[Journal]~Awen Zyn~Special Aquatic Duplex #1~

[Awen Zyn]

Entertainment with Alec

Awen sat by the TV in the gaes room. She had the entertainment system pulled a little way fro mthe wall and was sorting through a mess of wires. "Urk, who hooked up all of these things? What a complete disaster!"

She had meant to pop in quick and grab her PS2 to haul it back to her room for a bit, but the wires had completely slowed her down. "Knots....how do you get knots in this kind of thing, for gosh sakes!"

Alec waltzed into the entertainment room, intent on trying his hand at some Xbox gaming so hopefully he wouldn't be that horrible once he finally got Rex to play with him. He wasn't surprised when he saw someone in the room once he entered, having heard her grumblings from a ways away.

"Problem?" He coyly smirked, watching her wrestle with the wires as he approached. He could see she was clearly one of the "changed" but by that time it didn't faze the punkster one bit.

Awen paused to blink up at the guy with the moehawk and blinked. Sure people around her were changing into animals, sure the science fiction had turned not so fictiony...but that type of haircut...always confused and bewildered the poor girl. She smiled brightly and waved anyway. New islander...ish...but may as well be nice to him.

"A few." She laughed looking back to the wires. "I was just trying to take my PS2 back to my room... but I think it has some other plans." She sighed and flopped the wires down.

The teen took it upon himself to take a look at what was hindering her, wandering over to peek behind the tv at the catastrophe of knotted wires and misconnected plugs. If she knew him well enough she'd have told him to keep his nose out of it. Alec Derring knew little about electronics. "Lemme tek-a look." He smiled and butted around the other side of the tv at the mess. "Hm..." Before anything else could be said, he kneeled down and began rummaging through the mass of cables, trying to figure out where one ended and other began.

Awen blinked and watched as he took a look at the wires from the other side. She didn't see the harm in it. "Well... it's not totally nessisary. I know what cords are what. I'm just not very good at getting the knots undone. Um.."

She held up a webbed hand and sort of wriggled her fingers a bit. "Not as good at finer work as they used to be." She gave a weak little 'heh'.

Alec blinked and looked up, giving a blank stare at the girl. "Oh." He only gave her hand a short look before looking back down at the mess in his hands. "Well, if ye know wha' goes where..." He trailed off before reaching up, yanking a bundle of cord out of the wall in one fist. Pleased with his solution, he went about untangling the knots one by one now much easier without them attached to anything on one end.

"Wha' ye name?" He 'politely' asked, face down in his work.

Awen's eyes went wide as he yanked the cords out from where they were supposed to go. She knew where they went because she saw where each connected. If she could have gotten the right ones out...she had been working from her PS2 and back not the other way around. Her mouth hung open still for a few seconds after he asked the question.

"Uhh....I'm Awen...." She blinked again. It would take awhile for her to figure out where to plug things back into. Oh well..nothing she could do now. "Awen Zyn. What about you?"

She sat back and let the man work.

Alec went about unthreading the cables from eachother, easily prying the PS2 from the mess and placing it aside. "Alec Derring." He leisurely replied, moving on to another set of knots. Finally something to do around this place! "Nice t'meet ye. A gameh?" He motioned his head to the gaming console, impressed that it was hers.

She nodded slowly and chuckled a bit. "As much a one can be here anyway...." She gave a small smiled. "Um... the GameCube and games are mine, the Xbox is the island's. If ever you see a 360 in here, mine as well. Unless Lauren brought her's in..then that's different. But yeah mostly my stuff. I know Kim..." Awen just realsed she hadn't seen Kim in a long time. "Is a fellow gamer, I'm not entirely sure what she has here... a lot more handhelds than I have. Oh! But I got this modified PSP. I can play it while I'm underwater, it is so cool."

Alec gawked as she rhymed off all the consoles she owned, amazed that there would be such a hardcore gamer on the island, much less a female one. He honestly hadn't had the opportunity to play anything like that back home. "Wateh?" He crooked an eyebrow, fiddling the mess of wires in his hands. It was an odd thing to modify a handheld for, admittedly never thinking it was even possible.

Making quick work of the rest of the knots, the teen turned and stare at the now-empty sockets that presented a new and unforseen problem for him. "Uh..." He began, jaw opening as he pointed to the puzzling connections as if she knew the answer.

Awen chuckled a bit and took the cords from him. She started working her magic reconnecting the wires that Alec had just untangled. "Not a problem...not a problem." It was actually a lot easier than she thought to figure out what went where. She paused occasionally to check where a cord was connected to originally.

"Yeah, you know so I can play underwater...when I'm in the lake or something re-hydrating my skin. What do you think I've got all these webs for?" She laughed.

Alec shuffled to the side to allow her more room to work. He mutely watched her go about reconnecting the web of wires he had yanked out, figuring he'd 'helped' enough. "Lake?" He sideglanced to her, a little confused by her explaination. It didn't help that he had never really bothered to notice there was a large lake nearby.

"A' d'neh." He mumbled, not realizing she had asked a rhetorical sort of question. He knew little about marine life enough to pinpoint what she was turning into by sight. "Ye turnin in'teh a fish?" He decided to outright ask, naively like a child would.

She smiled up at him from her work and nodded. "Manta ray to be exact. Not really the typical fish.... kind of solo creatures, ya know, eats fish, only get bullied by sharks. Real masters of the water....er.. from what I read anyway. Never cared for water much before. Figured I'd brush up a bit, so I could know what to expect." She looked back down to her work and kept plugging away. Idly she wondered what the teen infront of her was turning into. "So... how long have you been on the island?"

Alec seemed a little lsot in thought as she spoke about the animal she was being transformed into, silently considering looking up pictures in one of those... books. Doorstops.

"A week o' two?" He fidgetted with the chain hanging from the pocket of his plaid shorts, tugging on each link as he continued to watch her work. "A' kinda lost track, yanno?" He chuckled a little, not really minding. If there was more to do then maybe he'd have an excuse for not keeping track of time. "Ye?" He paused for a second before deducing his own answer. "A long time a' guess."

She nodded slowly as she plugged in the last cord and sat back. "Yeah.... a long time." How long had it been anyway? She sat for the moment in thought. Woah... "Six months..." She said softly as thought it was the first time she had realised it herself.

Had it already been half of a year that she had been on the island? Had it been so long a time? A cold chill ran through her body.

But Awen ignored it. She stood up and pushed the entertainment system back to the wall. "Ah well. Guess you're still getting used to the island? Where ya from?"

Alec chuckled, shaking his head. "A' keep thinkin 'am used t'i' yanno?" Seeing as Awen was replacing the electronics to their proper position, he figured the job was finished and he got up to flop down onto a couch instead. "An' then somethin new's thrown a' me." The teen shrugged it off. He was too carefree to worry about the bigger picture anyways. "Ah well, a' d'n care anymore." He smirked and stretched his arms over his head. "Belfast. Ye?"

"Barrie." She replied as she sat down on hte couch across from him. "As in Ontario, Canada." She paused a second thinking about something. But eventually she just blurted it. "Where the heck is Belfast?"

Alec started to laugh, not realizing he hadn't given enough information. "Northern Ireland, UK?" He thought for a moment, pointing to Awen as the figured out what he was trying to remember. "Some'un else's from Canada." He struggled to put his finger on it, eventually remembering. "Annie! An' 'er friend Fiona. Thas righ'." He mentioned it for relevence, figuring Canada was a small place so maybe they had some similarity? It always helped to find commonality in neighbors.

"Oh?" Awen's eyes sparkled curiously. "So Fee and Annie are from Canada, eh? I never knew that. Barely met the two anyway..." She shrugged a little bit. A small knot in her stomach set in remembering her betrayal as far as Fee was concerned. But that wasn't betraying. No. She was keeping the girl from getting hurt.

"Ireland then eh? Pretty cool. I figured something like that...but I'm horrible at placing accents exactly. Like, even some Canadians still have Irish accents, you just never can tell sometimes."

"Realleh?" He found this particularly interesting. "Are there irish people 'n Canada?" It seemed like such a stupid question, but for a kid that had never even travelled out of his country it was difficult to imagine what the rest of the world was like.

Abandoning his last thought, he leaned a bit closer to Awen and lowered his voice. "Hey. Are ye gon' be stuck 'n a fishbowl?"

"Oh course there are Irish people in Cana-" She blinked as he had already moved on and decided to abandon the thought as well.

It took her aback and made her frown a little bit. "I... I don't know." She shifted her weight uncomfortably. "I might be.... but they might just dump me in the lake instead."

