|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Wed Mar 15, 2006 1:50 am
Love Heals Amaya Vaughan New RPAmaya didn't venture out of her duplex often anymore, only doing so when she needed food. But this time... it was for a different reason.
Her large feet awkwardly walked along the sands of the beach until they came to near the end. There she stopped and kneeled down by the edge of the jungle. Three large stones and driftwood were made into a sort of memorial holding no names in front of her.
It had been too long.
"I'm sorry... I haven't come here in awhile. I've just kind of been scared to leave my room." She started, her voice but a whisper. Rex Vadnais Rex couldn't stand not having a gym on the island. He was running as much as possible and doing push-ups and sit-ups in his room, but otherwise he craved work-out machines.
Rex embarked for his usual run along the beach, lost in thought. He wore his usual black jeans, belt, ring and necklace. But no shoes, socks or shirt as his clothes were in short supply and he wanted to keep them as clean as possible. He stared out to the endless horizon of the ocean, imagining the mainland and the millions of people living their lives without the slightest clue of the island and it's inhabitants. Would they ever know? Or would they, as islanders, just be forgotten and die out here on the island? Sand kicked up into the air behind his long strides, it was good excercise.
Glancing back to the white-sand beach in front of him, he eyed the jungle's treeline. Though one of the trees' greens was a different shade. Upon jogging nearer he realized it was a person, Amaya? She appeared saddened and serious. Unsure if he should interrupt, he stood back by the tideline silently. Amaya Vaughan Unfortunatly, Amaya didn't hear the man jogging behind her. Now that her ears were gone, her ability had decreased slightly. She sat on her legs, her long tail laying slightly curled up behind her and over the rim of her long black skirt.
Tears brimmed her eyes and trailed down her cheeks, green eyes staring at the graves in front of her. A large pink tongue flickered from her mouth and immediantly caught Rex's uinque 'emotional radar'. She turned slowly to look back at him... but made no move to get up or say hi. Rex Vadnais Rex stood in the sand, trying to pick up what she was doing. She appeared desolate and depressed...
When she turned, he stared sadly, then uttered, "Do you.. want me to leave?" He knew the feeling of wanting to be alone very well. When Julie died, Rex shut himself away in his apartment for ages. He'd really let himself go back then. Though he didn't move until she answered, this was her time and the last thing he wanted to do was intrude. Amaya Vaughan Amaya shook her head no and sniffed, turning back to look at the graves. "No... it's okay." Last time someone had interupted her it had gone well. She had gotten to sob her woes on Greer. Even though she normally hated putting her sorrows on others... sometimes you just needed to cry on someone elses shoulder. Rex Vadnais Rex's spirits rose slightly, at least she wanted his company.. or would at least tolerate it. He made his way up the beach to where the girl was sitting, then sat cross-legged next to her. "Are you all right, babe?" He slid a paw across her shoulder and blinked his exotic eyes. He didn't know what was wrong or why she was here, but he figured it had to do with the monument before them. It seemed like a shrine or a grave, but for who? Had someone on the island died before he'd gotten here? ...or was there something deeper here? Amaya Vaughan Another sniff and more tears fell from her eyes as the iguana girl stared at the rocks and driftwood. "My..." She started, cutting off until she felt Rex's arm on her shoulders. It gave her comfort, so she continued.
"My parents and my grandmother are burried back in Pennsylvania." Her voice wavered a lot as she spoke freely, sniffing and crying but her eyes didn't move from ahead. "I figured I would... never see them again so I made a grave here." Her mouth twitched, the little lips remaining turning into a deeply depressed look, a sharp intake of breath before she finally burst into uncontrolable sobs.
Her large palms went to her eyes and her body shook. "I-I don't know what to do anymore!" She had tried her hardest to be happy. To look at the bright side... but their wasn't any. Not anymore. She continued to sob uncontroably, her frame bending foreward as her body shook. Rex Vadnais The story was captivatingly sad, but all that he could do was gulp quietly. His heart welled with sympathetic pain. He rubbed her shoulder comfortingly and pulled her closer into his side, sniffing slightly.
"Building a grave here is a very sweet thing to do. But know that they're always looking down at you, they're there to protect you and will always love you unconditionally." He tried not to cry, staying strong would hopefully transfer power into Amaya, she couldn't let go.
Losing loved ones is a very hard thing for someone to go through, the memory of Julie shone strongly in his mind. She dies so unexpectedly, he wasn't ready to let go of her just as their life together was about to begin. He'd always used his engagement ring as a sort of memento for the woman, but maybe building her a grave wouldn't be a bad idea. It would be better on a secluded island anyways, away from the growed cemetery back in San Francisco. Amaya Vaughan Amaya practically dropped into his side, her face burrying itself onto his still human skin as she sobbed.
"I knooow." She sniffed and shook. "But I-" Her voice skipped as another breath was taken in. "-don't have anything to hold onto anymore!" The girl wasn't screaming or yelling that loudly, but when she was this upset it was hard to control the volume of one's voice. "My parents are gone, my grandmother is gone, and now so is my humanity!" Her tears slid down Rex's side as they continued to pour.
