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 Posted: Sun Jul 23, 2006 7:56 pm
Goddamn, if this guy was a liar then he should be a professional on the World Poker Tour. I make it past the corny "what's in there" line without laughing. Trying to keep my face straight...reincarnation...huh.
I place my hands behind my head and lean back against the headboard with a sigh. "Well let's get on with it then," I say, trying to make it hard for him to decide whether I'm serious or not...shouldn't be too hard since it's hard for me to tell.
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Posted: Sun Jul 23, 2006 8:00 pm
He nodded, his head dipping into more of a bow than just an affirmation. "Very well. You are free to explore this realm as far as it takes you. Interact with those other souls here and learn. For now, however... I must leave you that you might learn for yourself."
He raised a finger to his temple as if to tip a hat, and without leaving Tommy time to ask any more questions... stepped out the door.
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Sabin Duvert Vice Captain
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Posted: Sun Jul 23, 2006 8:06 pm
I just stare at the man's retreating frame and watch the afterimage fade from view as he steps out the door.
"...huh..." You'd think he'd...dissapear or something. I shake my head and try to stand. A bit wobbly at first...steady...steady...alright...there we go. I look down at what I'm wearing...seems like they found my physical conditioning gear (pretty much athletic shorts and a t-shirt with my name on it). But where are my normal clothes?
Looking around the room, I find a dresser. In the top drawer are my BDU's (freshly pressed...weird) in the top drawer. I begin getting dressed in my military uniform.
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Posted: Mon Jul 24, 2006 9:04 am
Roleplay: A Confused Entry Tommy and Nita -------------------------------------- Tommy Christian Tommy finishes blousing his last boot when he stands up and looks in the mirror. *Sigh...well, here goes nothing* He looks himself over. Decked out in full battle dress uniform, all neatly pressed with shining boots (though he has no idea how that came about; he's normally very sloppy when it comes to his uniform) he places his hat on top of his head and steps outside of his duplex and into the night. Nita MacNeal Nita walked slowly through the village, full with her latest meal and carrying a styrofoam box of bamboo and varied fruit. As she walked past the newest row of duplexes, a sudden ray of light appeared and disappeared: a door opening and closing. With a smile, the furred girl turned to wave at the man just stepping outside. It wasn't until after her automatic greeting that she realized the guy was fully human. And of course these were the newest duplexes. She could only pray the guy already knew what was going on... Nita MacNeal Nita walked slowly through the village, full with her latest meal and carrying a styrofoam box of bamboo and varied fruit. As she walked past the newest row of duplexes, a sudden ray of light appeared and disappeared: a door opening and closing. With a smile, the furred girl turned to wave at the man just stepping outside. It wasn't until after her automatic greeting that she realized the guy was fully human. And of course these were the newest duplexes. She could only pray the guy already knew what was going on... Tommy Christian Tommy steps out of his duplex and immediately turns around to look where he just came out of. *Apartments...? What the hell?* he thinks. Sighing, he turns and begins walking down the steps to ground level. There's a person waving at him, but it's too dark for him to make her out. He thinks it's a her, but of course he forgot to put in his contacts so everything is...fuzzy. A bit fuzzier than normal, actually. He cautiously waves back. "...um...hey," he calls to Nita. Nita MacNeal Well, so far so good. At least he's not gibbering about the fur. Or the tail, Nita thought drily. "Nice evening, isn't it?" she said, reassurred. Nita stepped off the path and approached Tommy. Her keen eyes examined him, noting his uniform and distinctive haircut. Army of some sort. Seemed the doctors were getting even bolder. "So... You been here long?" Nita asked, shifting her weight slightly. Tommy Christian The fuzzy blob walks toward Tommy in a friendly manner, this calms him down a bit. "I uh...I guess not. I mean I just woke up when this...guy...uh...." Tommy begins stuttering a bit as the fuzzy blob comes into focus. A few quick thoughts run through his head in the span of about a second: *What's with the costume...no not costume...the makeup? The expertly made makeup with moving tail? Oh wow...yeah...that's not right* Tommy's face goes from a nervous happy to a tad freaked out very soon after. His boots make a crunching noise on the ground as he takes a hesitant step backwards. Nita MacNeal Oh s**t. So he was really new. Nita stopped her forward progress and worked to look as non-threatening as possible. Considering this guy was a good foot taller than her, and probably trained in self defense, Nita thought the precaution was a bit ludicrous. "I'm sorry for not introducing myself," she said. "My name is Nita. Nita MacNeal." The red-head smiled again, although inwardly she was wondering how she managed to be the welcoming committee so often. Maybe they really should make brochures. Tommy Christian Tommy steps back once too far and trips over the staircase leading up to his duplex. Thankfully he doesn't hurt himself. He just unceremoniously sits down heavily on the step. He takes a couple of deep breaths while just staring at Nita. "Hoh...kay...huh...wow..." is all Tommy can think of to say. Nita MacNeal A frown momentarily crossed Nita's distinctly-marked face. She took a few careful steps forward, still carrying her box of food. "I, um, I'm not going to hurt you or anything," she said quietly. "I just.. Look, I'm just trying to be friendly." Nita tugged on one long braid. "Um.. Hm. You got a name?" Tommy Christian Tommy takes one more deep breath and blinks a few times. He takes off his hat, wipes his brow, and replaces it in a very forced motion. He then forces his eyes to look at Nita. "I'm...uh...my name's...Tommy. Tommy Christian," the cadet replies. Though he may be responding rationally, it's probably easy to tell that he's doing everything in his power not to break down completely. He silently praises the Academy for his boot camp training. Nita MacNeal Nita nodded. After a moment's hesitation, she sat on the step beside Tommy, still keeping a bit of distance between them (and curling her tail around her waist on the side not next to him). "Nice to meet you, Tommy," Nita replied politely. She sighed and tucked a bit of stray hair behind her elongated ears. "It's really not so bad here," she told him. "It does take some getting used to though." Nita bit her lip and fingered the tip of her tail absently. "What did they tell you to get you here?" Tommy Christian Tommy begins thinking of what they did tell him...was this Heaven? Hell? Purgatory? Was that guy really not just, to use Tommy's vernacular, blowing smoke up his a**? Tommy looks from his shined boots to Nita and back again. "I uh...he...when I woke up this guy told me I was in a 'transition' stage...that I was in my afterlife...or something..." Tommy gives a slight grin, not sure of anything now. He looks over Nita's form, from the pointy ears down to the bushy tail, and sighs. Nita MacNeal Nita stared at him for a moment. Oh dear Lord. "The afterlife??" she repeated, incredulous. "Wow. I must say they're getting more creative..." Nita shook her head, holding back gales of laughter. The afterlife, indeed! "I assure you that, I, at least, am very much alive. Changed, yes, torn away from my old life, but definitely not dead." Nita turned towards Tommy, leaning against the railing, letting him take in her changes. "This," she began, waving her arms to indicate the entire island, "is some extensive experiment. "Everyone here has been injected with a serum that somehow, through the 'marvels of science,'" (she made air-quotes with her fingers) "changes us. Into animals," Nita added, in case that wasn't already obvious. Tommy Christian Tommy nods in a way that says 'yeah, figured that' when Nita seems like she's about to explode from laughter. Tommy sighs again and looks over Nita once more as she turns toward him. *Yeah...that's real fur...the tail moves, and those ears...wow...yeah...* "Ex...Experiment? Huh...sounds like something out of a movie...well...something out of two movies and a book..." Tommy looks up at the moon and then back to Nita. He begins thinking that she must've been more than a little pretty before...whatever happened to her...happened. He blinks hard and shakes his head. He absently reaches his hand up and rubs a sore spot at the back of his neck. "But...you're serious? What, and y'all are all trapped here too?" Even though the truth is staring him in the face, he still needs to hear this from someone besides his own mind. Nita MacNeal "It's all very science-fictiony," Nita agreed. "But it's real, all right. Let's see. It's the end of July now..." She looked up at the dark sky, counting. "I've been here almost four months now, and I've changed twice. Some people I know have been here nearly a year now. I know a couple people have tried to escape, but... Well, there are cameras everywhere. And we've all got chips in us so they know where we are. There's some kind of command that can knock us out." Nita sighed. "Science fiction and Big Brother. But you deal with it, and really, it's not so bad here. I mean, we could all be trapped in little cages... At least we've got the whole island. Village, jungle, beach, a lake..." The girl shrugged. "Sorry if I'm telling you too much all at once. I always figured it's better to know what the hell is going on instead of denying it and going nuts over it." Tommy Christian Tommy is silent for a moment as he looks over Nita's face. He tries to read her face as he would in a poker tournament...but of course, that didn't work out too well with the other guy. However, Nita here had proof. He rubs the back of his neck again and winces slightly. *So...what, it's a mix between the movie No Escape, and the book 1984?