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 Posted: Tue Oct 10, 2006 10:10 pm
"I'm fine," the boy replied quietly, meeting her gaze before glancing away. "Thanks."
At Sam's appology, he shrugged, causing him to wince and grasp his shoulder. "It doesn't matter. Not really. I guess...I guess you're right. If I was any smarter, I probably wouldn't be here right now."
A flicker of a grin crossed his face as the older girl winked. "Samantha? Nice name." He smiled sadly, but didn't take her hand. It was just too much like the one Hayden had extended to him. Friendly, open, and meaningless. "Call me Shawn. Shawn Darrow."
It was a mistake for Hayden to have given his name to Shawn before betraying him. There wasn't much the guard could do with Shawn's name, but with only a handful of people on the island, a name like Hayden wouldn't be too difficult to track down. Especially if he was a guard. More than likely they would encounter again. Someday.
In the meantime, however, it seemed Shawn was stuck. No where to go, no one to...well...trust was something he didn't understand any longer. Nor was he sure he could find it in anyone on the island. Still...what more could they do to him; an orphan boy with no family? A few allies would be welcome, even if they weren't true friends.
As a second, older, blue-haired girl approached, Darrow's eyebrows raised in question. "Yes, 'he's' alright. Do you have a problem with me?" The inquiry itself was innocent enough, as was the tone spoken with it. It gave little suggestion of Shawn's irritation of not being spoken directly to.
Frowning, he noticed there was another girl now...also older than him. She stood farther away, the only one not clustering curiously around the crazy boy who had nearly gotten himself killed. "Just how many of you - of us - are there?" he asked aloud to anyone who might answer. "How did you all get here?"
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Posted: Tue Oct 10, 2006 10:38 pm
Samantha smiled, carefully hiding her disappointment as she lowered her hand awkwardly. "Well, it's nice to meet you, Shawn, even if I can't say such kind things about the circumstances or our surroundings."
"He seems to be well enough, as you can see, Raena," Samantha said jokingly over her shoulder. "As well as the rest of us at least, I suppose." Turning back to Shawn, she coughed slightly. "You'll have to excuse Raena. She didn't mean to be rude. We all have our odd hang-ups, I suppose. Just give her a little time to warm up to you." She nodded, seeming to know more about her new friend than she actually did. What else was she supposed to say? Admit she knew nothing more about Raena's story than she woke up on the island with no idea of how she got there? Yeah, that was helpful.
"To be honest, I'm a little surprised to see all of you here. I thought I was the only one being brought to the island." Frowning, Samantha shifted position, making herself more comfortable as she sat in the sun-warmed grass. This was starting to look like a long conversation in the works. "And I assume from what I've heard so far, that we all ended up here for different reasons. Mine was medical, but I won't bore you with the story unless you absolutely want to hear it for some reason." She sighed, staring at the grass in sudden fascination.
"Raena just sorta' woke up here. I'm not sure how she got here exactly. And Tara..." She glanced over her shoulder at the other girl, the memory of their near-fight still fresh in her mind. "Well, I don't know her story. We didn't get that far," she trailed off quietly.
"How about you? How'd you end up the latest member of our growing motley crew?" That term was starting to grow on her and she couldn't help but half-smirk as she asked.
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Posted: Tue Oct 10, 2006 11:00 pm
His expression darkened as Samantha brought up the subject of their situation. "Yeah...me too...what the heck do they think they're going to do with us anyway? Those bastards..."
"So. She's Raena?" Shawn blinked. "Whatever. Like I said, it doesn't really matter; not here anyway." he replied a little coldly. He didn't want to give anyone the time or chance to 'warm up to him' ever again.
Crossing his legs and supporting his cheek on one palm, he listened to Samantha, then remarked casually, "I guess none of us really know what's going on, then do we? They sure didn't mention anything about other people being here as captives." His eyes narrowed. "Then again, they didn't mention locked doors or sleeping gas either...and I know that isn't medical. Or legal."
"Everyone around here seems...hey, wait a minute. What did they do to us?" His voice suddenly rose in a panic. "So you guys are saying some of you actually came here on purpose? But why? For their 'medical studies'?" He shook his head mistrustfully. "I have a feeling it's like no medical studies that should be conducted. Or we wouldn't be in this mess against our will. Something's up."