Alec slumped back into his seat, both satisfied by AWen's answer and disturbed at the possibilities. To him, that would be worse than being turned into a pig. He didn't notice her obvious change in disposition at his last question, often too lost in his own chaotic thoughts to see the reactions in another people. Her silence however, caught his attention seeing as he expected her to go on about the future, to used to some other islanders' openness to their situation. He glanced up and saw her fidget, immediately feeling guilty for upsetting her. "Sorreh. A' get ahead o' meself." He muttered and looked away, frowning at the black screen of the tv.

"Ah it's no problem." She gave him a half grin. "Just kind of been on my mind lately anyway. I was the first.... to be turning into something that lives underwater. I don't know if I'm going to change again....or what will happen to me when I do. Loose my legs? Loose my lungs? I mean there's a possibility I might not be able to breathe air at all after my next change, if I change again. It's just a little...worrying. And just me you have nothing to be sorry for." She gave the guy a smile before she stood up slowly.

"But hey, you came in here prolly for a reason, right? I should be takin' my PS2 and heading out..."

Alec nodded, having difficulty remembering that he had originally come in there to play some Xbox by himself. "Ye," He nodded, scratching the back of his head. "don' worry about i', nothin' impor'nt anyways." He smirked, hoping this would occupy him for at least a few hours. Recently he'd been getting very bored and his mind often wandered when he was too bored.

"Yeah I guess so." She went and picked up her PS2 and grabbe the games to go with it. "When ever you have time if you want to play this or the 360 just go to duplex twenty one." She gestured towards the duplexes. "Just ya know knock and stuff. And be careful not to sit in the tank... it's what I got instead of a bed." She chuckled and moved out of the entertainment room and yawned.

Alec smirked, only finding her joke partially humorous though he was sure she meant it the same. "Take i' easeh." He waved to the manta girl as she was leaving, "'n thanks." The punk teen turned, now left to his own devices as he stared at the tv and console systems. Now to figure out how to turn it all on.  

[Awen Zyn]

Fee's Beach Party

Awen concentrated on her breathing as she stepped onto the sands by the beach. The last time she had been near the waves they had swallowed her up in her escape attempt. It wasn't that she was afraid of the water again, per say, but she definately didn't like the way the manta still longed for the ocean. Her logical mind knew if she went into those waters she would drown, again, but the manta ray didn't understand the concept. The ocean and salt water were it's natural home, it couldn't comprehend being able to swim, but having to stay away from the vast free space within the salty depths.

Aside from the internal conflict Awen was in a rather good mood. She had seen a poster..or rather a dozen posters.. in town all set up for the party. Her curiosity had gotten the better of her as she peaked her way around the corner of the path. A bottle of cool fresh lake water was clipped to her blue shorts, so she didn't have to leave if her skin got dry and wouldn't have to go into the ocean waters if she neglected it for awhile. A red swim suit top covered the rest of her that needed to be covered and all was well in her mind. Not that she planned to do any swimming... at least not here. Maybe after the party some late night- early morning swimming in the lake would be nice. Awen had always liked it at night...

But for now Awen slowly made her way to the party area, taking in the setup and lay out of the party as well as the people currently there. She smiled seeing Rex and Avery but wasn't so sure how she felt about Fiona and her friend. She still felt awkward about how she told Sabin about her planning mind. The other girl, another red-head, she had never met before.

She nodded slightly seeing everything was in order and no one too threatening was around. She began to walk forward more still with a casual speed. She waved a little bit. "Hey everyone!"

Avery preferred the burgers over the hotdogs, pulling the meat off with his teeth as his tail swayed slowly. "Well, it's not a party until you have to held someone's hair out of their face," he chuckled. He noticed someone else walking over to them, and he smiled when he recognized the other girl. "Hey, Awen! Glad you made it!" he called out to her, waving. "Come on and join the party!"

"Oh yes, it was delightful," Nita replied drily. She grinned again and turned to wave as another Islander made their way to the party. Taking a bite of her hotdog, she waved. Chewing quickly to clear her mouth she went to introduce herself. "Hey there, I'm Nita. Awen, is it?" Fiona had wandered off somewhere, so she figured she ought to play hostess a bit. Gesturing, she continued, "We've got hotdogs, burger, and vegetable kabobs on the grill, and drinks are in the coolers, so help yourself."

Rex looked up from his meal at the mention of someone else approaching the party. He mulled on his food for a little bit, looking around for this new visitor until his eyes fell upon the manta girl. "Awen..." He whispered, setting his plate down quickly and barging over to the girl down the shore.

He took her up in a big hug, swinging the lightweight around him then placed her down back in the soft sand. "You're okay... I haven't seen you since... since the monring I changed! Gosh that was so long ago, I miss you! How are you?!" The words spewed from his mouth as though he hadn't seen the girl in years. I sure felt like years, though it had only been a few months. He didn't understand how little he saw of people in such a confined space. It's not like they were going back home for a few weeks at a time to see their family, then coming back to the island. Like that'd ever happen.

While the others had begun to dig into the food she had so carefully stopped from burning, Fiona jogged down the beach to a pile and soon returned with a blanket. This she unfolded in a long wave of her arms and settled down on the ground next to the fire, away from where the smoke was being blown. "Alright, have a seat guys! It's fine if you get sand on it- it's just one I filched from storage." She caught sight of Awen and, recognising her blue hair off the bat, studiously ignored her. "So you were a real partier then, Avery? Bet you did lots of dancing, eh? D'you think eventually we can get these people off their asses and on their feet?" She conversed jovially.

Awen glanced briefly to the food on the table and she found nothing to be overly appealing. Maybe she would grab a hotdog or something later, but for now the non-fishy substinance wasn't exactly what she wanted to handle at the moment. "Nice to meet you Nita." She smiled.

She saw Fee's glance and how she was ignored, but she didn't have much time to think about it as she was scooped up by Rex and swung around. "Woah woah there!" She laughed and patted his back when he stopped swinging her, hoping vaguely that the world would stop spinning too. "Nice to see you again too Rex. I've been fine, kind of keeping to myself." SHe flashed a grin. "And my xbox 360."

Then he promptly ran off to get more firewood. Awen shifted her weight slowly. "See you later." She smiled and turned back to the others. She'd never been to many parties so she really wasn't much for the happenings of this event. So she would just sit back and wait for things to happen. It wasn't as sofisticated as the halloween party, but that was no surprise. She liked the nice personal atmosphere.

Rex looked at the minimal stack of firewood that they had and then back to the rest of the people at the party, "It's going to get dark soon, I'm going to get some more firewood." he ran off back into the jungle to the large pile he'd found.

"You, too," Nita told Awen. "I'm gonna go sit down, I've got smoke in my eyes." Suiting actions to her words, she flopped down on the blanket, being careful nonetheless not to track a bunch of sand onto it.

"I've got a CD-player and some stuff, but no speakers." She shrugged and finished her hotdog, brushing crumbs off her fingers. "Besides, my music isn't really good for dancing."

Snatching a vegetable-kebab from the grill and using the hem of her skirt as a buffer from the hot metal, Fiona pulled it away from the fire so it would keep the food warm without burning it. "There, now that the burgers are saved from being turned into cow-flavoured hockey pucks..." she mumbled to herself, sticking the end of her kebab into her mouth before flopping down next to the other two.

"I can go on a hunt for music in a bit. I didn't have anything on me when I got here, seeing as I was kidnapped," Fiona stated pointedly, before chewing thoughtfully and swallowing. "But nevermind. Parties are for fun, not freaking out about s**t. So let's have fun! Maybe we should play a drinking game or something- seeing as distant tropical islands don't really have a drinking age." She gave a daring wink at Nita. Still she ignored Awen. Not being childish. No, not at all.

Awen went and sat down on the blanket with Nita but sat near the edge. "I don't really have anything except what's on my computer. Sorry about that Fee."

She smiled and traced her fingers through the sand slowly. "Drinking games though? Count me out of them. I'm not much of a drinker... But they can sometimes be fun to watch anyway." She smiled and wondered what the others would get up to doing.

Kidnapped? Well, that was a new one. So far everyone that Avery has met were either tricked into coming here, came here willingly, or - in his case - washed up on shore. He wondered why she was kidnapped, but decided now was not the best time to ask. This was supposed to be a part, after all!

"Hell yes, drinking games!" Avery said, looking excited. "Too bad we don't have any cards, we could play a*****e, or Circle of Death, or something... what about Truth or Dare, or I Never?" he suggested, grinning.

"Aww, but I like cow-flavored hockey pucks!" Nita protested, grinning.

Nita groaned at the mention of Truth or Dare. Was that game insisting on coming back to haunt her?

"Eh, I'm 21 next month anyway. Close enough," she said cheerfully.

