[Journal]~Awen Zyn~Special Aquatic Duplex #1~

[Awen Zyn]

No Demons.... Only Moreau

Stewart was still in a bit of shock from the last meeting. He nodded and followed the girl "I do believe that a flass of water would be really nice right now..." What was going on here? Nothing made sence anymore...

She nodded and lead the man towards the cafe. "I'm Awen by the way... let's get you settled and I'll explain." Get got to the cafe and set him down at a table going to fetch him some water. For good measure she grabbed herself one too. Coming back she sat down oposite him and slid him the glass.

"Thank you" He said picking up the glass and looking taking a sip of it. "My name's Stewert...Er, Father Young.... There isn't a mission trip is there?" he almost felt sick to his stomach, things wern't a perfect as they once seemed.

She frowned and shook her head slowly. "I highly doubt it..." She said softly, setting her own glass down. "But...nice to meet you anyway, um Father Young."

Stewart paused once more, trying to comprehend everything that had just happened, finally he said with a small smile "It's nice to meet you too Awen... This might sound crazy, but I do believe that there is something evil on this island..."

"And many believe the evil to be Doctor Moreau himself." She said with a small sigh. "Father, I know you were told this was a mission thingy... but.... this island was designed by the Doctor to experiment on people... from what I've gathered those injections he gives us..start to make us change into.. well.. you saw."

As the truth dawned on Stewart he almost refused to believe it. There was no mission trip. He had only been sent away because of that child accusing him of molestation. "It can't be," He said "No human is able to do such a evil thing. This is the work of the devil. I know it..." He never understood science, it was the only way for him to cope with the situtation.

Awen squirmed a little in her seat. She wasn't always that religious. She believed in God and all that ood stuff but she always recognised science and didn't blame everything on the devil. "I didn't think it was possible either Father, but I've been here a month. I've seen, I've heard. No devil has been here. Only Moreau." She bowed her head a little.

Stewart knew that there was something evil on this island. But he would keep that to himself, was Moreau the devil? No mortal man could lie with such grace, he had to be Lucifer. Was this an island of sinners? Did God place him here to purify the island? Changing the subject he asked Are there many others that have changed here? Like those two outside?"

"Only Joliette, the girl I was with and my friend Jamal haven't changed that I know." She paused to think then quickly added. "But most not to the extent of Hargun and Andy. Only a couple others are that far I think..." She was just going to answer questions, honestly. That was simple enough.

((Continued once I see Ren again <.<; ))  

[Awen Zyn]

I'm Here...

He patted her on the back as she hugged him, then let her go as she moved away.
"You be a'ight. Jus' get some sleep o' sumthin'," he said quietly as she got up. "Prolly gonna get movin' myself inna minute."

As she sauntered away, he returned his gaze to the horizon and stared at the moon's reflection on the slightly rippled water. You really are a wonderful person Jamal... no matter what you've done... you really are a good person....he shook his head some. Somehow he didn't believe she'd be thinking that once she found out.

From inside, Jamal lifted his head at the sound of the voice and the knock, but hardly any other form of recognition crossed his features. He'd spent the night curled in a corner of the room, knees drawn to his chest with his arms folded over them. This eyes were red and swollen, matching the red and raw arm that was was draped on top where he'd spent the entire night futily clawing at the skin there as though that would suck the serum's contents from his body.

He had gotten no sleep and looked the part as well as still wearing last night's clothes. Jamal didn't say a word; he just peered at the door for a moment and then buried his head again in his arms.

She heard no answer from within, but she knew.... he had to be there. Where else could he be? Awen didn't bother knocking again. "Jamal... please." She rested her hand on the outer doorframe. She wouldn't let him alone, not like this.

"Let me in Jamal, please. I heard what happened in the cafe..." She said softly. She placed her other hand on the door softly. "I'm sorry Jamal... I'm so sorry."

He heard her plead again and heard the door jar ever so slightly as she put her hands on it, but he didn't want to see anyone. No one on this island could stop the misery he'd found himself in. There was no reason for her to be sorry because this wasn't of her doing. She tried to warn him.

He had just refused to believe it and that was his fault.

He did get up though, feeling like a zombie from a lack of sleep and an overload of devastating experience, and floated closer to the entrance until his hands rested on the flat wood of the door and he rested his forehead against the cool wood. Jamal's breathing was heavy and shakey, as though it took great amounts of energy just to inhale and exhale.

She felt the door move back to her hand and heard the breathing. He wouldn't let her in.... He wouldn't talk to her. But he needed her. Something was screaming to her not to leave him alone, though his silent inaction said he wanted her to leave. She knew she couldn't let that happen, he couldn't be alone now...

"It's hard..." She said softer now that she knew he was right a the door. "You want to keep denying, but you've seen the truth now. There's no one you can relate to, nothing but an island full of mutations. You think it's your fault... you messed up, you agreed to come here." She paused for a moment. "But that's not true. Despite what your decision was it's Moreau's fault. He's the one who started this sick experment. He's the one that's at fault not you. But most importantly Jamal...." Her fingers curled slightly on the door. "You're not alone. I am here for you..."

"I deserved dis," he mumbled weakly with a note of hysteria from the other side of the door, his forehead still pressed to the rough wood as were his hands. "All dis bullshit....payback fo' what I dun."

"Dr. know what I did...he know. Dis be his justice. He knew I be a bad ********' person. It be an accident but dat dun matta' none." His voice cracked painfully as he felt his knees go weak again, probably from sheer exhaustion, and he slithered down along the door until he was on his knees again in front of it, his hands dropping in his lap but his head still supported on the door.

"I ain't meanin' ta kill no one, 'specially him. It be an accident...but da ******** died and them cops and the Dr. knows it be ma fault." He paused, closing his eyes tightly as the memory of his friend lying on the pavement, bleeding freely from the hole in his heart. He wanted to beg Awen to believe him, but he was so conflicted that he just shuddered and fell back from the door. "I put this on maself...but I can't do dis...ain't gonna do it." The hysteria rose in his voice, quavering the normally smooth and low-intensity timbre into something eerie and unsettling. He definately was messed up.

Awen's breath caught in her throat. Did she just hear what she thought she heard? Jamal had he really... killed someone? For a moment she froze what could she say to that. She had never known anyone who...killed someone else. But... but it was an accident. Jamal said it was an accident.

"Jamal.." Her voice was a little shakey but a definate caring quality to it. "Jamal listen to me. Moreau isn't punishing you for what happened. He is a twisted b*****d. If he took you to punish you for what you did, why did he take me? What did I do so wrong that Moreau had me brought here for this psychotic game? Jamal.... don't blame yourself for being here it's not your fault."

She turned to the greater matter, one she wasn't rightly sure she knew how to address. She hoped she would do alright. "It was an accident." She said so softly. "You said it was an accident. It's not your fault. You... you are still a good person Jamal."

Her hand slid down and off of the door to rest numbly at her side. "Please Jamal let me in..." She repeate her request from earlier.

"He knows...he knows what I dun," he cried into the door as though he didn't even hear what she said. "Dat b*****d knows...shoulda neva said nuthin' 'bout it." Jamal sniffled miserably as he tried to pull himself back up off the floor, grabbing at the door handle for stability. As he fumbled in the dark, his hand caught the locking mechanism and unlatched it. He knew it happened but didn't care. At least Awen got her wish, the decision for him to unlock the door being out of his hands due to his clumsiness; he wasn't going to relock the door and make things worse if she got mad.

The black man moved away from the door, drifting absently towards the table as he rubbed a hand down his face.

Awen heard the lock click, but Jamal didn't open the door. She wondered vaguely if she should really go in. He didn't seem to... He just seemed out of it. But she soon pushed the door open slowly, letting in a ray of sunlight. She blinked into the darker room and slowly entered.

"Jamal..." She said quietly. She pushed the door closed and moved forward to him. She didn't pause a moment or hesitate. She knew he wasn't dangerous when it came down to it... not to her anyway. She put her hand on his shoulder, stopping his absent wander. Awen moved around him slowly and wrapped her arms around him slowly. "It's okay.... It was an accident.... Jamal you are a good person.... I'm here for you."

He looked, for lack of a better term, like s**t. His eyes were bloodshot, his face ashen...little dried trickles of blood marked one upper arm where he'd clawed at the skin with his fingernails, which were also stained a light crimson. The t-shirt he wore was faintly stained and wrinkled. Jamal was a far cry from his normally neat and groomed self.

As Awen placed her hand on his shoulder, he froze, eyes clenching shut tightly in refusal to look at her when she came around and tried to console him in his utter despair.

"It was a' accident," he repeated in a hushed whimper. "Why they gotta do dis ta me....I can't deal wit' dis. I can't be no ********' mess like Ambrose. I can't..." He couldn't see himself undergoing the gruesome transformations like everyone else. He couldn't watch his humanity fade underneath scales or feathers or whatever else it was that he'd deal with....

Then he realized he didn't even know what he was going to be and that made it all worse in his head.

Awen pulled back slowly and ran her hand over his arm. She frowned a little bit. Poor Jamal... "I'm going to get you cleaned up..." She had heard what he said but she didn't know how to respond.

Awen moved away, keeping contact with him as long as she could. She moved to the bathroom and started rummaging. She took a small towel that had been in his bathroom and wetted it in the sink.

She soon returned to Jamal. "Shh..." She said softly and dabbed the towel against the wound on his arm. She began to mop the blood away slowly and delicately. The blood was slowly staining the towel but she knew it was just a small price.

She noticed on his hands there was blood as well and lifted his arm to take hold of his hand. She worked in silence as she cleaned the blood from his hands. She lifted one up and kissed the back of it softly.

When she left to go to the bathroom, he fumbled for the nearest chair and sat down in it, leaning forward to prop his elbows on his thighs and held his head in his hands. This whole thing was an entire disaster.

The daubing of the towel on his shoulder brought a flinch despite how gently she was patting and the kiss on his hand only made him give her a despondent stare. He wasn't trying to come off as ungrateful but even Awen's careful tending made him feel worse. First off, he was going to be come some mutation...secondly he had probably successfully put off a good half of the island's population over last night...and thirdly he felt like he was a burden. Maybe he should have just relocked the door and spared Awen from wasting her time, being that he was certain she was doing so in trying to get him on a steady footing out from his depression.

When she left to go to the bathroom, he fumbled for the nearest chair and sat down in it, leaning forward to prop his elbows on his thighs and held his head in his hands. This whole thing was an entire disaster.

The daubing of the towel on his shoulder brought a flinch despite how gently she was patting and the kiss on his hand only made him give her a despondent stare. He wasn't trying to come off as ungrateful but even Awen's careful tending made him feel worse. First off, he was going to be come some mutation...secondly he had probably successfully put off a good half of the island's population over last night...and thirdly he felt like he was a burden. Maybe he should have just relocked the door and spared Awen from wasting her time, being that he was certain she was doing so in trying to get him on a steady footing out from his depression.

Awen looked up slowly with a gentle smile but was met by his stare. She faltered a little bit but knelt down infront of him so she was part sitting. She held onto his hand and played a little bit with his hand. She traced her fingers across his hand discovering every distinguishing feature on it. She was staring at it and a small smile crossed her lips as she looked up to him.

"I know I probably can't help right now...." She said softly. "But... I am here for you. And I always will be... No matter what happens Jamal... I am here..."

His hand lay prone in her grasp, having not been pulled away simply because Jamal didn't really care. His head hurt, among other things, and it was so hard to think clearly.

"I shoulda listened ta yous," he croaked finally, hiding his face in his other hand. "Shoulda believed s**t was goin' down. Dis whole island be a ********' lie....brotha be so stupid not ta see it."

His hand lay prone in her grasp, having not been pulled away simply because Jamal didn't really care. His head hurt, among other things, and it was so hard to think clearly.

"I shoulda listened ta yous," he croaked finally, hiding his face in his other hand. "Shoulda believed s**t was goin' down. Dis whole island be a ********' lie....brotha be so stupid not ta see it."

"You didn't want to believe it Jamal..." She said softly she smiled turning into a more compassionate and concerned gaze. "You saw bits and pieces but you didn't want to believe until you got slapped in the face with the truth. I'm sorry that it had to come to that...."

She gave his hand a little squeeze. "Everyone was lied to Jamal...we all believed them." Leaning against his leg slightly. "You're not stupid Jamal... You are perfectly normal denying the truth of things..."

He shook his head, almost violently in doing so, and passed his free hand over his hair when he stopped, letting the fingers run down the divisions of his cornrows. "You tol' me it was happenin'...I coulda just believed yous. Coulda saved dis bullshit from happenin'." Well, perhaps not all of it. Regardless, he was probably not going to take the news well if he had learned differently.

"I though' it was a joke or sum'thin'. Dat yous put them all up to it...but I'm jus' a ********' moron." He stared down at the hand that was in Awen's grasp now, as though he just realized it was there.

He looked utterly dejected amongst being positively exhausted as well, neither of which were good for his fragile grip on the present.

She stood up slowly. "You're not a moron. I only believe because I got slapped earlier than you did. And I didn't have Halloween to cover it up." She looked down at him.

"But you look like you need rest Jamal..." She gave his arm a slight pull. "Come on, you really should try some sleep... you lok exhausted, like hell hun."

Jamal slumped in his chair and dropped his free hand back into his lap, a brief glimmer of challenge in his eyes. "Don't...wanna sleep. Them bastards ain't gonna get me. No ********' shot gonna get me when I ain't payin' attention..." he drawled, though the words were vaguely slurred now. "Can't get me if someone watchin."

Or so he figured, anyway.

Awen frowned a little bit but soon her smiled came back. "I'll stay with you. I won't let them get you Jamal. But you need sleep." She pulled his arma little again, more insistantly. "You can rest and I'll make sure they don't come to give you a shot...okay?"

"You ain't gotta....I ain't meanin' to give yous mo' problems," he said faintly, though the tug on his arm did make him eventually get to his feet. Progress at least.

Awen chuckled softly. "You're giving me no problems Jamal..." She said softly and put her free hand on her shoulder go support her onto her tip toes to give his cheek a kiss.

She then led him slowly towards his bed.

He followed like a lost puppy, his vision starting to blur as his exhaustion started to win the fight whether or not he wanted to sleep or not. Indignant anger started to rise in his chest but he controlled it, not wanting another outburst to happen. It seemed that Jamal was mad about everything due to his circumstances and had he been better prepared, he'd probably would have handled all of this better.

Jamal lingered at the side of the bed, looking almost fearful now as opposed to anything else, though the anger was still there. They would get him in his sleep. He was sure of it.

Awen turned and looked at the big man. Just a big frieghtened puppy dog... She wished she could think of him another way but as fierce as he normaly was right now he just seemed so... sad and fragile.

"I'll be right here Jamal." She smiled reassuringly.

