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 Posted: Wed May 03, 2006 2:01 pm
Dropping Some Eaves ((For this RP, since staff are all black Aubrey will be dark red, Cassidy is temporarily green and Kaveri is temporarily red.)) The day atfer Colche's Birthday party Aubrey took her lunch hour to go down the village and start to pick up from the festivities before. She knew that eventaully the cleaning crew would get to it - but she felt guilty just leaving that whole mess. The Island worked on absolute min-required staff, so the small custodian staff was overworked enough as it was.
They could do the stubbing and the vaccuming, but at least Aubrey was going to start picking up all the streamers and paper plates. Armed with several large trashbags, she flitted about the room throwing away discarded paper cups and wrapping paper, making sure Colche didn't leave anything important. Awen had gone into this room awhile ago and had been playing various of the new arcades. She couldn't believe she hadn't known of this place before...or perhaps it never was around? Surely she would have seen this place another time...so it must not have been. She glanced up briefly when AUbrey had come in and started to pick up streamers, but mostly stayed in the back arcades out of the way. Meanwhile, Sabin, now stuck doing exclusively moniter duty and other menial chores about the island, had just recived in one more shipment from mainland of equipment that was to go to the rec room. He had assisted in moving a lot of the heavy equipment there when it was being set up after Moreau had figured out that compared to most of the labtechs on the island, Sabin was actually strong enough to be decent manual labor. Admittedly, this was one of the games that he had specifically ordered, otherwise he would have been more peeved that it fell to him to move the damned thing. Loading it onto the back of a flat, he drove down to the village, Rampage in tow. Sabin was wheeling the dolly with the game into the room, the game bulky enough to not really see where he was going very well other than knowing that the thing was going to go into the back-right corner of the room. Therefore, he didn't see Aubrey when he nearly plowed her over with a full-sized arcade machine. Aubrey just stood up from stuffing a bag full of shredded paper, swining the full garbage bag over her shoulder and turning around - just in time to see a giant machine barrelling towards her.
She squeaked in surprise - she had thought she had been alone in the roon, then tried to make it out of the way, but not soon enough. The front wheel of the dolly caught on Aubrey's foot, causing her to cry out in pain and fall the rest of the way out the path of the lumbering object.
"Goddammit!" she hissed from the ground, clutching at her foot, while simutaneously trying to jerk her skirt back into place from her fall. Sabin made a note of surprise as the machine proceeded to yelp at him, and then poked his head around to see the familiar brown curls of his coworker supervisor. "Aubrey?" Sabin said with a note of confusion. "What are you doing here?" He wheeled the machine out of the way, and towards the corner where it was slated to be put, eying the remnants of streamers, and snagging one of the remnant cupcakes off the wall irrevelantly. Cass was on the lookout for something hopelessly normal to do. A movie struck her as being a good idea, so she had made her way to the entertainment room first.
Then she'd remembered that pinball machine she'd seen once. She had a small fondness for pinball, and rarely got to play. If she was going to end up losing her hands, as Greer had... she might as well play while she still could.
She slithered into the room, and tilted her head in surprise. Aubrey... and Sabin...? And some blue-haired girl Cass wasn't sure she'd ever met. Her tongue flickered.
It would be a good idea to turn around and leave, she knew. But it was fairly unusual to see one staff member hanging around, let alone two at once. Zach walked with Kaveri down to the center of town. He wasn't sure where they were going - all he knew was that staying in a duplex too long just felt unhealthy. The tropical air was nice. However, the bizarre new length of Kaveri's neck hadn't ceased to horrify him, so he made sure to look at her as little as he could manage. Hopefully, she was still too dazed to take offense.
It was while they walked that he noticed a new door with a flashy sign. Puzzled, he glanced in the door as he walked by, and stopped dead in his tracks. He was stricken with a sudden sense of danger.
After all, inside the new arcade appeared to be... Sabin and Aubrey?"Getting run over my arcade machines, apparantly," she said with her brows creased, not amused.
She stood up and tested her tender foot with a hiss. "What's it look like I'm doing, I'm picking up after Colche's party. I accept your apology, by the way." You could almost feel the waves of cold coming off Aubrey today. Being up at arms with Moreau did nothing for her attitude. Somewhat weary and craving comfort food, Fiona had travelled the now much-walked path that led from the duplexes to the cafeteria. Her attention had been nicked by something curious and out of place, however- the sound of a vehicle. It stopped, and soon the arcade game, along with the staff member (vaguely resembling a mule, Fiona thought to herself with a snicker) who pulled it, came into sight. Suddenly curious, the girl followed slowly, attempting to watch for something poignant like the maintenence of a hidden video camera. Sabin shrugged, not going out of his way to amend the lack of apology, and slid the machine carefully off the back of the dolly and plugged it in- initiating a loud noise as the game sprung to life before Sabin adjusted the volume. It was only after this that he finally turned around and regarded Aubrey, giving the cupcake a long lick of the icing off the top. He didn't seem to care it had been sitting out overnight. "What bug crawled into your shirt, Aubrey?" Sabin asked, glancing down at her foot. at least you still have your job he thought irritably. Moreau would never strip that from her. Go behind her back and trust HIM to carry out a plot that she was too weak to handle, yes. But as soon as he worked on something on his own that went along WITH his own damned project he got his job suspended. "Last I checked you weren't being penalized and being forced to do the job that maintence or custodial work unlike some of us." He muttered. Kaveri honestly hadn't wanted to go out, but in the end, she decided that getting a little sun would probably benefit her in the long run, and maybe even improve her mood. Maybe. She was still feeling pretty cranky about this whole thing.
She walked alongside Zach, her neck bent uncomfortably so that her head would still (just barely) fit in her green hoodie. As he stopped, she too stopped, peering over his shoulder and inside the door, squinting her silver eyes.
Hey, that guy looked kinda familiar..! Awen glanced over from her game for just a moment to see what was happening. A sweetly familiar voice had finally snapped her out of the gamer's zone she often put herself in. She frowned a little bit at the argument. Could things never be peaceful?
Aubrey and Sabin were fighting, as if that wasn't a surprise. She really wished they wouldn't. The two staff members she would actually try to trust and what happens? They seem to be blood enemies or something. She looekd back to her game. "Damnit!" She mumbled and tried to regain her lost time. She would keep an eye on the two though."I'm sorry," she hissed. "What bug crawled up my shirt?" Her eyes darted quickly to Awen and Cass, so she lowered her voice and limped (a bit overdramatically perhaps) closer to Sabin. "I might not be be forced to physical labor but trust me I'm not exactly being put ona pedistal for sticking up for you. Oh, and nice way to thank me, nearly running me over. You should be thankful you have any after the stunt you pulled. You're lucky Miss Delaney's not your new bunkmate, eh?" Sabin gave a growl under his breath at the reminder that Aubrey had recently stuck up for him. He had been rather involved in his own throughts of self-pity with losing the lives of several of his projects and his priviledges. "Look, I appreciate what you did, really I do. I just wish that he wasn't so damn unreasonable sometimes!" He took a bite out of the chocolate cupcake as he leaned against the machine, not really paying attention to the other people that were peering his way, and not having noticed Awen behind some of the rows of games. "You're acting like I bumped into you on purpose." Awen nodded slowly listening to Sabin. He had every right not to be happy lately after what Moreau did. All of those poor little creatures... Personally Awen would have still loved to see some of them... despite how they were made the beast had to have been magnificent.
And was Aubrey ever over reacting... He wouldn't bowl her over on purpose. No... She blushed slightly remembering how he pulled out her chair. He was much too much a gentlemen to do that to a lady." 'Bumped' into me? You nearly crushed me. Gawd," she threw up her hands. "You really need some lessons on manners. It amazes sometimes that somewhere like Harvard hired you with your attitude. Nick might not give a s**t, you know, but they prefer staff with a bit a common courtesy. You really have an attitude problem sometimes Dr. Duvert!" Aubrey was being overly bitchy, and it wasn't that hard to figure out she was projecting just a bit. Awen's nose wrinkled. Attitude problems? Look who was talking! What happened to the nice sweet lady that had saved Awen from drowning? This tempest of a woman was nothing like the one that Awen had mistakenly called mother in her mind's haze.
And nearly crushed? Awen thought that was a little bit of an exaduration. Casually she moved to a different machine. One that was a little bit closer to the fight. Though she kept her eyes away and ont the next game, rather than looking at the two. Sabin's face screwed up a bit in annoyance. She now was bitching at HIM? "I have plenty of common curteousy when I'm not being snapped at. "And I left Harvard willingly to work on this project. Do remember that I was a professor there. You should respect your seniors." He prodded. "Althought it Sounds like there's been some trouble in paradise." Sabin replied snidely. "You're not usually this bitchy unless you've had a fight with Moreau. Or he's ignoring you. Not that that has been all too unusual lately." He shook his head. Cassidy should definitely leave. Oh, definitely. That would be the wise thing.
Carefully not watching either Sabin or Aubrey, she made her way over to sit a little bit from Awen, under pretense of watching her game. Awen saw red and green from the coner of her eye and started slightly. She glanced back to see the snake woman behind her and blinked slowly. Had she seen this girl before? She seemed to be very far along her changes... She remember some lady in a wheelcahir a long time ago. Was this the same girl? It would make sense...
She gave a weak and awkward smile as she glanced from the girl to the fight. She gave the snake a half-amused half-frown as a highschool girl would when watching an argument between teacher and student in the hallway and not want to be involved, but comment on it silently. Then slowly turned back to her game.Please," she said, snatching the half eaten cupcake out of his hand and throwing in her garbage bag. "I know you were a professor. I was a student, remember, I heard plenty about the crackpot folklore professor."
Aubrey rolled her eyes, "Respect your seniors?? How about respect your superiors? You're not a professor anymore, Sabin, and now, you answer to me."
But the last line was a kicker, and her face turned a bit red in anger. "Yes I had a fight with Moreau - sticking up for your sorry a**! You know I deliberately went against his direct orders? Hell, if it wasn't me I'd probably be bunking with Lily!" Aubrey twirled around. "Why did I DO that.. stupid..." she mumbled to herself.
"And he doesn't ignore me," she said under her breath. Awen twisted her face in mock concentration at her game, when in fact she was confused. Lilly? Wasn't that the girl from the blackout she had met briefly? The..red head? She had been staff? Wondering what she did to incur Moreau's wrath Awen frowned worriedly in Sabin's direction.
Mentally she urged Sabin not to push it too far. Though Aubrey was clearly being unfair. Crackpot folklore professor? He was a little different, to be sure, but Awen loved his random bits of folklore and things he says.Standing by the doorway did making hearing the conversation a slight bit more difficult, but he could hear enough of it from the relative safety of the outdoors. There wasn't a chance in hell he was going to go in there. Even knowing Cassidy and Kaveri (tentatively), the presence of the two 'doctors' was like garlic to a vampire.
He gave a flickering glance to Kaveri, but said nothing. So far, he particularly liked what he was hearing. After putting a finger to his lips to maintain what silence they could, he moved closer to the door, gripping the frame for balance with his hand while watching. Cass gave Awen a small wave and a slight smile. There might be time for introductions later.
Sabin? A crackpot folklore professor? She could believe it. She had the wings to prove it. Crazy b*****d. And by the sounds of it, he'd done something else.
And, er. Wait. Aubrey was seeing Moreau? That's what it sure sounded like... but that couldn't be possible. Aubrey's shoulders straightened and she turned slowly back around, glaring. "Doing something with him that you never would. eh? Is that what you think that is, huh? Go on, say it. You think thats why I'm second in command, don't you?" She pointed a finger at him accusingly. "Is that what everyone thinks. That I'm just his ditzy loyal girlfriend? I'll have you know there's a damn good reason I have the position I do!" Okay, so thats not exactly what Sabin said, but its was obviously something Aubrey thought he meant.
"And he doesn't ignore me, thank you very much. He's just BUSY." She darted her eyes around again, a bit embarassed. "You can't see what goes on where the camera's can't see," she pointed out to him. This was very obvious what she was referring to since there was only room place there was only one place with no cameras (at least so Aubrey thought). "And look who's talking. I don't have to feed into some little girl's schoolyard crush to get some attention from the other sex." She narrowed her eyes at him and quickly darted them over to Awen. He snorted. "Then why are you? Hunh? He certainly hired you because he knew you. There are research heads with ten years of pharmetsuticals research under their belts here! You're second in command because he knows you're his loyal lapdog. Among other things. But you're apparently so dedicated to him and so blind to anything else that he doesn't even have to put a ring around that finger." He said smugly, gesturing to her bare left hand. "And yes, he's busy. But he's always busy, and he always WILL be busy. I just hope that you can accept that." He shoved his hands, now devoid of cupcake, into his pockets. "And I don't know what you're talking about." He said defensively, quickly. "I was married I will have you know. Samantha, God rest her soul, loved me. And no matter how obsessed I was about my work, I made time for her. I know a two-sided relationship when I see one. And a broken one when I see one as well." Oh she didn't. She didn't! Schoolgirl crush? Awen bit her lip and crewed as her hand gripped the controls just a little tighter. She certainly was not happy with that comment as her cheeks became a slight rosey colour.
She really didn't want to get involved. Not with everyone here. But how could she do that? Awen had thought she was at least reasonably nice still. She wasn't very proud of how Sabin was acting, but Aubrey started it anyway.
