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 Posted: Wed Feb 28, 2007 6:14 pm
Dallas heard the girl mutter, "It doesn't appear...bad." and shook his head. Not bad? How was it not bad? The man had just gone through a horrendous, awful, and highly painful change and all she had to say was that it wasn't bad?
It was just like a girl to be so insensitive about a guy's feelings. They always yammered away about how crude and unemotional guys could be, but did they ever stop to think even once that guys had feelings too? Noooo...
Offering his own answer to the mouse-man in his own specially suave way he semi-cheerfully said, "Well, your teeth dot damn bigger, that's for sure, and your tail's real mousy now, but...ah, that's about it. You look downright dashing, I must say! Other than your case of pink eye." The last sentence was muttered under his breath, as it was too late to keep it from escaping his lips.
"So, ah...you want us to help you back to your room?"
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Posted: Wed Feb 28, 2007 10:17 pm
Having been on the island for a while, and seen a transformations, Ryan wasn't going to be p***y-footing around the subject. The guy was going to be looking like that for a while, and he needd to get used to that.
"Yeah, and it looks like you grew a lot of your muzzle too. Did you know you were going to be albino? Because you definitly are now."
He stood up, shaking blood from his arms, careful to keep from getting it on the others.
"You'd better get inside, you're going to get a nasty sunburn if you stay out here.
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Posted: Wed Feb 28, 2007 10:50 pm
Something in the girl's voice made his heart sink. Maybe it was the noncommittal tone, or the blandness of the mutter statement. he had a bad feeling he didn't get off as easy as she implied. Not after all the pain; there's no way things were 'not that bad'. He gave a groan, knowing it had to be awful bad for them to lie to him.
He didn't much like how cheerful the other man- the unchanged one- was. How could he be so cheerful? Or right, he hadn't changed yet. It was easy to be happy if you hadn't experienced the bone-crunching pain of a change. In all honestly, the mouse man thought the sounds that accompanied the change at the bones changed and grew made things incredibly worse, and recalling those auditory accompaniment, combined with the stress and pain made him have to fight back the urge to vomit. He swallowed back the bitter taste that had risen in the back of his mouth and groaned.
He did appreciate the bluntness the armadillo-man demonstrated, though part of him winced inwardly as the extensiveness of his changes came into perspective. Apparently, judging from the accounts and the pain, his face had become a muzzle, his incisors had grown even more, and his tail got longer. As for the albinism...it wasn't just apparent on his fur and eyes. the patches of furless skin were rather pale as well, and his hair...had become a very snowy shade of white. Well at least the albinism would explain why the light seemed so intense and hot.
A lab mouse. He was a walking lab mouse. Oh god... His head pulsed in time with the ache of his body in a steady throb of pain. It took him a bit, but he finally managed the ability to speak once more.
"My room..." he started, trying to push himself up.
Oh, it hurt to move but he had to get inside, had to get away and hide before anyone else saw him in this horrible state. Plus, the sun was just so bright! He managed to scrabble upright, but as he tried to stand, he found himself swaying and crashing back down, grateful he had landed more on his hip and side than his newly-grown tail. That would have hurt considerably more. He sat there, a little puzzled and stunned, and stared down at his feet. They were a lot larger now, and it seemed that...yes, his legs had shifted in the change to become more adapted to walking on the front part of his large feet, the likes of which felt more...padded as well. He sighed. it would take awhile to get used to THAT.
"I...I need to see...please..." he murmured defeatedly, making a vague gesture to his duplex. "Help...it vould be appreciated...mein feet...it's hard to valk just yet."
He pulled the hood of his poorly made cloak up over his head, trying to hide his face from both the sun and the onlookers. He thrust his arms up, offering them to anyone who would help him up. Oh, getting up the stairs was going to be fun. Overall though, he seemed to be taking this change a little better than his last...
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Posted: Wed Feb 28, 2007 11:02 pm
If Elea was the touchy-feely type of person, then her heart would’ve ached right there. Seeing the pour man in such a state would break anyone else’s heart but since it was Elea…her train of thought went from pain to how life would change for them all, and the changes of the human psyche. Would the transformation cause their own personalities to change to match the animal they would become? Or would their own personas be a reminder that they were once human?