"...What if they go afta' yous 'nstead?" he said then, glancing at her as he stood there at his bedside. He didn't want to be the reason she ended up getting her next injection because she was playing guard in his duplex. He irrationally thought he was the next target but they'd take whatever they could manage. He'd never forgive himself.

She thought about this a moment. As paranoid as it sounded it was a possibility that just might happen. She slowly sat down on his bed and looked up at him. "You can hold me while you sleep, and if they try to take me, you'll wake up." She thought that made sense.

Though she hid it well inwardly she was starting to blush. She just suggested sleeping with Jamal. Okay, so it wasn't sleeping in the way people think of sleeping when a man and a woman go to bed together or anything. And really it's just Jamal sleeping and Awen keeping guard... But still!!

Yeah, he was pretty damn paranoid...but he rather be safe than sorry.

And at this point, he was too tired to argue anymore. It was a logical enough idea and he certainly was not really in a state to try and take advantage of Awen...so really there wouldn't be a problem. In any case, the idea was taken well enough that he finally more or less crawled into the bed on the far side without complaint.

She hesitate a little bit. Finally she just flipped her shoes off and swung her legs over the side of the bed. She knew it wasn't like anything was going to happen but she'd never even been this close to someone. She curled up with him and let out a slow breath. "I'm here for you Jamal.... I won't let them get you..." She practically whispered.

He peered at her sleepily, still unsure if it was safe to go to bed.
"If...dey show up, yous betta wake me up. I swear I'll..."
Jamal paused, catching on the words 'kill them' awkwardly. He couldn't even joke about that anymore.

"I promise..." She smiled softly to him and kissed his cheek softly. "Nothing will happen.... sleep."

He was sure this was a bad idea, but unfortunately his body won the fight, having run so long without sleep or something proper to eat; he hadn't even ate half his sandwich last night before everything happened. Jamal was a deep sleeper by nature...one generally had to be to get decent sleep during nighttime in the city... so once he was out, it would probably take a decent amount of noise to get him awake again. Perhaps to Awen's relief, he finally had relaxed, though there was still some tension in his jaw and brows.

Awen placed her hand gently on Jamal's face. She caresses his cheek with her thumb and leaned forward to kiss his forehead. "I'm here..." She whispered in his ear. "I won't let anything happen..."

The scene would probably be somewhat ridiculous had anyone been watching; a big black man all curled up in a ball, looking very much like a lost soul while a petite blue-haired woman was guarding him from the evils of Dr. Moreau. It would have been comical if there had been no real reason for this to be played out. Sadly, this was their reality.

Jamal was deep enough asleep to where he probably didn't hear her whisper, but reflexively he snuggled a little closer to her like she was some sort of oversized teddy bear.

Awen smiled feeling him cuddle closer. She did love laying there with him... it was so comforting, even if she was the one that was support to be comforting him. She hadn't honestly been tired when she came, but she just felt so relaxed now it almost resembled a sleepy feeling.

She hummed softly a light melody she knew from childhood- though never remembered the words. It wasn't loud, especially not to wake the heavy sleeper that was Jamal, but she just felt like humming it for some reason. It was...nice.

Soon her eyelids closed. Not because she was tired, but because the dark room wasn't really giving much for her to look at anyway. She stopped her tune a short while after that to rest her voice. She lay in silence a long time listening to Jamal's rhythmic breathing and soon her own lungs mimiced the pattern. It wasn't that she was failing asleep, she was just so calm and relaxed that she would fall into such a cycle easily. Her mind started to wander, but to what Awen couldn't really focus on. But this time there was no explaination coming to her mind, no excuses. She had indeed fallen asleep curled up with the big man beside her....  

[Awen Zyn]

Interlocked Fingers

A few hours passed, four or five at max, and now the sun was just starting to peek over the horizon, setting the sky on fire slowly with it's sunrise streaking. Normally Jamal would have slept through all of that, waking sometime around 9 or 10, which was well after sunrise. However, even at rest his mind was unsettled and he found himself drifting in and out of sleep much more frequently than normal. It came to a point that he finally woke and was unable to return to sleep despite the tugging at his eyelids that commanded he fall back into slumber. No...he was probably done sleeping for the night.

He was surprised to find Awen cuddled more or less up to his chest, unaware that that was mostly his doing but he didn't move because it appeared she was...asleep? So much for guarding.

The black man managed a small smirk at that though...really...how could he expect her to stay awake that whole time.

Awen had slept... rather well actually. Concidering she had always had terrible sleep since she's come to the island the passed four or five hours had been the most perfect sleep. Feeling Jamal stirr a little bit as he finally woke up Awen moved a little. She got an odd expression on her face and mumbled.... something or other. But still managed to pull off sleep.

Jamal blinked and glanced out the window, noting how very early it was. God dammit...at least he was fairly certain the Dr. wouldn't try something in broad daylight.

As Awen mumbled and shifted in her sleep, he glanced back at her, deciding against purposefully waking her up even though she was semi-talking as she slept. She'll prolly wake up soon 'nough, he thought as he idly brushed some stray blue strands from in front of her eyes. Plus she was kind of cute when she was sleeping.

Awen took a deep breath in feeling his hand graze her skin as he moved the hair. Her violet eyes fluttered sleepily open. For a little bit Jamal was a blurr as she really didn't know what was going on, she couldn't see either because of sleep in her eyes. She blinked a few more times as her eyes focused on the man before her. She half closed her eyes again letting out a soft breath.

Before the flood of her promise came back to her and her eyes snapped open. "Oh no." She said quickly, though still sleepy. "I fell asleep.... Jamal... I'm sorry..."

He chuckled, probably the first happy anything he'd done for several hours, and let his hand fall back at his side. "It be a'ight...I can't 'spect yous to stay awake dat long," he said, his tone understanding as well as sleepy. "Nuthin' happened anyway, so...no harm."

Jamal was clearly calmer and in somewhat better spirits so...mission accomplished?

Awen nodded a little bit. "Well I guess not." She slowly smiled at him. She still felt relaxed in the man's presence.

She closed her eyes and nuzzled his cheek softly. "I'm just glad you're okay..." And truly she was. She had been really worried about his mental breakdown the days before. Now it seemed he was feeling better so she had done what she came for. It had taken... a while of sleeping with him to do it. But that was just a bonus really.

He frowned a little at the mention of being okay. Well, maybe he was better than he was, but he certainly didn't feel okay. His head still hurt and so did his stomach, but the latter was probably because he hadn't eaten.
"Shorty, how is it dat yous ain't seemin' so worried 'bout dis whole mess," he inquired gently as he wrapped an arm around her back and let it drape, feeling a little foolish to have been so worked up while Awen was pretty well adjusted to her fate.

She wondered a little why he frowned but she figured it must just be because he was wondering about the question he asked. She tingled slightly when he draped his arm over her. It was just so....

She got a meak expression on her face. "To be honest I was terrified, and I guess a part of me is still freaking out wondering what the doctor has in store for me. But..." She paused a moment to smile. "You are the reason I'm not freaking out... You've distracted me from the other islanders and when I'm with you I can almost forget everything that's going on. And... despite whatever happens... I just have this sense that you'd be there for me, you'd help me through it..." She broke into a small grin. "Besides, a wise playa' man once told me 'Aw shorty, it'll be a'ight...you ain't needin' to worry. Worryin' ain't gonna make nothin' better.'" She said in her best Jamal-impersonating voice.

"We be in dis ta'getha, ya know. I owe ya one now, looks like," he said somberly, looking off into the wall briefly. The little impersonation brought a grin out of Jamal despite himself and he gave the woman an apprasing look. "Ah, so yous do listen ta me once in awhile," he said in a manner that was a little more Jamal-like, his eyes glittering merrily with amusement. "But ya gotta work on da voice, I think. Not ghetto 'nough."

Awen laughed softly. "Of course I listen to you Jamal. And you owe me nothing.... really."

She raised an eyebrow at the not ghetto enough comment. "Well I've never really had contact with any ghetto before, so I really don't know the first thing about sounding ghetto." She shruged a little bit. "I think it was pretty good for my first try." She rested herself on the matter-of-factly tone.

"Yo ghetto be good, but not great," he said, teasing of course, lifting the drapped arm up so he could brush at her hair again, finding it to be rather unruly during their casual conversation. "Hang out wit' me 'nough 'n you get it down. I be da expert."

She giggled. "I'm sure you'll rub off on me alright Jamal." She smiled at Jamal moving her hair again. She loved the feeling, each time he did he unwittingly brushed gaainst her cheek too and just his touch in general made her smile. "I'll be able to speak ghetto with the best of them when you're through with me."

"Ghettos a hard thang ta get sometimes...but I bet you do a'ight." He tried his best to sound sage and wise, but it just didn't work for him and he knew it. So, instead, he traced her jaw line with a finger for a few moments, admiring the curve of her jaw and neck now that she was nice and close.

Was he getting a little attached? It seemed like it.

She shivered softly at his trailing finger. She smiled a bright smile to him, loving his touch. Her jaw felt tingely as he ran his finger along it. She looked at his dark eyes, which were inspecting her jaw and necklines and smiled. They really were quite deep and handsome.

"With 'da expert' helping me, I'm sure I could..."

"No doubt," he said confidently, bending forward to plant a kiss on her forehead as he drapped his arm back over her hip, feeling lazy and comfortable there with her snugged up to his chest. It was pretty true that one could forget about their troubles if the right person was around.

"I figger we gotta get up at some point," remarked the black man drolly after a pause, though he didn't really make any movement to do so.

Awen smiled feeling his lips on her forehead. Her mind wandered back to the other day right here in his duplex. Him holding her close with the playful glint in his eyes his lips pressing against hers.... In her thoughts and wantings of that kiss again she barely heard him.

"Get up...?" She said and shifted slightly but didn't. "Maybe yeah..."

"Not inna hurry eitha' though, hmm? Me eitha'..." he admited, which was funny since he was the one to suggest them getting up in the first place. He was almost ready to lightly doze the rest of the early morning away.

It seemed as though his hand couldn't just stay still though. It lightly tickled her lower arm and palm, tracing the length of her fingers each in turn.

Awen smiled softly just watching his fingers trace along her arm and hand. She still seemed dozey as well, or maybe she was just too relaxed to really care she had just slept in his bed and in her clothes for that matter.

Maybe she was begining to get more comfortable with being more close to him? Seemed so anyway.

"That kind of tickels..." She said softly.

"Yous likin' it though," he said with a cocky grin, playing with her fingertips for a second or two before lacing fingers with her own, giving their combined hands a yin yang-like appearance; him with his dark chocolate skin and hers obviously fairer and creme in complexion.

She admired the way their hands fit together when he interlocked their fingers. It was so funny how different they were. Not their fingers, but just everything about them. He was a large black man, her a petite white girl. He was from the ghetto, she the richer side of town. He had always had to be tough and fight, she never faced such challenges and was quite weak and soft.

How different they were... but she was admiring their fingers because it seemed to embody their relationship. So very different, yet so very the same...and fitting perfectly together.

"Yeah....I'm likin' it."

"Good," he murmured. "Otha'wise I figger I must be losin' my touch." He settled his deep brown gaze onto her violetesque one as he let their clasped hands fall at their side.

Jamal didn't think so abstractly as she did, but he could agree they were opposites in many ways. He wasn't so concerned with that, though. He'd been in relationships with all kinds of women. Usually just superficial ones, very-one sided ones, or ones that he (or the girl) kept long enough to get whatever it was they wanted.

Though it was meant light heartedly something about his last comment made Awen a little uncomfortable. She was brought back to the scenes of Jamal staring and flirting with the other women of the island. Awen remembered how quickly they lost that closeness after they kissed.

She shifted in the bed a little bit. She remembered that nothing they had, as of yet, was serious and for now worried that with Jamal it never would be. The voice inside that was telling her all these wonderful things about Jamal now was put to question. Could he be all these things? Yes. How could it be sure? ... Was he just using Awen to get what he wanted? No. How could it be sure? ... Could Jamal be more than her close friend without Awen being another notch in the belt? Yes. How could it be sure...?

Awen did not like this sudden swicth in moods and just sighed softly shifting again. "Naw...not losing your touch Jamal."

Unbeknownst to her, he hadn't meant his 'playa' touch...at least, subconsciously he hadn't. Her quickly shifting mood got his attention, being that he was watching her eyes and noticed the subtile change in her expression. Jamal didn't know what he said that came off badly.

"What's wrong?"

Awen blinked a little and looked right at him. She hadn't meant for her uncomfortableness to reach anywhere near surface. And the way he asked what was wrong with such concern she half regretted thinking what she had.

"Nothing." She said and smiled.

He regarded her in a cautious manner, searching her face for a clue to what was bugging her. If she didn't want to explain, that was her deal, but it vaguely bothered him that she was put off so easily by something he might have said.

"Ya sure?"

Her smiled wavered and she looked away, as thought ashamed of something. She sighed softly.

"I... I dunno." She said hesitantly. "Just... I..." She rolled her shoulders a bit. "I really like you Jamal. You're so sweet and caring and everything. You're strong your funny and you are determined. You make me smile and you make me feel strong. But... I'm caught with myself. If...if I should be wanting more...or if I should back off." She drew in a long breath. "Just because you.... well I don't know don't seem the type for a more... serious style relationship and.... I can't really see myself with too much less than that...and...gosh i don't know I'm sort of stupid really.."

He listened to her hesitant admission with a carefully neutral expression; he sort of knew it was coming by the look on her face before she started to ramble. At least he was respectful and let her go until she finally ran out of steam.

"Well," he started, trying to choose his words carefully, shifting so he was partially propped up on an elbow. "I ain't gonna lie 'n say I be the best guy out in da world...but a brotha can be serious if he needs ta be. But maybe yous gotta make some decisions n' thinkin first b'fo you worry 'bout someone else."

She looked up to him and felt ... well less than special as she had before. She hated ruining moments like that... Though there was hope, what he said... he could be serious. Not an open 'will you go steady with me' responce but definately a step in the right direction.

Her brow twicthed at what he said last. She really hand't the foggiest what he meant. "Um... what do you mean by maybe I have to make some decisions before i worry about something else?"

"You gotta know 'zactly what you be wantin' b'fo yous go askin thangs of others," he said calmly. "Yous sounding a lil uncertain or nervous or sumthin'...best ta get yo'self figgered out first." He didn't mean it in a rude way and he hoped she didn't take it that way.

It seemed as the mood was semi-killed, so he carefully sat up and leaned against the headboard, letting Awen's hand go so it wouldn't be twisted awkwardly with his movements.

Slowly she sat up too, but swung her feet back over the side of the bed so her back was to Jamal. She sighed and looked over at the far wall.

"I've just never really been in many relationships.... None that were at all... too advanced either." She said slowly looking down and swinging her feet slightly. "I suppose it's juvenile... But I am uncertain and nervous because I don't know how you'd react, I don't really know how things would or should go... Inexperience with this sort of thing kind of makes me... not so confident..."

