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 Posted: Wed Apr 05, 2006 4:18 pm
"Frankenstein, Werewolf movies, it's like a combination of every bad science fiction movie that ever existed." She shook the extended hand (or was it a paw?) with a wink, seamlessly hiding her surprise at him having heard. "Fiona Brooks. Yeah, we're new." She was tempted to say 'fresh meat', but decided it was too soon to start making jokes. "How long you been here?" She said idly, munching on some celery distractedly. "A few months, I'm guessing, from what the lady I met on the beach said. M'I right?"
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Posted: Wed Apr 05, 2006 4:24 pm
Ambrose gave a small ironic smile with a nod at her commentary. "I wish it were just a movie." He replied, giving her hand a practiced squeeze before picking his fork and knife back up.
"But it's nice to meet you, Fiona and... Angharad." He paused, cutting a few more pieces of the second stake. "Although... I wish I could say it were under better circumstances, all things considered."
He took another bite, chewing thoughtfully with a nod and swallowing before responding. "Nearly eight, actually. From the sounds of it you two have at least been given the 'introduction'. Not to sound callous, but I'm glad I wasn't the first... changed islander that you encountered. It's never easy on anyone to tell or be told."
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Posted: Wed Apr 05, 2006 4:30 pm
Angharad looked to the side for a second. The first changed islander she'd met... she'd promptly laughed hysterically and then fainted. Guilt lay looped over that memory; now she knew a bit more of this bizarre island, she would really have to go and thank that bear man.
"I must admit, yesterday was a bit... disturbing," Angharad admitted, still picking at the banana. "Just dumped in a room and left there with no explanations and a shot mark in your shoulder..." She shuddered a little. "But eight months is a long time. Was there anyone to tell you what was going to happen?" She couldn't help a little bit of compassion slipping into her voice. Everything in her head was scoffing and only believing that what she saw was real because she'd seen too many movies. It was just like a special effect, but for your brain, making everything real.
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Posted: Wed Apr 05, 2006 4:36 pm
"Yeah... I didn't want to believe it at first. I honestly thought it was just someone in a costume that Feral Labs had hired to give us a bit of a scare so that we wouldn't try messing with them again. Honestly, it wouldn't have been the first time it'd happened to me." She chewed on mouthfuls of veggies between sentences, stabbing a carrot stick in the air for emphasis. "This isn't right and it isn't legal. I'm not going to just sit down and take this."
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Posted: Wed Apr 05, 2006 4:42 pm
Ambrose winced. "Yesterday? You mean you only got here yesterday? Ouch.... " he shook his head. "I know how scary this must be for both of you. Unfortunately I didn't have the luxury of being explained what was going on when I got here. I had signed up for a 'two week' medical study. I thought I was going to make five thousand dollars that I was goign to put towards my next semester at university..." He snorted. "Lucky me. I didn't find out the truth of the matter until after the follow up injection. I was the first one here who changed and I had no idea what I was in store for. Even though the second shot only gave me a bit of fur, teeth and claws, and a nub of a tail.... by comparison not much... but I still went, pardon my french, apeshit."
He sighed, eating another few bites quickly. "I demanded answers, and only then did they tell me the truth." His ears lay back. "I didn't 'sit down' and take it either. I railed against the staff. I argued, I appealed to the only individual who seemed to have any sort of conscience - a Dr. Lockheart..... and nothing. Hell, they say if we leave after starting the injections before the process is complete it can give us cancer. I don't agree with what they're doing. I lost... a lot. I was going to go to the Olympics some day... I never patched things with my parents... but fighting them only seems to make it worse." He sighed.
"Sorry about the rant." He said belatedly.
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Posted: Wed Apr 05, 2006 4:48 pm
"It's no rant, don't worry..." The words of the ever present peacemaker. "But... Dr Lockheart?" Angharad was surprised; if that cold-hearted woman was the only one with a conscience, what the hell would the rest of the staff be like? She hunched up a little over her apple. And listening to this man's life dreams... he was just a normal person like them. Even the Olympics, that ws incredible... and wanting to speak with his parents... the torment of not leaving that note still hung over the girl, and her green eyes flashed for a moment with unexpected anger. But she kept it to herself for now.