As she stewed her listened to Sabin. He had been married was he? Things Awen never knew. Was he really just playing with her, feeding her on? Surely not... the man could care, he had a wife which says enough. She had seen his pain. He cared, he did. But he had been married... how long ago, the manta wondered idly. If Sabin was doing this then it had to have been long enough ago... but... She suddenly felt slightly squimish. She knew she shouldn't, besides Sabin would have probably told her later. This was not the best way to learn more about the guy anyway.
She tried to focus a bit more on the game to ...uh... seem less conspicuous. But she still kept an ear to the argument. This was getting too far..Aubrey started to argue back before Sabin was even done. "What's so wrong with a bit of loyalty!? A project like this- "
But she cut off at the ring comment, obviously hitting a big nerve. Her faced flushed even more and she blinked a few times quickly. "I... he... just because he hasn't asked yet doesn't mean he's not going to. You know, what are we going to do - elope in in in... Las Vegas.. please..." the words were there, but they had definately lost their edge as she stumbled.
"Married? Yeah, I've read your file. Must have been a lovely woman to put up with you} she spat sarcastically. "Did you guys start dating when you tricked her into thinking she liked you, too?"
Aubrey addressed her voice towards Awen. "Awen, dear, you really should thank Lauren for the lovely flowers she sent you when you were will ill." Awen glanced over when she was directly addressed this time. She blinked slowly as the words ran throguh her mind. The flowers were from Lauren...? She glanced briefly to Sabin but looked over to Aubrey mostly, playing the girl simply being dragged into the fight.
"Um...I.. yeah sure." She ducked back to her game. Her face was turning red but not with embarassment. How could she do that? First the subtle stab, and now this? Now practically shouting that Awen was this girl she concidered to be such a fool. She turned away from the game with a ragged sigh.
She couldn't even try to concentrate anymore. "But not to be rude the two of you. But perhaps you should take this argument elsewhere? You are shouting at eachother a lot of information that the other probably doesn't want the entire island to know. It would be very good of you both to agree to take this away from everyone's view. This probably doesn't help anyone in regaurds to their views on the labs. Seeing you two bicker and squable when our lives hang in the balance here dependant on your collective research is not very encouraging."
Also she wanted to keep anymore implications involving Awen away from everyone's ears.Aubrey just opened and closed her mouth a few times. To be honest she expected (hoped?) Moreau to pop the question when they were in Paris. God know she wasn't very subtle.
"Moreau would... he wouldn't propose just to get out of an argument with me." She sounded more like she was trying to convince herself than defend Moreau, however.
"Ha!! See past things?. Was she ******** blind? Or just as messed up as you are?!"
She blinked and started back at Awen, trying not to bite her head off. It wasn't her fault. "Yes, your lives hand in balance.. and Sabin here is deciding to mess with your heart, too, aren't you, Doctor?" She addressed Sabin directly again. "You know for damn sure she likes you, and you're playing her along, you don't feel anything for her!" Awen's blood ran quite cold hearing Aubrey saying those words quite clearly. The rest could have been misconstrued, explained and excused away. Self consciously she glanced around, taking note of the islanders still in the room. She stepped back slightly, her legs a bit wobbily. People were going to find out eventually she knew...but the key word had been eventually. She didn't want people to find out so soon....how many islanders were going to...?
She silenced herself. Though she wanted to shout at Aubrey, it would do no good. Awen knew Sabin had feelings for this fish girl. He had to have. It wouldn't do any good to try to rebuke the claims, or say anything to Aubrey.
Awen felt somewhat like she wanted to cry... but didn't.
Besides everything...Aubrey was certainly the pot calling the kettle black, wasn't she? It was her own relationship problems...her own fears. She did not have an objective view of this relationship. She had no idea. Simply projecting her own fear onto her and Sabin.
But... how could Awen handle the islanders knowing? Many Awen knew...would hate her now. She suddenly felt a fear of the others.
A fix of emotions finally kept Awen silent. She took a small step back at the complete loss.Sabin smirked. Aubrey wasn't sounding that convinced in the merits of Moreau. He knew she was a smart woman. Now, Sabin DID respect Moreau. He respected his brilliance in science, and hte fact that he managed to achieve what had been limited to stories of science fiction or magic with real science. Things that Sabin had dreamed of. He considered himself loyal to the project and knew his place - he couldn't do this without Moreau's brilliance. Aubrey, however, was here for an entirely different reason. She needed Moreau, too, but not in the same way. "I don't know if you'll ever be happy working with him, and always being SECOND." He held up two fingers for emphasis. "If you must stoop to insult me and the loving relationship I had because you will never have such closeness, then that is just sad. Perhaps you do not even know me as well as Awen does, and she does not even have a file on me." Sabin was not about to let Awen have doubts about his sentiment towards her. He needed an ally. He glanced her way, not liking seeing her upset by Aubrey one bit. Sabin KNEW he would open himself up to sentiment if he started communications. A strength bound in a weakness. He knew that. "At least she listens to what I have to say." He also didn't like that Aubrey brought this up publically any more than Awen did. But perhaps, just perhaps, it would make the listeners more sympathetic to HIM in hearing so. "And Awen requests that we discuss this privately and you attack her." He shook his head. "You are not being very charitable today in the least." Aubrey just narrowed her eyes dangerous at Sabin. "I'm not attacking her. I'm protecting her from you." Aubrey's voice was no longer high pitched and bitchty. It was low and defeated, grasping at straws of her control.
"I have always respected Nick's work and his brilliance! I would not be here unless I did. You know as well as anyone that - " she stopped short, grabbing Sabin by the arm and yanking him close, lowering her voice, "that we weren't, you know, until after I came here."
She paused for a moment. "How dare you question Nick's feelings for me. I have severe dount about your 'closeness' to your wife. Either you hid a lot from her or she was as ******** nuts as you are. I see the joy you take in this little experiement here. This... this place isn't abuot science for you. It isn't abuot... stretching the limits of science. I know what you do - I know what your purpose is here. You like to torture. You have fun, don't you? Just likese those experiements Moreau had put down. You like to play. Its not enough that you're turning them into animals. YOU like to see what happens when you leave them naked up in a tree. Or locked out of their heated duplexes and thinking they are dying. You think its fun to turn a man into a dragon because dragons are 'neat' and you want to live those little roleplaying books I've seen in your office. You have fun here. I see it in your eyes." Cassidy sputtered, and clapped a hand over her mouth. Right. Right, she wasn't supposed to be listening.
Yes. The wall over there... it was very interesting. It had completely captured her attention. She had not heard a word.
Oh, christ.... These people were insane. Every single last one. Cass buried her face in feathers. "Protecting her?! You don't even know me. Not half as well as you think you do. " Sabin was getting genuinely upset. This was getting personal and no longer was a game. As she pulled him close, Sabin growled, momentarily flashing teeth at her. "And how dare you make presumptions about HER?" He spoke even her pronoun reverently. "She knew me. She was my compliment and grounded me, She helped m-" He stopped abruptly. He didn't want to admit what he was doing was very differnt now than how he was when she was with him. He swallowed, eyes narrowing at the direct accusations. The worst part was that he knew they were true.... at least in a sense. And he started to REALLY wish that Awen wasn't around. why? Am I trying to protect her? Not want her to KNOW me? Or because I do care about her?. "I am not torturing them." He protested, although it wasn't the most authentic sounding. Sabin wasn't the best liar. "And Zach is lucky to be given the serum he was. How is that any WORSE than any of the others here? So what if I have a greater design than just picking a bottle off the shelf at random? Or.." He grinned devilishly "Playing 'pick the hand' with two rather unfortunate animals like a bat and a skunk?" Two could play at that game. "And what do you think Moreau does!?" Awen finally shouted stepping forward. She could take no more of this abuse towards Sabin. "You think Moreau doesn't enjoy his work here? You think that he is just strictly about science? You have no right to criticise Sabin, or me for that matter, before you look a little more closely at him and yourself! Moreau enjoys this, I've only seen him briefly but I know he enjoys this island. He had to have for creating the concept in the first place!"
Her face took on more red then she could ever remember. Every bit of her burned and chilled at the same time. She was embarassed for speaking, afraid of what Aubrey or the islanders will do with her now, but the cat was out of the bag and the damage done. She had nothing to loose at the moment, so she believed.
"You cannot blame Sabin for things Moreau tells him to do! Moreau is the one who started this experiment, Moreau is the one to blame above anyone else for everything that happens here, not Sabin, not you not any of the other labtechs that work here." She growled softly. "I don't know why I try sometimes."
She continued her rage with a gesture to Sabin. "And how dare you say anything about his late wife! I don't care what issues you have with Sabin, but you didn't even know the woman. You gain nothing to you senseless bickering by picking on the dead! That is disrespectful on so many levels."
She turned around to Sabin still somewhat angry. "But you are not helping the matter by antagonising the woman. Can you not see she is under stress, I realise she started snapping at you but that is no excuse to say some of the things you did which only caused her to start talking about your relationships.
Stepping back so she could look at them both. "Now, I have no authority over either of you, being a simple prisoner here and all, but this isn't helping anyone! Again, confidence in the competense level of the staff severely decreases when you fight like this in the open."
She looked more to Aubrey once more, the anger was there but pain of what she had done as well as fear mixing in with it. "Not to mention the other people you are hurting here. Please take this away from islanders eyes. We cannot hide our drama from you, but please do not add to ours."Cassidy looked up at Awen in utter disbelief. How did anyone manage to talk back to these people? They were in control, they had power, and they were in charge.
Confidence in the staff? What confidence? They were insane.
"Christ," she said, and ducked her head below her feathered arm again. She was already turning into something she could barely pronounce, thanks to one of these crazies. She was not going to make it worse. She grounded you!! My god, then she must be rolling in her grave if she could see what you're doing here. Nice way to honor her memory - is this what she would have wanted from you?"
Her attacked was cut off by Awen. She raised a finger to say something but stopped herself. "You know what - ******** it. I'm sick of sticking up for everyone. I'm tired of defending Nick from the islanders and you," she said to Sabin, "I'm sick of defending you to Nick," and then she look a look around the room, adressing Cass and Awen, "And I'm sick of defending you all to Nic- Moreau. I just can't make anyone happy - and I'm tired of it." She held out a hand to Sabin. "You can rot in front of the monitors for all I care and the islanders can all end up in a little white padded room! Then lets see what you all think about it!"
Aubrey tossed the garbage bag down and headed out of the room Sabin snapped at the comment about Samantha's disapproval. Between THAT button, and the berating from Awen - awen on top of it, the color seemed to drain from Sabin's already less-than-tan face. "What did you say??" He said, somewhat strangled-sounding. He had been spirialing VERY far downwards here, backsliding to a place that at one point in the height of his relationship he never wanted to be again. He had been having trouble dealing with her death, even though it was now a while ago. He had been goign through the motions, but not moving on. Now in dealing with the pain he was allowing himself to play, to divert his attention to something entertaining, not paying attention to the kind of person it was making him... or what she would have thought of that. He shoved his hands back in his pockets, left the dolly there that he had wheeled the game machine in on, and stalked quickly out the door towards the van he had left waiting for him out there. "I'm sure that colche would love your new attitude of lack of altruism." He said lowly as he got onto the driver's seat, towards Aubrey who was also outside of the room now. "Ironic, isn't it? You're scolding ME for making an attachment and disavowing your own. My how things change." "Next time I'll make sure you get a serum for disobeying Moreau's orders," she hissed back. "If its not already too late for that," she yelled, jerking her ear. "Don't think I'm not onto you ~ ". Awen, after glancing arund the room once more with an apologetic and awkward 'heh' she quickly followed the two outside. She moved right passed Aubrey to the driver's side of the vehicle.
"Sabin I'm sorry for getting into that... I'm sorry I should have just stayed in the back corner. I didn't mean to agrivate things or... push Aubrey's mouth in the wrong direction. I'm so sorry..."
It was obvious she was nervous now. She knew that no other islander could kill her because of the people watching on cameras...but if Jamal could almost kill Aubrey before someone did anthing about it... who knows what the camera people would allow them to do to a subject before they stopped it.
But also she was genuinely sorry for what had happened. She knew Sabin had been hurt by the exchange, whether he will even admit it to himself or not, those words had to have hurt him somewhere. If it hadn't been for Awen the relationship issue wouldn't have been as bad she was sure...Sabin frowned darkly as he slammed the door closed after him in response to Aubrey's words and resentful words. Bitterly, and because he got some sort of twisted enjoyment, perhaps because she already had her suspicions so why not, he flahed her one more toothy snarl as he started the ignition. He glanced to Awen, nodding quietly. He wasn't in a talking mood anymore. Not now. "Right." He murmured. She could see the anger and hurt in his eyes. Not necessarily directed at her, but it was there. He stepped on the pedal and left Aubrey and Awen in the dust as the jeep sped back to the labs, the now empty trailer rattling after it. "You're just a mind game to him," Aubrey said, genuinely and not just out of anger. "I'm the only one here that gives a s**t about the islanders. I don't think its right for him to mess up your life anymore than Moreau and I already have." With a sad, defeated sigh, Aubrey turned and headed for her Jeep. Cassidy exhaled slowly. She was alone, it seemed?
Thank the god she didn't believe in that was over. What was wrong with Awen? You couldn't just behave that way to these people. They were sick, sick bastards. Cass had read somewhere that the first rule of being a hostage was to not draw attention to yourself. She figured the same rule probably applied here.
And if Aubrey had been defending them... she hated to think what would come next, if she stopped.
