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The sky was a gradient of gold and pink as a large, orange sun began to set over the distant horizon. The inner workings of the island, the jungle part- came alive. Nocturnal bugs began to start their buzzing, their chirping, while birds began to to twitter good nights into the air. It was the music of one world settling and another beginning- a twilight of ecosystems and lives.

The river, however, always remained the same- night or day it cast a sweet song throughout its surroundings. Fireflies now danced playfully around its surface, but it was more or less the same.

Along the stream was a rather disheveled looking man ambling about. Though his posture and steps were confident enough, his face looked lost, distracted, and cynical. His hair and his clothes were unkempt. He was the very reflection of a castaway, a real, non-experimented on castaway, one who, after weeks alone on an island, has given up on their chances of survival.

In his thick hands was a long piece of string. He looped it through his fingers as he walked along, seemingly doing so completely subconsciously- for his eyes were always on everything else around him. In and out, weaving through his fingers were intricate, symmetrical designs.

It was this time of day that one semi-nocturnal creature had been waiting for. The farther she got in her transformation, the more inclined Lily felt to come out in the later hours of the days and stay in during the early. This was partially due to the tempurature and humidity during the day, it was nice in the evening by the river, and that was where the frog-woman had taken herself. She was sitting with her long orange toes dipped in the water when the sound of someone walking about reached her. Ever paranoid, she seemed on constant alert- she didn't know what she'd do if she ran into someone changing into something dangerous, particularly those who'd been so threatening when she'd been revealed.

When she looked she found that it was no one she recognized coming along the stream, but a stranger. He didn't appear to be doing well for himself, though he also didn't appear to be in the midst of a change yet. She sat still on the banks of the river, watching him with wide red eyes but waiting to see what he did before reacting further.


Maester Sanara: At first, his light brown eyes passed over unusual crimson optics nonchalantly, oblivious to their true being. After all, it was not uncommon to see animals in the wilderness. He acted for a few moments as if to pass on, his glance already distracted towards something else. However, within a second's time he did a double-take, his brow furrowing as he looked at it again. He footsteps came to an awkward halt, his fingers stopped in their busy-work and he just stared.....

He blinked, and raised his hand in a small wave, breaking the black labirynth between his palms. "ehmmmm..." he raised an eyebrow, "salutations?" he said politely enough- though as it dawned on him he was in the presence of another, he began to look slightly nervous, a little awkward. He shifted his weight slightly and rubbed his left arm with his right hand, once lowering it from the wave.


Lily was about to turn back to look at the water when she saw he passed her by as if she was simply a part of nature, which she wouldn't find hard to believe- he may no know what's going on and she doesn't look like anything particularly threatening so she'd be easy to not think twice on. However, she was. When he did a double-take, she noticed, and frowned.

"Hello," she returned the greeting, her voice toneless really, "New here?"

Might as well get some questions in.


The man squinted his eyes a little, seemed confused at the girl's words for a moment- it took him a moment to respond. His eyes, while mostly kept on her- did avert every now and then to other things. A drop in the pond, a bird fluttering off.

"Umm..yes. I believe- I am. I am new, eh..fresh, green, to this island."

an awkawrd pause.

"I suppose by that glowing, amphibious look about you, that you're not, eh?" he stared at her through dark, low eyebrows. His tone was a little less sensitive than it could be.



Lily raised an eyebrow at the man's odd expression for a moment, but decided of all the strange things on the island this was not one of the stranger ones. There were people of all kinds here, after all. When he responded, she only nodded for her own response and allowed the awkward pause to reign. She was a bit surprised when he recognized that she was part frog because of the island. Perhaps she'd found someone new, but not ignorant. She wasn't even surprised by his lack of sensitivity, most were not pleased when they discovered that they were being turned into animals.

"No, I'm not new here," she replied, staring back.


"Ah.." he nodded to her, balancing on the balls of his feet for a moment, and then becoming flat again. He had already met some changed figures on the island- but it still never failed to bother him somewhat... it only reminded him of his grim future here as well.

He began to make a cat's cradle in his hands, his eyes off of the strange frog girl as he spoke to her again: "I suppose seniority is nothing to celebrate, rejoice, or become very gladden about here..." his eyes went back to her, "on the hunt for fireflies, are you?"


"No, I don't suppose it is," she agreed with him whole-heartedly, considering her seniority for length of time on the island was more than one might expect, she knew it wasn't much to be proud of. She watched him do cat's cradle quietly for a moment, then with a sharp breath in she looked to his face.