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Posted: Wed Apr 05, 2006 4:57 pm
"From what I've heard about the staff," Fiona mused, sporting the carrot between her teeth like a bright orange cigar, "I think a direct approach towards changing things won't work at all. What I want to do-" and at this the girl looked around paranoidly, even though she doubted the cameras would be visible, "-is do some... peaceful protesting, so to speak. Get a bunch of people together, have a party, play some normal party games, get to know everyone... and then discuss and brainstorm a way to change things. Get a list of demands written down. I've only been here a day and even though it's not exactly a jail cell, there's one big problem that I see." She removed the root from her mouth and frowned darkly. "There are new people. Me'n Annie are probably the newest people to get here, but I know a thing or two about just how many rats they use for one big experiment, and as much as I hate making the connection... I'm willing to bet anything they plan to take more people in. What if we could stop them? Save dozens of other people from having their lives ruined?" She sent a quick look at Angharad- she hadn't voiced this idea to the girl, and so was checking for responses from the both of the listeners.
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Posted: Wed Apr 05, 2006 6:54 pm
"Yes... Dr. Lockheart.... why?" Ambrose asked, lifthing his brow curiously to the brunette. From the skepticism in her voice it sounded like she hadn't exactly gotten on the woman's good side. Not a good way to start ones' stay on the island.
He turned his attention to Fiona, chewing thoughtfully as he listened.
Finally, he rolled his furry shoulders in a shrug. "Well... Honestly, not to rain on your parade, but I've tried to convince them and appeal to Dr. Lockheart's sympathies about bringing willing subjects if they MUST bring more subjects into this ... 'experiment'." His ear flicked back. "I had freshman Bio.... I know that in order to set up an experiment you need a looot of test subjects. I think I was one of the first and I've born witness to person after person after person arrive. See them lose their humanity just like me. Only a few have embraced what has happened with open arms. And I'm happy for those people. I wish everyone they brought was like that instead of plucking people from happy lives or cutting off their futures. But the argument they gave me - and I'm not saying it's right, is that I'm sure you're aware that what is going on isn't exactly legal, and they can't exactly advertise what they're doing."
He tapped a clawed finger on the table. "And as far as demands.... you're right about this not being a jail cell. But you know what... for their purposes it probably wouldn't make much of a difference to them if it was. In fact it would probably be cheaper for them and safer." Ambrose declined to mention the lockout that had really made him appreaciate what they had. Maybe that was the ultimate goal of that... 'ordeal'. "The fact we have a cafeteria.. that we have private duplexes, bathrooms, hell, an entertainment room and caribbean beaches.... If I wasn't trapped here and turning into an animal... I would hazard a guess that many people would opt for such a life - not having to worry about money or jobs... And they've been known to supply people with requested goods if they 'play nice'."
He opened up his other hand . "Of course... we are trapped. And we are at their mercy. They've got cameras all over the island and can knock us out with a word." He sighed. "Even though I'd be considered a freak if I ever went home... I'd be the first on to hop on a boat if it could take me back to America.... except for the potential medical complications if I don't get my final injection."
He placed both palms back on the table. "Fact of the matter. We're trapped, and if we leave we're as good as dead because I don't think anyone else can reproduce this sort of gene therapy. I'm trying to make the best of it. I miss my parents... I have barely even touched my epee since a month or so after I arrived here. And I feel guilty about that, even though I know that I'll never have another competition... never see the Olympics. I went through my denial... my anger.... and both of them were equally futile." He stabbed another larger piece of steak and tore it off the fork with his teeth. Not even thinking, he only gave it a few cursory bites before swallowing it down.
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Posted: Thu Apr 06, 2006 11:50 am
He'd been through it all, he said. The denial Angharad herself was feeling; the anger that she was sure was running through Fiona's veins.
None of it.. none of it made any sense.