Augh. She was an innocent bystander. Who had... been... obviously eavesdropping. Stupid, girl. Stupid.
She slithered over to the corner, and coiled up, hugging herself. In a while, when all was clear, she'd head back to her room. Screw pinball. Awen exhaled slowly watching Sabin depart. She knew he was angry, hurt... but it didn't feel good to have him turn his back.
When Aubrey spoke she turned slowly to the lab tech. "I'm sorry to you too Aubrey." She said softly. "And I appreciate what you try to do. Just not what you just did to me." Whether the lab tech thought about it or if she even heard it didn't matter to the manta as Aubrey headed to her jeep.
She glanced back to the rec room. She'd left the snake woman there alone. Probably for the best... at the looks of her Awen had an idea that she wasn't very fond of staff either. She wouldn't go back to the arcade games, no longer in the mood. The thought of going back to her duplex was equally appalling.
Her gaze shifted towards the lake and she sighed softly. Yes, that would make things better. She could be alone... she wouldn't have to deal with the other islanders just yet. Billy would soon be able to disturb her even there.... but for now the lake was still her own.
So Awen slowly started to the lake to have herself a swim. The water would make it better...
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Posted: Thu May 04, 2006 12:44 pm
The dreams for Fiona are even more punctuated with grizzly realism and strange, eerie imagry than even many of the other islanders. While the first change for Fiona was a bit longer in coming than for some, the subsequent changes, on the other hand, more than made up for it. It starts with a fierce itch that races across your skin, fine fur sprouting quickly along your forearms, calves, feet, chest, waist... BEfore the fur has even finished growing, other more drastic and painful changes begin - it's excruciating - your feet stretching, thick callousey pads forming at the bottom of your feet and hands; the base of your spine unfuses, pushing out into a short, fuzzy tail. Your ears stretch, your teeth ache as your incisors grow, your nose even changes shape, moistening and twitching. 
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Sabin Duvert Vice Captain
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Posted: Thu May 04, 2006 2:00 pm
Applejuice and Antiseptic Since the party and her failed speech, sleep had been an evasive thing for Fiona. While awake, she only grew frustrated with the seemingly endless obstacles in her path, and while asleep her dreams reminded her of the family and friends she had left behind. After sitting awake a long time, eventually one night she managed to grasp at the straws of restfulness and fall asleep. Her slumber was undisturbed for perhaps an hour or two, and then her mind stirred into life and began to play dreams across her thoughts.
It was dark. Darker than any night time, darker than any cavern or pit. Fiona found herself comfortable in this bizarre void, and so did not question it, or even move from her curled position on what could have been a floor. Peace was fleeting, and footsteps- giant, pulsing, roaring footsteps- echoed through her hearing. Voices, mumbled and indistinct, conferred, and then a horrible light poured through her safe haven like a bright, shrieking tsunami. Fiona attempted to scream, clawing at the bars which had appeared, unexpected, around her. It was only then that her mind rationalized that she could not possibly make sounds, because somebody had stolen the music box in which she kept her voice.
Let me out of here! Her thoughts bellowed, the light becoming so powerful that her ears began to ache. Curling over, her face pressed against cold metal, and the smell began to flood into her nostrils. Antiseptic and apple juice, antiseptic and apple juice. Staggering to her feet, she remembered that nobody was allowed to stand on their hind legs except for the men with the most money. She didn't have money- it was forbidden to go on two legs. Collapsing angrilly, the girl crawled to the cage door and looked out. She could see nothing beyond the light.
Overcome by the desire to vomit, Fiona seized the fibreglass bars in her hands, squeezing them and shouting silently at the voices. Were they in her head? Or were they out there somewhere, shielded by that blinding light?? The voices had to be coming from somewhere. "Stop fighting. If you stop fighting we'll give you the music box back." The music box?? Where is it? Where did you hide it?? "But you must promise never to use it. If you open the box, we will turn your voice into sand, and it will slip from between your fingers..."
She recognised the tone, and attempted to call out a name. Fiona knew, she knew that person! I know you! You're - ! But nobody heard her. A rustling on her left, and on her right, and everywhere around her. The cage was filled with rats, rats everywhere! White rats, brown rats, black rats, grey rats-! Everywhere on her, around her, running up and down her back and biting her ankles. Get off! Get off of me you insane rats! Fiona flailed her arms, and brought up her knee, slamming it down on the neck of one of the fearsome rodents. They all fell silent, and then began to squeal long, pained cries in some bizarre melody. Looking closer at the fallen creature, the girl's stomach gave another lurch. The rats had faces... they all had human faces. She emptied the contents of her stomach, and peered down in disgust at the sticky yellow fluid she had expelled.
The apple juice... oh god, the apple juice! I drank it! They tricked me into drinking it! That's what they were doing, they were trying to save me from the- her thoughts were interrupted as a fresh wave of scent hit her. Antiseptic and apple juice. Antiseptic and apple juice! Screaming without making a noise, crying but shedding no tears, Fiona charged the bars on all fours and hit her head across them, scattering fragments of human skull across the cage and among the rats.
Fiona awoke on the floor of her duplex, a throbbing in one section of her head. Getting to her feet slowly, she touched the back of her crown and found there a quickly forming lump and a minimal amount of blood. She had fallen out of bed and hit her head on the corner of the night stand. Groaning, she leaned back and tried to remember what sort of crazy nightmare she must have been having.
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Posted: Thu May 04, 2006 2:40 pm
The First Transformation With a soft sigh, Fiona wiped the sweat from her brow and wandered over to where she had hidden the steak knives, checking over her mental list and wondering where she would find someone willing to saw open her neck. Absently the girl thought that she should start jogging around the island, for if she were to get the chip out she would need to escape into the jungle. That would require a fair amount of stamina.
The steady throb of dull pain around her ears which she had attributed to whacking her head on the table began to worsen. It was only when she felt an alien tingle up her spine that Fiona grew suspicious of the new sensations. Was she being buzzed into unconciousness? The girl put a hand to the back of her neck, grimacing. The strange tickling feeling- could this be what it felt like to be put to sleep with the microchip?
But no- when Lauren had attacked her it had taken about a milisecond for the girl to hit the floor without any warning. This was lasting much too long. The itching sensation began to overwhelm her, and Fiona scratched at her arms fiercely. "Dammit, I hope this island doesn't have ticks to bed mites or something," she snarled, frowning and squeezing her eyes shut. When under her very fingers fur began to push itself from her hair follicles, her eyes snapped open. "No..." She whispered, dread in her tone.
Fur. She was growing fur. Like those bad werewolf movies, or something. Before Fiona could despair at her miserable fate, a gut-wrenching pain tore through her nerve endings. Suddenly her hands were on fire and her feet gave out underneath of her. "Aahhhrrg-" she snarled in agony, tears escaping from her eyes as her mouth and nose pushed out and changed. Every bit of her screamed with hurt, and although it happened in a few minutes, the entire ordeal seemed to last hours and hours to Fiona. Her feet stretched and shifted, her spine forced itself from where it ought to be and began to form a small tail. The cartillage in her ears grew out and up, her teeth lengthened, and rough pads shaped themselves of her very skin.
At last she lay there, panting and whimpering, feeling very much desecrated and fouled by the hands of the scientists, and feeling twice that in pure, unlying, physical pain. Staring up at the ceiling, she tried to be silent so that Annie would not hear her and come down to see her, crying quietly and no longer fully human, her mind and soul raped by the atrocities the owner of this island might have called... progress.
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Posted: Fri May 05, 2006 2:51 pm
Fiona's Whereabouts After her transformation, she spends a great deal of time skulking inside her duplex and murmuring to herself about cameras and tents. On the Saturday Fiona ventures from the safetly of her room rather early in the morning, making only a few stops in order to eat and gather some things. After food she makes a trip to the Beach Bar to get a bottle of some potent alcohol and a bucket of ice. She then returns to her duplex, stores both things in the mini-fridge, and then spends the rest of the day messing around with her bedsheets. About midnight she passes out from exhaustion, and the next day wakes up around noon and goes to the cafeteria once in the afternoon and again in the evening, spending the rest of her time in the duplex. Throughout this entire period of time her door is left ajar, jammed open with a rock from the jungle, as it has been since she arrived.
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Posted: Sun May 07, 2006 6:56 am
On The Stair Groggy most of the afternoon, when night fell Fiona was still sleeping on and off, nursing both her sore feet after her transformation and her bruised ego. The girl was just about to leave her room to get some food, and as she was making a quick check of her mini-fridge to be sure certain things were still there, a voice crackled to life over the speakers. She listened, confused, and looked around fearfully. A staffmember had been injured by an islander, and- if she had heard right- almost killed. Suddenly Fiona felt the need to reconsider leaving her duplex door open all the time.
Suddenly a new voice hit her strangely heightened sense of hearing, and it took her only a second to slip outside and find its source, still on the stair of the duplex. "Annie, are you okay?" Her first thought was that her friend was being attacked by some ferocious half-man, the second that she was transforming. But no- neither seemed to be the case after cursory inspection. It was then that Fiona remembered her bizarre appearance and, slightly ashamed in front of her lifetime companion, retreated a little into her doorway, expression revealing guilt and regret.Angharad looked down, arms still wrapped around her, eyes trying not to cry as she caught sight of the familiar lanky figure and the reassuring voice.
And saw the changes.
She couldn't help clapping her hands to her mouth, letting out a strangled squeak.
"Fee... oh Fee, what have they done to you?"
The dream was getting worse and worse, now. She and Fiona had wandered through the dream unharmed, they weren't truly going to change... but there Fiona stood, looking a little scared and ashamed, her legs distorted at odd angles, her ears lengthened at the side of her face. And the tears started spilling down Angharad's face now, as she slowly reached one arm forward, not trusting her body to be able to stand, but wanting Fiona to come closer.Any urge she might have had to flee was quickly overwhelmed by the need to comfort her best friend, and Fiona quickly went to her side. "Hey, hey, it's not so bad. It won't stop me, won't change who I am inside. Don't cry, Annie. We're going to be okay." Soft, meaningless reassurances spilled from her heart, a comforting hand (made bizarre by the pads now adorning her palms and fingers) touching the girl's shoulder. "I'll be fine. Don't you worry about me. We'll get through this."Angharad gripped Fiona's hand on her shoulder, hurting even more as she felt the changed, rough pawhand in her own. She looked up, trying to stop the tears, because she knew it wouldn't help. The announcement was forgotten for a moment; what was happening to her friend was far more important.
"Oh Fee, did it hurt? Dreams shouldn't hurt..." She managed to choke out softly. She hadn't washed her hair since the storm, and it was tangled and messy, leaving her expression even more lost."It... it hurt. A lot." She said truthfully, wishing she could spare Angharad from concern, but not willing to lie to her or get her hopes up. "But it goes away. I don't feel too different, except for my feet." Well, her teeth too. Those had taken some getting used to. But no sense in scaring the poor girl any more than she already was. It probably wouldn't be long before Annie too started to change, since they had arrived at the same time.
"Did you hear that announcement?" She asked, hoping to draw the conversation away from the depressing line of thought. "One of the scientists got attacked, or something. And they want us to help them figure out who?" Fiona paused. "Wait, Annie- do you know what that means?? There must be somewhere on the island without any security cameras!" The girl seemed more excited about this than she was worried for the life of another human being, strangely.Angharad realised that the subject was being changed, and unhappily forced herself to think of that instead, still clinging to Fiona as she spoke.
"It was the Lockheart woman... you know, the one I said was so mean? But..." She suddenly realises what put her back to sleep so swiftly that morning, and looked a little more determined. "They must have zapped us in case we were doing anything else strange... but, the cameras..." She looked more unhappy again. "Fee, there was a power cut. That's probably what knocked out the cameras so that they don't know who did it." She laid her head against Fiona's shoulder, hair falling over her face and obscuring her expression slightly.Fiona began to rub soothing circles on her back, frowning. "A power cut? I don't remember a power cut..." her frown deepened. "Actually, I don't remember much of anything that happened yesterday. Maybe I passed out or something... I didn't sleep much after the changes happened." The admission was made with a sheepish grin. "But what do you mean, they must have zapped us? I think if I got electrocuted through my neck, I would remember. Did they do it to you?" Her voice grew dark, the need to protect her friend swelling up inside.Angharad looked confused. "You mean, you don't remember anything, but you didn't get zapped? I think that's what it was anyway..." She rubbed the back of her tender neck slightly, and took a deep breath. "Did you not hear any of the storm last night? There was only temporary power yesterday, when I got back.. " she clamped her mouth down over the rest of the sentence, feeling guilty about her trip to the cliffs still, and continued. "Then there was that really loud storm, and everything switched off.. it was hard to sleep, because of the noise, and no air conditioning, but I managed to get to sleep in the end." She lifted her head a little, looking sideways. " And then the power came back on, early this morning, but just as that happened, my body felt tingly and painful, and then... wham, blackness." She looked a little hesitant. "I guessed it was the zap thingy... but I thought maybe the power cut did something to the labs, and made it go off.. because I was in my duplex all yesterda, and I never did anything to hurt anyone..." Her voice became more anxious."A storm...?" She paused, thinking hard. "I remember there being clouds, and then- oh YEAH! That big huge insane storm! I remember now. But... I have no idea when I must have fallen asleep. Because I dunno about that whole 'power going out thing'. I must have conked out before it happened..." Had she been knocked out cold by the neck chips, then? "I had a headache this morning when I woke up, but that was mostly it. Do you think my chip thing went off? I mean, what does it feel like?" This was really confusing Fiona, and she didn't like it.Angharad looked thoughtful for a moment, frowning still. "Welll... I don't know if it wakes you up, but... I just felt this tingling start, running all down my spine, like goosebumps or something..." She shuddered a little at the memory, and looked at the cool steps they were sitting on. "Then... it was a bit like those fairground things where you get an electric shock, my muscles went all funny.. and then I woke up again." She shrugged, looking anxious. "Does the back of your neck hurt at all, or just the headache?""Just the headache..." she mumbled, stopping to ponder something. "I wonder if somehow you can avert the electriciy to stop yourself from being shocked. Like those people who survive being randomly electrocuted because they were wearing rubber boots or something." Her mind jumped back to the announcement again. "I'm not helping them." Fiona said, rather out of the blue. "They trap us here and control us with electric shocks and then get all surprised when someone gets pissed and fights back. There's no way I'm going to help them catch whoever did it, no matter how freaky it is that somebody out there is pissy enough to almost kill another person." She wrinkled her nose, glancing around, suddenly wary. They were out in the open. It would be better to be inside. Too dangerous. Fiona pushed the thoughts down scornfully- she wasn't afraid... was she?Angharad looked cautious for a moment, gaze unconsciously sweeping the village around them suddenly. It was quiet, at the moment....