‘And off I go diving into psychology again…maybe I should’ve gotten that minor.’ The thought was brushed away at the request of help from the mouse man. Well, she was here tog et a story and technically she was listed as a ‘volunteer’ for this sort of thing. Plus, it would be the nice humane thing to do…and she was female. Usually the female gender were suppose to be more sympathetic…maybe that gene wasn’t encoded into her DNA during conception.
Ignoring how the other human acted at her own response did Elea take a few steps closer. “I’ll help, which way to your room?” Gently--as gently as she could, considering she wasn’t one for lifting heavy objects, let alone people--did she take his arm. The fur felt soft and fine, while the skin was pale to resemble the fur that would soon in time grow. At least she was helping…be it a little stiffly and coming off to be…‘snobbish.’ but this is a girl who didn’t grow up to be the touchy-feely type. She didn’t show much emotion around strangers, let alone help out--making this a big step for her--but what else could she do?
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Posted: Wed Feb 28, 2007 11:10 pm
So now she was helping. Well, better that than nuthin'. Dallas shrugged and let the armadillo man and the human girl get the mouse man. Trying to think of something to say, he finally blurted, "Uh, might not be the best time for this, but, how long have you guys been here?"
((Sorry for how short it is. I couldn't think of anything. sweatdrop ))
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Posted: Wed Feb 28, 2007 11:52 pm
Ryan hadn't experienced being unable to walk. From what he knew, he was going to stay plantigrade; armadillos didn't have much need to run that often. Still, he could emphasize with the mouse. He walked over, taking Noah's arm, he looped it over his armoured neck and stood up.
"Alright, we'll get you to a mirror. Just don't freak out or anything when you see yourself. Remember, no one here is going to judge you because of what you look like. Well, except for maybe the newbies, but they learn eventually.
He started to walk Noah toward the duplexes. "Alright, just take it at your own pace." He turned towards the new guy. "I've been here 108 days myself."
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Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2007 12:12 am
Noah shivered at first at the girl's touch...it felt weird to have someone touching your fur. A very odd sensation indeed. He figured he'd get used to it, though. Very gently, he took the girl's hand and pulled himself up, he managed to steady himself, balanced on the front of his feet and trying not to topple over- it would take some practice to walk expertly like this. he wasn't sure he'd be bale to climb the stairs with only the girl's help, and he didn't want to risk pulling her down if he fell, so he was glad when the armadillo offered his service as well. It gave him more stability and balance. Very slowly, he moved towards the duplex steps and started up. Why did he have to have the top half?
He nodded numbly in response to Ryan's comment. Try not to freak out...oh, he wasn't sure he could do that, but he had to see what happened to him. He had to SEE how bad it was. Being told and actually seeing it yourself were two very different things, after all.
He shivered at the Unchanged man's question. How long had he been there? If the armadillo had been there 108 days...and wasn't as changed as him, then that meant...that meant he had to have been here longer...Noah shook his head. He stopped keeping track awhile back.
"I am...not sure haow long I haff been here. I...stopped keeping track." he said honestly, shaking his head.
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Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2007 5:36 pm
Now would be the time to say something along the lines of the truth. She wasn't all that new to the island...well techincally she just got here about two to three days ago. But for the sake of the mouseman she was currently trying to help, Elea would fib a little.
"Been here for a while now, I guess." She mumbled,, keep her eyes low to the ground.
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Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2007 8:53 pm
"That's pretty neat," Dallas replied, smiling a little bit. "Me, I've been her 'bout... ah, a week or two? I'm actually not quite sure. From what I've heard though, I should be turning...ah, fuzzy, real soon." He made a face at that, trying not to image how much pain it was going to be.
As he followed the three other islanders, he thought of something else. "What happens," he started slowly, "when you finish turning into a lil critter? You just, live out the rest of your days her till you die? I mean, what else is there after your experiment is over?"
Dallas had been thinking about that for a long time, since his first whole day on the island, really. He had just never bothered to ask anyone.
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Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2007 10:06 pm
Getting up the stairs was slow going, but Ryan let Noah lean on him as much as he needed. He would have been interested to know how much longer Noah had been there, so he'd know how much longer he'd have before his next change.
"A while huh? You're probably due for a change too then." He couldn't tell she was lying, and his comment probably wasn't going to help much.