"I t-tried to be happy. I did for seven months... but I can't anymore." Her voice was quieter now. Defeated. "I'm tired of everything." Rex Vadnais Oh boy, this 'not crying' thing was prooving to be harder than Rex imagined it would be. He was a man of emotion and his mood often reflected those of another's. His eyes well with wet as he guided her head down to rest in his lap, he stroked her scaley scalp tenderly and whispered, "Shh, shh... don't worry.. don't worry.." She needed support and he wasn't able to give it to her! There was few things Rex could stand less than people in pain. Physical, mental or emotional. Amaya Vaughan The lizard girl was coaxed onto his lap gently, her large hands balled into fists at her chest. Occasionally her body would still shake as she cried. Tears continued to travel down her cheeks and her body curled up, tail weaving around her legs and partially around Rex. She said nothing, only the sounds of her crying coming past her scaley mouth. Rex Vadnais The snivelling cries from his lap hit a deep seated gushy spot in Rex's heart, he couldn't hold it anymore. He blinked two tears simultaneaously from blue eyes and released a shuddering sigh. Such tender yet distressed love was an extremely potent emotion, the image of Julie stuck in his head.
Y'know, she was really into Broadway. Occasionally she'd come home with new cast recordings of her favorite shows, and being in San Francisco we got to see the shows at pre-Broadway viewings. Often she'd drag me down to the theater to see plays, and she'd get so worked up in anticipation. There was one show, however, that she listened to all the time . Rent, she was in love with that show and seemed to play the recording over and over again. I'd just laugh as usual, that was my little Julie. But then w-... when she died I stopped listening to it. I don't know why, the house seemed so empty without her music playing in the backround. When they remade it into a movie, I saw it by myself (bawling towards the end), then went and bought the new soundtrack for myself. The last song they played all ways stuck with me, I don't know why....
And the words of that song creaked from Rex's shaky lips, quietly at first, but soon strong enough to overpower the sound of crashing waves...
"Like a breath of midnight air.
Like a lighthouse, like a prayer.
Like the flicker and the flare,
the sky reveals.
Like a walk along the shore.
That you've walked a thousand times before.
Like the oceans roar.
Love heals.
There are those who shield their hearts.
Those who quit before they start.
Who frozen up the part of them that feels
Don't freeze your heart
In the dark they've lost their sight.
Like a ship without a star in the night,
but hold on tight.
Love heals.
When you feel like you can't go on
Hold onto love, it'll keep you strong
When you feel like you can't go on
Hold onto love, it'll bring you home
Love heals when pain's too much to bear.
When you reach out your hand,
and only wind is there.
When life's unfair.
When things like us are not to be.
Love heals when you feel so small,
like a grain of sand. Like nothing at all.
When you look out at sea,
thats where love will be.
Thats where you'll find me.
You'll find me.
So if you fear the storm ahead
As you lie awake in bed
And there's no one, no one ,
no one there to stroke your head.
And your mind reels,
your mind your mind reels
If your face is salty wet,
and you're drowning in regret,
just... don't forget
When you feel like you cant go on
love love love is gunna carry you home
when you feel like when you feel like you cant go on
hold onto love and it will lead you home
Love heals..."
Where on earth did that come from? He sat in silence, realizing what he'd just done. Great, this girl was in mourning and he was busy singing showtunes. He shook his head slowly and wiped another tear from his cheek, then one from Amaya's. Amaya Vaughan Unaware of Rex's internal struggle, Amaya simply lay where she was and wept. Gradually the tears dried up. She was still sad and depressed and at the moment could think of no reason for her to be here right now.
Then Rex started to sing.
It was a song she didn't know, but she listened to it intently. Love heals? ... What was there to love? Occasionally a tear or two would be able to slip, a gentle wipe from Rex's hand catching a few.
Her green eyes slowly looked up at him, then she pushed herself to a sitting position next to him. "Sorry..." She said, her voice hoarse and quiet. "Thanks though."
The two green orbs that so matched her scales were dull and wet, the bright love for life and all things that Rex probably never really got the chance to see much was gone. Replaced by a worn, defeated look.
When she first came to the island and started changing, her purpose was to cheer people up about what was happening. Convince them it could always be worse... now she couldn't do that. What was her purpose? Rex Vadnais "No, heh," he sniffed, "I'm sorry for making you listen to my bad singing. It just sort of... leaked out." Rex leaned forward, knicking Amaya gently on the nose and grinning sincerely. He didn't want her to be sad, though he understood where she was coming from. Obviously, life on the island, being riped from your home, leaving everything you had suddenly, it was tough. One couldn't help but feel helpless in a desperate situation such as thing.
He pulled Amaya into another embrace, then sniffed wiping the last of their tears from their eyes. "I'm all ways going to be here for you..." Amaya Vaughan Amaya gave a smile to him, though he could probably tell that it was forced and didn't touch her eyes. She didn't mind being torn from Pennsylvania... what she minded was being torn of her purpose of living. How could you make others happy when you couldn't even smile yourself? She tried to be happy... she really did. It just didn't work like it used to.
Though as Rex pulled her into an embrace she was surprised. Her eyes widdened a little but then she relaxed. Her eyelids dropped halfway and she put her face on his furry chest, arms embracing him back. The last of her tears had been wiped away.
I'm always going to be here for you...
