, was just looking for something to cook with..." Gaius made quick use of the directions, grabbing two bottle stems between his fingers, along with a couple waterbottles he pinned under his arm. Thus burdened, he gave Sid one last wave with his full hand and began his trek back towards the village, Marshall and other liquid containers in hand. Sid Eisley "Have fun with that, then." Hard to say if he meant cooking with Vodka or Marshall. Either way, he was all to eager to see them gone. "Be seein' ya." Drinking alone was fine as long as it meant no one saw you getting sloppy drunk. At least, as far as Sid knew he wouldn't be watched.
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Posted: Mon Sep 11, 2006 2:49 pm
Marshall was left sprawled across his bed in his duplex. The water bottles were emptied down the sink. Now, Gaius stood at the counter. Vodka bottles to the left, plastic bottles to the right. He glanced warily around the room. Any corner could be a camera. Any blink of light, any gleam of lens…
He took a deep breath to settle his nerves. Just get it done. Get it done, get it hidden.
Gaius grabbed up one of the water bottles, screwed off the top, and unstopped one of the vodka bottles. His first attempt to transfer the liquid resulted in sloshing the vodka over both the bottle and his hand. He cursed under his breath and tried again, slowly and carefully, until the clear liquid had filled the bottle. He moved on to the next and the next, until all the vodka bottles were empty. Gaius washed his hands, feeling a sense of relief and guilt. His eyes darted around the room again. Hastily, he gathered up everything and shoved it into his backpack. Flashlight in hand, and vodka in his possession, Gaius snuck out of his duplex and into the jungle.
Despite his obvious ineptitude in the art of stealth or acting casual, the drop-off went smoothly. Gaius found the rock marked with an inky “X”, deposited the water bottles and empty vodka beneath it, and with one last glance around, made it back to his duplex.
Now it the ball was in Billy’s court.
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Posted: Mon Sep 11, 2006 2:49 pm
Metaplot: The Death of FionaThe true horror of the island is witnessed...Fiona_Brooks Fiona was in a daze. Since her change, her whole body felt foreign, alien to her. Her limbs didn't seem to work properly anymore, and a salvaged sturdy treebranch served to aide her hobbled movement. The pain of her last transformation and her paranoia, ever snapped twig, every rustle in the jungle set her fur on edge. And above all else, she felt very alone. Where was Annie? The labs, those bastards... they had to have her. What sorts of things were they doing to her?
Her mind flashed back on the animals that they had seen in cages in the lab during the raid that had gotten them both there. Now they were the animals in cages. Annie in THEIR cage, Fiona in a cage as well. While hers may not have bars or wires... it was a cage enough. She couldn't leave, she was alone.
The week since her last change had granted her a strange mix of clarity and haziness. One thing was VERY clear: she had to find Annie. She had to save her; she got her into this mess, and Goddammit, she was going to get her out.
She didn't know where she was walking, just that she WAS walking, that she was finally doing something. She let instinct guide her more than anything else. And who knew how long she walked at her slow, limping pace.... but eventually the sounds and smells of people reached her. She hesitated, sniffing the air quickly, heart thumping in her chest. It was hard for her to move, the rabbit instincts telling her that the sounds and smells of lots of people- especially those predator scents, were dangerous. They'd hurt her and Annie!
But... as she sniffed... on particular scent was plucked out of the mass of cooking meat, people, and noise. A very familiar scent.
"Annie??" Fiona whispered in a choked sob. Without thinking twice, she hobbled as quickly as she could towards the smell, her heart thumping once again, but for a completely different reason. Angharad Anderson The nightmares had returned that night. Worse than they had been when she was in the labs. She woke up feeling sore and tired and paranoid. Were the labs going to take her again? Was she going to be in so much pain again..?
A long shower did nothing to shake her uneasy feeling, so figuring a nice meal might help, she left her duplex, wandering slowly in the general direction of the cafeteria. Fiona_Brooks Fiona burst from the treeline, looking very different than the last time Angharad had seen her. But her own changes were for once the last thing on her mind. She had closed half the distance between them, crying Angharad's name before she even recognized that she wasn't the only one who had changed.
She slowed only marginally, however, her extatic tone now hushed and sympathetic. "Annie... My god.... what did they do to you?? She hobbled closer, flinging her arms around her old friend. "Where have you been? What did they do? You don't deserve this! I'll... I'll make them pay for this, Annie! How dare they make you a carnivore.."
Angharad Anderson Annie virtually jumped out of her skin as the figure approached. Fiona flug her arms around her neck before Annie's brain finally comprehended what was happening. "Fiona?!"
After she recovered, she tightened her arms around her and returned the hug, bauring her face in the fur on Fiona's shoulder. She breathed in her sent, letting a whine slip out. Fiona_Brooks
Fiona made a frustrated noise, but just held her friend tighter for a moment. But how could it be that simple? She was just.. here? Where were the men with guns, where were the needles..? Had they just released her?
"What did they do to you?" Fiona asked again, pulling away from Angharad. "They... changed you... but you were gone for so long. I thought they'd taken you away from me." She cried in frustration, wiping at her eyes and nose and trying not to cry. She couldn't cry, she had to be strong.
Sid Eisley Sid emerged from the cafeteria, full and content despite being painfully sober. As he hobbled towards home he slid the packet of cigarettes from their place tugged in the sleeve of his shirt. Getting one out with his teeth was a simple enough task, even if his cane made walking and trying to light it that much more difficult. He was about to start digging through his pockets with his lighter when he stumbled upon the tender moment... between bunny and a dog girl? And so his lighter was momentarily forgotten. He stopped a few yards away, just close enough to hear, and stared. Angharad Anderson Annie felt her mind go fuzzy as she nuzzled on her friend. Something was twisting inside her, building... a hunger, a pain... something came over her that was like a mix of nausea and adrenaline.