* he thinks to himself. Of course he doesn't say this outloud... "But...why? I mean...there doesn't seem to be any...point to it. Why take a perfectly healthy person and...do...this to her?" he motions toward Nita, herself. Tommy looks more confused than freaked out now, with a hint of sadness at the immense waste. Nita MacNeal Ah yes, the all-important question. Not so much the 'how' but the 'why.' "I honestly don't know," Nita admitted, scratching lightly at one furred arm. She placed the box of bamboo on the step below her and pulled her knees up to her chest. "I've heard they're working on a cure for cancer... and there's a kid here who has MS, but after his first change at least some of the symptoms were gone. Really, there's so much potential." She paused for a moment. "I guess I'm sort of an anomaly here, but I honestly don't mind it so much." Tommy Christian "Cu...cure for cancer? B...but there's got to be a better way!" Tommy takes his hat off again...not much use really anymore. From the way she's describing it, Tommy's going to be stuck there for a long time. He sighs and looks to her after her last statement. "Potential, huh?" he asks, not unkindly, "Potential...yeah...Nita...right? Nita...do you have a family? People you care about outside of...here?" he gestures widely infront of him. "Because I do...I've got two older brothers, one who's severely handicapped that's going to need my help when my parents are no longer there. I've got two younger sisters, one of whom is barely ten years old. And my parents...*he sighs* my parents...s**t...I don't even know how my mother's going to react after hearing I'm missing..." Tommy thinks back to exactly how he got here, "Or dead." At this the cadet just stares off into the distance. "No way off...huh?" he asks quietly. Nita MacNeal "Maybe there is, maybe there isn't. But what's been done to us has been done. You can't change it, so you might as well accept it." Nita sighed and rested her chin on her knees. "Of course. Parents and a younger brother... But there are people here, too. People I care about, and that I wouldn't have met if I hadn't come here. So even if I could go back, how could I leave everyone? And if by some freak chance we were rescued... That's what we'd be. Freaks." Nita sighed again. "Here, at least, everyone ends up changed. I've been told I'm 'lucky' since I'm still a mammal. But can you imagine me back home? Walking around campus like this? Going to the grocery store, or trying to rent an apartment, or applying for jobs?" Tommy Christian Tommy looks her over again for the third time...he's still having trouble believing all of this. He finally pries his eyes away, hoping he wasn't seen as rude. He begins thinking on all that Nita has told him...no...no there had to be a way out. He wouldn't give up like she had. Hell, this could all still be some coma induced nightmare...right? No...no, this is real enough. The breeze ruffling his hair...and Nita's fur...confirmed it. "Well...how long until...you know...your first um....change? I mean, is it gradual or...all at once?" Tommy tries his best to get all of the information he can while his mind races on all of the possibilities. Nita MacNeal Nita wasn't exactly comfortable with the way Tommy kept looking at her, but at least they were curious looks and not 'oh God, she's a freak' looks. All things considered, the guy was taking the news pretty well. Good for him. "I'd been here about a month when I changed the first time. That seems to be pretty standard, although it takes longer for some people. The doctors inject you, and a few hours later... My second change was maybe six weeks after the first?" Nita shrugged her slim shoulders. "And before you ask, yes, it does hurt. But the pain goes away, and eventually everything just feels like... Well, it feels like a part of you, I guess." Tommy Christian Tommy leans back and stares at the stars, letting all of the information sink in. He tries to keep his mind busy, knowing that if left to its own devices he will surely freak out, go bananas, lose his marbles...choose your phrase. Then it hits him, the gentleman side of Tommy realizes that he's being awfully rude to this new aquaintance. "Damn...I'm...I'm sorry. I don't mean to grill you with all these questions or anything. It's just...I dunno, I mean...I'm supposed to be in Italy right now. Who'd a thunk a flock of birds could take down an air-force jet, eh? Goddamn...what a day..." He trails off while tracking the pattern of the big dipper. Gotta keep his mind busy. Nita MacNeal Nita smiled slightly, playing with one of her braids again. "It's okay, really. I know it's a lot to take in." She followed his gaze at the night sky. That was one of the nicest things about the island: the stars. Even when visiting family out in the country, Nita had never seen the stars so bright and clear. "An air-force jet, eh? Jesus... You're lucky you survived then." Nita raised a brow, a soundless query for more information, should Tommy choose to share it. Tommy Christian Tommy thinks back to...however many days ago. "Yeah...I was on my way to Aviano, Italy for Ops...er...I go to the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs...anyway, I was on my way over there in a C-17 when...s**t, I dunno what happened. I think a flock of birds took out the engines or something. Anyway, I finally got my parachute training put to good use when we all had to bail out of the aircraft," Tommy eyes seem to glaze over as he remembers for the first time his experience, "Next thing I knew, I was floating out at sea on my raft...days...goddamn, for days. I still don't know how long exactly. Finally I just passed out, you know? Thought I was dying...probably was. Anyway, I woke up in there," Tommy points to his duplex, "with this creepy guy dressed all in white telling me this was the ******** jerk..." he sighs and trails off. Nita MacNeal "Damn," Nita said simply. From his description, Tommy really was lucky to have survived. And, unless Feral Labs could control flocks of birds, his arrival really was an accident, and not some intended blow at the military. "Although I guess technically this is sort of an afterlife. A new life, at least." The girl snickered. It really was pretty funny. "The doctors around here have an interesting sense of humour, to say the least." Maybe they'd turn the guy into a seagull. Tommy Christian "A new life...well...we'll see. I hope to talk to whoever's in charge here tomorrow." Tommy shakes his head and puts his hat back on, "...though I wonder what their plans are for me...I mean, I didn't receive an injection...I don't think I did any way....huh..." He scratches absently at the back of his neck again. "Do you know who that guy was? The one who...greeted me. He was wearing all white, his ears were a little funny looking, and he had white hair about shoulder length?" Nita MacNeal "Dr. Moreau is the one in charge. And.. if you're here, you've been given an injection. Probably when you were asleep, or passed out. Whatever." Nita's eyes flicked at Tommy's hand's movement. She had her guesses as to the site of his primary injection. "White hair? That's Dr. Duvert. He's a bit.. off." Which would explain the whole 'after-life' trick. Nita yawned, and the girl covered her mouth quickly. "Sorry 'bout that. I should get back to my duplex, though, and get this stuff in the fridge." The red panda girl pointed at the box resting on the step below. "It was nice meeting you, though, and I wish you the best of luck getting in touch with the head honchos." Nita rolled her eyes as she hauled herself off the step, gathering her supply of bamboo, and brushing dirt off of her shorts and tail. "If you ever need anything, to talk or whatever, I'm just down the way, in number 44." After Tommy would reply, Nita waved set off down the path for home. Tommy Christian Tommy notes the rolling eyes and wonders the meaning...he had to guess that she thought it was useless to try. He gives a half-hearted grin and stands after she does. "Yeah...same here. And you know where I am I guess," Tommy says as he heads up the stairs to his own duplex. At the top he just watches Nita walk off, thinking to himself, trying to get keep his mind busy.
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Posted: Mon Jul 24, 2006 2:31 pm
Journal Entry #1
Something is Rotten in the State of Denmark
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Wow...this is interesting...my first night on the island...? I'm still not too sure about that one...anyway, wherever I am, this was my first night. All in all, I'm not sure what to say really. I was greeted by a friendly...furry...person? I've got no clue really what she was. She claims she was human once though. Oh well. Whatever. She spoke like a human and that's all that matters I guess.
She claims that herself and all of the rest of the inhabitants (though I've only seen her and that white haired guy with a bad sense of humor so far) are all trapped here and they're slowly turning into...animals? Yeah I know...sounds crazy. I keep on hoping that this is some coma induced nightmare, but that's feeling more and more like wishful thinking.
Ah well...Nita seems to be a nice girl (is still don't know what she's turning into...looked almost like a raccoon with strange colorations) but seemed to also have given up all hope. She said that this is kind of an afterlife, in the sense that I should just forget about my old life and live this one, but I'll never forget my family...I just can't.
Anyway, I'm going to explore this place in a day or so. I'm still so tired from my exploits out at sea...so...so tired.