At that moment she seemed to forget everything and snuggled deeper into him, never wanting to let go and face what lay beyond again. If the world had ended right then, she would die content. Rex Vadnais Rex hugged her a bit longer, strong arms cradling her tightly. He rocked her back and forth gently then craned his neck to look down at her. "Are you hungry?" He let go of her and came to his feet, "Or do you just want to go to your duplex? I'll walk yeh." His eyebrows rose while he awaited an answer, looking to the makeshift grave quickly, then back to the girl. Amaya Vaughan Amaya greatfully stayed in his arms the entire time, taking in his unique scent and comforting embrace. For her it parted all too soon.
She looked up at him, then to the graves. For a few moments she stared at them, saying a prayer in her head for her parents and grandmother. Then she turned back to Rex.
"I'm not really hungry, no... I wouldn't mind being walked back to my room though." She smiled a little and stood up as well. Rex Vadnais Rex was slightly happy she didn't want to go eating, he knew he needed a shower and was slightly embarassed by his stench at the moment. Flowery fresh was much better than gnarly BO. "Alrighty," he smiled, pausing in front of the grave once more before starting to walk off into the forest, "let's go then."
Eventually, the two neared duplex 22. At the door, Rex took Amaya in his arms for a last time and pecked her on the head sweetly. "Y'know, I stand by what I said on the beach. If you ever need me, I'm always here. The island isn't very big." He chuckled then stepped back. "Catch yeh later!" he flashed a hand in a wave then headed back to his own duplex for yet another shower. He'd have to scout out a good location for that grave... Amaya Vaughan For the most part Amaya walked by him in silence, stopping once they were in front of her door. She returned the hug with gusto and then pulled back to look up at him.
One of the rare, genuine smiles graced her scaley features as she nodded to him.
"Bye Rex..." She said quietly with a wave of her hand. Green eyes watched him vanish around the corner and she stood there in silence for a few moments before turning around and going back into her duplex.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Mar 17, 2006 6:02 pm
Well THATS a Smack in the Face Lauren Granger New RPThe sun was bright, the air was clean, and the waves were low but steady. Lauren had decided it was a good day to relearn surfing. She wanted to go out on her own and get things known before she invited Rex along later. For the mongoose, this was harder than she thought. Her new legs proved difficult for her to move at high speeds which made it hard to go out into the surf with her board in the first place. After much practice or some dumb luck, she was finally able to catch a small wave. Overly excited, she tried to stand up but imediately fell off the board wipeing out. It was frustrating but fun at the same time. And Lauren was stubbourn enough to keep at it all day if she had to. Rex Vadnais Well, it was a shame that Lauren did wouldn't get what she wanted as Rex jogged down the beach as usual on his daily run. Sweat began to glisten on his body while he tried to regulate his breathing for the maximum cardio work-out.
The tide was nice, smooth and easy riding for any surfer. But Rex cursed his lack of a board under his breath. Until he saw a body protrude the top of one of the small waves. A SURFER! Rex increased his jog to a run, he craved a smooth ride. Coming to a stop, he saw the furry blonde out in the ocean. Tough wipeout. He smiled and waved at her from the shore. Maybe he'd get in and give her some pointers. The cool ocean waters was sounding awfully nice about now. Lauren Granger Lauren spotted Rex off on the shore. Damnit, he saw her oh well. So much for not looking like a complete clutz. She waved back from the ocean, trying to run out with her board but stumbling over her feet... again. They were huge and it was hard to get used to, especially in the wet sand. At least on land Lauren could manage a leaping type step. But not in the sand. The orange eyed girl finally managed to make it up to her feet as she steped onto the shore, "HEY!" She yelled. Rex Vadnais Rex chuckled as she stumbled her way onto shore clumsily. Recognizing it was Lauren, he yelled, "Whats up?!" He took a few steps forward in the sand so she didn't have to come so far with her big board. Seeing her closer, he realized something different about her. Did she have as much fur last time? "Did you change?" He said calmly, he didn't know how she felt about the island or the things that happened here. Lauren Granger Lauren planted her board on the beach, "Not much, attempting to relearn surfing." Then he asked if she changed. Lauren gawked at that. It was only extremly obvious. "No.. I didn't you were just hallucinating that I was furless back when I met you." Her black lips curled up in a smile as she looked him up and down. "I see you've grown a tail and some fur yourself." She wasn't careful with pointing it out because if he would freak out, it would just be amuseing to watch. Rex Vadnais "Relearn, eh? Well I'll gladly give you some pointers, if you want them." He smile, sizing up her board. It was a fair size and obviously new. And just the right size since there was only a couple inch difference between Rex and Lauren.