"I was asleep for most of it.." she managed to get out, but she couldn't seem to keep her mind open on what happening.
"Oh, Fiona...look at you.." she lifted a claw-tipped hand to her cheek and searched her face, looking for any semblance of her best friend in her eyes.
She tried to smile, but something came over her and she doubled over in pain, stumbling backwards a few paces. Newton Filinas Newt had been out on his way to check the evening dumpster behind the cafeteria when he heard voices. Immediatly, he took cover, instinct insisting that a position behind a garbage can or strategically placed bush would be a much better action than leaving himself open to possible preditors. By the time he had situated himself in the dirt under a bush by one of the duplex fronts, the frog-man peered intently out to see who he had stumbled across- hopefully they had been too wrapped up in themselves to notice him. Fiona_Brooks
"That's... good at least." Fiona murmured. "Probably didn't want you to remember the.." She trailed off. She was about to say the 'horrors', but Annie was always the sensitive one, the one that she should protect from those sorts of thoughts.
So instead, she ran her hand through her hair and just shook her head. She'd make them pay for what they did to her. They could beat her, shock her, twist her legs.... but not Annie... not sweet Annie.
Fiona shook her head. "Don't... don't worry about me." She said, a small, wincing smile on her face. "
But when Annie doubled over, Fiona's heart jumped into her throat again.
"Annie!!" She called out, kneeling by her, hand on her back. "What's wrong?!"
Gaius Harper Gaius had just emerged from his duplex, heading on his way over to the cafeteria for a late meal. With all the developments of the past days, he'd been hoping to avoid contact for a while, for fear of getting entangled in any more plots or secrets. He nearly stumbled upon the scene taking place in the village, stopping as he rounded a corner of the duplexes. There was what looked like a rabbit girl and another girl with too much hair. However, something looked off. Nita MacNeal Nita had been sweeping dust out the door of her duplex when Annie walked past. Since she hadn't seen her neighbor in quite some time (and.. had she been so furry during their last encounter?), Nita put her broom aside and hurried down the path after her. She had raised her hand to wave and call out just as Fiona came tearing out of the jungle. Not wanting to interrupt the two friends during their heartfelt reunion, Nita stepped off the path. Perhaps she would catch up with the pair of them later. Angharad Anderson "NO!" Annie suddenly called out, falling backwards onto her rear and clutching at her head. "Not again..."
Almost immediately Annie's body seemed to sort of contort... shoulder's broadening and bulking, causing her shirt to pull at the seems. "Not again..." she cried between clenched teeth. Fur starter to spread over the exposed skin on her arms and legs at an alarming fast pace.
Sid Eisley The changes started before Sid could quite reach a conclusion on whether or not he should come forward, or at least announce himself. The ferocity of the changes was enough to make his mouth slip open in shock. The cigarette fell to the ground. Fiona_Brooks
"Annie!" Fiona rushes to her side again, not letting her get more than an arms' bready away from her. "No... no... not you. Not this." The pain was very vidid in Fee's memory from her own change not a week ago. It was miserable, horrible.... and Annie shouldn't have to go through it.
"God damn you..." Fiona all but growled under her breath, not towards Annie... but towards those ever-present watchers. "GOD DAMN YOU!" She said again, filling her lungs with the curse, shouting as loud as she could, hoping to reach the very labs themselves. "NOT ANNIE!"
Angharad Anderson The changes were faster than normal. Frightening fast. She held it in as long as she could, but as she shirt ripped open and her skirt burst at the seems from the sudden shift in mass, her mouth opened in a wail of agony.
The heat from her body came off her in waves. Thick brown fur had nearly completely covered her body by the time she flung herself forward. It was an attempt to get up, to run away somewhere and hide, but the mix of pain and a sudden shift in her center of gravity and change in her foot structure sent her face-first into the dirt.
She screamed into the ground, pounding her fists as face began to contort, pushing forward as a audible crack could be heard as her once-human nose and maxilla ridges broke away from her skull. Gaius Harper At first Gaius thought she was having stomach pains, the way she was bent over, but when her shoulders started expanding to the point of ripping her shirt, Gaius's mouth had dropped open and eyes bugged. This... This... There was only one thing this sight he was witnessing could be. The spreading fur confirmed it without a doubt. Suddenly, he felt weak at the knees, and had to catch himself on the wall as he stared on in horror. Fiona_Brooks
"ANNIE!!!!!" Fiona screamed, tears now coming to her eyes unhindered. It was torturous to witness, and as much pain as she remembered from her own change, it wasn't this bad, it couldn't have been this bad. The sounds, the speed of the change... and the horrifying expression on Annie's face. IT would have been bad to witness ANYONE going through this.. as her face seemed to break.... but Annie... her Annie.
She could hardly articulate definate words between her sobs. She just flung her arms around her neck and hoped that being there would somehow help her.
"HELP!" She called out plaintively to the crowd that was gathering. "DO something! Pleaseeee~" She wailed.
Jamal_Reedy "Anotha' one," Jamal growled bitterly to himself as he leaned heavily against a tree, eyes narrowed sharply as he watched the scene unfold. He had been off on his own for a long time now...weeks...months...maybe longer for all he knew. His senses were growing keener by the day and with it, his instincts. It was those very instincts that pulled the tiger man back towards the fringes of humanity to witness what was happening now thanks to the screaming and the thick, choking smell of fear. He was making no pains to hide himself in the shadows as he stood there, his eyes continually glaring at the wolf girl as the tiger gave a twinge of dismay; the scent of predator was growing stronger as the girl's transformation progressed. If anyone looked in his direction, he paid them no mind. He doubted any would address him anyway. They certainly were not his friends. Angharad Anderson The final parts of the changes came just as swiftly as the rest. Her face pushed out and her feet and hands twisted into paws. As quickly as it had started, it was over, leaving Annie a breathless, quivering, hulking beast on the ground.