She hadn't taken whathe said as rude at all. In fact it was only fair, and he was right. She was the one really causing problems here.

"You ain't gonna learn nuthin' unless you try it out...only way to get experience," he said logically as he too swung his legs over the side of the bed, but continued until he was standing and moved off towards his dresser to pick out something clean to wear. "Gotta trust yoself sum'times, Shorty. Yous doin' jus' fine."

He had some thinking of his own to do though...if he was stuck on the island, shouldn't he at least make the best of it? Apparently new people were showing up all the time...

She nodded a little bit. "Trust myself..." She mumbled under her breath. But soon enough shook her head. She grabbed her shoes from the floor and sat in silence as she was putting them back on.

"Well..." She said slowly as she stood up. "I really would like... to get into a relationship, Jamal... But." She paused a moment to think of what she wanted to say, the first part of it having turned out horribly. "I don't want to ask anything of you that you would really prefer not..."

She has torn inside, her stomach was doing a few backflips with this one. Something about this whole situation just mae Awen... feel like crap. But, she thought that at the very least Jamal's mind would be distracted from his breakdown-like state.

He peeled his dirty shirt off and chucked it in the corner before pulling on a clean white tank, then grabbed his doo-rag off from the top of his dresser. He secured it firmly on his head with a few deft twists of the ties as Awen tripped over her words for a second time. A brow arched in a characteristic Jamal manner as he crossed the room again to join her by the bed.

"You ain't askin' me anythin' I'mma prefer not ta do, but I ain't perfect and ya gotta unda'stand dat. I kin try real hard but sumtimes stupid s**t happens."

Once again she found herself blinking up at him. "Well Jamal.... no one is perfect. I really wouldn't expect you to be..." She fidgetted with her fingers and looked down to them trying to think of something. "I just...." She bit her tongue a moment but finally just let ou the words. "I just don't want to hold you back from anything else you'd want. Any..one else..."

Oh...so -that- was it. Jamal nearly snorted in amusement. It was true he was a player and liked to look at women, but as it stood he was pretty much screwed in the fact that he felt horribly detached from the island population already and he hadn't even changed. Awen was pretty much the only person who understood him and/or could deal with him and he knew it; he was surprised she didn't seem to.

"I ain't thinkin' you need ta worry none 'bout that," he said in a more serious tone, looking right back at her without a flince. "Ya know I spend mo' time wit' you than anyone else? Ain't that sayin' sum'thin', righ'?

A small smile twitched to her lips as she turned her purple orbs back up to the big man. She nodded a little bit not taking her gaze away. "I suppose it does..." Her smile strengthened a little bit more.

On some level she had know that Jamal felt alienated with all but her, but her over alayzing nature and her natural ability to worry over nothing took over most of her thoughts and feelings. She also had a little bit of a self-confidence issue... which she wouldn't want to get into right now.

"Well then you make da call, Shorty. I ain't forcin' nuthin'. Maybe yous jus' need time to get it all straight in yo' mind."

And it was true...he refused to force anyone into something they didn't want (unless they were looking for a fight and Jamal obliged).

She shook her head a little bit. "No..no I know what I want." She giggled softly. "I mean I've already slept with you...the logical next step either way is some sort of relationship anyway right?" She had meant that comment to be a half joke, but again...she was..really bad at jokes.

Her stomach growled loudly at her and she blinked and blushed a little bit. "I know what I want Jamal I was... just worried about what you did. So if...if you want to... I'd be thrilled to... be with you. Um in a relationship."

When once again her stomach growled she sighed softly. "But right now I'm thinking I want some breakfast..."

He indulged her bad joke with a grin anyway. He could work on that too.
"Well if dat's what yous want, then I can roll wit' it," he said clearly, a genuine smile cracking his joker personae.

"N' breakfast be sumthin' I could use too. Didn't eat much past few days."

A broad grin broke out onto Awen's lips. This was... wow. He really did want...? Awen felt sort of like a giggley school girl, but the giggles wouldn't quite come and she... well wasn't in school anymore. She was happy though. She was very happy Jamal could 'roll with' the more serious relationship idea. It was just so refresh and exhilerating and--

FEED ME. Her stomach roared.

Blinking Awen turned towards the door as she had done the day her and Jamal had gone for lunch. But there was a difference this time, she reached out...and held Jamal's hand giving it a small squeeze.

"Sounds like a plan then..."

"To da cafeteria," he said as though answering her growling stomach, then gladly accepted her hand, a mischievious smirk on his lips as they headed for the door and off in search of a meal.  

[Awen Zyn]

So many things so many things.... I haven't even written anything in awhile. Geez... I guess I just don't know what to write anymore. So much stuff is happening so quickly. I nearly had a breakdown, and for once not because of the water.

I guess I've decided not to like the Doctor so much... I mean sure it's my fault and sure he supplies the island with a lot of stuff. But some on, he's stiff and rude! I tried to avoid conflict at the party by getting him to leave the area with the volitile Dude around and he just glared at me and said he was on a date and wouldn't talk to me! I mean come on! Because of that this huge fight broke out, and Dude actually punched the Doctor! I have no idea what is with this island but it's making people who are usually so nice into such...grah animals, for lack of a better term...

Including me. I've now gotten into two fights, one with Lauren at the party and the others with Hargun and the Dude in the cafe. I don't know what's wrong with them but Hargun and the Dude were just going along with the Doctor's lie. They don't see that it's just as bad as helping the Doctor! The sooner someone learns the truth the better, I say. If they don't want to believe it that's up to them, but at least you won't be lying to them. I mean what do they think is going to happen when the girl started to change and finds out everyone was stringing her along? She'd smiled and nod and say "that's okay if the people I've grown to trust betrayed me. It actually helps me cope with the island!" Like heck... It';s just not fair, and what does Hargun do? Yell at me and the Dude agreed with her. With no one on my side I stormed out of there, apologising to the girl but still...

Hey on a better note.... I've come to a decision with Jamal. We're....heh, well a couple now... Weird to think, but it's true. As much as I may miss Andrew, I mean it's not like we were ever together and I'm not getting off this island ...ever. Besides... Now that Jamal discovered the truth, from what I hear a run in with Greer and Andy, he really needs someone to help him through this.

Near dillusions I had to stay in his room with him 'so the doctor wouldn't get him' while he slept. Heh... I... well I slept with him. No no no! Not like that. Literally sleep, because I was supposed to be keeping watch, but he didn't want me to get stolen right from his room either... so he had to have me close so I could wake him up if something happened. But nothing happened and I sort of..fell asleep.

Morning after I....well.. we were talking and... eventually.. decided to make a real relationship out of all this. I'm happy about it... Something about hte big guy just.. makes me happy. I hope I make him happy too...

I just hope...that this happiness lasts. But who knows... soon what could I be turning into? When I start becoming a freak... will Jamal will have that look in his eye when he calls me Shorty? Who knows...  

[Awen Zyn]

Matress?....Wumph....Yeah, matress...

Joliette decided she wanted to get out her frustrations towards Sabin and right then.. that venting of frustrations came in the form of tearing apart Duplex 28. She'd spent part of her morning simply stripping everything down and throwing bedding and other stuff in a corner of hte room, she had the supplies needed to board up the window and currently was in the process of pushing hte matress out of hte duplex on it's side aiming to push it over the balcony. It was her unit below so she wasn't entirely concerned just how much noise she made

Noise, was not the problem for Awen. However the heavy matress falling fro mthe balcony above, was. She didn't really notice at first, just another day just another walk around town. She heard something stuffling up in the top duplex and when she looked up and saw... that new girl, Joli... why did she have a matress....

Awen blinked a moment her brain not quite seeing what came next. And throwing it over the si--

"Hey!" Wumph. "Ow...."

Shimmying herself from out of the matress and looked up. "Fine way to greet a neighbour!" She laughed lightly.

Joliette blinked she had been in the process of turning around and going back inside. Instead, hearing the voice, she turned back and looked over the edge of the balcony "Oh no, I am sorry Awen, I didn't think anyone would be down there" she looked a lil embarrassed for the occurance "Are you all right?"

Awen laughed softly and stood up, brushing herself off. "Yeah, yeah I'm fine Joliette." SHe raised an eyebrow. "What exactly are you doing up there anyway?" She asked a little confused. "Won't you need this (She kicked the matress) if you're living in the duplex?"

Awen laughed softly and stood up, brushing herself off. "Yeah, yeah I'm fine Joliette." SHe raised an eyebrow. "What exactly are you doing up there anyway?" She asked a little confused. "Won't you need this (She kicked the matress) if you're living in the duplex?"

"Oh this isn't my duplex" Joliette said with a smile "That one is" she pointed dowards to the lower duplex, "This one I'm emptying out, well of the bed and other things like that, the bed is in the way" she was glad she had yet to have gotten to the boxspring, that would have hurt more then the top

"Hold on a second." She said and moved towards the stairs. She didn't get it, if the bottom duplex was her's how can she be moving stuff in the top duplex. Why did she get two duplexes? What kind of thing was she planning...? Did any of hte staff even approve this?

But she held her questions in as she got to the door. The numbers 28 proudly displayed and peered inside and let out a low whistle. "Looks worse than Jamal's place!" She laughed a little bit.

She paused and hesitated before looking back to Joli. "What..exactly are you doing anyway...? Shouldn't this be... uh. someone else's duplex?"

Joliette laughed looking around hte duplex herself, boxspring on end ready for moving, any furniture other then the armchair and dresser ready for removal as well, the dresser and armchair had been stuffed in a far corner and there was a pile of wood and container of nails a hammer and other building stuff "I'm building a darkroom, can't have a bed in a darkroom. I wont have an upstairs neighbour save for chemicals and film and photo paper and stuff

"Oh I see... I guess the Doc had to have approved this then..." She mumbled. She scratched behind her ear a little bit. "No neighbour? That doesn't sound too pleasant if you ask me. I don't have one yet and, while the peace is nice.... It gets kinda I dunno too quiet. Sometimes you just need to hear someone else shuffling around you, you know?"

But she shruged a little bit. "To each their own though." Smiling she added. "Need any help?"

"Duvert did" she nodded with obvious distaste in her voice when she spoke the name "bloody gormless arse" she muttered "Neighbours could be nice yes, though I can hear Chubbs next door when he's singin in the shower so it's not all that quiet. I guess I was simply lucky, I could have been turned down all together for a darkroom, though I will admit I hadn't expected a whole duplex for it." She looked around "Sure if you wanna help, I'm just hauling out hte extra furniture right now"

"Chubbs?" She asked quickly, but just as quickly let it drop. Must be someone new...

She nodded and headed inside looking for something to move. Not being that much bigger than the girl she wasn't sure all what they could haul out on their own. Heck Awen was impressed she got the matress out honestly, those things culd be heavy...especially when they fell on you....

"You know..." Awen said tentively. "Sabin isn't so bad... Once you get to know him a little better."

"Yeah right... ask for clothing get a pile of naff useless junk, stuff I could ever and would never wear" She said looking down right seething at the thought. she moved for the boxspring tempted to punch it but didn't

She raised an eyebrow a little bit. "Here... let's get the desk.." She said and moved over to take one side of the desk.

"Well, did you tell Sabin what sorts of clothes? If you just said clothes that's not saying a lot. I mean, the guy seems to be a little..sheltered from what I know of him from the fashion world. Maybe he just didn't know what to get you, and has a different fashion sense than you?" She tilted her head a little bit.

She moved to the other side of hte desk picking it up "Noone said I needed to be specific, he saw me when I arrived he knows what I where, he knows I'm a vegan, so he sends me carnivore logoed shirts a shirt that insults my profession jeans that are obviously for a slag snowshoes and these leather numbers that are aweful, oh not to mention a buttonup shirt that would fit about 5 of me at the same time" she looked less then amused as she listed the clothing

Awen shrugged a little bit. "What's wrong with carnivores on shirts? They're just animals, regaurdless of what you eat you can't expect, like, a tiger to not eat meat. It's their nature, so the carnivore logoed shirts I wouldn't really take to heart, vegan or not." She started moving with the desk, backwards towards the door. "I don't know your profession exactly and tpo be honest I have no idea what a slag is."

She sighed a little bit. Why exactly was she defending Sabin anyway...? "And besides the button up shirt could have been meant for a long nightshirt. What's wrong with leath--vegan right never mind that one. And hey Snowshoes do make good decoration items. You said clothes you never said what for."

Maybe Awen had watched too many evil genie movies with her father when she was a kid, or just knew how to pick out the flaws in wordings. After all she was screwed over here because the Doctor never lied to her.

"They didn't have animals on them Awen, one had a steak and the other a saying about reaching the top of the foodchain." she sighed "A slag is like a... prostitute in other places language... And I'm a photo journalist by trade" she shook her head she really didn't wanna take this out on Awen. "I think I'll wait and hope next time I try I do not get him again, I swear I think he has a vandeta out against me"

"I wouldn't take it too personally..." Awen smiled. "He probably jut meant it as a joke! He was talking to me at the party and was musing about me turning into a fish!" She paused for a second. "Oh right, hydrophobe by the way."

She made it out the door and with a bit of quick hand shifting managed not to get her fingers caught between the doorframe and the desk. "I mean, it's just the way he jokes. It's nothing personal, seriously. Ask again but this time be more specific." Her smile brightened.

Maybe she was defending Sabin because she wanted to think not all the staff are rude callous stuck up...snobs?

"I wouldn't put it past the strange doctor to have been telling you the truth Awen" she said "I'll try again, just not right away, and pray I do not get him if I try again" She stuck her tongue out hte corner of her mouth as they squeezed through the door "this can probably stay on the balcony for now, I might find a use for it"

She laughed a little bit, trying to ignore the 'he might have been right' statement. "Well better here than on someone's head eh?" She grinned and set down her end. Moving back into the duplex she looked around.

"I don't think we could take that dresser... I don't even knwo if it would fit through the door." She frowned a little in concentration. "And I dunno, I'd keep that chair in the corner, even darkrooms need a little bit of comfort, right?"

She smiled and looked back to Joliette. "I really admire people who can take good pictures though. Mine always end up having a thumb in the way, or the wrong angle or something like that."

"Oh the dresser is staying I'm going to use it for it's drawers and the working surface atop of it, chair stays too" she looks around "Boxspring, well I might need stronger help for that one if I dont want it to land on anyone." she looked at Awen "Thanks, I would like to take pictures of people I meet here, if they'll let me, I have Vasile and Hargun on film, and maybe Sabin and the lady doctor, but thats it"

She nodded again she Joliette told her plans for the remaining furniture. "I'm sure Jamal would give you a hand. I'll ask him about that..."

She stretched a little bit. "Guess until we get some help though that's all we can do. And hey when you're stuff is developped I'd like to see them. But I don't know if too many people would want their picture taken... with what the Doc is doing here and all..."

