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 Posted: Thu Sep 14, 2006 1:09 am
"I... know how you feel. I mean... I am-er.... was... a fencer. But that's just sport.... it's not real." His ear flicked backwards. "I wouldn't want to hurt anyone either. I think... I think I've pulled through well enough, considering. I'll be honest... I've "hunted" since... all of this. But I've never hurt anyone or anything that is or ever used to be human."
He took a breath held it, and continued. "And supposedly my changes are complete.. and I feel.. sane enough. I don't think that I pose a danger to anyone nor will I ever. I have ... lupine instincts. But nothing too horrible that can't be thought about logically... But I can't imagine what might have happened to her to attack someone like that. I mean... you said her change was really bad. Maybe... maybe there was something.. wrong." He was rambling again, and he clamped his mouth shut. Something wrong with the serums? Something wrong with her? there were so many variables. But if the victim had been a rabbit... could it have been the wolf in her? Ambrose had managed to separate between real animals and islanders, but might others have problems with that, especially when in pain? He would never pose a threat to anyone, predator OR prey... even if hurt or ... under that feral serum or anything again. right?
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Posted: Thu Sep 14, 2006 1:16 am
Sid drummed his fingers on his knee, trying to come up with a new conversation topic while at the same time confirming the stabbing pain wasn't back yet.
"I keep worrying I won't be able to write, when it's all over," he said at last. "Like, y'know, if it was too hard to type with paws or something. But then I realize I've barely touched it since I got here. The typewriter, I mean. Too much to think about. Practically stabs the ol' muse with an ice pick. Repeatedly." He mulled over that metaphor for a few seconds before he laughed. "Ah, but what's the point? Nobody's gonna see it. Maybe I should just stick to whittling. It's a good hobby. Much less stressful. Hell, it's soothing... unless your hand slips."
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Posted: Thu Sep 14, 2006 1:23 am
"I know how you feel... kind of. When I first learned of what was going on... I think that my biggest loss that I worried about, beyond the obvious of course, was that I wouldn't be able to fence any more. But now, I hardly have anyone to even spar with, let alone go to competitions. That what I lived for back home... that and, well, Angelina. Now.... I honestly have't tried since my last change. My hands are less dexterous... and I'm bulky... probably too bulky... but I don't know." He rolled his shoulders.
"But you're a writer? At least if you did decide to write, you woudln't exactly need anyone with any special training to share it with. Beyond a basic grasp of literacy. It might not be many people, but there are still at least fifty of us here... and most of us who have been here for a while need distractions. Or... did you actually write professionally? Maybe you could get something published through the labs under an alias or something. They might be pretty cautious, though, to make sure it didn't have some sort of... code or anything." He smirked.
The conversation was good, it was a different subject, and he wouldn't let himself slip back to the... murder. His appetite was shot, and the clammy cold feeling down his spine had sunk in and was there to stay for a while.
Between the attack on Aubrey... and this... things were feeling off... wrong. Even more so than before. Change was in the air, and Ambrose didn't like the way things were headed.
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Posted: Thu Sep 14, 2006 1:33 am
"Oh, I got published. Once," Sid said, hoping the terseness was enough to discourage further questions about that. "So far as pseudonyms go... Maybe, I dunno. Might be interesting, see how that goes. Well, hear about it secondhand, if I'm lucky. It's not that I ever wanted book signings or any of that s**t. Not to start with."
He chewed on his lip as he thought about all that. The booze-pill combo must have been letting up if he could actually get a word like 'pseudonym' out without any trouble.
"Maybe that was my problem. Thinking, afterwards, that I wanted it, and had to work towards that... and write something that would guarantee that, 'stead of just... just writing."
He slapped his forehead. At least, that's what he intended to do. He smacked his palm over his face instead. He was still a long way from truly sober. "I'm an idiot. A goddamned idiot."
The epiphany- of what to write for, not that he was an idiot- was too great to just sit on. Sid unhooked his cane from the side of his table and stood up, suddenly with a purpose. He had almost started out before he remembered his manners.
