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

[Awen Zyn]

New friend!

Awen sat in the wet sand on the shore. Closing her eyes she listened to the waves slowly rolling in and back out to the sea. Only a seemingly short while ago Awen had almost drowned herself as her parents had drowned themselves so many years ago.

However all fear of the ocean had passed her. The manta ray serum had certainly done it's job at making Awen at peace with that former phobia. Now, she opened her eyes and watched the water. A strange sense overwhelmed her, the feeling that was but a tingle in the back of her mind at the last stage. The manta ray was insistant. That is where she belonged.

"I know... I know..." She mumbled softly. "But if I go, it will kill me this time."

Still Awen did not wish to leave just yet. She smiled as the water lapped her legs and sighed as it departed.

I walked down to the beach, sketchbook in hand. it was time to find a rockpool and sketch some sealife. I figured I might as well, considering I was living on an island now. Smiling at the prospect of finding some interesting fishes, I started down the sand and was startled to see someone already there!
"Ooh, another islander!" I giggled. I was in a good mood today. I skipped down the beach toward the apparently blue person.

Though it seemed sort of faint Awen could hear a voice somewhere behind her. She glanced over her shoulder to see who it was. The blond hair and bouncing form caught Awen off guard. She started and scuffled away a couple feet. Who was this? Someone new?

Awen frowned and looked at the water. She didn't want that 'oh-em-gee you're a freak!' look she'd gotten from so many people, and that was before her last change. She wanted nothing more than to just jump in the water to hide away from the girl. But if she did that she would die and there was no way she could run for the trees....

the manta kept her arms close to her, to try to hide the webbing. "Uh...hello there!" She smiled awkwardly.

The girl's shyness caught me a little off-guard. Pff, what is she scared of? I wondered. Running and throwing myslef onto the sand next to her, I turned to her and smiled as warmly as I could. "Hi, I'mIvy and I'm new here and your webbing stuff looks really cool and are you some kind of manta ray because I love those." I said in a rush.

Awen blinked and was taken aback. A new islander, and she didn't think Awen was a freak? People like Hargun and Amaya who called Awen pretty...well that was to be expected, they were used to everything. But a perfectly normal human being saying Awen looked cool? She couldn't help but blush and smile a little more sincerely.

"Y-yeah! Manta, exactly. You're good!" Awen laughed a little bit and stretched out her hand to shake. "Name's Awen Zyn."

I shook the extended hand, admiring the smoothness of her skin. "Wow, that's cool! I wanna be a marine biologist someday. That's how I knew you were manta ray" I added. Then with a jolt a part of my brief conversation with Fiona came back to me. "There are two people...you can't trust them. Their names are Awen and Lauren. Awen is...she's some kind of fish." So this is one of the girls who was supposedly helping the doctors, eh? I sized her up. She seemed too friendly to be a bad guy! besides, she was way cute and that Fiona girl was...wierd. "So, can you swim?" I asked.

Awen smiled and shook her hand. The smile turned somewhat sad when the girl mentioned her dream of becoming a marrine biologist. There wasn't much chance of that now that she was on the island... no schools and such. Maybe the labs would give her materials so she could get educated though...? Hm.

When the girl had a jolt, Awen's sad smile turned into a brief frown. but only for a moment until the girl continued speaking. Awen grinned a little bit and nodded. If there was one thing she could do... it was swim.

"Like I was born to it!" Awen beamed, somewhat proud of this unnatural ability. Though she was startled she used that wording. That was exactly as Moreau had promised her when she came to the island for 'therapy'.

She held up a leg to wrigle her foot in the air a bit. "Sadly, it's made walking sort of difficult."

I sighed sympathetically, looking at ther long, webbed feet. "I like to swim too...Hey! can you breathe underwater yet? We should go scuba diving!" Thinking about the comments Fiona had made, I added, "You wouldn't happento know a girl named Fiona, would you? Kinda paranoid, furry? She said she didn't like you, do you have any idea why?"

The girl talked so fast! It was hard for Awen to keep up. "Well yes I ca-- oh no I can't out he--" Then she paused and blinked.

"Fee is now complaining about me to strangers? Oh joy..." She sighed and shook her head slowly. And she's furry? Awen hoped claws weren't involved... Mantas don't have too much in the way of natural defence of claws teeth or tentacles... if Fiona went psycho and attacked....oh boy. "She doesn't like me because I was harsh on her escape the island plans. I was just trying to sober her up to the risks that her wild plans were going to get people into. I am not entirely un-sympathetic. I tried to escape the island once, tried to swim my way out to get help. But I can't breathe in salt water and...well... live. So I almost drowned myself, and I want to prevent any hastey attempts like that again. Fiona has hated me ever since, even though I said I would help her. It only got worse when she through a 'party'" And yes, Awen did the air quotes. "And tried to rally people to her cause. She... went off in a real psycho-activist paranoid kind of way... which would only serve to put people off of the idea when they were just trying to have fun at the party, you know? My friend Lauren, a tall girl with lots of yellow fur and some neat horns, was drunk at the time and was laughing at Fee. The hot head then started threatening Lauren, and I stepped in between to avoid anything physical from happening. Then Fee started chewing me out, you know? Saying I'm useless a sympathiser and everything..."

Awen shook her head slowly. "Fee is just stirring up uneeded hostility. I may be complacent but god damnit... I've been here since... god... since last november. I've tried to escape. I don't think it's possible, but I'm willing to help. Sorry if I don't want to march up to the labs with a bomb, or have other people try to jump the cliffs to escape, you know? I'm trying to be reasonable, rational, about it but she thinks I'm a spy because I try to warn her when a plan will fail!"

The manta felt bad, and knew this was only the half truth. She did do what she said, and she wasn't entirely opposed to escape. But she had told Sabin of Fiona and her plans. She would continue to do so as well, until Fee figured out something that wasn't going to kill, or seriously injur, someone in the process. She just wanted everyone to be safe... On or off the island.

I nodded, only able to take in every other word. "So, she's basically a dangerous nutcase?" I aksed when she had finished, smiling a little.

Awen shook her head slowly. "No... I wouldn't put it that way." She mulled it over trying to find a nice way to say it. "She's just... agressively enthusiastic. A little misguided... but her heart is in the right place."

I nodded. "I get what you mean." I sighed, looking out at the water. "Hey...we should go swimming sometime!" I grinned, wanting badly to swim with a fish-person.

"Ah sure!" Awen grinned and nodded. "I like swimming with people, but often i'm just alone." She shook her head and looked out at the water. "Mostly because people swim out here by the beach, and I'm stuck in the lake and river, you know? No surfing or scuba diving..." All the things she had been looking forward to trying before her...incident.

"Oh, freshwater only, huh?" I chuckled a bit, but then I noticed a sad look on her face. "Hey...it doesn't matter to me where we swim. Lakes, oceans...what's the difference, you know?"

"Well... I used to love the ocean when I was a kid...but then I stopped liking it when my parents drowned. I had hydrophobia for a long time... And with the whole changing into a fish thing I got over my fear, but I can't go swimming in it, surfing or see any of the cool tropical fish and coral and stuff from around here."

She shook her head and stood up, brushing the sand off of her. "Besides, you know, the manta wants a wider space to swim, spread it's wings -as it were."

I stood up next to her, shaking myself to get the sand off. What a tragic story! Brushing off my socks, I said "Aww, I'm so sorry! Well, we'll stickto the lake and river then." Then I looped my arm awkwardly through her webbed one. "Let's be friends!!"

Awen blinked and looked down at the arm looped around her webbing. She gave a small grin and nodded. This girl...certainly had a good energy about her, and made Awen feel a lot better about herself.

"Of course! It's always good to make new friends on this place. too much drama and hurt feelings!" Speaking of which... it reminded Awen to try Sabin's comm again.

"But hey... I think I'm going to head back to my duplex for a bit okay? Have to hydrate my skin again, and err.. read some of my new book."

The manta unlooped her arm and stepped forward, giving the girl a hug. "Nice meeting you Ivy!"

I smiled and returned the hug happily. "OK! Nice meeting you too." I gave her one last huggle, then settled down to sketch some stuff. I was glad I'd made a friend.  

[Awen Zyn]

Run in at the Arcade

Newt had been keeping busy, and feeling rather proud of himself while he did so. There were so many areas of the villiage! It was far bigger than he had imagined from just peeking at the monitors in the observation room in the labs. He had successfully remained inconspiquous since his run in with Nita, only seeing the other islanders in passing, and that afternoon had hidden himself in the recreation room. He was windexing the glass on the pinball machines, humming pleasently to himself, engrossed in his work.

Awen's hand reached for the handle of the door slowly. She pushed it open and slowly walked in, backwards. She closed her eyes for a second to listen to the dings and clicks of the machines inside. Taking a deep breath she let it out slowly once more. Just as water has become her element, this... this had always been her element.

She navegated by feel alone. If a machine was in use, Awen would hear the change in tone and know someone was there. She didn't hear such sounds now so she kept moving backwards through the isles.

She was moving for the Rampage machine Sabin had put in the far corner the day of the argument. She didn't expect someone to be actually standing at a machine but not playing it, the very thought didn't even process through her mind.

Which is probably why the next thing Awen knew she had run smack into the janitor.

"Ah!" Newt gave a startled cry, jumping to the other side of the machine away from the fish-woman, his face white. Nita hadn't attacked him, nor seemed like she had any intention. That still didn't set his fears to rest concerning the population of the villiage just yet. Especially at the sight of one so odd as the manta. "Ah, I'm s-sorry! I'm s-sorry, I'll j-just be out of y-your way..." He murmured in a breathy, anxious voice, fumbling to pick up his paper towels and disinfecting sprays.

"Oh! Gosh sorry!" Awen cried almost at the same time as Newt stammered out his sorry. "Who'd I run into?" She frowned in concern as she carefully turned around. She hadn't recognised the voice, or the stammer, but it could have been anyone with the way people change around here.

She blinked as she saw the janitor. A new islander perhaps? But he was wearing the lab's logo. He seemed to be..cleaning the machines? Wow. She knew things were clean, but she didn't ever see anyone cleaning, it just sort of...happened. And here she'd caught one in the act.

"No, no, no. You weren't really in my way. I, well, sorry. I should watch where I'm going. Didn't mean to startle you..."

"I was j-juh-juh-j-j-just... ah... k-keeping b-busy here, ah..." He swallowed, straightening up to gaze down at her anxiously, clutching his supplies to his chest, "Er... m-miss...?" His eyes kept being drawn to her odd grey-blue and white skin, and her fin-like arms, mind tripping over itself to try to name the animal.

The blue haired girl chuckled softly at his looks. Usually she would shy away and be embarassed, but experiencing it from this man.... it was vaguely amusing. Not in the arrogant sort of way... but it was as if she just...didn't care.

"Manta Ray." She answered the question his eyes were asking. "But my name's Awen."

She waved an arm to the pinball machine he had been cleaning. "But what do you mean keeping busy? By cleaning the machines? My dear man you are in an arcade, relax, enjoy yourself with a game or two! Hey I know, want to play me in that Rampage game over there?"

"Ah... m-miss Awen..." He shifted his grip on his supplies in his arms, "I... I r-really... sh-should be w-working... W-wouldn't want to... to g-get in trouble," As though he wasn't already in trouble to begin with. The janitor wasn't so much simple minded as in complete denial. His shrunken cheaks and gangly nose were already flushed with an embarassed blush.

"Oh...right." Awen frowned a bit glancing at the logo on his chest. "I forget sometimes that people actually work around here um Mr....Fill-ee-nas?" She gave him an uncertain smile, wondering if she got his name right.

"Hey. Speaking of... Why haven't I ever seen janitor people around before? I mean things always got cleaned, but I've never seen one staff person like that around before. I thought you guys did the cleaning...like..ninja style or something."

"Oh... w-well.. I ah... d-don't really know how the p-previous st-staff handled anything b-but... I w-was j-just transfered here... a c-couple of days ago," he smiled nerviously, shifting his arm load to timidly scratch his cheak. It had become a bit stubbly over the past couple days. Moreau seemed to have set him up with cleaning supplies and everything he'd need to do his duties, but there hadn't been any signs of his belongings or other usefull objects beyond the soap that came with the duplex. He had used the dishsoap he had borrowed from the kitchen for his hair that morning in the shower, only furthering his terminal, disinfected stink of lemons. "And... er... it's fuh-fuh-fuh... ah... " He cleared his throat, "Fill-in-ess" He had the edge of a british accent hidden under his stutter.

Awen raised an eyebrow slowly at his explaination. "Just transfered here?" There was a hint of confusion n her voice. Had he just come from mainland? It may explain why he seemed so god damn nervous.

"Oh I'm sorry. I'm not terribly good with pronouncing names." She chuckled softly, then returned to a serious subject matter. "But uh.. Mr. Filinas... do you mean to say you've just flown in here? Dear, I'm sorry this must be quite a shock..."

"Oh, n-no! No! I w-was s-stationed up at the l-labs! F-for a ... l-long while now. B-but I'm d-down here n-now and... er... it's m-much nicer! Q-quieter, that's for sure," He gave a little chuckle, wetting his lips, "And... er... N-newt is fine... I m-mean... er... it's sh-short for Newton... um... m-my name, I mean..." Listening for the man to speak was a little like watching a building collapse in slow motion.

Awen blinked slowly and frowned. Oh dear. This was not good. "Um...Newt. You're not... in a duplex are you?"

She wanted him to say no. The manta wanted him to shake his head and stumble his way through an explaination of where he was really staying. She'd heard that girl, Lilly, that she met during the blackout wa actually... But no. He's just a janitor, how could he have pissed off the higherups?

"They g-g-gave me a pluh-place with the other houses, if th-that's what you m-mean... upstairs, th-though, so it's d-difficult when b-bringing my equpment around, b-but there's enough c-closets and suchlike I've s-stowed some of it away," He beamed proudly. "A l-luh-luh-lot n-nicer th-than at the l-labs... d-don't even have a r-room mate. I've n-never r-really lived on my own b-befor, so it's a r-real relief, let me tell you."

The manta's blood ran cold. This guy must have done some major bumbling to end up here. But... maybe... maybe they wanted a spy? Or, just someone to observe the subjects more closely? Hope, yes always hopeful.

"Have.... have you... hm. is either of your upper arms been itchy, or..irritated? maybe a little red, with a...something like a pinprick?"

Newt gave her a confused look. He honestly couldn't remember. He was so unused to the outdoors, and with his allergy attacks with all the furr around, it was hard to tell the difference between a hive, a bug bite and something questionable. He honestly couldn't remember. Or at least had blocked it from his mind. "Er... I... d-don't think so... wh-why?"

Awen frowned. "Because, the only other staff member I heard that was 'reassigned' down here... has been changing like the rest of us. Newt, I hate to say but... I think you are in some serious trouble."

She always believed in being honest to people on the island. There is no sense in indulging the lies of Moreau or their own dillusions... Tell them the truth, or what you are almost certain is the truth, and show you are there for them that way. Instead of betraying them with lies.

Newt gave a nervious laugh, his face paling, "Th-that's re-re-rediculous. Th-they w-wou-woo-wouldn't... w-waste- th-that's... I h-hardly th-think..." He fumbled, the bottle of windex slipping from the crook of his arm to clatter on the floor.

Awen sighed sympathetically. Of course he would try to deny it but-- the windex bottle clattered to the floor. "Oh! Here let me get that..."

She bent down carefully to pick up the bottle from the floor and glanced up at Newt from a crouched position. "Newt, listen. I don't claim to know everything here. I could be wrong, they may have just transfered you. but it's mighty suspicious you're the only janitor I've ever seen, and you're staying in a duplex with the rest of us subjects? I t just seems mighty suspicious to me." She stood up and handed him the spray bottle.

"Of course I hope not, for your sake." She gave a smile but it slowly faded. "I just don't want you to ignore the possibility... and have a worse shock when you wake up one and day...well..." She gestured to her own changes to show him what she meant.


He snatched the cleaner away from her, his face red now, "Th-that's re-re-re-re-rediculous!" His usually nervious, frightened expression had darkened, thick brows furrowed in an intense sort of frustration, "How w-would you know s-something like th-that? I'm j-just here to k-keep... t-to k-keep..." His face scrunched up, the built up dander in the room from the furrier islanders finally getting to him befor he sneazed sharply.

She stumbled back away from the flying snot and frowned a little bit. She shook her head slowly. "I never said you have to believe me, and I never said I knew for sure. It was just a possibility I am trying to prepare you for."

She started walking forward, and passed the shakey janitor. "I'm sorry Newt, I really am. Just ignore what I've said, okay? I mean, what do I know? I'm just a lowly subject in this game."

She moved to the Rampage game she had come for and started playing. She didn't seem like Newt was going to get much more out of her very easily.

Lowly subject? That's what she thought? They were prizes! They were elite! They were beyond humanity! They were the next step! They were... the personification of progress! Of mankind moving the next step up towards becoming gods! How could she even think...? "W-well... I'm j-just the l-lowly.... cus-cus-custodian," He murmured, staring down at his pidgeon-toed shoes, "They wouldn' waist s-something so v-valuable on me." That said, he collected his cleaning supplies to slink towards the door, his chin tucked against his chest.