She nodded "we'll see I guess, it's up to each person" she reached for her hammer and picked it up tapping her fingers on the head as she looked at the windows "If he wants to help that would be nice" she smiled

"Well no promises or anything." She grinned a little bit. "But I'm sure I can talk him into it."

She shifted her weight uncomfortably now that they're done what Awen came up to help with she doesn't know what to do. "So... Besides, the obvious, how's the island treating you?"

"All right I suppose, everyone I've met and had a chance to talk to has been really nice, well all the islanders anyways" she said picking up a board and walking over to the nearest window that had black paper over it "For you?" she asked putting the board beside the window

"Well uh..." She really had to think about that one for a little bit. How was her time on the island so far? Just little over a month... how was the time spent?

"Pretty good, met a lot of nice people... the food's been great. And hey the entertainment room got some new games every now and then too." She smiled a little bit. "And hey, I met Jamal, that's a plus." Wow...she just.keeps gushing about that didn't she?

Joliette looked back at her "that was a near swoon there, for the Jamal fellow" she chuckled moving another board to another papered up window. "Are you a couple?"

Awen blushed. "Uh...well yeah..that's" She chuckled a little bit. "That's right." It wasn't a swoon though was it? She couldn't have been that obvious really. "She scratched the back of her neck. "Just recently... I mean I usually don't get into things so quickly but...eh I dunno.."

Joliette chuckled softly at her bashfulness "Well at least something good of being stuck here, I wish you lots of luck with that, happiness is important" She dropped into the armchair and leaned on her knees. "So what brought you to the isle anyways"

She shifted a little bit and went to lean on a wall. "Therapy..." She said and bit the side of her cheek a little bit. "Came to get rid of my hydrophobia..."

Joliette nodded "I guess it hasn't gone according to plans so far..." she said quietly, she was beginning to wonder just how many facades there being thought up to get people to the isle

She smiled a little bit distantly. "Well, you know, it has been going according to plan." She laughed a little bit. "Being surrounded by the salty stuff has helped.... despite what the Doctor's done he's right being here is helping my hydrophobia. He never lied to me at all...."

Joliette nodded wondering to herself if her therapy description had included being turned into an animal "Well I'm glad you haven't suffered that sane fate as the rest of us who have been lied to"

"Well.... Same fate all around. I wasn't lied to, but the perfect truth wasn't told either." She sighed a little and looked up....down at the girl. "But like your little clothing problem I didn't know enough to be specific. I said therapy, he said experimental technique, some drugs may be required. I didn't ask questions. My fault, not Moreau's."

"I still have yet to meet this Moreau fellow, I'm starting to get the feeling though that I wouldn't want to" she sighed "So many people here really hate him from what I've seen, and I can't say I'm not one of his fans"

"Apart from the turning people to animals Moreau...isn't that bad." She turned her gaze out the door. She really didn't want to be labeled as pro-doc, but it's true he's not that bad. "He provides a lot of stuff for us. Good food, good placed to stay, we even had a halloween party." She looked back to Joli. "This darkroom had to have been approved by the Doc himself. I mean he could have just tricked us here, or kidnapped us and then put us in cages. But he's really trying, you know."

"I'm not going to say one way or another about him himself since I have not met him, I'll just reserve judgement on that. But I will admit I am glad they approved this darkroom" she nodded "I guess it's all I really can do in here for now, I'll work on the boards a little later, in te mean time I'm hungry.. you?"

"Hm? Actually... I was just coming back from getting some food..." She said a little sheepishly. "Sorry." She chuckled a little bit. "And ...yeah..."

Joliette nodded standing up "Well I would like a salad... Thanks for your help" she said with a smile pulling keys from a pocket

Awen smiled and nodded. "Hope you have a good meal." She walked out of the duplexand paused a second turning to look back at her. "Try to enjoy the island... Worryin' ain't gonna make nothin' better.'" She said in quotation to Jamal once again.

Grinning to herself for sounding a little more ghetto than before when she said that she waved and headed out once more.  

[Awen Zyn]

N00bs and Friends

colour code

Awen= Blue
Jamal= Dark Blue
Kim= Red
Chubbs= Green
Joliette= Brown
Ambrose= Dark Red

"Yeah...I jus' played some ball othawise I be out doin' sumthin otha' than stuffin' ma face...gotta rest ma feet for a bit. Ain't played ball in so long that ma muscles ain't so happy wit' me." He gave a long suffering sigh, but it was mostly exaggerated for effect. "But yeah, I bet there be some trails out herr. O' maybe jus' axe n' they make some."

Finally the ball lost momentum, having been briefly forgotten about so it slowed in it's turning, and randomly fell off to the side and bounced away much to Jamal's chagrin.

Awen walked into the Cafe and was surprised when a basketball bumped into her feet. Before she even had a chance to look around she had picked up the ball and blinked. Looking back up she noticed Jamal, not looking too happy and a girl she didn't know sitting across from him. Jamal, by his expression must have been the one to loose it. Awen grinned and contemplated making a crack at Jamal dropping the ball.... but decided against it.

She walked forward and set the ball down on the table. "Loose something?" She smirked a little bit. What? That didn't count as a crack! Well... a little maybe because of the smirk....

Kim... visibely wasn't up for going to go axe the trails herself, at the slight face she made when he mentionned it.

It faded quickly, however, with the arival of the other girl. Visibely they knew each other... She smilled, but otherwise remained sillent.

Jamal didn't even have to turn around to know who was ripping on him, but he did anyway. A mock-wounded look spread over his features.
"Geez Shorty, you jus' walkin' in n' yous already startin' on me," he drawled in exasperation, which also was just to add to the effect of his expression. A hand reached out to grab the ball, palming it with little difficulty since his hands were pretty large, and returned the ball safely into his lap.

"I take it you two ain't met b'fo," he said, passing a look to Kim and then to Awen, noting each had a sort of curious look on their faces.

She grinned even more at his wounded stance over everything. She pat his shoulder and slung out the chair next to him sitting down. "You know I'm only teasing you big lug..."

She turned her attention then to the girl and held her hand out across the table. "The name's Awen Zyn, pleasure to meet you." Though she smiled she started wondering. She gave Jamal a glance from the corner of her eye wondering if he had told her anything about hte island yet, not thinking the gaze could be misinterpreted at all.

"Kim, nice to meet you..." She blinked a bit. "Your name's familiar, tho... Ah, there it is ! I think I live upstairs of your duplex..." The whole thing was still confusing her a little bit.

And well... Awen's glance made her a little nervous, but she didn't say anything about it.

"When ain't you teasin' me," he said, holding his wounded expression just long enough to cover that statement, then he gave a characteristic Jamal smirk and settled back in his chair, watching the two girls. He caught Awen's out-of-the-corner look and his lip twitched before he mouthed a very discrete "no" and shook his head ever so slightly in hopes it wouldn't be noticed.

"Kim says she be inta that gamin' stuff like you be, Awen," he said, trying to help them find some common ground and maybe have a little bit of conversation. "Bet you two could both beat the s**t outta me in a game instead of jus' you, Awen."

She took Jamal's 'no' into account but since he topic changed this wasn't the time, besides a broad grin broke out onto her face at the mention of another gamer. "Oh really?"

She laughed a little bit and gestured to Jamal. "This guy said that Resident Evil 4 was 'his game'" She glanced back and giggled. "I owned him so easily when it got to my turn. He really is hopeless. I'm glad to meet some actual challenge on the island though!" Even..if admittingly she hadn't really challenged many people on the island.

"Well im not exactly... super good or anything..." Apparently, the change of topic was enough to get her to forget all about the sillent communication... expecially because of the subject involved.

"Im more into rpgs and things like that..." She glanced at the time on her clap-on watch, and sighed a bit.

"Not like im bored, but I have alot of things to set up still..." The little twinkle in her eye told them it was probabely things Awen would ratter enjoy. "So ill catch you both later, okay ?"

After waiting for their answers, she headed back torward her duplex.

"Fffffft," said Jamal in his most articulate manner, trying to gain a noble sort of visage in hopes of saving face. "I let you win." Of course, that come out sounding kind of halted and almost question-like.

As Kim got up, he watched her, feeling almost sympathetic that she was probably clueless. Well...knowing Awen, Kim'd know soon enough. Or if she happened to run into the most-changed islanders. "A'ight, well, see ya 'round then."

Awen waved a little bit. "See you around Kim. Hope to play you sometime." She grinned and leaned back on her chair.

Thinking better she scooter her chair closer to Jamal and leaned against his shoulder. "Let me win...ppfft." She giggled and glanced up at him. "You're about as good at video games as I am at speaking ghetto.... decent, but not great." Taking a deep breath she nuzzled his shoulder.

How many more people was the Doctor going to bring to the island...? When will enough...be enough? She couldn't break it to her then, bad subject change really. She'll probably have to talk to her later, after all they were neighbours.

"...okay so yous got me there," he admitted grudgingly, wrapping an arm lazily about her middle. "But hows about yous play some ball 'gainst me...then dat be a diff'rent story. Even though' I be callin' ya Shorty fo' a reason....you ain't gonna have such good luck tryin' ta steal da ball." Jamal snickered affectionately but grew more somber as Kim disappeared completely.

"So...she be pretty new from what I found out. Didn't ask none 'bout why I was herr but I figure she ain't knowin' the real deal."

" How the heck are you supposed to find anything here?"

Chubbs was walking around in the village. rugged up in his usual sweater and jeans, looking around the building. He decided to set up his punching bag, which he was carrying. It was heavy, but he didnt want to run back and forth trying to get the right gear for the job. So hoisted on his shoulder the bag sat.

Chubbs frowned, he'd been walking all over the place. He really needed a map of some kind. The smells from the cafeteria were wafting over his nose. He always had a good smell for food. Looking over at the building, he saw people inside. One was the guy from the day before, he was sure of it. God he fell flat on his face in front of him, Chubbs couldn't help but grow red.

He took the chance to see if either of them knew where the tools were, and walking up to the door, he pulled it open slightly and stuck his head in.

Awen nodded slowly at the change in tone, he was saying really what she was thinking. "So it seems. She's too happy really to know... unless the Doc is actually telling people now adays?"

Awen had a sudden thought, so wrapped up in the thought she didn't see the man pop his head in the door. "Jamal, don't you think someone's going to get wise to this sooner or later?" She said rather hopefully. "I mean... my friends know I'm gone to an island for therapy. They fully expect me back one day, and others I'm sure have people thye left behind that knew something of where they were going." She smiled brightly. "Maybe there's still a chance they'll find us and stop this huh?"

She spoke rather loudly with excitement at the idea of being saved, not thinking anyone would over hear...except maybe the kitchen staff but they already knew anyway so it didn't matter. She had no idea anyone else might have heard...

"I ain't countin' on him tellin' anybody anythin'," Jamal said curtly, a flit of displeasure crossing his broad features, lip curled in a similar manner like when he was mouthing 'no'. "I figger he ain't gonna tell peeps cause it prolly betta and more safe fo' him. Da man be a ********' coward. I ain't seen his face once yet. Prolly cause he knows what I done and I ain't afraid to beat his a**." Jamal didn't know that Moreau had been assaulted already once and what the outcome was, but he probably would still stick with his words.

At the mention of people perhaps searching the small band of islanders out, he tried not to be too optimistic. "I figger too dat most of us herr weren't plannin' on stayin' long...so maybe all them searchers get togetha one day and find us. Maybe." He absently brushed her arm with a finger before the sound of the door opening caught his attention.

Chubbs tried to look like he was not looking at the two in the cafeteria, but what else was there to look at? food? Chubbs shifted the bag on his shoulder. He was glad that he caught their attention so he didnt have to interupt too much.

The food was really getting to him though, something smelled damn good and his tummy growled audibly. Chubbs blinked and grew bright red, and quickly decided to ask what he was here for.

" Umm.. er.. would, y-you happen, to know where there's umm... like a tool shed?"

Awen blinked up at the big man. Wow he was taller than Jamal and...well big-er. She wasn't thinking that rudely at all, she was just the small frame type, by nature not really by too much choice. But it's not like the guy looked bad or anything. Actually at first glance, especially with the way he seemed so shy Awen pegged him as the teddy bear type.

Smiling slightly she shook her head. "I haven't seen anything like that here, sorry. Maybe if you call Doctor Moreau he'd order some for you?" As much as she hated the Doctor he did provide a lot of things and was quite helpful.

She leaned forward away from Jamal a moment and held out her hand. "I'm Awen Zyn by the way."

He glanced up, now hearing a voice, hardly looking put off by the appearance of a vaguely familiar man. Eyes darted around the cafeteria for a moment as though trying to search out a place where tools might be kept, but he couldn't even place where the entertainment room was half the time, let alone a bunch of tools were.

"Sorry man, I ain't got no idea," he finally admitted, sitting up straighter. "I ain't even heard of one bein' out herr...if they ain't got 'em, I bet yous could put in a request for 'em like Awen said."

After Awen introduced herself, he did likewise, only without the extended hand. "I think I seen you b'fo...ain't sure we got names through cause I hadda run so fast. Da names Jamal."

Ah the introductory phase, it was hard to get through, like a barrier. Chubbs thought though that the people on this island were pretty cool though, maybe he'd stop being so shy. He walked inside and put the bag up against the wall and made his way over shly to the pair. With a grip of the offered hand by Awen, he shook it lightly and then offered his own to Jamal. He introduced himself with his own australian flavoured voice.

" Ah, G'day, .. I'm Chubbs.. and um.. glad to meet ya. Oh and.. um thanks any way"

Awen pushed out a chair with her foot before settling back onto semi-leaning on Jamal. "Nice to meet you Chubbs have a seat hm?"

The gears were already turning in her mind. He didn't seem to know, but then, how could she know? Neither her nor Jamal had changed... and who knows if Chubbs actually knew or not.

"What do you need tools for anyway? Just curious of course." She would play it safe for now. Even if she wanted to tell the truth she had some tact about it.

Jamal shook the offered hand, now that it was free, and was briefly amazed at the man's sheer size. He looked to be just a bit taller than Jamal...certainly wider and more massive all around. It gave the black man some pause, realizing his "big man" on the island title was pretty much gone. Oh well. "Chubbs," he said, trying the strange name out on his tongue before nodding in agreement to Awen's offer of a chair and her question about the necessity of tools.

"Saw ya carryin' something," he said in a non-accusatory manner, also curious.

Still wearin her Gi having not bothered to change out of them she wandered into the cafeteria in search of food, she peered around and saw 3 familair faces, only 2 of which she had properly met "Hello" she said softly in her thick accent

Chubbs looked down at the chair, damn, it wasn't often people wanted him to sit with the, he was almost speachles. He sat down quietly, praying and hoping the damn thing wouldn't break.