"But Fee, what if that person comes after us? Surely, if we pick up some ideas, we might find out..." She looked nervous, fingers tightening on Fiona for a moment. "Maybe we should go down to the cafeteria later, see if anyone else knows anything... then if they know, then we'll know to avoid the person who did it."
She swallowed, trying not to think about it too much. Everyone she'd met had seemed aimiable enough, but... what if there were islanders here who were completely changed into animals? What if they'd been driven mad by the environment around...?
As a hundred what-ifs crowded into her head, one small, crystal sparkling thought appeared.
A challenge.
If she solved the challenge, would she wake up from the dream? Perhaps -that- what was it was! She'd solve the challenge, and nothing could hurt her, because she'd wake up at the end, and her family would be there, and Fee how she should be... her face incongruously lit up."I don't see what nosing around will do," she said, despite the curiosity that had begun to show its face in her mind. "I mean, I wish I did know. Because we could even find that they're an ally. Maybe they didn't mean to kill that scientist chick- but I mean, if they're going after the scientists and leaving the... the people who live in the village alone, then I don't see any problem." Her brave words with tinted ever so slightly with concern. Maybe living on an island with a bunch of animal people was more dangerous than she'd originally thought.Angharad nodded a little, face still slightly bright. "Mmm, but what happens if it's someone who's finally gone mad? Someone who started going mad when they saw that doctor woman, then snapped? For all we know, they could be roaming around in the jungle now, waiting to spring on anyone who comes past..." She pulled her knees up, but the cheerful scaredness was more of someone wondering what the plot of a scary movie was going to be. "And asking questions can only help us defend ourselves more..." She looked sideways at Fiona. "And you never know, we might be able to find that place where there really are no cameras..."Fiona nodded slowly. "Okay. But no matter what, we can't help the scientists. Why should we do their dirty work, right?" Her stomach decided it would be a good time to butt in, and gurgled loudly. "Oh yeah- I was going to go down to the cafeteria anyways. I haven't eaten since before the storm. I'm just going to check on some stuff and have a quick shower, and then get something to eat. Don't wait for me though. I'll probably catch up and see you there."Angharad nodded more, face still odd. "Don't worry. I have no wish to help the scientists either." Her face twisted into determination, and she stood up, wiiping the trails of tears from her face.
"I'll go to the cafeteria now. I'll se you there, okay?"
With that she pattered off down the stairs and off in the direction, clothes still rumpled and hair a mess, but it didn't really matter to her.
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Posted: Mon May 15, 2006 5:28 pm
Riverside Chat Having essentially disregarded the announcement about the staffmember being injured (why should she care) Fiona had spent a great deal of time in the jungle, exploring and searching for something in particular. This day she found herself exhausted and feeling clammy, and so followed the distant sound of water to the river she knew wasn't far. With an annoyed sigh the girl flopped down on the bank and wriggled her sore feet in the cool flow. "Stupid jungle," she muttered under her breath, picking twigs out of the fur on her elbow. Yes, the river was indeed preferable. She could see much more around her- the open air was far safer. Wait- safe? What was there to be afraid of? Fiona scoffed at herself mentally and splashed her toes a little, enjoying the sensation on her toughening 'paw-pads'.Nita had also been in the jungle, having grown to like the time spent in the trees. She hadn't run into anyone since her meeting with Cassidy, however, which was mostly just fine with her. This particular afternoon, Nita found herself walking along the bank of the river, climbing over fallen logs and the occasional large rock. She tensed suddenly, a sound not belonging to the local fauna reaching her sensitive ears. A vaguely familiar form stood not far away... Nita approached with caution. "Fiona??" she blurted out, surprised. Her name, suddenly spoken from the lips of another person, caught Fiona off guard. She scrambled away from the water, away from the voice, and into a wary crouch, her shoulders tense. For perhaps a split second her expression blazed fear and violence, and then it was gone. "Nita!" She exclaimed, sighing and relaxing visibly. "Sheesh, you scared the s**t out of me! What are you-" a pause. "You changed." Her voice suddenly sobered, and Fiona glanced down at her own mutated, furry hands. "Guess I'm not as invincible as I thought I was, eh?"Nita stumbled, equally surprised by Fiona's frantic scramble. At least she wasn't the only one who had gotten jumpy. Catching her footing and her breath, Nita stepped a bit closer. "Whoa! I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you!" she apologized quickly, twisting her furred hands together. "Are you okay?" She bit her lip, her heart still beating just a bit too rapidly. "Yeah. I did... The day after the storm." "Yeah, I'm fine," she mumbled, berating herself for being so stupid. What was she afraid of? Other than rabid islanders going around attacking people, of course. "So..." Fiona began to ask, rising to her feet somewhat awkwardly and peering at the other girl, "What are they turning you into?"
Taking a step towards Nita, she noticed absently that her odd new way of balancing on her feet made her feel taller. "How have you been, anyways? Haven't seen you in a little while. I've been... busy..." she trailed off, eyeing her cautiously."Red panda," Nita said quietly, automatically reaching up to feel her slightly pointed ears. She realized that Fiona had gotten taller, although she was nowhere near as tall as Lauren, who was a good foot taller than the petite red panda girl. She wondered momentarily whether or not her own changes would increase her height at all. "What about you, do you know?" She raised a brow in query. "Busy?" With a shrug, she continued, "I've been okay, I suppose. I haven't been doing much, mostly wandering around outside. Reading. The usual, I guess." Nita sat carefully on a sun-warmed rock and slipped off her sneakers, revealing fuzzy feet with darkened toes. "Reading, eh?" A part of her wanted to ask if she'd been fraternizing with that stupid bitchy McBitch b***h. Another part, however, didn't care to know. "What kinda stuff you read? Fiction... Not-Fiction... Almost-Fiction?" This was clearly the sort of girl who chatted with the person beside her throughout library orientation in grade three. Woops.
"But yeah... I'm not sure what I am..." a pair of her fingers traced idly up along the long, pointed ears. "I'm thinking rabbit, though." She twitched her nose pointedly, pointing at it as she did so. "I could never do that before. Seems pretty rabbity to me."Nita nodded, scratching at a bit of moss with one fingertip. "Mostly science fiction and fantasy, odd as that seems, considering what's going on here. There's a pretty decent library in the building with the cafeteria. Lots of books on animals, too." She rolled her eyes. "How appropriate, huh?" The nose-twitching demonstration caused her to giggle slightly. "I had a pet rabbit when I was in middle school, and that's just what her nose did." Nita's damp black nose wiggled a little bit, although not nearly as much as Fee's. Fiona smiled broadly, but nostalgia creeped through her heart. "Annie had a rabbit too. Cutest little thing..." she was suddenly reminded of something and sat down on the ground, crossing her legs. "I've never told you how I ended up here, have I? Hell, I don't think I've told anyone." Without waiting for a response, Fiona began to animatedly narrate the story of her tragic downfall.
"So, me'n Annie volunteered with the PETA, right? And we'd heard about Feral Labs a few times before- they're awful for animal testing, but nobody can really prove it. So they open up this research station thing in our town. I didn't think they would, since they're mostly based in the States, but we're near the border, so I guess it makes a bit of sense. But anyways, it got me real pissed that they would build their sick testing facilities near my home. So me'n Annie make this plan, snuck in, right? And there were cages and cages of animals. Rabbits, rats, puppies. So we were just gonna free them all and leave. Nothing too serious. Then these guards show up, and I get knocked out. Woke up here." Fiona pursed her lips- as much as she could around her oversized incisors."I got mine from a guy who lived down the street from my parents. He had an alligator, and raised rabbits." She made a face. At least she'd saved one little bunny. Before Nita could say anything like, "No, you never did," Fiona had launched into her story. She sat quietly, nodding and making appropriate noises at various intervals. "Wow," Nita mumbled at the end, not really knowing what to say. Her own experiences with PETA were mostly negative: mostly people shoving pro-vegan brochures at her with gruesome images of mangled animals. Although she applauded much of the ideology, (Yes, cruelty to animals is horrible and should be stopped,) PETA's means and general attitude tended to annoy her. (We're right, you're wrong, meat is murder, blah blah). She sighed, rolling her shoulders and turning away from Nita to dapple her feet in the water once more. "Yeah. It sucks." Fiona scratched the back of her neck. "But... I sorta regret it. Not cause I'm bitching about being stuck here. I mean, maybe it was supposed to happen. Maybe I've got some... purpose, or something... here. It's probably just wishful thinking... but I like the idea that I can change this. Put a stop to all the insanity, somehow. But... I regret Annie getting dragged here. She doesn't deserve this. She was always the smarter one. The good kid. Y'know?"Nita shrugged, still looking at her feet. "Maybe," she said noncommitally. She peeled the moss off the rock, for once not minding the mud on her hands. The smart one. The good kid.She shuddered, old memories and dreams resurfacing. "I do know," Nita managed. Oblivious to any internal distress she might have caused Nita, Fiona forced herself to resist the urge to blubber about how she missed her home and her parents. She was better than that. "But yeah. That's kinda depressing. Let's talk about something better. Or even not talk at all- it's pretty nice out here when it's quiet. But then, that means I have to shut up for more than a second, doesn't it?" She laughed at herself, flopping back and bonking her head on a small rock with a grimace, pushing it out of the way before resting her skull against the dirt and pebbles. "So how've you been?" Nita was relieved to change the subject, and she couldn't help but laugh along with Fiona. "Gah, you okay?" she asked, when the girl whacked her head. She straightened herself out from her hunched position and looked out across the river. "It is nice out here," she agreed. Warm sun, a gentle breeze, fluffy clouds, birdsong... Nita sighed, enjoying the scent of earth, trees, and water. "And I've been okay, all things considered. There are good people here," she continued, almost forgetting who she was talking to. "Yeah..." she agreed softly, turning onto her side when the nub of a tail began to complain about being crushed under her behind. "I should probably get out and meet more people. I've been so focused on-" she cut herself off, suddenly avoiding Nita's gaze. As much as Fiona wanted to trust her... 'She's friends with Lauren. She might let something slip, even if she doesn't mean to. I can't tell her about this.' "Well, maybe I'll tell you some other time," she lied, "I'm not sure if there are cameras around here.""Plotting again?" Nita teased. Not that she really thought Fiona would get anywhere with all her plans. "Stupid cameras," she agreed. "Supposed to be all over, though, so even out here." She shrugged. It was much easier to try to forget about them, to forget they were in a giant experiment, even if their cage was an entire island. "Heh, that's just who I am. I can't sit still or I'll go insane," Fiona grinned, leaning against her fuzzy arm. "One of these days," she said, eyes twinkling with mischief, "I'll find a way to stop them for good. Overthrow the scientists. And then we can all live here on this island, living off the land. Maybe find some fruit trees and plant an orchard, and in a few years... it sucks to think that we'll be stuck here that long, but I'm not about to go back to the real world with pointy ears and a mini-tail-thing. The fur I could shave off... the rest of it is a bit too weird to get away with. Maybe I could pretend I'm an elf or something. Work in a mall with one of those rent-a-Santa dudes. Probably doesn't pay that well, though. I could go around in a giant beaver suit the rest of the year. Yeah, I could be a mascot for a sports team. How lame would that be?" Her train of thought had clearly meandered. What had she been talking about before, anyways?Nita blinked. Since her change, she hadn't really thought of going home. Even if she didn't look so bad now, she would change again. And life really wasn't so bad for her on the island. She was certainly less stressed than she'd been for years... and of course there was Lauren. "You do look a bit like an elf though," Nita said, amused. "I don't think you'd really want to be a mascot though. I know I wouldn't!" "You're right," she mused, "it'd get old really fast. Maybe I should..." her stomach suddenly gave a loud, obtrusive gargle. "Get something to eat?" She laughed, patting the offensive organ and slowly getting up with a yawn. "I have to admit, I'm really relieved I didn't end up with some kind of meat-eating animal. I'm surprised they didn't make me like a crocodile or something, just to mess with my head. Anywho, I better get goin' before they get any ideas." Fiona smirked widely, bobbing her head at Nita. "Guess I'll see you later, then?" Nita chuckled. "A rabbit's not so bad then, I guess. Much better than being some silly mascot." She paused and nodded back. "Yeah, sure. Have a good meal then." "Right. Seeya!" She waved and made her way up along the river back to the village.
