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 Posted: Mon Aug 29, 2005 8:07 pm
Outside the door of Greer''s apartment are a few packages labled "For Greer Apt 04" with various smiley faces around it. Inside the package are few things. A Field Guide to Insects of the Carribean. [click the picture for more information on which each package contains.]
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Posted: Mon Aug 29, 2005 11:08 pm
In addition to the care package left outside the front door, there is a small note taped to the door: Quote: Dear Greer, As I'm sure you've discovered yourself based on the box that I noticed sitting in front of yours and many other peoples' doors, I received a care package myself - with, believe it or not, three full sets of fencing equipment. If you would be so kind as to pay me a visit at your earliest convenience, I would love to get in a match with you! Sincerely, Ambrose Maurlias Duplex 1
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Posted: Tue Aug 30, 2005 8:52 pm
Greer Cassenwari Elated by the discovery of the package of entomological goodies and the prospect of fencing promised by Ambrose's note, Greer very nearly skipped to the door of duplex #1. What stopped her was a combination of poor coordination and a momentary loss of direction. It was a pity she didn't know which direction it was in - she could have tried out her shiny new compass. Mmmm, shiny! Finally reaching Mr. Maurlias' door, she knocked cheerfully and bounced on her toes with excitmement. Insect studies! Fencing! This would be a wonderful day. Ambrose Maurlias Ambrose had already been awake and eaten that morning. After shaking off some of the trepidation of the night before with a big meal of breakfast sausages and eggs, he was relieved to feel that he was feeling generally better. He still had a bit of a muzzy-head and his left arm still hurt, but that was not going to stop him from getting in a wonderful practice with the fencing equipment. He sincerely hoped that Greer would in fact turn up today, but regardless of her presence or absense, he was going to break in the new gear. Already halfway into the fencing shirt, he heard the knock at the door and headed over with a smile on his face. Opening the door to a familiar and most welcome face, a smile spread across his face, the elation seeping into his eyes. "Greer!" He greeted. "Wonderful that you could make it!" Greer Cassenwari Greer giggled, highly amused by Ambrose's half dressed appearance. "Need a hand with the zipper?" Ambrose Maurlias Ambrose blushed a bit with a sheepish smile. With his sore arm, and the zipper on the fencing vest he had indeed been having a bit of problems. He ran a hand through his hair self-consciously and spun around. "If you woudln't mind - I would greatly appreaciate a hand" He smiled back at her. "But Greer! You must take a look at the equipment they bought! It's all top of the line - professional grade!" Greer Cassenwari "It certainly looks like it." She chuckled to herself as she did up the zipper, careful not to snag his hair in it. Tapping him on the shoulder, she pronounced him done. "Will any of it fit me?" Ambrose Maurlias Ambrose smiled and gave his thanks as she zipped him into the jacket. "Excellent! Thanks!" He dashed excitedly to the closet, where he withdrew another jacket, set of gloves, mask, and epee from a large cardboard box. "As a matter of fact" he grinned "If I'm not mistaken - this set appears to be about your size." He handed her the set of equipment. "I hope you don't mind practicing with epee...?" He winced. Greer Cassenwari It looked perfect. She grinned. "Not at all- as long as you have a breast protector? I don't play with long pieces of metal without a slab of hockey mask plastic." Ambrose Maurlias "Ohyes!" the idea dawned on him, and he reached back into the box, fishing down at the bottom, bringing out a thin piece of shaped plastic. "I had ALMOST wondered why they included this with the package until I thought about you" He chuckled. "Here you are!" He handed that to her as well, "Feel free to use the restroom if you''d like to change." Greer Cassenwari Greer rolled her eyes, taking off her jacket and folding it neatly on a chair. "That's okay, I prefer my plastic outside my t-shirt." Shimmying into the protector, she stepped into the jacket and turned to give Ambrose her back. "Zip me?" Ambrose Maurlias Ambrose happily obliged, securing her in the vest, and then put on his own gloves, careful to tuck them into the sleeves of the vest. picking up the mask and an epee he gestured to the door. "And, even better - the weather appears to have cleared! Where would you like to practice?" Greer Cassenwari Grabbing the rest of her equipment, she shrugged. "Somewhere open and flat? The center of town