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Nita MacNeal

PostPosted: Fri Feb 23, 2007 6:26 pm


Nita caught his hand and gave his 'fingers' a brief squeeze. "I will," she told him. "I just really needed a friend to talk to. And cry on," Nita added, laughing.

At that point, Nita was definitely doing better. It still hurt to think about Lauren, and it would hurt for a long time. But having company helped. Gaius' presence was a good distraction, even if it had prompted that bit of catharsis. She wondered how many people on the Island even knew about her and Lauren. How many would think to inquire? Richard had, and they'd only met the once.
PostPosted: Fri Feb 23, 2007 6:46 pm


Gaius's smile brightened, as did his blush, and he nodded. "Anytime! Though I'd much rather see you smile."

It was nice, all of it, even if it seemed too fragile to last. Being there, close to Nita... even if they were just friends, it was nice. He wished it could be more, but that... would have to wait. He didn't want to press, not when she was like this. Instead, he brushed her furry red and white cheek with his free hand, then leaned down to brush her forehead with his scruffy cheek. Unlike last time, this nuzzle was intentional.

"Take care of yourself, okay? I wouldn't be able to live with myself if something happened."

Gaius Harper


Nita MacNeal

PostPosted: Fri Feb 23, 2007 7:00 pm


Why did Gaius have to be so nice? Nita gave him a sincere smile, with her whiskers and cheek-fur puffing out. She leaned against his hand again, enjoying the contact. The nuzzle surprised her for a moment until she realized it hadn't been instinct like the last time. Her smiled widened.

Grasping his hand again, Nita nodded solemnly. "I do. And I will. Promise."
PostPosted: Fri Feb 23, 2007 7:10 pm


Giving her hand a final squeeze, he pulled away and got to his feet... and nearly tripped over the dog he'd forgotten about.

"Gyah!" He flailed his arms, tipping precariously on one hoofed foot before he stumbled forward and managed to avoid stepping on Comet. With that show of grace over, Gaius rubbed his neck and chuckled meekly. "Right, I'll just be going then...!" With a wave, he made for the door, leaving Nita to herself.

Gaius Harper


Nita MacNeal

PostPosted: Fri Feb 23, 2007 7:35 pm


Comet, who had gotten down from the bed some time during all the crying, had a habit of sleeping half-way under the bed. When Gaius stumbled over her, she was rudely awakened and shot out into the middle of the room.

After a frantic moment in which Nita had to ascertain that both dog and horse-man were alright, she went to the door to see him out. "Come back and see me any time, okay?" she told him, looking up to meet his eyes.
PostPosted: Fri Feb 23, 2007 7:58 pm


It was a considerable difference between her eye level and his, especially after her last change. The horse-man nodded, smiling. "I will!"

Suddenly recalling one of the reasons he'd come to visit, Gaius turned around out on the front step and pointed to the bowl left on her table. "Ah! I made a salad earlier, tried using some bamboo shoots in it. So, uh, enjoy when you like, I guess?"

Rubbing his neck awkwardly, he bobbed his head, mumbling a farewell, and made for home.

Gaius Harper


Nita MacNeal

PostPosted: Fri Feb 23, 2007 8:13 pm


"Oh! Thanks," Nita said, glancing over at the table. She wasn't hungry just then, but her stomach would be demanding food before long.

She smiled; his awkwardness was strangely endearing. "G'bye, then!" The red panda girl stood at the door and watched Gaius walk away, towards his own duplex.

With a sigh, she put the salad bowl in the refrigerator. There was one more meal before she would have to go out again and risk facing the rest of the world.

[Fin]
PostPosted: Mon Feb 26, 2007 5:40 pm


For The Birds

Nita MacNeal
It was early evening, and Nita had run out of food. Mostly, she'd been waiting until the small ours of the morning to run out to the cafeteria, when the chances of running into people were slimmer. But her stomach growled angrily. No waiting this time!

She made it to the caf without incident, going through the line and making up one of her typical salads. Glancing around, she tried to decide where to sit-- and if it really mattered who was around.


Miller Milano
Miller finally broke down, he had to leave the duplex, there was nothing more he could do. After Lauren had ran off a day earlier he had tried to clean the place, and him self of any yellow fur left around as well as stray feathers. He had avoided going out that day not even to stock up on fruit for his mini fridge.

Today however he had little choice, hunger drove him to the cafatiria were he hastily grabbed grapes and bananas to snack on before heading back to the duplex. He sat off to the side eating quietly hoping no one would see him, he didn't even notice that Nita had entered the place not long after him.


Nita MacNeal
The cafeteria was mostly empty, except for a few Islanders Nita didn't know. And.. a familiar flash of blue feathers. With a shrug, Nita carried her tray over to the corner where Miller had been eating his dinner.

"Hey," she said, having a seat. "D'you mind if I join you?" Nita smiled slightly, whiskers twitching.


Miller Milano
He snapped another grape off the vine popping it in to his mouth when Nita's voice cassued him to drop the grape right back out his mouth with a startled tweet. Not Nita! No nono very bad!

He bit his tongue and looked up nodding to her though trying to keep as calm as he could. "Yahz surez thatz okay..." he said before going back to his grapes.


Nita MacNeal
"Ugh," Nita said, digging into her salad. "So... S'up?"

Her whiskered twitched again. Something about Miller smelled familiar. Very familiar. After a moment of staring at her fork, Nita spoke.