Awen remained focused on her game and seemingly was ignoring the janitor as he slinked away, or possibly she had gotten into her gaming zone and didn't hear him. She did however turn to the door when she heard the soft click of it closing.

Sighing she looked to the way Newt had gone. "For your sake, I hope you're right Newt."  

[Awen Zyn]

Oh God not...Poker!

Awen pushed the door open slowly. Still she had not gotten a responce from Sabin and really she was getting a bit depressed by it. It had been... well she never could keep track of days on the island, but it had been just too damn long. She smiled when she saw two of her friends in the room, she had been hoping to find a familiar face to hang out with.

Without even realising that the other in the room may have been a new islander she bounded in, as much as the flippers would allow, and pounced Ivy awkwardly. "Hey there!" She grinned wrapped her arms around the would-be marine biologist.

"How goes Ivy? Alec?" She gave a bright grin to the two.

I grinned and gave Awen a quick snuggle. "Hey, Awen-friend!" I grinned, releived that there was a familiar girl in the room with me instead of just the two boys.
I looked at them more closely. The onewiththe mohawk, whom Awen hadcalled 'Alec', was way hot. Although there were some minor drawbacks, like his pointy teeth and...thingies onhis arms. I shouldn't be too picky, I reminded myself, considering I probably won't look human muchlonger, either.
the other guy, whose name I still didn't know, was cute too. "So, um, we're playing cards now?" I asked Alec.

"Abou' forteh somethin'." Alec answered to the guy sitting across from him as he split the cards and flipped them over into a bridge-like shuffle. "Don' worreh, 'ou'll get used t'i' all soon." He tried to sound optimistic for him, now convinced that his unfamiliarity was because he was new to the place.

His attention changed to the bluish girl who'd happily made her entrance into the room shortly after this 'Ivy', offering her a wave. "Aye Awen, come play soom pokeh, pull up a' cheh." The teen was beginning to feel like a ring leader of sorts as he tapped the table, trying to lure the two girls over.

Ok, now THAT made Nathan's jaw drop. The girl...had...fins or flippers or something for feet...and wing looking things on her arms...and she was...blue. He blinked stupidly at Awen for a long few moments, raising his bangs with his hand to hold them out of his eyes to be SURE he was seeing what he was seeing. "I guess...she's been here longer?" he asked Alec, a bit stunned. "And I thought the werewolf was impressive."

"Poker? Ehh.... I've never played before. You guys'll probably clear me out." She laughed softly before looking over at Nathan. Oh..dear.

Still she didn't bother to blush or shy away. No, with Alec and Ivy, especially Ivy, around she had more confidence than that. She strolled forward and pulled up a chair for herself, sitting in the next avalible spaces beside Nathan.

"I've been here since November, but Ambrose has been here longer." She replied to his questions and comment. "Hi, the name's Awen. Manta ray, if you're wondering." She gave Nathan a sweet smile.

I grinned at the look on the unnamed man's face. "So, you must be even newer than me!" I said, happy to not be the only human on the island. I pulled up a chair next to Awen and smacked the table. "Hit me, dealer." I told Alec. "Or go fish...or whatever you callit." I sighed, looking down nervously. "I don't know how to play either." I admitted.

"No fret, a'll teach ye." Alec chuckled a bit as everyone took a seat, not bothering to take note of Nathan's shock. The shock factor never lasted long, especially once island life bombarded you on a daily basis.

"Kay, so ye ge' fav cawds an ye try n' get somethin good ou' o' them.... liiiike fo' of a kind, full 'ouse, ye follow?" He paused and looked around, predicting that they'd need something better than that explaination. "Ye c'n drop cawds to th'dealeh and ask f'more n's stoof. Ye bet moneh an' try n' pretend ye go' a good 'and. Go' i'?"

Before he began, the teen felt the need to clarify everyone's names since two of the four present were new and even he had a bad memory. "Alec." He motioned to himself before pointing in a circle. "I...vy? Awen an'....?" He paused at the guy with the fashionable nose ring.

"Um...Hi Awen." He looked from Ivy to Alec and grinned sheepishly at not having mentioned who he was. "I'm Nathan. And I have no idea what those crazy ******** injected me with."

He gawked at Awen some more before blurting out, "Can you...you know...breathe water too? Is it hard to breathe air? Do you swim better?" The barrage of questions was almost comical from the wide-eyed man. He felt ridiculous, he was usually the silent loner type, but he found himself wanting to get to know these people better. A lot better he feared. He shoved away from the table and looked around nervously. "Anything to drink in here?" he asked almost desperately.

Awen had been paying attention to Alec, trying to decipher exactly what the man had said. So, you got five cards and... she lost him about at that point.

Her brain was given a rest when Nathan's words started just flowing out of his mouth. 'yup can breathe water, no air is perfectly normal, of course I swim better. And I dunno about the drinks, in the cafe or bar maybe..."

I gave the Irish punk a quizzicallook. I was a Flogging Molly fan, but this guy was just speaking gibberish...
"So, I try to get a good hand, or I pretend that I do? Mmkay, should be simple enough." I giggled unnaturally high at the embarrassed nathan. What the hell was that??? I asked myself. I hadn't gigled like that since...since I liked a guy. O_o
I calmed myself and gave Nathan a friendly smile. "You know, those are pretty muc hthe same questions I asked. I just loove manta rays.." I said, hugging Awen. "It's a good thing for you I'm straight, Miss Zyn." I laughed.

Amaya had been spending a great number of her days in her room, secluding herself... save for a couple of times she made sure to check up on Alec after the whole incident at the beach.

After a small lunch she made her way to the entertainment room. Maybe she could find a movie or something to sit down at watch... anything to keep her mind off other things.

The green iguana didn't even hear the others inside, pushing the door open and freezing in the doorway when she saw the others... two she didn't know what were unchanged. Great. Tail going rigged behind her, she cowered a little and went to close the door. "Sorry, I'll go somewhere else..."

At Ivy's words Awen suddenly stood up from the table. "You know guys... I forgot that I... I have to go meet someone." She sudden panging thought of Sabin seemed to stirr something else. Vaguely Awen heard Amaya's voice, and that was four people around. For some reason that made the manta uncomfortable, which of course was fueled by her miss of Sabin.

She bolted, as fast as the manta could bolt, across the room and out the door past Amaya. "Sorry guys!" She shouted after her. "Next time okay?"  

[Awen Zyn]

No Feets!

Though still sore from the previous night's changes, Thom was determined to have the last laugh in the situation and had retreated with two of his soccer balls to the field near the duplexes where his team had suffered a horrible defeat the day before. Still, despite the unpleasant memory of the game, the area was the only open stretch that he knew of that wasn't sand and should prove easiest for growing used to his knew feet. The scales, the tail--as bizarre and uncomfortable as they were, it was his feet that bothered him the most. Walking was awkward, running was difficult, and dribbling a ball while running was near impossible at first. But after the better part of the morning was spent running, tripping, and climbing to his feet to try again, he was managing fairly well once more--provided he concentrated, watched his step, and stopped imagining the ball was a rabbit.

Awen had gone for a small walk. She couldn't go to any of her favourite spots in the jungle anymore because of her own feet being horribly delicate, but she remembered a small patch og non-jungle ground just on the outskirts of the village. It seemed like a nice place to go and so she went.

When she arrived she saw an islander she hadn't met run through the fields. She didn't go up right away and just watched him handling the ball. This made Awen sigh softly, she'd seen the flyer on the doors of the cafeteria and honestly she wanted to join in. She'd liked rec soccer, but now... she glanced back down to her feet.

"You're pretty good with a ball!" She said as she finally stepped forward slowly.

Focused as he was on managing the ball, the voice took Thom completely be surprise. His head snapped up towards Awen, his foot slipped over the ball, and he tumbled to the ground in an uncoordinated heap. Hissing a curse under his breath, he untangled himself and sat up, dragging the ball over with a hand and shooting the glare a girl. Not that she deserved it, of course, but since the game he hadn't felt very amiable towards any of the islanders. Having just suffered his first change himself and hardly managing to dribble a soccer ball didn't help his mood.

However, as her words processed, he relaxed somewhat. Sighing, he climbed, with some effort, to his feet, shifting awkwardly from one to the other for a moment before glancing back towards Awen.

"Pardon my jolly mood," he mumbled sarcastically. "This 'asn't been th' best of days. Though that did 'elp." Knowing he was still 'pretty good' even when he kept tripping over himself was certainly an ego booster. "Don't b'lieve I've met you b'fore. Name's Thom."

"Awen." She walked towards him. "I'm so sorry I made you trip. Are you alright?"

Now that she was closer it was easier for her dulling vision to see just how much the man had changed. "And don't worry... we all have bad days, weeks...months... just the way things work, especially here."

"Fine." He shrugged, scooping his foot beneath the soccer ball at his side and flicking it up into his hands. "Wasn't th' first time this mornin'."

As she seemed to be examining his changes, he allowed himself to do the same--and found he was staring when the sheer extent of the girl's change hit him. Mind, after meeting Cassidy, not much could phase him, but this... She must be as far gone as the snake woman, the sight simply wasn't as terrifying because of the different animal. "...Pardon my bluntness, but what in 'ell's name're you supposed t'be?"

Awen laughed. "You know I've been getting that a lot lately, actually. I'm a manta ray, actually. Yes I can breathe underwater, no I have no problem breathing air, no I can't swim off the island to try and get help, I'm freshwater."

"Uh-huh." He quirked a brow, pondering over her words for a moment while giving her a second glace over, then shrugged. "Pity, that, but 'm not surprised they thought of it. I'm...not sure what I am, t' tell th' truth. Just changed last night." Thom grimaced at the memory of the painful experiance, glowering down at his toe-less feet.

She shook her head slowly. "Sorry I can't tell you either. I'm not very good at this guessing game." The manta girl frowned. "I'm sorry to hear of the recent change."

"No worries," he assured her, waving away the comment. "I'm not entirely sure I want t'know." Not after the state of his feet. In truth, he had a very good idea of where he was headed--at least, generally speaking. It was undeniable. He had sprouted scales, a long, slender tail, and his feet, unike many of the islanders which shifted and grew, had lost much of their form. But the longer he denied it, the less he had to worry about it. "An' it was bound to 'appen sooner or later, I expect."  

[Awen Zyn]

Healing

Fiona soon realised that being cooped up did not agree with her, no matter how desperately she felt she had to create a rescue plan, nor how strongly she felt nobody else was capable of understanding or helping. She grew frustrated quickly with the situation, and took to wandering the outskirts of the laboratory fences, searching for a weakness or for a pattern in the guards' shifts. It was on a return from one of these top secret recon missions that she could be found walking through the village towards her duplex, gaze tired, listless, and generally depressed.

Of course, it was just the manta ray's luck that she would stumble upon the rabbit in such an irritable mood. As usual Awen was moonwalking her way away from her duplex. She had been going out for a new book from the entertainment room. She never could have known that a storm cloud was approching her from behind.

The rabbit-girl caught sight of the other person long before she actually registered who it was. Her dizzy, anxious, paranoid mind had been busy worrying about what manner of torture Angharad was enduring when suddenly the blue hair tickled a piece of her brain into wakefulness. It took her another moment still to register the changes to Awen's body, but she she did, a wobbly (but triumphant) grin crept onto her face.

"Well well well," Fiona muttered darkly, but loud enough to be heard, "Looks like someone got hit hard by karma. You barely even look human anymore." She sneered.

Awen blinked a moment hearing the mumbled snide comment. Inwardly she shuddered at the thought of the red head standing behind her leering. She wanted to relax not get into another brawl. Slowly she turned around to face Fee but was caught. Giving the girl a quick glance up and down Awen realised the poor girl had changed, but it was odd she seemed so far along in progress. But they all changed at their own rate, she supposed. Jamal's changes versus her own and all that.

The blue haired girl didn't want to start anything with the girl and let the rabbit's tone slide. "Hey there Fiona. Wonderful weather we're having, hm?"

She glared, an angry prickle running through her. "How dare you," Fiona hissed, narrowing her eyes, "Don't you dare make fun of me. Not now." Her fists clenched and unclenched, and with her skewed state of mind the jump to agression was that much easier. "If I find out that you helped them to do this, I'll hurt you, somehow. I'll find out everything and anything that's important to you and take it away, I swear to God, if you had anything to do with this." Fiona had stopped in her tracks, and was simply looking at the girl with a distinct pain in her eyes.

Awen's eyes widened at the sudden skip from their usual undertoned jabs to and all out burst of agression. "Woah woah woah." She said as she held up her hands defensively. "I wasn't making fun of you. What happened Fiona, what's wrong?"

The manta ray wasn't too much for agression, so she let the threats go. The girl inside was also more concerned with the pain rippling through her tall canadian rival.

An angry grunt escaped from between her lips before she could stop herself. "Guess Lauren hasn't been keeping you up to date on what her best buddies up in the labs have been doing." Fiona spat, her voice becoming laboured and affected. "If you don't know, I won't give you the pleasure of telling you. I'm sure you'll find out eventually. That is, if you're not just playing dumb, and lying to me."

She sighed softly. "Alright Fee, if you want to play it that way. I just wanted to see if I could help, but you obviously don't want to talk to me, and I won't force you."

That reminded her, she hadn't seen the mongoose in forever. A small pang of guilt hit Awen's heart. She hadn't seen her friend since...Fee's party. And then they didn't really get a chance to.. be friends.

Awen turned around and started to shuffle her way towards the entertainment room, as originally planned.

"That's right, run, you ******** coward!" The rabbit girl shouted, the sadistic part of her hoping someone would hear the ruckus. "You wouldn't be able to handle it... or maybe you're gonna go find a security guard and have me filled with horse trank! Do I scare you??" She snarled, tears running down her cheeks unchecked, venting weeks of pent up emotion.

"Does it look like I can run away Fiona?" Awen stopped and turned back, having finally raised her voice. She took a deep breath and checked herself, it wasn't that she was very riled up, just...fed up. "I do not fear you, nor am I getting a guard to come after you. You seemed upset, and hostile. You don't seem happy to see me, so I was leaving you alone."

Fiona hastily wiped her face with the back of her arm, not wanting to be seen crying. "Course I'm ******** upset! You'd be pretty pissy too if the labs randomly yanked your best friend into their facility, either to experiment on her or just to ******** with your head! Or both! Who knows how their ******** up minds work??" Her shouts had lessened in volume, her throat becoming hoarse from holding back more tears.

"Annie's been taken to the labs?" Awen frowned and seemed obviously concerned. It should have been clear to anyone that this is truly a surprise to the manta-girl. "I've only heard of that happening when people are really hurt or sick.... I've never heard of them yanking someone for extended experiments... I hope she's alright."

Purple eyes shifted slowly to the labs with a frown. Probably something she should ask Sabin about...should she ever get ahold of the moody lab tech.

Perhaps it was the geniune concern in Awen's voice, or perhaps it was simply hearing her friend's name said aloud, but regardless of the cause Fiona broke down suddenly, falling to her knees and sobbing softly. "It's all my fault... it's my fault... she's being punished for my stupidity... it's because of me..."

This was something that she had not expected. She felt her body moving of its own will. Before she realised she found herself kneeling beside the rabbit with her webby arms wrapping around her. "Shh...shh...."

Awen knew a lot about how it was to blame one's self for things, especially on this island. It wouldn't get either of them anywhere, but there seemed to be new common ground in the thought patterns of these two very different girls.

"It's not your fault Fiona... none of this is your fault."

"Yes it is," she said, snuffling and twitching only slightly at the bodily contact, "You don't understand... it's all my fault... my fault that I'm here, that she's here... it was my idea... it was my idea..." angrilly she crossed her arms and tightly gripped her shoulders, chin tucked in to her chest. "It's because of my stupid ideas that Annie is here... and now I've gotten her taken away again... I don't know what they're-" she choked slightly, coughing and spluttering, "-they're gonna do to her... if she had never met me... this never would have happened to her... she'd have a normal life, and not be trapped, being experimented on..." The next statement she made was mumbled, and barely audible. "I have to find a way to save her... somehow... I've gotta save her..."

She gave the girl a tight squeeze. She hadn't lost someone like this, she hadn't ever had to deal with this sort of worry. "Fiona....Fiona... This isn't your fault. Please don't blame yourself. You could never have known it would end up like this. You had absolutely no way to know.... This isn't your fault, it's Moreau's. Never for one second think that any of this is your fault. You are not forcing his hand, you did not imprison people here, you did not start this experiment, you are not to blame!"

Carefully Awen started to rub the bunny's back. "Annie will be fine... fine... she'll get out... back to you... it'll be okay. We'll get her out."

The girl fell silent, and slowly disbelief fell over her features. "Why... why do you care, anyways?" She mumbled, swallowing heavily and staring at the grains of dirt between her disfigured hands. "Why should I trust you...?" The words were said, but the tone lacked conviction or even her regular accusation.

Awen shook her head slowly. "I can't tell you why you should trust me Fiona." Her voice lacked a lot of tone, just laced with a gentle ring, almost a whisper. "But I can tell you Fiona, I care more than you recognise... No one on this island deserves what's happening to them. Not you, not Annie, not Jamal, not me..no one deserves this Fiona. And I care about that...okay?"