Nothing was right. The smells, the sounds. Annie had never felt so disoriented her life. She was hungry, scared, in pain... and something was clinging to her. She bared her teeth and growled, shoving Fiona roughly and she got to her feet.
Her sore limbs cried out in pain to her brain, but she swallowed it down and stood, looking around with cold, inhuman eyes. Her new nose was working furiously, catching a new array of sents. Her stomach growled, a ravenous hunger sweeping over her lupine brain. She needed sustenance to make up for the sudden change in her body mass and metabolism.
Suddenly, she was starving! She was going to die if she didn't get food. Her eyes settled on the prey animal in front of her and a neuron-fire later she sprung forward, sinking her teeth in her shoulder.
Fiona_Brooks
Fiona Screamed. The world was being torn apart. Her friend, her best friend, and the only other person here she could trust had just... bitten her. She could see the fear, the pain... and a deeper madness in her eyes. Something had broken in Annie and Fiona couldn't see her friend in those eyes.
That fear struck her deeper than the pain of the bite in her shoulder. This wasn't Annie. This wasn't Annie at all! What had they done to her?! They had taken away her freedoom. Because of her, they had taken away Annie's freedom as well. And now, after leaving her a mockery of what she used to be - lame, and the very animal she had tried to rescue from the labs back home... they were taking Annie away from her too.
"Annie.... please... it's me... Fiona!" She whimpered, clutching her shoulder - but the pain was only a ghost in the back of her mind thanks to the fear and shock at seeing the monster that they had turned her into. "Annie.. . don't leave me alone..." She whispered.
Newton Filinas When the wolf girl lunged, Newt gave a horrified cry that he immediatly regretted, trembling as he huddled down deeper under his protective shrubbery. Changes didn't- that was too fast! And now she was *attacking*?? The labs would send her sleeping befor things got out of hand, though- He clung to the branches, waiting for her to be buzzed. Sid Eisley Sid gasped at the sight of the wolf girl sinking her teeth in the rabbit. He staggered back a pace, barely keeping himself from falling backwards entirely. He glanced around... He wanted to do something... but that would likely just get him maimed, too. Maybe someone else would step in, someone more capable of dealing with a crazed animal. Jamal_Reedy Jamal stared mutely at the scene until suddenly, the newly transformed girl made a fast, frenzied move towards the girl who had been screaming for help. Before he could think, the smell of blood was in the air and the tiger was taking charge. Instantly, his ears pulled forward and his mouth parted, the semi-saber teeth glinting wetly as his nerves crackled hot with the urge to overthrow the smaller predator. It would be so easy.... He pushed away from the tree he had been leaning on and crept forward slightly, dropping to an all-fours position in the taller grass beforehand. Jamal didn't go far though. There were too many people around and that was enough to keep the tiger leery and that in turn let Jamal pull himself into check. The tiger man remained crouched, but definately more visible than he had been. Angharad Anderson It was uncertain if it was Fiona's words, or the sudden, shocking pain that ripped through her own body as the buzzer in her neck went off.
Fiona fell to her knees as she jerked her head away, dislodging her teeth from her flesh and flailing backwards, claws going to the back of her neck.
She let something between a scream and a howl as the electric current kept coming. She stumbled around, her knees shaking and beginning to fail her and claws and dug at her own neck. Yellow eyes were wide and pleading, terrified as blood began to soar her fur.
But she kept digging. Flailing around in a tight circle her howl turned to loud, canine whines of torture as she claws broke through skin.
With an agonizing howl, her claws just started grabbing mounds of flesh and fur. Crazed panic wouldn't allow her to stop - not until the pain went away.
In a matter of seconds, Annie had virtually ripped open the back of her neck, and in her paws as she stared in shock, was a small, smoking rice-sized electrical device. Gaius Harper Gaius swallowed, a stinging taste of bile in the back of his throat. He'd been told there were changes. He just hadn't known how violent or swift they were. And now, now he was witnessing what looked like two friends turning on each other. All humanity gone. "Holy mother of God..." And then she was ripping at the back of her neck, like a crazed bee had gotten into her spine. Gaius was afraid she was going to end up killing herself until she finally stopped, looking at something in her paw. From his position, he couldn't see it. He wasn't sure he wanted to. Fiona_Brooks Hot liquid seeped through Fiona's fingers where they clutched her injured shoulder.... but her eyes widened as Angharad began to dig into the back of her own neck. The muscles back there were swollen oddly, her whole neck distorted from the change to push her into a more canine form.
It was disturbing to watch. "Annie! STOP!" She wailed, trying to clutch at her arms as she continued to mutilate herself. Everyone else had faded into the background, and despite the crowd, Fiona felt like she was in her own personal nightmare. She didn't have any fear for herself. Everything was already gone. She clung to Annie, begging her to stop, to snap out of it...
Jamal_Reedy The stench of blood was overpowering and it was driving the predator in Jamal absolutely insane. He gave a growl as he sucked in a deep breath and advanced further. As he moved, he now watched the crazed girl turn her new weaponry on herself. Well...that was new.... His last thought was to help the poor girl; he didn't owe her anything. He did, however, need to satisfy the urge to at least check out the 'kill'. The tiger man slowly advanced again, giving all those nearby sharp stares if they looked his way. When the wolf girl started to lose steam and appeared to be in a daze, his gaze pinpointed on her hands, which she seemed to be staring at. From his position, it looked like lots of torn flesh and blood. Nita MacNeal Nita froze when Fiona began shrieking for help. Her alarm and the sense of predator in the area were palpable; before she knew it, the red panda girl had dashed up the tree she had been standing next to. A hint of movement off to the side caught her eye in the midst of all the hubbub. Another predator was nearby, ready to pounce. And then there was the sickening smell of blood and the sound of rending flesh as Annie tore.. something out of her neck. "Oh holy God," Nita muttered, just able to make out the shine of metal from her perch. "She ripped out her ******** chip." Angharad Anderson Fiona's desperate cries fell on deaf ears, but as she clung to her she caused the wolf-woman to drop the small devide, sending it to the ground.