"That last game of Truth or Dare was pretty interesting, eh Nita? I felt kinda sorry for that guy with the horns though. Everyone kept picking on him." She stretched back to grab a drink, settling the bottle of pineapple cooler in her lap before sending another idle glance at Awen when she heard her nickname. 'It's Fiona to you, little miss "there's no escape so stop trying,"' she thought, but was careful not to say it. Normally she wouldn't have held back her spiteful feelings, but this was her party and she wasn't going to ruin it for everyone else. "I Never is a good game though. Haven't played it in ages!"

Awen looked away seeing some of the spite in Fiona's eyes. She could understand why Fiona was upset, should she have known the truth. In Awen's mind though, she offered to help Fee and she shouldn't be acting like this. She was going to be critical but it was only to keep Fiona and the other people involved safe, she explained that to the red head. Why was the girl acting this way then? Could she have found out?

Glancing over at Avery and Nita, she smiled. "Well in Canada we'd all be of age to drink." She shrugged a little bit. "Actually.. I think I'm going to head out for a bit. I'm hungry and..well... no offence to your party Fiona but nothing here is very good for my system." She smiled apologetically and stood up. "I'll probably be back later."

She was a little hungry but that wasn't why she left. She could definately feel the tension between her and Fiona, and she didn't want to hazard onto why right now. She would come back later, but only join in if there were more people around to make the split a little less obvious. Awen really hoped the girl hadn't found out... She made her way back towards town.  

[Awen Zyn]

More head bashing goodness

Carrying a handful of CDs and a diskman in one hand and sporting a speaker under one arm, Fiona finally reappeared at the beach a few hours later. With a huff of breath she set the items down on a blanket. "Finally!"

Awen returned to the beach shortly after Fiona. Her stomach was satisfied and she figured the time was right for a few other people to have shown up.

She saw Fiona with her armful and strode forward a bit. Maybe hiding away wasn't the answer. SHe smiled a bit and offered a hand. "Need a hand?"

Seeing as nobody else was in the immediate area, Fiona was forced to swallow her pride. "Sure. Get the other edge of this-?" The speaker (stolen, incidentally, from the recreation room) teetered precariously under her arm.

The blue haired girl nodded and moved to take hold of the speaker. She started hauling with the girl a short time until she had to break the silence. "Hey..uh.. what's with this cold shoulder Fiona? I mean... Did I do something wrong?"

The girl gave a snort. "Don't act all innocent. You were ready to shoot down every idea I had, just cause you're paranoid, or you're afraid of the real world now. It's selfish," she grunted as she eased down the speaker, "to stop other people from trying, just cause your attempts didn't work it. Selfish to try and stop me, when I have a chance, no matter how small, to save people from being taken here. It's not about saving people like you, or Ambrose, or Zach, who're already so ******** over that the real world would chew'em up and spit them back out if they ever showed up again. It's about saving the people who are still normal, still part of the real world. And I know I'm not one of them anymore. It's not about me, either. And you... you wanna try to stop me from doing my damndest to stop this bullshit. I will do it, too, if I have to run into the ******** labs with a bomb up my a**." Her eyes were steely as she paused in her work. "If that's what it takes."

"You'd never get that far." She sighed heavily and eased the speaker down slowly. Standing straight to look at Fiona again she also had a hard look.

"I don't want more lives ruined. I'm not being selfish trying to stop you, becaue I'm not trying to stop you! Fee, I've tried to escape, I almost died. I was reckless and cared for nothing more than to stop any more lives from being ruined. But I almost died trying to escape. Do you know why? Do you Fee? It was because I was stupid and didn't think things through! I'm not telling you to stop, not at all!"

The manta sighed slowly. "I'm just trying to help. If you don't have someone that's critical then there is more likely a chance that someone else will get hurt because the plan wasn't thought through."

She looked out at the sea and wondered when these half-lies had started to come so easily.

"Fee, we're screwed if we ever get off this island. But that's no excuse to make other people screwed for coming to the island. But you cannot let compassion overcome your reason. Passion should never rule reason. We don't want people getting hurt over half thought through plans. I'm critical Fee, but only so we can make this work."

Her eyes darkened. "I'm just gonna have to take that chance." She began to fiddle with wires, producing a baggie of batteries from a hidden pocket in her skirt and setting it beside the diskman.

"The more I talk to people like you who are 'trying to make things work', the more the labbies know what I'm up to. If I was 'rational' and talked out every last detail, they'd stop me before I could even try it."

"I'm not saying that. And fine Fiona, get yourself killed in an escape attempt, get yourself seriously injured. But who else are you willing to sacrifice simply because you are so bull headed to be careful?

She paused a moment and glanced silently around at other islanders still milling about the beach, caught up in there own little things. "Would you risk Ambrose's life? Avery's? Zach's? Rex's? Nita's? Would you risk hurting Annie too?" She looked back to Fiona. "I don't care what you do Fee, if you want to hurt yourself that's your business. But you might hurt other people too, permenently, maybe even kill them. Are you willing to run that risk? Tell me honestly, are you willing to risk their lives because you are too rash to think things through?"

"No." She said after a thick pause, her voice dark. "I wouldn't. But I won't let anyone get in my way of shutting this operation down. Not you, not them, not even Annie. Because I'm not like you. I'm not a coward, or a pacifist, or a doormat. Now get out of my way," she muttered, spite pulling at the corners of her lips, "I have a speech to make."

Awen sighed slowly and crossed her arms putting her weight on her back foot. "Fee..." She murmured. "I'm not a coward, I just don't want other people to get hurt... I'm sorry."

But with that undertone she decided to remain silent for awhile. At least until after the speech.  

[Awen Zyn]

The Speech Explosion

Huffing and sending a parting glare at Awen, Fiona stepped onto the makeshift platform that had been set up, and called for attention. "Everyone, thanks for coming! Before you leave, I have some important things to say."

Once it was obvious people were listening, she continued. "Tonight we have proved a point, even if you can't see it. We are here to have fun, and to show those assholes up in the labs that they aren't in control!"

"They can maul us and cage us and give us claws and fur. They can stick us with needles and treat us like s**t. But we are still human. We are still people!"

"If your not in control, why can't you just leave?" Lauren shouted out at Fee.

"There'll be a day when we will look in the mirror and not see ourselves, but some twisted idea of science! And when that day comes, we will still be ourselves!" She curled a lip disdainfully at Lauren

I already see that image in my mirror Fee... Awen thought to herself.

"And that's when we prove that in the end, we've still won! Because we are people, with names and hearts and minds. They can take away our faces but they can never take those from us!"

Lauren laughed up at Fee wondering just what she was trying to prove. Nothing would come of a stupid little speach. "I don't think they are trying to take away our identity. You have it all wrong." Lauren said under her breath.

Awen never thought they were truly taking away their humanity. Sabin, even, was helping her feel like a normal human giving her attentions. No. The purpose of this island wasn't to turn the people into animals, through and through. But to do the research and help people eventually with this research. After all... Awen had gotten over her fears with the help. Maybe there were more ways to work this. If they were given time. Maybe they could take care of things without the physical?

"What they are doing here is not right! It is not fair and it is not what a single one of us deserves!" She glared out at the ocean, passion building in her voice. "We are people!"

"And we have a strength inside of us which never goes away! A strength which we have to understand and find and use in this time of unfairness, and wrongness! Because we can't let this go on!"

Lauren found this whole thing boring. "Is this suppose to be a party or just a chance for you to stand on a stage and yap all night." Lauren said loudly as she stretched.

"We are here because we were tricked, deceived, lied to- or in some peoples cases, even kidnapped. And it sucks! It sucks a**! But there's something you can do about it!" Her hands balled into fists at her sides.

"Together we can find a way to stop this... this... insanity! This total bullshit! Because I know, and you know-" freaks like Lauren excepted, Fiona thought, "that it's sick, and twisted, and pointless."

Sick and twisted maybe...but not pointless. Not at all. They were making amazing advancements. They were helping people, doing things no other scientist could do. They were making progress and Awen was sure that they would one day put it to good use. There has to be more to this than just tickling Moreau's fancy...right?

"And if I stand up here tonight, and am alone in wanting to overthrow these ******** bastards, then I guess I'm alone. But I know I'm not. Because we are humans who feel anger, and hate, and rage, and pain!"

"And if this doesn't deserve your hatred, nothing ever will. Together, we can stop them. Together we can save innocent lives from being destroyed, and put an end to this sick hell!"

"But if I have to fight this war alone, I will. I will never give up!" She fell silent, letting the words echo through the trees and along the wind. "And neither should you."

Awen wished she could interject. She wanted to speak the reason now to Fiona, but right now she couldn't. She had to get the girl's trust, but no one could possibly fall for this garbage? The risks were too high.

Hopefully no one would join the bandwagon....so she wouldn't have to say anything more to those the red head was speaking against. She didn't want it to come to telling Sabin more...she liked him but it still felt.. wrong somehow.