Angharad huddled to herself slightly more on her seat, eyes staring at the table as she twirled the apple stalk round and round.
She knew she could never truly accept what had happened to them. The shock was still too new, too fresh. For now... she would live for a week or so, and ignore what happened, not thinking about the future. Perhaps... perhaps it was a holiday. Where people looked like animals. Her mind seized eagerly on this possibility, this way of thinking, in the hope that for now.. it would stop the mind from falling apart.
Her face brightened, and the stalk came away from the apple. "Well, I've never been to a tropical island before," she commented cheerfully. "It feels like a commune of something here. All eating in the same place.. I hope I get to meet everyone." Shining, fragile happiness shone from every syllable.
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Posted: Thu Apr 06, 2006 1:17 pm
Fiona's eyes flickered dangerously as Angharad moved away from the topic of rebelling, but didn't comment. She ignored the remainder of food on her plate and set her elbows on the table, weaving her fingers together and setting her chin atop them. The girl was silent for a while. Eventually she sighed. "I'm surprised you all take such offence..." she began, her voice tempered with forced civility, "...at being accused of not trying. Of sitting around, feeling helpless. You're the second one to say, 'I've tried, it failed, so it's gotta be impossible.' If everyone on this damn island-" and here frustration infiltrated her schooled tone- "is going to be like this, then I guess I'm on my own. I'm not stupid. I know there are people watching and electric thingies and whatever. I know attacking them will only hurt all the people stuck here. I'm not stupid." She reiterated for emphasis.
"But whatever. Maybe I'll just steal that other woman's idea and live in the jungle like some kind of messed up Robinson Crusoe." Fiona said it, but deep down knew she wouldn't dare, if only for Annie's sake. Either the poor girl would get dragged along with her and be miserable, or she would stay in the village and feel guilty and worry. Fee was sure that Annie would need her to get through this... this... whatever you could call it. And she wasn't going to turn her back on her friend. Still, she allowed the idea to float around the table, if only to gauge her reaction.
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Posted: Thu Apr 06, 2006 2:23 pm
Worry and skepticism etched the wolfman's face at Angharad's turn of paper-thin optimism. He supposed it was better than sinking into a deep depression, but probably was just a delay of the inevitable. The cheer was far from genuine, that was certain. "Well.... I Hope you are able to as well." He stated carefully.
He listened to Fiona as he finished up the large slab of meat on his plate, his swiveling ears betraying his emotions of doubt if Fiona was familiar with canines.
"Well... I suppose the offense in myself or others might stem from the fact that it does seem like you did and are accusing us of taking this lying down. That implies that we're weak and .... well... complacent. And... well... damn, maybe in a way we are. But I'd like to see you still 'fighting the good fight' after eight months when you're so far gone that you could never lead a normal life again, would likely die trying, and your girlfriend is in with you too - needing their medicines and you're just trying to carve out a piece of something familiar."
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Posted: Fri Apr 07, 2006 9:30 am
"I think.. I think I'll have to look at the situation a bit longer before I can decide my path." Angharad took a deep breath. "I think... that if I decided to do anything right now other than just take in what is happening for a while...
I'll go even more insane." She laughed slightly, her words more directed at Fiona than the wolfman opposite.
"I just can't seem to think right, and I think it would be foolish to make any rash decisions."
She pulled her sleeves over the palms of her hands nervously, as if she had said something out of place, before continuing softly.
"I can't condemn anyone for thinking what they think. Except for the Lockheart woman," she added absently. "For now.. I'll have to get used to living on a tropical island," And she nodded to Ambrose, smile still weak.
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Posted: Fri Apr 07, 2006 2:57 pm
Fiona gave a soft, almost pained sigh. "Alright, Annie. I'm not going to drag you into this, for once. It's my fault you're even on this ******** island. So... I'll just leave you out of my stupid, worthless, pointless plans." The venom that rankled her expressive voice was one of built up and bottled in stress. She pulled her hands free of one another to rub presumably soothing circles against her temples. "This is just so complicated." The girl furrowed her brows, and appeared ready to spring up and storm away at any second.
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