Not that the creature that used to be Annie had any clue what she was looking at, but it made her angry that the other female had knocked her out her hand. Her lips curled back in a growl as she stared at her.
The smell. The hot, thick stench of blood was everywhere now, permeating the area. Suddenly, Annie remembered what she was doing. The hunt had been interrupted by the pain, but now the pain was gone. And her prey... her prey was right there.
The chip forgotten, Annie leaped forward, knocking Fiona clear on her back and Annie landed directly on top of her. She sunk her teeth into soft flesh of her throat and let the instinct wash over her.
She tried to shake her prey, but Fiona was far too large. So she jerked her head swiftly to the right, until she met resistance, then jerked her head sharply to the left. And again... and again.. and again...
...until it finally gave way. Annie jerked her head back, taking most of Fiona's throat with her, and Fiona's body fell lifeless to the ground.
Sid Eisley Sid remained planted where he was, his grip on his cane tight enough to make his knuckles go white. First the wolf-girl tore a piece out of herself... then out of nowhere (at least as far as he could see) the tiger-man emerged. "Jesus Cartwheeling Christ," Sid hissed through his teeth. And then the rabbit girl become a chewtoy. As far as he knew, there was nothing that could have stopped it. Running was sounding better and better, but he couldn't do that. He'd only come off as easy prey... And besides that, he couldn't so much as look away. Fiona_Brooks
Fiona barely had time to react as she saw Annie turn towards her with murder in her eyes. Her friend was gone, she realized that now. Too far gone. She made to stumble backwards, but as she put weight on her left leg, it buckled. The change had left her physically lame, and even with the walking stick, she could barely move faster than a hobble.
As Annie's jaws closed around Fiona's neck, hot tears splashed down her cheeks as she reached silently up to Annie's face to stroke the side of her face lovingly. "I'm sorr-" She breathed, her last words.... before her neck was ripped away from her.
Her hand fell limp to the dirt path she lay on as a spreading red wetness flowered out from around her.
Jamal_Reedy Jamal saw the mass of bloody odds and ends fall to the ground and it was then that his keen predator eyes caught sight of gentle wisps of smoke curling upward as the blood gave off a slightly burnt odor. He hadn't the foggiest idea what it was, but it certainly didn't look organic. It looked too dark and solid to be something of that nature. He crawled forward with a more urgent motion, now letting a rumbling growl fall from his throat. By now, Annie had jumped Fiona and was rendering the rabbit girl into a bloodied, torn corpse. Jamal's gaze continued to fall on the chip. This was nature. Kill or be killed. To Jamal, this horrid scene of murder playing out before him was nothing more than him taking down a boar in the jungle. Been there, done that. Besides, he could chase the other off if he really -wanted- to. Or so the tiger thought. Gaius Harper He couldn't tear his eyes away. He wanted to, but he couldn't. Every part of him was frozen. It all happened so fast... or slow. Time was irrelevent. The newly wolf girl tackled the rabbit, and ravaged her throat until she was nothing but a lifeless bloody mess. "NOOO!" Gaius chocked out the cry, taking a stumbling step forward. No! Where were the labs? Where were the cameras? Why, why had this happened? All his life, he'd never seen someone die in front of him. Now he had. Newton Filinas Newt gaped at what he saw, inable to speak, inable to think, frozen under his bush where his jumper unfortunatly became alittle wetter. Don't move don't move don't move or be eaten don't move or be eaten! The already timid man mixed with a timid animal with a dash of grotesque murder left him stunned. Just breath just breath- he couldn't! The wolf would hear him and come to snap up delicious froggy bits in it's mouth in two bites he was a small animal and there were preditors around! Sid Eisley Sid was speechless. He remained standing there, fixed in place... at least until the sight of the carnage mixed unpleasantly with the fact he just ate. Forgetting about not drawing attention to himself, or that he was supposed to act like he'd seen it all, he had just enough time to stagger a few steps away before throwing up. So not cool. Nita MacNeal Nita didn't dare even move farther up in the tree. The tiniest movement could alert Annie - or whatever Annie had become - or the tiger-man to her presence. She could only watch in shock and horror as Fiona's throat was ripped out. Her stomach lurched at the sight and smell of so much blood and.. other matter. The red panda girl clung to the branch, sweating and trying not to vomit. She cursed her cowardice, but really... What could she possibly have done? Angharad Anderson Annie swallowed and then took a few good sniffs to make sure the prey was dead. She crouched on all fours over the body, snarling at the tiger... he was getting awfully close. This was her kill, not his.
A man came stumbling forward and she gave a snapping bark as her fur bristled. It was a warning: stay away.
She went back towards her meal, nose deep in another bite before the adrenaline finally started to wear away.
Then there was a sudden change in Annie's posture as she jerked her head away from its meal, a panicked, dismayed horror in her eyes.
"Fiona?"
Annie's paw-hands gripped her shoulders and began to shake. "Fiona? FIONA?!"