maybe?" Ambrose Maurlias "Sounds perfect" He agreed, grabbing his own things and two bottles of water from the minifridge, and headed after her. "Thank you so much, Greer - I can't tell you how much I've been looking forward to this, and to trying my hand at a new opponent" He smiled, smoothing back his hair as he put the mask on. THe only downside, he realized soon after, to the weather clearing after the rain was the immense humidity. That combined with the long-sleeved jacket and boxy mask that despite the mesh of the metal in the front was quite effective at trapping his hot breath. With the tight, almost already sweaty clothing, the itchiness started to rear its head again. Muttering a grumble, and not willing to delay fencing for an itch, he picked up the epee, saluted, and dropped into stance. Greer Cassenwari Greer grinned, stretching quickly before donning gloves and mask. A few practice swishes of the epee, and she followed suit. "Go easy on me - I've never fenced this weapon before." Ambrose Maurlias Ambrose nodded, not about to take advantage of the woman with an unfamiliar weapon, he waited until her salute, and slowly advanced. She could probably tell, right off the bat, that his stance and footwork were quite adept - almost instinctual. He had been doing this for quite a long time and it showed in his precision. He kept his blade solidly and confidently pointed towards the upper part of her chest, not weaving it around or trying distractions that usually only resulted in the exposure of an opening. But he hesitated on the initial attack, keeping himself at ready and waiting for her to go first, playing the defensive. Greer Cassenwari The weapon was too heavy, the target area too big, and the lack of right of way disconcerting, but Greer was too happy about fencing again to notice too much. The main trouble she was going to have was remembering that this was a point weapon. Her guard held slightly higher than Ambrose's, a clear sign she was a sabreist and so wary of head attacks, she matched his smooth footwork with steady, careful steps of her own. She may not have been a natural, but she did the practice drills every morning as a warm up for her daily jog, and her feet were used to responding to her commands. Also a defensive fencer, which had always stood her in good stead against the mainly agressive sabre corps, she focused her attention on her opponent's weapon arm. That had to extend first before an attack would begin. Ambrose Maurlias Ambrose was instinctively sizing her up as she approached, keeping his eyes on hers, leting his peripheral vision note her confident footwork and higher guard. Her eyes would probably tell him long before her blade when an attack was coming. He didnt' falter or step back, as he saw her shift ever so slightly her focus on his own right arm. He would have played the defensive, however, instinct and the outlet that fencing was for his emotions usually played him as more of an offensive fighter. Once he determined that she had no qualms at letting him go first, despite attempting to go easy on her, he slid his blade in a tight, clockwise circular motion, hoping to slide her blade to the outside to allow for him to get a clean strike towards her midsection. It was a simple starting move, but a good one to initiate the obligatory exchange of strikes and parries. Greer Cassenwari Greer had always been one for parries. She'd learned them all well before she'd mastered her attacks, and so had infuriated many people she had fenced by winning not through speed or strength, but awareness of rules and the use of a good parry. Not that it would help her with epee. Still, the well-drilled habits die hard. Parrying his attack she began one of her own, feinting towards his mask and snapping her blade towards his left side at the last second. Ambrose Maurlias He took a small step backwards at the counterattack, and brought his blade horizontally across his body to parry her cross-attack further outwards to his left hopefully leaving her open. Then, quickly, he angled the blade back towards her chest, delivering a back-handed strike towards her center. Ambrose, whether she noticed initially or not, was keeping his strikes primarily center-of body, a range she would be more comfortable in defending given her style of fighting. While perfectly comfortable with the diveristy and range of the epee, he wasn't sure how in practice she was and wanted to ease her into the style. All the while, he kept his eyes steeled on hers, watching her, reading her. The mask that he tended to wear in life was, for the time being, even more sturdy in the match. Greer Cassenwari She leapt back, but the loud tock! of blade on hockey mask plastic made it clear she hadn't moved in time. Although annoyed at the touch, she still giggled