At the question, the boy looked up. "Me? Well...I...uh...it's a little embarrassing," he said quickly, hoping to change the topic. "Just a mistake with a stupid ghost pokemon who thought I'd be funny to play a prank, followed by a guard who decided to pretend to be my friend. It all amounted to the same thing, anyway." He glared at the ground.
"Stupid scientists...probably going to use us as lab rats. We've got to get out of here," he murmered in a low voice. "Before they start doing really drastic things."
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Posted: Tue Oct 10, 2006 11:30 pm
Sleeping gas? That was a new one. The more stories Samantha heard from other people, the more the suspicious, sinking feeling in her stomach grew. But still...
She frowned, glaring at the ground with narrowed eyes. "Yeah, some of us chose to come here. Maybe I don't know everything about what they're doing here, but I also know for sure that if I hadn't come here, I'd be dead by now. And I don't know about you, but personally, I like being alive," she practically snarled darkly. For some reason, it felt like every person in this yard was judging her today, whether for her reason for being here or just her name! She was getting sick of being looked down upon and judged for things she couldn't help. Was she supposed to have just chosen to die, lying pathetically in some hospital bed, looking more machine than human thanks to all the devices she'd been hooked up to? No thanks. She'd take the chance to live, thank you very much.
Grunting softly, she clutched her head in her hands, clenching her eyes shut tightly. Her head was pounding again and she couldn't think straight. "Look, forget it. It's been a long, damn day." She sighed, waiting on the pain to subside. This one looked to be worse than the first and she wondered if she'd overdone it afterall.
"The point is that we don't know everything that's going on here just yet. And judging by the heavy artillery that the guards around here are packing, I wouldn't think it would be a good idea to be jumping to any rash decisions either." Looking up between her fingers, eyes narrowed in the bright light, she muttered, "If we plan to do anything, we need more information first. We gotta' play this thing smart." She had no idea where all this was coming from, but something about this place just didn't sit right with her. Through the years, Samantha had learned to trust her instincts. They were usually dead-on, even if it took her a little time to interpret exactly what they were telling her.
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Posted: Wed Oct 11, 2006 2:32 am
At that, Darrow softened, but also looked very upset by the young woman's news. "You were dying?" he inquired in a bare whisper. "Maybe it's what's best for you, then. I mean, look at you. You're obviously in pain, but then you try to get up and come over to talk to me." Again he smiled bitterly.
"I...Sorry. Guess the reason I couldn't think - couldn't imagine myself in your place - was because I never really had a life to begin with. It'd be wrong to say I don't want to live, but if I were dying, I think I'd rather die then come here." He met her gaze. "I'm not you, though. You've lived longer than me, doone more. I'm sure yours was worth saving, no matter the cost."
Shawn glanced down at his arm, where it was still sore, even before he had fallen and bruised it. "They've done something. They must have. My arm hurt when I woke up from the gas. I felt really numb, and all I could smell or taste for a little while was this sickening, putrid...I don't know. I had gaged a lot before the stench went away. Good thing they had a sink in that cell of theirs." He shuddered. "I'll never forget it, though...and somehow it was familar."
Noticing as Samantha put her head in her hands, her eyes shut tight presumably against the pain, the boy listened sympathetically to her words. At the mention of 'rash decisions', his had flew to guiltily rub the back of his neck again. "You're probably right. But I can't just sit here and do nothing. I need to get out, info or none. I can't wait until we learn more." A small shiver ran down his spine.
"I'm scared. Scared enough to try anything." he admitted, in a barely audiable voice. "It's something to do with the pokemon. It's gotta be; the thing they're not telling us. I don't want to stick around and find out."
"Sorry if I got you worked up," Shawn appologized, feeling responsible for her anger and pain. "Are you alright?" Slowly, he stood, trying not to flinch. Most of the pain subsided now, but it still hurt to move. gingerly, he placed a hand on Sam's shoulder.
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Posted: Wed Oct 11, 2006 2:57 am
Samantha sighed, tensing momentarily at his touch before forcing herself to relax. "Yeah, it's a long, dramatic story and all, but short version is I was running out of time and they told me there was a tiny, miniscule chance that they might be able to save my life. So I took it. I didn't really think it would work, but dying in surgery or dying in a hospital bed looking pathetic...I didn't really see the difference." Her voice practically dripped with bitterness as she slipped back into her pre-surgery state of mind.
She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself again. "I'm sorry to hear that you would have made such a choice. Honestly, it hurts to hear you say that. I don't know what your life was like before arriving here, but it's sad to hear that it would have been so bad that you would choose death over life. No matter what the quality." She finally looked up, her anger fading and giving way to a deep sadness.