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Posted: Sat May 20, 2006 10:57 pm
Feline Eye-Candy Fiona paused in her running, slowing down the treadmill to a crawl, and twisted open her near-full bottle of water. Still walking along on the machine she guzzled nearly half of it, the cool liquid dribbling a bit down her chin. The girl gasped for air once she'd had her fill, re-capped it, and turned up the speed a little. From the two other bottles (empty, to be certain) lying on the floor next to her, it would seem Fiona had been there for a while. Her skirt, suddenly inadequate for the activity she was bent on, had been replaced with a pair of scrubs which had been modified to be shorts. The alteration was shabby, at best, and at worst, well, the legs might have been chewed off by a crocodile.Rex mosied his way through the village from his duplex, towel in one claw, a sport bottle in the other. He was dressed in a fit tanktop and shorts, there wasn't any need for shoes (not that he could fit his feet in his current ones anyways), there was nothing better than a good work out. Rex nearly died with glee when he discovered the weight room that had been added into the Town Hall, though he hadn't seen many people in there before.
Before he was even at the door, Rex could hear the whir of the running machine coming through the door. He turned the nob and pushed open the door, blue eyes glancing across the expensive machines to find Fiona running. He chuckled and spoke up over the machine's noise, "Well it looks like my hiding place has been taken!"
Rex wrapped his towel around his neck and held the ends in tight fists, adjusting his weight to rest on one leg as he pondered what to work first.Her attention whipped across the room with a sharp, wary speed, nervousness betrayed in her face for a split second before a wide grin broke out. Fiona immediately switched off the machine and stepped off, leaning against the support bars. "Rex! I haven't seen you in ages- you changed again." She said, a hand resting on her heart as she panted a bit. "I have too, I guess. Seems like everyone's changing these days." Her tone became dull at these words, and she was at a loss for what to say for perhaps a moment before she blurted out, "Your tail got longer!" This, undoubtedly, put her smile back where it belonged.The lion-man laughed again, she seemed... hyper. "Yeah, I changed. Though you're looking a bit furrier y'self." He motioned to her elongated ears while his smile revealed menacing fangs, stretched in a similar fashion.
He walked over to the girl and hugged her in greeting, though just about jumped out of his non-existant socks in surprise when she burst out about his tail. Looking down there again, are we? "Yup, quite a bit longer actually. But I don't mind it. I like it, honestly." He spoke truthfully, though promised himself that he would cut down on the talk of changes. Thankfully Fiona didn't seem to mind the topic like most the other islanders.Fiona accepted the hug gratefully- for the social butterfly she'd been at home, she certainly wasn't getting enough human contact these days. "You like it?" She repeated with a snicker, touching the slight extention of her own spine. "I'm getting one too, and it's a real pain in the a**." The girl stopped, heard what she had just said, and burst out laughing. When she had recovered from the fit of hilarity, Fiona explained her reasoning. "I keep forgetting it's there, right, and then I sit down and it's all like, hey, there's something jabbing into me. Oh, it's myself!" The girl shook her head sadly, although a grin remained steadily on her features. "It's just not cool.""It's not so much that I like it. It just doesn't bother me." He looked down to her tail, a small nub. "You'll get used to it." He laughed along with her, though much more about her exuberance than the pun in itself.
He walked over to the nearest running machine, hung his towel over the rail, and turned it up to a moderate pace to warm up a bit. Rex had already stretched. "So you don't seem all that angry about the transformations yourself, little missy. Any word on the animal you've got?" His had been noticeable from the tail to begin with.She sighed, reaching to her water bottle for a quick sip. "Well I mean, I can handle it. It's insanely freaky. But it's better than having hairspray splashed in my eyes or being forced to inhale cigarrette smoke day in and out." At the mention of these injustices her blood began to boil, and so she got back onto the treadmill in hopes of running off the emotion. "So yeah. The changes itself? Not so awful. Except for the pain. And the itching. But anyways- my point is, it's more that they're doing this at all that pisses me off. Ruining lives. Breaking the law so much it isn't funny. And another thing- this doesn't even prove anything! So they can turn people into animals- is that going to cure AIDS or feed the millions of starving, dying people, or reduce the pollution problems? No. I don't think so. It's so stupid!" Best increase that speed- she'd begun to get herself worked up. Oh dear.Rex continued to run while he listened to her vent with open ears and an open jaw. He sighed while keeping his pace, the poor guy always seemed to say exactly the wrong thing to every person he encountered. "Man, I hear yeh. Though... I honestly think that it's completely out of our power, y'know? They seem to have thought up every little aspect of this operation so there's essentially nothing we can do." The very thought made him angry. He didn't support the labs in any way, shape or form; but deep down he'd discovered how much he loved the idea of change. He felt enpowered and strong, the thing he'd hoped, searched and dreamed of since his high school days. Rex was torn between sides.
He waited for Fiona to cool off a bit when he realized it was actually him that was heating up. Beads of sweat formed on his brow and under his arms. To save himself the laundry, Rex took off his shirt in a swift motion and tossed it to the ground behind him, then continued running. It wasn't any big deal.The sound of the garment hitting the floor caught her attention and Fiona looked over to see what it was, nearly tripping herself on her awkward feet as she appreciated the view. Rex didn't seem to have much to worry about- the changes had been quite kind to him. Had nothing interfered with her train of thought, Fiona would have railed on and on about how it was indeed possible to overthrow these damned scientists, but the lucky man had saved his ears the torment by discarding his shirt just in time!
Turning her attention back to her running, she hiked up the speed another notch. A light jog. "You know..." she said, a touch breathlessly, "I never did much... fitness kinda stuff... back home. I never really had to. But now I feel like... I should keep in shape. Cause you never know when you're gonna need to be able to run long and hard."Rex choked in laughter, but made it into an odd cough. The last part of her sentence gave the lion inside him some unneeded thoughts. Though he kept running, almost tripping, himself. I'll just push those little thoughts away, now. He'd been a bit lacking in the "significant other" section of his life for the past few years. Was Rex ready to move on...? Loneliness leaked slowly but surely into his emotions.
Get on topic, man. "I love to work out. I've done it religiously since i was in high school, it's just sort of become routine to me. I feel really unfulfilled if I don't... and I can't stand leaving something unfinished or incomplete." He jogged. That held his attention. Jogging. Only jogging.She glanced over again when he 'coughed' and raised an eyebrow, but otherwise kept going. "What made you start working out in the first place? I tried, just because it's good for you and all, but I really can't do one thing that long if it's not interesting to me. Especially if it's something tiring like jogging and whatever. I just get so bored. I mean, it's not like I have ADD or anything." Fiona mashed the "slow down" button until she was walking slowly and bent over to grab her waterbottle and drain the remainder of it before getting back to the conversation. "But if something is really important to me, I can put a lot of attention into it. Or something that's just really interesting, you know?" She laughed at her own gregarious nature. "But really, I do actually want to know what got you started working out. Ignore me, I talk too much."Rex ran in thought, there wasn't really one full, true answer to the question. "Well, to begin with, I was involved in alot of sports. So, that called for me to spend some time in the gym. And from there I just realized how much I liked it! It's a good stress reliever and is also a productive way to pass the time. Soon enough i just spent all of my time in there and now it feels like... like brushing your teeth. Thats a weird analogy but it makes sense to me, something that you should do, and you always feel so good afterwords." He ended his rant, doubting he was making much sense."Yeah..." she said, nodding as she walked, deciding to keep her pace even for a change and keeping her fingers away from those fun buttons. "I can understand that." Fiona was silent for a while, listening to the whirring of their machines and the sound of her own footsteps and trying to think up a new topic of discussion. One other than Rex's lovely tail-changes. Since when did tails turn her on, anyways? Weird."What about you? What did you do before the island? Where are you from?" He turned up the speed of his machine and dabbed at his forehead and chest with his towel, then took a long drink of his water. Running inside was certainly more different than running on the beach like he had been doing recently."I'm from Canada," she responded automatically, before elaborating, "Peace River, British Columbia." Fiona stopped to think before answering his other question- a part of her didn't want to reveal the fact that she was a highschool student. Well, dropout, technically. She didn't want him to think of her as a kid, or anything. "I did a lot of work with PETA, had a few odd jobs in coffee houses. Nothing really amazing.""Canada? So there's more of you!" He laughed and finished off with, "I've met quite a few of Canadians here on the island. Though I'm from... uh, long story short; I was in San Francisco working at a restaurant before I came here." Rex didn't want to bore her with his long and drawn out story about living in LA, then the east coast, and moving back with Julie and how she died. He shouldn't ruin the mood like that. "I don't really have a true home that I'd care to relate myself to." Living in LA held too many bad memories and you can't exactly call boarding school your home.
He slowed down to a walk and panted heavily, this sure was a good workout."Cool. I applied for a job at a restaurant once. They told me I was too... blunt, or something. Anyways, I didn't really want the job. I forget why I applied." Her twitchy button-finger got the best of her, and the speed went back up again. "So there are more Canadians here than just Annie and me? I would have thought it'd be mostly Americans- bigger population, and all. But like, how many others do you mean? Anyone I'd know?" Fiona stole a glance at his handsome furry chest- hey, no sense in letting a good thing go to waste.Rex laughed inwardly at the 'blunt' comment. It was blatantly obvious, but he didn't want to make her feel awkward so he laughed silently. He looked over at her when her machine's noise increase, only to catch her staring at his torso. He looked striaght ahead, laughing out loud abruptly now.
Pull it together..., he calmed down and continued with her questions. "Uh, heh, the first one that comes to mind is Awen. I'm sure that there's more though." Or maybe there wasn't more, Rex wasn't thinking straight. He mind was in other places.Woops, caught in the act. Fiona wiggled her eyebrows at him in a 'I totally meant to do that' fashion. She hadn't planned on being caught, but that wouldn't throw her off. The wide smirk on her face, however, disappeared the second he uttered that name. "Awen?" She uttered in disbelief. "She's from Canada?" An angry prickle pushed past the pleasant endorphins she'd been gathering, and in desperation she set the speed higher and began to run. She would not let herself ruin this fun encounter by stressing about her. "Stupid b***h," she mumbled vindictively, for no apparent reason. Ah, teenage girls.The eyebrow wiggle caught him off guard. He had no skills when it came to relationships. He only knew how to be himself, that was perfect for Julie and came easy to him. He didn't know how to act around women when a potential relationship began to hint into the conversation. Suddenly he got a bit nervous.
Aparently she did to, or something. He sense her tense up and she ran much faster now. Instead of questioning why, he took another swig of water and sighed, cranking the speed up once more.It suddenly struck Fiona that was was, in fact, ridiculously tired. She hadn't noticed with the distraction of having someone to talk to- and look at- but when she began to push herself too hard a stitch formed in her side and her legs began to cry out in protest. With a wheeze she brought the speed back down and shut the machine off, flopping down on the treadmill and simply lying there nearly spread-eagle. It was a good thing, her mind mentioned absently, that she wasn't wearing a skirt. "I... I think I'm done for the... the day," she panted, her chest heaving. "I'll... hang out and chat... if you want."Rex saw her flop, worried that she'd fainted at first, but kept running when he saw she was okay. "Y'alright?" He had more stamina than her for practice, but the girl could certainly hold her own.
He stopped the machine after a few more strides, drank again, and panted heavily. "Oh no, I'm beat as well." He certainly wasn't as down as she was, but tired none-the-less. He wiped himself over once again with his towel and sighed. A nice shower beckoned him."'Kay," she muttered, and took a deep breath before hauling herself to her feet. "Grarg... this is the part I hate, where it burns after. Maybe I'll grab a bite to eat, have a shower, and take a nap or something. Maybe just skip it all and take a nap. I'm bushed." Fiona rubbed at her sore leg muscles, leaning against the treadmill. Eventually she made a face and left her support, walking towards the door. "Guess I'll see you around, then?"Rex helped her to the door with an arm supporting her as she walked, "Rest'll do you good." He should get a bite to eat anyways. "Do you want some help back to your duplex or have you got it alright?" He chuckled and scratched his chest, his shirt was thrown limply over his shoulder.Despite the complaints of her over-worked muscles, Fiona was quite pleased with the results of her pushing herself too hard. Being supported by an attractive, shirtless guy? Definately an ideal situation, regardless of the cost. Did she want help? 'You could walk me to the duplex and stay there for a little while,' her thoughts purred, but the words she spoke were rather different. "I think I'm good. Just got a bit of a stitch. I'll live." She grinned.Nodding, Rex let the girl go back to her duplex. Rex got his towel and water bottle, then wandered through the cafeteria to get a quick bite. Eventually, he got his much needed shower and a nap worthy of note. What a good day.