Jamal_Reedy Jamal snarled back at the wolf girl out of reflex even if he, at the moment, wanted nothing to do with the kill at that moment. There was something about that dark, foreign object laying on the blood-soddened ground that even kept his tiger instincts at bay. The tiger man was not a genius by any stretch of the imagination, but even HE was starting to make some ends connect here. The wolf girl should have been buzzed, and had been to judge how she had started flailing about before she turned her friend into a chew toy....but now she was still concious and her neck was tore open. Even Jamal couldn't fail to see a sort of connection here. Was it possible she ripped out the buzzer? A devilish smile slowly curled onto his muzzle as he reached out to try to pluck the chip from the grass, ignoring Annie's tortured screams now for her dead comrade. Sid Eisley Sid, still doubled over but with nothing left but bile, wiped his mouth and slowly looked back to the scene. Knee be damned, he was all running away... At least until the wolf girl snapped out of it. He still wasn't above moving away slowly as he stared, if nothing else it got him away from his ex-lunch. Island of Moreau Minutes later the sound of Jeeps could be heard approaching. Three of them to be exactly, armed to the teeth with gaurds. The barreled into the village, guns ready... and no one looked happy. Gaius Harper Gaius stopped at the sudden bark, hands raised. He was approaching a wild animal, not a girl. The sight of her gorging on her friend's body was too much. Gaius closed his eyes, taking a deep breathe to calm his rioting stomach. The small, sad voice made him look up again. Now she'd realized what she'd done... Gaius's face twisted into a harsh grimace. Anger, grief, and an overwhelming horror racked at his insides, almost too painful to bear. There was nothing he could do, nothing he could change, and it tore at the ever-productive man's core. Angharad Anderson The sound of the approaching Jeeps struck something inside Annie's tattered soul. Her face sobbing wet with tears and blood, she couldn't control the penic washing over her.
She couldn't face what she had done.. not to Fiona.. not to her best friend..
..and she couldn't be caught. She couldn' go back. Run away run away... this meal was lost to her..
With a whine, Annie gave one last sorrowful look to her fallen friend before turning on her paws and fleeing into the jungle opposite the approach of the Jeeps, leaving a trail of blood behind her. Jamal_Reedy Jamal grabbed the bloody mass as he heard the faint rumblings of an engine heading their way. No surprise there, after what had happened. He, almost frantic in his motions, tried to jam the mass into his jean short pocket, but the fabric had long been worn out and the chip would never stay there. Even he felt a little off, realizing that there was 'human' blood on this fragment of flesh, but his only other idea was to jam it into his mouth to hide it. He did so quickly, but he wasn't sure if he managed before the staff showed. He did back away quickly as they barged out with shotguns, glaring hotly at them with intense distrust. He made no move to attack though. Not now. Of course, jamming a buzzer in ones mouth wasn't the smartest idea. He could only hope it was disarmed after being forcibly ripped from it's host. Nita MacNeal Silent tears ran down Nita's cheeks as she cried for both of her friends. There was no way Fee could have survived that, and now that Annie realized what she had done... For the first time the girl noticed the other bystanders, none of them familiar, and two of them unchanged. More newcomers.. and what a welcome. "Oh, Annie. Oh, Fee," Nita whispered, somewhat relieved to see the Jeeps trundling along the path. But why were they so late? Surely the cameras would have caught this, even if Annie's chip was working! Her relief was short-lived, however, when Annie promptly disappeared into the jungle. And it seemed the fearsome-looking tiger-man was looking for confrontation. Sabin Duvert In the Jeep in the middle, in the passenger seat besides a guard, a face familar to some, a man with shock-white hair, tophat and dark clothing bore a grave expression. "YOU!" He pointed at one of the other jeeps. "FOLLOW HER INTO THE JUNGLE! DON'T LOSE HER WHATEVER YOU DO!" The guards in the jeep responded quickly without a word of backtalk, heading out in the direction Annie had fled. There was a snarl on Sabin's face. Things had gone to s**t. This wasn't supposed to happen. That's what the chips were for. Not five minutes ago he had been in his lab when he got the call - a frantic labtech on moniter duty screaming a barely legible string of expletives with a vague story in there about someone killing someone. Someone was going to have to answer for this. "EVERYONE! CLEAR THE SQUARE NOW." Sabin yelled to the people gathered around. The other jeep rumbled to a stop, four armed guardsmen exiting with high-powered rifles at ready. Newton Filinas Newt flinched at the sound of Sabin's voice and the approaching jeeps, but instinct forced him to stay unmoving untill all immediate dangers had passed- no one had seen him, no one noticed him yet... no one would eat him yet... It was strange how long he could hold his breath for, but he didn't question it. Or rather, he blamed it on the frog and moved passed it. Don't think don't think. Nothing happened. He wasn't here. He was somewhere else. Sid Eisley Sid didn't have to be told twice. He turned and quickly moved away from the square, painfully aware he was just going to suffer for the effort later. So long as he put as much distance between himself and the armed men in the meantime he didn't care. Jamal_Reedy Guns. Jamal resisted the urge to snarl some sort of violent threat at the white haired man that he recognized from so long ago. The acidic tang of burnt blood made him wrinkle his muzzle in displeasure but he kept his jaw clamped firm. Slowly, he backed away, keeping his face forward to keep an eye on those with guns, and tried to retreat in a manner that wouldn't look suspicious. Gaius Harper Gaius ignored the order, spinning on the familiar face. All the bottled anger and injustice from the past week came rushing to the top, killing any common sense in the guy. "Sabin!" He snarled. "What the hell just happened?! She... She..." His hand flailed back at the bloody mess behind him. It wasn't right. None of it was. His eyes were accusing and angry. "She was murdered!" Sabin Duvert The jeep Sabin was in rumbled to a stop besides Fiona's body, the guardsman staying in the car with the motor running. Circled by the other four guards, Sabin kept his eyes on the others who were still visable at the scene, Particularly Jamal, despite the fact that it appeared as if he was leaving. His eyes snapped to Gaius. As much as he liked the