"You've... You've seen her, then." It wasn't a question. That particular mongoose's musk was unmistakable.


Miller Milano
Miller munched another grape and shrugged, "Not muchz." he said simply, and that was a straight up lie, one that Nita just called.

He wasn't as keen to the musk of Mongoose musck after haveing showered so much, but Nita's nose was far better then his. "I-I didz... she she waz at the beachz n-no werez to go shez saidz I justz offeredz to let her stayz with mez thatz all I swearz."


Nita MacNeal
Nita quirked a brow at Miller. Yes, she and Lauren had broken up. Yes, she was upset. At least Lauren had had somewhere to go. Jesus, it wasn't like she and Miller had slept together or anything!

"Ah," she mumbled. "Look, I-" Nita began. She chewed another bite of salad, considering whether or not she really wanted to know. "What... What did she tell you?" she asked hesitantly.


Miller Milano
Miller shrank down in his chair as Nita stared him down, he felt guilty, dirty, evil, guilty again, and still REALLY dirty.

He looked up again chirping curiously as she seemed to calm down a bit, at least she wasn't seeming to accuse him out of no were again. "Wellz umm..." he frowned a bit trying to recall all of the exchange between them, at least the part Nita could know about. "Shez saidz you liedz to her... kickedz her outz... bunch of stuffz like thatz... I don'tz think yourz that badz though I meanz... youz been nice to meh evenz after the wholez cheek thingz..."


Nita MacNeal
Nita sighed and shook her head. "I really didn't lie to her," she said softly. "I guess... we really just couldn't understand each other."

She poked at bamboo shoot. "We both said some pretty shitty things," Nita admitted. "I'm not proud of that, but... urgh." The shoot was stabbed, rather viciously, and chewed up between sharp teeth.

Just being this close to someone who smelled so strongly and Lauren (and soap) was difficult. So familiar... Nita's damp, black nose twitched again.

"Sorry to drag you into this, Miller."


Miller Milano
Miller gave Nita a sympathetic look and a bit of a tweet to go with it, "It'z not your faultz or herz, thingz don'tz always workz out I guezz..." He ate another grape trying to keep calm still.

"Youz stillz Nita, shez still Laurenz, your bothz mah friendz I don'tz hatez eitherz of you guyz." He started to peel a banana trying to hide the shaking in his hands, he shook his head again, "It'z okayz you arn'tz too blamez..."


Nita MacNeal
Nita gave Miller a sort of wry smile. "Yeah, I guess it's just like that.

"And I'm glad you don't hate me." She leaned over and stole a grape from Miller's bowl. As she chewed, she draped one arm over Miller's shoulders in a brief hug.

She froze. Her nose flared; her eyes widened. There was no way that just being near Lauren would produce that particular smell. Lauren's hint of human scent, plus the mongoose's musk, and some very familiar pheromones.

Nita pulled her arm away from Miller, feeling vaguely ill.


Miller Milano
Miller shrugged and went to eat a grape when a fuzzy hand snatched it away, in return he took a bamboo shot which didn't break or taste well and was tossed aside for another grape. "Lifez like thatz sometimez?"

He felt secure for the time and went to return the hug when Nita suddenly pulled away giving him a strange look, almost like she was going to be sick, his own face twisted in to a look of confusion in dread.

He was so fricken busted.


Nita MacNeal
Her jaw clenched. Oh my God, she prayed to whoever might be listening. Please don't tell me this is really happening.

"Miller," Nita said, as calmly as she could. "What. The. ********." Her voice rose at each word. Radiating hurt and fury, she gathered up her tray. She wasn't hungry anymore. For a brief moment, Nita considered crashing it down on his head... but that wouldn't do any good. If her knuckles could be seen through the fur, they would be white from the pressure.


Miller Milano
His chair went crashing back, he stumbled backwards shakeing his head fruriously, "It'z not likez thatz Nita! We hadz been drinkinz! S-she shez pinnedz me downz and startedz to teasez meh I didn'tz meanz too I swearz it waz a mistakez she waz gonez the next morningz!"

This wasn't supposed too happen, why did this have to happen? Why couldn't Lauren have just slept on the blankets and left him alone? Why did he even bring her the wine? And to top it all off, Nita was going to kill him probably.


Nita MacNeal
"Right," Nita spat, sneering. "I'm the one that couldn't be trusted. I'm the liar, the horrible b***h." She glared down at Miller on the floor. Her eyes brimming with tears, Nita turned on her heel.

She didn't know if she was more hurt or angry. At Lauren, at Miller, at herself, at the whole ******** world.


Miller Milano
Miller scrambled about on the floor trying to get up, to say he was sorry. "Nitaz I neverz said thatz! I didn'tz mean to havez thiz happenz!" he crawled after her for a moment stumbling up to his feet.

He reached out for her letting his hand drop, let it go, what could he even do now?


Nita MacNeal
Nita paused to give Miller a withering look. "That's what she said," Nita informed him icily.

"Just.. What the ********, Miller. You don't do things like that. What the ******** red panda girl stalked off, her tail fluffed out in anger. She slammed her tray down with the others and fled the cafeteria.

Perfect. ******** perfect.


Miller Milano
He got up following her bowl in hand feathers puffed up in frustration and anger, it wasn't all his fault! Lauren held just as much blame for coming on to him!

"I didn'tz DO THATZ ON PURPOUZE!" he let out a shrill note before smashing the bowel on the floor as Nita made her way out. Why the hell did it always have to happen to him.