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Posted: Wed Jul 26, 2006 12:37 pm
Roleplay: Dining Out Tommy and Natsumi ------------------------------------- Natsumi Tanaka
Natsumi let out a breath, pushing through the familiar doors. A hand settled on her sweater-hiding stomach, which promptly let out another growl of hunger as the smell of food rushed across her face. Followed by the fluttery "kick" of her unborn child shifting.
Though the craving for bugs wasn't near subsiding, they were far too hard for her to catch without the aid of her froggy friend and his sticky tongue... She shuddered slightly, peanuts, peanuts...
Either way, her body seemed to agree with her no food was worse than non bug food. So she made her way over towards the set up, picking out some fairly good sized portions for her fairly short, thin self. They were also noticably odd mixes.. Things people wouldn't normally eat in one meal, but then again she was a Japanese girl turning into some scaled creature. What would anyone suspect? With that acomplished, and grabbing a glass of water, she left the food to find a seat.Tommy Christian Tommy walks down the path and up to the not-so-familiar doors. He pauses a moment to prepare himself for what may be inside. He unconsciously straightens his BDU's (camouflage) before pushing open the doors. A brief glimpse shows him...well...nothing too too strange. It looks like a smaller version of his chow hall back at the academy. Shrugging mentally to himself, he walks inside confidently. Natsumi Tanaka Natsumi seated herself at an empty table.. Seemed there weren't too many others here. That thoguht was stopped as someone walked in, catching her attention, she paused from her first bite to inspect who it was. She looked a bit nervious.. but who could blame her after the problem with the last new person she had met?
Still, this guy didn't look dangerous at all. Not even a tail... Was he new? She offered him a warm smile, having dubbed him harmless until he proved her otherwise, then returned to that first bite of her meal. Dispite being hungry and wanting to dig into the meal, she ate slowly and carefully. Tommy Christian It only takes Tommy a couple of moments before he notices Natsumi. .oO(Hey! She looks...well...kinda normal! A little...yaknow...green, but still more human looking than the rest of the people I've seen) Tommy gives her a friendly grin and a nod. "Hey. How'reya doin' tonight?" he says as he makes his way to where the food is displayed. He begins rummaging through the selection and pics out a microwave dinner. He also stuffs a bottled water in his pants pocket. Tommy glances around the general area a moment. .oO(Huh...well, no price tags...) The cadet glances at Natsumi, "Uh...this stuff is free, right?" Natsumi Tanaka Natsumi waited til she had finished her first bite, swallowing quickly so she could respond as fast as possible. "I am well... And yourself?" Her voice wasn't terribly loud, but the empty cafeteria seemed to echo her enough to make it audiable.
She raised a brow at his next question, stopping mid-bite to peer over her shoulder. "Free..." she echoed, blinking once or twice. "Yes... I think." she added, the thought of free or not had never hit her. No one had ever asked for money though, and she hadn't seen anyone else pay. Her only guess was that it had to be free. Tommy Christian "Ah, sick!" He exclaims before taking his dinner out from the microwave. "Yeah...I'm doing pretty good..." Tommy stammers out. After grabbing a plastic fork he attempts to take the cheap microwaved platter to a table near Natsumi. It's pretty obvious that the platic bowl is rather hot as his eyes go wide and hurries toward the table. After waving his hands about to try and cool them off, he looks once more at Natsumi...up close, she doesn't look nearly as human .oO(Huh...what's with the sweater...and...scales...and...tail...oh God, Tommy...don't freak out. Don't let it show, keep your mind busy. But don't freak out.) His eyebrows shoot up for a split second as he really sees her, but he soon puts them in their place. "...nah...nah, that's an outright lie I just told you. In all honesty I'm pretty far from 'good.'" Natsumi Tanaka Sick? She took another bite, relishing in the feeling of food on her empty stomach. Somehow when you were pregnant and hungry, everything about eating just felt better... Except he morning sickness, but that had subsided a few weeks ago... A fact she was most thankful for.
So wait... He was sick, but good? This threw her for a loop as she watched him sit down. He suddenlly looked scared, to which she shifted nerviously, slouching the tiniest bit and looking ot her food. That look could have been anything really, her first thought had been her. She was well aware of the wierd colorings on her face... Breifly, she wondered if that was how she had looked at the dragon-man... But for now, she chose the idea that he had been suprised from teh obviously hot bowl, and to ignor most other thoughts. Yes.. that was it.
Of course.. then he told her he wasn't good. Confusing man. "That is.. because you are sick?" she tried to fill in the gaps for him, her head tilted to the side some, idly twirling her fork in her food. Tommy Christian Tommy was slowly slipping into another one of his depressed states when he brought up the fact that he wasn't 'so good.' Upon Natsumi's comment however, Tommy can't help but smile. After a quiet chuckle, the new guy just grins and says, "Sick? Heheh, no no...I'm not sick. That's just an expression...um...kinda like, 'cool,' I guess. I'm uh...I guess I'm new here. That's all." Tommy's about to take a bite of his meal when an overwhelming thrist comes over him. He blinks a few times, unnerved, before cracking open the bottle of water. He chugs it until it's about half empty. Natsumi Tanaka It took her a moment, even after hearing cool... Cool meant cold, right? Or something else? That's when it clicked. Another American term for something. "Aa! like.. Good? Yes?" she smiled, nodding as she got it. It always felt good to get things right.
So he was new. After nabbing another bite of food while he spoke, she nodded in understanding. "Mm... But there are good.. aa.. Sick? people here." She nodded, smiling and disregarding the bad she'd run into. "Nita, and Alec, and Thomas, and Ian, and Kikue, and Newton..." She trailed off, getting a sudden pang of thirst for her own water. She reached over, carefully taking a few gulps of it. Tommy Christian "Oh, I'm sure the people are fine," says Tommy inbetween bites of his small meal (it looks to be some sort of beef sirloin with lots of gravy), "It's the whole...you know...animal thing that I don't get." He tries to sound amiable enough, even though inside he's fighting down the urge to yell at everyone and anyone wondering how anyone can even tolerate being here. "er...no offense..." Tommy blinks a couple more times and downs the rest of the water...still thirsty though. Natsumi Tanaka Natsumi fell silent at the mention of turning into animals.. Her thoughts wandering brefily as she took another bite to allow herself a moment of silence and thought. She was hardly changed, or so she guessed... And what would the next change be like? The first one had practically knocked her out for a day... And what about that person Alec had been speaking of? The one that was 'done.'
She swallowed hard, giving a tiny shake of her head and a weak smile. "Just do not think of it." Which was what she now chose to do, focusing her mind on repetative words and random things. Like his clothing... And his na.. Wait. "Aa!" She squeaked in suprise "Forgive me.." she bowed her head some, mindful of keeping her hair out of her own food. "I am Natsumi Tanaka." Tommy Christian Thanks be to that squeak, because Tommy was on the verge of not being able to control his anger. Anger to this place, the inhabitant's apparant apathy toward their predicament, and their unseen 'benifactors.' He looks startled for a moment more from the squeak than anything. Though the bow did kind of throw him off. He gives a nervous grin and tried to mimic the bow (though a bit clumsily). "Oh...um...name's Tommy. Tommy Christian." The young man can't help but smile. This Natsumi kind of reminded him of his sister...an oriental...reptile version of his sister. All of a sudden he pictures other members of his family here and can't help but shudder. Natsumi Tanaka She seemed pleased that he had returned the bow, not many did. Which was fine too... She knew they didn't know that it was curtious to do so in return. "Tommy." She nodded to herself, noticing the simmilarity to Thomas her good downstairs companion. What a coincidence. Still feel a bit awkward from the previous reminder of being turned into an animal, she took another bite, tryign to think of happier things. Things like her baby... Things like the fact he hadn't noticed yet.
As she finished that bite, she downed some more water. Blinking and frowning as she hit the bottum of her cup. She seemed to be doing that alot lately, running out of water before getting enough of it. Though a sweater on an island wasn't heloing her hydration levels any. With glass in hand she stood, "I am getting some more to drink..." She gave a wiggle of her empty glass to demonstrate. "Would you like anything?" Tommy Christian Tommy glances at Natsumi as she stands. He blinks a bit at her question, seemingly spaced out for a moment. "Hmm? Oh! yeah...uh...would you mind getting me another one of these?" He holds up his now empty bottle of water. .oO(But damn I'm thirsty...this water just isn't doing the trick) Acting like the most normal thing in the world, the cadet lifts his now empty bowl and drains the rest of the greasy juiciness into his mouth like one would do after eating a bowl of cereal with some milk left. Tommy just stares down at the bowl he just drained in befuddlement for a moment. "...huh...," he seems to snap out of it, "So uh...if you don't mind me asking...what...um...what are you tur...I mean, what's your animal?" Natsumi Tanaka Natsumi nodded, walking over to fetch her own glass of water with ice along with a bottled water. Easy enough. She turned back, missing his greese-guzzle while busy with her task.