The rabbit-girl inhaled slow, shaky breaths, and nodded. She lifted her face, and looked at the Awen, taking in both her expression and the changes she had endured since their last encounter. Fiona clenched her jaw tightly, but was unable to stop more tears from rolling down her cheeks. "Nobody deserves this," she repeated shakily.

Awen sniffled softly and blinked away some tears that were welling up in her eyes. She gave the girl one more squeeze before slowly sliding back. She flopped back onto her bum and sighed softly.

"I came to the island.... thinking I would get therapy." She traced fingers through the dirt beside her. She gave vague laugh. "I had hydrophobia, um, a fear of water. I went to every high priced therapist in Canada and the US." She scoffed and glanced over at Fiona with a little grin. "Except for Dr.Phil...he's damn near impossible." Shaking her head she continued. "Moreau seemed really nice. Very friendly. Had this whole island as a resort for people with various conditions so we could get help. He mentioned the experiemental drugs briefly...but I didn't care. I just...wanted to stop being afraid."

She held up a hand and studied the webbing of her hand as if it was that of an alien. "After my first change.... people said I hadn't changed all that much in comparison to others." She put her hand down. "I just looked like I had some bad bruises on my arms and legs... But they had no idea what was going on inside. It was like being ripped in two. I wanted to go out and swim in the ocean, but at the same time I was terrified. It was so confusing... so painful... I shut myself away for two months and only came out to restock on food. No one knows... but half that time I was trying to think of the best way to end it. Just to get out...to feel the release from this."

She laughed bitterly and sniffed loudly. Awen brought up a hand to wipe away tears that had been falling. She opened her mouth to say something else, but her throat closed up. She just shook her head and looked away. Awen didn't know why she had blurted all of that out to the girl... it just seemed...right.

Fiona was quiet for a long time, rubbing at her reddened eyes as she listened to Awen's tale. After a while, she said, "I... I never liked Dr. Phil," a pause, "...but now that I think about it... he's infinately better than Moreau." The girl attempted to laugh, but a bubbled caught in her throat and instead she coughed, a frown taking control of her countenance once more.

"When I was little... my parents let me do whatever. They used to be hippies, way back when. They have pictures to prove it. So everything was pretty laid back... grew up a vegan, and believing that there was always a right thing to do, and if nobody said, 'Hey, this is the right thing to do!' everyone would do the wrong thing... yanno? Me'n Annie..." she hesitated, struggling to get the words out without tearing up again, "We met in kindergarten. Been best friends for as long as I can remember... and then... in March Break... we found out Feral Labs had opened a lab in our hometown."

"They test on animals, as I'm sure you could've guessed. PETA has been railing on Moreau for years, apparently... so Annie and I... we were gonna break in and set the animals free. We didn't want to do any damage, or hurt anyone or anything... but we got caught. And... well... here we are now. And it was... all my idea..."

Awen nodded slowly. Something about this whole 'sharing' session had a real..possitve yet somber feel to it. It definately felt healing anyway.

"Least you had goals. You acted on things like that. It's really...noble. I'd never have been able to do it. I was the type that..when conflict arose, I ducked my head and just went about my business. It's not that I didn't care, I never liked fighting, but I just... didn't feel like I could do anything about it. I was afraid." She shrugged a little bit.

"I'm not afraid of anything," she whispered, although it was mostly to herself. Slowly Fiona got too her feet, glancing at Awen awkwardly. "I... I need to go. I'm tired. I..." She trailed off, and turned towards her duplex. "Thanks," she muttered, without looking at her antagonist-turned-ally. Then the girl trudged off to collapse on her bed, and let sleep embrace her ragged, worn out soul.

Awen nodded softly watching her go. "Any time Fee..." She just sat there for the longest time staring at everything around her. Mostly she looked to the sky and smiled.  

[Awen Zyn]

A fine pair-err-trio!

It was hot today, way too hot to even travel down the path to the beach on his bike. Bored from reading the same old dolphin books (which were still a pain to understand) and tired of feeling sweaty and hot, Cody decided to go down to the lake to refresh himself

It felt a lot cooler there, the shade of the trees casting their shadows over the shore and the faint breeze spreading that fresh humidity brought by the lake's surface
It wasn't sure if it was the faint influence of the dolphin, or just the urge to cool down the body, but the water seemed specially inviting. Sadly Cody couldn't go for a swim, thanks to his catheter, so he just sat with the water reaching his waist for a while

But when he shifted position, his hand brushed some round pebbles lying on the bottom of the muddy water. He grabbed a couple of them and started skipping them over the water surface, though he rarely did more than two jumps before they sunk. Still it was fun

Awen had been swimming along the rivers for most of the day and was just coming back to the lake before heading home. Everywhere else she'd gone that day had dried her skin out and a day of swimming seemed like a good idea at the time. Awen noticed the rippled from the skipping stones before she realised what was causing them.

Curious, the manta rose from the water right near where the boy was skipping them, to check out what was going on. Unfortunately for her, a rock was flying right for her face. Not having time to react, it hit her square in the forehead.

"Ow!" She splashed as a finned hand move to hold her poor wound.

Cody immediatly rose when he heard the cry. He hadn't noticed anyone around and was seriously not expecting to hit someone

"Sorry, I'm really sorry! I didn't knew you were there!"

But only when he gave a better look he realised that person had a blue and white skin. And blue hair!

The manta girl gave a small chuckle. "No, no that's ok--" As she looked up she saw... a little kid? She blinked slowly before shaking her head. There had better be a good explaination of having a kid on the island.

She swam a little closer. "Don't worry about it kid! Until a few seconds ago, I wasn't here." She gave him her best manta smile.

He looked at her a bit surprised as well. His mind was racing across his list of animals, trying to figure out which one had that skin color. But he couldn't find any match
It took a while before he processed the question though, so absorved he was on it

"You weren't here? How come? I didn't saw anyone coming!"

She giggled and moved closer, so she could sit but still be in the water. "I was near the bottom of the lake when I felt the ripples. You didn't see me coming because I was too far under, and came up too quickly. Really, no sense worrying about it kiddo."

"You were under there?" this seemed really odd, specially because of how long he'd been there by the shore. No one could hold their breath for so long

"And what do you mean you felt the ripples?"

"Yup, just got back from a swim around the rivers and well.. I don't know. I didn't notice it much when I used to swim when I was a kid. But now I just feel them... It's almost like hearing something, vibrations throguh the air and all...." She paued and gave him a sideways glance before holding her hand out to him.

"By the way, I'm Awen. What's your name kid?"

"You can really do that? How?"

He was getting more and more interested in her. The blue tone still confused him, but it looked good on her for some reason

"Cody" he grabbed her hand and shock it, her webbing felling odd against his fingers. Speaking of webbing, he looked at the one running down her arm. Looked a bit like Kim's, but white

She didn't answer the boy right away as she just grinned as he inspected her webbing. She let him gawk for a few moments before breaking the silence. "Cool huh? I can swim really fast with these. And look!" She stretched a leg and raised it above the water to expose her fin-feet. "No one on the island can beat me in a race across the lake."

"Or go under water for longer!" She brought the convorsation back around to his original question by tiling her head to teh side revealing the gills along her neck. "Because I can breathe the water in through these."

"Wow, neat! So you're turning into some kind of fish? I never seen a fish with webbing or horns before"

She shook her head and let her arm drop and her leg slip back into the water. "Yeah I asked myself the same questions during the first few... I'm a manta ray." She grinned...proudly? She was proud of her transformation?

"I think the horns... are those scooper things, just recently they've bubbled by my cheekbones." Awen touched the bump running down from one of the horns.

She turned her focus to the kid. Speaking about transformations. "Say, anyway Cody.....what... are you doing here?"

"Manta ray?" he didn't knew that animal. He'd have to check one of the books back at the enternainment room (only browsing the titles and pictures though. They were way too boring to read)

"Getting cured of my MS. Got the dolphin"

The breath Awen hadn't noticed she was holding was suddenly let out in a sigh. So, they had gone as low as to be experimenting on children? Awen glanced briefly at Cody's tapped up arm and blinked slowly. She didn't know much about MS, but she knew it was bad and it killed her friend's karate teacher somehow...

For a kid to have that kind of thing? It's just horrible. The labs are doing something good by curing the boy, weren't they? Not to mention maybe finding a cure for it al together so no kid, or adult, or anyone would have to suffer through that kind of thing again.

But still... he'll be stuck here for his whole life, and he's just so young....

She shook her head slowly trying to clear the dilhema from her mind. It's too late now, nothing you can do Awen... Have to accept it, like everything else.

She cracked another smile. "Dolphin huh?" At least it wa something the kid seemed happy about. "Can you keep a secret Cody?"

Cody was a bit reliefed she didn't asked him about the disease. It was a depressive topic that usually leaded to the acknolegement of being stuck here. Something he was seriously trying to avoid thinking

"Sure"

Awen glanced around and then leaned closer. "For years," She said in a lowered tone. "I was terrified of dolphins."

She thought it would give the kid a chuckle, maybe? She really wasn't sure how to handle Cody. Seriously, a child on the island?

"You what!?!"

Now this was completely unexpected. How could anyone be afraid of dolphins? They were one of the friendliest creatures on the planet! And really amazing and everything

"Why?"

Awen laughed adn looked down to the water slowly kicking her feet back and forth. "Because they lived in the water. I hated and feared anything from the water, I even stopped showering for three whole months because I was so afraid of it."

She shook her head slowly. How silly it all seemed to her now. "That's why I came to the island. I came to be cured too. And look at me now, huh? One with the water pretty much." She reached over and ruffled the kid's hair.

With all the stress of the past couple of days with Amaya's ordeal and his own personal strife, Alec felt the need to retrea to an area that offered a quiet sense of safety. Following along the river towards the lake, the punk teen didn't notice the quiet voices conversing amongst each other until he spotted the small forms by the water.

Although they were facing away from him, he recognized the distinct form of Awen's unique features next to a much smaller figure. "Aye, 'ow's th'wateh?" Deciding not to risk the chance of startling either of them, he called out the short greeting.

"Half decent actually!" She turned her head quickly to Alec with a big grin. "You should take a dip."

Leaning close to Cody once more she winked. "And remember that little bit of information is our secret okay kid?" She slowly stood from the water and started towards shore.

"Actually though I was just heading home. Got a new book to read and some food to go eat and such... but hye you boys should have fun. Have you met before?" She shook her head in the air. "Well never mind. Cody, this is my friend Alec, Alec this is Cody. Well you're met, and I'm gone."

The manta gave them each a wave before heading off towards the duplexes. She paused for a second and placed a hand on Alec's shoulder. "By the way, you owe me a game of poker. We gotta get on that sometime soon, eh?" She gave him a grin before scuffling off.  

[Awen Zyn]

Making Up

Sabin ran a hand through his hair before replacing the tie that kept it... mostly... from his face. It had been a harrowing few months, and it was difficult to believe that it really had been that long since... everything seemed to happen. Aubrey's injury, his suspension and reclamation of his job, and then this blurry haze of work and science. Things that before this island had been an uninteresting, trivial discipline now requisite for the work that he was doing here. He had even begun to lose sight of the big goal - the subjects and the transformations, the reactions to the stress and the situation, and bringing magic to life through the ironic use of Science. Moreau had seen to him being busy, and Sabin had for the first time in a very long time been forced to be a workaholic. Striving for the one light at the end that if he could catch up - with the work that was waiting for him, worse than any fairytale creature that goes bump in the night for him to get his job back - slay that beast and get back to where he was before.... then he could once again revel in his position and use his free time for entertaining projects.

He had come to this island to find his spark again, and just when he had it had nearly been burried. But as he put his signature on the last document that sat in his receiving box and placed it to the outgoing.... a sly smile slid across his features. It was like waking up from a dream. That was it. The last report. His team was working hard and finally used to the way that he went about things and what he expected from them. He was familiar enough with the science to at least fake it. And... his grin spread wider as he reached under his desk and pulled out a long neglected sheaf of papers.. it would give him an edge when he returned to HIS work.

Doodles and notes filled these pages, very little of it technical (at least not yet) and none of it uninsteresting. He wouldn't ******** it up this time. He would just use his manipulation or convincing on Moreau first. It was stupid of him to ahve assumed otherwise before, and cowardly to hide in a lab. Despite how busy Moreau was with HIS work, he still had his eyes everywhere. And Sabin was confident in his ability to persevere.

His hand caressed the sheaf of papers, like a long neglected love.

However.... he was not quite complete... was he...? Something still remained undone. Something was still off.

He had been doing moniter duty from time to time during his fervor - often times bringing reports to read during his duties. And had casually kept up with the important events of the island... but one individual he had not spoken with. He had snapped at her, and she had been unsympathetic. How had he let it go so long without at least contacting her? She had been the only one he had spoken with before, and now that relationship was likely tenuous at best.

He brought up a moniter on his desk computer and saw that she was indeed in her residence. After only a moments' hesitation, Sabin takked the keys to patch him through.

On Awen's receiver there was a brief beeping noise and then the sound of an anxiously-clearing throat. "Awen...?" Finally came through, questioning and hesitant.

Awen hadn't been quite as busy as Sabin. She had tried to buzz Sabin every day for the first while after their argument, but soon she had given up. It was obviously that he hadn't wanted to speak with her. So when the beep and familiar French accent came through her intercom the blue haired girl looked surprised. She paused her game and comtemplated not responding. See how he felt being hung out to dry. But she couldn't do that, she knew it as well as anything else.

"Sabin..." She said in a softly tone as she set down her controller on the nightstand. The manta stood up and briefly dried herself with the towel she kept by her tank. She wandered over to the intercom and leaned against the wall. "Long time no chat..."

Sabin tapped his finger on the desk. He had gotten the memos about her attempted contacts with him. But being surly he hadn't responded. And it .... had likely been wrong of him not to. At the very least, it only likely justified her negative feelings towards him after their previous conversation.

But she had been through a lot, and as had he, and Sabin was not willing to just give up the only rapport he had with one of the islanders. Particularly not at least without some sort of closure.

"I ...." He gritted his teeth. "apologize... for my long silence." Sabin hated apologizing. But sometimes it was required.

"You've been stressed. Busy." Her large eyes slowly shifted to the floor. "Really Sabin, I understand. Us subjects have nothing better to do with our time. Sorry for pestering the comm people, and you, because you all still have work to do. It's okay Sabin. Don't worry about the silence okay?" SHe didn't know what to say. She didn't know if she was angry with him, sad for him or just happy to hear him again. The confusing mix of emotion would be plain for Sabin to see through his monitor.

"You should not apologize for taking the time of the secretaries. That is what they are there for." He watched her expressions, looking at the play of emotion on her changed features.

"I have been busy, however. Barely had any contact with anyone. But hopefully I am finally past the 'hump' as it were. So long as no one decides to forcibly change that.." He added with a disgruntled growl. "But.. I think I am finally getthing things back under management. It just took... far longer than I hoped it would."

Awen smiled softly. "Well that's good at least. That mountain of work is finally a little mole hill, eh?" Her voice turned hopeful, as for now she decided she had to be supportive about his problems. Her own, after all, had only been because of a bad dream and feeling after her change, nothing that was too big of a deal anymore.

"Does that mean I'll get to see you more often, er, well, speak with you anyway?"

"That is what I wished to speak to you about. I... I am not ignorant that you tried to contact me. Perhaps I was a bit ...." He screwed his face and considered his words... "Childish. in my lack of responses. But I was busy and I did not wish to tire you with descriptions or complaints about my work as very little else was going on and you seemed to not have much interest for it."

Yes, he knew he was being a bit on the stubborn side for throwing that in. But he wanted to say it and he wasn't going to ignore the way that they last spoke. He ignored the fact that from a purely calculating position it would probably be better to just move on and cater to the present, lighter things.

"But yes... if you still desire it, then we should be able to speak more often."

She sighed heavily and simply shook her head. "Sabin, it does interest me... and I want you to know you can talk to me about whatever you want to okay? If you're having a hard time I want to hear about it, maybe I can't help exactly, but you can get it off your chest. You know I care Sabin...."

She scratched under her arm on her webbing. Honestly she wasn't sure what to tell him anymore. He wanted to stay on this, he wanted to bring that up again. She cared, probably more than anyone else on this stupid island. But he coudln't, or didn't want to, see that.

"Thank you." He retracted. "I... it did help me to speak with you, even if it is just me talking and you listening. I want.... grarh. I have not been exactly in my best frame of mind these past couple of months and I want to try to dig my way out of it back to how things were a bit earlier."

"I understand Sabin. Really I do. You've been through so much. What Moreau and Aubrey put you through is so not fair. You've been so stressed out about it...and just because I was having a bad time after my last change, I pushed you away. I didn't mean to be so snippish and rude last we spoke..."

Sabin paused, at first skeptical that she might be being sarcastic. How much right did he have to complain to a subject, removed from home and family against their will and being changed? NO! No he wasn't going to sympathize like that.

She was apologizing. She was being honest. "Thank you, Awen. It was a bad time for me to come to you for support. And... I am sorry that you were having a rough time with your change."

She smiled upward, once again trying to search the room for the hidden camera she knew he was watching on. "Then it's done. We can put this behind us now? We both apologised and that was good enough." She nodded and sighed, this time one of relief.