" Oh .. umm.. brought me a bag to train on.. but um... feel bit stupid now... but hey.. it's an okay way to like.. get ya frustrations out on"

He smiled sadly, trying his best to keep up good spirits

" I need to hang it up,.. um somewhere... need a hook and a drill"

He twiddled his thumbs nervously, looking between them both.

" I can always use it for a scratching post if I'm a cat huh?"

Chubbs blinked and then went red.

" Oh s**t!"

Then he slapped a hand over his mouth. It hadn't occured to him that they might not have known. Oh he was in deep crap. Then he heard a familiar voice and turned to see Joliette. He almsot saw her as a guardian angel rescuing him from the grave he was digging himself. He waved to he and hoped the attention would fall on her.

She turned to Joliette and gave her a polite smile, but really she was mid train of thought at Chubbs' reaction. She would deal with that...

Awen sighed with relief. "So you do know." She was glad she wasn't going to have to tell somebody else. "Don't worry though.... I've been here over a month and Jamal's reaching the month mark..um..soon right?" She tilted her head at Jamal thinking yeah it's been about a month.. "So yeah we know. You'd make a cute cat I'm sure, though I honestly peg you as a teddy bear." She giggled a little bit.

She now turned her attention to Joli. "Hi Joli." She held a gestured hand out to Joliette. "Jamal, this is Joliette." She paused and gestured to Jamal. "Joliette this is the imfamous Jamal." She giggled a little bit.

"..Don't worry none, Chubbs. We both knowin' what's gonna happen," he said with a slightly dejected sigh. "At least, the changin' part. I ain't got no idea what ********' animal they turnin' me into." And jesus christ, ANYTHING but a cat. He loathed the fuzzy bastards...too small to be any good and too needy. But anyway...the punching bag. "s**t, I bet that thing come in handy later..."

As Joliette was introduced, he grimaced. "Oh...yeah...yous came into the cafeteria that day, didn't ya? I know I seen ya before."

Jamal passed Awen a suspicious look. "Oh, and I be imfamous now? This be news ta me."

She walked up to the group "Hi Chubbs, glad to hear you figured it out." she said with a weak smile "Hey Awen.. it is, well theres a face for a name at least" she chuckled and held a hand out towards the black man "Nice to meet you Jamal, under what seem like better circumstances then last I saw you" she said looking at the man

Chubbs took a massive sigh of relief hearing that he didn't let the cat out of the bag so to speak. He nodded to Joliette, answering her question, then hearing Awen he went completely red. He never took compliments well and he lowered his face to hide it under his black cap.

" Awww.."

When she gigled he couldn't help but smile, he loved to here giggles, just always made him smile. Probably why he used alot of humour. He heard Jamal speak and he thought about how today was the day he was going to talk to someone.

" Umm.. Anj... oh... Angie? i think?.. um she said if ya ah, talk to .. like .. the guys on the .. intercom.. you can find out like what you are. I'm gonna talk to one of em... um hopefully... I need a few things.. couple answers... I'f ya'd like rather.. find out from me.. I.. er I can ask.. what's in you?"

Chubbs peered up a bit, enough to see their faces under his brim.

Awen couldn't help but giggle a bit more at Chubb's new reaction. This guy could be so big and scarey if he wanted to, even moreso than Jamal perhaps, but he just hid under his cap like a turtle. Hmm... maybe the Doc was gonna turn him into...?

She glanced at Jamal. "Oh I helped Joli move some stuff in duplex twenty eight, her new dark room. We couldn't move a few things so I mentioned you might help...and..maybe gushed a little bit about..um...me and you.. um being a couple." She blushed a little bit, she had just been so exstatic about it...

She completely missed what Chubbs had said about finding out what she was turning into. Too many thoughts buzzing through her mind...

With a flurry of movement Ambrose realized that he had made up his mind. He felt the distinct need to be around people. ANyone.... except Angelina or Emelyn. He needed company and support. And food, his stomach prodded. Comfort food if nothing else.

The cafeteria seemed the most logical solution. HE hoped to find Amaya... maybe even Greer or the Dude... but as he jogged into the large room, he stopped still. He was faced with, unlikely enough, a large group of people - none of which had begun to change. Jamal included - who the last time he had seen him he had succeeded in making him feel worse. The blue-haired girl.... he couldn't remember her name. And Joliette... who at least - last he had seen - knew and was dealing with it... and just his luck - someone he didn't know at ALL. A tower of a man with thick red sideburns.

"Ohboy..." Ambrose murmured, starting to regret his decision on the cafeteria.

Hesitating, shifting from foot to foot indecisively, he finally sucked in his pride - knowing that at LEAST three out of the four people at least KNEW, and got a tray, loaded it up with steak.... and chocolate cake.... and then took a breath before heading over to the group.

"H....hi there.." His tail gave a half-hearted wag. His cheeks were wet, and his eyes were bloodshot, if anyone was paying attention to anything other than his other, more notable, appearance.

Jamal gave Joliette a look of faint amusement. "Yeah...I'm hopin' I ain't gonna lose it like dat again...really." That whole thing was embarassing now that he looked back on it, but still his stomach churned unpleasantly as he remembered having to see Ambrose up close and...

He lifted his gaze and was promptly greeted with the appearance of the wolfman. He stiffened almost instantly, but then his mind started to scream at him to cool it. This was not new to him...he KNEW what was going on. Settle down...settle down ya dumbass... He managed to squish the urge to flinch for the most part.

"Hello...Ambrose," he offered, swallowing hard afterwards.

Joliette pulled up a chair after grabbing some salad, she saw Ambrose come in as well "Hello Ambrose she greeted." she smiled and looked back to Jamal "When reality hits it hits hard, don't worry, it can happen to any one of us. And I'd love help movin hte boxspring out of there, especially after the top matress landed on awen" she looked a lil sheepish saying that Hearing Chubbs words "I don't think I have the bravery to call up there and ask that..."

Chubbs lowered his hat again when he got giggled at, he didn't mind, it kinda brought some merriment to the situation. Looking back up finally, hearing more company coming, Chubbs blinked as he saw Ambrose, looked down quickly and tried to focus. In his mind he spoke

. o O ( Okay, don't over react, you just saw a dog guy. He's still a guy, like yaself. Just treat him like you always wanted to be okay?)

Chubbs watched Ambrose fetch himself some food, he looked like he was feeling awkward, He had a remedy for that.

With a shy smile Chubbs offered a hand to Ambrose, a sinciere one.

" Names Chubbs, forgive me I'm a Noob"

He looked at Joliette while he still held his hand out and try to keep a smile.

" I need to know, I've.. ah.. this suspicion they'd likely.. well make me a pig... and uh, ... I can find out, if you guys want.. I mean.. I wanna be useful to ya... not just the guy that umm. makes sure ya miss out on donuts"

He smiled lightly at his joke

Feeling Jamal's muscles tense Awen gave his shoulder a little nuzzle. She was reminding him she was there for him... she looked up though at the man. He had...changed a lot more than when she last saw him. Wolf, just like Sabin had said. But still something wasn't quite right...

"Ambrose?" She tested under her breath. "I thought his name was Andy..." She shrunk down on her chair a little bit blushing, glad she hadn't said hi first or she would have made a major goof.

"Um...Hi." She said more strongly and smiled to him.

Giggling at Chubb's new joke...she was giggling a lot.... She shook her head. "I'm really too scared to know.. to be honest... I have some..suspicions..."

Ambrose took a shaking breath as he seated himself, nodding hesitantly to Jamal. At least.... all of them knew, he reassured himself, stisll cursing his bad luck at the assortment of people in the cafeteria. At least Emelyn wasn't there...

And, beyond that.... they at least seemed to be trying to pretend things were normal.. and for now... that was good enough.

"I... hope you're doing better today, Jamal..." Ambrose forced a smile, after wiping at his eyes.

"And Hi, Joli..." He nodded to her.

He turned fully to the large man who he hadn' seen before, and looked surprised at the hand before taking it with an air of respect of the courage that he could image that it must have taken. "It's... nice to meet you, er.... Chubbs.." he smiled... although the smile didn't quite seem that enthusiastic. His voice seemed strained.

He nodded to Awen, "Yes... it's Ambrose." He confirmed.... "Though... you'll have to forgive me... your name was...?"

He sliced roughly at a piece of steak, chewing it roughly before swallowing. His movements were jerky, and after a few bites he ran his han akwardly through his hair.

Jamal broke the odd trance he found himself in and then glanced at Joliette. "Boxpring? Ooh...OH. Sorry, yeah, brotha can help ya out wit' dat wheneva." A light smirk graced his lips at the mention of Awen getting smooshed by the matress...poor thing.

Chubbs offer was then given a faint headshake. "Might be betta if I found out fo' maself...I ain't handling second hand info all that well as of late."

Then his eyes flitted cautiously to Ambrose, whom had taken a seat next to him. Today though, the intense fear that the wolf might have encountered that day was muted..it was more of an uneasiness than anything. He noted the younger man's fidgetting. "You a'ight?"

"I won't stop you chubbs, but they may not tell you other people's info. I certainly don't want to press 0 again after my last experience" she made a disgusted face "Thanks Jamal" she said and looked towards ambrose when Jamal spoke to him pausing with her food, his question seemed accurate, Ambrose soomed , well she wasn't sure, but not his usual optomistic self

Chubbs felt a lil deflated, back home he had a reason, he was somebody to someone... the kids. Even if that's all he had, it still made him a better person knowing that. Here, he was really nothing, nothing useful he could do, and the only thing he thought to do, no one really wanted. Awens giggles helped though, she was good to be around.

Chubbs shook the hand of Ambrose, it felt so furry, and he smiled at least, was a good thing. He looked bout as nervous to meet him as Chubbs was of Ambrose. He sorta felt out of place here, seems people were already friends, and he was just meeting them. Ambrose's steak looked good, Chubbs needed something to occupy himself before he lost it in front of them

" I'll just, umm .. find out bout me.. see how I go. Hmm, think I'll go get something"

Chubbs got up and headed over to the food with shuffled feet and hands in pockets.

Awen shifted a little bit n her chair. Something seemed to be wrong with Ambrose... now that Jamal had mentioned it. "I'm um..Awen..." She said meakly to his question looking concerned for the furry guy. But...she didn;t really know what to say and something shifted inside of her.

All of a sudden she just had to clear out. Something about being around people right then made her stomach turn around. She looked between the four others and gave a little smile.

"Hey uh... you know I think I need some air..." She stood up slowly. "I'm gonna head out and...catch you guys later okay?" She gave Jamal a small kiss on hte cheek and everyone else a wave.

She waited for their responces if any then turned and headed towards the door.

Before she left she paused. "Feel better Ambrose..." She said softly before turning and heading out.

He mused over the topic of coversation. Despite his own change, it suddently became very relevant all over again. Ambrose considered himself having been exceedingly lucky... but now it was time to play roulette all over again. "I... assume from the conversation... you guys sound worried about your serums..." He winced. "I.... know how you feel."

Ambrose lookd up suddenly as Awen shot up. HE was about to repeat the formalized greeting when she shot up. In his state of mind, he was about to worry that it was something he said when she gave a sincere well-wishing.

However, the peck to Jamal's cheek, while it gave a small smile, only seemed to aggravate the issues in his mind.

Jamal managed true sympathy for Ambrose but was interrupted as Awen flittered up from her seat with a declaration for a need of air and kissed him on the cheek.
"I'll be out in a bit, a'ight?" he said before she managed to disappear, then turned back to the group.

"Bye Awen" Joliette called to her as she left and looked towards the others once more  

[Awen Zyn]

Don't pout

Awen smiled softly seeing Jamal coming from the cafeteria. She didn't know what had made her run out before but she just let it go. Taking a breath she fell into step with him just walking in silence. She frowned a little bit. While she was out and alone she noticed something that disturbed her a little bit. She noticed for the first time ever a small camera on the side of a building. She searched around a little bit and found them everywhere. She just stayed in silence for now.

Jamal wandered alongside Awen as they headed back towards his duplex, semi-troubled over the talk of the mystery serums yet he tried his best not to show it. There were other things to think about and he figured he shouldn't dwell on it, but easier said than done.

Awen faultered a little bit. She gave Jamal a shifty glance. "You don't think the duplexs are monitored, do you? I mean... you need privacy sometimes, right?"

At the rather random question, he glanced at her, a hand going to his chin to rub it absently. "I ain't sure...neva really thought ta ask, ya know?" A slightly wolfish grin spread over his features as he paused a few paces from the duplex door and glanced at the blue-haired woman. "Wanna find out?" he asked, somewhat suggestively.

She laughed a little bit as she flushed. Her cheeks grew rosey. "Well maybe we should check?" At the look he gave her and the tone which he used Awen had a disturbing thought of the Doctor watching the cameras when they..... She really didn't want to think of that. "Yeah checking is a good idea..."

The black man raised his brows and widened his grin, looking hardly put off at the idea. "Fine, I will," he said saucily, giving Awen a 'gee I'm slick' look before disappearing into his duplex, leaving her outside for the moment. He peered around at the inside of his room, eyes now narrowing as he tried to focus. "Now, if I be a b*****d doc, where da ******** would I hide them cameras..." He started in the corner and started to trace along the wall looking for signs of one.

She giggled a little bit and decided to sit down. She started to draw in the dirt with a small smile on her lips thinking.....

Jamal darted back outside shortly after he started, growing impatient in his quest for cameras. He waggled his eyebrows at Awen, a sly grin splitting wide across his mouth. "Camera free~" he declared, even though really he'd only checked about 1/4th of the entire room. Oh well...good enough for him!

Awen smiled up at Jamal. She knew what they both had been thinking but she... decided to tease him a bit fiegning innocence. "Good! I didn't want the doctor to be watching me ...like changing or something!" She she was just content to sit in the dirt and resume drawing shapes.

At Awen's declaration, he pouted a little. Dammit, that was not the reaction he was looking for.

She hugged Jamal's legs from where she was. "Among..other less solitary things."

Jamal more or less ignored Awen's grasp on his legs, trying his hardest to retain the pout. He would not be swayed! Arms crossed over his chest to magnify the sullen man effect.

"Aww..." Awen stood up from the ground with a small smile. She brushed herself off and wrapped her arms around Jamal.

Okay, well...that was a little better. He accepted the hug, though he still very pointedly stuck his bottom lip out at her as though to say "Yes, I'm still pouting. What are you going to do about it? Hmmm?"

Awen stretched up and gently kissed Jamal on the lips. "Don't pout..." She said softly, with a real caring tone. She knew he was only joking but she really did care for him.

More progress...he tried to keep the pouty effect for just a liiiiiittle bit longer. Maybe he'd get a few more kisses out of it, neh? Though, this time he couldn't help but smirk just a teeny bit, knowing he probably looked ridiculous.

She giggled softly and wagged a finger at Jamal. "I see that smirk under there." She said with a low chuckle.