She passed his water to him, then sat back in her seat drinking some of her water before setting it down. "Aa..." She paused, picking her fork back up "I do not know." she admitted, scraping one of her last bites from the plate and eating it. Tommy Christian .oO(Is that...no...it can't be.) Tommy thinks as he watches Natsumi walk back. Tommy thinks back to the days when he used to hang around his dad's workplace as a child. It being an OBGYN office, he had seen many pregnant women in his time. The sweater made it difficult to tell definatively though. He pries his eyes away from her midsection and transfers them to meet her own peepers. "Thanks," he says once he revieved the water. "So, how's a person's...um...animal...yeah, how's it chosen?" Natsumi Tanaka Natsumi gave a nod to his thanks, "It was not a problem." She took the last bite, letting out a soft noise of content due to her now full stomach. She shrugged at his next question, "I am not sure.." she offered a tiny smile, drinking some more of her water and looking a bit awkward from his topic of choice. Still.. she wanted to be helpful. "Nita may know.." That was the best she had. Tommy Christian "Nita? Oh right! Yeah, I met her last night...she's the one who ah...who broke the news to me...so to speak." It doesn't take long for Tommy to notice the look on her face, "Ah...damn...listen, I'm sorry. It seems to be a taboo subject around here...and hell, I'd be lying if I said I understood how you felt....it's just...I dunno...I'm just so...so confused. I only got here a day ago and...and now I'm confronted with all of...all of this," Tommy says while gesturing in front of him to encompass all that is before him. Natsumi Tanaka She laughed a bit...covering her mouth as she did so. Seemed Nita was good at that. "Yes, me too..." She explained her little outburst, shaking her head when he continued. "No... I just wish I could tell you more." I wish i could tell me more She paused to think, downing the last bit of her water and gathering her dishes. "It hurt some... Not to scare you though... Perhaps some advil?" she shrugged, looking even more awkward as she tried to be somewhat helpful. She sighed some, standing and abruptly moving her dishes to the little drop-off spot. "I should be going." she offered another smile, though looking rather fake. She never was a good liar. Tommy Christian Tommy watches her gather up her dishes and sighs inwardly. .oO(Why am I driving off everyone I meet here? Damnit...well I'm sure as hell not going to stick my head in the sand while this s**t goes around me. What's it take to get a straight answer around here anyway?) "Hey, I'm sorry, but before you go. Nita mentioned that some doctor ran the operation here, but I forgot his name...do you by chance know it?" Tommy asks while cracking open his second water bottle. Natsumi Tanaka "No, no.." she shook her head again, trying to keep him from apologizing anymore. She knew what it was like to be curious... But at the same time, she had chosen just to not think about it. It worked better that way... You could be happy that way.
"Name..." She paused to think, if there was one thing she was good at it was remembering names. "Sabin Duvert..." she practically hissed, though it sounded rather withheld. "Aubery Lockheart... Those are all I know of." She thought there was one more, but she only remembered metting the two, so she let that feeling go for the time being. She waited to see if that was all he needed. Tommy Christian "Sabin...yeah, Sabin was one...I haven't heard of the other one. Lockheart you said? Huh...there was another one...started with I think an M...*sigh* ah well. I won't keep you any longer," Tommy says with a nervous grin, "Have a good night, Natsumi." Natsumi Tanaka She smiled when she had atleast helped him with one, and nodded when he asked if she had said Lockheart. She gave a moment of thought.. M.. M... He broke her thought, smiling some and shaking her head no again. "Yes... You as well." She turned to head towards the door, pausing whenshe had opened it midway. "Aa.. My duplex. It is 46, if you need anything..." She offered with a small smile, trying to show that there were no hard feelings, she didn't like the feeling of not being friendly towards someone... So with that, she continued on her way, going straight to her duplex in a bit of a fast walk... It was getting late, and the dark was still creeping her out. She wanted to get to bed before her mind started playing tricks on her. Tommy Christian "Alright, I'm fifty...*he sighs*," Tommy looks down at his water. It seemed to him like she wanted nothing more than to get away from him. He looks back to the door, "...four." With one last sigh, Tommy drains his water bottle...still thirsty though...and throws away his trash. He heads back to his new home soon afterward.
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Posted: Wed Jul 26, 2006 8:51 pm
Journal Entry #2
If I Can't See It, It's Not There!
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Where to start...today I met my second islander. This one wasn't changed as much as Nita. I think she said her name was Natsumi or something...not too sure. God, I'm horrible with names. I met her in the cafeteria where I had two bottles of water and a microwaved dinner.
What to say about her changes...hmm...well, she seems to be turning into some sort of lizard I think...not too sure. But again, like Nita, she seems to have given up all hope. I swear, that will never happen. Never lose hope, or all is truly lost.
Thought: are there possible behavior modifications in the in whatever it is they give these people? So far everyone is so docile. It's crazy...I wonder if the men here are any different?
God...I just want to go home. My parents probably think I'm dead. Stop, I can't delve into that right now. I'm seriously just hanging in there. I swear, if I meet one more of these people who have this self-defeating attitude, I'm going to snap.
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Posted: Thu Jul 27, 2006 5:46 pm
Roleplay: A Poetic Breakdown Tommy and Chana ------------------------------------- Chana Cohen Chana was browsing through the massive video collection again, trying to find something to suit her mood. The beaver was...well...confused. She knew she loved Stewart, she was pretty sure he loved her...
...it had just been such a while since she'd last seen him. It was enough to allow doubts. She sighed and pulled out a movie at random. The beaver smiled. Bell, Book and Candle it was. Tommy Christian Tommy blinks against the sun, looking around at the surrounding buildings before heading into one at random. Deciding against his military uniform, today he's just wearing jeans, t-shirt, and his worn down combat boots. .oO(Goddamn, there's gotta be one around here somewhere...) he thinks to himself as he pushes open the door to the entertainment room. After stepping inside, it takes a moment for his eye to adjust. Chana Cohen Chana looked up from the VCR at the sound of someone opening the door, and the scent she didn't recognize. She blinked, trying to make out the face of the man, but it was difficult to see anything with the bright lights of the hallway behind him.
She smiled, a little sheepishly. "Hello...I was just about to pop in a movie...did you want to watch?" she asked. He didn't...he didn't really look like he'd changed. Oh...shoot. Did that mean he was new? Chana really hoped not. Tommy Christian After shutting the door behind him, Tommy rubs his eyes. .oO(damn contacts...) Blinking, he looks to Chana... .oO(Oh...goddamnit...is there anyone here who hasn't changed?) Tommy tries not to let this thought show on his face. This isn't too hard though with the prospect of a movie. "Um...sure," He says as he steps in closer. "Oh, I'm Tommy by the way." He tries to keep his face pleasant even though he's talking to a beaver woman lady. Chana Cohen "Chana," she responded, trying to give an encouraging smile. The buck teeth probably weren't helping matters...Tommy looked distinctly uncomfortable.
"It's Bell, Book and Candle," she added, unsure if this...athletic looking young man would be interested in an old romantic movie. She privately doubted it. Tommy Christian Tommy gives a glance around the room, seemingly searching for something. After a moment he gives up, looking dissapointed. Looking back to Chana, "Chana you said? Huh. Yeah, never heard of that movie before. What's it about?" he says while walking toward the couch. Chana Cohen The beaver wondered what he was looking for. But she kept quiet about that for the moment, nodding at him encouragingly for getting her name right.
"It's about a man and a woman who fall in love. And the woman's a witch. It's from 1958," she added. There would be no incredibly convincing special effects to be seen. But it was one of Chana's old favorites, for some reason. Tommy Christian Tommy looks to the ceiling of the room for a moment, trying to find the cameras he keeps hearing about. Sighing he looks back to Chana with a grin, "Well hell, I've got nothing better to do. From what I've been hearing I'm going to be stuck here for a long time, huh?" He plops down on the couch. Chana Cohen She gave him a funny look as he looked up at the ceiling. What on earth was he looking for? It had completely slipped past her that there were cameras. She knew about them, yes, but had long ago decided that they didn't affect her and so didn't matter.
"It's not so bad," the beaver protested half-heartedly as she pushed the tape in and hit play. She ignored the words 'November' and 'March' that were still echoing in her thoughts. Looking on the past would serve little purpose, the future was what mattered more. Tommy Christian Tommy just gives a sad smile at the words, 'it's not so bad.' "Yeah...that seems to be how most people see it around here. Not so bad..." He sighs, and suddenly a thought came to him, "By the way, if you don't mind me asking, how did you get here?" Chana Cohen Chana shook her head...everyone the same thing, of course. It was all they could say.