She shifted her weight slightly from one fin to the other as she tried to maintain her balance on the wall. "But this change was pretty neat in the long run. You have no idea how fast I can zoom through the rivers now. Though sometimes my feet still hurt, and I have to walk backwards so I don't trip over my own feet.... It's... interesting, you know? A completely different experience." She nodded and chuckled a bit.

Sabin smiled more genuinely at that. "Yes. I would be more than happy to officially leave that in the past." He sat back in his chair, reclining. A sudden weight in his lap as Beastie took the mannerisms as an invitation.

He looked down with a smirk and ran his hand along the cat's back, eliciting a purr. Even Beastie seemed to be in a better mood.

"Really? I'm glad to hear that! I can only imagine how fast you can zip through them. It must really feel like flying what with not having to come up for air. And walk backwards? Hunh, like divers do in flippers. I would not have thought of that. I am not certain myself, but if you can think of anything I can do to help you with that problem, let me know."

"Of course of course. But it's not that big of a deal, it was mostly when the fin parts were still really tender. I only have to do that every once in awhile now. Mostly when I've only been swimming for too long." She chuckled softly before pausing. "Oh... speaking of... Sabin, you remember when you told me of those rooms that are half submerged? I mean, I'm fine with where I am...for the moment. But if or rather when I change next time you think you could arrange one of those rooms for me? It might be a bit more comfortable."

"I would be happy to. You can try one out if you like, see if you like it before finalizing your move if you do decide to gve it a try. They are set up to be comfortable based on how the lab forsees the.. uhm... aquatic islanders' needs to be. Ohyes! And I am not sure if you've met them yet, but there should be a few others going to a more watery future now. Even not counting Billy there are a few others, some of them some rather... nice people."

At the mention of other aquatic islanders only one little face, besides Billy, popped into her mind. The little kid, Cody. She frowned for half a second and then nodded with a small smile. "Yeah I've met Cody. Dolphin, he says. Didn't catch his age though....seems pretty... young? I didn't know the island took in people below their mid-teens, is that even safe for him?" Her tone wasn't accusitory at all. She simply seemed concerned for the boy.

"The decision to bring him here was not mine. According to the files, he has muscular dystrophy - a degenerative disease. Apparently they're testing the ... medical side effects of the serums. They think they can cure him, and without this he surely wouldn't have made it to a normal adulthood." That's what Aubrey was trumpeting. Sabin, honestly, had had little contact with the kid.

"As far as others... there's a british punker... Alec. He's becoming shark-ish I believe. And... Well. I'm sure this sounds awkward but the filing is a bit mixed up on miss Ivy Derring. But she at least appears to be becoming semi-aquatic."

Awen nodded at his, or rather Aubrey's, explaination of why Cody is here and she nodded. "Right." She said softly. Cody had told her about his condition, but she wanted to double check for herself that this really wouldn't hurt the kid too much.

She blinked slowly at the other two names. "Alec and Ivy?" A smile grew onto her lips. They definately were nice people. "That's really cool! At least now I won't be alone in keeping the kid safe and away from Billy." She chuckled. "And Ivy, geez, she had been so interested in my changes, I'm sure if there was ever a serum for her it would be an aquatic one like this."

He smirked. "Billy has been a rather interesting issue. But like I chatted with you previously, I don't think it's all entirely his own fault. I think that other smay have a hand in his...deliquency. Hopefully he'll be better. He went through a rather nasty withdrawal after overdosing and I've been trying to ensure that he doesn't get his hands on any more drugs. Despite others throwing forks in my path with that."

He scritched the place at the base of Beastie's spine, and the cat arched his back, kneading biscuits in his leg with all four of his forepaws. Sabin winced, trying to rearrange him to an area with thicker fabric between the feline's claws and his leg.

"And yes - hopefully they'll be some more positive company for you, or people that you can explore the waters together with."

Awen nodded slowly. "Yeah I know that it might not be all Billy's fault... But still sometimes he can be a dangerous guy. I just would prefer if the kid wasn't exposed to that as much as possible." She shrugged and was just going to let the topic drop.

"What about you though Sabin, any more company in the labs than usual...? Or is it just same old same old..."

"Oh you know me." He replied. "There are new faces about, but with all that has been going on, I haven't exactly formally introduced myself. So aside from my.. ah... 'cat', not really."

"You're cat? Moreau actually let you have a cat there?" She grinned a bit and chuckled. "Or did you just save a poor unfortunate from an experiment?"

"A little of column A... a little column B. Though I have Aubrey to thank for the permission more than Moreau. He wasn't exactly of the opinion to let me keep it."

Awen chewed her lip in thought. She didn't quite know what to make of what he was saying until something he said after their dinner clicked in. "Oh! Is it one of those creatures that was saved? The one you worked on a long time ago?"

"Yes actually." He grinned, happy that she rememebered the conversation. "He's actually a rather sweet creature." Sabin glanced down as Beastie flipped onto his back and batted at some of Sabin's hair that had escaped its ponytail, claws catching in the stands.

Awen giggles and nodded. "I'd like to meet the kitten sometime, I mean if the thing won't confuse me with his next tuna meal." That actually made Awen wonder something she never thought of before. If islanders were allowed to have pets, would it actually help and be theraputic, as they are usually said to, or if it would just be a bizzar insult and frustration that adds to their lives.

Sabin laughed. "I doubt he would. He's not the brightest of things, but I don't think he'd try to eat something several times his own size. Though he can play a bit rough. And I'd be happy to introduce him to you sometime."

That means seeing Sabin in person again. Awen smiled a little more confidently and shifted again against the wall. Hm, she definately needed to get something more comfortable than this wall for when she is speaking to Sabin. "I'd really like that actually."

"I'm glad. And... I'm glad we spoke. I'm sorry about my extended absence again, perhaps now... I can start getting things back on track."

"I certainly hope so Sabin." She grinned brightly. "It was definately wonderful speaking with you again."

"yes it was!" Sabin responded, a rare smile on his face, and feeling relived. "And.... I promise I won't ignore your calls, unless I'm very busy."

"And I'll always be avalible when you want to call!" She said with a small chuckle, just happy that the silver-haired lab tech sounded happy again. Things seemed to be rreturning a little bit more to normal.

"Take care, Awen. Glad to see you looking up again as well." And with that, a click as they were disconnected. Even, somehow, the mechanical click seemed less severe than the last time.

Awen sighed softly and pushed away from the wall. "Take care Sabin..." She said softly, though she knew the intercom had already been shut off.  

[Awen Zyn]

Forming a Plan

As she had been doing many times in the past few weeks Awen was out for a long swim in the rivers. Now that she had gotten very much used to the waters the manta wanted space to roam. Unfortunately for Awen, she couldn't go out into the open ocean and swim as her instincts wanted. The only way she could glide through the water like she really wanted to was to do the lengths and laps in the rivers of the island.

Currently Awen sat on a sunken log close to the river bank. The jungle, for the most part, was quiet and the girl liked to relax out in the wilderness where there was less chance running into lots of islanders. It wasn't exactly that Awen herself wanted to be alone, but sometimes the village with everyone around seemed too..confining.

Pyroth still couldn't quite bring himself to sit around in the village, indifferent to the surprised stares he got quite a lot now but just restless when in civilised areas. He had found himself wandering off alone just to get away from the scents that screamed at him from all angles irritating his sensitive nose. But still, even when he was alone he wasn't fully content, the coyote looked for company when he did not. It was more confusing than helpful.

That morning he had been out for a jog in the jungle, just following trails he himself had made, trying to keep his awkward muscles strong and healthy, the more out of shape he let himself get, the more the muscles in his back ached with his near-constant stoop. Tired out by the run he exited the jungle on the river side, stepping clear of the undergrowth and shaking his fur to dislodge any foliage that had gotten caught in it.

Only when he did this did he actually spot Awen by the river's edge, she was different than he remembered but he wasn't particularly surprised, it had been quite a while since he last spoke to her, for all he knew he could just be developing a bad memory, mental images didn't tend to stick when they were made up of scents.

He headed over with a wave, amiable in his posture, totally unaware that his tail was wagging happily too.

"Hey." he grinned.


Awen turned her head when she heard a familiar voice from the jungle. She took int Pyroth's appearence, all the way down to his wagging tail, and smile in return. She hadn't seen the poor guy since just after his last change. The girl wasn't sure whether to be happy that he hadn't changed again or sad for him to be stuck in such an uncomfortable shape.

"Heya Pyroth." She replied in a cheery tone. She swung her legs around, for a brief moment revealing her fin-like feet from the surface of the water, to face the coyote. "How goes?"

Pyroth hobbled across the gravellly bank to stop just in front of Awen, giving her a smirk and a shrug of his shoulders. "Meh, things could be worse, could be better, the usual." he stretched, still letting his muscles relax again after his run. "Boring as hell though, I think my brain's going to rot the longer I stay here." It was good to get a chance to talk to someone who was turning into a creature the coyote would never ever meet. It meant his head felt clear while he was chatting, free from that niggly little feeling that he could be hunting the person in front of him, the little voice that made it impossible for him to talk to Em any longer.

"How've you been?" he asked, only just catching sight of her feet. Walking was probably very difficult for her now but swimming immesurably easier. He partially envied that ability, being unable to swim well at all and therefore unable to cool down properly from the tropical heat.

Awen mirrored the red head's shrug when asked the question. "Pretty bored myself actually. Like you said, brain rotting away..." She shook her head. "I know people always dream about living in a tropical paradise and all that good stuff, but really this is riddiculous. There's nothing to do at all around here after awhile. Wake up, swim, eat, game, eat, read, eat, swim, sleep. It's been that way for so long I don't know what to do with myself anymore."

Shaking her head slowly Awen looked out to the water. "Well, except for the weird things that happen once in awhile. The lockout, that whole Aubrey getting attacked thing...." Awen never did know what happened with that, though she assumed everything was resolved properly, considering Sabin was let back in and things returned to pretty much normal on the island.

He nodded "Yeah, a tropical paridise is all well and good for a week or so but ater a year you really start to miss the good old mundane life. I don't think I can lounge around any more without turning into a vegetable." he laughed "Still, like you say, it could be worse, at least like this it isn't like the day of that attack, waking up on the beach still beats waking up with a giant wound in your shoulder, covered in blood."

He headed down to the shallows and padded in a ways, scooping up some water in his paws and lapping it up. He could care less how "hygeinic" this was, after all he was practically all canine now and dogs drank water from anywhere.

"Anyone ever find out who it was that attacked her anyway?"

"Oh gosh, you woke up bleeding? I just woke up in my duplex again.... What happened to you to hurt you like that?" A genuine look of concern crossed Awen's round features. "I was just so detached from the whole thing... I didn't really want to be part of it all because..." The girl paused a moment and shook her head briefly. She had almost blurted out that she was sheltering Sabin from the islanders at her duplex during the whole thing. "Well...I didn't know how the islanders would react to the whole thing, if people would start pointing fingers or whatever.... it had Rosbepierre's Reign of Terror written all over it, you know? I just kind of kept my head low and went about my business."

Pyroth shrugged "I have no idea what it was that did that to me, I have vague memories of it all, all I can guess based on the injury is that it was a knife or a blade rather than claws that inflicted it, it was deep and narrow. Maybe I tried to attack someone again, I have no idea." he sighed "It was one odd situation, I'll tell you that much." He neatly declined to mention the human blood he'd found on him on awaking too.

He nodded at her detachment from it all, simply assuming that she had simply been keeping indoors as she said rather than suspecting anything as wild as concealing a staffmember.

"Hopefully I'll find out who it was eventually, I don't want to keep waiting on that promised punishment forever." he didn't much want to imagine what happened to the islander who did it if they had already been found. "But yeah, it was kind of hard for me to keep my head low, I didn't want to end up one of the suspected ones because of my injuries so I ended up staggering around the village for most of the time trying not to pass out."

he laughed wryly " Either way, its back to normal for now anyway. Hopefully a boat full of party supplies or entertainment will wash up ashore at some point this week and allivate the boredom"

Awen nodded slowly. She realised her question had been silly to ask in the first place. After all that happened back then, it really wasn't surprising he'd waken up like that. And unlike the lockout Awen had a good feeling this one wasn't planned.

"Well, whatever the punishment was has porbably already been carried out. I doubt you're in any danger of being fingered now. I mean it's been awhile since the labs opened up and everything's back to normal again."

She smiled a little bit. "Now that sounds like an idea doesn't it? A party!" The wheels ion Awen's head started turning. What the islanders needed was another nice party...not like the one Fee threw, with alterier motives and rebellion mixed in. Something like the Halloween party would probably do quite a few islanders some good. "Maybe we could put word into the lab, asking for some supplies. I'm sure they wouldn't mind having someone dig out the old kareoke machine for us and giving us some more party supplies. I mean, it's been awhile since we've had something like that, hasn't it?"

Pyroth had been thinking very much the same thing as concerned the punishement, it was unnerving the way things had started rolling again after the attack, strongly hinting that the culprit had been found with and dealt with. He just hoped they hadn't ended dead or worse, as something small and unpleasant, after all, it was a small win for the islanders, a strike at one of Moreau's weak spots. "Guess you are right, hope the culprit isn't too worse for wear afterwards." he stepped out of the cool water and back onto the bank, shaking his paws slightly to get the excess water off them.

At the mention of the kareoke machine however Pyroth hopped from vaguely indifferent to thinly veiled excitement, his tail swishing behind him again, his ears up. He had too many hilarious memories with kareoke machines back home to not get stoked at the idea of having a go on another one. Besides, he owed Kikue a song-off. "I wouldn't object to that in the slightest, I need a chance to chill out and mingle, be human again for a while and demonstrate just how much worse my singing has gotten since the transformation." he laughed "And my friend back home said it couldn't get any worse if it tried. I'd show him."

The manta girl reserved her judgement on the culprit for herself. She wasn't sure that whatever the person had gotten didn't deserve it. After all what did someone get normally for attempted murder? Just because the islanders were turning into animals is no excuse for murder.

However at Pyroth's reaction to the mention of the party Awen couldn't help but giggle and all thoughts of blood and punishment left her mind. "I'm sure a lot of people would like it. I just hope people can put aside political agenda and differences for a night." She shook her head. How pety the islanders could be sometimes, Awen wondered vaguely if it was a good idea to get all of them together in one place. Things certainly were not as relaxed as they had been back in October, which goes to tell you how bad things had gotten on the island. "I'll call the labs and see about fixing us a party... If the labs won't help set up, which I kind of doubt they will help anymore, would you want to help me organise some?" The manta held considerable doubt for her organisational skills and could use someone else excited about the idea.

Pyroth nodded "I'd be glad to help set something up, anything to give me something to dwell on. I mean these paws aren't much use for pouring drinks or anything but well, I'd help as best I could." he nodded, not having been around to attend some of the more negative gatherings and not exactly seeing the downsides of the while thing. He grinned "Well I do have one skill I've learned lately, I can cook a pretty mean freshly caught barbequeue." wether or not that would go down well with the herbivores was up in the air but at least it'd help keep the carnivore minds happy.

"I think a bit of positivity is what's needed on the island."

"It would certainly help anyway!" Awen grinned and nodded. "Freshly caught barbequeue, huh?" It sounded slightly strange to her ears... the image of Pyroth rangling down a barbequeue was her first thought. "Sounds good to me." She grinned a bit. "We could probably get access to the kitchens... make some fish, some salads, some other meats, you know a variety for the isanders would be nice."

The sudden thought that they might need a few more people helping caught Awen's mind briefly but she waved it off. "Well, then I guess we have to pick a day too...but we'll have to do that after I can contact Sabin I guess..."

"I'm ready to know what the people know, ask them my questions and get some answers, wassa..fff...fire an why does it..wassa word? Burn?"She loved the song and when she was intending to go swimming 'like Ariel' as she quite often put it, she sang it. She had decided to give the salt water a rest today opting for the clear river and lake instead for her kitty paddle. Of course, when a couple of familiar scents caught her sensitive nose she came bolting through the trees without a moments hesitation a grin upon her extremely furry maw "Pyroth! Awen!" she partially puurred as she spoke their names her tail swaying back and forth as she pounced the nearest of the two, Pyroth, she hadn't seen the doggy man for a very long time he needed a huggle!

"Howsbeen?not seed forevernevernveveranlotsathingsbinhappenin" her vocabulary had certainly improved along with the speed in which she could wrangle off nonsence. She grinned and hugged Pyroth for a moment before launching her extramely furry self at Awen her puurr almost echoing of the trees around her. It was rare for her to see many of her old friends these days, they seemed to hide while new people appeard from the wood works, she missed them, she missed them alot.

Pyroth had been about to give his assent to Awen's ideas, even going so far as to open his mouth to speak when from seemingly nowhere came a black and yellow blur which hugged him tight, almost knocking him over and making him yelp in surprise.

"Yea--ip!"

It didn't take him long to figure out who it was who had hugged him however, grinning as Colche rebounded over to Awen.

"Colche! Nice to see you again!"

His tail wagged happily again at the welcome arrival. It had been too long since he last saw the cheetah girl and he had been worried how she'd been doing. She seemed just fine though, albeit a bit furrier than before.

"I've been fine, you?"