She drew her knees up to her chest, wrapping her arms around them as she stared out through the fence and into the wilderness beyond. Her gaze was unfocused and she seemed distant when she began to speak again. "I haven't experienced anything like that. I came here for surgery though, so I suppose I'm not in the same boat as the rest of you, from what I've heard. And I'm fine. I'm not in any pain, just exhausted." She paused, correcting herself. "I'm sorry, let me clarify. With the exception of this headache today, I'm not in any pain. I think I might have pushed myself a bit far. I'm supposed to be recovering from the surgery, and to be honest, I'm surprised I'm even on my feet already. This is the first time in years I've been out and about without being hooked to some sort of machine..." She trailed off sadly, pushing away the memories.
"Listen," she turned, her vision sharp as she stared at Shawn, gripping his wrist for emphasis. "Whatever you do, don't do anything stupid, okay? No rash decisions. I don't know what is going on here, but I intend to find out one way or another. Before then, I don't want to hear that you've gotten yourself hurt trying to get out of here, okay?" She frowned, letting go of his wrist and looking down at the ground, eyes narrowing dangerously. "There's nothing more I hate than being used," she muttered darkly, unconsciously beginning to pop her knuckles.
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Posted: Wed Oct 11, 2006 4:06 am
He listened intently, feeling her relax somewhat after a moment or two. She spoke of her reason for coming to the island, and it was then Shawn felt she trusted him. That was a first. Other than Flare, he couldn't think of anyone who might have actually trust him before he did them. Then again, maybe the feeling had to be mutual before it could be called trust. Whatever the reason, it was mutual now.
"Huh. Sounds like you had a pretty lousy time of it, then. But no one can blame you for what you did. I hope you didn't think that's what I was doing earlier." He sighed. "I've been judged all my life by people who know nothing about me. It's kinda hard not to really, seeing as I was supposedly an orphan living on the streets. Another dramatic tragedy," Darrow added with a sheepish grin. "But I'm pretty sure most people would have done what you would have."
"Does it?" he asked, surprised by Samantha's statement. "You have people who care about you, don't you? Who you care for back? You must have, or you'd have no reason to live, unless you're one of those heartless, corrupt people who live for other reasons." Shawn stared at thr ground, wondering if she'd see what he was getting at. "But I definatly doubt you're like that. The point is that I'm one of those people who live simply because they don't want to die. Not because I have a reason, just because I don't have one to end my life. After all, death can't be that bad, can it?" He asked, attempting a smile. "They seem to enjoy it okay. Ghost pokemon, I mean. I heard they originated from pokemon that die, but it's just a rumor."
"Yeah. It's a good thing you didn't have to. That stuff was foul." Darrow made a childish face, sticking out his tounge in mocking emphasis. "Exaustion and headaches? Yup, I'd say that's definately pushing it. Get some rest. We aren't going anywhere anytime soon," he added rather sullenly. "At least you know the first time in years you've been out and about you, got to watch the idiot kid run out the door, almost crash into a guard, and fall over at the merest greeting."
At Samantha's sudden, unexpected grip, Shawn was so startled he almost tried to pull away. However, he managed to control the impulse for fear of insulting the girl had he done so. It wasn't her, though - it was simply the memory of the times he had been gripped like that before had usually ment he was in big trouble. And here Sam was, warning him not to get into it. Why was he such an idiot?
Peering into her intense, emerald green eyes, he took a deep breath and fought the urge to squirm under that gaze. "I'll try not to," he spoke after a few minutes. "But you never know. I'm a stupid sorta guy. I do stupid things." He tilted his head, offering her a small, but genuine smile. It was the first time he had truly smiled since he had appeared on the island.
As she released his wrists, he rubbed them conciously, watching the young woman. It was nice to know someone actually did care about what happened to him after all. "You and me both," he told her, the sound of her knuckles making him a little uneasy. "But no one's ever had the chance to use me - I'm useless." He concealed a dark grin as he looked down at the grass, a grin not very unlike the ghost pokemon he had grown up around.
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Posted: Wed Oct 11, 2006 4:40 am
Samantha edged away from the question about exactly what it was she was living for. She wasn't ready to sink into the deep implications associated with pondering that one just yet. Her family certainly hadn't been much comfort after the past couple years of bouncing from hospital to hospital and that hadn't allowed her to keep up with most friends she might have had. Did she really have any individuals that she had managed to stay close to over the years? None sprang to mind.