"I was hired to be a counselor at a camp for mentally impaired adults," she replied after a long pause. The beaver snorted. "I knew something was up when they didn't give me instructions right away...but I clung to my naivete for as long as I possibly could."
She snorted again and gave a dry laugh at how foolish she'd been. Tommy Christian "Oh! So some of y'all were actually tricked into coming here? Wow..." Tommy looks borderline horrified for a moment before continuing, "Damn, yeah I just happened upon here after floating out at sea for while...uh...yeah, the jet I was on crashed." He begins chuckling, "Heheh...I'd be in Italy right now, on a beach." Chana Cohen "So you were an easy mark," she said, a bit harshly. "People will assume that you're dead anyway. Aren't they lucky," she all but spat.
"Most of the people here were tricked, I believe," the beaver continued. "Very few got here...on their own in some way." Chana curled up on a bean bag a bit moodily and tried to watch the movie. It was difficult to pay attention when all the gloomy thoughts seemed intent on drowning her right now. Tommy Christian On one hand, Tommy was secretly rejoicing he found someone who didn't really believe that it wasn't so bad here...on the other hand, he began to realize just what those magical words did for the people here. .oO(No wonder the other two I met wanted to get away from me so fast...*sigh*) "Damnit...I'm sorry, Chana, I know it's more than a sore subject around here. I didn't mean to...I dunno...bring it up, I guess..." Tommy looks away quickly, seeming to pay attention to the movie, when in reality, it was the last thing on his mind. Chana Cohen Chana sighed. At least he was polite, which was good. He might not piss off too many people that way.
"It's all right, you're new and don't know any better. I mean, until the first change, I think most people spend most of their time thinking about the rest of the world. But once it hits you that you're here..." she sighed.
"I don't even know why I'm trying to explain this. You'll understand soon enough," the beaver finished, lamely. Was she anything like Kim Novack's character in the movie? The witch had fallen in love and given up her powers to be with the man she loved...wasn't that sort of like how she'd resigned herself to her fate as a beaver? If she wasn't here, becoming a beaver, she would never have met Stewart.
Maybe there was a bright spot in every shadow. Tommy Christian "Yeah...that's what I hear," Tommy says distractedly. Tommy is strangely silent for a time. Horrifying thoughts run through his head: What am I going to change into? ...no...no! It's not going to happen to me...I mean, I'll hide or something...ugh...that won't work...will I still be able to talk? What about my hands? Will I ever see my family again? These thoughts plague Tommy for most of the movie. It is probably easy to see most of them through his vacant expression and worried eyes. Chana Cohen Chana shakes her head at him and turns her full attention to the movie. At least the ending is happier than her reality, even if it's still bittersweet.
The movie rolls on towards the inevitable conclusion and finally, as the witch-no-more begins to cry, she speaks to Tommy again.
"If you're here, you're already doomed. You can't escape, so you might as well make the best of your new life. And enjoy being human," she advises. Not that she thinks he'll listen, or even that he's listening right now. He just deserves to have some good advice. Tommy Christian Tommy clenches and unclenches his fist a few times as he turns from the television screen to Chana. It is apparant that Tommy's been holding his anger in check for a while now and he's losing his grip on his pent up fury. As he slowly looks over Chana, he notes the many human features that were taken away. And suddenly, he looks at peace. His eyes narrow, not in malice, but determination. In what seems to be a strange, calm sort of rage, Tommy speaks slowly and distinctly, "In basic training...our cadre forced us to memorize a poem. Of every quote and ever speech we ever had to commit to memory, this one stuck with me the most," Tommy takes a deep breath, stands, and begins to recite. The cadet begins speaking and his voice takes on the tone of a poet. Quite surprising coming from someone like him, "Do not go gentle into that good night, Old age should burn and rave at close of day; Rage, rage against the dying of the light. "Though wise men at their end know dark is right, Because their words had forked no lightning they Do not go gentle into that good night," Tommy begins to head for the front doors, a strange, almost manic grin on his face, "Wild men who caught and sang the sun in flight, And learn, too late, they grieved it on its way, Do not go gentle into that good night. "Grave men, near death, who see with blinding sight Blind eyes could blaze like meteors and be gay, Rage, rage against the dying of the light," As Tommy opens the doors, he pauses to finish the last verse, "And you, my father, there on the sad height, Curse, bless, me now with your fierce tears, I pray. Do not go gentle into that good night. Rage, rage against the dying of the light." He punctuates the last word by stepping out into the twilight and closing the doors. Chana Cohen Chana, startled, looks up and blinks in surprise at the emotion in her companion's voice. She closes her eyes to listen better to the poem--Tommy is much more skilled in recitation than she would have ever guessed.
She blinks, startled again, as the door closes. Sighing, she gets up to remove the tape from the machine and turn off the TV.
"I've heard that poem before," she says quietly to the vanished man.End
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Posted: Sat Jul 29, 2006 5:34 pm
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Posted: Sat Jul 29, 2006 5:42 pm
Roleplay: Building Hope Tommy and Alec ------------------------------------- Alec Derring Alec sat alone in the sand, thankful for the quiet that was a result of the beach being deserted at the time. He was strategically placed close enough so that the tide swelled just to the point of his hips so that he could wiggle his rubbery feet in the cool water without being forced to venture deeper in. Amaya's words were engrained into his mind concerning the idea that the saltwater would be very painful if it entered through the new openings around his neck, and it made him weary to engage in one of his favorite past times; swimming.
Heeving a sigh, he sat in a stalemate with the ocean, cupping some water into his hand once and awhile to wet his grey shoulders. Tommy Christian Tommy needed a way to vent his frustration...being cooped up in his duplex for days, not truly knowing what was going on has taken a tole on the young man. Everyone he meets seems to have given up on everything here...but not Tommy. Not yet. Tommy's sneakers sink a bit each time they strike the sand as he runs. Ipod and headphones on, he releases his frustration the only way he knows how: he tries to damn near kill himself by running. Completely zoned out, Tommy doesn't notice the half shark/plant man cooling himself off by the water as he draws near. Alec Derring The teen could almost feel the small fish as they flickered about around his feet as he stared into the water with little more than a moping expression. Thankfully he couldn't see his own reflection due to the rippling water.
Smacking his hand lightly over to the surface, he kicked up water over the bark on his knees just as he heard the faint, rhythmic pat-pat-pat sound coming towards him down the beach. His heart almost leapt at the thought of 'running into' someone, even as he tried to convince himself he didn't secretly yearn for friendly contact especially after his change. He needed to convince himself that things really hadn't changed as much as it seemed and that his friends still wanted to hang out with him regardless of his appearance.
Turning his misshapen head around, he covered his brow with a hand to shield his sensitive eyes from the sunlight so he could peer at the oncoming visitor. Needless to say, he was very surprised to see someone he didn't recognize. Tommy Christian Two steps-inhale...two steps-exhale. And that's how it went. For who knows how long, Tommy's been running. His mental cage he has set up for himself cracks open when, out of the corner of his eye, he spots a grey shape...another islander. His rythmic breathing and pace stutters as he first slows and comes to a near stop. .oO(Oh God...no...they do fish too? No...not just a fish, a shark it seems) With a friendly smile, Tommy speaks (surprisingly, he doesn't seem all that out of breath. Living at 7,258 feet above sea level for most of the year does that it seems) "Hey," Tommy says amiably, "How's it...uh...how'sit goin?" .oO(Here's to hoping there's no mind change...of course, this is the first male I've seen here) Alec Derring Alec blinked up at the man with a blank stare, taking in the details of his looks. Nope, definetly not someone he's met before. And human as well? Perhaps he was new.
The idea that he was new intrigued him, especially since he didn't seem to care about the teen's awkward and somewhat daunting appearance. A newcomer that wasn't absolutely freaking out like he had once done so long ago? Now this was some kind of awesome. "Aye!" The shark teen responded with a cheerful and bubbly tone, unable to hold in a toothy smile. "S'not bad, s'not bad. Joost enjoyin' a bit o' wateh t'cool off th' ol' wigglehs." Seeing that he'd previously been going for a run, he added shortly. "Don' let me keep ye." Tommy Christian Tommy looked right back into those shark eyes, trying his best to keep his face as amiable as possible. .oO(Just internalize everything...you need friends here...you know you do if you ever want a chance to get the hell out...Is that an Irish accent? Goddamn, this guy sound younger than me...*sigh* just look at those teeth...am I going to look like that? Poor bastards...the lot of 'em) "Nah, I need a break anyway...been going on an hour 'n I think I may just pass out. Mind if I take a seat?" Tommy asks before pulling his water bottle out of a pocket and taking a long swig. Alec Derring "No' at all." He politely responded as he pulled a bandanna from his pocket to drape over his head to prevent the hot sun from irritating his mostly-bald head any more than it already had. Waiting for the guy to make a seat for himself, he did his best to sit still and conserve his energy.