Kicking the remains of the bowl he stormed off to his own duplex, it was time to pay a yellow mongoose a visit.

Nita MacNeal


Nita MacNeal

PostPosted: Sat Mar 03, 2007 6:41 pm


A Not So Tender Moment

Gaius Harper
The days had gone by as usual. Slow, monotonous. He got up, ran with Vixen on the beach, had breakfast, worked a little, maybe took a walk along one of the rivers, though he didn't stray too far from the village. He was fearful of running into that wild wolf-woman, but he did want to catch Seth again. He was anxious to get things started, though he knew patience was what he needed.

He'd left Vixen behind this afternoon, not wanting to worry about losing her in the jungle as he ventured out to the tree line, in the part that was still barely the Village. He could see the duplexes behind, and the lawn, but the cool shade and fragrant breeze, as he lifted his nose to it, were welcome refreshments. It'd taken some time, but he was starting to get the hang of his new nose, able to process the information it brought him. It was amazing how intensely he could smell the rich earth, and though he wouldn't admit it, the aroma of all the wet foilage made his mouth water. So it was with a half-dreamy consciousness that he wandered along the jungle edge, parallel to the line of buildings.


Nita MacNeal
Nita was sick of her duplex. Although she let Comet out regularly, they had mostly stayed in the village. Nita had barely spoken to anyone since Miller... and had spent far too much time thinking about what she'd learned. And trying not to think of it, which, of course, only kept it creeping back into her mind. Her first instinct had been to go to Gaius, but really that would make her no better than Lauren. On the rebound. The phrase taunted her.

Even so, the red panda girl had to get out. If she weren't still worried (to put it lightly) about Annie, she would have fled to the jungle. But the edge of the jungle, still within easy shrieking distance of the village, should be safe. Leaving Comet happily passed out across the bed, Nita fled her duplex. Just maybe, outside those walls, she could clear her mind. Or find a distraction.

She padded along, barefoot as usual, barely paying attention to her surroundings. A wisp of scent caught in her nostrils; she stopped in her tracks. Gaius. Should she catch him up? Or go back to hiding in her duplex? Nita shook her head. No. She had to live her life, and avoiding her friends wasn't the way to do it. Nita's footsteps quickened. It took some effort to catch up with Gaius, but after a few minutes she reached his side.

"... Hey," she said quietly, reaching up to touch his arm.


Gaius Harper
Gaius heard her before she reached him, his ears swiveling to catch the sound of light padding on the turf. His heart quickened as his mind warned him to be wary, never know what might surprise him out there amongst the threes, but he forced himself to calm down, knowing he could easily make a break for the village from there. So he turned his head towards the sound, catching the red figure of Nita out of the corner of his wide vision. He welcomed her with a warm smile, glad to see her out and about, especially after what she'd gone through lately.

"Hay? That's what horses eat!" he joked as she touched his arm. He moved around, wrapping his hairy arms around her in a quick, friendly hug. "It's good to see you! Doing any better...?"


Nita MacNeal
Nita giggled in spite of herself and leaned against Gaius. Hugs were good. "Hay is for horses, and asses like you!" she shot back, obviously teasing. Huzzah for elementary school insults.

Sighing at his question, she bit her lip. "Sort of," she told him. "Well. No. Not exactly."


Gaius Harper
Gaius laughed as well, more because he'd managed to get a giggle out of Nita, and stuck out his tongue in an equally childish manner.

His expression grew less cheerful and more concerned as the smile went from Nita's face. His ears, the tell-all of his moods, perked up to listen. "Did something happen?"


Nita MacNeal
Nita paused; maybe this hadn't been a good idea after all. But she needed to tell someone.

"She...." Nita gulped. "Lauren slept with someone," she said in a rush. Her eyesight blurred with tears. Wiping them away with a furious paw she added, "She slept with Miller." Trying desperately not to fall apart, Nita glanced up at Gaius. "Just great, huh?"


Gaius Harper
Gaius blushed at the first bit of information, a bit embarrassed to be hearing about such intimate info of that sort. His eyes widened and even his wings flared a bit as he looked at her with surprise. "Miller? That kid? But... he's not even old enough to be legal yet, is he?"


Nita MacNeal
Nita shrugged. "I dunno, I think he is. Lauren's only eighteen anyway." It had never really bothered her that Lauren was that much younger than her, but under the circumstances... she felt ancient.

She raked her claws through her hair, hiding her face behind her forearms. Composure. No more crying. Right.

"It's just... You don't do that to someone!" she exploded, slapping her hands against her thighs in anger and frustration. "It had only been a few days!"


Gaius Harper
It did surprise him that she'd been dating a girl that was SO young, and he couldn't keep that out of his face, but she looked so distressed that he quickly pushed that shortcoming aside.

"Oh Nita..." Gaius wrapped his arms around her again, hoping she wouldn't mind his attempts at physical comfort - it was the best he could offer, being poor in the verbal kind. "I'm sorry... You're right. She shouldn't have done that. And I'm sorry she did, because she shouldn't hurt you like that..."


Nita MacNeal
Of course, Nita was only three years older than Lauren. But that did mean that Lauren (and Miller, for that matter) was the same age as her little brother. Oof.

Nita leaned into the hug, her arms tucked up against her chest. "I know," she mumbled against Gaius' stomach. "And it really ******** sucks."