"No, I'm just out enjoying the water," she answered finally, "Part of becoming a nocturnal frog."

There was a pause, and she seemed to be in conflict with herself. She should tell him now and not 'hide' the truth- it'd gotten her into trouble before, perhaps giving the option of being in contact with her or not would earn her some points. She had never really spoken to the islanders since the incident, and while she didn't expect it was a hot topic anymore she expected she wasn't so welcome.

If he had the ability to concentrate more, Anthony may have noticed the frog-girl's reluctance, the obvious look and aura of someone trying to hide something. It was, after all, something he knew quite well himself. However, because his mind was elsewhere- on the buzzings, the stream that was always flowing, the fireflies that danced with lights, the cradle that was of a cat's, the ever soft breeze of leaves, and the drops of water from condensation on the leaves- he could not take the concentration to notice it and emphathize.

"ah," he replied again, this time responding more hastily with more questions: "is it agonizing? The transformations, I mean. How malicious, malign, and cruel do they tend to be?" a hint of worry wafted in his voice as the words slipped off his tongue in surprising speed, but he regained himself with a short, awkward cough.


Lily was pushed briefly from her thoughts by his many questions, though they quickly reminded her of her own knowledge of it and how it had been acquired. This was something someone had said, right? She should have been honest and used what she knew to help them, ease them somehow. If there was anyway to do so, it would be by answering these questions- though really, there were so many out there now who'd be able to answer.

"Well, it varies depending on the person and the animal they're becoming," she replied finally, "Mine are more uncomfortable than outright agonizing. Though I believe some of the mammalian transformations are quite excruiciating." Honest, she had to be honest. It wasn't going to help his worry too much, she guessed, but it was an obvious answer, she felt.

The man didn't look too shocked at Lily's soft, reluctant reply. Rather his face had already reacted from the near start of his questions: cynical, annoyed, if not slightly afraid, though it was hard to tell.

"I ...understand." he heaved a heavy sigh, letting loose his cat's cradle and wrapping up the black string string around his left hand. He shook his head slightly, a scowl across his face. "Where is God in places like this? Deceased, or else ignorant,aloof, niave.... " He said to the night air. "Why do you all even insist on living?" he said darkly to the frog girl.


Lily isn't surprised by his reaction, or his words. His last question in particular was no surprise to her, for she'd been wondering something along the same lines herself. She shook her head, "Believe what you will about God, but I think most living here hold onto some hope that they will be rescued. That perhaps it could be undone or even just seeing family again."

That was what had kept her going, she supposed. Having worked on the things herself, she had some hope that there would be a way to undo it. Even simple logic said that, maybe, if they could turn you into a wolf, dog, frog, or anything else, then they should be able to turn you into a human.

Anthony shrugged at the girl's comment, but seemed to think it over for a second- or at least think about it while being distracted by some dancing fireflies.

Who did he have to hope to see again? The firflies twirled and tumbled, the water made a rushing noise. It was gone.

"I'm reminded of the holocaust.." he said, his hands, not occupied by string anymore, were plucking unconsciously at the buttons of his vest. "But then again, they had a better chance of being found than we do..."

He looked over at Lily, unsure what to say. A few questions and comments still whirled in his buzzing mind, but he left it there.


Lily flinched at the comparison, but nodded slowly, "I suppose that's a fine way to put it. We are fairly well hidden here, it seems. But if the staff can get on and off the island, and keep bringing people, perhaps there's some hope others may find it." She paused and looked back to the water, wondering when she'd become so hopeful. There was a lot to be pessimistic about, but that left a lot of room for hope.


Anthony pressed his lips together, "perhaps...", he paused, and smiled faintly, "perhaps."

The stars were beginning to shine now, the jungle was shrowded in deep blues and grays.

"Well, Ms. Kermit." the faint smile still gleamed at her, "it has been...enlightening-" the smile faded as he turned in an obvious motion to start going, "just an iota."

..and he set off, never so much as asking her name or giving his own.

Alright, here's what I got to say.

A chimera is a very cool idea for a combo and all, but giving a potentially dangerous mixture to someone who is already mentally unstable probably would not happen. It would be like giving a knife to someone with a third arm- okay, that's probably not the best comparative metaphor, but you get the idea. XD

You don't have to scrap the chimera if you don't want to, by all means, but I personally think that an animal notorious for certain behavioral quirks- or, on the flip side, extremely defined responses to everything- might make things more fun.