"Uh... Sorry. I don't mean to rush out or anything, even if I kinda am. It's just, y'know, when it strikes you gotta answer... Inspiration, I mean, not... Ah, you know."
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Posted: Thu Sep 14, 2006 1:37 am
Ambrose smiled. Perhaps there was a small light in this dark tunnel, even if a small one, and for his 'lunch' companion.
"I'm... uhm... happy to oblige?" Ambrose didn't know what he did to strike the man with such inspiration. He had been thinking fairly pessimistically, but he was glad to help.
"You certainly wouldn't need to worry about book signings here." He added sardonically. "But... I wish you luck. And I hope that inspiration stays with you." His tail gave a few supportive wags.
He rose respectively and held out a furry arm. "Can I help you back to your duplex?"
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Posted: Thu Sep 14, 2006 1:44 am
"Nah, nah, I got it," Sid said, waving the offer away. He was to enthusiastic about the whole idea of writing just for the sake of writing- as if that was so novel- that there wasn't even room left to be offended at the offer.
"And book signings? ******** 'em. You wouldn't believe the s**t people want you to write. Like this one time..." He shook his his head, unable even to launch into the story. "I'll hafta tell you later."
He started for the door, jabbing his cane into the linoleum to go with his determined stride. His oft neglected manners caught up with him when he was half way out. "And it was nice talkin' with ya!"
Sure, murder and transformation topics aside.
For all his sudden vigor, the pill-booze cocktail effects seemed almost to have worn off- at least until Sid clipped the side of the door with his shoulder on the way out.
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Posted: Thu Sep 14, 2006 1:48 am
Ambrose was left feeling rather baffled, but not unpleasantly so. "Well... It was... nice speaking with you as well, Sid." Not completely true - at least not most of the subjects, but at least it had ended on a lighter note. And Ambrose was curious about the story he had almost launched into.
If he had done book signings, then he must have been a fairly successful writer. What had he written, Ambrose wondered.
"Well... take care, and ride that wave of inspiration!" He called after him with a wave before looking consideringly at the sandwich that Sid had left, debating whether or not his appetite was going to return.
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Posted: Sun Sep 17, 2006 6:18 pm
New RP ----------------- It was a horrible and nasty hot day outside, that was for certain.
Seth hated walking around in it. His duplex offered some shelter from the heat which was something at least, but that still didn't change the fact that he was hot and bothered. To make things worse, hungry too, now.
That was at least something he could take care of though. He was still... shaken from the meeting with the weird frog guy and just wanted to push it from his mind. He was in denial at that time - he wasn't going to turn into one of them! He was only here to deliver a package, nothing more. He would be gone before he knew it.
"Yeah, that's it..." He had assured himself as he wandered into the cafeteria area in search of food, his trusty laptop under one arm. "I'll call that Dr Duvert dude, collect my big fat paycheck, and leave. I'm just a delivery guy, nothing more than that. I'm going to get out of here..."
The first thing he had noticed when he got there was how surprisingly dead the place was. There wasn't anybody around at all. This was good at least, he wouldn't be bothered. The man set his laptop down on one of the eating tables and helped himself to a serving of steak and other assorted goodies, carrying them back to his table. Then he turned on his laptop, booted it up, determined to try and find some sort of wireless internet connectivity in the area.
There HAD to be some somewhere... right?
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Posted: Sun Sep 17, 2006 6:26 pm
Marshall had offically gone 23 hours, 7 minutes, and 12 seconds with out sleep. How, you might wonder? Well, every time he closed his eyes he pictures those little leg things growing out of Professor River's stomach. Now, sitting at an empty table with a can of JOLT pratically glued to his hand, and his head resting on the table, Marshall had only one thing to say:
...He was hungry.
Slowly he got up, still sipping on the can as he got a cheap plastic bowl and helped himself to some Macaroni and Cheese. It wasn't as good as the stuff he could make himself (one of the few good things he could make to begin with), but still, it was confort food.