The guy's question though, would require a tactful answer. "Well, from what I've seen, we just get to hang around here, though I have my own theories on that."
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Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2007 10:51 pm
Noah focused mostly on trying to get up the stairs, leaning on the two islanders for support and balance. Normally he didn't like getting too close to people- he wasn't the touchy-feely type. But he knew there was no way he'd have gotten back to his room alone. Well, maybe he could have managed, but it would have been a lot more painful and arduous.
Plus, it wouldn't hurt him to make more friends if he was going to be stuck here for god knows how long...
Dallas' question caused the fur on Noah's back and neck to prickle slightly- not out of agitation, but more out of anxiety. He had never though about that. All the time he had been there, he had never though about that. What would happen when they were done changing? Would they live on the island until they died? There was no way they could ever go back to society. What if something went wrong with the labs? What if they decided, after awhile, that this was more trouble than it was worth? Would the Islanders be killed like the animals they had become?
Maybe it was just his pessimistic nature speaking, but Noah didn't have much faith that this island would be a long-term thing...not as long as most of the islanders' lifespans, anyways. but then again...what if the serums caused their lifespans to shorten? He shuddered. He hated thinking about death.
His heartbeat had elevated steadily, and he found he couldn't shake that horrible feeling of anxiety. His tail twitched uneasily and he gave an unhappy chuff.
He gave no response to the Unchanged boy's comment, but instead looked down at the steps.
When the finally managed to get up to his room, he let go of the two Islander that had been helping him and stumbled to his door, opening it up. He stumbled into the dark room, gripping the doorframe and walls for support. Oh yes, walking on near-tiptoes would take some practice to get down.
The room overall looked rather neat and carefully organized, with the exception of the bed, which had a mass of blankets messily piled atop it, pulled into the shape of a comfy nest. It was very dark, and the change in lighting took some time for Noah to adjust too, though the mouse-man was glad to be out of the island's harsh light.
He left the door wide open, more due to his distraction and hurry to see just how bad the changes were. He stumbled across the room to where a full-length mirror was tacked up on the wall. It's surface was covered with a sheet, and had been since the German's last change. He had requested the mirror shortly after he first arrived, but after the jump to 50%...he hadn't felt the urge to even look at himself more than needed. It was just a painful reminder of what his life had become.
But he stood there now, edge of the sheet in his hands. He yanked the covering off, and let it fall to the ground with a soft shfffft. He gasped sharply as he sized up his reflection.
A muzzle...all that fur...his eyes... He pulled his cloak off to get a better look and winced at the magnitude of the change. He stumble back and fell down, sniffling slightly, trying not to break into tears. What humanity he had left...had been stripped away. He could tell that he had at least one more change though...there were patches of pale skin on his stomach that were furless, and there was something about the way he looked that, although he was closer to being a mouse than before, seemed to scream that he wasn't done. It seemed...somehow not quite done.
He drew his knees up and sat on the floor, tears leaking out of his eyes. he couldn't help it. His humanity...his life...everything had been taken away from him. It just wasn't fair!
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Posted: Thu Mar 01, 2007 11:08 pm
Letting the mouse man walk back into his little ‘domain’ left Elea waiting near his doorframe. The question brought up by the human boy did make Elea think for a while. What if she couldn’t get off the island? What if, whatever creature she turned into would drive her insane? ‘No time to think of that now…just observe, don’t get attached. Not like I would ever get attached to someone, but nonetheless.’ Ebbing the thought away did she turn to look at the other islander, a small speck of concern came across her orbs.
Pity, that’s what she felt for the newly changed man. She couldn’t help but wonder if this was a normal occurrence for the other islanders and soon herself. Would she too end up on the brink of losing her sanity at the same time of losing her humanity? The back of her mind nagged at the option of turning such a thing into a piece of great journalism and silently she agreed with the thought. However, she wouldn’t write her piece now.
No, she still needed to gather more evidence before her first ‘transformation’. What had she gotten herself into? And, more importantly what would she do? Were the other males suppose to do something to comfort the other man or was the stereotype of Elea being a woman lead to her automatically rushing to the mouse man’s side to hold and comfort?
As if.