Maybe she didn't have a specific person or answer for that question. Maybe...she was still looking for a reason.
Instead, she smiled and chuckled softly, looking up. "You're not useless, silly. No one is useless. I mean, look at today alone. You've provided me with amusement, right?"
She flashed him a cheeky grin, leaning back on her hands, feeling the soft grass between her fingers. It had been a long time since she'd had the chance to socialize with others like this, and she still felt a bit awkward, though she was re-learning fast.
"As long as I'm not trying to move about, I feel okay," she reassured Shawn, nodding. "I recover pretty quickly from physical exertion anyway. Always have. Comes in handy quite often." She smiled, thinking back to martial arts tournaments and bicycle races when she was younger...before her troubles started. Once more, she felt a surge of excitement as she imagined returning to such pleasures as soon as she recovered completely. "I'm really not that bad off," she continued, barely listening to herself. It was just pure reaction to reassure others that she was okay, no matter what she was really feeling. Well, if it wasn't too serious anyway. She preferred to stay outside for now anyway, get to know some of the others and enjoy the sunlight. Who knew when she'd get an opportunity like this again?
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Posted: Sun Oct 15, 2006 4:24 am
The slightly older janitor kept to a reasonable distance, though still well within earshot. Having completed his rounds, he casually ambled past the knot of youths, appraising them with a look that seemed suspiciously like pity.
He glanced from face to face, committing them to memory as he passed. He privately wondered which one would be the first to learn what was really happening to them.
Of course, they'd already figured out something was amiss. All the security, the isolation, the captivity, was too much even for the most secure laboratories. The location hadn't always been so imposing, but without physical barriers, things had gone awry very quickly once the deception wore off. When the deception wore off on these first subjects, things would go from uneasy to unbearable very quickly, and Phil, impassive as he normally seemed, was none too keen on the idea. He only hoped he could stomach it, for his own sake.
He thought about warning them, bracing them for what was about to come, or maybe he could figure out an escape plan, to save them before it was too late. Or maybe it was too late already.
Phil retreated back into his role as the surly janitor. Virtue was made for men bigger than grunts like him.
But then he winced, pausing as he walked back towards the compound.
Those poor kids. Slouching tiredly, he turned and faced the young man who had run through the yard in a slightly panicked state before.
"You'd best behave yourself."
And with that, he walked off. No doubt the guards would take an interest in him, putting him on the 'dangerous' or 'unstable' lists, a candidate for escape or violence. He didn't look particularly dangerous right now, but then...
"This place..." He muttered quietly to himself as he opened the service door to return to the building, "... This place has a way of changing things."
Dangerous men gain power. Idealists become deranged. Good men are broken and turned into monsters. Phil glanced out beyond the perimeter fence, almost getting the feeling he was being watched, before shutting the door behind him.
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Posted: Wed Oct 18, 2006 7:50 pm
Raena stood back, listening but not speaking. She wasn't trying to be rude at all, and desided to keep her trap shut so she wouldn't incriminate herself as being so again. She just...ah, it didn't matter. She had the urdge just to walk away and sulk on her own, but she didn't. She was confused, she was lonely, and above all, she was afraid and company always seemed to cure those three problems. The only thing was that she really wasn't used to talking to so many people at once. Shuddering, she mearly twisted on her braid and stood there, unsure of what the heck she SHOULD be doing.
((blegh...))
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Posted: Sat Nov 04, 2006 6:17 am
Noting her troubled expression at his mention of reasons for living, the boy frowned, wondering what exactly was going through her had. Had he, perhaps, unwittingly upset her somehow? If so, it was probably best not to press the matter and let it go.
At her soft chuckling, however, he glanced at her, puzzled. She sure didn't dseem the type to dwell on bad thoughts for too long. "Heh, so are you confessing? Does that mean you were using me?" he inquired half-heartedly, meaning it as a joke. Her remark had stung a little, though. Was that all their chat had resulted in? Her amusement? Was he just a source for her entertainment as sjhe toyed with him?
No, Shawn told himself as he caught her grin out of the corner of his eye. No she's not. Quit twisting people's words. You know that's not what she meant. It was as if he was fighting an inner conflict. This was new to him; never before had he found anything to conflict within himself before. It had always been him against the world.