Her quick remark caught him off guard, "Ooh, touche." He bounced his eyebrows playfully and crossed his arms, glad to say that he'd changed. "Oh you mean this old thing?" He grabbed his tail and looked at it curiously. "Hmm, you're right. It wasn't there a few days ago." A snide smile stretched his lips, then he scratched his chest, "but oh, this isn't new at all." Lauren Granger Lauren shrugged. "Whatever it's just that, these big ******** feet make it hard." She lifted up a leg to show just what she was talking about. "I would walk just on my toes, but they aren't large enough for that just yet." She laughed a bit at the bad joke. "That's really scary. Maybe you were part... lion before?" The question happened more at the lion part. The tail kind of gave it away. "But I'm not one to talk seeing as it covers my whole body now." Lauren put her hands on her hips and raised an eyebrow... or at least that part of muscle where an eyebrow used to be. "So... why aren't you pissed off about changing like all the others?" Her tail swished around, it was doing that lately as she spoke as if it were talking itself. Rex Vadnais "Ahh, well.. at least it'll be a nice work-out for your calves!" Walking or running on your toes was a good way to get some bulk on your legs, "And hey, who needs that whole 'ability to move' thing anyway?" He chuckled, trying to think about a day where he simply couldn't walk anywhere, though he'd been lucky enough to have never experience something that terrible. "Do you know what animal you're turning into?" Rex's only hint at the animal that he could draw from Lauren's appearance was the fur and the tail. But alot of things had fur and a tail!
The thought of being part lion as a kid was interesting. He tried to imagine little anima-children running around on the playground... there'd most likely be quite alot of injuries. What would happen if the islanders had kids? He preferred not to think about it. He nodded his head at her lion remark, "Yeah, I think it- er.. I'm a lion. Though I don't have a mane, yet..." He trailed off, how long would it take for the transformation to be complete?
He huffed a laughed and said, "Well.. whats the purpose about being pissed off about it? It won't do you any better, just make you stay here worse!" He shrugged, his optimism coming into play once again. He uncrossed his arms and scratched his head, not really concerned about the changes. He leaned into her and muttered, "To tell you the truth... I kind of like it." HOO BOY! that feels good to get off my chest. he said it quietly as if it was some big secret, he hadn't told anyone else about his feelings to the changes before. But this girl seemed unphased by the changes as well. It just sort of flew from him. "But what about you, huh? You seem pretty relaxed about it as well." All of the other islanders had thought so negatively about the changes, it was nice to meet someone with a change of taste. Lauren Granger "I'd rather be active. I will learn the best way to walk eventually I'm sure." She couldn't stay still for too long, it would drive her nuts. Besides Lauren wasn't doing too bad with her new long feet. "I'm becomming a yellow mongoose. It's not one of those basic animals that everyone knows about I suppose ya know like lion." She pointed to her horns, "These are extra... I'm not sure what animal these are from though." Lauren said proudly. She liked having something odd about her that wasn't quite right, as if becoming a mongoose girl wasn't enough. Lauren let out a playful bark, "THAT was exactly my thoughts on it. Well, it's kind of awesome, like body art to the extreme or something. And this has been one of the better times of my life by far. Moreau saved me from a lot back at home." Lauren smiled, "It's nice to FINALLY meet someone that likes being changed." It was frustrating that none of the other islanders were enjoying the process. "Moreau is a genous and gives us a lot really, I don't see why people are just so pissed off in the first place." Rex Vadnais "A mongoose? That's like a ferret, right?" He said, looking her up and down once more. That made sense. He tapped her horns lightly and chuckled, "They add a nice touch!"
Rex stretched his arms high above his head, his body finally cooling down from his run. Becoming a lion was going to be interesting. Rex wondered how much of a lion he's become, would he end up having something bonus in his injection? Only time would tell.
He screwed up his face at her remarks at the other islanders, "So they're all against Moreau huh?" He thought about it for a second. Rex didn't really have a side, for or opposing the docters, he was just living life as best he could. "I can see where they're coming from. Alot came without knowing what would happen, right? I didn't really have a choice at all." The memory of the night on the cruise ship with Avery replayed in his mind like a movie. Avery the damsel sliding over the boat's edge. Who would've thought that that night would end up being his last in the 'outside world'. "Though it really is nice here. We sure are treated better than I imagined we would. It was a daunting thought when we first heard about what happens here." Lauren Granger Lauren shrugged, "They aren't really in the same family at all. Mongoose is part of the Herpestidae family and ferrets are mustelidae." Those science lessons payed off sometimes. "They do look similar in some ways and do have some form of musk glands." She winced at the horn tap, "Thanks." It kind of hurt a tiny bit, the headache had mostly gone away by now but came back for a short period of time when her horns were touched. "Not like I had much of a choice either, I had no clue I would be an animal girl. Just thought I was finding food and shelter at the cost of being testing out some new harmless medical drugs. Looks like I was partially right. But hey, I still like it. Not that I had left anything behind." She couldn't find sympathy for those who did however. Rex Vadnais Rex was slightly baffled by the scientific information that flooded from her mouth. He didn't look like the kind of person you'd expect to rattle off such accurate biology. "Wow, you're making me feel stupid." He chuckled, "I'll have to do a little research on lions then." He wasn't sure if they had internet access or anything like that on the island, but all of those books in the entertainment room were bound to have something on lions. They were pretty generic, well known animals.
He looks at the ocean, small waves crashing gracefully a little farther out. And the contraction of the waterline rushing up to their feet, then succumbing back to the rest of the ocean behind them. "Y'up for a swim?" Lauren Granger A smug grin came across Lauren's face, "Moreau's been teaching me himself. But I've been playing skipping my lessons lately." She gave a toothy grin at Rex. "Yeah, you should really research your animal since, ya know that's what your going to BE and all." She was glad when he asked her to swim. Lauren was getting a little antsy and wanted to move around. "Sure, why the hell not." She said walking out towards the waves. She had not been able to get along with anyone very well besides Colche and Awen, this was a nice change of pace. The mongoose in her was definately happy. Rex Vadnais Indeed, Rex was lucky enough to have found out what animal he was going to turn into. Without that little tuft on his tail, he may have never even known what kind of animal he'd turn into. That scary sense of mystery would still be in his mind.