Lauren rolled her eyes, "Yeah, what the ******** ever." She knew this was pointless and the alcohol made her less angry then usual. In fact, she found it humorous.

Nice, very nice speach, I'm sure it will make SOO much difference. I'm sure that now, everything will be sunshine and daisies for you just because you stood on a platform and said a few words." She said sarcastically.

She stepped down from her spot and walked right up to Lauren, staring her in the eye. "Say that again, b***h." She cracked her knuckles, suddenly riled up.

"Now hold it you two!" She stepped quickly between the red head and the mongoose. "This won't solve anything. Lauren, the girl is trying, alright? And Fiona come on, not everyone will agree with you calm down please."

"I didn't really expect a wasted, suck-up lunatic to take my side. But I'm not taking s**t from anyone."

She turned and shot a hard look at the girl. "And what good is this doing to the cause? How will fighting with Lauren solve the problem here? Are you out to make people's lives better or are you just out to make yourself feel better? Fighting other islanders will not solve anything. She doesn't like your idea, fine. You don't like her's either. Now just chill, okay?"

Nita nodded at Awen gratefully. "Yes, please, we don't need any more fighting. Fee, you said we're supposed to be human, right? Back down, stay calm.. please."

"I think everyone would be better off without people like her around. She's probably a spy- gonna run home and tell her little doctor buddies everything that went down." Nita's words, however, nd her tensed hands slowly eased out of their fisted, ready position.seemed to reach her, and her tensed hands slowly eased out of their fisted, ready position.

Yes... because pointing fingers always helps matters. Salem witch trials came to Awen's mind....

"Fiona... please. You're not helping the cause by flinging accusations and rude words right back at Lauren."

"Besides, we don't anyone to spy... the cameras, remember?" Nita muttered, relieved that Fee, at least, was seeing reason.

"I doubt they're everywhere and hear everything. Maybe there aren't really cameras. Maybe the reason they know everything is because the island is full of plants who actually think it'd be fun to change into a freak."

She turned and took a sudden, unpredictable step towards Awen. "Oh will you shut up. I've had just about enough of your high-and-mighty bullshit."

Awen didn't back away she stood her ground. "I just don't want anyone to get hurt."

"Don't worry," she sneered, "the little chip your good friends the mad scientists stick into the back of my neck will save you."

Nita looked back and forth from Awen to Fiona, one a girl she barely knew, but seemed all-together sensible, and a girl who had been a friend, but was really acting obnoxious.

"I'm not talking about me." She sighed softly. "I am trying to get you to calm down and think straight before you try something. You are being reckless and accusing people of being spies. Think before you take action, look before you leap and all that. I'm not afraid of you Fiona, I'm afraid for you and all others on this island. I don't want anyone getting seriously hurt trying to escape!"

Lauren backed away a bit, really wanting to punch the girl, "If I could, you'd be so dead." Lauren sneered back at the girl. It was frustrating, and being drunk made it even more so.

Amid the temper that had boiled up, Fiona suddenly realised what had been missing so desperately that night. Annie. Her sense of judgement, her partner in crime, the logical half of her brain.

Annie would have known just what to do. "What do you want, a ******** apology? If you're so scared for me, next time just don't show up at my things. It'd save me a hell of a lot of trouble." And with that she stormed off.

Nita pinched the bridge of her nose. The evening had mostly gone so well...

Awen sighed heavily and visibly sagged, her posture now showing her true mood. She was tired of this. Tired off that stubborn fool trying to tell her how things work, how they should all throw themselves at the labs like lemmings to a cliff.

Awen stepped in just to stop the conflict between Lauren and Fiona from turning physical, to prevent hurt. And what does she do? Get her head bitten off.

Animals? Awen was sure Fiona was already well on her way. Letting her mouth go before her mind, acting on reaction alone and not pausing to think of the concequences...

Lauren was nearly steaming, she paced back and forth, not quite sure what she wanted to do. "******** YOU!!" She yelled back as she reached for a empty bottle, throwing it towards her as she walked off, completely missing.

Hearing Laurend scream and the tail end of the bottle wizzing passed Awen glanced over. "Lauren..." She said softly.

The mongoose was still steaming, "I ******** hate that b***h." She said towards Awen. "I just.. can't STAND her"

"I know Lauren, I know." Awen said in what she hoped to be calming tones. The tired look gone once again and Awen now put on another mask to help her friend. "She doesn't understand things yet."

Nita stood there awkwardly, not sure whether or not she should try to find Fee or just give her time to steam.

Awen glanced to Nita and smiled apologetically. "I'm sorry for all of this... I don't think this went just as anyone had planned..."

Nita couldn't help but smile. "It certainly wasn't in any of the plans I have written down..!"

Lauren felt akward and out of place, "No, that and she's a ******** retard." She said immaturely back towards Awen. "Yeah, ruined her own party." Lauren was oblivious in her role of ruining as well.

Lauren was tired of all of this. "I'm going back to my duplex." She said to Nita and Awen. "See ya later." She waved bye at the other innocent bystanders as she went off the trail back towards the village alone.

Awen sighed softly. "Night Lauren." She called back to the departing mongoose. Turning to Nita she gave a weak smile. "I think I'm going for a swim.... my skin is getting itchy. And my head is fuzzy..."

Nita nodded and gave a sort of little wave as Lauren left. Mirroring Awen's small smile, Nita said, "Okay, Awen. Take care of yourself... I'll probably wander home myself."

"Alright." Awen nods slowly. With a last glance around she moved out of the beach area.  

[Awen Zyn]

Lunatic? Maybe, but there is method to my madness...

The way to the river, however, was not the peaceful one Awen had thought it would be. In her way was a man she had only seen once before and last time things hadn't gone too well. This time didn't seem to bode much better, at least not if the night's record had anything to say about it. When she saw the man in her pathway she paused and just looked up at him silently, wondering if he would move or speak or if she should just walk around.

Chert leaned up against the smooth bark of tree with his arms folded across his chest. His gaze was deceptively impassive as he watched her approach, although inside he wondered why he didn't simply retreat back into the jungle. Something he was unable to identify rooted him to the spot and prevented his escape. "Some party," he said quietly.

"Yeah.." She gave a small grunting laugh. "Tell me about it..." She smiled softly up at the man. "Sorry about the brutal scene there..." Idly Awen scratched her elbow, the skin starting to seem flakey.

"Brutal?" Chert repeated, a strange mixture of amusement and anger swimming in his eyes. "You're not fond of unpleasant scenes, I gather."

"Not so much no." She shook her head slowly. "Horror movies, fine sure whatever. Tension and arguments in books and fighting in video games I'll deal. But...actual arguing and fithing and stuff... I try to avoid." She cringed a bit. "I dunno... it just stings I guess."

"And turning into a fish doesn't?" Some of the ire that had been hiding at the edges of his expression escaped into his voice.

Frowning Awen looked to the ground. "At first it did. But... it's helped me more than it's hurt." She shrugged. "I came here for therapy, to get rid of a phobia and I got it. I tried to escape and I nearly died. I don't think what they're doing here is right, I want to help Fiona where I can... but I want her to think. It's not going to be any use if the attempt she tries or has other people help her in trying end up hurting and failing. I just want her to be a bit more rational. I'm all for the cause...just not the way Fiona is working things out, because that way she'll end up hurting people."

The words coming out of the younger woman's mouth failed to make sense for several seconds after she'd spoken them. It's helped me more that it's hurt... Certainly, he didn't agree with Fiona's mentality (the concept of group revolution was too messy and uncertain to appeal to him), but he was so hung up on the first sentence that Awen spoke that he barely heard the rest of it. "What the ******** kind of lunatic are you?" he demanded after a short, incredulous pause. Her tone sounded so seductively reasonable that it was difficult to believe she was capable of such insanity.

She winced at the question. Shaking her head slowly she just knew this kind of thing would happen. "I don't know. I was living in fear of almost everything since my parents died. My phobia was of water, but because I was afraid of that everything was affected. I was meak, helpless and paranoid. I had a small circle of friends and no plans for the future. I had more monetary means that anyone I've met yet on the island, but as much as I sometimes say, I didn't have much to leave behind."

She shrugged. "I hated the island at first. I was terrified after my first change, I was turning into the one thing that would make me hurt the mos, terrify me the most. But in the end... I came to this island willingly. I came for an experimental drug therapy. I got everything I asked for really, a bit more than I bargained...but it served its purpose."

Her tone became more confident and grounded as she set her eyes back on the man. "I understand that what the doctors are doing is immoral, cruel and every bit as horrible as the islanders say. However, I also understand what purposes this research could serve, because I experienced the benefits from it. I disagree with the method of getting people here, forcing them to stay, but I can understand the value of what they are learning here. This is beyond any science mainland and they can do so much. Hell, they could find a cure for cancer with this research, let alone all the billion other problems, like my phobia. If they could harness what they learn here and focus it more it will be beneficial to all of mankind. I am begining to think I'm the only one who ever tried to see the silver lining of this place."