That wasn’t Elea, far from it. Instead she walked through the doorway, observing the area of Noah before carefully approaching him. She acted as though he was a wounded animal and in many ways he was, she had to be cautious. Who knows just how the man would react after inspecting his newly changed body. Kneeling down near him did her hand out stretch a little to give an awkward small rub on his furry shoulder. She wasn’t used to comforting others, not even her own friends.
At least she was trying to be nice, and sortta told the truth of her arrival to the island. The words ‘it could worse’ wanted to roll off her tongue like an automatic response but she held back such words. To say something like that never made anyone else feel better, no matter how nice the intention was.
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Posted: Fri Mar 02, 2007 9:07 pm
"Yeah, I guess so." Dallas responded to Ryan's answer just a little bit half-heartedly. He certainly didn't want to live the rest of his life on this god forsaken island inhabited by strange animal things that once were regular, every day people. He wanted to be home.
As if that would happen. Dallas sighed with the knowledge, but then remembered something; what was there to go back to? No home, no family; unless you counted a room the size of a shoe closet home. The way he figured, maybe it wasn't so bad to be stuck on an island with a bunch of strangers 'cause you got to start your life over from scratch.
He suddenly looked at the changed man, who had since stumbled back into his duplex and was seemingly crying in front of a mirror and Dallas just couldn't help but feel sorry for the man.
And then he said the exact phrase that Elea had been trying to avoid.
"It could be worse."
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Posted: Fri Mar 02, 2007 10:15 pm
Ryan walked into the room as well, noting how the guy had made a nest of his bed, similar to what Ryan had done with his, and went to kneel next to Noah. "He is right you know, it could be worse. You could end up like a real animal, lik some of the others. You don't look like you've changed enough for that to happen to you though."
He sat there for a litle bit, studying Noah's face. Armadillos weren't to dissimilar to mice, at least appearence-wise. That was probably going to be him in a month or two. "Ya know, I don't think any of us introduced ourselves. I'm Ryan."
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Posted: Fri Mar 02, 2007 11:23 pm
He tensed his shoulder when Elea touched him, but relaxed a few moments after. He just wasn't used to being touched. He closed his eyes and tipped his head down to avoid having to look at what he had become.
At Dallas' declaration that it could be worse, Noah felt his fur bristle and his ears flatten. Worse? WORSE? How could it be WORSE? Oh, there were ways it could be worse, there was no doubt about that, but Noah wasn't thinking clearly. He wasn't taking the time to sit down and take inventory about how it could be worse.
As Ryan agreed with the statement that it could be worse, that he could be a real animal, Noah felt his lips twitch back, exposing his fangs- upon which the metal brackets from his braces were still mounted. he heard Ryan announce his name, but he wasn't in the mood for introductions. He looked up, catching the mirror again, catching the sight of the hideous monster that he had become. His breathing became heavy and he started blankly at his reflection for a few moments before launching himself at the mirror.
He pushed himself to the balls of his feet and just flung himself at the mirror. He placed the flats of his palms against the mirror, pulling himself up into and standing position. He gave a loud howl and pounded the glass with his hands, balling them up and bludgeoning the mirror. A long and loud stream of ranting, all in German, followed as he hammered at the mirror, tail lashing back and forth behind him angrily. Obviously, the mouse was not taking his change and the loss of his humanity, very well.
Why did this happen to him? Was his life not bad enough? What god was getting it's jollies from torturing him? Hadn't things been bad enough without whisking him away to an island and turning him into a mouse? Why him? WHY HIM?
Of course, the mirror wasn't taking things very well either. Cracks spidered out from under Noah's right fist and with the next strike, the glass shattered audibly. Noah gave a horse cry and pounded the mirror a few more times...he had to kill the beast! had to destroy that monster in the mirror or it would haunt him forever. Glass rained to the floor with each blow, along with droplets of blood from the cuts the mouse had incurred on his hands. He fell backwards, weeping openly and rather loudly.
All this stress...all these people...this stupid change...it had put him in a very bad state of mind. He curled up in the fetal position. whimpering and nursing his wounded paw. His head was spinning, and he wasn't fully aware of everything. He would come down soon enough and feel stupid for acting like such an idiot. Though he had never given his name, a small jacket hung near the door, and there was a name tag on it- his name tag from the old labs he worked at- with the name 'Noah O. Volgan' emblazoned on it for anyone who looked.
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