Trying to keep his clothes as clean as possible, he undid his jeans and stripped down to his boxers. He never really like wearing clothes anyway. Rex left them there on the shore and barged into the water after Lauren. He dove under quickly and ran his fingers through his hair. Ahh, that was refreshing.
Rex came back to his feet about waist deep in the water and said, "I only have the clothes that I washed up in. So it's kind of a hassle having to keep them clean." Lauren Granger Lauren splashed water in Rex's face, "Have you tried getting new ones. You just have to press that little intercom in the duplex room." She laughed at him, didn't he know that already? "Just keep those shorts on... alright? It's practically like swimming trunks already." The water was really nice today. Lauren submerged herself underneath and popped back up. Rex Vadnais Rex swatted at the water as it flew up into his face, but of course to no avail of stopping it. It was merely a reflex. "So tell me a bit about your relationships with people on the island. Any boy friends? You seemed a bit hostile about the others' opinoins." he splashed a bit of water back. Curious about the couples of the island.
He listened in amazement. "I never noticed the boxes before. I basically only use my duplex for sleep and a shower. How do you work them?" Lauren Granger Was Rex flirting with her? Typically, when a guy is near naked and asks about relationships... he's wondering if he can eventually get into your pants. Or at least that's how Lauren saw it. She became a tad bit weary of him but answered his question. She had claws, she could kick his a** if he tried anything. "I... well I'm friends with Awen." She said friends as if there was ambiguity in the word. "But no, for the most part Islanders stay away from 'Moreau's student'." Or at least in her eyes, it was that way. "What about you?" She raised an eyebrow at Rex. Why on earth did she not tell him she had feelings for Awen? Some part of Lauren enjoyed the attention if that's what Rex was giving. And if not, well there was no reason to worry now was there. Still, for some reason she wanted to leave things mysterious. At least for a short while. "Yeah, you push that big button and someone comes onto it and asks you what you want. Just tell them what you need, they'll supply it." That was a dumb question. Rex Vadnais Actually, Rex hadn't thoguht about sex the slightest bit. He was just curious about how people on the island interacted. He hadn't met any couples on the island, yet and wondered if that was taboo or something. Wait... what?! Did she jsut said that she was 'friends' with Awen? He hadn't gotten the lesbian vibe from either Awen or Lauren. Though it made sense. Ahh well, Rex didn't have any problem with homosexuals. Avery and him had become good buds. And he was gay.. or.. something. "No relationships with me." He shrugged, though it would be nice to have someone to hold. He'd missed having a warm body with him in his bed ever since Julie died.
Rex sat down in the water now, moving his hands forward and back while the current sifted through his fingers. "Is it really that easy? Hrm, I'll have to get some new clothes then!" There was quite a few things Rex wanted or needed, but didn't know how to get a hold of. And the lab techs seemed to appear sparcely on the island as well. Lauren Granger Lauren starting digging her giant feet into the bottom of the ocean. "Oh, figured you did just get here and your not upset about being stuck." She didn't really care one way or the other, was just playing with him. Or at least that was the game going on in her mind. "Yes it's that easy, now you don't have to worry about going around naked when your clothes fall to shreds." Lauren started wandering away towards the deeper water, didn't they hop into there to start swimming? Rex Vadnais "Yeah, I was kinda hoping to get some clothes before that happened." He chorted and pushed off of the sandy sea floor, drifting farther out to the ocean like an otter. He kicked his legs gently along the surface, gliding over the waves' ripples as they came until it got too deep for even him to stand. He dove under water and floated about under the waves for a few second then popped his head back up, tredding the water gently with his new paws and claws.
The thunder and washing sound of the waves was pleasant, but Rex figured it'd be best to get the conversation kicked off again, "So where are you from?" Lauren Granger Lauren chuckled a bit, the conversation was getting thin so she was relieved he asked something about her, "The coast of Oregon... origionally, but I ran away to L.A. so I geuss you can say a bit of both." She really didn't like thinking that she had a life in Oregon, it was still kind of painful and her face had shown that slightly. Not that L.A. wasn't worse. "What about you?" Rex Vadnais Thankfully he revived the conversation from a dull moment. "Well, I was born and raised in a pretty bad section of LA... then I got sent away to the east coast for high school since my parents couldn't really take care of me. Not that they really liked me at all to begin with. Then after school I came back to California to start a new life with my fiancee. San Francisco." He said the end for clarification and stared down into the water. It was getting pretty deep. Lauren Granger Lauren gave a playful wink, "I was part of that section of L.A. I lived in the center of 'the bad'" So Rex had bad parents too. "I hear you on that, parents suck a**. If I see my father again..." Lauren shuddered at that thought. "He was an a** after mom died. The picture perfect dad, if not a little distant before. Then my mom came down with cancer and bam, he turned into a violent monster and an alcoholic." She was surprised she could talk about this with someone. She hadn't really told anyone about all of this. "You had a fiance? You said you didn't have anyone?" Lauren was confused. Yeah the water was deep but she could stay afloat by swimming or floating on her back. At least swimming was stil very easy to do. Rex Vadnais Rex listened to her story in awe, it was almost creepy how many parallels their families held. "Really? That's so weird. My mom died of lung cancer when I was thirteen. Except my parents were also the opposite. They were terrible, alcoholic druggies before hand. Once my mom passed away, it was like some weird reality check for my dad. He went into rehab and sent me off to an east coast boarding school. I haven't seen him sense, the b*****d." Rex really didn't care for his parents at all, just like they never cared for him. Rex had basically been fending for himself since he was old enough to open the refrigerator and cook something for himself.