But ever since he had come to this island and been betrayed, a dark, inner voice had grown inside him, consuming his heart. It told him he had no one to trust but himself. No one to depend upon but himself. That voice was the voice of doubt, and it was building a wall to keep all others out. No one would get in and betray him again.
Whatever was left of the carefree Shawn, the trusting one who understood what others thought of him and accepted their views, that part of him tried its best to keep the doubt at bay. For the time being, it had been successful, but Darrow hoped he would never have to doubt another living soul again.
"It's good to optimistic," he stated absently, replying to her comment of 'I'm really not that bad off'. "But you should know what's bad off and what isn't. It doesn't pay to be overly optimistic."
As a plain-looking janitor walked past, he halted unexpectedly and with an aged, weary demeanor, turned to face Shawn Darrow. The boy blinked, unsure of what to say. Before he could think of something, however, the man spoke his words of warning and left, leaving Shawn to watch him go in puzzled silence.
Behave himself? He raised a brow. Yeah, sure, he'd acted pretty recklessly earlier. But why act as if it was some crime to try and escape this prison? No one could blame him. His eyes narrowed. He didn't needed to be chastised like a child, expecially not by some janitor. Still...something about he man had seemed...sad; pitying even.
He's probably seen more than all of us here put together, Darrow realized. I wonder what else he knows...maybe later I can ask him...
Noticing movement out of the corner of his eye, he looked up to see Raena, the girl who had approached them before, back away. She seemed quite upset, and Shawn sighed. "Hey, listen...Raena, right?" He attempted to stand, wincing as the pain in his side seared as if on fire.
Waiting for it to pass with closed eyes, he carefully put a hand on his injury spoke. "Sorry about being so touchy. I just really hate being here. Something about this white-walled zoo's been bothering me since I first entered one of their sick buildings, and I'm guessing you've noticed it too." He opened his sepia eyes to look at the braided girl when most of the pain had passed. "Otherwise you wouldn't seem so upset. But then that could just be my fault. Sorry."
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Posted: Mon Nov 06, 2006 2:54 pm
Raena flushed and twisted her braid more, feeling stupid and akward.
"Bit's of both I guess..." she said truethfully. She wasn't in the mood to lie. "It's more me than you...I'm not all that used to interacting to people to tell you the truth...Been trying to avoid it for a while now..." She let a small laugh trickle out. " But I guess I'll have to get over it sooner or later, no? After all, it seems the only way I'll keep my sanity is to keep in touch with the parts of me I tried to loose so long ago..."
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Posted: Mon Nov 06, 2006 7:08 pm
"Gnn..." Karen grumbled as she slightly stumbled out into the light of the exercise yard. Her nap had been... Alright, she guessed. She must have been more tired than she'd thought, because right up till what she was abou to do to Hayden it was all a blur. She was disapointed that she didn't remember what happened. She covered her eyes with her hand and looked around, grumbling a little as she looked around and spotted.
Other people? What the bloody hell was going on?
"Uh, hello over there?" She called out to the people she saw, somewhat confused.
The Lab didn't have THAT many guests did it?
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Posted: Wed Nov 08, 2006 7:44 pm
Shawn stared at Raena a moment through half-closed eyes, tilting his head a little. "That so? ...Heh. I'd probably feel the same if I wasn't scared out of my mind at the moment..." he murmered in reply, shifting his gaze back toward the ground.
They darted back up to the girl's face, however, as she laughed a little uneasily. "Yeah..." he spoke seriously, this time genuine, with no trace of sarcasm or annoyance. "Yeah, you're right...I think we all will..."
Taking a step toward her, Darrow paused, glancing up in alarm as he heard someone new enter the yard. It was another young woman. She looked a little groggy at the moment, but Shawn never could be too sure of anything. She didn't seem like she worked for Cronus, but still...anyone here could have been part of the staff and he's never have known.
"Uh...hey," he called back, gingerly removing his hand from his injured side and sticking them in his jean pockets beneath his coat.
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Posted: Wed Nov 08, 2006 8:21 pm
Karen made her way over slowly, adjusting her cokebottle glasses slightly as she tired to figure out what was going on. Her mouth felt like cotten and she had a blistering headache. "So uhm... You guests of Cronus too?" She asked, curious, and wishing she had something to write this down, this was good story stuff! She thought she was one of the only people invited to Cronus to do a piece. Maybe they were staff. "Or are you staff?" If they were staff maybe they had time to consent to an interview, it would be worth a shot, she wasn't sure when Dr. Hakan would call her in for the next interview.
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