Awen had the luxury of seeing Colche bound from the trees, barely, and tackle Pyroth. The manta laughed loudly at the scene before realising the big cat was about to pounce her next. "Woah hey!" She grinned as she barely caught herself from falling off the stump when the cheeta ran into her with a glomping-style hug.

Colche had changed since last Awen had seen the girl. It wasn't a terribly big change, from what Awen could notice, but it was something. So there was another change after the third? It seems they could make her more manta after all.... if she followed the pattern that Colche had anyway.

"Long time no see Colche!"

Colche released Awen after a moment looking between the manta girl and the cyote man, to her, they looked different but they were still the same people she had virtually 'grown up with' they were her familly.

The furry femme giggled her perfect blue eyes dancing happily as she spoke "I busy, learnings much, gots a teacher" she smiles happily at this little revelation, Josh was a very big part of her life now, he taught her on a daily basisand she soaked up all the knowlege she could like a sponge. Her speach had improoved immencely since she had first come to the island, she understood things better though she still clung to that child like innocence that everyone was good, that everyone could be happy, that she was safe.

Pyroth nodded, glad to see that Colche had managed to get herself someone with both the time and knowledge to teach her what needed to be taught. He had never been much good for teaching things himself, with all his talents lying in areas that were practically useless.

"That's great! I can hear the difference already in your speech, you are talking a lot clearer and faster than you used to. Must be a good teacher you have." He wondered, had the staff brought in a teacher just for her or was it coincidence? It didn't matter. He smiled to himself before adding again. "Oh yes, that party planning." only just remembering. "I'd say we could make a pretty decent party if we roped in a few more people to help out."

Actually,Colche's party had been the last one he'd attended, hadn't it?

"Yeah I was just thinking that. I was wondering if maybe Alec, Rex, Lauren or Chubbs would help out. Haven't seen most of them in a long while anyway..." With a big grin she turned towards Colche.

"Hear that Colche? Me and Pyroth are planning a party for the islanders." If anyone, Colche would definately be happy for a party. "And I'm gonna make sure there's lots of chocolate cake if you come."

Colche beamed brightly and nodded vigerously though there was a slight shy look in those big blue eyes as she spoke "Josh great" she puurred happily just the thought of the giraffe man that was her tutor made ehr rather shiverry, though what it was that made her that way was ratehr confusing.

Coming out of her own little dream world she beamed at Pyroth "party?" her ears perked happily, she loved parties, at one point parties were scary but things had changed and now she could be around big groups of people without being frightened. the cheetah in her hadn't infact introverted her as it might have, instead it had made her more willing to be around otehrs to be pet and spoken to. The little cheetah girl's perfect blue eyes danced happily as Awen spoke of the party "chocolate cake!" she quipped her tongue clicking in a very human like manner though it was swiftly followed by that deep fruity puurr. "I likes partys" she smiled her ears fluttering happily as she contemplated going to a party and seeing everyone again.

Pyroth nodded gratefully "Anyone you want to bring in to help feel free, I'm not exactly good at keeping in contact with people, good to know you have a few figures in mind. That will be useful." he flicked his ears back amiably and couldn't help but laugh at Colche's love for any and all parties. "Yep, as much chocolate as you can eat and lots of people to talk to." He didn't doubt that there would be decent attendance if only because so many people had so little to do on the island.

He didn't comment on this "Josh" though, simply because he'd never met him or even heard of him before.

To Awen he added "As soon as you have a date planned just tell me and I'll make sure to have things set up for then too."

Awen chuckled softly and nodded. "Well it seems like a good plan anyway. I'll slip a note under the door of your duplex if I don't find you, okay Pyroth?"

The manta rolled her shoulders and glanced over her shoulder. She should probably be getting back to the village soon. Her stomach growled loudly and she looked back to the others with a small laugh.

"I should be heading out. Gotta grab some food for my belly and all."

The manta slipped into the water and paused. "Colche, I'll leave a note for you too to tell you when the party is. Please be sure to bring Josh along, huh? I'd like to meet this learny-man of yours."

"Well... I'm off then." She waved to her two old friends and dove back into the cool waters.  

[Awen Zyn]

So we meet again..

Awen sat curled up on one end of the couch with a seemingly very interesting book. A controller and cord lay sprawled over from the entertainment system to the floor beside the couch, where it lay disguarded. There was no doubt that Awen had been playing the Xbox only a little while ago.

Now however she was engrossed in a seemingly new book. The dust-jacket that lay sprawled on the coffee table read "Phantom" as did the golden lettering on the spine of the black book. Should anyone come in and care to notice the manta sitting on the couch, they would surely notice the trails of tears running down the girl's cheeks and the puffy red eyes.


Since the last few days Maryke spent most of her time locked away in her duplex. It wasn't that she was AFRAID of the other islanders, it was the simple fact that the madame was at her wits end with them. Not them as individuals, but them as a generalization. To look at them meant that she was constantly reminded that she was stuck on this craphole island...at least for the moment. At least until she could formulate a plan that was steelproof enough to where she knew she'd be kissing this wretched place goodbye. But, after a few days of solitude she knew there wasn't anything she could do until she learned more about the place she was locked away in herself.

She didn't want to chance too far from her duplex however. And there was really only one place she knew of that might have an islander or two in it AND make her feel secure enough to enter. And that was the entertainment room. So chancing herself she walked into it casually. She stopped however when she saw a familar face, and when she did she instantly noticed the tears and the puffy eyes.

"I come at a bad time?" She asked, quietly. She would have backed out and simply let the manta girl alone. But, she had a feeling she could be heard by her footsteps anyway so it was pointless.


Awen sniffled softly as she looked suddenly up from her book. She noticed the wavery brown hair though her blurred vision and wiped the tears away. She gave a self conscious laugh as she shook her head.

"No, no!" She said as she placed a bookmark to hold her place. "Just... a um...good book." She waved the look slightly in the air before putting it down next to the dust-jacket that belonged to it.

"It's Goodkind's new one... and er.. well..." She shifted and swung her legs off the side of the couch. "Come on in have a seat! M...Maryke you said your name was last time, right?"

The brunette gave a small dimpled smile, just about the only time to tell whether or not her smiles were geniune was to see if her dimples showed. In this particular case, she meant it. For some reason she felt a calm wash over her at seeing Awen. Being around familarity was of course good in any given situation, but with everything that had been going on it seemed like her relief was sevenfold.

She gave a short little head nod and flopped onto the couch, careful not to do it too forcibly or took look aloof while doing it. "Mhmmm," she said, "Maryke. Awen right?"

"Yup." She replied brightly. "Awen Zyn. Sorry about sneaking off last time... I er..uh... had to get back into the water. I dunno, my skin was dry and itchy and instinct kind of..told me to. Besides Nita and you seemed to have the convorsation..more in tune and all..."

She scratched the base of one eye for a moment, the spot still irritated by the tear. "So...." She continued cautiously. "How are things going? You doing alright?"


"It's okay, it.....happens...I'm sure," She had to think about those words for a moment. It must have been really strange to NEED to go back to water, all things considered. Again, she wondered what monstrocity she'd be turning into but she quickly forced the thought of her head, reminding herself that she wouldn't be turning into anything at all. Not if she could help it.

At the mention of Nita she chuckled softly. "I guess so, we didn't talk about much...I'm sure I scared her more then her me...."

Maryke watched Awen scratch at her eye for a moment and figured it was probably the salt of the tears. Not that the madame was incredibly bright about such matters, but it seemed likely in her head. So she dismissed the quirk and let out a shrug instead. "Can't complain...I'm not spoutin' horns or fur or....gills or anything," she added dryly, "So I guess I'm doin' alright."


"Oh, now... don't you worry I'm sure you didn't scare Nita. It's just..." Awen paused for a moment looking at Maryke and how normal she still looked. "Difficult to talk to new islanders. I mean... most either yell at us, displacing their fear into anger towards us for telling them the truth, or rather showing it to them first hand or they look at us like they are afraid and repulsed. It's not so easy to get used to."

Looking around the room Awen tried to find something to change the subject, after all this wasn't the most uplifting topic. "Um... so, do you...read lots? Plays video games at all? Movies?I mean that's pretty much what this here room is. Would you like to...any of those? If I'm bothering ya, you can just go about what you were going to, no hard feelings or anything, you know?"


"Well if I did sound like a complete snot after seeing....you both," she said frowning some, remembering the shock she had felt and the denial she was still in. "Then I'm sorry. I don't think I was afraid or replused....just....angry," She let out a small bitter laugh when she thought about who she was angry towards. "Not to the two of you of course...the staff mostly...."

She was eager for a subject change as well, finding the whole situation still very hard to handle. "I'm not bothered," she nodded, surprising even herself when she admitted she liked the company of the other. "I've never been a big game type person and the only movies I usually manage to watch is at the actual premiers, but..."

she shugged and walked over to a nearby shelf. "I'll peruse the magazines and see if anything catches my eye."

Awen's eyes lit up slightly as she shifted to sit on hte edge of the couch. "You'e gone to actual premiers of movies?" A large grin played across her round face. "That is so cool! I've been to the opening show of a few plays and things, but actual movies?"

She tilted her head curiously. "So... mainland, what were you anyway? An up and coming actress or something?" The way the girl had been quick to jump to her cellphone and lawyer as well as her stylish and well groomed appearence tying it all down with her self-confidence and poise Awen figured that was one of the most logical things for her to be.

Maryke picked up a 'Cosmo' and skimmed through it before she sighed and tossed it back down, realizing it was a few months old. Too many months for anything to be interesting. As Awen spoke she turned around and grinned widely.

"Nope, I'm not actress...though I have plenty of friends that are," she tossed her head back a little. Of course she couldn't say what she really did. Afterall being a madame, esentially a female pimp, who pandered other girls and was trapped into a world that most frowned upon...well, of course she wouldn't admit to that. So she did what anyone would do in the given situation. She lied.

"I guess you can say I'm in the entertaiment industry," she said, "I'm a modeling agent...." Well close enough to what she really was anyway.

"Aahh haaa... I knew it was something along those lines anyway." Awen nodded in confirmation. "That all is apart of the fab business end of things." She crossed her webbed arms and leaned back into the cusions. "An interesting and fast paced world, so I hear anyway."

She cocked her head to the side before continuing. "So, what brought you here? A tropical photoshoot? A vacation? Talent scouting?" Unsure as to why this woman had inspired so many questions within, Awen just couldn't help but be captivated.

Maryke sat down on the edge of a nearby coffee table and looked up at Awen, hazel eyes sparkling. It was no real surprise that Maryke liked talking about herself, even when she had to lie, and just loved it when most attention was pulled onto herself. Plus, despite being a strange looking creature, Awen was nice. Far better then the people she usually surrounded herself with.

"Fast paced....definitely." At Awen's next words she thought a moment, "I was told this was going to be a tropical resort....it seems so simple a lie, how could I have not believed it."

Of course the other truth was that she was also on the run from the FBI for questioning, but hey that was added information that no one but she needed to know.

"Not surprising..." Awen mumbled softly before a small sigh escaped her lips. "Everything always seemed so simple when they tell you. I heard this was supposed to be some kind of resort-therapy place, it seemed like a good idea at the time. But really, most of their lies have a sliver of truth. They told me they'd be using experimental drugs to help get rid of my phobia, and here I am, no longer fearing the water. My friend, Joli, was a photo-journalist who was boating around and saw Vasile, you know the movie star? I haven't met him myself yet, but he's around... somewhere... Anyway, Joli came into the island a litle more to look around, Moreau had her boat destroyed, but they told her it was some kind of horror movie set. Quite frankly, there are enough cameras around here... and it certainly is a horror set sometimes..you know?"

She shook her head with a sigh. "And this is like a tropical resort, you know? Without the whole... experiment thing... this place would be an absolute paradise. So there is truth in almost every lie I've heard. Moreau will shelter you from the cops, take you in off the street and give you a home, get rid of your fears and phobias, or simply give you an tropical paradise. All true. Most of us just seem to overlook the cost of the things we wanted."

Looking right up at Maryke the manta girl had a semi-sad look that rested just in her eyes beyond the small smile. "You're lucky though." She said softly. "I mean, with as many islanders running around changed as far as us, no one can mask you in a lie as easily. Some of the islanders used to just let the person believe the lie the labs told them, in fact when Joli got here a bunch of islanders were even reinforcing the lies told to the new islanders." A small tsk sound and a look of disgust washed onto the fish's features briefly before fading. "They thought it was best just to let the transformations be the one to bear the truth. They never wanted to be the one to tell the newbies what was going on. Not... that I blame them entirely, after all the reactions I've gotten... But it's not like the lies can hold up anymore. Not with everyone as they are now."

Awen stood up slowly and stretched before grabbing her book and slipping the dust jacket back over the black book. "It's not really so bad.... Once you get used to it." She chuckled bitterly. "Of course don't tell Fiona, a red haired bunny lady, I told you that. She thinks I'm some sort of lab conspirator."


Maryke listened intently, hanging on to ever word the blue fish creature was saying. Awen's wisdom could be admired. In fact aside from Colche and Newt, the islanders she had met thus far seemed to be endowed with a bit of wisdom. She supposed it was like the women she had taken under her wings and how she herself was. The madame didn't start off this smart nor did she ever got to college, hell she barely made it through highschool. But, she had learned... through her trials and tears, blood and sweat, all literally, she had learned.

And she wasn't surprised at all to learn Moreau was adapt at lying. She may have not known or heard of any of the people Awen mentioned until now, but she did feel sorry for them. But, she knew that was how this Moreau person would have worked. That's how she would have done things, that's how she did do things. Marke knew how to lie to people, she was quite good at it. The best lies had some sort of truth in them. That's what made a lie believable. Well, it sure was a pain in the a** for her to be on the 'get' side of that spectrum.

"You, a lab conspirator?" she chuckled, finding the idea outlandish. "If you're were then you're horrible at it! I doubt you'd be giving me this much information or advice if you were...."

She let another little grin play at her features and then gave a small little nod, "Which I am thankful for..by the way."

"Ah!" Awen said with a sly grin and a webbed finger raising in the air to make her point. "You see though, that's just what I want you to think. I'm being all nice and friendly and everything, playing the benevolent information giver..... it's what makes you trust me see? I'm really just in league with the labs." She rolled her eyes as she slowly shook her head from side to side. "At least, that's Fee's train of thought..."

And really in part reality. By some miraculous means, her relationship with Sabin had been kept secret for this while, no thanks to Aubrey and Awen wasn't about to blurt it out to some new islander when the only ones who knew were Avery and in part Chubbs. She wasn't exactly a conspirator or anything, the heart wants what it wants after all, but sometimes... she still did feel awkward playing the double agent.

She gave Maryke a warm smile. "But honestly, I'm happy to help in anyway I can. This whole experience isn't easy, and if I can help you prepare for the worst of it, then I will."


Maryke laughed along with her, still finding the thought amusing. She nodded once again and said, "This Fee girl musn't be all that bright. The way I see it...if you want someone to trust you and you plan on stabbing them in the back later, then you play it smooth, but you don't play it friendly."

That too she knew. Whether or not Awen had someone on the inside or whether she knew more then she was letting on, Maryke doubted she was playing the double agent. If she was then Awen wouldn't be friendly or that quick to settle any fears these 'newcomers' might have. Herself include. Unless of course Awen was an inside girl whose sole job was to calm the locals, but that too Maryke doubted. For a twisted Doctor who didn't give a s**t that he was ******** around with a lot of innocent people it didn't seem likely that he'd care how they took to their fate.

So no matter how the brunnette looked at it, Awen was clean in her book.

"Then that makes you a noble person," Maryke said solemnly, "I dunno..from what I've seen the whole lot of you are fairly...." she stopped searching for the right way to say it, before she said, "You just seem so human....I know you still all are, but.." she shook her head, letting a small sigh escape her lips. "I figured it'd be differently, animal people...I feel sorry for the b*****d whose orchestrating this whole thing."

Awen smiled slightly when Maryke had called her noble. It was unexpected and downright touching. However, it had been Maryke's other comment that really hit the manta girl. A few tears welled up in her large purple eyes at the word 'human'. Awen always knew that the islanders retained their humanity, that they should never forget that in the end they are human. But... that was always something she said to herself, when she was feeling down.

To hear a new islander say that she seemed human, right infront of her face. It really was something special. She quickly wiped her tears away with a self conscious chuckle.

"N-now, why would you feel sorry for Moreau?" It was more a curiousity to hear that. Not many people would ever feel sorry for the red haired man, in fact the majority on the island...wanted to slit the man's throat.

It it had touched Awen, then seeing that it touched her REALLY touched Maryke. She felt something warm and big in her chest, something swell within her insides. Something she hadn't felt in a very long time. Back home she was the self proclaimed b***h, the one that people loved but hated all at once. For her wealth, her looks, and especially for her power. But, to see how she could effect someone in a positive way, well it got to her too. She'd never let it show, in fact she let her face remain impassive, though yeah...it touched...greatly.

At the next words she let a self confident smirk show, "I'm a very vengeful woman, Awen. If I could just get one phone call in. Then Moreau would be one to be pitied. This place'd look like a walk in the park compared to what I could have done to him. Well there's that and..."