At that comment, Jamal widened his eyes in a look of sheer innocence, his hands coming back from around her back to give a "who, me?" gesture. Though, eventually he smirked again and huffed indignantly. "Well damn. Can't blame a brotha fo' tryin'."

Awen grinned a bit thinking about that comment. She really couldn't blame him but.... "You know..." She hesitated a second and bit her lip before continuing. "If you wanted more kisses you just have to ask, not pout you know."

"So what would I get if I pouted more?" he asked with a curious tone.

Awen thought about this for a moment. "You'd get a sore lip from sticking it out for too long." She nodded with a rather serious face before smiling at him. "If you want to kiss me, just kiss me."

"A'ight then," he said impishly as he embraced her again in a hug and teasingly kissed her several times in sucession, making each quick and very peck-like. They were hardly proper kisses; they were just done because he could.

Awen giggled between the quick kisses, not even able to return them in kind. She really did enjoy this attention he gave her. Sometimes he just filled her heart so much, made it flutter.

The black man chuckled mirthfully at her little squeals. "I like it when yous giggle," he remarked, giving her a bit of space now.

Awen blinked a little bit. She had heard her giggle was many things, but enjoyable she had never heard. She giggled too much, it was too erratic, it was a weird laugh, but liking her giggles? That was new. "Really...?" She asked tentatively.

He nodded a bit, then gave a furative look around before leaning in to whisper in her ear. "It's....cute...And you ain't neva gonna hear me say cute again, so ya know. Betta enjoy it, hm?"

Awen outright laughed at that one and nodded. "Duely noted!" She grinned. It was true she didn't think she would ever get Jamal it say 'cute' again. It was just so uncharacteristic of the big man. It was....well cute.

Now that that was dealt with, he casually glanced at his open door, growing impatient. "So...'bout da duplex..."

Awen tilted her head a litte bit. She gave the impression that she was thinking something like, What was Jamal getting at exactly... ? "Hm? What about the duplex?" She tried not to smirk, keeping it rather successfully from her features.

"Oh, I dunno. Gettin' kinda cold out herr, ain't it?" Okay, so that was lame. It was a ******** tropical jungle...it wasn't going to get cold. Maybe a teeny bit brisk at the most at night...but...still lame. "Plus yous can help me make sure I ain't missed no cameras."

Awen frowned a little bit. It wasn't cold at all outside, she hoped Jamal wasn't coming down with anything. For that moment she forgot the teasing situation they were in. She didn't want him to be sick at all... But soon she smiled and nodded. "Sure let's go."

Jamal didn't need an invitation; he trotted inside.

She started to think that Jamal really was coming down with something the way he rushed inside. Was he that cold really? Awen thought she should bring him to the Doctor to check him out...

The black man shut the door, then sauntered over his table set up, a look of feigned uncomfort flitting over his broad features. "Aw damn, now it be hot again," he drawled, again acquiring that wolfish look to his eyes. Now they were inside...now...had to deal with the being clothed issue...

Awen tilted her head at this. "Hot?" She mumbled a little bit and frowned. Hot and cold alternating, definately a sign that he's sick. "Didn't you just say you were cold?" She seemed to miss that wolfish grin.

As she spoke, Jamal rid himself of his t-shirt, looking back at her innocently. "Hm...strange weatha we mus' be havin' then," he offered in explaination, flinging the dirty laundry off into the corner with his mini-mountain of things to be washed.

Awen nodded slowly. "I suppose....." She walked over to the air conditioning system. "You know you've got AC though, right?" She pressed the button to turn the AC on.

He sniffed and shook his head. "Naw, cause then it be gettin' cold in herr...unless yous lookin' ta warm me up then in that case..." Jamal snuck back over to Awen, this time behind her, and wrapped his arms about her middle, resting his head on her shoulder.

She laughed a little bit and turned the AC off. "Just can't make up your mind can you?" Shaking her head she lifted up a finger and poked his nose softly. "Silly...."

"Yeah, I guess I be silly," he said agreebly. It didn't seem to bother him at all. However, he then decided to be bold. Without a word, he scooped her up (since she's nice and small), and practically danced over to the bed. "Betta to snuggle on da bed. My feet are tired from playin' ball," he explained. It made perfect sense to him.

Awen laughed softly before he mentioned his tired feet, taking that to mean they are sore. "Oh... do they hurt? I could give you a foot massage if you wanted..." She slipped off her shoes with her toes as they neared the bed.

The black man wrinkled his nose immediately, giving Awen a look of uncertainty. "Ya sure yous wanna be touchin' my feet," he asked gravely, wriggling his toes as he kicked off his shoes. "Yous brave, if so." He gently set her on the bed before crawling onto it too so he could get comfortable.

Awen smiled and cuddled a little bit with him. "Well, then if not a foot massage a back massage? They say I'm a natural massuse." She beamed a little bit proudly.

"Dat prolly be mo' safe than messin' wit' ma feet," Jamal said with a chuckle as he rolled over to present his back for a good massage, propping head on his crossed arms. "Haven't had a good massage inna long a** time."

Awen nodded as she started to massage his back softly, feeling around for all the knots and sore spots. "I can really tell Jamal.."

As Awen worked her magic, he sighed in bliss and buried his face in the space between his arms. "Damn girl, you got da touch...brotha is lucky to gotta girl wit' massage ability," he muttered in a muffled tone as her fingers danced along his back, working out the knots and kinks in a rather efficient manner.

She giggled a little bit. "Well.... I took cosmotology through highschool, wasn't a fan of all the makeup lessons and stupid things like that...make up ruins your skin." Awen shook her head sadly while continuing to attack the knots. "But you know they helped hone the ability to massage, and things like that.."

Jamal approved of her declaring of not liking makeup. "Dat's good you ain't likin' makeup much. Ya don't need it. Plus some them girls look pretty scary wit' it all caked on." He had seen some prime examples back home...even if those girls had normally been the streetwalkers and the hookers he'd see out and about late at night when he'd be heading back home. The tension across his shoulderblades began to disappear finally.

She blushed as he complimented her. "Yeah, sometimes people just over do it.... and.. thanks."

The man stretched lazily as she slowed her tugs and prodding, tilting his head to the side now so his cheek was to his arm and his face was uncovered. "Ya oughta set up a clinic fo' massagin'. I'd be yo best customa." That was probably very true.

Awen grinned a little and chuckled. "Oh but that might make you jealous, me being in a dark room all alone with all the other half naked men of the island? I think I'll just stick to giving you free massages."

"Mmm well, I trust ya...but...yeah, you's prolly right," he did finally admit as he rolled over since Awen was pretty much done, sifting to one side of the bed to room for her. "Can't be havin' Jamal jealous cause his Shorty be out doin' massages fo' otha guys."

She smiled lightly and cuddled up with Jamal getting comfortable. "Besides, if I did open a clinic, I'd have to charge ya." She winked and giggled softly.

"Wit' what? Ain't like we got much money herr...at least, I know I ain't got much." He put his cheek against her shoulder, glancing at her out of the corner of his eye.

"Hm...good point... not that we need it either...". Awen just settles down and relaxes with Jamal. "Well all that work and no pay? Naw then I'm definately not opening a clinic..."

Jamal mused aloud at that, trying to be a little difficult and persistant only because it made for amusing conversation. "Well, we could pay in shells, if dat's a'ight. Like the indians o' sumthin." He chuckled some at the idea, imagining handfuls of shells being passed from person to persson. "Might as well...christ, it's like we're all damn indians herr or somethin' except we gots crazy doctors runnin' 'round too."

"Yeah I suppose, but the Doc does give us a lot of what we want, so why bother with the shell trading?" She shivered a little bit at the thought of those things from in the sea. "I never really liked shells anyway."

It took him a moment to realize he said something kind of stupid, forgetting about her little water phobia...and since shells come from the water... "Aw s**t, sorry shorty, I wasn't even thinkin' about da water thing." He resorted to his apologetic little pout in hopes of gaining her favor back.

Awen smiled and kissed his lips briefly to get rid of the pout. "Don't worry about it Jamal...." She shifted more comfy into him. "You know I think it's getting better though.... I mean.. when we were on the beach the other day I didn't even run or anything!" It sounded lame of course, but she was very proud of herself even for such a small feat.

"Dat's good. Ya'll get yo'self ova it eventually. I got faith...and when ya do, we goin' to da beach to enjoy it," he declared, please that she wasn't mad at him for his thoughtlessness, and brushed stray hair from her eyes. He smiled encouragingly.

She smiled brightly up at Jamal before something the Doc said popped back into her head, be as comfortable in the water as though you were born to it, and she squirmed a little uncomfortable thinking about her turning into some hideous fish. What would Jamal think of her then? "Jamal..?" She said in a meak voice. "Would you, um, I mean.... after I change... it might not be pretty and... I mean..." She really didn't know what she meant...

He lifted a brow, wondering what she's getting at exactly. "I suspect my changes ain't gonna be all that great either...Gonna be a shock eitha' way, ya know?" He idly rubbed at her shoulder opposite to him in a ploy to offer some consolation.

"But... I mean...fur feathers and lizard scales aren't that bad... I mean a lot of the other islands look different but it's not exactly bad." She bit her lip nervously. "I... think the Doc is turning me into some kind of hideous fish..."

"What be givin' ya dat idea? He didn't tell ya dat did he?...dat's just cruel if dat's the case cause he knows why yous came out ta dis damn island." He frowned at the though...how WOULD he handle that?

Awen trembled sightly before repeating Moreau's words. "He said I would be as comfortable in water as if I were born in it. "Her voice was very soft and afraid.

"....s**t...dat ain't soundin' good at all," he agreed, his frown deepening considerably. "Dat b*****d. I swear...I get my hand on 'im..." Jamal's thoughts turned inevitably violent then. He was seriously going to murder that ******** doctor if it was the last thing he did.

Awen shook her head. "No... it's my fault really.... if... I was turning into a fish I mean that does get rid of my hydrophobia, I would hope, and he said on the phone that experimental drugs would be used. I mean, I didnt think enough to really ask farther than 'is it dangerous?' "

Jamal snorted heaviliy. "It ain't yo fault what's goin' on herr," he said firmly, pulling her closer so her warmth could be felt against his bare skin

She wrapped one arm around him and traced her fingers along his shoulder a bit. "But he didn't lie to me...."

"He jus' found a loophole then. I still think he lied to ya."

"Maybe..." She really didn't want to argue for the doctor but she knew it was her fault..instead of persist however she dropped it. She just leaned and gave him a kiss on his head." I guess I'll find out soon enough though.

Jamal looked troubled for once, a darkness settling over his eyes. "You worried about bein' a fish fo' a reason otha than da water thin'? Cause...like ya said, that kin be fixed if ya keep tryin' to get better," he said smoothly in hopes of making her feel better while simultaneously stroking her cheek with the back of his hand. He watched her eyes for signs of distress; he knew she was bothered about something else.

She leaned into his hand a little bit loving the caressing feeling on her cheek. She looked into his eyes for a few moments before looking away sacrificing his touch so she didn't have to look into his eyes. "I...don't want...." She gulped a little bit. "I don't want you to... think I'm...ugly or anything.... and... if I'm a fish I won't be able to be on land... I mean... it wouldn't...we couldn't.... and I would be..just...hideous..."

Jamal knit his brow in concern and sat up slowly, head tilting to the side as he tried to figure out how to put it without having it come out wrong. "Awen, I ain't worried 'bout you lookin' like a fish or a lizard like Amaya or whateva that sadistic b*****d got goin' fo' you. That ain't what I worry 'bout. Believe it o' not, I ain't always all 'bout looks." Well, he used to be...but finding a girl with both looks and a good personality seemed to be much more satisfying than a hussy just wanting a one-night stand.

She shifted a little bit as he sat up but still remained relitavely at hte level she was at, saved proped up on an elbow. "I didn't mean to say you were..." She said with wide eyes not meaning to imply anything like that. "But... well... all about looks and just... being attracted to someone are two different things.... I just... I'm afraid I won't be attractive to you...or..or something..."

Jamal nodded slowly as he understood what she was saying, his expression again retaining a somber sort of manner to it. He shook his head then suddenly. "I ain't worried about it, Shorty. 'Cause ya still gonna be Awen when it's all over and dat's what I like. I like what makes you Awen and dat's a whole buncha stuff the doc ain't neva gonna touch."

She looked back into his eyes as though she was searching. She didn't have to search very long before she smiled softly. He really meant it too.... She wrapped her other arm around him and hugged him tightly. She didn't really know what to say but she was near teary just with how he did truly care. "And no matter what happens to you I'll be here for you... Besides, you might get to be something really cool, hm?" She really didn't know what he thought was a cool animal so she just left it at that for now..

He embraced her fully and nestled his face near her neck, his warm breath fanning on her collarbone as he inhales her sweet smell mingled with soap and shampoo. Jamal was so glad she could deal with him sometimes...he drove himself crazy on occasion, especially after that damn cafeteria episode. "I like big dogs," he grumbled. "But I got a feelin' they ain't goin' with anything I'mma like."

"Who knows?" She smiled encouragingly. "They don't know what you like, maybe you've got your dog, while they think you hate dogs or something?" She stroked his hair gently holding him to her. "Maybe you'd get ot be a lab or something? Those are big handsome dogs." She noddeda bit decided Jamal would make a great labrador.

"I dunno, I jus' ain't seein' the doc bein' nice ta anyone as he plots the rest of their lives, ya know?" He sighed and pulled his head away from the slope of her neck, somewhat disheartened at the thought of just what sorts of serums the Doctor had access to. "I guess a Lab be a'ight...I dunno."

Awen sighed and shifted so she was facing Jamal, ending up on her stomach, proped on her other elbow and looking down at him. She was trying to think of something to say to change the subject, she really didn't want to talk about the Doctor anymore... But she ended up just leaning down and giving Jamal a slow, caring kiss on the lips.

Well, talk about a subject change.

He was pleasantly surprised as her lips met his and lingered longer than they had in previous encounters, so he took the opportunity to reciprocate the action, keeping the kiss delicate yet very clear as to his feelings for her. He couldn't, however, resist giving her bottom lip just a teeny nibble, maybe to surprise her back or maybe initiate another round of friendly kissing...or whatever.

And surpised she was, the little squeak escaping her throat proved it. She pulled back a bit and smiled down at him, chuckling softly. He was so....such a.... bah she couldn;t think of it and just went back to kissing him. She was glad the plan worked, they had stopped talking about the Doctor, heck stopped talking all together. This...feeling inside of her gave a little jump. Her hand settled on the side of his neck running her fingers gently across his skin. She really had fallen for him....

His skin tingled madly where her fingers pressed on his skin and slowly a heady sensation started to swamp his mind, a flush of warmth rushing down his body as Awen kissed him again. Jamal's own hands slipped under her arms to gently run the length of her back, pulling her to him as he kissed her more deeply and subtly rolled them both so Awen was on her back now with him on top.