fellow from their initial meeting, he didn't have time for this. "Not now, Gaius." He spoke harsly. "Subject Harper Sleep." He spoke clearly but clipped. He was in a hurry. While it was likely beyond ANY help for Fiona, if there HAD been any chance to save her it it fell to him that it was too late to bring her back, then he didn't doubt Moreau would find a way to blame him. Then, carefully, he stooped, lowering his eyes only long enough to scoop up Fiona's still form, not seeming to care that as he picked her up, his whole front was bathed in her blood. Then, he walked back into the jeep. "Drive." The gaurdsman flubbered, staring aghast at the body besides him. "But sir-" "DRIVE!" Sabin roared. There was no more protest. THe jeep turned around, and headed back towards the labs. Jamal_Reedy Jamal retreated far enough away that he was probably deemed to be harmless and sat down in the grass, tail curling primly about his haunches as he sat and watched the body be rounded up. It was hard for him to not drop his jaw, the large object in his maw urging him to swallow due to the flesh surrounding his prize. As the jeep drove away, he tried to pull the chip from his mouth as discretely as possible, giving the impression he was simply picking his teeth or scratching his nose. He turned the chip over and over in his hands, examining it with a critical eye. He knew little about electronics other than stuff you bought at a K-mart or a Radio Shack, but he knew this -had- to be the chip. And if not a chip, then something else that the docs didn't want them to know about. Gaius Harper Gaius's mouth opened at Sabin's sharp statement, but any further words were cut off as a sudden jolt from a chip in the back of his neck that he'd never knew existed sent the man crumpling to the ground unconscious. Jamal_Reedy Jamal methodically cleansed the chip of muscle and blood, sending the damp bits covered in saliva into the grass. He idly licked his fingers clean as he once more turned the chip over in one palm, then slowly faded into the jungle. He had some thinking to do. Nita MacNeal Nita waited for the Jeep to drive off before descending shakily from the tree. The bark tore at her bare hands and feet as she slithered down much less gracefully than she normally did. She took a few deep breaths, keeping her nose blocked. The stench of death was overpowering, but she couldn't just leave Gaius lying prone in the middle of the path. At least he was still human, and much more likely to accept her help. She wobbled over to where he lay and crouched beside him. "Hey," she said, shaking his shoulder. "You okay?" Gaius Harper "Unngh..." he groaned. The eye not pressed into the dirt cracked open, looking up at the fuzzy red blur standing over him. Everything felt stiff, and his head hurt. At least, for the moment, he'd forgotten the murder scene, his brain writing it off as a weird dream. He managed to roll over onto his back, and frowned up at the girl standing over him. "Wha... happened? Why'm I on the ground...?" Newton Filinas When the potential preditors had split, the frog underthe bush finally found the courage to attempt to leap forward. He crawled meakly at first, his heart still racing and mind still spinning. That girl had- and the rabbit and- the wolf- and the blood- the blood and the van- He hadn't even realized he was still soiled untill he spotted the two islanders remaining on the road and quickly dodged back under his bush with a terrified wimper. Nita MacNeal "You got ordered to sleep," Nita said, finding his latter question much easier to answer. And what had happened? She sat down on the ground, hard, visibly shaking. Her eyes strayed past Gaius to the bloody splotches in the dirt. "It was Fee. And Annie," she gulped, hugging her knees to her chest. Nita's ears twitched at Newt's wimper, but the sound barely penetrated her consciousness. Gaius Harper "Ordered to... sleep?" He furrowed his brows, trying to get his groggy brain to work properly. Yes, there'd been Sabin, and he'd said something... A pain in his neck... But why had Sabin been covered in blood? Why had he looked so stressed? "Fee? Annie?" he continued to repeat her answers. His eyes followed hers, turning his head to the mess of red and fur that was all that was left of the terrible scene. Gaius's heart leapt into his chest as he stared wide-eyed. "I-I didn't think it was real..." He looked back at the girl huddled beside him, shaking terribly. His first instinct was to comfort her, but the best he could manage was laying a hand on one of the arms wrapped around her legs. "Did... did they save the rabbit...?" Newton Filinas "Duh-duh-duh-DEAD DEAD Sh-sh-sh-she was DEAD!" Newt finally shreiked, the terror no longer able to be bottled up any longer. "Th-they let it happen! Th-they let it happen!!" Nita MacNeal Nita shook her head helplessly. "Her name was Fiona," she managed, tears wetting her furry cheeks. Her leg flinched away initially at Gaius' touch but she let it stay. She kept her eyes trained on the stained dirt only a few feet away. She jumped when Newt shrieked from the bushes. The stutter was immediately recognizeable, even if she hadn't seen Newt all changed. It was enough to make her look at him with reddened eyes. "I know," she said tonelessly. "I saw." Gaius Harper She's dead. The thought rang endlessly in Gaius's head, bouncing around as it multiplied, taking everything over. She's dead she's dead she's dead... Outwardly, Gaius's face was blank, staring past both Nita and Newt. How... How did this happen? Why hadn't the labs been there? Couldn't they see everything? Sabin had been there. Gaius shook himself out of his thoughts, noticing the green guy for the first time. He looked positively shaken, but Gaius's first concern was the girl beside him. She's spoken their names... From that much, he could gather she had known them. "I'm... I'm sorry. I'm sorry." It was all he could offer her. Newton Filinas Newt carefully hopped out of the bushes towards the scene of the crime. His heart was racing, his eyes wide as he clumsily made to unbutton his jumper. He kept his head down to hide his embarassment, and peeled the top half of his jumper down to try to hide his soiled mistake. "Sh-she... she j-just..." His voice broke, and he burried his face in his webbed hands. Nita MacNeal Under the circumstances, Nita was hardly about to notice something as trivial as Newt's wet pants. The smell and sight of the path was suddenly too much for her; Nita leapt to her feet and threw up in the bushes so recently inhabited by Newt. She stumbled a few feet and sat down in the grass, out of the immediate presence of too many bodily emissions. "Ugh," she choked, scrubbing at her face. Wrapping her arms around her legs, she buried her face in her knees and wept, choking and shuddering. Gaius Harper Everything felt heavy