In an instant she let her gaurd down. Her hazel eyes flickered with something unnamed. Something deep rooted, ancient painful memories brought to the surface of her conscious. "Let's just say I know how it feels to make a pact with the devil just to get what you want."

Awen nodded slowly as she explained the whole vengence thing. She wasn't the first to say such things and she wouldn't be the last. Though, most people still didn't pity Moreau when they think about giving him hell. Still, Awen was never really sure if getting rid of Moreau was the wisest of ideas at this point. After all the illness that could occur if the transformations were left incomplete. Sabin said there could be a number of terrible things, and from Jamal's sickness when he hadn't changed...

But of course Awen wouldn't say any of this in light of the present situation. In fact a hint of concern creased her features as she leaned towards Maryke. She didn't want to pry, obviously it not being her place, but she laid a gentle hand on the woman's shoulder. "You okay?"

Maryke stiffened at the touch, she wasn't used to people feeling concerned about her. For too long she had been on her own, doing things her way. Estentially taking care of herself, but with everything that had been happening, just these last few days, she was probably at her weakest. Emotionally and pyschically. It was as if her rough living was being to catch up to her, and the added stress from this was taking it's toll.

That and for some odd reason, despite the outward appearance Maryke felt close to Awen, it wasn't complete and utterly, like she'd suddenly trust the girl fully. She wouldn't do that for anyone, but there was some level of trust there. Not to mention the fact that since she was on the island and Awen looked the way she did with no outside communitcation, then there wasn't a reason for Maryke to be worried about anyone tipping off the people that were chasing her.

"I'm not really a modeling agent," she said softly, "Of course, this is between me and you, but..." she shrugged and let out a bitter little laugh. "I came here for a resort, but also because I'm trying to escape a little confrontation with the FBI. Back home, I'm a madame...and quite good at it. That's how I'm fairly big on the Hollywood scene, I cater to those types."

Yes, in Maryke's one moment of emotional weakness, she let slip everything. Of course most people back home already knew that, in fact everyone that knew her knew it, but she had always had trouble telling people that weren't part of that gritty and dark world.

As Maryke began her confession Awen settled slowly down on the couch across from her. Her rubbery fingers slipped from the womans shoulders to rest on the couch's arm. She listen quietly and had prepared herself for the worst when the letters FBI sprang from Maryke's mouth. But in the end her explaination just left Awen confused.

"You're a madame?" She repeated in a puzzled tone. "What's wrong with being Fren---oh." After a short pause and a slow blink everything had clicked into place in the girl's mind. "Oooh!"

A smile crept it's way to Awen's lips as she shook her head. "When you said you were in trouble with the law, I was worried that you had killed someone, or something like that." It wouldn't be the first time someone on the island had come because they had killed.... Awen's mind briefly wandered to Jamal and when he confessed to her what he had done back on mainland.

"But a madame, well, that's not really that bad." She scratched an itch on her neck as her skin felt as though it had begun to dry out. The tone that Maryke had used and the look she had had on her face gave Awen's outburst pause a moment. Taking a deep breath Awen settled into her more usual caring smile. "But I suppose I can also understand how difficult it seemed to be to tell me that. Thank you for your honesty, I really appreciate it."


Maryke grinned, it was a weary little grin of sorts, "No, I've never killed....I've had people killed though. The world I play in is a dangerous game," she said, and again there was that flicker of something in her hazel eyes.

Of course Maryke was no usual criminal. She wouldn't intentionally kill someone, as it was beneath her. She wouldn't force any of her girls into doing something or someone as it were. But...she did manipulate them into working for her. Lie to them. She'd had people killed before, just to get her way. And her most recent endevour was getting as much fine powder as she could. A new vice for her to dabble in. So even though she wasn't as tough or wasn't the most scariest criminal, did it make her one of the more powerful ones?

Yes. And it wasn't exactly something Maryke reveled in. She reveled in the material things, having the power of course, but whenever she thought of the moral side of it, it really did get to her. "You're welcome..." she said before running a hand through her wavey brown hair. "You seem trustworthy enough. 'Sides, I guess what we once were doesn't really matter here."

"Not really huh?" Awen said and sighed slowly. "Just gott make a new life here, after all, not much more we can do." A small tingling itch ran up the mantas arm, but she avoided scratching it for now. Instead she slowly stood up.

"Well!" She said with a small stretch. "I think it's about time I head back home. Been out of the water for a little too long and I think I'm getting flakey again..." She scooped up the book she had been reading before Maryke had arrived then paused. "If you ever need anything, I'm over in duplex twenty one, if I'm not there, here or at the arcade...I'm probably swimming in the lake. Just stop by and I'll be happy to help."

Awem then made her way carefully to the door, walking awkwardly on her flipper-like feet. "Take care Maryke!"


She nodded and then gave out her own small little wave, just feeling relieved that despite the ordeal of the island at least the people in it were okay. "Will do... take care as well," she said as Awen left the room.

She stayed a few more beats herself, just thinking to herself. Thinking about the strangeness of the place she was in and then she finally got up herself with a sigh. After moment's hesitation she left, retreating back to her own duplex.  

[Awen Zyn]

Those are some...uh...colourful markings you got there

Awen sighed softly as she glanced around the lake. She was treading water just at the surface a far ways out into the pool. She enjoyed her time swimming in the lake, but sometimes it grew boring. Actually... the whole island was starting to seem slightly dull. Sure she had her new books and video games coming in but, really, there was more to life than that....

It had been a day since Aubrey's visit, and Newt had indeed attempted to relax a bit more. He had allowed himself to sleep in and take his time catching himself breakfast, and had filled a thermos of tea to drink out on the beach. He had brought his broom with him, intending to go to his self appointed duties directly after, but the froggish tendancies that had been bubbling up in the back of his mind didn't want to go back to work just yet. He supposed he was growing the hands and feet for it... and his amphibious skin was feeling a bit dry. He turned in the sand and hopped off towards the lake.
By the time he had gotten there, he was panting heavily, using the broom to keep himself moving. Almost to the water. He didn't see anyone around, not noticing the manta's grey and blue skin against the reflections of the water, and began setting his things down. He didn't want toget his clothes wet if he was going to sweep up later, and therefor set to carefully strip off his jumper.

Just as Awen had been about to dive again into the cool waters she noticed someone coming towards the lake. It moved oddly and Awen couldn't recall any islander who would walk like that. Smiling, with a chance to maybe relieve some of this bordem Awen found her escape. She dove under the water to allow herself to flow freely towards the one she had seen. She surface just in time to see the jumper his the bank of the lake.

Blinking slowly Awen looked up to the very green and very skrawny man before her. There was something oddly familiar about the man but at first she couldn't quite grasp what it was. She glanced away from him quickly and her eyes wandered to the things on the ground. "Sorry." She said but not in the quick embarassed tones she used to apologise to people with. This was one smooth word with no hint of panic. Sneaking up on people in this manner seemed to be a habit of hers. She saw the broom and suddenly it clicked. This was the janitor she had met in the games room. She knew she had been right about him...

His dark green speckles and yellow stripes stood out against his greyed undershirt and tighty whities. Newt was certainly a skinny man, spidery and angular all over. At the sudden sound of another voice, the frog-man gave a frightened croak, leaping away from the source in a clumsy leap.

"No no no." She said quickly seeing the flash of movement out of the corner of her eye. "Don't run away, calm down it's just me, Awen. I'm harmless!"

"I-I'm suh-suh-sorry! I th-thought i w-wuh-was alone!" Newt sputtered, looking utterly embarassed and terrified, his enormous eyes round as plates as he grabbed for his jumper again. If he still had been able to blush, he would have looked like a tomato.

"Don't worry, don't worry. Happens all the time. Just calm down hun." She tried to give him a reassuring smile as she held up a hand. Her gaze drifted to the colours that now made up the jumpy man's skin. "Nice markings you've got there...er... what was it? Ned?"

He tried to hide himself behind his jumper, trembling timidly, "Ah... Nuh-nuh-Newton..."

"Oh! Newt, that's right. Sorry... pretty bad with names, you know?" Seeing as the man wasn't going to calm down so easily Awen backed a ways into the water. "Come on in, the water will hide anything you don't want me seeing better than that pair of overalls will. I won't dive under the water so all I'll see is what's above, okay?"

"I... I'm n-nuh-not a vuh-very good swim-swim-swimmer..." Newt admitted nerviously. He swallowed, his neck suddenly inflating for a moment befor pushing out a loud, "KrrKIT!" He knew the manta's face. Knew he had met her befor, but couldn't for the life of him remember her name. It had been too long ago- when he had still been human.

The manta's eyes widened for a moment as the frog's neck inflated before his ribbit, noise, thing. Well, that had certainly been new. Quickly thought she regained composure and held up one of her webbed hands. "Newt, you've got webbing like me now. Swimming will be very easy. Besides that it's just chest deep here, don't have to swim if you can touch the bottom right?"

He fidgeted, as though debating befor he finally spoke up, "Y-you... w-wuh-wouldn't m-mind if I juh-joined you?"

"I was actually just thinking that I'd enjoy such company. Besides, if you end up not being able to swim it'll be safer for you with me around." She gave him a big grin, trying to be friendly.

He smiled back, although it was a trembling, crooked-toothed sort of smile, "Cuh-could y-you ah... tuh-turn around? I sh-shouldn't g-get my clothing wet..."

It took a moment before Awen understood what he meant. She had thought it odd that he would be that bashful while he still was in his skivvies. He had already taken his jumper off so it wouldn't get wet. Then it clicked. "Oh....Yeah, yeah, sorry!" She chuckled to herself and turned around. She guessed he really did mean all his clothing. "Maybe you should request a pair of swim trunks next time you're at the duplex huh?"

"I... I h-hadn't th-thought of th-that..." He sputtered, "Duh-doctor Luh-lockheart... s-said she w-was g-going to get me s-some nuh-normal cluh-clothing- maybe sh-she'll rem-re-remember?" There was the sound of something large hopping into the water behind her.
Newt had never done anything like this befor. He had never really gone swimming much to start with, let alone skinny dipping. The frog was loving it, though, feeling far more at home crouched in the shallows than awkwardly attempting to stand on the bank. With only the top of his head, his enormous eyes and tiny pin-point nostrils sticking out of the water he gave another froggish croak, "It's alright to tuh-tuh-tuh-turn around n-now..."

Slowly the manta spun around in the water to face the rather funny view of Newt crouching in the shallows. "There, that probably feels a lot better, huh?" She nodded as if to herself. "I know when my skin gets dry it's so irritating. You probably feel the same way?"

"I sup-sup-suppose," He managed shyly.

"So...." She said in a more serious tone. "I suppose they didn't just reassign you huh? I'm really sorry Newt..."

His eyes glanced down to the water as he sat down even lower in it meekly, looking thouroughly embarassed about the whole deal.

Awen bowed her head slightly. "Sorry again... I shouldn't have brought that up. Probably like salt in a wound..." Looking back up she smiled. "On the bright side! Me and Pyroth are planning a party for....uh..sometime soon. We're still gonna work it out with the labs, see if we can get that big tarp from the Halloween party, maybe drag the kareoke machine out of hiding. Pyroth's going to barbequeue and we'll probably grab some other things from the cafe, salads and whatnot.... It should be fun, if you're interested."

"A puh... a puh-puh-party?" Newt managed meekly, his thick eyebrows raising over his monstrous eyes, "I cuh-could cluh-clean up for you, I sup-suppose- it wuh-won't be a pruh-problem..."

Awen laughed and shook her head. "Of course you will not clean up Newt! Don't you worry me and Pyroth will do the lug work. I mean I'm inviting you to attend the party. You know, hang out, have a good time. Meet some new people and such, right?"

At that, Newt's eyes widened impossibly further, "Wuh-what... luh-like a guh-guest? Are... are y-you sure?"

Her brow furrowed in a curious manner, as if unable to decide whether the frog-man was joking or not. Finally she gave into a smile and a chuckle. "Of course I'm sure. You'll have fun I'm sure. For..er.. whenever it is I mean I still have to arrange things with the staff and all, but hey when I get the date and time and stuff I'll slip a note on your door or something? I might post a flyer on the cafeteria... I'm not too sure yet...."

"I've nuh-nuh-never *b-been* to a par-par-party befor... I've... cluh-cleaned up after them th-though... or s-sat upstairs wh-when F-father had g-guests over..." He mused, looking entraced by the idea of it.

Never been to a party? He couldn't be serious.... But the look on his face made Awen believe for certain he was serious. She understood now the hesitance and him having to ask if she had really invited him. "Then this should be a really interesting and new experience for you, right Newt? Anything in particular you'd like to have at the party, we are really open to suggestions."

"Ah... I... I ... I d-don't know..." He murmured, his attentions suddenly distracted by a dragonfly that had flitted over the water nearby. He ducked down lower, trying to stay as still as possible.

Awen had thought that maybe the man had grown embarassed again, how she wasn't sure. She couldn't fathom why he would shrink back into the water like he had. But something was different in the way he looked. His eyes didn't have the twitchy nervousness as when he was embarassed. He seemed intent on something. Awen stayed very still and very silent to accomodate whaever it was he was fixated on.

The dragonfly flitted close, oblivious to the danger of the swimmers- at least untill Newt's tongue suddenly snatched it from the air to end it's life upon his teeth. The wings sticking out from between his lips, he chewed with an embarassed sort of expression, "Ah- s-sorry-" He peeped, trying to eat his snack as quickly as possible.

At first Awen face scrunched up as though in disgust with a muttered "Aww..." but then it broke into laughing and all hint of disgust was gone. "That was so cool!" The manta crossed her webbed arms and chuckled still. "It's an easier way to catch food on the go anyway."

Newt made an embarassed sort of noise in the back of his throat, dipping down again as he swallowed, "I... I... Ah... wuh-what? Oh... I... ah... sup-suppose... Y-you're... th-the first per-per-person to think so..."

Awen shrugged softly and started running her fingers through the water. "Whatever is happening to us, for whatever reason we came here and no matter what Moreau's motive or intention was.... what's happening to us is, in a way, a gift. You have to look at the positives. Such as..." She bit her lip thinking a brief moment and then snapped her fingers. "Learning how to swim! You say you couldn't swim before, right? Neither could I. But thanks to the serums, we're better equiped for swimming!"

"I kn-kn-know it's a guh-gift," He said flatly, "Th-the research b-being done here w-will ch-change scuh-science! Th-the b-breakthroughs the duh... the Duh-duh-doc... D-doctor has made alone-!"

Awen nodded slowly as if having heard, or given, such explainations a hundred times. "Could cure cancer, could cure disabilities- mental and physical, enhance the way we live..... I know Newt. While I disagree with some of the methods used to get test subjects, tricking or forcing people here against their will, I understand the value of the research and because of the research I know how illegal it is and how aquiring subjects any other way is near impossible. Don't worry Newt, I'm not going to rail uselessly against what the doctors are doing. Even if I disagree with some of it."

Newt nodded, crouching in the water again uselessly. After his talk with Aubrey, he figured he didn't need to continue prattling on about how he wasn't worthy. Worthy or not, he was still there, and still turning into a frog. "I m-muh-made th-this one lady vom-vom-vomit the other d-day..."

A slow frown crept to Awen's lips. "Oh no, seriously? Who was it? Someone new to the island?"

"I... I th-think so... sh-she luh-looked human."

"Oh dear..." Awen moved a little closer to pat the man's shoulder. "It's okay..." Her tone was gentle and compassionate. "They're still probably adjusting to all of this... it's really not your fault."

"I w-wuh-was j-just hungry... And... and I s-still luh-looked fuhf-airly human then too... n-not... not like now..." He shook his head in a depressed fashion.

Sighing softly Awen gave the slippery shoulder a squeeze. "Newt, you look fine. Don't worry about it. I actually think frogs are cool animals..."

"I... I d-duh-don't m-mind so m-much anymore... " He shook his head, "It's j-juh-juh-just... everything's n-new.... it's only buh-been a cou-cou-couple d-days s-since I... ah..."

"Oh....since you've changed?" She nodded slowly. "It'll take a little bit, you'll get used to it. If you just changed than at least you know you won't change for awhile yet. It seems they wait longer and longer between changes once your first. It'll be fine, you won't change again for a bit. Plenty of time to adjust."

He nodded, "I s-still d-don't know about swuh... about swuuh... swoo... Swimming."

Awen stepped back in the water and held out her hand. "I could help you if you like?"

He gave a nervious croak, watching her hand as though expecting it to bite him, "H-help how?

Awen wasn't so sure about the idea herself. She'd barely ever swam before and before her changes it had been years, and it wasn't as though she knew *how* to swim, just that she swam now, by instinct. She wasn't sure how to teach the janitor how to swim, but she would try. "Well... uh... If you hold onto my hand... I could support you if you don't think you can by yourself. I'm thinking we could start just by treading water in after the drop off, so we're right close to a place where you could regain your footing if something bad happens...."

"I juh-just... k-kick my fuh-feet, I sup-suppose?" It seemed to make enough sence logically. He liked the feeling of mud under his elongated toes.

"Yup. Nice even strokes should do it. But not too quickly or youll just tired yourself out and flounder.... just kind of..fluid motions..." She motioned him forward as she backed up over one of the cut off points, where the floor of the lake suddenly drops down a long ways. "And just keep moving your hands too... with the webs it's a lot easier. Back and forth, like me, see?"