"So... ye new 'round 'ere? A' neveh seen ye befo'." Alec decided to strike up the inevitable conversation, unable to hold off his curiousity any longer. "A'm Alec by th' way, nice t'meet ye." Tommy Christian And indeed, Tommy does take a seat. With a wince and a massaging of his calf muscle, he looks over to Alec and grins, "Name's Tommy, Tommy Christian." The cadet offers the punk rocker his hand to shake. "And yeah...it seems I'm as new as they come. The jet I was on crashed somewhere out there almost a week ago," he motions out at sea, "and the folks here, in a stroke of generocity, allowed me to 'stay for a while," Tommy spreads a thick coating of sarcasm over this last bit. Alec Derring "Reaaalleh. Me choppeh ride seems so borin' compeh'd t'tha'. " Alec gawked at the idea of being in a real-life planecrash and looking as unscathed as Tommy did, commenting on his own arrival as well. He had to smirk at his quip about the Doctor's generosity though. "Hehe ye, fo' a looong while."
Seeing as he was acting pretty calm and 'in-the-know', he figured he'd continue on with the regular line of questioning that went along with the most of the Island's residents. "Aneh idea wha' ye bein' turned inteh?" He was fully prepared to change the subject if Tommy looked like he was going to freak out any time soon. Tommy Christian Tommy grins, despite himself, at Alec's gawking. "Heh, yeah really. I was on my way to Italy when a flock of birds smacked into the Air Force jet I was in. Took out the pilot and two of the engines. I tell ya, thank God I know how to parachute," The cadet's grin faulters for a split second as Alec asks him about what he's turning into. He tries to cover it through the act of putting away his headphones .oO(C'mon Tommy, keep it together. Face the fact that, yeah, it might happen. Don't let them see you're freaked out by it. Don't let them win) And just like that, Tommy's confident grin is back. "Nope, no idea. Why...? Is there a way to find out? 'cause I'll be honest with you. I'm damn near clueless with what's really going on around here." Alec Derring Alec could see him falter but his kind smile never changed. He knew it'd be difficult to talk about it, recalling his own denial and efforts to contain the stress and anxiety from learning the 'truth'. But that's exactly what it was, the truth. He'd have to deal with it eventually and there was no better way than with a friendly shoulder to lean on.
"Joost askin." The teen casually replied, trying to communicate that it really wasn't a big deal. "If ye realleh w'nneh find ou', ye c'n ask th' staffs oveh th'inteh-com... thing. Though a' neveh botheh'd." He paused for a moment and gestured to himself, giving a strained chuckle. "A'll prob'leh ask soon... cuz... this ain't righ'." His comment was geared towards the strange leaves sprouting from various areas of his body, still not sure why a shark-man was suddenly half-tree all of a sudden. Tommy Christian "...yeah...I...uh...yeah I noticed," Tommy finally concedes, "I didn't realize they um...mixed and matched things like that." Tommy's eyes divert to the sand for a moment before looking back at Alec, "Well I don't know anything about an intercom, but I dunno if I really want to talk to them anyway. s**t, the first and only staff guy I saw made it sound as if I'd died and he was an angel." Tommy grins at this and chuckles. He had to admit, in retrospect it was pretty damn funny. Suddenly, Tommy's mood seems to sour, "But in all honesty, I'm going to do my damndest to see I never have to find out," Tommy says with a hint of venom in his voice as he glares out at sea. Alec Derring Alec scoffed, nodding in agreement to everything Tommy was saying. "Neitheh did I. Then again, nothin' su'prises me 'ere anehmo'." He poked at the soft and newly-grown leaves sprouting from his lower legs and tugged one off with a wince. Damn things really did sting like a b***h.
"Ahhh, a' d'n blame ye. I' doesn't 'elp t'warn ye of what's t'come, so wha's th'use?" Shrugging, he tried the approach of joinin gin with the negative comments regarding the island. Perhaps if he got them out of his system now, Tommy could accept them more easily?
Sadly, he knew deep down that it'd most likely take more than that, from experience. Tommy Christian Tommy watches Alec pick at his own leaves in a strange fascination. Too freaked out to look away, his mind screamed at him to think of something else...to look away...to start talking. Anything to not think about that. .oO(Sigh...at least this guy hasn't just rolled over and died like the rest I've talked to) "I take it people have tried to escape before?" Tommy asks before draining the rest of his water bottle (which takes more than a few chugs) Tommy frowns at the bottle, a worried look on his face .oO(Why am I always so thirsty?) Alec Derring To relieve himself of the stinging he'd caused, he splashed his shoulders with sea water again and let the moisture drizzle down the sharp edges of his back fins. Oblivious to the fact that he was being stared at, he mentally forced himself to stop toying with the 'vegetation' around himself. "Ah ye." He nodded, again recalling the warning Amaya had given. "A've been tol' tha' a c'nt swim away... no matteh 'ow shark-like a' am." He smirked a bit, explaining further. "Th'sea wateh 'urts. Well... so a've 'eard. A' don' exactleh w'nt t'try n' find ou'." This made him laugh a bit more haughtily, relaxing around the laid-back person he'd only met that day. A level-headed acquaintance helped replenish his care-free attitude that'd helped him survive this song without going completely bonkers. Tommy Christian Tommy suddenly wishes he'd broght something more to drink, eyeing his empty bottle...so damn thirsty... He looks back to Alec when he mentions how he hasn't tried to get away, .oO(Again with the blind acceptance...maybe they really do behavioral modification on all of them...) "You haven't even thought to try though? I mean...sure I've heard of freshwater sharks, but the vast majority are saltwater. Besides, even if you can't, won't you feel better knowing that you've at least tried? I mean...giving up hope...s**t, that'll just make them think they've won," the cadet says with obvious concern, silently remembering the days of his POW camp training. Alec Derring Alec just stared at Tommy, almost amazed at how driven he was. He'd admittedly never met anyone so intent on getting off of that place, only met with skeptics and stern warnings from others against trying to test the good Doctor's methods as well as his patience. Perhaps being around peope like Amaya had taught him to accept the fate rather than fight it and possibly face harsh penalities. Tommy didn't understand. He didn't see yet, the images of the tortured souls being forcibly carted away, the harsh pranks, the sick jokes he'd only heard about (thankfully).
Even with all this, a small part of his brain was still the naive, impressionable young boy from long ago. Maybe... just maybe it was possible?
"No'... realleh." He admitted meekly, staring down at the swelling water.
He'd never humored the idea before but now it was staring him in the face. What could happen? Maybe he could be really free! They could find a cure, or find a place in seclusion without the prying cameras or enforcement guards. Was there a place for him? Amaya? Rex? Natsumi and Kikue, even Nita? Maybe this man could truly be smart enough to find a way.
"Ye.... Ye think..." He almost didn't want to finish the sentence. Was he REALLY even considering this? Tommy Christian Tommy stares right back, grim determination back on his face. "All it takes is hope...I'm not saying that if you get in the water now, you'll be able to swim off into the sunset. I'm not saying that we can just build a raft and set sail. And I'm not saying that it'll be that easy. What I am saying, though, is that you can never give up hope. That road leads to the powers that be dominating you, me, everyone here you care about. We'll all just become their playthings. They're... pets. Because I know that's how they think of us all. They do not acknowledge our humanity, both in body and in mind. But I assure you of this: the man in charge here? He, himself, is also only human." Tommy turns his gaze out to sea, a grim smile on his face, "Hell, even Alcatraz was beaten." Alec Derring Alec visibly grimaced at Tommy's words as they struck cords of pain long-buried, as if watching his friends being slowly tortured against their will wasn't bad enough. To be reminded that it was most likely for someone's amusement only served to fuel a bitter rage he was sure was never capable of the young boy he once knew. Maybe it was the shark talking now.