The manta shifted her weight slowly. "I'm sorry. I know it's not right the way they're doing this. I know people have given up a lot, been through a lot, lied, cheated, and kidnapped here. I know the pain they feel, I've felt it. That's why I want to help stop it, because it hurts a lot of people. But it has helped me, and could lead to helping others. So I cannot completely hate it. It has great potential to heal...."

Chert listened silently throughout her small speech, although truthfully his quiet had nothing to do with any sort of consideration for Awen. Frustration seethed in his veins, so bitter that he thought he might open his mouth and spit acid, and every calm, measured word the woman spoke only intensified it. But there were no words he could grasp to express the utter contempt he felt for her rationale. "If you really believe that s**t," he hissed venemously, "You must already have the brain of a ******** fish. People who think like that are the reason crazies like Moreau get away with what they do. I don't care what his research might do for the world in the future. What he's doing right now is ******** wrong, and if you're willing to condone it, then you're no better than he is." Judging from the animosity Chert appeared to hold for Moreau, that was no small accusation.

"I do not condone what Moreau is doing!" She sighed, frustration breaking through her calm finally with the man. "But if this is happening then there had better be a god damn reason for it! It may be just Moreau tickling his fancy by having us as lab rats, but I can't believe that entirely. If I have to go through this... If I had to wake up in the lake and transform while I was sunk near the bottom, if I have to go through all of that there had better be a good reason for it. It may suck for me at the moment, do you think it's fun knowing that I might not be able to walk on land if I change again, do you think I enjoy the fact that I might not be able to breathe air if I change again!? This is not ******** easy for me and I'm sick of people thinking that just because I want to see the greater good in this suffering we are all going through that I'm Moreau's best friend or some s**t like that!"

She was practically shouting at the man. "For ******** sake can no one even try to look on the bright side!? We're stuck here, that's how it is, so there's no ******** sense in moping and complaining about it. I try to find the good in things. Because I can't enjoy everything for much longer. I don't know when I'm going to change next, if I will. But when I do I don't want my last breaths of air to be spend bitching and complaining, or crying or shouting or anything like that. I just want to have some peace and enjoy what I can while I can."

Her presence then was completely depleated. She let out a long slow breath. "If you can't understand that... then fine. You don't have to. I don't care if I'm hated or thought of as crazy anymore. I may be a freak, I may be some grotesque fish monster... but I just want to hang onto my humanity while I can. I want to experience the joys in life before I'm stuck in the lake with just that leech Billy around. I don't know why people can't understand that. But it doesn't matter. " Taking a deep breath and blinking a few tears away she looked at the man. "Now please, can you just...step aside... my skin is extremely itchy and uncomfortable... I need to get back to water..."

But Chert didn't budge an inch, and he didn't look as if planned to. "Life isn't always about pleasure," he grated. "Sometimes it's about doing what needs to be done. And if it turns out that all my plans fail and I'm going to drown swimming out to sea, or break my neck at the bottom of the cliffs, or get zapped until I'm braindead, then that's what's going to happen. Because any time I spend fighting against the madman that did this to me is better spent than the time I'd waste trying to pretend I was happy while turning into a goddamned RODENT." His voice had been gradually climbing, until it exploded into a full-blown shout on the last word. "Don't ******** talk to me about lab rats!"

The dam that had held back all of his rage and fear at their seemingly hopeless situation was beginning to crack. The quiet gathering of people on the beach was a blow to his confidence; he'd expected Fiona's plan to fail- just not because of a lack of interest! Would he lose his drive if stayed here long enough? Would he accept the loss of his humanity with a low sigh and a few small tears? Impossible!... But the process had already begun, hadn't it? Somewhere along the line, thoughts of his friends had shifted into the past tense. Worries about his impending transformation had turned from "if" into "when." The realization terrified him, and the terror fed his desperate anger.

Awen's emotions, her anger and frustration, were totally spent. She looked up to him with hollow eyes. "Then keep fighting. Keep struggling and cutting yourslef on the chains. Dive off the cliffs or get electrocuted, right now I really don't care. If you want to be unhappy then be unhappy. I'm going to try to enjoy life while I have it."

She didn't ask him to move again, instead she tried to make her way around him. She moved to the side slightly but still passed close to Chert. She wasn't thinking to go around at the moment.

She paused and glanced back over her shoulder. "I admire your determination. I admire your desire to be free... If you ever want help, I will do what I can, but as for me I would be staying here. I don't want my friends to see me like this. What you don't understand, is that even should we escape the island we are still Moreau's prisoners." She looked to the woods infront of her watching the inky black further in.

"If we don't get the injections until the changes are done we get sick, we could even die. I've heard talk of cancer... So even if we escape the island we will probably die for it, if he refuses to continue his research on us in a government monitored facility or somethnig like that. If we're lucky, we escape and don't get sick. For those of us already changed we don't have life back on mainland. Quarentine, and sheltered from society most likely, to prevent hysteria. Or stuck in government labs, probably in hospital gowns with a little band strapped to our wrist with our name and a barcode. I doubt anyone would want the public to know about us, and so our families would be left to believe what Moreau wanted them to and we move from one laboratory to another. So either way, no matter how we fight, there is no life left. Might as well enjoy what we have."

The rigid muscles of Chert's back provided her only response, a silent but very definite rejection- No, I don't buy your offer of help. No, I won't be anyone's prisoner. No, I can't believe that this is our only option. But she had intended them to or not, Awen's speculations cut deeply, for many of them were the very worries that Chert had been trying to supress. Maybe the island had stripped away even the hope of salvation on the mainland. Maybe it truly was a choice between life here or a slow death somewhere else. He didn't know. He tried to convince himself that he didn't care.

Chert stalked off in the opposite direction, unwilling to acknowledge the suggestions of hopelessness that chipped away at the only plans that had kept him on his feet for the past two months. Awen was wrong. To admit anything less was to start down the long, black pathway into listless depair.

"I'm sorry..." She said as she started forward, walking away from Chert. She doubted he could hear as she practically whispered the words. "But I cannot allow your rufusel of reality to hurt you..."

Awen really felt like being alone now. Perhaps she would just sleep in the lake tonight... people as of late seem to be irking her. They had to come to accept reality before they killed themselves trying to escape it. She had some things to discuss later with... shaking her head she pushed that from her mind. For now she focused on the water. The cool, calming, comforting...water...  

[Awen Zyn]

Peace Crumbling into Decay

((For this RP, since staff are all black Aubrey will be dark red, Cassidy is temporarily green and Kaveri is temporarily red.))

The day atfer Colche's Birthday party Aubrey took her lunch hour to go down the village and start to pick up from the festivities before. She knew that eventaully the cleaning crew would get to it - but she felt guilty just leaving that whole mess. The Island worked on absolute min-required staff, so the small custodian staff was overworked enough as it was.

They could do the stubbing and the vaccuming, but at least Aubrey was going to start picking up all the streamers and paper plates. Armed with several large trashbags, she flitted about the room throwing away discarded paper cups and wrapping paper, making sure Colche didn't leave anything important.

Awen had gone into this room awhile ago and had been playing various of the new arcades. She couldn't believe she hadn't known of this place before...or perhaps it never was around? Surely she would have seen this place another time...so it must not have been. She glanced up briefly when AUbrey had come in and started to pick up streamers, but mostly stayed in the back arcades out of the way.

Meanwhile, Sabin, now stuck doing exclusively moniter duty and other menial chores about the island, had just recived in one more shipment from mainland of equipment that was to go to the rec room. He had assisted in moving a lot of the heavy equipment there when it was being set up after Moreau had figured out that compared to most of the labtechs on the island, Sabin was actually strong enough to be decent manual labor.

Admittedly, this was one of the games that he had specifically ordered, otherwise he would have been more peeved that it fell to him to move the damned thing. Loading it onto the back of a flat, he drove down to the village, Rampage in tow.

Sabin was wheeling the dolly with the game into the room, the game bulky enough to not really see where he was going very well other than knowing that the thing was going to go into the back-right corner of the room. Therefore, he didn't see Aubrey when he nearly plowed her over with a full-sized arcade machine.

Aubrey just stood up from stuffing a bag full of shredded paper, swining the full garbage bag over her shoulder and turning around - just in time to see a giant machine barrelling towards her.

She squeaked in surprise - she had thought she had been alone in the roon, then tried to make it out of the way, but not soon enough. The front wheel of the dolly caught on Aubrey's foot, causing her to cry out in pain and fall the rest of the way out the path of the lumbering object.