as Gaius pulled himself up off the ground. He glanced back at the bloody pool that was quickly soaking into the ground and shivered. The proximity of it made him feel blood-covered and soiled himself. Wearing a haggard expression, he turned away in time to catch the other guy pulling off his stained clothes. Normally he would've been embarassed at the sight of a man losing control, but after seeing the wolf tear out Fiona's throat with her own teeth. He shivered, rubbing his arms despite the warmth of the island air. "I thought the labs were supposed to be able to stop stuff like that..." he said to no one in particular. Newton Filinas "Th-they are, th-they are.... th-they are but they didn't st-stop him..." Newt murmured, his already weak voice wavering even worse. He watched them both uselessly, arms hugging eachother- despite the fact he often felt hot and chafed in his clothing, right then he felt cold. Horribly cold. He wanted to go hide in his muddy bathtub. Nita MacNeal Nita chewed the insides of her cheeks and spat in an attempt to rid her mouth of the acidic taste of bile. The awful scene replayed in her mind on a loop; she bit her lip until it bled. "They were best friends," Nita muttered. "They lived next to me. They were my friends. They were best friends..." Gaius Harper Gaius's stomach clenched as he turned wide-eyes on Nita. "They were friends?" He didn't wait for an answer. He didn't need to. Her face had told him enough. His fists clenched, tendons showing out against skin as horror turned to anger. "They... The labs... Didn't stop them. They didn't stop this, when they were the ones who started it!" He raised his head to glare up the road, nostrils flaring in an angry snort. "The wolf... Annie... Didn't kill Fee. Moreau killed her. Moreau killed Fee." He spoke with finality. This was Moreau's doing. Yes. Moreau had taken away their humanity, turned them into animals. He'd seen the mess that called himself Billy, had seen a girl cannibalize her best friend. It terrified him to the point of fury. Would he be next? Would he turn on Marshall? On Antony? He couldn't believe it was Annie's own behavior that had led to this. It was too horrible for him to handle. "It's his fault." Newton Filinas "N-no.. no... no... th-the doc-doctor... th-the... the d-doctor wouldn't... he... scuh-science...." Newt babbled, trembling harder. It was difficult to stay loyal in the face of the circle of blood and remnant carnage that used to be a young girl. "He w-wouldn't... " He turned him into a frog for his own clumsiness, his rational side reminded him, but Newt pushed those thoughts away, attempting to grip to what little pride he had left. He lifted the courner of his jumper-top to stare at the Feral Labs patch intently. Nita MacNeal Replaying. The crunch of bones and muscles. A buzzing. Too much blood. "I.. I think they tried to stop her," Nita said, remembering in spite of herself. She reached up to touch the base of her neck. "Annie tore her own chip out." Her hand fell into her lap; she stared at it, unseeing, clearly in shock. Nita gulped. "She tore the chip out and killed Fee." Gaius Harper Gaius blinked, face falling as his little fortress of toothpicks he'd built on blaming the scientist was badly dented. Somewhere in his mind, it had been so simple to put it all in black and white. The labs were evil, Annie and Fee were the victims. That was how it should be. But now... "They... tried?" his voice wavered. "But... I guess they sent the jeeps and guards because of the cameras... but..." He glanced back at Nita. She sat still, like a statue. Poor girl... "This shouldn't have happened." Newton Filinas Newt sat in a more humanish position- far more human than he had thought himself capable for months now, and gently fidgeted with the patch in question. It had gotten dirty, so dirty like the rest of his jumpers... but no blood.. hopefully there never would be blood. Snakes- Thom... he remembered feeling so terrified- everytime he had seen Cassie... but they seemed nice, but what if they suddenly grew hungry for frog? What if with the next change he could be next? Or anyone? The labs should have known- did they even care? His enormous eyes glistened with tears, dribbling down his sallow, skinny, amphibious face. Nita MacNeal "No," Nita agreed, her voice flat with suppressed emotion. "It shouldn't have happened. Annie was such a sweet girl... They were best friends!" Her last protestation came out as a near-shriek. She curled up with her tail wrapped around her feet, her entire body once again wracked with shudders, although no more tears fell. She had seen the whole thing and hadn't been able to stop it. She hadn't been able to do anything. She had been frozen with fear, unable even to look away. And now Fiona was dead, and Annie... Who knew what would be done to Annie when the guards caught her? Gaius Harper Gaius's resolve finally broke. Oh God, why were they on this island? He'd never realized the full extent of the horror in which he was quickly sinking. Being turned into animal-creatures was one thing, but losing themselves to the point of hunting each other as predator and prey... He didn't let himself break down, though. He was alone there with a furry girl on the brink of breaking down, and the green fellow was crying his massive eyes out. No, he had to be the strong one. Sucking in his own emotions with a deep breathe, Gaius went over to kneel beside Nita, wrapping his arms around her in an attempt at a comforting hug. "Shhh. Shhh... Take it easy. Deep breaths..." Glancing up from his position, he looked over at Newt with concerned eyes. "Are you okay, pal?" Newton Filinas Newt didn't answer, scratching at the patch as though to see if it would peal off. Snakes and birds and larger beasts... cats and dogs and the list went on... he waslow on the food chain, wasn't he? But hadn't he always been? Who would be eaten next? "Sh-she... ate her..." Nita MacNeal Nita's body sagged against Gaius, no longer willing to support itself. She sniffled a few times and wiped her face, which was visibly red and puffy, even through her fur. "Thanks," she whispered between breaths. In. Out. In. Hold. Out. Try not to hyperventilate. Slow. Calm. Pulling away from Gaius, Nita shoved damp tendrils of hair out of her eyes and mouth. Finally pulling herself together enough to pay attention to her surrounding, the red panda girl finally noticed Newt as more than something periphery. The poor guy was always so nervous, and it was obvious he had also been a witness to the atrocity. Nita tugged his hand to stop his scratching. He'd only hurt himself. Gaius Harper He didn't try to stop her when she pulled away. It was one thing to hug a girl in comfort, that he could handle. If she had had enough, then that was good enough for him. He rubbed at his eyes, which had begun throbbing, and