He forced himself back to reality as onyx eyes followed the other man's towards the sea, restlessness washing over to replace his calm. "Neh." he strongly objected all of a sudden, shaking his broad head. "Ye don' know th'man. A' 'eard so maneh things... 'e c'nt joost be 'uman... a 'uman woul' neveh do th'things e's done..." His hoarse voice trailed off and he was suddenly feeling a bit parched himself, possibly from all this talking with little to drink. He had to keep constantly reminding himself that he'd be more thirsty now. Tommy Christian "Ted Bundy killed over fifteen people just to indulge himself in his own sick fantasies. Gacy molested and murdered over twenty five young men for the same reasons. The Night Stalker...killed God knows how many...by stealing them away in the middle of the night...They were all humans, and look how many lives they ruined. How is this man any different?" Tommy asks, simply. He tilts his water bottle to his mouth, trying to get the last few drops while he lets Alec think on that. .oO(Truly...how is he any different? ...well, an island and a swarm of security for one...but I've gotta start somewhere. Rome was not built in a day.) Alec Derring Alec thought hard on the question. It was indeed a valid one but a confusing one as well, mainly because he didn't recognize the referenes he was making. Were those people bad too or something? The teen flicked water with his index finger and thumb, staring blankly downwards in a long moment of silence. Finally, he answered.
"'es a devil." The response was simple but it was all he could muster, although he didn't enjoy making religious references of any kind. He was beginning to think he wasn't as smart as Tommy. Maybe it was just him.
Tommy's attempts to suck the last bit from his water bottle was only making Alec feel more thisty as he watched him out of the corner of his eye, flicking at the water's surface again.
Tommy Christian Tommy glances from the ocean to Alec, .oO(Well...it's a start...I think). The cadet glances around himself, the thought of hidden cameras plaguing him again, before sighing. "You may just be right...," Tommy admits, some of his flare dying down. "Ah well...hey, you know of any place that serves drinks? 'cause damn...I could go for one right about now." Tommy's old grin comes back at this, trying to lighten the mood. .oO(Can't put too much on someone's shoulders all at once...Lord knows I know that...besides, who is he to trust me? We just met. He's not going to change his ways and possibly get into serious trouble over a stranger...*sigh* I hate this place) Alec Derring Alec's facial expression lightened, spreading into a soft smirk on amusement at his question. "Hehe, ye. Theh's a beach ba' joost a lil' from 'ere." He twisted his torso and motioned in a particular direction down the beach, the hut that housed the refreshments could be seen dotting the sand in the immediate distance.
Deciding against joining him, the shark-boy decided it was time to start caring about his health a bit closer. "A' shoul' prob'leh ge' back n' take a bath." He chuffed a laugh at how lame the excues sounded but told himself that such an explanation coming from a person in his state wasn't so out of the ordinary. "A'll see ye 'round? A'm in numbeh forteh-woon." He continued talking as he rose from his seat, dusting off the caked-on sand from his shorts to no avail. Tommy Christian .oO(Ah s**t...I could'a used that drink too...) Tommy's grin stays though and he just nods, "You gotta do what you gotta do, man." The cadet points to the street shark, "But I'll be asking again, Alec, you can bet on that," he says with a smile. "Forty one? Alright, I'll be sure to remember. I'm in fifty-four...by the way." .oO(And just like that...he's gone. *sigh* I pray I didn't frighten the guy off. I need every friend I can get...I dunno, maybe they don't trust me 'cause I'm completely human. Maybe when I cha...no! No! That's not going to happen. I'm getting off this god forsaken rock if it kills me!)
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Posted: Thu Aug 10, 2006 7:57 pm
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Posted: Thu Aug 10, 2006 11:11 pm
Roleplay: In Search of Like Minds Tommy and Em ------------------------------------- Emelyn To say that Emelyn relied entirely on nature for her survival- was a throroughly interesting... if not completely true fact. Though the bulk of her days were consumed with gathering food- mostly through gathering, some fishing and hunting- and in creating other things from the bounty of the land that would sustain her in her mountain home- there were some things... that were not quite hedgehog about the girl... and more human than she would ever hope to shed. Emelyn stood up behind the beach bar counter and snapped the strap of her bikini back in place from where it had slid down her shoulder. Her clothes were certainly one human trapping she was unwilling to give up. Although she didn't judge Cassidy or Greer for their obvious disregard of clothing, Emelyn didn't think there would ever come a day that she would be able to do the same. There was not an inch upon the girl that could be reasonably described as 'bare'- and yet... one thing that prevailed in her mishmosh of DNA and instincts... was that very human quality- of modesty. "Reuben, don't run off!" She called out to the dog where he bounded through the surf, trying to catch the waves with great wide bites. Emelyn didn't like being so far away from him- but there didn't seem to be anyone else around, and he hadn't wanted to follow her behind the narrow counter while she stored her berries in the beach bar refridgerator. So she watched him from where she stood, palms down on the bar counter, and one hedgehog-esque foot up against the inside of her other leg, not unlike a flamingo. Tommy Christian While looking off after her dog, Em may be able to see a humanoid form slowly walking down the beach. The fully human young man looks deep in thought, and yet there seems to be a carefree attitude in the way he carries himself as he strolls. Hands thrust into the pockets of his beat up brown leather jacket, a grin touches the corner of his mouth as he spots the complete and utter joy that is a dog just digging being a dog. He continues to walk down the beach toward the bar as he watches the dog frolic. Emelyn Emelyn did see the man walking down the long stretch of sand that had become one of her many homes during her half of a year in the wild. What she didn't see... were any animalistic features, or a look of fear or anger on his face. He was in normal garb- no white coat or haughty expression, so there was little doubt in the hedgehog-girl's mind that he was an islander- and by the looks of him, a new one. Emelyn gave a sigh- just a single, sad exhale of breath that said so much in its brevity. Another islander. Would Moreau ever stop? ...She came around the side of the beach bar and sat up on a stool, letting her furred legs hand down. She put one elbow back on the bar to support herself- there was no need to go run to greet the newcomer- not when she might become his first sight of Moreau's intentions. Let him walk to his fate, rather than be greeted by it. But Reuben had no such hang ups or musings on fate. All he saw was a man- another big playtoy. He practically leapt from the surf and made a beeline for the man, sniffing him and wagging his brown tail with glee. This one smelled funny: he was less 'complex' than his mother and her tall, furry friends. Tommy Christian Tommy's slow progress toward the beach bar was cut short by the assult of the small furry devil. A short bark of laughter escapes the man, the first in a long time for him. Tommy kneels down, not minding the wet dog in the least. A quick ruffle of the head and a scritch behind the ears soon follows. "Hey there, buddy...you here alone?" Tommy asks in that goofy way one does when speaking to something that he knows can't understand him. With a small smile on his face, he looks up and around for an owner...no...no...ah...there. At the bar. There's someone. Tommy stands, both knees giving off a small popping sound, and heads in that direction. He gives his friendliest grin and a short wave in Em's direction. Emelyn Emelyn was surprised by the wave- even at the twenty paces or so that the man was from her, she knew she'd probably still be visible as a 'furred woman'. But all that told her was that she was not his first 'eyefeast' of islander. And so- she waved back. And smiled. "Hello," she said, even before the man would reach her. Reuben practically danced at his side, bounding up and trying to get more ear scratches. "I see you've met Reuben. ...And I'm Emelyn." Tommy Christian Tommy keeps the grin on his face as he periodically reaches down to pet the friendly dog at his side. .oO(Oh God...what the hell are they turning her into? Jesus...poor girl...I swear I'll take down as many of those bastards as I can before they do that to me) He does his best not to show at all what he's thinking, the only noticeable thing is that his grin seems fake for a moment before relaxing back to normalcy. "Reuben, huh?" he asks while smiling down at the happy puppy "And...Emelyn, alrighty. I'll have to remember that...Oh! I'm Tommy by the way, Tommy Christian," he introduces himself once he gets a bit closer to her. Emelyn "Tommy." She repeated it for the sake of remembering, keeping the smile on her face even through the momentary faltering of his own. It was another jab- albeit a small one- that reminded her that she didn't even know what her transformation had done to her, what she looked like. For all she knew, Tommy was looking into the face of something truly disquieting. "If you ever have trouble remembering, you can just call me Em. Most people do, anyway." She paused for a moment before finishing her statement. "Hedgehog, by the way. In case you were wondering." She gave a soft, almost sad smile. "I suppose you've already heard 'the spiel'?" Tommy Christian Tommy's grin drops to more of what he's feeling as he walks further into the bar. Though his sad smile portrays one who has given up hope, his eyes show something different: a grim determination of sorts. He begins walking around the bar, looking for something to drink, "Hedgehog? ...goddamn...yeah...yeah I've heard it. I think it was...Nita...yeah, Nita's her name...she's the one who um...greeted me here." Emelyn Em nodded. "Nita's a