Zachary Bloodstone
It's one thing to hear bad news, another to see it. Even though Sabin told him his eye was gone, and though he could feel absolutely nothing in the socket, it didn't mean it registered in his mind. After a week or two passed, he finally worked up the courage to take a peek under the eyepatch. In retrospect he wished he hadn't. His eyelids were sunken inward, and opening them revealed a dark red hole in his head that burned when exposed to air. It was disgusting in an entirely new way, and he had nearly thrown up at the sight. There were four long and jagged scars that swept across the previous location of his left eye that the eyepatch hadn't fully covered. It would have been comical if it wasn't so disgusting and worrying. He hoped Sabin would help him get his eye back. Forever was a long time to live without an eye, now that he'd seen for himself what had happened.

He needed some fresh air right away. Being cooped up in his duplex was making him nervous. Though the duplex had never changed, it was so small now. There were plenty of spots on the ceiling where his horns had scratched it up. He double-checked to make sure the panic button was on his belt before leaving. It was a physical assurance of protection. Above all else, he didn't want to die. He was getting too close to death with each passing day.

As much as it appealed to his more primal urges, he couldn't wander around the jungle. It didn't take long for his nature walk alongside it to be ruined by a familiar sight - Gaius. And with him, or on him, some furry little creature he suspected was Nita. As if the duplexes didn't afford the privacy people needed for makeout sessions, he mused. The sight did make him angry out of jealousy. He didn't feel anything for anyone but Kaveri, and at this point he saw her so few times that even that could easily have been illusory as well. If he couldn't have love then certainly he wouldn't let it happen when he was around - especially if Gaius was involved. His tail whipped about irritably as he stood poised a couple feet away. "Huh. I guess it takes a pretty feminine man to get a lesbian to fall for him."


Gaius Harper
The bearded pegasus-man had been about to open his mouth in another attempt to offer some comforting words to Nita when, like a nail on glass, a snide voice cut through the air behind them. Gaius's head jerked up and around, the surprised expression quickly passing to a glower as his ears flattened back and wings extended protectively to shield Nita.

"What the hell do you want?"


Nita MacNeal
Nita turned to the newcomer, momentarily wondering who'd be so rude as to interrupt them. Her question was quickly answered. It had to be Zach. Although it had been months since Nita had seen him last, as far as she knew there was only one red draconic man. She shifted to Gaius' side, her paw discreetly moving to grasp his hand.

She was so not in the mood for this.


Zachary Bloodstone
"Want?" He paused. In all honesty he didn't want anything from them. It wasn't possible to convince either of them of the fact that their stay on the island was permanent and that they should enjoy it, so bothering them would suffice. Plus, insulting Gaius was pretty fun. He'd have to be a little more discreet next time. Sabin was a little too lenient with Gaius, to the point that riling the pegasus up too much would result in trouble for both of them. And at this moment, he didn't want anything ruining the possibility of him getting back his eye. He scrutinized the pair with his remaining eye, trying not to let his expression show how disgusted he was by the lack of movement in the left socket. "Oh, nothing."


Gaius Harper
It only took a moment after the initial sighting for Gaius to notice the eyepatch covering part of Zach's face. Normally, he would have just stormed off rather than taking the dragon's lip, but feeling Nita's paw holding his own misshaped hand lent him courage and he couldn't in good conscience turn tail in front of her. So he stood his ground, giving the dragon an equally scrutinizing look as he edged a bit closer to Nita.

"...What's wrong with your face? If you were trying to cover it to spare the lady from seeing it, you'll need more than that little patch." He cast Nita a quick smirk before looking back at the dragon.


Nita MacNeal
Nita frowned. She'd heard from Gaius about his issues with Zach, but had never had the privilege of witnessing an encounter. From her vantage point at Gaius' side, she inspected the claw marks extending from under the eye-patch. Someone had certainly taken a swing at him! Good on them, Nita thought crossly.

"Look," she said, rather crankily, "If you don't actually need something, would you just go away? Please?"


Zachary Bloodstone
The smirk was wiped from his face at the remark from Gaius. He hissed instinctively and spread his frill, placing a hand over the eyepatch as if that would shield it from view. He growled out a reply. "Some people around here just can't control themselves. He's been... dealt with, though. He'd be crazy to go for my other eye."

"If you're looking for privacy, go inside. You two need some more alone time? How romantic." He snorted, moving his hand away from his face. His tail, which had gone rigid, was moving a little bit. "Let me guess, I interrupted you two before he got to first base? I'm glad I didn't get here any later. I don't need to see that."


Gaius Harper
"Wait, you mean an islander did that?" Gaius's strong front slipped. "Was it one of the wild islanders? Or someone like Jamal?"

He didn't have long to be worried about feral islanders attacking others though as Zach turned his sharp tongue on the moment they'd been having. Though he tried to hide it, his cheeks flushed with shame. Shooting Zach a sharp look, he snapped, "We did have some privacy before you barged in! And it's not like that! I'm just trying to comfort her!"


Nita MacNeal
Nita cast a glance at the jungle behind her, almost as if she expected Annie or Jamal to leap out and tear them all to shreds.

"We weren't doing anything!" Nita protested at the same time as Gaius' outburst. She squeezed his hand. It was probably too late to make a hasty exit; go somewhere that actually was private.