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Posted: Mon May 22, 2006 1:51 pm
Coincidences As Fiona walked through the trees, munching on an apple filched from the cafeteria, she made a mental list of things she needed to do. First and foremost was to find a place devoid of cameras, and secondly to construct there an area that would prove as further protection from prying eyes. Where this place might be, the rabbit-girl couldn't be certain. So, remembering the person she had met living off in the wild, she decided it would make sense to ask someone more familiar with the terrain of the island. Perhaps that hedgehog lady- Emelyn, her name was- would know. And having no idea where the imparter of wisdom might be, Fiona decided a nice walk through the forest was in order, and, if she wasn't there, a trip to the beach. As the girl made her way past large trees and fallen logs, she made notes of possible hiding spots and potential structures to create her little section of the island impervious to spying. If, the cynical part of her mind commented, such a thing was at all possible.It was taking a little while for Emerwyn to get used to her new living arrangement. While her extremely limited possesions were all moved in to Ian's home, she still felt awkward. She took to walking alone for a time each day. She knew too well what happened when one spent too much time with another. And, on a small island such as this, the effects could only be worse. She decided that it was time to seek out Emelyn. She needed to clear some things up from the other day. Who was that frightenigly hairy man? What were they talking about? What had them both so tense? She cared very much about the spiky girl, and wanted to make sure she was alright. It was, after all, the least she could do. Emelyn had helped her out in the past. Her search took her to the jungle, where she then intended to turn to the beach. But, she paused, sensing something she could not hear nor see. The smell was the only thing to hint that it was there. Her ears perked up, strained to hear what silent creature was lurking about. It was close. Fiona, whose senses had sharped slightly but skills of observation had not, continued on, unaware. Eventually, although she was not partial to such information, the girl drew nearer to Emerwyn, making no effort to conceal herself as she went. Dried twigs and leaves snapped distinctly underfoot, and to be fair Fiona did so conciously. Firstly because she knew a wild animal was far more dangerous if it were startled from being crept up on, and secondly because she was hoping to run into someone. It didn't make much sense to be sneaky, did it? Of course, the icing on the cake was the fact that she was hardly a tactful sort of person- or quiet one, for that matter!The animal must have been furthur off, since after not too long a time, Emerwyn heard its feet crunching along the jungle floor. She followed it; it must have been a person. An animal would not have made so much noise. She walked toward it, tentatively. She didn't know who it was. The scent was completely unfamiliar. "Hello?" She called uncertainly to it. A voice! Her pulse suddenly quickened, and she felt the inexplicable urge to hide. It wasn't anyone she recognised- but that didn't sound like a threatening voice. Fiona took a moment to calm herself down, peering through the trees in the general direction the sound had some from. "Hey!" She said, attempting to get rid of her internal paranoia by putting on a front of fearlessness. "Who's out there?" With her attention actually focused on it, Fiona found she could hear the person's cautious footsteps. Following this indication as she walked, the girl was able to see the stranger, just barely, through the dense trees and vines.Emerwyn emerged slowly from amonsgt the trees to greet the stranger. She was not wholly visible until she came into plain sight. The tan-brown color of her body and the long green cloak she wore did well to camaflogue her in these surroundings. She smiled as she saw the fellow Islander. She looked a rabbity sort, there was no doubt there. "Emerwyn is. At your service." The deer-girl made a mock bow, with a smile. The girl nodded and mumbled, "I'm Fiona," but was stunned for perhaps a moment by Emerwyn's appearance. It was not so much the dainty hooves or the fur that threw her off, but the strange structure of her face. Of all the people she'd met, all but a few had kept their basic face shape. No part of the body, she suddenly realised, would be left untouched by the transformations.
When she had regained her composure, Fiona smiled a little. "Emerwyn, eh? Y'know, that's really weird and ironic. I'm actually looking for a person called Emelyn. What are the odds, huh.""You called?" Emelyn poked her head out from around a tree. She'd not realized how close she was to people until they raised their voices to each other in greeting. The hedgehog-girl had been collecting mushrooms and roots, and had chalked up the sounds of rustling underbrush to that of regular forest deniznes- not the two souls that waited near her foraging.
She stepped out into plain sight, her basket hung on the crook her her arm, which she had folded up at the elbow to rest on her front.
"Hello you two." "And what a coincidence indeed," Emerwyn said, smiling as Emelyn appeared. She looked now at Emelyn. "She's just the one I was seeking, as well." "It's a pleasure to meet you, Fiona. And so good to see you again, Emelyn." This was far too odd to make sense. So, Emerwyn didn't bother to try to figure it out. The girl blinked once, and then twice. "Okaaay. Really weird. But I guess I shouldn't be complaining." She opened her mouth to say something and then cut herself off, frowning. "You've changed too. It seems like everyone I know is getting more... animal...ish. Nita, Rex, you-" her eyes shone briefly with anger at the situation, "...and me, too. Which means Annie can't be far behind." This statement was made with dread, laced with regret and sadness.
"But... that's not what I came here to talk about. I was wondering if you knew about any places on the island that doesn't have cameras?" Fiona turned her gaze back upon Emerwyn, indicating that the question could be directed to either of them."I love coincidences," Emelyn said, coming closer to the duo, "but I don't know if this truly qualifies. I criss-cross this part of the woods at least three times a day, for one reason or another. ...Mushrooms," she said, indicating the basket, explaining why she was there now, "...I would have run into you at some point, if you were in the woods long enough."
Emelyn leant down to put her basket on the ground, and gave Emerwyn a hug. "I'm sorry I ran out last time- that day was... strange." Then she released the hug, and would have given Fiona a similar one- regardless of the changes in the girl's appearance, or the short time they'd known each other- if not for the sudden question.
"As far as I know, every place on the island has cameras of some sort- although I don't know about far up on the mountain. I've never had any indication that I was being watched in my cave... but really, it's unlikely that I'm not being watched." She spoke squarely and honestly, trying to distract the girl from the hurt and the fear that came through so clearly in her earlier statement- that her friend was not far behind. That, and Emelyn suspected that this girl- whatever she was becoming- would respond... to honesty.
"I think your best bet for not being watched... is to swim out as far as you can from the island, and talk there. I would assume there'd be no way to fully watch what goes on out there. And even if they could do a close-up from a mountain lens... they'd be unable to hear you speaking." Emerwyn returned the embrace, glad to see Emelyn in higher spirits, so it seemed. "That's quite alright. I'd gotten a little concerned, I'll admit." She simply shrugged at Fiona's question, allowing Em to take that one. She had no idea; she'd never thought of it. What did Fiona want to talk about that she needed to avoid the ever-watchful doctors? "And, yet, that would not stop them from being suspicious," Emerwyn offered to that last comment. "Out in the water? That makes sense, but it doesn't really work for... what I have in mind." Fiona looked around warily- there could be cameras planted in the trees, watching them at that very instant. "Solid ground is kind of important. I mean, I could build a raft, but anything escape or rebellion related that would take you more than a couple hours to make will get smashed by them the second you fall asleep, I'll bet. And even if you didn't fall asleep they could just... knock you out." This comment reminded her of another thing she wanted to discuss.
"Have you ever thought about how much more control we would have without these chip things? If they weren't able to knock us out at will, we could overthrow them in no time with just brute strength, planning and stuff. Imagine the possibilities, if someone could find a way to just... get it out." At this Fiona rubbed the back of her neck, annoyed that it was undetectable to her external poking and prodding.Emelyn stayed, standing next to Emerwyn, her arm out to touch the deer-woman's arm with affection. The woman seemed happier, if not a little more preoccupied than usual- and there was much they had to discuss. But at the moment, her eyes were focused towards Fiona, her brows twisted down in thought and a chunk of her inner cheek sandwiched between her teeth before she spoke.
"Well, I know some people have attempted escape via water- one that I know of- but no one tried to stop her. They just fetched her when she passed out. It's too far to swim- so you'd have some measure of autonomy, even if you built a little raft. They'd likely assume you weren't stupid enough to try to escape on a little log raft. And the chips- they're... very powerful. And I'm sure they have some sort of failsafe to keep us from... removing them. Your best bet for those is to try and disturb the signal. Not that I have any clue of how to do that."
Emelyn spoke simply, plainly, and without concern for the possibility of cameras being about. Her time in the wild had drained her of that constant, curded fear that had always seemed so important when she lived in the village- particularly when Moreau had thought her to be on 'his side'. She didn't even know if the cameras in the wild were pervasive, or if they had sound attached at all. So she spoke with something that was either bravery... or apathy. It was impossible to tell, even to herself. The thought of the chips always bothered Emerwyn once she'd learned of their existence. "They have taken amazing measures to keep us under their thumbs, yet not locked up in cages... It seems they are always seven steps ahead of us." Fiona listened carefully to Emelyn's response, but couldn't help but snort and snicker when she mentioned disturbing the signal. "Are you suggesting I walk around with a tin-foil hat? Repels the signal from both the laboratories and the mothership!" She laughed, but it faded quickly as she tried to think how to work her plan. Another problem would be recruiting someone to help and telling them the plan without alerting the scientists... maybe the 'out in the ocean' tip would prove useful in that respect.Emelyn couldn't help laughing, but neither would she attempt to suppress the bubble of mirth that burst in her throat.
"Something like that. Probably a weensy bit more high tech," she said, "But Emer's certainly right. They're always a few steps ahead of us. At least... technically," Emelyn said suggestively, warping the word 'technically' to let Fiona know that while the lab may be technologically ahead of the islanders, there may be something to be said for emotional and social manipulation. A sort of... mutiny of minds. Emerwyn's laugh was hardly audible under the others, being lighter and softer. The humor also did not touch her quite as much. "I don't suppose it would be completely safe to ask what it is you want to do," Emerwyn said, her soft voice lowered considerably more, out of some newly rekindled fear of supervision. "Unless you're up for a trek to the beach and then wading out in the ocean, it's... not really safe to say out loud." She sighed slightly, "Maybe if I run into you in the village sometime, I'll write it on a piece of paper, and you can burn it after you've read it, or something. I do need help... but I can't risk giving the scientists the upper-hand... not that they don't already have it. So anyways, it was nice meeting you, and thanks for the advice, Emelyn. But I'm getting hungry, so I think I'm going to head back. See you around!""See you, sweets," Em said, then, softer, "and... for what it's worth, you look great. You can still see you through the changes. Completely." It was said just as Fiona left, and Emelyn wouldn't know the girl's reaction to her words, but it still needed to be said.
"So I suppose it's just you and me." Her hand was still on the deer-woman's arm. Emerwyn nodded to Fiona, her interest actually piqued by this prospect. The fire of intrigue flickered in her. After Fiona left, Emerwyn felt glad. Now she would be able to speak to Emelyn one-on-one. "So it would seem," she said. It was a casual remark, but did it have some other meaning that Emerwyn did not even intend? "I have wanted to talk to you. I was very concerned about the other day."
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Posted: Tue May 23, 2006 8:08 pm
Introversion Fiona sat up from her bed suddenly, eyes snapping open. It was dark. No sounds reached her ears excepting the hum of the island's insect life. An aura of peace prevailed.
She ought to have laid down again and found some rest, but her mind would have none of it. Thoughts buzzed through her head and ideas flashed by, sudden and brilliant and then fading into nothingness, leaving her to grasp at floating dust motes which might have held the key to escape.
Escape. It wasn't going to happen, was it? Even if she did manage it, what could possibly await her on the mainland? They thought she was a killer! And she looked... well, she didn't look entirely human anymore. And all the other people, too, who had already been too far, lost too much to ever dream of returning to society. No... there would be no escaping.
But rebellion was still possible. The cameras could be deceived, and the populace... well, they all seemed so resistant to change- but wasn't that the same with all humans? Surely they could be swayed. It seemed like such an obvious choice, to hate those who had lied and kidnapped and stolen and hurt. To hate those who had ruined your life, and the lives of those close to you? So why were they all so... nonchalant? It made no sense to Fiona... none at all!
But there was hope. There had to be. The girl, the one with the strange face and the name like Emelyn... Emerwyn? She was interested. Surely not the type to help with Fiona's ultimate scheme, but she would help. One person who wanted to fight back was better than no people who wanted to fight back... Fiona needed to extend her arm, she needed to meet more of the islanders and spend less time tromping around the jungle hoping to find the Holy Grail of Privacy. No, this was a chalice that would have to be of her own design, not some magnificent treasure offered up freely. The right to privacy and freedom... they were no longer free accomodations. Fiona finally understood that.
But if the initial plan worked... thin sheets would only hold in so much sound, and solid walls could be identified and bugged. There would have to be some way of speaking freely. Some way to communicate out loud without giving away intentions. Spurred by sudden inspiration, the girl got to her feet and went to the table on which she kept her paper and markers, and began to write furiously. Fiona sat at this work, writing things and then scratching them out furiously, adding new words and changing old ones, rewriting messy things, and generally just scribbling excitedly for nearly an hour and a quarter before she was satisfied. Leaving it in plain view with a little smirk to herself, she curled up back in bed and dropped into a pleasant sleep, muttering "Decifer that, bitches..." just before her thoughts slipped away.On the piece of paper is written: Quote: There lies Gutter, guttersoon Ivy, one, two, three, etc. Lady foul, lady fair Evening - Concerning Knowing... un. Verses of song, or/verses Temperature
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Island of Moreau Vice Captain
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Posted: Thu Jun 01, 2006 1:53 pm
A simple note on Feral Labs stationary is left on Fiona's door.
Quote: Miss Fiona Brooks, At Miss Anderson's request, we are notifying you that due to some complications with her initial changes, she has been brought into the laboratories for observation.