Rex realized where she must have gotten confused and hurried to fix his mistake, "Oh, no. Well.. I had a fiancee. She... she died a week before our wedding." He held up the ring on his right hand and smiled sadly, "But that was about four or five years ago... I miss her." Lauren Granger It was kind of creepy how parallel their lives were, "Woah... that's freakish!" Lauren said as her orange eyes widened. "Yeah, the same only wish my dad treated me better after my mom died. I don't think he wanted to take care of me at all. I tried my best in school, was the picture perfect teen, even worked McDonalds to keep him in booze and us in food when he quit his job. The last time he beat me, I... transformed." That was her first dramatic transformation. This was her last. "I loved my mom..." Was all she could say about her mother. She was a very good mother, and took wonderful care of her daughter. If she hadn't died... Lauren would never even be on this island. "Sorry about your fiance." Wow five years ago, Rex was older than she thought. "My mom had only been dead two years." Rex Vadnais Rex couldn't handle all this talk about their bad past lives, he had to move onto something different, something lighter. "Well.. at least we don't have to worry about bad parents any more. Looks like we'll just have to be trapped in paradise. He kicked his feet up, floating on his back and staring at the cloudless sky. It really was beautiful here, something like a weird dream.
"Oh, don't worry about Julie. I love her, and I miss her... but what happens happens." He sighed quietly as it felt like his heart gained twenty pounds. He felt like he was going to sink like a rock to the bottom of the ocean. "We were going to get married pretty young, but we didn't care. We had each other and that's all that mattered." Rex was getting all sappy again, didn't he just try to get to get away from sad subjects?! Lauren Granger To Lauren what happened did happen, but it boiled and festered into her chest like nothing else. "I wouldn't know. I've not really loved anyone like that." But then for some reason her mind went to Awen... could she love someone like that? Yeah sure that kind of thing was sappy and sickening but deep down Lauren wanted it just like everyone else. "Yeah! It is beautiful out here I mean LOOK at that SKY!" Lauren yelled out, nervously trying to change the subject but ending up sounding like a bad actor. When Rex was preoccupied, she took her large foot and forced out of his float, hopeing he became surprised and would sputter around a bit. Rex Vadnais "Mm, I reccomend it." He muttered, half joking and half serious. "Even though you may be setting yourself up for heartbreak like Id did."
Rex laughed at her yelled, then said, "I know it's FREAKIN' AMAZING!" He joshed, it was kind of fun to yell at the top of your lungs. He continued to drift about aimlessly, staring at the baby blue sky lost in thoug- "P-oomf!" Rex sputtered when he got a little kick-shove. He looked at Lauren first with a look of confusion, then defense. He devilish smile flashed on Rex's face as he dove under the water several feet so it was too murky to see his exact location. But looking up, he saw Lauren's shadow and slow kicking of legs silhouetted against the day's sun. He pushed off the quickly, directly underneath the mongoose, and grabbed her ankles, tugging them playfully. Lauren Granger Lauren was laughing hard at his confusion and sputtering when she saw him give a mischevious fanged grin. She at once knew what he was going to do and tried to swim away but was too slow as she was dunked underwater. Luckily she was able to get a breath before she went under, even as an annoyed hiss came from her but that was blocked by the waters insulation. She gave a hard kick, knocking her leg free of Rex's grip. "b*****d!" She yelled, still laughing. Rex Vadnais Rex was almost kicked in the face by her flailing and set her free, he came up for air, wiped his face and looked at her toothily once again. Leaping (or as much of a leap as you can do in the water) onto her shoulders and yelling "We're going down!" He fumbled and flipped underwater, holding onto Laurens back tightly. But he let her go soon enough, coming back up for air once more. Lauren Granger "AH! You are so dead!!" But Lauren had no time before she was under water, being held down by force. "BLABLFAGBLAaaah!" Was all that could be heard from her mouth after that as she struggled to get free. She was able to bite his arm with her sharp canines slightly, but that was mostly instinct. She gasped as she came up for air and splashed Rex, "******** you!" She shouted playfully. She then noticed that she bit him, "Crap.. I'm sorry? Did... did I draw blood I didn't mean to?" She had no clue why she was worrying, he was a tough guy he could take it. Rex Vadnais Rex was laughing so hard he didn't even notice that she'd bitten him, he was having too much fun. He lifted his arm through the water, a small trail of red fluttering from his arm, concocting with the rest of the ocean. "Gah, it looks like you did!" He chuckled, "Don't worry, it barely even stings. Lets just hope there aren't any sharks near-by. They can smell blood better than a vampire." He laughed again, looking at her mouth. "You've got some pointy ones, there. Just watch out when I bite." He snapped menacingly and tapped his sharp canines. "I bit my tounge a little the other day and almost drew blood." Lauren Granger Lauren looked a bit concerned, "Maybe we should swim back to shore. I don't think there are many sharks around here but just to be safe." She was very protective of her few friends, had to take care of him. "Heh, yeah we these things grew they almost pierced my cheek, but then it grew with them. I mean, it just felt like everything grew at once." Lauren had all sharp teeth as she couldn't chew her meals anymore. No molars to help her out. "Race ya back?" She put a serious look on her furry face. Rex Vadnais Rex was also very protective of his friends and figured it was best to swim back as well. The salt water stung the cut just like when he washed up on the beach covered in cuts. But he knew that the salt water wa good for it. Clensing and healing.