As he ladled the noodles into the bowl, Marshall noticed an older man walk into the cafeteria with a computer tucked under his arm. He watched as the man sat down and booted it up.
If it was any other day, Marshall would've happily walked over and striked up a conversation. But today...
He just wanted to stay awake!
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Posted: Sun Sep 17, 2006 6:36 pm
Sid was in a good mood, despite everything, but that was mostly thanks to the pills. He'd finally perfected the right dosage with the right amount of alcohol to achieve the kind of comfortable haze that still allowed him to function without bumping into things... as much.
The fact he hadn't had a decent meal in days was gnawing at him, so it was back to the cafeteria in hopes of finding something he'd actually be inclined to eat. He noted the guy with the laptop as he hobbled in and felt a little better for seeing someone who wasn't young enough to be a kid of his.
Did he have any kids unaccounted for? The random thought made him pause on his way to the food. If he did, it didn't matter now. Shaking his head to clear the thought, Sid moved behind Marshall.
"Hey," he said, choosing not to comment on the macaroni.
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Posted: Sun Sep 17, 2006 6:47 pm
Seth as he heard the voice across the room. He was relieved as he noticed two people - and both normal looking at that. They didn't look like they worked here though, their clothes just didn't seem like it. Dr Duvert had been eccentricly dressed, but it was dressy and formal. These guys were in casual attire.
He watched them, but did not say anything to them for the time being. They looked like they knew each other and were about to engage in conversation. At that moment, his laptop began dinging as it signalled its failure to find a wireless internet connection and Seth's attention was distracted back to it. He grumbled at the news it had given to him and he tried to make it connect again, even though he knew it was probably pointless.
"This sucks," He muttered to himself. "What's the point of having a rich island resort if you can't even provide the basic necessities, like the internet?"
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Posted: Sun Sep 17, 2006 7:02 pm
Marshall slowly raised his head, greeted with Sid. It was barely two days ago he ran into the older man, and experienced his first "real" drink. It wasn't the best time he'd had but still, it was definatly memerable.
"Oh, heya Sid...How ya doin'?" Marshall asked as he grabbed a spork. He wasn't exactly in a chatty mood but still, not even sleep deprivation can stop a social butterfly.
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Posted: Sun Sep 17, 2006 7:12 pm
"Can't complain," Sid said. After a beat, he grinned and added, "Actually I could, but who wants to hear all that accompanying violin music, really?"
As he spoke he eyed what was available- too many choices, and with him only feeling generally hungry. His attentioned drifted away within a few seconds, dragging his gaze along with it, back to the unfamiliar face.
"Say," he said, pointing with his free hand. Never mind manners or subtlety. "You know that guy?"
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Posted: Sun Sep 17, 2006 7:25 pm
Seth was vaguely aware of the fact he was being talked about, but that didn't matter a hoot to him right now. The little light on the side of his laptop was blinking orange.
A bad, bad sign.
"Oh bloody hell!" He snapped, whacking the side of it in his annoyance. "Friggin computer, why won't it work?" Seth hissed, making a note to himself to leave a very stern worded letter with the lab staff about the conditions of their facilities upon his departure. He gave up on trying to connect again for the time being. He rose up out of his seat and walked across to the two, wondering if they knew much about the place.
"Do you or the young bloke know where there's an internet access point is in this place?" He asked them. "I've been trying to find one since I got here. But this place is dodgy, it seems."
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Posted: Sun Sep 17, 2006 7:31 pm
"The old guy with the laptop? Never seen him before." Marshall said to Sid, chucking his now empty can into a trashcan with little disregard for hitting some thing.
Soon after Marshall had said this, the "old guy" he was talking about walked up to the two of them. Marshall wasn't sure how he should take being called 'young bloke', but still he was too tired to care.
"There's no internet on the island...Then again I've never tried sooo..." Marshall shrugged. He was feeling increasingly useless the longer he stayed on the island, he feared.
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