He watched her, his throat inflating in a curious croak. While the Newt part of him wasn't so sure about the act of swimming in general, the frog part knew exactly what it needed to do. Timidly, he drew in a breath, "I'm... g-going to truh-try." He could do this. He didn't need help. It'd be fine. He was half frog now, afterall.

Awen nodded encouragingly. "And remember I'm right here if you need me. What you should try to do is....close your mind and really let your instincts take over. Kind of what I did with the manta ray. It'll come to you..."

Newt nodded, straightening up a little so she could see a patch of his boney, cream colored chest befor he hopped forward deeper into the water. At first, all seemed well and good, his legs giving an easy kick that allowed his webbed toes to act as fins. His changed eyes could see excellently under the water, and he was amazed for a few moments befor he realized he needed to surface for air. That was when the trouble started. He pawed at the direction of the sky with his hands, breaking te surface to thrash and gulp for air in a frantic, paniced movement, "Ah! Ahh t-too d-duh-deep!!"

Awen smiled watching Newt slowly dip into the water and start to swim around. She remembered the first time she had, willingly, gone back into the water. It had been an amazing experience. That was when Newt started to thrast about. As soon as he broke the surface and she saw his paniced expression and movements Awen grabbed the man by his upper arm and propelled them both to the shallow waters. "It's okay, it's okay." She reassured him. "Calm down, it's okay."

He spat out water, giving a terrified wimper, "I'm a ter-ter-ter-terrible fruh-frog!" He groaned once he had caught his breath enough to attempt to speak.

"No, no, no!" She said quickly before making her tone a little more gentle. "Newt, you're just new to it. You'll learn the waters soon enough. That was just your first try. It'll get better from here. You just have to remember that you still need air. I'm not exactly sure how long frogs can stay under water, but it's possible you haven't developed their natural capacity yet too. Just take your time."

He continued to pant, resuming his defensive froggish crouch in the shallows, the water up to his shoulders. "Ah... ah... alright..."

Seeing that Newt was fine, for the most part Awen slowly started to make her way towards the shore. "I don't know about you." She said slowly. "But all this excitement has gotten me hungry!" She smiled and gestured towards the village. "I'm gonna go get a bite to eat, okay?"

He stayed crouched, giving a nod, "Ah... alright... th-thank you... for ah... h-helping me... I... I th-think I w-want to truh-try some more..." He didn't have to go back to work just yet, did he? Aubrey had suggested he relax, afterall... and he was enjoying giving his new features a try.

"Hey it's not a problem" She waved as she plodded onto the bank of the lake. "Just relax and take your time. Don't get in too deep and stay close to the shroe until you're ready for to do otherwise. And see you at the party!" With that she turned and made her way back to the village.  

[Awen Zyn]

In with the staff? Me? No...

Awen had strolled into the cafeteria some time ago and was just ready to sit down with her nice meal of various fish dishes. Her usual routine and teaching Newt how to swim had actually worn her down a little bit and food was definately smelling good at this point.

She sat at a table that was fairly close to the food line. As she bit into her fish she was thinking of how she would later on tell Sabin how she'd helped Newt. A proud smile slipped onto her lips. To think her, a reformed hydrophobe, teaching an islander how to swim. It was indeed exciting for the manta girl.

Tommy strolls through the cafeteria doors in a slightly worried manner. The cadet was favoring his jeans, boots, and t-shirt today over his military uniform. Strangely enough though, he was carrying with him a medium sized bird cage with a disgruntled American Robin sitting on the perch.

Awen glanced up at the islander who just waltzed into the cafeteria. Seeing the man unchanged worried Awen for a moment. Was he knew? Did he know about the island yet? Had he run into other subjects before now?

Glancing around at the near empy cafeteria Awen knew that there would be no place to hide if he hadn't met a changed islander yet. She supposed really there was no reason to hide anyway, he'd learn eventually.

So she put on a big smile and waved, exposing her webbed underarm and fingers. " 'Llo!" She called. "Pretty bird ya have there."

Tommy moves the cumbersome cage around so that he could properly see Awen...and he could feel his heart sink into his stomach at the sight of her. .oO(It never ends...does it?) But he just gives his best grin, despite the horrible feeling, and tries to wave back. Of course, upon doing so, he almost drops the cage.

"Oh...damnit..." he calls out as he fumbles to get a good grasp on the cage, all the while seemingly pissing off the bird even more. Carefully, he sets the cage down on a table and looks to Awen, "Hiya! Thanks, but uh...heh, he's not mine...at least I don't think so."

Tommy makes his way over toward where the food is, and inadvertantly towards Awen.

By his reaction Awen relaxed slightly. Because he didn't start yelling or stamering or just staring blankly she knew he had seen someone else changed before. She was not envious of whoever had seen him first, she had enough of that for a lifetime, thought she knew she'd get it again sometime.

"He's not yours? Where'd you pick him up then? Doesn't look like a bird from the jungle around here. Looks more like something I'd see back home." She shrugged and shoveled some more food into her mouth.

It takes every ounce of willpower to keep up this nonchalant facade. He had to stop himself every time he wanted to just stare at Awen for what she was becoming. Short of Alec, she was the most extreme change he's seen so far.

Instead, he just started sorting through the available foodstuffs, picking up a couple bottles of V8 juice along the way.

"Nah, he's on...lone...I think...from this guy named Sabin"

He says this name with more than a little disgust.

Awen frowned slightly at the mention and at the tone. It's not that she was surprised, many islanders didn't like any lab tech and Sabin in particular, but still sometimes she forgot due to her own connection with the man. Realising she was frowning she quickly tried to cover her reasons, as if she thought this man could read minds or something.

"Oh?" She leaned forward to look at the bird. Her frown, Awen hoped, would look like one of contemplation. "Why would Sabin...loan you a bird? Last I remember we were discouraged to have pets. For...obvious reasons."

Tommy would only catch the last bit of the frown, as he's doing his best not to seem like he's staring. Unfortunately, he's going a little overboard with that by almost not looking at her at all.

"So, I call him on that intercom thingy in our rooms, right? And...well, I ask him what...you know...what's going to happen to me, 'n all...so the b*****d thinks it'll be fun to make me guess through a 'series of clues.'" He sighs as he piles on some speghetti and meatsauce and heads over toward his bird with plate and V8 in hand.

"That's number one...I think."

Awen noticed the weird look that the man was... or rather wasn't giving her. She could understand why, but honestly she would have jsut perferred if he stared. That at least she was used to.

She couldn't help a tiny smile though at the thought of what Sabin had done. It actually sounded interesting, like a game. If it wasn't for the seriousness of the outcome, she was sure that this man might find it sort of fun too. Besides clues was a lot better than having to figure it out for yourself. Awen remembered when she first changed... how terrified it had seemed because all she knew was that she was turning into some kind of fish. A horned rubbery kind of fish.

"Well...." She said slowly. "Maybe it means you're going to be some kind of bird. But that would be too easy, wouldn't it? I mean... Sabin wouldn't just give you the animal that you'll become, it would make the game too short. Maybe this bird is part of the main diet of what your creature eats? Or maybe it's simply that it is a flying creature. Or possibly this animal is what would eat you. Like... an insect or something. Though... I haven't actually seen any insects on the island. Maybe that much isn't possible..."

"Heh...I hope to hell not...'bout the insect thing...I mean," Tommy says, finding it easier and easier to keep a normal conversational pattern of looking at Awen. .oO(Goddamn, I'm actually getting used to this...fackin' weird...)

He grins and says, "Yeah, from the little I've seen of the guy, I know he likes his little power games...so I'm pretty sure this robin isn't it. But I'm almost positive it is something that flies though... see, I'm in the Air Force...well, I'm a cadet at the US Air Force Academy anyway. And so, I'm pretty sure he's going to go for a whole 'fly boy' type of...of animal." he finds this last word particularly hard to get out.

"...maybe a falcon...?" He sighs and opens up his first V8 and begins drinking.

"Hey! A falcon would be neat!" Awen said cheerfully, ignoring all negative comments towards Sabin. This wasn't a power game, simply something to keep him entertained outside of work. It was a came, a puzzle, a challenge.

"I mean...uh..." She laughed a little nervously. "There are worse things to turn into I mean. Turning into animals at all is.. well.. not neat. But..gah. You know what I mean right? It's a lot better than some animals?"

She paused a moment and gave it some thought. "Maybe he's giving you something that's not so 'fly-boy' though? I mean... something like a falcon or a hawk would be too...stereotypical. And well... Sabin is anything but really."

Tommy puts down his V8 and stares down at his hands...imagining them twisted and deformed into one long digit covered in feathers...he shudders...
"...as long as I can keep my hands..." he shakes his head, seemingly coming out of a short daze.

.oO(Huh...she seems to know a lot about this guy...probably just the same aquantance as I have...but any extra info on the guy would help)

"Hmm? He's not? How do you know him? If you don't mind me asking, that is." He asks, genuinely curious.
He finishes his first bottle of V8 and starts on the second one.

Awen glanced up suddenly from her thoughts. She silently cursed herself for making it so obvious she knew about Sabin. She couldn't help a small nervous laugh escape her lips.

"Well, I've been on the island since early last october... At first the staff had gone to the Halloween party and I met Sabin there, not knowing he was a lab tech, of course. So I met him and learned a little bit about him then. And since I've heard things about him from other islanders, and lots of time he's stuck on camera duty, and when I call the labs to get things... new swimsuits for example... Sabin just happened to be the one that was often on the other line. I've learned a little bit more about him after that, just enough to know what he's like though. Like nothing...substantial or anything." Her explaination sort of peetered out towards the end. For the most part her words were true, and so there had been no need to lie until the very end of course.

.oO(Lying? Probably only a little bit...though I'm not too sure on that one...and even if she is, there's nothing I can say to bring out the full truth...one thing's for sure though: I'm probably not going to get any help escaping this place from her...ah well, I could use the company)

Tommy picks at his food for a moment, but in the end goes back to the V8.

"Any idea who runs this place overall though? I think Nita once told me...but...heh...but I think I forgot his name." He glances over at his bird-on-loan before looking back to Awen, a pleasant grin on his face.

A darker expression came to Awen's face at the mention of the one who truly runs the island. "Moreau." She replied distastefully. "He's the one running this place. Such a paranoid b*****d, if you ask me. I mean, don't get me wrong, I understand the reason for the research, and I'm not stupid enough to blind myself to the benefits this experiment can have to mankind."

She paused her speech and added quickly. "You know, cure for cancer, MS, various other defects, diseases, abnormalities ecetera."

Shaking her head she continued. "But I certainly do not condone the kidnapping trickery and other else that went on to gain subjects for this island. I do not agree with holding people against their will, prisoner. Did you know that subject and staff alike are captives of Moreau? The 'good doctor' tricked many of his own staff, and tempted them here with great experience and amazing pay, not telling them that they'd never be able to leave. That's right!" She said as thought Tommy would have been amazed by that statement. "The only ones ever to be allowed to leave the island is Moreau, his fiance Aubrey and James, the helicopter guy. Everyone else is stuck here for life. And the staff can't complain, nope, because if you piss Moreau off." She snapped her fingers. "You wake up down here, a subject like the rest of us. I know it's happened to one of the janitors, Newt, and I hear that one of the other subjects is from the staff too."

The area that would have been her nose wrinkled in disgust. "All because of that sick and twisted man who started all of this...."

"Yeah...I've heard about his...altruistic motives behind this place...Moreau...heh. 'The road to hell is paved with good intentions' as they say. But something here tells me that his 'intentions' aren't all that good."

"Hell, even in the most horrible of cases, the perpetrator can normally say that the good outweighs the bad...but I can't see any good coming from turning a kid into a half shark...half plant man of all things. I mean...seriously...I think our good doctor is nothing more than a megalomaniacle psychopath who gets his jollies from this s**t."

Tommy sighs a bit and suddenly seems very focused and serious.

"You say there's a helicopter guy here...? Well...of course, there must be...I mean, how else do they get their supplies...how often does he come to the island?"

Nodding all through his take on the doctor, she could certainly understand his point of view. While some of it had to be true, she knew Moreau wasn't as flat as that. There was the cures to think about, but mostly it was the advancement of science that she supposed this was for. After all when the mountain climbers went to scale Everest were asked why they did it, it was for a simple reason: because it was there.

Awen eyed the man cautiously as he spoke about James. A small frown rested on her lips by the end. "I've only seen him once, when I came to the island. Though he flies some islanders in occasionally, he's not on a shedual of sorts that I can see." She shook her head hoping that this guy wouldn't turn out like Fiona. "But don't even think about it. I know what you're thinking, and believe me if you had a chance I would be behind you. But James is a huge guy, for one thing he'd be hard to get passed in normal circumstances. And these aren't normal circumstances. With a word he and the doctors can put you to sleep. The feeling isn't at all pleasent either. All they have to say is 'Sleep subject...' er.... well whatever your full name is... like 'Sleep subject Awen Zyn!' and poof I'm down for the count. They have cameras everywhere, and people who can push buttons to knock us out if you make it so James or whoever you're around at the time can't speak. Not to mention the armed guards."

She shook her head slowly. "I'm all for stopping the flow of people to the island. I'm all for escaping... but you need a solid plan. I tried to tell Fee this and of course she thinks me a traitor now. However the hell I could be a traitor I don't know. But the thing is not to half a** plans, or go for the impossible. It will only get you and other people, hurt or killed."

Tommy put down his second empty V8 bottle and looks over Awen for a moment as she speaks. .oO(Mental note: Hit person in throat if it comes down to it...make the situation impossible for them to put me to sleep...hmmm...a shot of air pressed into neck, maybe? gah...but then what?"

"Tommy, Tommy Christian...by the way..."

A slight grin touches Tommy's visage, a plan beginning to form.

"Well, I dunno who this Fee is, but I really don't think you're a 'traitor' for the way you think. You're just being smart. Heh, from what I hear the biggest escape attempt has been somone banging on the lab doors or getting shocked by the fence...no, you're right about that. No half-assed plans..." A knowing grin replaces the slight one as he looks at his bird for a moment.

Awen blushed a little bit and raised her hand admittingly. "Well, it may not have been big... but er... one of the main reasons why I am such an advocate against stupid plans is because I tried to escape." She looked down to the table. "A few months ago I tried to swim off the island, ya know, I figured that I had outsmarted the doctor. I had gills so I could breathe underwater, I had fins so I could move relatively quickly- not as quick as now because it was before my last change- I was stupid enough to think the doctor wouldn't have planned for a marine escape. I don't know why I thought that really... it was...stupid."

She sighed and looked up again, the meakness in her voice faded away. "Anyway, I almost drowned and if it wasn't for Aubrey, that's Moreau's fiance and a doctor here, I would have died. Appearently, I'm a fresh water fish."

Tommy listens to her with a sad expression on his face, "Yeah...I remember Alec talking about that. He was debating about whether trying it himself, but decided against it...goddamn...poor kid...but no, it wasn't stupid. We learn from mistakes, I mean...regardless of what happened, aren't you glad you at least tried? I honestly think you're the bravest person I've met here yet. Hell, most everyone else is so retreated into their shell that I think they do everything they can not to think about a way off this rock."

Awen shook her head and sighed. "That's what Fee thought too. But it's just not true. Some people have been on the island a year already. It's not that they don't think about escape, it's just that they have the experience to know what will work and what won't. And so far everything we've thought would work, for some reason or another, won't. They don't want to give themselves false hopes or dillusions about chances to get off the island. We're worn, tired. And afraid of what would happen if we did get off the island. I mean, the medical complications of not finishing the set of serumscould be very dangerous, one of the islanders got extremely sick from not having his second injection in a long time, and others believe that it would give them cancer. Aside from all that, think about it. What would you think, if you hadn't been here, of someone looking like me, or someone with the body of a snake and bright rainbow wings for arms, or a wolf-man, or a tiger-man, or bat-lady, or a cheeta-girl, or any of us came walking down the street? What would you think? What would you do? I mean people can barely stand someone of a different skin colour let alone this!"

She threw her arms out dramatically to indicate all of her changes in their entirety. Then drew her arms back in, her tone quieting greatly. "A lot of us are afraid of what will happen to us if the island was discovered, shut down, or if we just escaped. The reality of it is, the majority of us would just end up in a different set of laboratories at best and at worse on a disection table. So it's hard to think of escape, when there are so many unknown things, so many more bad things that could happen. We can't go back to our friends, families, not like this."

.oO(Damnit Tommy, you're doing it again...you're pushing them too hard and too fast. But goddamnit, I'm not going to lay down and die. Not like this...never...)

Tommy just hears her out, a knowing nod every once in a while. He knows he hasn't had his first change yet, but it is to come soon enough...hell, he's already been here for over three weeks. His left eyes twitches a bit but soon calms. The thoughts of a winged snake woman, tiger, and wolf man flash through his head, giving him a broader scope of just how many victems are here. He blinks hard and flushes his mind of these thoughts...he will escape.

"I'm sorry, Awen...but I still have faith in humanity...and I'll be damned if the true monsters that run this place will get away with it...I've...I've gotta go." He closes his eyes and sighs before standing, getting ready to gather up the bird cage.