"Goddammit!" she hissed from the ground, clutching at her foot, while simutaneously trying to jerk her skirt back into place from her fall.

Sabin made a note of surprise as the machine proceeded to yelp at him, and then poked his head around to see the familiar brown curls of his coworker supervisor.

"Aubrey?" Sabin said with a note of confusion. "What are you doing here?" He wheeled the machine out of the way, and towards the corner where it was slated to be put, eying the remnants of streamers, and snagging one of the remnant cupcakes off the wall irrevelantly.

Cass was on the lookout for something hopelessly normal to do. A movie struck her as being a good idea, so she had made her way to the entertainment room first.

Then she'd remembered that pinball machine she'd seen once. She had a small fondness for pinball, and rarely got to play. If she was going to end up losing her hands, as Greer had... she might as well play while she still could.

She slithered into the room, and tilted her head in surprise. Aubrey... and Sabin...? And some blue-haired girl Cass wasn't sure she'd ever met. Her tongue flickered.

It would be a good idea to turn around and leave, she knew. But it was fairly unusual to see one staff member hanging around, let alone two at once.

Zach walked with Kaveri down to the center of town. He wasn't sure where they were going - all he knew was that staying in a duplex too long just felt unhealthy. The tropical air was nice. However, the bizarre new length of Kaveri's neck hadn't ceased to horrify him, so he made sure to look at her as little as he could manage. Hopefully, she was still too dazed to take offense.

It was while they walked that he noticed a new door with a flashy sign. Puzzled, he glanced in the door as he walked by, and stopped dead in his tracks. He was stricken with a sudden sense of danger.

After all, inside the new arcade appeared to be... Sabin and Aubrey?

"Getting run over my arcade machines, apparantly," she said with her brows creased, not amused.

She stood up and tested her tender foot with a hiss. "What's it look like I'm doing, I'm picking up after Colche's party. I accept your apology, by the way." You could almost feel the waves of cold coming off Aubrey today. Being up at arms with Moreau did nothing for her attitude.

Somewhat weary and craving comfort food, Fiona had travelled the now much-walked path that led from the duplexes to the cafeteria. Her attention had been nicked by something curious and out of place, however- the sound of a vehicle. It stopped, and soon the arcade game, along with the staff member (vaguely resembling a mule, Fiona thought to herself with a snicker) who pulled it, came into sight. Suddenly curious, the girl followed slowly, attempting to watch for something poignant like the maintenence of a hidden video camera.

Sabin shrugged, not going out of his way to amend the lack of apology, and slid the machine carefully off the back of the dolly and plugged it in- initiating a loud noise as the game sprung to life before Sabin adjusted the volume.

It was only after this that he finally turned around and regarded Aubrey, giving the cupcake a long lick of the icing off the top. He didn't seem to care it had been sitting out overnight.

"What bug crawled into your shirt, Aubrey?" Sabin asked, glancing down at her foot. at least you still have your job he thought irritably. Moreau would never strip that from her. Go behind her back and trust HIM to carry out a plot that she was too weak to handle, yes. But as soon as he worked on something on his own that went along WITH his own damned project he got his job suspended. "Last I checked you weren't being penalized and being forced to do the job that maintence or custodial work unlike some of us." He muttered.

Kaveri honestly hadn't wanted to go out, but in the end, she decided that getting a little sun would probably benefit her in the long run, and maybe even improve her mood. Maybe. She was still feeling pretty cranky about this whole thing.

She walked alongside Zach, her neck bent uncomfortably so that her head would still (just barely) fit in her green hoodie. As he stopped, she too stopped, peering over his shoulder and inside the door, squinting her silver eyes.

Hey, that guy looked kinda familiar..!

Awen glanced over from her game for just a moment to see what was happening. A sweetly familiar voice had finally snapped her out of the gamer's zone she often put herself in. She frowned a little bit at the argument. Could things never be peaceful?

Aubrey and Sabin were fighting, as if that wasn't a surprise. She really wished they wouldn't. The two staff members she would actually try to trust and what happens? They seem to be blood enemies or something. She looekd back to her game. "Damnit!" She mumbled and tried to regain her lost time. She would keep an eye on the two though.

"I'm sorry," she hissed. "What bug crawled up my shirt?" Her eyes darted quickly to Awen and Cass, so she lowered her voice and limped (a bit overdramatically perhaps) closer to Sabin. "I might not be be forced to physical labor but trust me I'm not exactly being put ona pedistal for sticking up for you. Oh, and nice way to thank me, nearly running me over. You should be thankful you have any after the stunt you pulled. You're lucky Miss Delaney's not your new bunkmate, eh?"

Sabin gave a growl under his breath at the reminder that Aubrey had recently stuck up for him. He had been rather involved in his own throughts of self-pity with losing the lives of several of his projects and his priviledges.

"Look, I appreciate what you did, really I do. I just wish that he wasn't so damn unreasonable sometimes!" He took a bite out of the chocolate cupcake as he leaned against the machine, not really paying attention to the other people that were peering his way, and not having noticed Awen behind some of the rows of games.

"You're acting like I bumped into you on purpose."

Awen nodded slowly listening to Sabin. He had every right not to be happy lately after what Moreau did. All of those poor little creatures... Personally Awen would have still loved to see some of them... despite how they were made the beast had to have been magnificent.

And was Aubrey ever over reacting... He wouldn't bowl her over on purpose. No... She blushed slightly remembering how he pulled out her chair. He was much too much a gentlemen to do that to a lady.

" 'Bumped' into me? You nearly crushed me. Gawd," she threw up her hands. "You really need some lessons on manners. It amazes sometimes that somewhere like Harvard hired you with your attitude. Nick might not give a s**t, you know, but they prefer staff with a bit a common courtesy. You really have an attitude problem sometimes Dr. Duvert!" Aubrey was being overly bitchy, and it wasn't that hard to figure out she was projecting just a bit.

Awen's nose wrinkled. Attitude problems? Look who was talking! What happened to the nice sweet lady that had saved Awen from drowning? This tempest of a woman was nothing like the one that Awen had mistakenly called mother in her mind's haze.

And nearly crushed? Awen thought that was a little bit of an exaduration. Casually she moved to a different machine. One that was a little bit closer to the fight. Though she kept her eyes away and ont the next game, rather than looking at the two.

Sabin's face screwed up a bit in annoyance. She now was bitching at HIM? "I have plenty of common curteousy when I'm not being snapped at.

"And I left Harvard willingly to work on this project. Do remember that I was a professor there. You should respect your seniors." He prodded.

"Althought it Sounds like there's been some trouble in paradise." Sabin replied snidely. "You're not usually this bitchy unless you've had a fight with Moreau. Or he's ignoring you. Not that that has been all too unusual lately." He shook his head.

Cassidy should definitely leave. Oh, definitely. That would be the wise thing.

Carefully not watching either Sabin or Aubrey, she made her way over to sit a little bit from Awen, under pretense of watching her game.

Awen saw red and green from the coner of her eye and started slightly. She glanced back to see the snake woman behind her and blinked slowly. Had she seen this girl before? She seemed to be very far along her changes... She remember some lady in a wheelcahir a long time ago. Was this the same girl? It would make sense...

She gave a weak and awkward smile as she glanced from the girl to the fight. She gave the snake a half-amused half-frown as a highschool girl would when watching an argument between teacher and student in the hallway and not want to be involved, but comment on it silently. Then slowly turned back to her game.

Please," she said, snatching the half eaten cupcake out of his hand and throwing in her garbage bag. "I know you were a professor. I was a student, remember, I heard plenty about the crackpot folklore professor."

Aubrey rolled her eyes, "Respect your seniors?? How about respect your superiors? You're not a professor anymore, Sabin, and now, you answer to me."

But the last line was a kicker, and her face turned a bit red in anger. "Yes I had a fight with Moreau - sticking up for your sorry a**! You know I deliberately went against his direct orders? Hell, if it wasn't me I'd probably be bunking with Lily!" Aubrey twirled around. "Why did I DO that.. stupid..." she mumbled to herself.

"And he doesn't ignore me," she said under her breath.

Awen twisted her face in mock concentration at her game, when in fact she was confused. Lilly? Wasn't that the girl from the blackout she had met briefly? The..red head? She had been staff? Wondering what she did to incur Moreau's wrath Awen frowned worriedly in Sabin's direction.

Mentally she urged Sabin not to push it too far. Though Aubrey was clearly being unfair. Crackpot folklore professor? He was a little different, to be sure, but Awen loved his random bits of folklore and things he says.

Standing by the doorway did making hearing the conversation a slight bit more difficult, but he could hear enough of it from the relative safety of the outdoors. There wasn't a chance in hell he was going to go in there. Even knowing Cassidy and Kaveri (tentatively), the presence of the two 'doctors' was like garlic to a vampire.