Zachary Bloodstone
"Hardly. He's in the village somewhere. He was red, furry, and psychotic - I think his name's Lucas? But even if it isn't..." He took a couple steps forward, closing the gap a bit but still keeping a safe distance from Gaius. Zach produced a glass jar from the small bag at his side. Inside it was a single eyeball with a green iris. It bobbed a little with the movement. He kept it with him mostly to ward off anyone who needed a good reason. He really didn't want to die, but every attempt on his life was making it seem more possible. Every gesture of protection counted, especially a harsh punishment like the one administered to the dhole. "This might make whoever it was easy to identify. Sabin took their eye, since they took mine."

He didn't acknowledge their protests with anything more than an eye-roll. It sure looked a hell of a lot like hugging to him. They couldn't fool him.


Gaius Harper
Lucas?! The name came as a shock to Gaius. The dhole-man had always struck him as a quiet, polite, even rather wimpy individual, not someone who would so ferociously attack another islander, even if it WAS Zach.

Yet there bobbed an all too familiar eye, that same shade of green. Staring emptily at him, and then rolling a little up as Zach rattled the jar.

Gaius's face lost all its color, taking on a sickly tone, and he yanked his hand out of Nita's grasp as he slapped his hooves over his face and turned away. A gulping, coughing noise escaped his throat.


Nita MacNeal
"Lucas?" Nita echoed, incredulous. Granted she'd only met him once, but he had hardly seemed the type to hurt anyone.

She stared at the jar, scarcely believing its contents. "Holy s**t," she whispered, eyes wide. Her ears flattened against her head at the sound of Gaius retching beside her. Oh God, please don't throw up! The red panda girl gulped convulsively.

"An eye for an eye," she muttered. "******** you, Hammurabi." Although Lucas' eyeball was disturbing enough, what made it worse was that Zach had it... and apparently carried it around with him. Nita tore her eyes away to check on Gaius.


Zachary Bloodstone
Zach continued to hold the jar at them. He couldn't understand their disgust. It was just an eye - and it wasn't even a bloody eye. But at least they were reacting to it. That was the point of showing it to them. He didn't trust Gaius to keep his word about holding off on the punches after the tantrum he saw following the apology. Hopefully this would deter him. And Nita? He didn't really care what she thought of the whole thing. Seeing her here with Gaius had dropped his already-negative opinion of her sharply.

"It's about time violence had serious consequences around here," he stated, shooting the retching Gaius a particularly scathing look.


Gaius Harper
"God... damnit..." Gaius muttered as he fought to recover himself. That was his eye. Lucas's eye.

"You cut out his damn eye!" he sputtered, shooting a nasty look back at Zach, though his pale face stole some of the fierceness. He tried not to look at Nita, unsure he'd be able to keep his slim grasp on composure if he saw her expression.

"What level won't you sink to? Now you have the labs cutting people to pieces at your whim?!" He waved a hoof angrily. "What next?! Opening them up while they're awake?!"


Nita MacNeal
Mostly convinced that Gaius wasn't about to lose his lunch all over the place, Nita forced herself to relax. And not stare at that awful jar. She wanted to launch herself at Zach, to wipe that obnoxious smirk off his face. At her sides her hands clenched and unclenched angrily. Nita was nearly shaking from disgust and anger.

"And carrying that around like some ******** trophy?" she hissed. "It's sick."


Zachary Bloodstone
"You give me too much credit. I didn't cut out his eye. Sabin did." He spread his wings slightly in a defensive gesture. "He deserved it. It's not much different from any other system of law. There's crime and punishment. If you attack someone else here, you're going to run into... trouble. It's surprising how no one around here seems to understand that."

"It's a warning," he growled at Nita. He wasn't fond of being insulted, either. "I don't like getting attacked every other week. I lost my damn eye to this guy. If seeing this'll make some idiot around here think twice about trying to kill me, then it's better for both of us."


Gaius Harper
Gaius shook his head. He didn't want to believe it, but he knew it was all too true. Sabin was just the sort to do something that twisted, no matter how human he'd seemed in one brief conversation. That glimpse must have been as rare as a solar eclipse, because now he was back to his old practices...

He took a step forward, raising an arm in front of Nita as he growled at the dragon. "Hey, don't you threaten her! She hasn't done anything to you... You're the one barging in and waving that... that..." He waved his other hoof at the jar and snorted, focusing his eyes back on Zach's sneering face. "If you just minded your own business, you probably wouldn't get into so much trouble!"


Nita MacNeal
If Nita hadn't already been in such an emotional state, this run-in with Zach probably wouldn't make her nearly as angry. It almost scared her; she was usually so non-confrontational and had never been prone to violence.

"But losing your eye doesn't seem to have 'warned' you not to be such an a**!" Nita shot back, fuming. She grabbed hold of Gaius' arm, both to hold him and herself back from doing something really stupid.


Zachary Bloodstone
"Correct me if I'm wrong, but we're outside, aren't we? I don't need you chiding me for taking a walk. So not only do you hate this island, but you think you own it too. Fascinating logic." Zach's thoughts on the island had reached a religious level. Without room to argue, and with the threat of horrible things hanging over him should he choose to disagree with or disobey the doctor, there was no other avenue of thought. Sabin had proved himself to always be right. But it was comforting, in a sense, to know right and wrong as being rigidly defined. It made him more confident in judging others. "What are you talking about? I'm supposed to just roll over and let all of you keep badmouthing? It's the rest of you who can't handle a difference of opinion without resorting to violence. At least I don't have to worry about that now."