This was all quite the rush to Awen as well. She returned his kiss only noticing the shift of her to her back after a little while. She wrapped her other arm around his shoulders. This rush felt really good and his lips started to gain an intoxicating flavour to them...but a small voice inside, muffled as it was, was protesting...

Jamal did not and could not know of the little voice of protest, thus could not gauge his actions appropriately. The situation was quickly growing into something very serious and he was hardly afraid or worried about it. The air about them was heavy and as he paused for a breath, the scent of her hair and skin assaulted his senses. His lips came down to kiss the side of her neck, her shoulder, her collarbone as his hands continued their path along her back, but they seemed to be growing a mind of their own slowly and he was growing less careful with where they roamed.

Awen licked her lips lightly as Jamal's lips left to trail down elsewhere. Her head tilted slightly oposite to where Jamal was kissing, of it's own accord really. The air indeed great heavier, thicker as Awen started to flush feeling a little short on breath. Feeling his roaming hands the voice grew louder, but the part of her truly enjoying this tried hard to block it out. Wasn't this, partially anyway, what she had wanted after all? To feel...normal. To feel...human?

Jamal's breathing was growing more rapid as the flush struck again as he kissed lower down on her chest once...twice...three times, while one hand slipped up the back of her shirt and the other played with the waistband of her pants. He lifted his head though before he went lower, looking at her in the eyes. What did she want?

A mix of feelings were conflicting on her features. She indeed wanted him to continue, but that voice whispering to her now shouted in her eyes at Jamal. She licked her lips again, not really..knowing. But... hte voice... finally won over. The part of her enjoying herself growled at her, but was consolled with the fact that next time it would be more likely it won. "Jamal..." She said softly as she looked away from his eyes. "I...I..." She bit her lips a little bit trying to think of how to say what she was feeling. But she hardly even knew how she felt... "I don't think I'm..quite...ready for...a-anything...that much...yet..."

Dammit. Dammit dammit dammit.

Jamal wasn't sure if he could stop...he saw the look in her eyes and heard her words. It was so...no, he had to. If she said no, she said no. He wasn't a rapist. But now his own internal voice was chiming in, but his was not one of pure innocence. No...it knew what he wanted. He inhaled shakily and for a moment, he was frozen, but slowly he pulled his hands away from their positions until they were at her mid-back again where they had started.

The air was still so heavy and warm though...dammit...He closed his eyes in a bid to regain his senses, even though he wanted so badly to continue. She had acted like he wanted to...but..well, that didn't matter.

Awen didn't want to look back to him, knowing she would see his disappointment but forced herself to. She was causing this pain she would see it... Being met with his closed eyes an an expression that was not the positive thing it had been before she felt chestfallen. To fill the void she tried to.... what? Explain? Excuse herself? "I want to..." She said so very fragilely. "But..." She couldn't even describe this feeling holding her back. It was something like a roadblock just making her freeze up. "I don't know... I'm... nervous? Afraid...maybe...?" She blushed... quite a bit... "I've never..." The words caught in her throat, they all seemed too bulky and awkward to say...

"No...don't explain," he murmured, slightly breathless, eyelids parting again to look at her. "Ya don't gotta explain. I unda' stand."

In the end he had to respect whatever it was that she decided; that's just how he operated. The little voice yelled at him, telling him to keep trying, that maybe he'd change her mind but he shoved it down and away. It wasn't meant to be.

So instead he placed a tender kiss on her jaw and contented himself with the smell of her hair as he slipped off to her side and let his chin rest there on her shoulder again.

She gave a soft smile to him. When she had first met him she had never pegged Jamal as the type to be so... gentlemanly. She had half expected Jamal to keep persuing her and trying to change her mind. And God only knows Awen would have changed her mind rather quickly. But he hadn't....

She smiled softly and wrapped her arm around him again. "Soon..." She said softly. "I'll be ready....soon..." She closed her eyes and sighed softly. She hated disappointing him, reguardless of whether ot not he understood. She had to give the man some hope after all, and the best kind of hope, true hope.

In complete honesty, he didn't completely understand...but...there was enough there to keep him from being irritated that he'd been led on again. The warm flush seemed like it was not going to go away so easily however and his nerves were still very badly overcharged. Calm down....calm down....

"Don't worry about it," he whispered lightly into her ear, his voice somewhat husky from all the sudden activity, as he contented himself to curling up beside her.

Awen felt the tension there and wish she could do something... well heck she knew she could do something but.... she couldn't all at the same time. She shifted a bit getting more comfortable nad hoping not to set him uncomfortable. "I've just never..." She really felt like she had to say something, even if he said not to worry she really was, she felt his tension. "I've never.....had sex before..." She finished almost in a mumbled before continuing quickly. "So well I guess I'm just, worried, nervous, unknowing of the whole..well yeah. I don't mean to be so conservative part of me...okay a really big part of me wants to continue badly, but.... I guess I'm just....nervous...." She hated sticking to that word because it in no way truly described what she was feeling but she had to explain somehow and that was... she supposed, the best word for it.

He managed to get a few good, full breaths in as she spoke and slowly the warmth was ebbing and his nerves grew less sensitive. He was regaining his control and would be fine. This certainly was not the first time he'd been shot down before...just...well, it didn't matter. He successfully squashed his own little voice away for the night. Everything would be fine.

"It's fine...I promise," he told her, his voice more normal than before but somewhat hushed. "I'll be a'ight...are you gonna be?" The black man nuzzled her shoulder, concerned he might have scared her somewhat. It bothered him she was so worried and kept trying to explain.

Nodding a little bit she went for a smile. "Yeah, sorry..." She wasn't afraid of him at all, but currently yelling at herself mentally. "Two of my major flaws: I over analyze things and I over explain things... Nerves just pick up and my mouth doesn't shut up." She chuckled half heartedly at herself.

She gently stroked Jamal's head her fingers playing among the cornrows. She just made herself stop there by focusing on making her fingers trace little shapes around his head. Just...shut up and don't dig yourself another hole..

Everything would be fine. He would get over it, if he hadn't already.

"Sumtimes it be a good thing to do dat sorta stuff," he remarked, eyes narrowing to sleepy slits as he felt her tickle his head with her shape tracing. All his energy just sort of went out the window and now he was tired, though his mind still buzzed vaguely with excess energy that would eventally disappear.

"Sometimes..." She repeated softly and turned to her side slowly, letting Jamal's head fall softly to the pillow. She looked him in his sleepy eyes a moment before kissing his cheek.

She gave a smiled and just settled wrappping her arms around him. "Looks like you're half asleep now though.... might be a good idea... catch some Zs..."

Jamal nodded; he did look pretty sleepy now. "Sleep looks like a good option righ' now...and yous can protect me from them needles." The last was said with humor in hopes of diverting some of the awkwardness finally into a place where they could forget about it and just rest.

"Always dear one..." She whispered softly and just relaxed into his form. Despite everything... it was comforting just sleeping with him. Soon enough she was asleep... before Jamal fell asleep this time though. Some protector she really turned out to be after all.

He mentally chuckled and took one last moment to get comfortable before accepting the warmth of her form beside him and eventually lulling off to sleep as well, a hand curled about her waist as he did so.  

[Awen Zyn]

Poke!

Chubbs sat a little slouchedd on a big couch in front of the large tv with controller in hand, even with his big hands he found the damn thing awkward. He hadn't played computer games much at all in the last few years, he barely could afford the tv he had. Chubbs mashed the buttons on the controller in quick succession, watching his fighter on the screen swing it's opponent around and send it flying over a balcony and onto the next level below.

Chubbs was playing a dead or alive 3 on the xbox with Bass and Tina Armstrong as partners, He liked Bass cuz of his size, and Tina because of her big set of...combos.

Awen opened the door to the Entertainment Room slowly. She really kept a bit to herself for the passed day. Worrying about things to come and whatnot.. Awen looked up from her feet finally and saw..oh.. someone was already playing.

She frowned a bit. She had been looking forward to some single player games, maybe her Sonic, on the Game Cube. It seemed like she had only been playing two player since she got to the island. But she shrruged and went towards the couch.

She flopped down besides Chubbs, her eyes on the screen the whole time. "Nice combo, I haven't seen that in succession in a long time." Come to think of it she hadn't played this game in forever anyway. She never much liked DoA games and she had only borrowed it from a friend back home.

Chubbs blinked suddenly and looked to Awen with a blush, he hadn't seen her come in till she sat down. He didn't realise he was getting walloped by his opponent on the screen, quickly turned back and flicked the pause button.

He caught his breath and finally looked back to Awen with a shy smile and blushing still a bit.

" Oh.. ummm thanks. Oh you umm need the tv? I can turn this off..'

Chubbs got himself up with a grunt and headed over to the tv and to the xbox.

Awen shot to her feet as he went to turn it off. "No, no!" She said quickly. "It's okay, I don't need the Tv at all. You can keep playing." She smiled and sank back down to the couch. She did however notice his hand. She frowned a little bit.

"Had an accident?" She asked her face riddled with concern.

Chubbs blinked and turned around, he really didn't mind, it was just something to keep his mind off of things, that and he'd been here for a while. Chubbs looked down at his hand when she mentioned it, he blushed and partly put it behind his back.

" I er .. umm got a bit angry at the people... ya know?.. in the labs on the intercom?.. an ah.. I smashem my intercom"

Chubbs didn't feel so proud of his outburst, but he didn't want to lie about it.

" I've been playing.. umm for like six hours, I don't wanna be a hog. Besides I er.. like to watch"

Chubbs blinked and blushed bright red realising the innuendo that could come from that statement

" Oh man.. I didn't mean.. umm like that"

Chubbs covered his eyes with his hand.

"Like what?" Awen smiled a little bit. Really she wasn't so dense not to catch what he said and how it could be taken wrong. But she was a gamer too, she knew what fun it could be to watch someone else play.

She stood up and moved over to the tv. "But hey if you insist." She flipped channels on the tv and decided she didn't feel like a Sonic game anymore. She threw in Super Mario Sunshine. Grabbing a controller she went back to sit on the couch.

"I hope that your hand heals soon... it looks pretty bad..." She wondered who he had gotten so angry at. Which one of the Doctors had made this shy guy, no gaming pun instended, snap?

Chubbs blushed a little more, having to point out the innuendo in his own speach was an embaressing thing.

" Like.. ah... well you know, how some people ah " Like to watch" "

Chubbs made the quotation marks with his fingers, hoping she'd catch his drift. He sat back down on the couch, giving her the room that he could so he wasn't right beside Awen. He looked at his hand and smiled shyly at her

" It's fine.. I've had ah...worse in the boxing ring... a day or so and she'll be apples"

He wondered if Awen heard of that saing before. He still hadn't killed off some of his aussie slang.

She'll be apples... interesting saying. She hadn't heard it before but she figured out the meaning fairly easily. But.... Chubbs ...explaining... Awen blushed quite a bit herself. She shook her head and just started a new file on the game.

"I meant to make ya feel better by ignoring the innuendo..." She mumbled a little bit blushing, but so she wouldn't blush more she just concentrated on the tv.

"So you really did box huh?" She switched subjects and glanced at him. "Bet you did good. My dad watched national boxing matches on tv when I was a kid. Said it was better than wrestling because it was real."

Chubbs blushed along side of her, he didn't realise she was trying to be nice to him by saving him some embaressment. He smiled shyly at her, seeing her blush too made it a bit easier. He looked back to the tv, wondering what game she was playing.

" Sorry, I didn't mean.. ah to"

He blinked when she brought up boxing and he turned to look at her. HE blushed a little as she believed he was good at it.

" I - I did okay.. was getting beter. And umm, I actually like wrestling... I know it's fake, but umm, it's still entertaining... like a play"

He smiled a bit and went back to watching her play

She giggled a little bit. "You know, I've never thought abot it like that before... Like a play." She grinned.

But quickly lost her grin and said "shoot" under her breath as she jumped off the side of the level accidently. "These Myster of... levels are the hardest." She explained. "Mario looses the water shooter thing and you have to go old school moves with bad controls..."

Chubbs turrned his head and grinned, hearing her giggle. He did love that giggle, lit up the room. He blinked at looked at the screen as she got upset at the game, she looked like she knew what she was doing anyway. Chubbs nodded like he understood but really the last mario game he played was Mariokart on the SNES.

" Mario, he, er, he's not a decent plumber... I - I mean... where's his plumber's crack?"

She outright laughed hearing the comment. "I guess you're right Chubbs! Overalls shouldn't be the suit of choice for the plumer if you look at it like that." She grinned a long while and finally completed the level right getting a sunshine. "Nice..." She muttered.

Save? Yes.

Continue? Yes.

And back to the main area.

Chubbs chuckled along with her, it was good to hear some laughter in a place like this, deffinately took the mind off of things. He realised Awen was pretty damn good.

" Congrats...ya pretty good, I - I'm impressed"

Chubbs smiled at her and looked back to the game on the tv

Awen grinned, but blushed at the compliment. "Ah well.... I've played this game a hundred times through. It's almsot instinct by now, you know?" She laughed a little. "Thanks though...."

Chubbs smiled and watched her blitz through the game with style, he really was impressed though. He'd never seen a gamer girl before, really, and it was fun to watch her play.

" Fighting games are for me... not that I like em or anything... just I do alright at em for some reason... I umm remember, like when I was .. umm twelve, beatin all the senior high school kids, at ah.. fatal fury.. down the local corner ,, umm shop"

Awen soft smiled turning into a predatory grin. "Fighting games you say....? Hmm... Fatal Fury was a really good one too..." She tried to surpress the look on her face but she couldn't help it.

Everyone knew... or... at least everyone back home knew, there was one thing this girl wasn't so sweet with and that was Soul Calibur. Well... Soul Calibur and Monopoly.... she was a darn good businness women!

"So....Chubbs..." She said slowly. "Have you ever... played Soul Calibur II?"

Chubbs looked over and blinked at the look on her face, she looked a bit scarey for a second there. Soul caliber II?, he remembered the first one, how could it not, hot fighter chicks always implanted themselves in his head.

" Soul Caliber umm II? ah, nah... not yet... I umm did play the first one though... I liked the big guy.. with the axe?"

It was n axe or a club, but something big anyway, big enough to send people flying.

She paused her game and turned to him. She surpressed her grin and settled on a smile. "Would you like to play then...?" She couldn't help but sound a little dangerous in her tone.

Chubbs turned to her, smiling a little, wondering about the look he was getting. He was starting to feel a little nervous by it, he figured she was anxious to kick his butt.

" I umm, sure.. ah I guess so.. I mean that's umm if you wanna"

"Two player, more fun for everyone." She sprang from the couch to the games. She shut off her game and switched the channels again. She... then realised SCII was in her room on the PS2. She sank back down onto the floor. "Shoot."