He gave a flickering glance to Kaveri, but said nothing. So far, he particularly liked what he was hearing. After putting a finger to his lips to maintain what silence they could, he moved closer to the door, gripping the frame for balance with his hand while watching.

Cass gave Awen a small wave and a slight smile. There might be time for introductions later.

Sabin? A crackpot folklore professor? She could believe it. She had the wings to prove it. Crazy b*****d. And by the sounds of it, he'd done something else.

And, er. Wait. Aubrey was seeing Moreau? That's what it sure sounded like... but that couldn't be possible.

Aubrey's shoulders straightened and she turned slowly back around, glaring. "Doing something with him that you never would. eh? Is that what you think that is, huh? Go on, say it. You think thats why I'm second in command, don't you?" She pointed a finger at him accusingly. "Is that what everyone thinks. That I'm just his ditzy loyal girlfriend? I'll have you know there's a damn good reason I have the position I do!" Okay, so thats not exactly what Sabin said, but its was obviously something Aubrey thought he meant.

"And he doesn't ignore me, thank you very much. He's just BUSY." She darted her eyes around again, a bit embarassed. "You can't see what goes on where the camera's can't see," she pointed out to him. This was very obvious what she was referring to since there was only room place there was only one place with no cameras (at least so Aubrey thought). "And look who's talking. I don't have to feed into some little girl's schoolyard crush to get some attention from the other sex." She narrowed her eyes at him and quickly darted them over to Awen.

He snorted. "Then why are you? Hunh? He certainly hired you because he knew you. There are research heads with ten years of pharmetsuticals research under their belts here! You're second in command because he knows you're his loyal lapdog. Among other things. But you're apparently so dedicated to him and so blind to anything else that he doesn't even have to put a ring around that finger." He said smugly, gesturing to her bare left hand.

"And yes, he's busy. But he's always busy, and he always WILL be busy. I just hope that you can accept that." He shoved his hands, now devoid of cupcake, into his pockets. "And I don't know what you're talking about." He said defensively, quickly. "I was married I will have you know. Samantha, God rest her soul, loved me. And no matter how obsessed I was about my work, I made time for her. I know a two-sided relationship when I see one. And a broken one when I see one as well."

Oh she didn't. She didn't! Schoolgirl crush? Awen bit her lip and crewed as her hand gripped the controls just a little tighter. She certainly was not happy with that comment as her cheeks became a slight rosey colour.

She really didn't want to get involved. Not with everyone here. But how could she do that? Awen had thought she was at least reasonably nice still. She wasn't very proud of how Sabin was acting, but Aubrey started it anyway.

As she stewed her listened to Sabin. He had been married was he? Things Awen never knew. Was he really just playing with her, feeding her on? Surely not... the man could care, he had a wife which says enough. She had seen his pain. He cared, he did. But he had been married... how long ago, the manta wondered idly. If Sabin was doing this then it had to have been long enough ago... but... She suddenly felt slightly squimish. She knew she shouldn't, besides Sabin would have probably told her later. This was not the best way to learn more about the guy anyway.

She tried to focus a bit more on the game to ...uh... seem less conspicuous. But she still kept an ear to the argument. This was getting too far..

Aubrey started to argue back before Sabin was even done. "What's so wrong with a bit of loyalty!? A project like this- "

But she cut off at the ring comment, obviously hitting a big nerve. Her faced flushed even more and she blinked a few times quickly. "I... he... just because he hasn't asked yet doesn't mean he's not going to. You know, what are we going to do - elope in in in... Las Vegas.. please..." the words were there, but they had definately lost their edge as she stumbled.

"Married? Yeah, I've read your file. Must have been a lovely woman to put up with you} she spat sarcastically. "Did you guys start dating when you tricked her into thinking she liked you, too?"

Aubrey addressed her voice towards Awen. "Awen, dear, you really should thank Lauren for the lovely flowers she sent you when you were will ill."

Awen glanced over when she was directly addressed this time. She blinked slowly as the words ran throguh her mind. The flowers were from Lauren...? She glanced briefly to Sabin but looked over to Aubrey mostly, playing the girl simply being dragged into the fight.

"Um...I.. yeah sure." She ducked back to her game. Her face was turning red but not with embarassment. How could she do that? First the subtle stab, and now this? Now practically shouting that Awen was this girl she concidered to be such a fool. She turned away from the game with a ragged sigh.

She couldn't even try to concentrate anymore. "But not to be rude the two of you. But perhaps you should take this argument elsewhere? You are shouting at eachother a lot of information that the other probably doesn't want the entire island to know. It would be very good of you both to agree to take this away from everyone's view. This probably doesn't help anyone in regaurds to their views on the labs. Seeing you two bicker and squable when our lives hang in the balance here dependant on your collective research is not very encouraging."

Also she wanted to keep anymore implications involving Awen away from everyone's ears.

Aubrey just opened and closed her mouth a few times. To be honest she expected (hoped?) Moreau to pop the question when they were in Paris. God know she wasn't very subtle.

"Moreau would... he wouldn't propose just to get out of an argument with me." She sounded more like she was trying to convince herself than defend Moreau, however.

"Ha!! See past things?. Was she ******** blind? Or just as messed up as you are?!"

She blinked and started back at Awen, trying not to bite her head off. It wasn't her fault. "Yes, your lives hand in balance.. and Sabin here is deciding to mess with your heart, too, aren't you, Doctor?" She addressed Sabin directly again. "You know for damn sure she likes you, and you're playing her along, you don't feel anything for her!"

Awen's blood ran quite cold hearing Aubrey saying those words quite clearly. The rest could have been misconstrued, explained and excused away. Self consciously she glanced around, taking note of the islanders still in the room. She stepped back slightly, her legs a bit wobbily. People were going to find out eventually she knew...but the key word had been eventually. She didn't want people to find out so soon....how many islanders were going to...?

She silenced herself. Though she wanted to shout at Aubrey, it would do no good. Awen knew Sabin had feelings for this fish girl. He had to have. It wouldn't do any good to try to rebuke the claims, or say anything to Aubrey.

Awen felt somewhat like she wanted to cry... but didn't.

Besides everything...Aubrey was certainly the pot calling the kettle black, wasn't she? It was her own relationship problems...her own fears. She did not have an objective view of this relationship. She had no idea. Simply projecting her own fear onto her and Sabin.

But... how could Awen handle the islanders knowing? Many Awen knew...would hate her now. She suddenly felt a fear of the others.

A fix of emotions finally kept Awen silent. She took a small step back at the complete loss.

Sabin smirked. Aubrey wasn't sounding that convinced in the merits of Moreau. He knew she was a smart woman. Now, Sabin DID respect Moreau. He respected his brilliance in science, and hte fact that he managed to achieve what had been limited to stories of science fiction or magic with real science. Things that Sabin had dreamed of. He considered himself loyal to the project and knew his place - he couldn't do this without Moreau's brilliance.

Aubrey, however, was here for an entirely different reason. She needed Moreau, too, but not in the same way. "I don't know if you'll ever be happy working with him, and always being SECOND." He held up two fingers for emphasis. "If you must stoop to insult me and the loving relationship I had because you will never have such closeness, then that is just sad. Perhaps you do not even know me as well as Awen does, and she does not even have a file on me."

Sabin was not about to let Awen have doubts about his sentiment towards her. He needed an ally. He glanced her way, not liking seeing her upset by Aubrey one bit. Sabin KNEW he would open himself up to sentiment if he started communications. A strength bound in a weakness. He knew that. "At least she listens to what I have to say." He also didn't like that Aubrey brought this up publically any more than Awen did. But perhaps, just perhaps, it would make the listeners more sympathetic to HIM in hearing so.

"And Awen requests that we discuss this privately and you attack her." He shook his head. "You are not being very charitable today in the least."

Aubrey just narrowed her eyes dangerous at Sabin. "I'm not attacking her. I'm protecting her from you." Aubrey's voice was no longer high pitched and bitchty. It was low and defeated, grasping at straws of her control.

"I have always respected Nick's work and his brilliance! I would not be here unless I did. You know as well as anyone that - " she stopped short, grabbing Sabin by the arm and yanking him close, lowering her voice, "that we weren't, you know, until after I came here."

She paused for a moment. "How dare you question Nick's feelings for me. I have severe dount about your 'closeness' to your wife. Either you hid a lot from her or she was as ******** nuts as you are. I see the joy you take in this little experiement here. This... this place isn't abuot science for you. It isn't abuot... stretching the limits of science. I know what you do - I know what your purpose is here. You like to torture. You have fun, don't you? Just likese those experiements Moreau had put down. You like to play. Its not enough that you're turning them into animals. YOU like to see what happens when you leave them naked up in a tree. Or locked out of their heated duplexes and thinking they are dying. You think its fun to turn a man into a dragon because dragons are 'neat' and you want to live those little roleplaying books I've seen in your office. You have fun here. I see it in your eyes."