"Don't you dare. You have no idea..." He gave Nita a poisonous look. Did she even understand what he meant by the fact he lost his eye? There was no eye whatsoever. After a moment of seething, he decided to give her an explanatory visual. The eyepatch was lifted up delicately with a couple claws. The scaly eyelids underneath were sunken inward due to the lack of anything pushing them out. They only stayed closed for a moment, though. The empty inside of the socket stung when it was exposed to air, but he kept it open as long as he could. It seemed like it was sights and not words that these people responded to correctly. "See this? This is what I have to live with every damn day now. There is nothing left. I think being upset about it is appropriate."


Gaius Harper
"Don't act so high and mighty when you're laying judgment down on us, Zach. I was just walking until I met Nita, and we were having a chat. You're the one making nasty suggestions. Probably 'cause that's what you want."

He closed his mouth and glowered at Zach, knowing quite well of the 'violence' the dragon was referring to. He'd promised not to do anything of that sort again, but boy did the dragon make it seem tempting. No, no he would not allow himself to lose control. Puffing up his chest, he stood straighter, the better man of the two.

And then he practically gagged. "Frickin' hell..." Gaius turned his eyes away from the nasty red socket Zach was so casually showing off. "Do you want to make us sick? Geeze..."


Nita MacNeal
"You approached us, Zach. You could have passed us by or left us alone long ago," Nita said, as if she were explaining something very simple to someone lacking in cognitive faculties. She might have gone on to make some other smart-mouthed comment, but Zach flashed his eye... socket.

In elementary school, there's always that kid who turns his eyelids inside-out and grins around and the other kids to freak them out. Nita had always hated that kid. But this was so much worse. Unlike the jar, which she had kept staring at in fascination, this was just disgusting. Like some terrible special effects in a horror movie that Nita would never watch. Except there was no doubt that this was real.

Nita gasped and stepped back, gazing fixedly at the ground. After a moment, she took Gaius' arm and said loudly, "Come on, let's go. I'm sick of this s**t."


Zachary Bloodstone
"I wanted to make you understand, but sick is close enough for me." He let go of the patch so that it covered his injured eye once again. The jar was pocketed. It was tempting for him to ask himself why he even kept going, but he had a purpose now. He'd cure the islanders of their insanity, even if it took him months. If only it was easier.

He looked between the two of them. At this moment, he was fighting a losing battle and he could tell. And not only that, it was two against one. He really needed some backup. He let the tips of his teeth show in his mouth as he contemplated. He'd have to keep walking and just get away from them. His original intent to walk around sulking could still be upheld. His voice was sour, but he knew there'd be other opportunities to change their minds. "That's it? Fine. I'll leave you two to whatever you were in the middle of."

He moved past them as quickly as he could despite his heavy gait, grimacing once they'd disappeared behind him.


Gaius Harper
Understand? What was there to understand? He had a bloody empty socket! And that eyeball in his jar meant there was another islander out there with the same situation. He doubted Lucas was so cavalier about his condition... and he doubted the dhole would give in to anything quite so extreme as what Zach implied. He couldn't see the guy removing anyone's eye.

Still feeling sick to his stomach, Gaius gave in to Nita's pulling, glowering back at the dragon as the reptile walked away. His hackles stood up at the glimpse of the teeth, having little doubt the guy'd use them if he had a chance... He made himself look back at Nita.

"I'm sorry, I shouldn't have stayed there when he showed up. If I'd known he'd do that..." He trailed off and snorted moodily. His body still felt tense all over.


Nita MacNeal
Nita gave a sigh of relief when Zach put the patch back down, rolling her eyes as he stalked off. She watched after him until she was sure he had actually left, upon which she sank to the ground. Her knees had been shaking so hard she had been worried for a while that she might collapse.

Looking up at Gaius, Nita shook her head. "You couldn't have known. I mean, really, who does that?" Zach, apparently. "Jesus Christ, poor Lucas," she mumbled.


Gaius Harper
"Ngh..." Gaius ran his free hand, the palm of it, over his coarse face. "s**t, I can't believe they'd do something like that! I mean, the serums are one thing - they're not okay, but they aren't cutting out someone's eyeball on a whim!" He let out a low angry sigh and shook his head, the wavy mane flopping between his eyes. "They say they're giving us a better life here that's more comfortable... Like hell. It's all lies... All of it."

The anger faded away with his words and he took a deep breathe to regain himself. Then he squatted beside Nita, reaching for one of her hands and giving it a squeeze.


Nita MacNeal
"More comfortable," Nita repeated. "If we cooperate. That's what Moreau told me. As if it's our fault that we're here and everything." She leaned forward to rest her forehead against her knees.

Comfortable. Not that Nita had really been all that comfortable at home, constantly stressed out with school. She'd moved back home after one year in the dorms and some shitty roommate issues. Back to her dad, whom she loved and who understood her depression, except for when his meds acted up and he only made things worse. Her mother, who was wonderful but was always vaguely aware that Nita was unhappy and couldn't do anything about it. And her brother. Sam was okay, but his acting up made Nita only want to push herself more, to show him up, to be the 'good kid.' The first child. But she couldn't do it, she got sick of it, and fell apart at the seams...

Nita squeezed Gaius' hand and looked up, pushing her hair out of her face. It needed a trim, she thought irrelevantly. "So," she said. "That was fun."


Gaius Harper
"'Fun' wasn't exactly what I was thinking..." Gaius chuckled dryly, then sighed. Leaning back, he propped himself on his other arm, lifting his head to look up at the patches of blue visible between the green and gold leaves. "I guess I could see this as being my own fault... if I hadn't been so ambitious and willing to leave my family and friends behind in pursuit of my dream job... Hell, if I'd had a little more common sense and seen that no one would hire an amateur for a pro job..."