That competetivesmile returned to Rex's face, "A race? Mkay..." He knew that he was a good swimmer. What with surfing and water polo, he was fast. Though with his new changes, such as the pads on his hands, he probably wasn't as good as he used to be. Plus he was out of practice.
Rex turned to face the shore and began to count down the race, "Ready.. set? Go!" On the word go he stroked off in a clean flurry of water, blasting towards the sandy beach. He looked around, trying to find two things... Lauren and the next wave. One crept up his backside and swept him away closer to the beach much fast than before. Body surfing was a nice skill to know. Lauren Granger If it weren't for Rex catching that wave, Lauren would of been fairly close to him. Sure she never was in a water polo team but she swam nearly everyday right now. But Rex caught that wave right when she was catching up, "CHEATER!" she yelled out, the wave caught her a bit too, but not as well. Lauren ended up loosing the race. She tried to walk onto shore, again stumbling over her feet. They were better to swim with as they almost worked like flippers but they were still to walk around the sand with. "Next time, I'll win" She told him matter of factly. Lauren grabbed her board, it was getting late in the day and she was growing tired. Plus she wanted to see Awen sometime in the near future as well. There was a lot she needed to do. Rex Vadnais He laughed, stumbling onto shore and looking back at Lauren, not too far behind him. "Not a cheater. Skills." He chuckled, he needed a confidence boost after Awen kicked his butt in video games a while back.
"Well I reckon it's time for me to turn in for a shower. Salt and sweat makes Rex a stinky cat." He laughed once more, still trying to calm down from the little war that happened out in the water. "I'll catch you later my weasly friend. I'll call the labs tonight and try to get some clothes. Maybe a surf board if he likes me!" And with that, Rex continued his jog down the beach, eventually to his duplex. Lauren Granger Lauren waved at the lion guy, "Still say your a cheater!" She too had to get the salt out of all her hair, and it was going to be a b***h to shampoo again. Lauren imagined mongooses, licked there way to shower just like cats. But Lauren wasn't going to lick herself... that was kind of sick. Plus she didn't have the flexibility of a normal mongoose even if she was quite flexible. "Good luck on those clothes, and I'll put in a good word for ya." Lauren liked having connections. She carried her board back to her duplex, although much slower than Rex did jogging. He seemed to have more energy than even her. Lauren was happy to make a new friend, she didn't have many of those. Plus it was nice to meet a guy who wasn't just after a piece of a**. When guys could get sex off their mind they are actually pretty good. Lauren was starting to realise men and sex did not mix for her mind anymore.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Mar 17, 2006 6:09 pm
Catching Up Rex really enjoyed hanging out on the beach with Lauren. She was a nice girl and they held alot of things in common! As he sat in the shower, memories of their similarities clouded his mind as the condensed steam clouded the bathroom mirror. He needed to scout a place to build a grave for Julie... she'd like that.
Lathering the sampoo in his hair, he rubbed it through his hair, sometimes a shower was all you needed. Though they always ended far too soon. He turned off the water and threw back the shower curtain, reaching for his towel to dry off.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Mar 17, 2006 6:20 pm
Avery, on the other hand, did not have a grand time on the beach at all yesterday. He had woken up that morning with a terrible hangover, and spent most of the day in bed, worried about running into that Zach person again. He eventually forced himself to get up and shower, changing into his only other set of clean clothing (pyjamas). He felt a little better after the shower, and decided to go find one of his friends so he wouldn't just sit around by himself all day.
Avery left his duplex and headed to Rex's duplex, since he had not seen him in a few days. He stopped outside duplex 35 and knocked on the door, hoping he was around.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Mar 17, 2006 6:26 pm
Rex's towel flew wildly in a hurry as Rex dried his hair, then he heard a knock at the door. Gah! He scurried to wrap the towel around his waist, still pretty wet, and ran to get the door. It revealed his little bud, Avery. "Hey!" Rex laughed, I must look like a mess.
He stepped to the side of the door frame, one hand holding his towel up, the other motion for Avery to enter. "C'mon in, I just got out of the shower." The remaining steam drifted from the bathroom door, but all-in-all the duplex was pretty clean. Not that there was alot to make it messy with.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Mar 17, 2006 6:37 pm
Avery didn't think Rex looked like a mess at all. In fact, he thought he was quite attractive. "Thanks," he smiled a bit and went into the room. "Sorry, I didn't mean to come in at a bad time... how are ya doing?" Avery asked, making himself right at home and plopping himself into a chair. He was already feeling more comfortable now that he wasn't sitting around alone.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Mar 17, 2006 6:43 pm
"Oh no, not a bad time at all! Don't worry." He grinned and went into the bathroom to finish drying himself off.