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Posted: Thu Jun 01, 2006 5:08 pm
She Set Us Up The Bomb! The teenage girl stormed furiously towards the labs, a piece of paper crumpled viciously in one of her mutated hands. How could they? How dare they?? Fiona's jaw clenched until it became painful and tears threatened to drip from her eyes. This was her fault, as usual- it had to be. They had kidnapped her, taken her away! To punish Fiona for trying to rebel, no doubt. "Where is she!?" The rabbit-girl snarled as she approached the gate, glaring at everything and anything within sight. "Where is Annie??"The guard, standing placidly on the inside of the electrified fence that made the new fur over Fiona stand on edge, tingling with the ozone, looked over to her with a stifled yawn. "What are you yammering on about, Critter?" Fiona very nearly clasped the wire of the fence in her fingers before the vague humming clicked in her mind. "Let me in," she said dangerously, unaware that she was hardly one of the more frightening-looking things on the island. "I have to see my friend. She's in there somewhere, and I won't let your a*****e superiors get away with kidnapping her! Now let me in!!" He sighed as if there were some great inconvenience, and picked up the walkie talkie strapped to his belt. "Yeah, Breyers here... Yeah.. that's her. Is there someone in the labs now...? Uh huh..." He continued to talk, pointedly ignoring Fiona. "Hey ********, are you going to open this bloody gate or not??" She demanded, nearly shrieking. Annie could not be gone. The one thing they could take from her... the one thing she really needed in this damned prison. "I have to see her!" "Yeah... okay.... right, I got it." He finally sheathed the walkie talkie back into his belt and turned to face the frenetic rabbit girl, the gun in his arms pointed in her general direction. "Now just settle down there. Do you want the information or not?" "Don't try to scare me! I'm not some child you can boss around!!" Panic began to show in her expression- were they going to deny her access to Annie? What if they never let her free? What if they had her locked in a cage, and blinded? 'I have to get her out. I have to figure out a way!' Fiona thought frantically. "What information?""Actually, critter, you're one of them subjects, and I'm a guard. So I can say to you whatever the hell I want to say." He let the phrase linger on the air, a juvenile grin at the power he had over her, before continuing. "But you prolly don't want to go messing with the labs. Apparently she got sick or sumthin. They're takin care of her." The note had said that too. But it was just a ploy, a conspiracy. How stupid did they take her to be? "Liar!" She hissed, ignoring his pointed statement about their situation. "Let me in." The girl repeated, quickly calculating a way to convince him to open the gate. Her heartrate quickened as an idea came to her, but... it was risky. Could she chance it? Could she pull it off? It was worth a try... for Annie. "I have a bomb." Fiona whispered darkly, praying that her face revealed no traces of her bluff.He rolled his eyes. He knew the cameras had their eyes on the subjects at all times, and none of them had the basics they needed for something like that. "And I've got a gun. I'd advice you settle down before you do something that warrents me useing it." He retorted. "And that's what the staff tells me. She changed it didn't go right, and so she's in there gettin' treated." 's**t.' "Settle down. The hell I'll settle down! You might believe it, you stupid a**, but I know they're just doing this to get to me! Well I'll show them that scare tactics won't ******** work," the girl began to back away from the fence, keeping an eye, nonetheless, on the gun her attention had been directed to. "I'll find a way to get past your stupid fences and guns. And then your sadistic, twisted-minded boss will wish he'd never kidnapped me in the first place!!""Alright, yeah, good luck with that." He said, still bored-sounding. "You don't have to believe me. Whatever, I don't care. I don't see why they'd like about sumthin like that." Fiona glared at him, memorizing his face. Some day, she swore to herself, this arrogant man would get a swift kick in the nuts for this injustice. "Don't say I didn't warn you," she muttered, and the turned swiftly and marched off to her duplex.
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Posted: Thu Jun 01, 2006 6:38 pm
Clinging (to) Ivy I was wandering aimlessly around the village, weaving my way between duplexes and benches. There wasn't really a whole lot to do, I didn't know where anyone lived, and for that matter I didn't know anyone. I kind of wanted to contact a doctor, see what exactly was going to happen to me. Zach was kind of vague about the details, he didn't seem to comfortable about being my welcome committee. I sttod by a tree, staring blankly at the sky. Fiona came walking angrilly down the pathway from the general direction of the labs, a piece of paper scrunched in her fist. "Stupid guard, thinks he can scare me," she cursed angrilly under her breath, moving quickly on her strange feet. Taking a sharp turn, the girl came to a halt in front of a stranger, very nearly barrelling into her. "Whoa! Who the hell are you?" She asked, not unkindly. 'An unchanged person...? She must be new.' Self-conciously, Fiona touched the fuzz on her arms. I stared at the girl. On top of being loud and intimidating, she was like Zach: changed. She had fuzzy fur all over her body, longish teeth and a thin waist. Wierd....but I might as well try to make friends with her. "Um hi, my name's Ivy." I paused. "I'm new here...obviously." "Yeah... I'm Fiona." she mumbled impatiently, the newcomer's gaze raking across her changes making the girl uneasy. "New, eh? Take my advice- don't believe anything the scientists say. Every single thing that comes out of their mouths is a lie. You can't trust them." Fiona glanced around paranoidly. "In fact, you can't trust anyone here. There are cameras everywhere, and some of the people here... they're on their side."Is it just me, or is this girl...kinda paranoid? I thought to myself. Oh well, it's best to get along with people like her. "You mean, some of the..."subjects" here are on the doctors' side? Whou would want to help them?" "Don't ask me," she muttered, shifting her weight from foot to foot, restlessly. "But I'll tell you this. The only way to stop this insanity to work together. Nobody can deal with this alone. And my best friend in the whole world since I was six is imprisioned in those labs, behind an electric fence and stupid jerks with guns. They won't even like me see her. So don't let anyone convince you that the doctors are doing something good. Don't let anyone convince you that there's nothing worth fighting back for! Because the second you get comfortable, they'll take it all away."I nodded. "Well, I'm not sure if I'm ready yet to storm the labs, or anything, but if you need anything, let me know." I sighed. How many people here were like Fiona? Is it that horrible? I suppose it depends on your personality, and what you turn into...even I'd get depressed if I turned into, like, a wasp or something. "Do you think the doctors would tell the truth if I asked them what I am turning into?" I asked Fiona. She paused, frowning at the question. "I don't know. I never asked, just figured it out myself. I think they'll tell you, though- the sick ******** get some kind of sadistic pleasure out of it, I'll bet." Her upper lip curled in disgust. "What kind of person..." Fiona started to say, angrilly, but glanced at Ivy. "I'm sorry. I must seem insane. I'm just really pissed right now... I'm not normally... it's just... Annie..." the girl sighed and turned her eyes up to the cold, unfeeling structure of the laboratory. "I lost my best friend today... and I don't know if I'll ever see her again." Her tone became soft, sad, and guilty. I felt so bad to see the raging girl turn to a sad friend that I stepped forward and hugged her, wrapping my arms around her. "I'm really sorry." I said. "And I hope you get your friend back. Is there anything I can do to help you find her?" At first Fiona became stiff and rigid at the unexpected embrace, a part of her yelling to run, run! But then the girl relaxed and returned the hug, melting into that human comfort she needed so badly at that second. "I... I need to find people... who are willing to try. I don't want a war against the scientists. I just need someone... someone I can trust, someone to plan with and... anyone who can help me figure out how to get in there... I just..." she sniffled, suddenly overwhelmed with emotion. "I just want her... to be okay..." Her grip on Ivy tightened a little. "I hate it here." She had been strong for Angharad... strong for herself. For such a long time. But something had snapped inside of her. Some part of her spirit was broken.I felt my muscles tighten when her grip strengthened, but I willed them to relax. "There, there." I murmured into her fuzzy, pointed ear. "Everything's gonna be fine. I'm sure she'll be ok! And I'll help you find her. I bet some of the other islanders will help us look, too! Something suddenly occurred to her. "There are two people... you can't tell. You can't trust them. Their names are Awen, and Lauren. They're the ones I told you about... who've sided with the doctors. Awen is..." she pulled back of the hug, gesticulating and indicating a line from her wrist to her hip. "She's got this weird webbing, under her arm... and these blue things sticking out of her head. She's some kind of... fish. And Lauren has fur all over, and horns, and ugly, point hands and feet. And she eats bugs." Fiona frowned angrilly. "Lauren almost attacked me. She's insane. Stay away from both of them, if you can help if. They're like... spies, or something. And if they hear that I'm going to try to get Annie out, they'll do everything they can to stop me and anyone who helps, I bet."I nodded, not really beleiving a word the girl said. A fishgirl, spying for the doctors? Yeah. Sure. "Mmkay, I won't tell them anything. I promise." Smiling at Fiona, I secretly hoped that even though we were all part-animal, or were going to be, that the others were more...normal. Even thought she meant well. "So, your friend is inside a building somewhere, and the doctors are doing...what?" "That's the thing, I have no idea what they're doing to her," Fiona muttered, her frown deepening. "The next time I see her, she'll probably be part crocodile, or something. Arrg, why didn't I see this coming!? I can't even protect my best friend!" In a fresh wave of anger Fiona kicked a small rock, despite being in bare feet, across the pathway. "I need to go work out. Maybe I'll see you around... what was your name? Amy?""It's Ivy." I replied. "Um...Well it was nice meeting you, and I really hope you find your friend. But I gotta go." I patted her arm, awkwardly, and turned to leave.
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Posted: Wed Jun 21, 2006 5:34 pm
Eating Habits After her fruitless run-in with the security guard and brief rant at the newcomer, Ivy, Fiona had trapped herself in her duplex. There simply had to be a way to break into the labs, there had to be. They were keeping Annie, hurting her, doing something. Obviously she wasn't really sick- that was just a cover story. It was up to Fiona to rescue her- it was her fault Angharad was on the island, her fault, her fault. It was her fault she was being held in those labs, experimented on, a helpless lab rat.
The girl spent countless hours writing long, elaborate plans to break in, only to rip them up furiously. Her duplex floor soon became covered with the shredded remainders of brilliance and madness, and days passed with agonizing monotony. When paper ran out she wrote on the mirror of her bathroom in permanent marker, and when the markers ran dry she lay on the floor, drifting in and out of conciousness. At last the gnawing, painful presence of hunger forced her to stumble out into daylight and towards the cafeteria.The desire to keep the desire for more under control, the Komodo under control.. it was what seemed to run her days. And on this day she lazily trudged through the sunshine towards the cafeteria. The heat from the sun's rays felt really good to her, more then they ever had before the isle, and even moreso now then before the doctor's 'booster' shot. She was silent not saying anything even to herself and the sound of breathing practically non-existant.Perhaps it was nerves brought about by unwanted animal DNA, perhaps it was the fact that she hadn't seen another person for almost a week, or perhaps freaking out over Annie's kidnapping was making her paranoid. Whatever the cause, Fiona heard footsteps. Chasing her. Following her! Hunting her- it was the security guards. The doctors. The scientists. They'd come for her, after she'd finally resurfaced. Or maybe the person who had attacked the doctor was still roaming around... The Predator.. Fiona broke into a run, pure adrenaline fuelling her weakened, under-nourished muscles. She burst through the doors of the cafeteria, ran to a table and sat down, panting and watching the entrance with wide-eyed terror.The shallow tones of the runnin barely caught her ears, her tongue flickered "Interesting" she mused softly to herself in french and soon she too pushed the doors of hte cafeteria open her sharp thick black claws clicking the linolium as she entered. She used a hand to push her long curly hair over her shoulder the Meat counter was her destination. She was wearing black gi bottoms and a loose light colored t-shirt over one shoulder her camera dangling by it's strapFiona tensed up when the stranger entered through the cafeteria doors, but when the woman paid her no notice she relaxed. Staggering to her feet after the tiring bolt, she went to the food counter and made herself a salad. She cast a tired, forlong, miserable glance at the person who had startled her so- a woman with long brown hair and, ugh, scales. Fiona felt perhaps a moment of sadness for the other victim of Moreau's research, and then became consumed by her need for sustinance. Chewing on a stick of celery, she made for a table to eat. Perhaps the energy gained from gorging on some leafy greens would give her a new idea as to how to save Annie.Once she'd goten a plate with a few different meats on it, and no signs of any veggies on the plate she turned surveying the room. He tongue flickered and her golden eyes came to rest on the lone figure crunhing on veggies. "Bonjour... hello uhm.. can I sit with you?" she asked her in her rather thick british accented voice.Fiona looked at her long and hard before responding. "Sure," the girl muttered, eyeing the contents of Joliette's plate. A part of her screamed in protest, and demanded that she enforce her values upon this cruel person, but, well... she was too lethargic and listless and freaking hungry to bother. "I'm Fiona. You?"Joliette sat and got comfortable, well as comfortable as she could get given the circumstances "Joliette, nice to meet you" she replied quietly and set hte plate down looking at it and then at Fiona's "And I envy you" she added as an after thought, no sigh but her voice did portray her words to be honest and true"...wh... what do you mean?" Fiona asked, baffled. Her first thought was that she envied the fact that Fiona was becoming a mammal, and she a reptile of some mort. After a moment her foggy mind registered the glance from plate to plate, but that did little to explain the situation. Why would someone who freely ate meat envy a vegetarian?"You can eat vegetables, I can't... This body... this beast they are turning me into can't digest it... Least thats how it seems... I was vegan before I came here, now..." she didn't say more, just motioned at her plate staring at it for a time before resting an elbow on the table and leaning there "So I envy you" The paled, ghost-like features of her haggard face became changed by understanding, and then twisted with anger. "Those bastards... those sick... that's awful. I can't imagine how... what I would do if..." her sentences were jumbled, her thoughts disconnected, but the emotion behind them raw and pure."I've learned I dont really have much choice... Thats what a Komodo is, the biggest carnivore there is." She gave a wry smile and then picked up a piece of meat between her long claws and bit into it tearing a piece from it's edge after her stmoach spoke audibly it's familiar 'feed me' rumble"Bastards... shouldn't have to go through this insanity in the first place... this shouldn't even be possible... I just didn't think there were people who would stoop so low as to mess with people by using them as lab rats," she turned her weary gaze to the ceiling, shovelling vegetation down her throat rapidly between sentences, "but that... that they would ******** with your head, too. Not just your body, but your mind and spirit. That's just... that's messed up." Fiona heaved an enormous sigh."Have you ever met the red head git?" She asks after swallowing the chunk of meat, nearly whole. She paused and watched the female her long yellow forked tongue flicked out and in as she waited for a reply"Who..?" She paused, and realised in perhaps a few secpnds that Joli had been referring to some staff member. "I've never even seen any of the scientists. I was knocked out, kidnapped, and woke up in a room on a tropical island." She chewed vigorously. "I've had a brush with a security guard, but that's it.""Red haired git.. Doctor Moreau.. owner of this island... and Feral Labs itself... you don't want to meet him, he's responsible for... well nearly all this" Joli ate some more... "Kidnapped.. well that would be a nice scooop... if I were at home"She grimaced. "I know the name, know he's the asshat behind all this," Fiona said, her words becoming more alive as she steadily filled her aching stomach, "Scoop? You were a reporter, then? I used to volunteer with PETA. Dealt with lots of reporters. Good ones, bad ones... never thought I'd meet one here.""Joliette Rigiel of World Weekly News" she gave a slight half bow and a weak smile "Missing, and searchers decieved.. but thats something noone but those here will ever know" her spoke semi quickly... and there was a tone of defeat in her voice. "You could start a newspaper here, or something," she said, laughingly, "Call it the Mutant Island Update." Fiona grinned, although the smile didn't reach her eyes."Mutant.. " she chuckles lightly, a quiet chuckle. "I kinda just turned to photography only.. I was a photographic journalist. There's some really nice sights here... much as I hate to admit that."Fiona nodded. "Like I said, it's a tropical island. You can expect it to be nice looking," she frowned, however, as she stood and left her empty plate. "But it probably feels more like a vacation spot when it's not being used as a prison cell." The girl began to shift from foot to foot- she'd been away from her work for too long, she had to figure out how to save Annie. She'd gotten the food she needed, and it was time to go. "Nice meeting you, Joliette. Maybe I'll see you around." And with that, she was gone.Joliette blinked and noded "Oui, ok..." she watched the woman leave post haste and then returned to her own meal
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Posted: Thu Jun 22, 2006 8:52 am
Emotional Breakdown to the Nth Degree Fiona soon realised that being cooped up did not agree with her, no matter how desperately she felt she had to create a rescue plan, nor how strongly she felt nobody else was capable of understanding or helping. She grew frustrated quickly with the situation, and took to wandering the outskirts of the laboratory fences, searching for a weakness or for a pattern in the guards' shifts. It was on a return from one of these top secret recon missions that she could be found walking through the village towards her duplex, gaze tired, listless, and generally depressed.Of course, it was just the manta ray's luck that she would stumble upon the rabbit in such an irritable mood. As usual Awen was moonwalking her way away from her duplex. She had been going out for a new book from the entertainment room. She never could have known that a storm cloud was approching her from behind.The rabbit-girl caught sight of the other person long before she actually registered who it was. Her dizzy, anxious, paranoid mind had been busy worrying about what manner of torture Angharad was enduring when suddenly the blue hair tickled a piece of her brain into wakefulness. It took her another moment still to register the changes to Awen's body, but she she did, a wobbly (but triumphant) grin crept onto her face.
