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A Walk to Remember
... or how little redheads have big mouths

The Dude spent the next day talking with Madison, who told her about why she is on the Island, and thus presipitated a frantic text message from Dr. Moreau himself. Blissfully unaware of what had happened and chalking up Madison's statement to her naive character, the Dude spent the the rest of the day diving for his gear (Thus see: The Cliffs, pages 1-3)

In the afternoon he also ran into Jason the Pilot and Ambrose in the cafeteria and found out that getting of the Island will not be so easy without a passport on hand. He should be bumed, but par to fhte Dude is glad about it - he can postpone the seemingly inevitable employment at Wallmart for a bit longer. Just as long as the pilot gets him some cigarettes ... (The Village, pages 6-7)

* * *
The Dude dove out of the water and looked up. The steel gray sky and the biting wind didn't exactly make this dive a pleasurable experience, but at least it wasn't so wavy right now. The rain heavy clouds were hanging overhead, promising yet another down pour by the end of the day. High up above him, Madison was sitting on a rock with her binoculars, starring at the pair of frigate birds trampling around on the cliffs. Frigates were gorgeous beasts in flight - large, dark, with long powerful wings of a true pelagic bird. But on land they turned out into a bunch of squabbling geese. These two were trying to push each other off the tall rock that would make a great perch spot. Both of them male, they were blowing up their scarlet gular sacks, drumming and ratteling. To the Dude this was nothing new - he has seen the Magnificent Frigate Bird be rather un-magnificent a few times while sailing the Bahamas. But Madison seemed enthralled.

'Weird chick, this Madison.' - the Dude thought. 'Prissy yet naive in the same way. A doctor with the mannerisms of a 14 year old. Her family must be really rich, if she got to grow up to 25 and still be such a kid. Being deaf, the coddling must have never stopped. Poor girl. Maybe that is why she is so enthralled with the frigates - she can't hear them screech. To her all this is a grand silent movie.'

A wave crushed over the Dude and he decided to go back to diving to maximize on the time the storm was allowing him to stay in the water. The "Manatee" wasn't very deep, but she had crushed into many pieces and collapsed onto itself, making it very hard to get to the leftovers of the shack and most of the Dude''s stuff. He thus far had been able to collect most of his SCUBA equipment, including the two tanks he had filled up before his last trip. The air compressor was most likely toast, though, so the one hour of air in these tanks was all he had left to properly explore the wreck in the future - he'd have to be very frugal.


Magnificent Frigate Bird (male) with partially inflated gular sack

A package is left outside of the door of Sean's apartment on the box it says nothing except "For The Dude Apt 12" with a smiley face and hearts around the words. In the package is a carton of cigarettes, a large clear bag stuffed with some kind of green plant the Dude would know very well, and a few cases of Corona.

Welcome to the Jungle
... or how one serpent caused havoc in Paradise

Yeah, see the Jungle. Oh, and while there is not Dude there, also see the Mansion. It''s worth it, trust me.

And I willa dd more later here ^___^

Also, today is the day when Em and the Dude''s RP took place. I know I said morning there or smth, but just for my sanity''s sake. It jsut has to happend BEFPRE the Lauren and Ambrose RP, for obvious reasons.

The next morning, Ambrose woke slowly to the sun creeping in through the gaps of his curtains. After several repeated attempts to remain sleeping, consciousness finally won out and pulled Ambrose out of the safety of his dreams. He breathed in a deep breath of the laundry-smell of the bedsheets, his eyes still firmly squeezed shut.

As memory of the past harrowing day and a half surfaced a few moments later he moaned.... hoping beyond hope that it had in fact been just a horridly realistic nightmare. As he curled up tighter, still resisting wakefulness, the sheets rubbed remindingly against his fur, dismissing the last vestige of hope he had before he had even opened his eyes.

Swallowing and forcing himself to a seated position, he felt as if he had lead weights on his shoulders.... it was all so terrible.... Aubrey... what she had said... him and all of the people there.... they han'd done anything to deserve this! Indignation flared and he stood quickly, stalking to the bathroom to do the most minimal of necessary hygene - brushing his teeth and hair, putting on deoderant, all the while trying to avoid looking in the mirror.

Facing his closet, he deliberately selected the most "normal" of his clothing - a nice polo shirt and khaki pants. Determined, as thin as it was, to try to be himself, to not let them win any more than they already had. The Dude had been the wisest individual he had spoken with so far - he had been helpful, and understanding - to a point. He wasnt' afraid to slap him with reality and with the responsibility that Ambrose had and was too selfish to see.

He had a duty now - he had information that the rest needed - as bleak as that information might be. He wasn't sure if he would be able to - but as a man, and a gentleman, he owed it to them to spread the word.

Taking a breath, focusing on what needed to be done, he opened his door and stepped out into the outside world for the first time in two days, heading straight for Duplex #12, his eyes focused straight ahead of him.

Knocking on the door and keeping his posture straight, he called out. "Dude? Are you awake? We have more we need to discuss!"

Ambrose quickly let himself in, slipping in the door. While he had been bold enough to go outside on his own, his confidence wasn't quite up to the task yet of remaining outside any longer than absolutely necessary.

"Good morning" he winced, the tone of his voice indicating that it was anything but good so far.

"I have.... " he tried to figure how to phrase it "some rather disturbing news..." He looked about the room, looking for a place to sit down.

Ambrose smiled, his confidence perhaps perhaps starting to re-emerge at the Dude's congradulations. The subtextual rehumanification as compared to yesterday's parting insult smoothed over more of his insecurities.

"Thank you" he summoned a more sincere smile as he took a seat. "I'm sorry if I woke you up..." he hesitated, realizing that the dude was probably much less of a morning person than he.

"I.... had a visitor last night.... after you and Greer and Matthew left..." He began, starting to fidget with whatever was nearby.

"Aubrey came by.... I think to apologize at first.... but.." he shook his head, his lip curling a bit in remembered anger. "She... she told me a lot last night. I guess they figured that the proverbial cat was out of the bag and there was no point hiding anything. I know that they can't be trusted, but I honestly believe what she told me last night.... mainly because....." He sighed, trying to find the words. "It's the worst of any possibility that I can damn well imagine." He bitterly spat the last words.

"She... she must have the thickest blinders on in the world - she... she didn't seem to see the problem with the idea of unjustly imprisoning us... ALL of us... here for apparently the rest of our Natural Lives!" He was already fuming, the emotions from the night before boiling back to the surface. "She's in that doctor's pocket - too... too blinded to even think for herself!" he growled "And this is just the begining. All of us, all of us are going to be going through these... changes" he tried to step around the word. "And apparently... it's only getting worse from here.."

((dear lord you can tell the semester's started again with the way I'm reading into hidden meanings in slang gonk - So sorry!))

Ambrose met the Dude's gaze back with a heartfelt sigh. "Sucks indeed...." That was certainly an understatement.

The reality of the situation had been sinking in more and more since last night, but the prospect of spending the rest of their LIVES there seemed so difficult to grasp..

Ambrose swallowed. "I... well... she mentioned animal DNA.... I... I have to admit that I skirted the issue of specifics..." he scratched the back of his neck... "I think I was afraid to ask" He winced. "She did say that there would be at least two more injections, however..."


((I might be in and out as well))