He sighed, hanging his head. "This one time... months ago... Sabin took me and Zach into the lab... I haven't really told anyone about it, but... things happened. He was trying to make the two of us 'get along' or something like that. Anyways, Sabin got mad. Mostly at Zach. And I don't care how low he is, he didn't deserve the words Sabin was throwing at him at the time. So I spoke up, and he turned on me. I've... mostly gotten over it, been able to forget for a long time, but it still haunts me, what he said. 'No one back home wonders where you are. No one is goign to come looking for you.'" Gaius closed his eyes, his brows furrowed together. "'We chose the architect who was NOT likely to get other job offers.' They got me because I was no good... I've... fought to change that, but it's still there, over my head..."

Gaius took another deep breathe before turning his blue eyes back towards Nita. His expression grew apologetic. "I... I dunno why I said all that... it's the first time, to anyone outside of Marshall or Liamh... I shouldn't have dumped it on you, after everything you've gone through today."


Nita MacNeal
"It's too easy to look back and say, 'My God, I should have known something was wrong'," Nita said quietly. "I was supposed to be with a group of other top students doing a sort of independent study thing, away from the pressures of family and the university atmosphere... Seemed so perfect for me, you know."

Nita shifted to lean against Gaius and sighed. "That's awful," she told him after a moment. "And it's not true. Just look at what you've done with the theater, in spite of their meddling..." She quirked a smile. "Don't worry about it. I guess I've done my share of dumping on you, too." Especially when I know full well you like me...


Gaius Harper
Gaius's heart quickened as it often did when Nita was in such close contact with him. He managed a half-smile, grateful for the kind words. They helped, though it was always hard to forget the ones that hurt.

"I know, but still... it's not proper for me as a man to be dumping all these old little problems on you when you're the one in distress." He paused, gathering his thoughts, then glanced down at Nita along his long nose. "Did... Miller say anything? About what he'd done, I mean? If not, I can go make him apologize to you..."


Nita MacNeal
Nita looked at Gaius over the top of her head. "What am I, a damsel in distress? I'm a pretty tough cookie, you know." She flashed him a rather sardonic grin. "Besides, you're allowed to have problems," she told him, twisting to look at him more comfortably.

She sighed again. "I haven't seen him since... Anyway, it's up to him- both of them, really- to apologize. You can't just force someone to be sorry..." As much as she appreciated the gesture, it wouldn't solve anything.


Gaius Harper
"Alright, alright," Gaius chuckled, "if you want me to stop trying to play the knight, I will. But it's still not very, uh, gentlemanly. And you're gonna have to go against years of my dad's training to get me to change..." he added with a playful smirk. He knew his values were 'old fashioned', but they were the ones drilled into him since he was old enough to talk, and he never saw them as a detriment.

"I suppose you're right..." he sighed, knowing Nita wouldn't like him to take any action of that sort. But... His mind churned it over. Miller was needing a talk. A good, hard one, because if he thought he could continue behaving like this... Gaius smirked to himself. He had another thing coming.

"So! My dear not-damsel in distress," Gaius adopted a mock-chivalrous air as he spoke, "is there anything this poor fool could do to lighten your mood even a little? A song, a dance, or perhaps I could sling you over my shoulders and take you back to your duplex? Not that I'd do anything to you like Zach implied..." he added quickly, blushing.


Nita MacNeal
"Hey now, I've got nothing against chivalry. But gentlemen don't have to be tough all the time." She reached up and playfully poked Gaius' flattened nose.

It was kind of nice to be treated like a lady, Nita mused, although she wasn't fond of macho, tough-guy posturing. And it was rather interesting to have someone so ready to leap to her defense. Not that she wanted Miller harmed, per se, but that kind of violence would only get Gaius into more trouble.

"Hmmm," Nita said, tapping her lips with one finger. "Can you juggle?" She quirked one of her fuzzy white brows at him and burst into giggles, which stopped abruptly at Gaius' last remark. "Psh," she said uncertainly. "Don't worry about what Zach said..."


Gaius Harper
Gaius crossed his eyes as he followed the finger that poked him, making a goofy face until he broke into a chuckle himself.

"Juggling? Of all the things to ask for!" He winced and made a little dip with his head and neck. "I'm afraid you'll have to remain un-entertained, because I am about as good at juggling as... well, an armless drunk octopus." The teasing seemed to be working on the red panda's mood, which lifted his own. Gaius smiled brightly, though it had taken on a bit of a ridiculous appearance since his last change, being more incisors than anything else, and the hair along the sides of his cheeks tended to stand up.

"I try not to. Most of what he says is bull anyways. I'd be worried if he actually believed half of what he says..." Gaius shrugged the dragon off and shifted so his legs were under him and he was sitting on his heels.


Nita MacNeal
"Oh drat," Nita said, grinning. Her own cheek fur puffed out when she smiled, sharp teeth gleaming. The image of Billy juggling popped into her head; she snorted. Now that was entertaining.

Nita's plump shoulders shrugged. "Even if he does, we know we weren't doing anything to be embarrassed about. Whatever." She waved a paw, dismissing him from her mind. "Do you want to go watch a movie or something? Get a snack?" Nita smiled. "It's nice to have some company."