"Well well well," Fiona muttered darkly, but loud enough to be heard, "Looks like someone got hit hard by karma. You barely even look human anymore." She sneered. Awen blinked a moment hearing the mumbled snide comment. Inwardly she shuddered at the thought of the red head standing behind her leering. She wanted to relax not get into another brawl. Slowly she turned around to face Fee but was caught. Giving the girl a quick glance up and down Awen realised the poor girl had changed, but it was odd she seemed so far along in progress. But they all changed at their own rate, she supposed. Jamal's changes versus her own and all that.
The blue haired girl didn't want to start anything with the girl and let the rabbit's tone slide. "Hey there Fiona. Wonderful weather we're having, hm?"She glared, an angry prickle running through her. "How dare you," Fiona hissed, narrowing her eyes, "Don't you dare make fun of me. Not now." Her fists clenched and unclenched, and with her skewed state of mind the jump to agression was that much easier. "If I find out that you helped them to do this, I'll hurt you, somehow. I'll find out everything and anything that's important to you and take it away, I swear to God, if you had anything to do with this." Fiona had stopped in her tracks, and was simply looking at the girl with a distinct pain in her eyes. Awen's eyes widened at the sudden skip from their usual undertoned jabs to and all out burst of agression. "Woah woah woah." She said as she held up her hands defensively. "I wasn't making fun of you. What happened Fiona, what's wrong?"
The manta ray wasn't too much for agression, so she let the threats go. The girl inside was also more concerned with the pain rippling through her tall canadian rival.An angry grunt escaped from between her lips before she could stop herself. "Guess Lauren hasn't been keeping you up to date on what her best buddies up in the labs have been doing." Fiona spat, her voice becoming laboured and affected. "If you don't know, I won't give you the pleasure of telling you. I'm sure you'll find out eventually. That is, if you're not just playing dumb, and lying to me." She sighed softly. "Alright Fee, if you want to play it that way. I just wanted to see if I could help, but you obviously don't want to talk to me, and I won't force you."
That reminded her, she hadn't seen the mongoose in forever. A small pang of guilt hit Awen's heart. She hadn't seen her friend since...Fee's party. And then they didn't really get a chance to.. be friends.
Awen turned around and started to shuffle her way towards the entertainment room, as originally planned."That's right, run, you ******** coward!" The rabbit girl shouted, the sadistic part of her hoping someone would hear the ruckus. "You wouldn't be able to handle it... or maybe you're gonna go find a security guard and have me filled with horse trank! Do I scare you??" She snarled, tears running down her cheeks unchecked, venting weeks of pent up emotion."Does it look like I can run away Fiona?" Awen stopped and turned back, having finally raised her voice. She took a deep breath and checked herself, it wasn't that she was very riled up, just...fed up. "I do not fear you, nor am I getting a guard to come after you. You seemed upset, and hostile. You don't seem happy to see me, so I was leaving you alone."Fiona hastily wiped her face with the back of her arm, not wanting to be seen crying. "Course I'm ******** upset! You'd be pretty pissy too if the labs randomly yanked your best friend into their facility, either to experiment on her or just to ******** with your head! Or both! Who knows how their ******** up minds work??" Her shouts had lessened in volume, her throat becoming hoarse from holding back more tears. "Annie's been taken to the labs?" Awen frowned and seemed obviously concerned. It should have been clear to anyone that this is truly a surprise to the manta-girl. "I've only heard of that happening when people are really hurt or sick.... I've never heard of them yanking someone for extended experiments... I hope she's alright."
Purple eyes shifted slowly to the labs with a frown. Probably something she should ask Sabin about...should she ever get ahold of the moody lab tech.Perhaps it was the geniune concern in Awen's voice, or perhaps it was simply hearing her friend's name said aloud, but regardless of the cause Fiona broke down suddenly, falling to her knees and sobbing softly. "It's all my fault... it's my fault... she's being punished for my stupidity... it's because of me..." This was something that she had not expected. She felt her body moving of its own will. Before she realised she found herself kneeling beside the rabbit with her webby arms wrapping around her. "Shh...shh...."
Awen knew a lot about how it was to blame one's self for things, especially on this island. It wouldn't get either of them anywhere, but there seemed to be new common ground in the thought patterns of these two very different girls.
"It's not your fault Fiona... none of this is your fault.""Yes it is," she said, snuffling and twitching only slightly at the bodily contact, "You don't understand... it's all my fault... my fault that I'm here, that she's here... it was my idea... it was my idea..." angrilly she crossed her arms and tightly gripped her shoulders, chin tucked in to her chest. "It's because of my stupid ideas that Annie is here... and now I've gotten her taken away again... I don't know what they're-" she choked slightly, coughing and spluttering, "-they're gonna do to her... if she had never met me... this never would have happened to her... she'd have a normal life, and not be trapped, being experimented on..." The next statement she made was mumbled, and barely audible. "I have to find a way to save her... somehow... I've gotta save her..." She gave the girl a tight squeeze. She hadn't lost someone like this, she hadn't ever had to deal with this sort of worry. "Fiona....Fiona... This isn't your fault. Please don't blame yourself. You could never have known it would end up like this. You had absolutely no way to know.... This isn't your fault, it's Moreau's. Never for one second think that any of this is your fault. You are not forcing his hand, you did not imprison people here, you did not start this experiment, you are not to blame!"
Carefully Awen started to rub the bunny's back. "Annie will be fine... fine... she'll get out... back to you... it'll be okay. We'll get her out."The girl fell silent, and slowly disbelief fell over her features. "Why... why do you care, anyways?" She mumbled, swallowing heavily and staring at the grains of dirt between her disfigured hands. "Why should I trust you...?" The words were said, but the tone lacked conviction or even her regular accusation. Awen shook her head slowly. "I can't tell you why you should trust me Fiona." Her voice lacked a lot of tone, just laced with a gentle ring, almost a whisper. "But I can tell you Fiona, I care more than you recognise... No one on this island deserves what's happening to them. Not you, not Annie, not Jamal, not me..no one deserves this Fiona. And I care about that...okay?"The rabbit-girl inhaled slow, shaky breaths, and nodded. She lifted her face, and looked at the Awen, taking in both her expression and the changes she had endured since their last encounter. Fiona clenched her jaw tightly, but was unable to stop more tears from rolling down her cheeks. "Nobody deserves this," she repeated shakily. Awen sniffled softly and blinked away some tears that were welling up in her eyes. She gave the girl one more squeeze before slowly sliding back. She flopped back onto her bum and sighed softly.
"I came to the island.... thinking I would get therapy." She traced fingers through the dirt beside her. She gave vague laugh. "I had hydrophobia, um, a fear of water. I went to every high priced therapist in Canada and the US." She scoffed and glanced over at Fiona with a little grin. "Except for Dr.Phil...he's damn near impossible." Shaking her head she continued. "Moreau seemed really nice. Very friendly. Had this whole island as a resort for people with various conditions so we could get help. He mentioned the experiemental drugs briefly...but I didn't care. I just...wanted to stop being afraid."
She held up a hand and studied the webbing of her hand as if it was that of an alien. "After my first change.... people said I hadn't changed all that much in comparison to others." She put her hand down. "I just looked like I had some bad bruises on my arms and legs... But they had no idea what was going on inside. It was like being ripped in two. I wanted to go out and swim in the ocean, but at the same time I was terrified. It was so confusing... so painful... I shut myself away for two months and only came out to restock on food. No one knows... but half that time I was trying to think of the best way to end it. Just to get out...to feel the release from this."
She laughed bitterly and sniffed loudly. Awen brought up a hand to wipe away tears that had been falling. She opened her mouth to say something else, but her throat closed up. She just shook her head and looked away. Awen didn't know why she had blurted all of that out to the girl... it just seemed...right.Fiona was quiet for a long time, rubbing at her reddened eyes as she listened to Awen's tale. After a while, she said, "I... I never liked Dr. Phil," a pause, "...but now that I think about it... he's infinately better than Moreau." The girl attempted to laugh, but a bubbled caught in her throat and instead she coughed, a frown taking control of her countenance once more.
"When I was little... my parents let me do whatever. They used to be hippies, way back when. They have pictures to prove it. So everything was pretty laid back... grew up a vegan, and believing that there was always a right thing to do, and if nobody said, 'Hey, this is the right thing to do!' everyone would do the wrong thing... yanno? Me'n Annie..." she hesitated, struggling to get the words out without tearing up again, "We met in kindergarten. Been best friends for as long as I can remember... and then... in March Break... we found out Feral Labs had opened a lab in our hometown."
"They test on animals, as I'm sure you could've guessed. PETA has been railing on Moreau for years, apparently... so Annie and I... we were gonna break in and set the animals free. We didn't want to do any damage, or hurt anyone or anything... but we got caught. And... well... here we are now. And it was... all my idea..."Awen nodded slowly. Something about this whole 'sharing' session had a real..possitve yet somber feel to it. It definately felt healing anyway.
"Least you had goals. You acted on things like that. It's really...noble. I'd never have been able to do it. I was the type that..when conflict arose, I ducked my head and just went about my business. It's not that I didn't care, I never liked fighting, but I just... didn't feel like I could do anything about it. I was afraid." She shrugged a little bit."I'm not afraid of anything," she whispered, although it was mostly to herself. Slowly Fiona got too her feet, glancing at Awen awkwardly. "I... I need to go. I'm tired. I..." She trailed off, and turned towards her duplex. "Thanks," she muttered, without looking at her antagonist-turned-ally. Then the girl trudged off to collapse on her bed, and let sleep embrace her ragged, worn out soul. Awen nodded softly watching her go. "Any time Fee..." She just sat there for the longest time staring at everything around her. Mostly she looked to the sky and smiled.
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