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 Posted: Wed Nov 15, 2006 7:46 pm
"You, too," he called after her, but she had already retreated into her room. However, after what they just had to tell her, somehow he couldn't imagine her having a good day now. At least it couldn't get any worse?
Turning to Emelyn, he smiled a little. "Good to see you out and about."
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Posted: Wed Nov 15, 2006 7:50 pm
"Mm," she smiled, agreeing. "It's nice to be vertical. And to see this mutt again." She reached down and gave the beast, who was leaning against her leg with his tongue lolling from between his canine lips, a loving pat. Then she looked up again, and hardly knew how to begin.
"Thank you... for everything. I don't remember a lot of what happened- the labs said that something about Joli's... well, the Komodo, anyway- made me mostly delirious. But I do remember what you did for me. So thank you."
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Posted: Wed Nov 15, 2006 8:00 pm
"You're welcome, Emelyn. I was glad I could be of some help to someone." He rubbed his neck.
It was dawning on him now that things were dying down that Emelyn would be taking Reuben back now. He had know this from the beginning, and had told himself not to get attached, but it seems that, despite his efforts, he had grown fond of the dog. He stared down at Reuben smiling a little wider, then he lifted his head to Emelyn. "And don't worry about Reuben. He might have been a handful, but he was good company. It was fun to take care of him."
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Posted: Wed Nov 15, 2006 8:04 pm
"He really must have been a handful. Nasty mutt hasn't been inside since his lab days." She dropped down to her knees and took his ruff in her hands, moving it and scratching it as she spoke to him in that patented 'baby talk' way that she'd never used on an actual infant, only animals.
"Were you a naughty puppy? Were you? Were you a big bad puppy for Lucas?" The tone of voice was thick with gobs of sweetness- though Em found it startlingly difficult to baby talk without being able to purse out her lips like a human's. The dog, in turn, only heard the tone- there were no recognizable words that he had learned to mind- and so, rattled his tail back and forth and struggled to lick Em's furry face.
"Oi, Reu, quit it," she said, laughing and stretching her neck back. "...What was he like when you... changed? ...Reu, leave my muzzle alone."
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Posted: Wed Nov 15, 2006 8:16 pm
He laughed a little at her baby talk. "I tried to housetrain him. Not sure if he gets the idea completely. At least most of the time he scratches the door or complains if he wants out.
At the question of his change, Lucas became quiet, the smile fading. He thought back and it didn't take long for him to recall what all had gone on. It only happened a short time ago, the memories still fresh, but he had tried pushing them from his thoughts since. "My change lasted for several hours. He was agitated the entire time and wouldn't come near me. Almost like he didn't know who I was or he was disturbed by the change. Maybe he sensed something I couldn't." There was a small shrug of the shoulders. "But once it was all over he seemed to calm down." There was a pause. "Why do you ask?"
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Posted: Wed Nov 15, 2006 8:19 pm
"Well," she explained, looking up from her position with her arms wrapped around the dog's neck, "it's just that you look rather canine to me. He's never met another canine, as far as I know. Well, maybe the labs. But not out here. So I was wondering how he'd reacted." It was also a way for her to know how the change had affected Lucas, and how he was holding up- in a way that would cause the man to talk about the transformation without feeling entirely self-conscious, or the need to put up a front.
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Posted: Wed Nov 15, 2006 8:32 pm
He winced a little, looking off to the side. "Yeah, I guess I'm some kind of canine. I don't know... I don't think he reacted differently toward me since the change. Just two dogs, hanging out together." He tried to laugh, but it came out more like an odd-sounding whistle, causing him to clamp a hand over his mouth.
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Posted: Wed Nov 15, 2006 8:34 pm
The sound struck her as the canine equivalent of those snorts you find yourself huffing out in the middle of an impromptu laugh, and it made Emelyn smile.
"Well, I'm glad you two got along. And I'm sorry I didn't come to get him earlier. I was only released from the labs right before Halloween, and then the few times I stopped by you were out."
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Posted: Wed Nov 15, 2006 8:48 pm
What kind of sound was that? It was completely new to him. And he was more than a little embarassed doing it in front of someone else. He already didn't like letting animal sounds pass his lips when he was alone. It was part of his efforts to deny any of the new instincts or behaviors that were forming inside of him.
He would just look like an animal. He wouldn't be one.
"I'm sorry I missed you. I still have your things back at my duplex." And scratched his arm before he finally voiced his question. "Are you okay?"
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Posted: Wed Nov 15, 2006 8:50 pm
Her things. The diaries, the notebooks... Mizzie. Emelyn loosed her hold on the dog after giving him one final squeeze, and stood, her knees popping as she did.
"I've been better. But I've been a hell of a lot worse, too." A self-depreciating grin crept onto her muzzle and she shrugged apologetically- after all, he had seen her 'a hell of a lot worse'. "But it's getting better. ..How about you?"
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Posted: Wed Nov 15, 2006 8:59 pm
"I'm glad things are getting better." He was still concerned, but he didn't doubt what she said.
"Me? Oh, I'm fine. Just bored. Even with all the facilities here there's not a whole lot to do in this place. I've always wanted time to do things, but now that I'm here, the things I wanted time to do can't really be done anymore. Or there's really no point. I almost miss working at my jobs back home." He folded his arms over his chest.
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Posted: Wed Nov 15, 2006 9:02 pm
"God, I know what you mean. Sometimes I think that if I just had something reasonable to do I'd feel better. I mean... I don't want to go back out there," she cocked her chin in the direction of the jungle, "but at least there I always had something to worry about, something to take care of."
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Posted: Wed Nov 15, 2006 9:17 pm
Hearing that gave Lucas some relief to know that she wasn't still planning on returning to the jungle. The thought of anyone living out there worried him.
"You've got him," he gestured toward Reuben. "But yes. Here we really have only one purpose, and that's to unwillingly help in advancing Moreau's research. Food and shelter is about all he probably thinks we need." Lucas sighed and spoke the rest under his breath. "I need more than that."
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Posted: Sat Nov 18, 2006 9:15 pm
She wasn't able to discern the exact sound of the words that he'd attached to the underbelly of his breath- but the sentiment was clear enough, and Emelyn nodded.
"Me, too. I think we all need something to stir us up. Something positive," she corrected quickly.
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Posted: Sat Nov 18, 2006 9:23 pm
"I wish I could come up with something. With all this time on my hands you'd think..." He let his words hang in the air for a moment before simply shrugging. "Ah well."
He looked up at Emelyn, then down at Reuben. "So you live in duplex 8? Should I drop your things by there sometime?"
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