the pain seemed to be spreading to his temples. Whether it was stress or after-effects of the chip, he wasn't sure. But he wasn't going to leave just yet. Following after the red-furred girl, Gaius stood a little away, kicking at the dirt and trying not to intrude. She seemed to know the man, while Gaius was still a stranger. Newton Filinas Newt glanced up at Nita miserably, his throat puffing as he held his breath, but he managed to keep the croaks at bay. "I... I... I sh-should... sh-should go b-back..." He murmured in a wavering, shaking voice. Nita MacNeal Nita attempted a smile, although it ended up being more of a grimace. "If you're sure..." she said, hesitating. "I don't think anyone's going to eat you. This was all a freak accident." Freak accident. The phrase echoed uncomfortably in her mind. Nita fidgetted with the end of one rather ragged braid, in no mood to be consoling, but not wanting to get angry or annoyed with Newt. Gaius Harper Gaius sighed deeply and rubbed his neck, shoulders sagging, and offered a cheerless smile. "Going back... sounds like a good idea." He looked back over his shoulder at the scene one last time, eyes glazing as he retreated back into himself, unable to deal with the implications or aftermath just yet. That would wait for his duplex and bed. He offered a hand to Newt to help him up, too tired to care about how slimey or soiled he may be. "Need any help getting back to your place...?" He made the offer to Nita as well, glancing between the two. Newton Filinas "Fruh-freak... f-freak incident... r-right..." He nodded, as though attempting to convince himself to be convinced, but failed miserably. He glanced up as Gaius offered his hand, timidly reaching up to take it. Not many people offered to actualyl touch him these days, and he didn't blame them. Nita MacNeal Nita patted Newt's hand briefly and pulled herself up. Her legs only wobbled a little; the original shock wearing off, leaving numbness in its wake. With a few deep breaths to steady herself, Nita set herself in the direction of her duplex. It took all of her will-power to look straight ahead, to avoid glancing back towards the cafeteria. Her eyes slid sideways towards Gaius. "Thank you," she told him quietly. "I'm sorry. I don't know your name..." Gaius Harper The large fellow hauled Newt up to his feet, probably a bit higher than Newt could actually stand comfortably, and gave him a genial pat on the shoulder. "There you go, buddy." He nodded in response to Nita's thanks, tilting his head slightly as a more real smile graced his face. "It's okay. Thanks for waking me up. I'd probably still be lying in the dirt. And... I'm Gaius." His smile turned sad as he gave a half-shrug. "Wish we could've met on a happier note..." Glancing back at Newt, he waited until he was situated and hopefully able to walk. He looked positively shaken. Gaius felt terrible for the guy, and offered a friendly smile. "Don't worry... I'm sure the labs will keep better watch after that. You'll be safe." Newton Filinas Newt pulled his hand back, fiddling with his webbing awkwardly as he sank into his comfortable froggish posture. He didn't feel much like dumpster diving anymore. Nita MacNeal "But yeah..." The red panda girl shook her head. "I'm Nita." She lapsed into silence as they walked (and hopped) down the path. "What a ******** day. Jesus Christ." Gaius Harper Gaius's cheek twitched as he stared at his feet. "Couldn't have said it better myself..." He let out one last sigh, seeming to have plenty of them to spare today, and turned away from the two to head towards his own duplex. He gave them a brief nod as he went, hands slipping into his pockets. "I'll be seeing you two... Stay safe." What a week. Gaius doubted he'd be getting much sleep for some time. Newton Filinas Newt said nothing, his eyes wide and round still, even now, as he numbly hopped back towards his duplex for a long cold soak in his mud-filled tub where he could eat all the bugs he could catch and pretend he was in a safe little aquarium somewhere. Newton Filinas was not a fan of the wild. Nita MacNeal "You too," Nita muttered, as she walked the last few yards to her own duplex. If only she had never left it to follow Annie. She nearly tripped over the broom in the doorway. Kicking it savagely aside, Nita flung herself onto her bed, shoved her face into her pillow, and screamed.
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Posted: Wed Sep 13, 2006 4:45 pm
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Posted: Wed Sep 13, 2006 4:53 pm
Boredom. Tis a magical thing. And while Marshall could've easily cured it with a DVD raid, or some doodling even, he decided to take a small walk around the village. Some where along the way he found himself counting duplexes, and couldn't help but imagine how many people actually lived in them.
However, he found himself stopping right past his own Duplex, finding his freind's new residence at Duplex 62. Marshall hadn't seen Gaius in a couple days (at least, as far as HE remembered), so with a bit of curiosity, he walked up the door and knocked.
Worst case scenario he wasn't home, right?
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Posted: Wed Sep 13, 2006 5:07 pm
It'd been... how many days since the rabbit who'd once been a girl named Fee had been murdered? Gaius couldn't recall. Maybe it'd only been a couple hours, or maybe it'd been a month already.
His time had been spent lying on his half-made bed, staring at the ceiling, in the same clothes he'd been wearing since before the incident. He'd only gotten up to relieve himself occassionally. He was unwashed and stubble was starting to grow on his usually clean-shaven jaw, to say nothing of the hollow look of his eyes. His usual drive had died, smothered under the hopelessness that blanketed him.
The door knock went unnoticed at first, passed off as his mind playing tricks, until it was repeated. Gaius lifted his head to look at the door. Slowly, his body pulled itself up, one step at a time, as he was drawn to the sound. Maybe it was the doctor there to pick him up...
Gaius opened the door enough to poke his head out, squinting at the sunlight, and looked around for someone before looking down at the guy waiting patiently. He stared blankly and uttered a confused, "Wha?"
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Posted: Wed Sep 13, 2006 5:15 pm
"G-Gaius?" Marshall said, looking up at his freind. At least, he THOUGHT it was his freind. He was the same height, the same build, and wearing the same clothes...But he had stubble and looked like hell passed over twice.
"Are...Are you okay?" Marshall said with a concerned tone of voice. He tried not to cringe at the smell, but he was most disturbed by that look on his face.
It looks like he's seen a ghost...
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