good sort. You're probably not likely to get a better explanation than from her. But if you have any more questions- anything you still want to know, or to say- I'll help any way I can." She turned to watch him as he walked around the bar. "I've been here for... well... I don't know what day it is, actually. I live out here, in the wild. So I don't know what month it even is. But if it's August, like I think it is..." She stopped to think- and it was that pause of calculation that gave her, truly, the grimmest realization she'd had in a long while. The pause lasted longer than her thought- for as soon as she'd come across it in her mind... she'd gone into a form of shock. When she did speak again, her voice was so much angrier, so much sadder than it had been before. "A year. I've been here a year. A ******** year." The final three words were whispered- no more than angry hisses of breaths that she said while gritting her teeth, looking away from Tommy and focusing on the angry side of her- mostly... so that the moisture welling up deep in her eyes didn't come to the surface- so that she didn't to to Tommy what she'd done to Thom. Tommy Christian Tommy kept rummaging about the bar, pulling out a nice bottle of bourbon and a can of coke. He stops though, the moment he hears she's been living in the wild. He turns to her, listening to her every word after that. .oO(The wild? By choice? Oh God...what the hell more could've happened to her to make...to make her want to live out...there?) He watches her as she calculates how long she's been here...and sees the transformation of anger. He watches as what seemed to be quiet apathy broke forth and changed into what could be violent fury. Tommy was both sad and slightly pleased to hear this though. Sad, because he hated to see anyone, even his worst enemies, suffering. Pleased because he may have finally found one person who's not going to take this s**t from the bastards on high any longer. "And in that year...they do this..." Tommy shakes his head and looks down at the bar. "...goddamn..." Emelyn Emelyn brought her hand up to her face and rubbed at her nose almost violently with her thumb and forefinger- careful not to gouge herself with one of her claws. It was as if she was determined to root the 'sniffles' out before they ever had a chance to start. "This Hell Island's not so terrible a place as people may be telling you," she said, softly. Reuben still wagged his tail incessantly, leaning up agains the bar looking for attention. He was oblivious to the moodchange. "...But it will suck out your soul." Tommy Christian Tommy watches her for a moment before pouring himself a drink. He stares at the swirling amber liquid a moment before speaking: "Heh...actually, most are telling me exactly that: That this place isn't so bad after a while...you'll get used to it...all that s**t...I dunno, maybe it's because I'm new...maybe it's because it hasn't happened to me yet...hell, maybe it's because I'm just stupid...but lemme tell you, I'm sure as hell not about to just lay down and die so these bastards can get their jollies." .oO(Jesus...don't push her too much, Tommy...she's seems about ready to break down) He sighs, "But then again...I may just be stupid..." Emelyn Emelyn gave Tommy a small, reassuring smile. "Hey, no self-depricating on the beach. ...You're not stupid. And everyone has a way of resisting, here. Some just don't show it the same way as others. ...It always starts off with the more obvious ways. Some people try to storm the labs, or attack one of the doctors. But... some people's spirits get broken- others, they just go underground with their rebellion." She turned to look him square in the eyes- thinking, with his clean-shave and crew cut that he was probably the sort to respect a more military approach to life. "...We're all fighting. All the time. Even if only to keep sane." Tommy Christian He downs the small amount of amber liquid and looks back to Em as she speaks. He holds her gaze until she is finished before looking back down at his empty glass. .oO(Well...at least I'm not the first to try and escape...of course, that's both good and bad.) "There have been attacks on the labs before, then?" He asks, seemingly very interested. Emelyn She laughed- a single huff that was more a rounded breath than an escape of real mirth. "Hardly. People being shocked by the fences- people pounding on the doors- nothing more than that. It's a fortress. ...And there are cameras all over the island. There's no way you can plot an escape with the constant surveillance. Even out here." She put her hands up, indicating the warm, balmy air around them. "The labs know everything I do. And I've not stepped foot in the village or my duplex since January 1st." Emelyn said what she did matter-of-factly, without sorrow or anger. They were simply what was- and, although she did not want to discourage Tommy- she also didn't want to lead him on, drag him down a path he'd not be able to reconcile with true possibility. Tommy Christian Tommy continues to stare down at his glass, one hand clutching it, the other the bottle of bourbon. He considers for a brief moment just saying 'to Hell with it' and getting pissfaced...let the doctors do whatever to him...let them mutilate him so bad that not even his mother could tell that it was him...his knuckles go white from gribbing the bottle neck so hard and he quickly releases it. His hand trembles a bit before he stuffs it into his jacket pocket. "...How...uh...how long does it take? ...and...and does it hurt?" Emelyn Emelyn had not truly been 'herself' for a long while. In the ways that mattered- her self confidence, her understanding of herself and her fate... even in the way she went about her days with a sort of compromised yet still beautiful optomism- she had survived, even thrived in the wild as well as she had for the past half year- as long as she'd kept true to herself. But in the past few months, something had gripped her, changed her- made her- if not afraid, then perhaps weary. She'd not realized how fraught she was- with confusion and fear... anger... and lonliness. Something had changed in Emelyn White. And she didn't know entirely what it was. But there was still something that she could do- just as well as she ever could. She could give comfort, and answer people's questions. Emelyn leaned over the bar, getting nearer to Tommy, and her voice was low, calming, and comforting as she spoke. "The first transformation... should come in a few weeks after you first get here, and receive what they call the 'immunization' shot. It's really the first primer injection. ...The first change is always the most slight. Just a few features change... shift. Then the changes are further apart- by months. I've only changed three times, and I've been here a year. And...it does hurt. Sometimes a little, sometimes a little more. It depends on what's changing. My last change just felt like a headache, a bad sunburn... and a nosebleed. It was barely anything at all." She left out that the one before had involved over 6,000 spines shooting out from her back- a cavalcade of knives forcing themselves out through flesh in an agonizing parade of pain. Some things- he could discover on his own. Besides, she didn't even know what animal he'd have. He could have it very easy- or very hard. Tommy Christian Tommy looks to Emelyn as she speaks, taking in every word. He nods his head every once in a while, trying to take it all in. And it seems he is...for the first time here on the island...he is. "...Jesus...I don't know what to say...I...I just pray I get to keep my hands...that's all..." He leans against the back of the bar and stares out toward the ocean, seemingly lost in thought. Emelyn "Well... I know you're probably livid at them right now- and would rather scream at them than talk... but you can always call the labs on your intercom system... and ask them what your serum is. Ask for Aubrey, or Sabin. They're the most likely to tell you. ...Aubrey's your best bet. She's the least likely to have had anything to do with your arrival, as well. So- you could feel a little less like you're asking them for anything when you call." Emelyn wished she could give him some hope about the possibility of keeping his hands- or keeping his sanity, his pride, for that matter. All she could do was offer herself- her company, her answers- although, these days, she didn't know how much she was truly worth, in the state she was in. "And if you ever need anything, you can come looking for me. I'm usually on the beach, or out in the jungle. ...I live in a cave up on the mountain. One of the others could help you find me. I'm always here to help." Tommy Christian Tommy's eyes slowly turn to look at Em's, "Thanks, Em...I mean that too...you seem to be one of the few people here who's not stuck in their own delusion about this place," he sighs, "it truly is nice though, to be able to talk to someone." Emelyn She laughed again- this time, a little more mirth than derision coming from her proto-muzzle. "Oh, I have delusions about this place. They're just not quite as fluffy as some of the others. ...They haven't had to make their own meals for half a year. Oh, which reminds me. The berries in the fridge aren't for the beach bar. They're mine. So hands off." She said it with a wide smile though, to let him know she was kidding. "...But it's been nice to meet you, Tommy. Truly- take me up on my offer if you ever need anything. I'm only an island-search away. ...Come on Reuben." She clapped her hands together to get the mutt's attention, readying herself to leave. Tommy Christian A grin breaks his mood as Em speaks, "Hah! nah, I wouldn't dream of it...but yeah, I'll have to take you up on that some day...see you later...you too, Reuben..." He smiles as they leave...his mood a bit brighter. Emelyn Emelyn walked away with Reuben at her side, not looking back over her shoulder to see if Tommy watched them as they went. Instead, she looked down at her wet, happy dog and smiled. "Nice man, hm, Reuben?" The dog only wagged his tail, happy and oblivious to the meaning of the sounds his human made. But Emelyn smiled and nodded as if he'd spoken an earful. "Yeah. I think so, too. Come on, boy." And with that, the girl and her dog- went back up the mountain.
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Posted: Thu Aug 10, 2006 11:13 pm
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