She nodded and stood politely as he gathered his things. "Yeah... I know Tommy. I really understand where you're coming from. If you ever need my help, just duplex twenty one, or try the lake."

She watched him with her large sad eyes. A slow smile came to her lips. "Good luck."

Tommy stuffs another V8 bottle into his pocket before gathering up the bird cage...leaving his real food untouched. He walks to the door and pauses, looking back, "Yeah...thanks, I'm in uh...I'm in 54..."

He turns his head back to the front doors, and walks outside.

"Fifty-four..." Awen repeated in a low tone to herself. Where there already that many subjects on the island? So many people loosing their lives to this. Fifty four subjects in a year? That was...monumental.

Picking up her fork again Awen looked down at her food and was suddenly not hungry. It was cold.  

[Awen Zyn]

Happy Birthday?

Maryke stared into the mirror and once again poked and prodded at her face, her reflection doing likewise. Maybe if she wore enough concealer no one would notice the bags or the stress lines. Hah! Like it'd really matter here anyway. She let out a short faltered sigh and then spun around. It was just a day. Just another ordinary day...

So much for the big two five....and somewhere in the back of her mind she figured if she was out there, in the real world, it wouldn't matter anyway. Hell, she barely remembered herself. Besides she could treat HERSELF. Nothing that a little alcohol and the soft ocean breeze couldn't fix. So she set off, wondering why the hell she was dressed to the nines if she'd be spending the event alone anyway.

As soon as she made her way to the beach bar her hazels lit up and she stopped, immediately sending a curse under her breath.

"You boys having a party?" she asked, eyebrows raised, without waiting for an answer she said, "Guess I should leave you to it then..."

Awen tilted her head as she saw a couple figures in the beach bar. Taking a walk on the beach to sooth some instincts of wanting salt water from the manta part of her mind. She heard the music and wasn't entirely sure if it was okay to just barge in of them. But soon she realised who was within the beachbar, not to mention the thrid brunnette of the bunch and she grinned.

"Avery! Tim! Maryke!" She called and waved as she came closer. "How's it going?"

Avery looked away from Tim when he heard someone speak up behind them. It was someone new - fresh off the boat it seemed, so to speak. Not even changed yet. Although, she didn't seem surprised by their appearances, so hopefully that meant she already knew the truth about this place.

"Hey there! Yep, we are - but everyone's welcome to join!" He waved his free hand at the bar. "Help yourself - there's vanilla cake, too. I turned 20 today!"

And that was when he heard yet someone else approach, and his tail wagged and his ears perked up when he recognized the girl. "Awen, hey!" He went over to her and hugged the manta girl tightly. "I haven't seen you in a while! How ya been?"

Timothy nodded to the ladies. He smiled particurally at Awen because he knew her previously."Yeah we are just hanging around and stuff. You can feel free to join, it's open invitation... that was the idea anyway. We have cake, and alchohol and music." Tim's voice sang corny love songs and he looked over at it.

"Well, we might be able to find some other music if need be..." he grinned. Atleast he had a good voice.

Awen laughed as she was embraced by the taller dog-man. It had been awhile since she'd seen him. Hadn't since... well before each of them last changed it seems! She pressed him tight before letting go. "Ahh ya know, good bad bored!" She chuckled before hopping over to Tim and giving him a quick hug. "And you I haven't seen in a long time. You look... good. For Pepe Le Pew." She gave him a wink and laughed. "I like the music personally, never did catch a chance to hear you sing."

It was obvious that Awen had been starved for company. She'd been meeting a few new people lately, seeing a few old people, but really she had been looking forward to the party she had been trying.. and failing... to plan. This was the next best thing.

"Oh!" She spun around and held an arm out to Maryke. "Tim, Avery, this is Maryke. She's new...er.. if you couldn't tell." Pausing she turned and faced the only true-human among them. "Holding up pretty well I see?"

"Thanks!" Avery grinned and raised his glass to Maryke. "Cheers! Here's to alcohol and junk food and all great things birthdays are made of." With that, he took a generous sip from his Long Island Iced Tea, licking his lips.

Avery couldn't hold back a loud, bark of a laugh at Awen's comparing Timothy to Pepe Le Pew. "Doesn't he though? I'm glad I didn't have to paint a white stripe down my back to get him after me, though. Paint would probably be hard to get out of fur, and having fur is bad enough as it is already," the dog boy grinned.

"Maryke, eh? I'm Avery, it's nice to meet you!" Avery greeted the human girl. "Can I get you anything to drink?"

"All things considered." Timothy pulled Avery next to him and wrapped his arm around him. He wanted to kiss him, but he'd learned that people weren't always comfortable with public displays of affection. Still he wanted to emphisize his point to Markye.

"Just getting by, you know? I got the staff to give me some music equipment so I can record my own stuff now... we'll see how that turns out." Timothy grinned.

He turned his attention to the new person, "So Maryke is it? So how'd you end up here?"



She grinned at them all, and then nodded at Avery. "Sure, just a straight screwdriver.." With that she turned back towards Awen and Tim, not missing the fact that Avery and Tim must be an item. It didn't bother her in the least. Afterall she came from a world where gay men were revered as fashion Gods.

"Nice to meet you," she said to the both with a curt headnod. At Timothy's question she shrugged, "Same as usual..tricked. I was told this was going to be a nice island resort..."

Awen glanced over her shoulder at the mention of Avery and paint in his fur. "Least fur doesn't dry out..." Awen grumbled audiable with a little grin, to let him know she really wasn't complaining. "I'm good with no drink for now, thanks. I'll snag a slice of cake if you don't mind."

She moved to tap the radio dealie that was set up. "Sounds pretty good to me Tim." She smiled encouragingly, she really meant it, before going to grab herself some of the cake.

Avery grinned and snuggled up to his boyfriend, giving him a playful kiss on the cheek before pulling away to go behind the bar. "Coming right up!" he said, fixing her a glass before handing it over to Maryke. "And a piece of cake for the other lady," he said, cutting a slice of the cake for Awen and handing it to her on a plate. "Anyone else while want anything since I'm serving stuff already?" he asked.

Timothy finished his Long Island Ice Tea with a grin. "I think I'll have another of these..." he was already feeling a bit light headed and enjoying the sensation.

"So what's been going on lately... between my music and my boyfriend I've been... distracted?"


"Thanks," Maryke muttered, taking the glass handed to her and drinking deeply from it. She let out a soft little sigh, letting the warmth of the alocohol and the flavor of the citrus melt around inside her chest. She shook her head at the cake offer. "I should watch what I eat," she said with a sly little grin, patting her 'tummy' as she did. She took a few more sips of her drink and then placed it back on the counter.

"I'd hate to drink and run, but I should really head back to my duplex," she said, not bothering to give anymore reasons. "Enjoy the rest of your birthday," she said to Avery before looking over to Timothy and adding, "Make sure he does." She gave him a knowing wink and then waved goodbye to Awen before making her way back the way she came.

Munching on the cake Avery had given her she was about to scoff and tell Maryke to enjoy herself...but she was already on the move away. The manta frowned and swallowed the cake. "Aw... see ya Maryke!" She waved back and shook her head.

Turning to Avery's question she smield vaguely. "Don't know, I've been swimming and...playing games and reading..... Not much on my end really."

Timothy winked back at Maryke as she left. "Oh I will." he said and gave Avery's butt a squeeze.

Tim turned his attention back to Awen. "That's cool, haven't done much swimming since that day I came and stank up your lake." he still thought of it as her lake personally. Especially since he had yet to encounter any of the other aquatic life on the island.

"Bye Maryke, was nice meeting you!" Avery waved, then yelped in surprise when he felt Timothy grope his behind. He just snickered and downed the rest of his drink, before pouring Timothy and himself more Long Island Iced Tea. He passed a glass to Timothy before looking at Awen. "Looks like it's just us three then, eh? What should we do?"

"Oh Tim! Shush, it's not my lake, and you were only really bad then.. you did just change and such... But hey come swimming sometime darnit..."

She looked over at Avery and gave a little inward smirk. Hmm two guys all to herself.... She shook her head. Where did that thought come from...? "I don't know Avery, it's your party after all." She shrugged.

Timothy finished his second Long Island Ice Tea. He was feeling fairly tipsy now. "Y'know, the lady brings a point... whatcha wanna do puppy boy?"

Timothy grinned and allowed his eyes to travel over his boyfriend again. He had a brief thought about what would be going on afterwards.

Avery was feeling a nice buzz from the alcohol as he worked on his second drink. "Up to me then, hmm? Well..." he thought for a moment - what could the three of them do? It was a shame they didn't have playing cards, or he would suggest a drinking game of some sort. But then again, Awen didn't seem to want to drink anything anway.

"How about... uh... well damn, not a lot to do on an island, is there?" He pouted. "Swimming while drunk doesn't seem like it would be a great idea, would it?"

"Nor does swimming in that water with these gills..." Awen said sadly and set down her empty plate. She shook her head slowly.

"Geez, what a trio, huh? I guess...we've just been on this island too long. There's nothing..fresh to do..."

"Pretty much... that's just life I guess." Timothy ate another piece of cake. He then cut another and held it out for Avery.

"I need to slow down a bit." Timothy said, already halfway through his third drink. Was probably starting to get to be a bad idea. "So why the no alchohol Awen... is it a fish thing or?" Timothy wasn't thinking strait with some of his questions... well, Timothy rarely though strait but in this case it was in the classical sense of the word.

"Oh yeah, I guess I forgot to get a piece of cake for myself," Avery laughed, taking the offered cake from Timothy. "Well, we don't have to do anything," he said. "We could just hang out and stuff." Avery shrugged, finishing off his second drink and then going for a third.

Avery had no intention of slowing down - he wanted to get wasted.

"Hm?" She looked over to tim, not noticing how much he'd been drinking. She shrugged slightly and shook her head. "Oh no no....well... I don't think so anyway.... I just turned legal age to drink before I left for the island, but with my town there wasn't any place really to go drinking without it being stupid or dangerous. All through elementary and high schools there were always wild bush parties and the things I heard at those parties, I wanted no part of. So I guess I always just associated stupid things like.. well... Jamie getting his couch stuck on his roof or Karen bringing in a pig's head from her father's butcher shop to fling around the party with drinking. Just because that's the kind of stupid things that go on at parties around my town." She shrugged. "It never appealed to me really."

She smiled to Avery and nodded. "Hanging out is cool too...."

"But of course." Timothy grinned, if Avery didn't have any intention of slowing down then neither did he. "I guess we are already sort of hanging outc right now." Timothy laid his head against Avery.

"Ahhh what a night." Timothy finished his third glass. Man these things drank smooth. Atleast they made things interesting. He didn't feel like moving right now though.

"But that's one of the fun parts about getting drunk, doing stupid s**t," Avery chuckled. "And it's always hilarious at the time anyway, even if you think it's stupid later!" He put his arm around Timothy's shoulders, snuggling up close to the other boy as he worked on finishing his drink.

"Mmm... so Awen, how's your boyfriend? Oh, hey! Did you get a picture of him in my shirt?" Avery suddenly laughed, remembering the shirt he had lent to her. "I wanna see what he looks like!"

She leaned agaisnt one of the walls of the beach bar and watched the two drink and talk. She still didn't think that making an a** of yourself drunk was any better than making an a** of yourself sober. But they were drinking and having fun so she wouldn't protest.

Awen's eyes went wide at his mention. She glanced at Tim quickly as she blushed looking at Avery. "Uh...I..er... No I didn't get a picture of him s-sorry.... It was pretty funny but we're not exactly...er..."

"Boyfriend? Who are you dating Awen?" Timothy grinned. He was glad to see other people hooking up too. Made him feel like less of an odditity for not being so discontented about being here.

"So tell me all about him." Timothy grinned and leaned forward.

Unfortunately for Avery, he had a problem with keeping his mouth shut when he was drunk, even if he would normally know better. Especially in this case. "Awww," Avery pouted. "Ah well, that's too bad. Don't try to deny it!" he grinned at the manta girl. "He stayed over at your duplex, right?"

Awen frowned looking between the two. She gave Avery a sort of harsh look before sighing and stumbling. "N-not exactly my boyfriend... And he only stayed at my duplex because he had no where else to...." She seriously looked upset by the whole thing.

Avery, sure he was fine with it. But he discovered it by accident. Tim, she wasn't so sure of. Sure he may have the same thoughts as Aver, after all their relationship wasn't exactly traditional. But Awen wasn't sure how bitter Tim may be at the staff.

She weighed them both in her mind before eventually just..letting it go. Tim didn't seem like the bitter person...he'd..understand.

"He's...tall, handson, long silver hair. He's very charming, with a French accent, he's incredibly smart and fascinates me with his little history facts, or projects of mythology." The projects reffering to his little Beastie which she has yet to see and other projects that Moreau had put down. "He does kind of have his trickster side though... and some people don't like him for it. But... he is such a gentleman...really..." She couldn't help but smile by the end, even if it was a small smile. "And lots of his tricks are pretty clever.... But like I said before... we're not really..going out..as such. We're... I don't know what..."

Timothy looked over at Avery, coinciently he had never met Sabin. He actually had yet to have any interaction with him. "Oh... he's french? What's he turning into... if you know yet?" Timothy said with a smile.

He really had no idea... he'd heard the name Sabin as a Doctor that Chubbs hated but he'd never met him or had any interaction with him. He had no idea she was refering to the same person.

"Ahh, you never said he had a French accent... that's pretty sexy," Avery commented. Before Awen could reply to Timothy, Avery spoke up for her. "He's not turning into anything, he's one of the doctors. Right?" he asked, glancing at Awen for confirmation. He was working on his fourth drink now, easily on his way to being absolutely drunk.

Awen winced as Avery so unceremoniously tossed out that piece of information. She slipped a weak smile to Tim and nodded a little. "Um..yeah... S-Sabin Duvert...."

Timothy was slurring a little bit here and there from all the alchohol he was consuming. "Ohhh... oh hell...I'vesheard bad things from Chubbs and Joli about him. Of course, Joli triesto eat me already so... but wow look at you! Getting an inside man..."

Timothy looked over at Avery. "So... you zee french acceunts. If I sounded too french... zen I really would be zee Pepe Le Pew." he grinned. It wasn't a good french accent, but that could be chalked up to all the drinking.

"Hey, that's true! Maybe you get get him to delay your changes... or even off the island!" Avery laughed, nearly spilling his drink but somehow managing not to - but then his laughing died down when he realized what Tim had just said. "Wait... wha? Who tried to eat you?" he asked, sounding confused.

Awen laughed a little at the two and shook her head slowly. It wasn't quite the time to bring up the whole 'we're all prisoners here subject and staff' thing, so she just concentrated on what Avery said, bringing her out of her on embarassment.

"Joli tried to eat you?" She frowned and sighed. "Why am I not surprised..."

"Yeah she did. Then she got a whiff of what this tail can do!" Timothy laughed, not quite thinking about what he was saying. This had been fairly embarrasing for him and he hadn't discussed it with Avery before.

"I haven't been anywhere near her since... she'd just changed. I watched it, Avery's change was better to watch. He just got fluffy and cuddly." Timothy grinned as he attempted to mix himself another. It wasn't as good as the last, but he didn't really notice as he spilled a bit of the alchohol on the counter.

"Huh? Does she attack people often?" Avery asked when Awen didn't seem too surprised at this revelation. He made a mental note to avoid this person if he ever ran into her again, trying to remember what she looked like.

Avery's eyes widened, looking at Tim. "You mean... you... sprayed her?" He was surprised. It wasn't anything he'd ever seen Timothy do (and he wasn't in a hurry, either). He knew he was turning into a skunk, but it was still a very strange thought. Regardless, he snuggled up to his boyfriend at the compliment. "Not fluffy like you, though," Avery pouted, looking down at the patchy fur on his arms.

She laughed out loud hearing how Tim had actually sprayed the girl. At least it'll give her a lesson, maybe calm her hunger for islander a bit. "Joli... has had some trouble with her instincts. But nothing that bad I didn't think."

She sighed watching the two cuddle up to eachother and pushed herself off the wall. She wished she could snuggle with Sabin like that...

"Well, I'd better leave you two love birds alone." She smiled and waved a bit. "Thanks for the cake and chat guys. And for understanding Tim..."

"Hey no problem! Tell your boytoy there that I wouldn't mind French lessons... apparently my boyfriend here likes it." Timothy playfully slapped Avery's shoulder. "And if anyone gives you a hard time, just tell them your dating a Doctor... everyone wants that right?"

"The things I do for you." he said as he grinned and moved himself to Avery's lap.

"Trouble with instincts, huh?" Avery frowned a bit, remembering what he had done the last time he changed. Of course, he didn't go attack anyone, at least. He hoped he wouldn't start chasing cats up trees...

"Aw, okay then, Awen! It was good seeing you again!" Avery smiled at her. He slid his arms around Tim when he moved into his lap, nuzzling the other boy's shoulder. "I know, I'm spoiled. Not that I'm complaining," he grinned.

As she was walking away she rolled her eyes a bit at Tim's comments and shook her head. "Yeah because that's exactly what everyone wants.... on mainland. Here it just gets lots of people wanting you dead."

She waved to the boys behind her. "Have fun tonight guys!"