Calling out to Avery, "I'm not too shabby! Just doing the only thing you can do on this island." He paused, slipping on his boxers and peeking a head out the door, "Nothing."
Rex grabbed his shirt and put a leg through the pant of his jeans, hoping out into the main room one one leg as he pulled the jeans on and fastened them neatly. "How about yourself? Been handling things better? I see you've yet to change." Rex sat down on the bed and looked at Avery in the chair across from him.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Mar 17, 2006 6:54 pm
"Yeah, it is pretty boring here," Avery sighed, leaning back in the chair. "I wish there was more to do..." He waited for Rex to finish getting his pants on before looking up at him. "I was doing okay..." Yes, he could talk to Rex about it... he should tell someone.
"Um... yesterday there was this guy I met at the bar on the beach. I dunno what his problem is... but he tried to attack me..." Of course, having been drunk, Avery didn't remember all the details - such as Zach calling him Jessica. "We were just having some drinks and talking, and then he just -- I don't know. Went crazy."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Mar 17, 2006 7:05 pm
Rex slipped his shirt over his head when he remembered, clothes. "Oh! This girl Lauren I met said that the labs could get us just about anything we needed!" He glanced around the room, looking for the intercom box she told him about. "Oh here! You just press zero to get to the labs. I don't know why you need all of the other numbers on the pad though. Maybe to call other rooms?" He needed to get some clothes rather badly, as cleaning his only pair got rather annoying quickly.
He listened to Avery's story about the man on the beach. Zach? he wouldn't do that would he? "You're kidding me. I've met him more than once.. he even saw me transform... why would he try to attack you?" Rex sized up Avery, he was underage and pretty small. How many drinks had they had? "Were y'all drunk?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Mar 17, 2006 7:14 pm
Avery was relieved to hear that they could get anything he needed. He made a mental note to ask for more clothes, blue hair dye - and maybe they'd even give him a new candy necklace? - whenever he went back to his own duplex. "Um... we had a few drinks..." he said, biting his lip as he thought about it. "Well, okay. Maybe more than a few... we got wasted. But, I didn't even say anything mean to him! Oh - er - and I might have tried to crawl into his lap. Maybe. But that's still no reason to twist my arm... I'm just glad he passed out."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Mar 17, 2006 7:19 pm
"Well don't think too poorly of that Zach guy, he can be a little... awkward, but otherwise he's a generally nice kid." Rex shrugged taking his seat down on the bed once again.
"So, Awen sure left in a hurry." Rex recalled the look on her face when she stormed off towards the beach the morning he'd changed. Did she even realize that he'd chagned to begin with? "I hope that she's okay." Rex slumped his shoulders and shuffled the ground with his feet.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Mar 17, 2006 7:25 pm
Avery wasn't so sure... but he supposed he would take Rex's word for it. After all, he knew that out of anyone on this island, Avery felt like he could trust Rex. He looked a little surprised when Rex mentioned Awen. He doesn't know...
"Um... sorry, I thought you knew... but... Awen didn't make it. Turns out the doctors did think of it already... she can only swim in fresh water, not salt water." Avery wondered how she was holding up, and if she still had the IV hooked up to her. "She was at her duplex when I saw her last, and she had an IV... she seemed to be doing alright, otherwise."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Mar 17, 2006 7:31 pm
Rex's heart plumetted faster than a freefalling elevator at the words "Awen didn't make it." Images of her being torn to shreads by sharks in the open water or drowning because her gills weren't fully grown yet came to his head. He let out a sigh of relief when Avery continued though, grasping his chest for air. "You had me terrified for a second... I thought that you were going to say she died." He could feel his startled heart pumping in his chest madly, that was a scare he could have done without. He sighed once again and said, "Well.. at least she's alright. Hopefully there wasn't too much damage." It was official, the doctors had thought of everything ahead of time, Rex's fate was forever sealed here. Condemned to the island. "When did you find out? How's she doing?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Mar 17, 2006 7:45 pm
"Oh, I'm sorry! No, she's really doing fine... I didn't mean to phrase it like that," Avery said quickly, not wanting Rex to worry too much. "I found out just a couple of days ago. She was just relaxing outside her duplex with another girl, talking... she seems to be doing okay, though. I haven't visited her again yet since the last time I saw her."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Mar 17, 2006 7:54 pm
Rex relaxed, glad to hear that she was okay. What could have happened in salt water that didn't happen in fresh? Maybe they incorporated some slug into her serum so that if she ate came in contact with salt, her skin would bubble. A shudder jolted Rex spine at the thoguht of bubbling skin. Certainly there must have been some gruesome things that happened here on the island.
Had anyone's skin done gross things like boiling? He remembered a few mornings prior, when he transformed. That was certainly not a happy moment. Though looking down at his furry arms and clawed hands, something about it sat well in Rex's mind. He enjoyed the transformation, however morbid it may be. Though Lauren had the same attitude, and Avery seemed to be warming up to the idea as well.
"So, have you gotten any hints on what animal you might change into? I think being a lion won't be so bad, and I'm sure you'll get something ...tolerable as well!"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