She turned back with an awkward grin and started riffling through the Xbox games. They had to have had SCII in the stock. Come on.... She hated the controls for it on the Xbox, and knew none of the combos on it...

But.. it was there anyway. Her grin faded and she popped it in. All of a sudden she seemed less confident but got up and gave a second controller to Chubbs.

"Let's play." She tried to regain her grin but it didn't work.

Chubbs smiled and took the controller, wondering why she seemed down for a minute there. He looked down at the clunky thing. He really did hate it.

" Ya think, ah.. bill gates.. was umm a lil high when he,.. like made this thing. Damn things huge and.. ah clunky. PS2 comtrollers were like.. well really good.. I just have to figure, umm, which button is umm which"

Awen brightened up. So Chubbs hated the controller too. She didn't see why though. His hands were large enough to fit the standard controller. Her's ...were less than so.

"Well maybe, but the S-controller was better. Smaller and easier. Too bad they don't have any here..." She got the game set up quickly.

She figured the buttons couldn't be too much different than the PS2's sor the combos then. She could do this, don't get psyched out just because of the make of controller! Awen still had her favourite player, Kilik.

"Bring it on boxer man." She grinned.

Chubbs chuckled and looked down at the controller, making sure of his finger positions and then went through the character selection. Finally Cubbs settled on a big built character that looked nifty, Astaroth, and selected him. Turning to Awen he grinned.

" Prepare thyself to become a smear on the bottom of my shoe mortal!"

Awen laughed heartily. "If you can catch me..." She griined evily. "Just try to get near to me, I'll poke you back!"

She blinked a little bit and frowned. "That.... sounded a lot more threatening in my head."

She shook her head a little bit. "Age old battle here Chubbs. Quick and long reach, verus slow and powerful. Game on!"

Chubbs couldn't help but laugh heartily at her humour, she was funny, he pictured her in a boxing ring using pokes instead of punches and dancing about. The image was soon gone as he found himself already under attack and Chubbs snapped back to reality, pushing buttons at random, trying to figure out which was which. This opened him up to attack a few times, but when he finally figured out the ones he needed for the fight at hand, he quickly went on the offensive.

"Better pay atten--woah!" She had begun a jeer before Chubbs went on the attack. She furrowed her brow and went to fleeting away. She had taken to controls much quicker than Chubbs, but when he took to them, he took to them!

She grinned. He was actually a challenge. She started back up, rolling away anything to get away. Aha! Poke him with the stick poke him with the stick! Poked! "Aha! Long reach sucker!"

Damn stick!, it was very annoying, hard to get close to Awen's character without getting jabbed like crazy. Chubbs had been playing Dead or Alive when Awen came in, Bass had been similiar to how Astaroth moved, so Chubbs used a tactic. Getting as close as he could, Chubbs braved the attacks flung at him, then when Awen attacked once more, Chubbs blocked, sidestepped, rolled forward and came up swinging at her fighter with his large weapon in hand.

"Oh no!" Smacked right in the side of the head. Thrown to the ground and pumpled. She barely had time to react. But once on the ground she was able to roll back to her feet. "Shoot.." He had taken a rather large chunk of her health away. All of her small attacks didn't even get the damage count that one attack did.

"I won't fall for that again you know..."

Chubbs was very quiet, this happened to him only when he played fighting games. It was the focus he used in the ring while boxing. His coach found he would never speak through the whole match, not untill the end. Tactics is what you needs, every opponent has a weakness as well as you. When Awen fell from the series off attacks, Chubbs sent his character dashing forwards in a charge attack, he hadn't stopped fighting when she hit the ground.

The silence was eerie. She glanced for a moment over to Chubbs. He was absolutely scarey when he was in the zone. He was deep in concentration but unlike when Awen reached her zone it seemed almost an angry expression.

She turned back to the game only to see her getting owned. "Ah no..nonono..." She grumbled and tried to fight back but she was trapped against a wall. She got absolutely trampled.

Astaroth Wins!

...

"Woah." She mumbled a bit. "Great job Chubbs!" She gave him a pat on hte back genuinely impressed.

Chubbs blinked, Awen was tough, he half expected himself to be flat on his a** with a staff jabbing him in the head, but he won. Chubbs felt a little bad, he didn't really want to beat her character up. Awen patted him on the back and he blushed and lowered his head

" I didn't mean to umm.. beat him up.. umm he was too pretty"

"Pixels my dear Chubbs, pixels. In the next frame he'll look good as new!" She smiled and chuckled. The only thing that probably let Chubbs he a boxer was that zone of his...what a heck of a thing.

She smiled softly and moved over to the Xbox. "I think I'm done playing...you?"

Chubbs nodded and stretched his arms over the back of the couch and smiled.

" Will deffinately have to rematch you"

He grinned lightly and then rubbed the back of his head.

" So what ya umm up to now?"

Awen shrugged a little bit. "Oh well.. I don't know." She grabbed Chubbs' controller by the cord and pulled it gently towards her. She wraped the controllers up and put them away turning onn the system.

"Hey Chubbs...?" She sat on her knees with her back to him for a moment biting her lip. She didn't know why she wanted to ask but... She turned to face him.

"Why are you on the island anyway...?"

Chubbs looked over at Awen and, he smiled a bit, he just liked how she sat, like a little bundle of cute. He left his arm sitting on the back of the couch while the other reached into the back of his pocket and pulled out a wallet. With a flick of the clip, he opened it and lay it in her hand. The photo of him and the children lay under the plastic window where his license would sit.

" I came here, well.. for them"

Awen smiled softly seeing the picture. It was one of the sweetest things she had ever seen. Judging by all the shapes, sizes, skins, and hair of all the children they must be... orphans maybe? At least a community of kids, none of which looked like Chubbs... She didn't know the full story behind the picture but.... It was so cute.

But soon her smile turned into a frown. She hadn't the wallet back slowly. "I'm so sorry Chubbs..." She said in a tiny voice.

Chubbs took the wallet back and tried to keep a smile. He at least didn't want her feel bad for his sake, he patted Awen on her shoulder.

" Don't be.. I came here... well cuz I thought there was a boxing match... and umm.. well.. they are poor... and in a bad neighbourhood. I - I ah train em.. to box.. and well I don't have alot of gear.. and umm well the gyms a really old building. With the money I woulda got... well I could get them a new one"

Chubbs patted the phto and put the wallet away.

" I wouldn't change a thing though... I maybe stuck here, but um... the kids still get their gym.. and I ah.. that's all that matters"

Chubbs smiled softly

"Still I'm sorry Chubbs..." She said softly and just dropped herself onto her bottom, her legs were getting sore in the possition they were in. "That was really selfless of you."

And the big teddy bear returns from the fiery glare of the zone... A smile twitched to Awen's lips. "I really hope the Doctor gives those kids the gym..."

Chubbs smiled more so now, tucking his legs up and leaning on his knees

" I ah.. hope so too"

He gave her a wink and then blinked, realising he hadn't known much about her.

" Oh and umm, how... no umm why did ya come here?"

She faultered a little at the wink. She didn't really know what the wink was for. She was so used to Jamal's winks lately that's the first thing that came to mind. But..nooo.... Chubbs wasn't like that. Best just to..ignore the wink, yes.

"Um...well..." She bowed ehr head a little bit. "Came here for therapy.... to get rid of my ....um hydrophobia..."

Chubbs raised a brow, then tried to think of what that meant. He eventually realised she was afraid of water, he'd never heard of it.

" Can .. I umm ask... like... how do ya shower?"

He suddenly blushed and blinked, realising that could be taken the wrong way.

" I ah.. I just meant umm.. oh I was curious is all"

His cheeks were getting redder

Awen laughed a bit. As much as people knew she was afraid of water no one had ever dared ask that question before. She smiled brightly at how bold this shy man actually was.

"Quickly." She giggled and shook her head. "Very quickly."

She settled into a little more serious face. "There wa a time when I wouldn't. I was that extreme. But eventually..." She broke into a grin again. "A group of my friends had an..er.. intervention I suppose. They were over at my house and jumped me dragging me off and hauled me into the shower, clothes and all!" She laughed but there was a small shudder she tried to conceal. "They held me under the water until I promised I'd at least wash and stuff. Yeah....I was..pretty bad...."

Chubbs smiled a little at her giggle, loving the sound, returning the smile that shone at him. But he then lessened as she told the tale of her intervention. He frowned some, maybe her friends were half the problem.

" I umm... I think i woulda, well.. done the opposite, ya know?.. like umm slowly umm got ya used to it... not like chuck ya into a shoer... but umm that's just me"

Chubbs blushed a bit, realising that the conversation about Awens bathing habits was probably gonna lead the wrong way.

Awen shook her head a little bit. "Well it's not healthy that's all." She smiled. "I do appreciate a friend who wouldn't go against my wishes Chubbs, but I mean... it was becoming a problem, you know?"

She smiled brightly looking up at him. "Thanks for the sentiment though."

Oddly enough Awen thought nothing of talking about her bathing habits. To her it wasn't like it was anything, just a piece of her hydrophobe past, nothing indecent at all really.

Chubbs twisted himself sideways to face Awen and rested his head on the back of the sofa. He was curios about her condition, but he thought he could find about it elsewhere rather than badger her with questions. So instead... he had another question.

" So um... how's things.. um for ya here?"

Awen shifted a little bit. Even if he thought he was doing good by changing the subject it was worse actually. She was used to talking about her hydrophobia but no one even asked her how the island was for her on the island. This she had to think about.

"I can't really complain..." She said finally. "Nice people here.... and despite what people think the Doc has helped a lot of people, even if he is a rude jerk at parties.... " She bit her lip a little bit. "Haven't started to change yet...it's been like a month and a half so.. I dunno I'm doing better than a lot of people appearently..."

Chubbs smiled lightly, she was doing well at least. Awen was right about the people on the island, they were really nice. He raised an eyebrow at the mention of the Doc and a party, and chubbs began to wonder what he missed out on. Regardless, he reached over and patted her hand.

" I.. umm.. for one, well I hope ya never.. ah er change... and I umm.. mean that.. er both ways"

She looked down at her hand and blinked a little bit before smiling. "Thanks Chubbs..." She said softly. "I can't help but say I will change into..something on this island. But I'll always be the same ol' Awen." She smiled brightly up at him.

"Oh hey!" She said quickly just remembering. "You said you hurt your hand on the intercom, did you ask the tech about your animal?"

Chubbs smiled at her word, Awen was great, and he liked her alot. He hoped that even with the changes she could hang onto who she was. He then blinked at her question about his hand and his animal. Heh, here he goes again, he thought it should be a good Idea to take pictures of their reactions to the news.

" Yeah.. I ah.. did... found out was erm... well bear, and ah tasmanian devil... and ah wolverine"

"Bear...Tasmanian devil and a wolverine?" She mumbled thinking a bit wondering how those would combine. They really were getting erratic with their serums. Scales and feathers for that one girl, not this for Chubbs? They must be getting more confident in their research.... She hopes that all this is going for a bigger purpose instead of the Doc's twisted fantacy.

She smiled up at Chubbs. "I knew I pegged you as a teddy bear!" She giggled a bit. "And Tazmainian devils are cute little critters....and wolverines... I mean they're just neat, aren't they? At least they all have similar fur patterns, and you'll be fuzzy." Awen smiled a little bit, Colche would definately like Chubbs if he gets to be so fuzzy

Chubbs went imediate red, shy and bashful. The idea that he would actually be a teddy bear hadn't really crossed his mind.

" Awww don't say that"

Chubbs shyed away in a bashful state, hiding himself in a sweater by pulling over the hood. He hugged his knees and lowered his head, tying to hide the exsistance of his red cheeks

" I er, I dunno.. what i'll ah, look like... just um.. hope I'm ah still me.. in the edn"

She laughed a bit. This guy certainly was silly. He was so bold, but he never knew it himself. Seeing the big guy retreat into himself like that was just... he was such a teddy bear.

"You're a good person Chubbs..." She said with a happy, but serious tone. "I'm sure you'll still stay that good person, despite the changes."

She broke into an grin. "You're a fighter, remember? I'm sure you can keep a hold of yourself."

Chubbs nodded, least he hoped he could hang onto himself and that none of the blasted animals would take over.

" I'll ah try.... if ya promise not tah go around umm, wearin honey or the like"

He bashfully poked his head out from under his cap and hood

She giggled again and honestly got tired of the floor so sher got up brushing herself off a little bit. "I don't think we'll have a problem then my friend."

She plopped herself down on the couch relaxing Her tone once again took a small turn to serious. "I was thinking.... that I should ask what I'm turning into..." She said softly. "I mean.... after you got it up to ask and all...." She paused for a moment looking at the black television screen.

"It's not like I can do anything about it, and worrying won't do any good. Maybe if I found out I could get the Doctor to change what animal somehow? I mean... I'm not sure how all this stuff works... maybe there's still a chance if he had me as a fish I could do soemthing about it...."

Chubbs thought about it. To him it wasn't greatly hard asking, it was the information that affected him. He looked to Awen and pondered what she maybe. He thought serums couldn't be changed, or people would have chosen theirs already.

" All I can say.. umm is.. well.. you'll be you.. and I-I'll be me... and well, I figure you well, got someone now to ah.. comfort ya... All I'm ah sayin.. is umm I'm not far away... just a door knock away... and If ya need me.. tah be there when ya ask.. or for smashin ya intercom... I'll be there"

Awens smiled came back in full as she just watched Chubbs for a few moments after he spoke. She skooted over to his part of the couch and hugged him tightly. "Chubbs, you are great. Thank you very much...." She gave him an extra little squeeze before letting go and sitting back.

"Well, not many people asked what they're going to be so far..." She said a little bit wavering. "The only one to know before hand of the people I know, besides you, is Lauren...and apparently she's close with the Doc." She smiled a little bit. "So, no one's asked to my knowledge, if they could change animals. It could still be possible, but like everything they're just waiting for us to ask. Hm?"

Chubbs blushed brightly and hugged Awen back, he really wasn't expecting that at all from her at all. He was a little nervous, he hoped he at least made her feel better.He patted her back before she let go and still blushed as she spoke.

" I can't be... sure any ah.. more... th the magic genie, er umm lamp on my wall's a little ah busted. Guess.. I umm won't be ah ordering pizza"

Chubbs smiled lightly at her

Awen smiled. "Anytime you want pizza Chubbs, just come over and I'll order you some. If...I mean if you can order pizza like that..." She laughed a little bit a stood up to stretch.

"Duplex twenty one, by the way." She nodded. "I'm gonna go for a walk to you know think about things.... Have a good day Chubbs... I'll be seeing you around."

She smiled and waved. Turning she headed out of the entertainment room.

Chubbs smiled and chuckled, he figured he'd never get pizza here anyway, it was just for a joke.

" Ah, you have a good one... and um... oh yeah.. I'm twenty five... my place I ah mean"

He waved to her good bye, and then stood with a stretch, making his own way out.