Gaius Harper
"A movie sounds like a great idea," Gaius grinned. Standing himself up, he leaned over to offer Nita a hand, giving his tail a flick at the same time to get some of the leaves out of it.

"Though, uh, I'd be grateful if it wasn't something too, er, chick-flicky..."


Nita MacNeal
Nita accepted the hand up and spent a moment brushing bits of dirt and vegetable matter from her pants and tail. Snickering at the request, she said, "Tell you what. We can stop by the entertainment room and you can pick something out. I don't have a lot of variety in my duplex... Although I've got the first two X-Men movies, should that strike your fancy."


Gaius Harper
Gaius's ears went straight up as he looked at her. "You mean we're not watching it in the entertainment room...?" The thought of watching a movie anywhere else hadn't struck him. But of course! There was that huge TV in her duplex, it was impossible to miss! Feeling a bit silly, Gaius said, "Oh yeah, you must have a DVD player and all with that TV... I'd forgotten!"

Strolling alongside Nita, Gaius smiled. "Actually, I think X-Men is just the kind of thing I'm in the mood for. Haven't seen those movies for a good while, since my friends took me to see them in theater. I'm sure Liamh and Marshall would be appalled to hear me say that!"


Nita MacNeal
Nita hid a smile. "Yeah, it's pretty nice. I used to grab stuff from the entertainment room all the time to watch." Granted, the TV had come from Moreau, as a sort of bribe. When she and Lauren had gone to dinner with him... But it hadn't been taken away upon their break-up, and it seemed a waste not to use it.

"Hey, they're good movies. The third movie hadn't come out yet when I got here, so I never got the chance to see it."

It didn't take too long to get back to the village.

Nita led the way up the stairs to her duplex. Hearing the key in the door, Comet barked a greeting. "Hush, it's me," she called. The barking subsided, although the young dog bounded at both Nita and Gaius as they stepped inside.
PostPosted: Sun Mar 04, 2007 4:44 pm


Gaius had wanted to hold the door open for Nita, but seeing as she was the one with the keys, he just followed after, folding his wings a bit to avoid knocking them on the frame.

"Your place is always so much cleaner than mine... I must find more ways to amuse myself than you do!" he teased. Comet was greeted with a pat on the head and scratching of her ears, as best as Gaius could manage with his hoof-tips. "Yes, you're a good girl! You're a fierce guard dog who protects Nita, right?" This was asked in playfulness of course, for Comet looked to be ANYTHING but fierce. Gaius chuckled, imagining she'd probably try to play with the attacker first.

Gaius Harper


Nita MacNeal

PostPosted: Sun Mar 04, 2007 4:58 pm


"Nah, I just find non-messy things to entertain myself!" she shot back, grining. Nita ruffled the fur on Comet's back and went to check her food and water dishes. Refilling the water, she turned back to Gaius. "Go ahead and make yourself comfortable. D'you want anything to eat or drink?"

Comet jumped up to lick Gaius' cheek and ran over to her dishes, lapping noisily at the water. In spite of her friendly nature, if someone really did try to hurt Nita, Comet was big enough to do some damage if she had to.
PostPosted: Sun Mar 04, 2007 5:07 pm


The horse-man chuckled, wiping his cheek with the back of his hand, and went for the couch, settling his tail beneath him so it wouldn't get pulled too much, and tucked his wings so he could lean against them comfortably enough. It was about the same as sitting with your arms pressed against your back, but not quite as bad.

"I don't suppose you'd have a fresh apple or something handy, would you?" He looked over hopefully.

Gaius Harper


Nita MacNeal

PostPosted: Sun Mar 04, 2007 5:16 pm


Nita washed her hands quickly, patting them as dry as she could with a towel. She had to step around Comet to get to the fridge, which, upon inspection, held a good supply of bamboo, fruits, and vegetables. Pulling a bunch of bamboo leaves out for herself, she grabbed an apple and a couple of carrots.

"These good?" she asked, holding them up. After handing over the apple and one of the carrots, Nita set the other carrot and bowl of leaves on the end table and went over to the shelves holding her books and DVDs. "And... which movie? First or second."
PostPosted: Sun Mar 04, 2007 5:24 pm


Gaius thanked her for the apple and carrot, though a part of him felt he should be a little... offended? Or embarrassed, that he was accepting such stereotypical horse-food? Well, it wasn't as if Nita meant any harm by it, and it was a lot of what he ate... and she ate leaves herself, anyways. Besides, the apple tasted so good as he crunched into it.

"Um... first. I prefer watching things from the start." His eyes trailed over the equipment she had. He'd seen it before, wanting to get a better hands-on feel some time. While Nita was at the shelf, he slipped over to pick up what he assumed to be the remote and resumed his seat. Remote in hand, and slouching on the cough, he couldn't help but laugh. "Ah, now this feels better! Now," he pressed the power button what he hoped was the TV as he spoke, "do we get any sports channels on this thing...?"

Gaius Harper


Nita MacNeal

PostPosted: Sun Mar 04, 2007 5:37 pm


"First one it is," Nita said, popping the disk out of its box and into the DVD player. She preferred the second movie, but she had seen it more recently. And since Gaius had only ever seen them once, it made sense.

She hit 'play' and settled herself on the couch, pulling her tail out from under her so that it lay draped across the cushion. Noting Gaius had already taken control of the remote, Nita grinned.

"Ack! No sports!" she protested, thwapping him with a throw pillow.
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The Duplexes

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