Cassidy sputtered, and clapped a hand over her mouth. Right. Right, she wasn't supposed to be listening.

Yes. The wall over there... it was very interesting. It had completely captured her attention. She had not heard a word.

Oh, christ.... These people were insane. Every single last one. Cass buried her face in feathers.

"Protecting her?! You don't even know me. Not half as well as you think you do. " Sabin was getting genuinely upset. This was getting personal and no longer was a game.

As she pulled him close, Sabin growled, momentarily flashing teeth at her. "And how dare you make presumptions about HER?" He spoke even her pronoun reverently. "She knew me. She was my compliment and grounded me, She helped m-" He stopped abruptly. He didn't want to admit what he was doing was very differnt now than how he was when she was with him.

He swallowed, eyes narrowing at the direct accusations. The worst part was that he knew they were true.... at least in a sense. And he started to REALLY wish that Awen wasn't around. why? Am I trying to protect her? Not want her to KNOW me? Or because I do care about her?.

"I am not torturing them." He protested, although it wasn't the most authentic sounding. Sabin wasn't the best liar. "And Zach is lucky to be given the serum he was. How is that any WORSE than any of the others here? So what if I have a greater design than just picking a bottle off the shelf at random? Or.." He grinned devilishly "Playing 'pick the hand' with two rather unfortunate animals like a bat and a skunk?" Two could play at that game.

"And what do you think Moreau does!?" Awen finally shouted stepping forward. She could take no more of this abuse towards Sabin. "You think Moreau doesn't enjoy his work here? You think that he is just strictly about science? You have no right to criticise Sabin, or me for that matter, before you look a little more closely at him and yourself! Moreau enjoys this, I've only seen him briefly but I know he enjoys this island. He had to have for creating the concept in the first place!"

Her face took on more red then she could ever remember. Every bit of her burned and chilled at the same time. She was embarassed for speaking, afraid of what Aubrey or the islanders will do with her now, but the cat was out of the bag and the damage done. She had nothing to loose at the moment, so she believed.

"You cannot blame Sabin for things Moreau tells him to do! Moreau is the one who started this experiment, Moreau is the one to blame above anyone else for everything that happens here, not Sabin, not you not any of the other labtechs that work here." She growled softly. "I don't know why I try sometimes."

She continued her rage with a gesture to Sabin. "And how dare you say anything about his late wife! I don't care what issues you have with Sabin, but you didn't even know the woman. You gain nothing to you senseless bickering by picking on the dead! That is disrespectful on so many levels."

She turned around to Sabin still somewhat angry. "But you are not helping the matter by antagonising the woman. Can you not see she is under stress, I realise she started snapping at you but that is no excuse to say some of the things you did which only caused her to start talking about your relationships.

Stepping back so she could look at them both. "Now, I have no authority over either of you, being a simple prisoner here and all, but this isn't helping anyone! Again, confidence in the competense level of the staff severely decreases when you fight like this in the open."

She looked more to Aubrey once more, the anger was there but pain of what she had done as well as fear mixing in with it. "Not to mention the other people you are hurting here. Please take this away from islanders eyes. We cannot hide our drama from you, but please do not add to ours."

Cassidy looked up at Awen in utter disbelief. How did anyone manage to talk back to these people? They were in control, they had power, and they were in charge.

Confidence in the staff? What confidence? They were insane.

"Christ," she said, and ducked her head below her feathered arm again. She was already turning into something she could barely pronounce, thanks to one of these crazies. She was not going to make it worse.

She grounded you!! My god, then she must be rolling in her grave if she could see what you're doing here. Nice way to honor her memory - is this what she would have wanted from you?"

Her attacked was cut off by Awen. She raised a finger to say something but stopped herself. "You know what - ******** it. I'm sick of sticking up for everyone. I'm tired of defending Nick from the islanders and you," she said to Sabin, "I'm sick of defending you to Nick," and then she look a look around the room, adressing Cass and Awen, "And I'm sick of defending you all to Nic- Moreau. I just can't make anyone happy - and I'm tired of it." She held out a hand to Sabin. "You can rot in front of the monitors for all I care and the islanders can all end up in a little white padded room! Then lets see what you all think about it!"

Aubrey tossed the garbage bag down and headed out of the room

Sabin snapped at the comment about Samantha's disapproval. Between THAT button, and the berating from Awen - awen on top of it, the color seemed to drain from Sabin's already less-than-tan face.
"What did you say??" He said, somewhat strangled-sounding. He had been spirialing VERY far downwards here, backsliding to a place that at one point in the height of his relationship he never wanted to be again. He had been having trouble dealing with her death, even though it was now a while ago. He had been goign through the motions, but not moving on. Now in dealing with the pain he was allowing himself to play, to divert his attention to something entertaining, not paying attention to the kind of person it was making him... or what she would have thought of that.

He shoved his hands back in his pockets, left the dolly there that he had wheeled the game machine in on, and stalked quickly out the door towards the van he had left waiting for him out there.

"I'm sure that colche would love your new attitude of lack of altruism." He said lowly as he got onto the driver's seat, towards Aubrey who was also outside of the room now. "Ironic, isn't it? You're scolding ME for making an attachment and disavowing your own. My how things change."

"Next time I'll make sure you get a serum for disobeying Moreau's orders," she hissed back. "If its not already too late for that," she yelled, jerking her ear. "Don't think I'm not onto you ~ ".

Awen, after glancing arund the room once more with an apologetic and awkward 'heh' she quickly followed the two outside. She moved right passed Aubrey to the driver's side of the vehicle.

"Sabin I'm sorry for getting into that... I'm sorry I should have just stayed in the back corner. I didn't mean to agrivate things or... push Aubrey's mouth in the wrong direction. I'm so sorry..."

It was obvious she was nervous now. She knew that no other islander could kill her because of the people watching on cameras...but if Jamal could almost kill Aubrey before someone did anthing about it... who knows what the camera people would allow them to do to a subject before they stopped it.

But also she was genuinely sorry for what had happened. She knew Sabin had been hurt by the exchange, whether he will even admit it to himself or not, those words had to have hurt him somewhere. If it hadn't been for Awen the relationship issue wouldn't have been as bad she was sure...


Sabin frowned darkly as he slammed the door closed after him in response to Aubrey's words and resentful words. Bitterly, and because he got some sort of twisted enjoyment, perhaps because she already had her suspicions so why not, he flahed her one more toothy snarl as he started the ignition.

He glanced to Awen, nodding quietly. He wasn't in a talking mood anymore. Not now. "Right." He murmured. She could see the anger and hurt in his eyes. Not necessarily directed at her, but it was there.

He stepped on the pedal and left Aubrey and Awen in the dust as the jeep sped back to the labs, the now empty trailer rattling after it.

"You're just a mind game to him," Aubrey said, genuinely and not just out of anger. "I'm the only one here that gives a s**t about the islanders. I don't think its right for him to mess up your life anymore than Moreau and I already have." With a sad, defeated sigh, Aubrey turned and headed for her Jeep.

Cassidy exhaled slowly. She was alone, it seemed?

Thank the god she didn't believe in that was over. What was wrong with Awen? You couldn't just behave that way to these people. They were sick, sick bastards. Cass had read somewhere that the first rule of being a hostage was to not draw attention to yourself. She figured the same rule probably applied here.

And if Aubrey had been defending them... she hated to think what would come next, if she stopped.

Augh. She was an innocent bystander. Who had... been... obviously eavesdropping. Stupid, girl. Stupid.

She slithered over to the corner, and coiled up, hugging herself. In a while, when all was clear, she'd head back to her room. Screw pinball.

Awen exhaled slowly watching Sabin depart. She knew he was angry, hurt... but it didn't feel good to have him turn his back.

When Aubrey spoke she turned slowly to the lab tech. "I'm sorry to you too Aubrey." She said softly. "And I appreciate what you try to do. Just not what you just did to me." Whether the lab tech thought about it or if she even heard it didn't matter to the manta as Aubrey headed to her jeep.

She glanced back to the rec room. She'd left the snake woman there alone. Probably for the best... at the looks of her Awen had an idea that she wasn't very fond of staff either. She wouldn't go back to the arcade games, no longer in the mood. The thought of going back to her duplex was equally appalling.

Her gaze shifted towards the lake and she sighed softly. Yes, that would make things better. She could be alone... she wouldn't have to deal with the other islanders just yet. Billy would soon be able to disturb her even there.... but for now the lake was still her own.

So Awen slowly started to the lake to have herself a swim. The water would make it better...