quietly. For some reason, the fact that the sound of a connection with a breast protector and not the feeling of it was what told her she'd been hit had always amused her. Double retreating to her original starting distance from Ambrose, Greer resumed her guard. This was epee, not sabre. Every missed hit she was prone to on the legs counted as a touch here. Must remember that. She rolled her right shoulder, arm already sore from the heavy weapon. Its weight was definitely slowing her attacks down. Ambrose Maurlias Ambrose saluted as they returned to ready-stance. She certainly had talent - and definately made for a fair sparring partner. He knew he had advantages over her that almost made him feel guilty - but the exhilaration of not just having to do point-control and footwork drills but actually spar was more than enough to give him patience with her and overcome some of the chilvalrous "tsk"-ing about this not quite being a fair match. He reset and went back in - vigilant and slowing himself down a bit. He could tell that she was unused to the weight and style of the blade. He made several other exchanges, getting caught up in the wonderful feel of being back in practice. He needed this physical release of stress. Swimming the other day had been grand, but nothing like this. Despite the feverishness, his muscles still felt so wonderful - finding it easy to remain in stance, his reaction times quicker than he could consciously recall. The boxy-headedness that the mask usually gave him as well as the fever seemed to be fading to the background. His steely mask was breaking as well - and he didn't care - the exhilarion showing on his face. While certainly skilled, he was also not perfect and Greer would have managed to get in several fair strikes against him. And as he worked, he slowly began to expand on the areas he targeted against her. However, after a good 20 minutes or so, the heat under the mask and jacket, combined with the sweat started to really bring the itchiness back to the forefront of his mind - intervening even in front of his focus. His strikes were faltering, and his off-hand even was edging closer to his body. Between exchanges, he took advantage of the break to make some frenetic itching through the vest. Greer Cassenwari Greer bounced about cheerfully, losing herself in the dance of a good sparring match. Her muscles were growling at her for not warming up properly, and every lunge drove home the fact that she'd be walking funny in the morning, but she didn't care. She'd missed being challenged, and for all her mistakes and missteps, was enjoying the match emmensely. It was a pity she didn't have her sabres here. She would have loved to see what Ambrose could do with them. She watched her opponent as alertly as she could, but was having too much fun to pay the proper amount of attention to the clues he gave about where he was moving. She missed a few openings but generally caught the rest, having the most trouble with remembering to attack with the point of the blade and not the edge. Thwacking someone about the knees with an epee is not a good idea. "Oops! I'm so sorr-" Greer cut herself off in mid apology, head turning to follow the flight of a butterfly past her shoulder. Was that an Ornitoptera alexandre? Ambrose Maurlias Ambrose stumbled with the thwacking, muffling a surprised exclamation, reminding himself of her normal bladed style. Catching himself back on balance, he nodded and held up a hand. His heart was pumping, his muscles were limber, and he felt good - if it wasn't for the sweltering heat! Tearing off his mask he took a deep breath of the humid air and watched a pretty black and green butterfly flit by, taking the oppotunity to itch like mad on his chest. Dear lord it was getting worse! "No, no. It's perfectly fine" he panted. "I think that's probably a wonderful match for today. Why don't you go ahead and hang onto that set of gear. We can meet up again some other time." He grinned "and you can practice with the epee if you like on your own time as well. Course, I don't want you to deviate too much from your own style... it might be awkward when you switch back". Greer Cassenwari "Ooo, Ornithoptera goliath!" Greer blinked, realizing she had a response to give. Pulling off her mask, she turned quickly and smiled, attempting to watch the butterfly and Ambrose at the same time. "Yes, good good match. I'll pratice enough to get my arm strength up, anyway." The goliath birdwing was getting away. Nodding, she excused herself. "I need to catch that butterfly. Very rare. Bye! See you later! Tell you about mosquitos!"
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Posted: Wed Aug 31, 2005 1:54 pm
Was it odd to be happy that one had finally gotten one's hands on a killing jar? That was the dichotomy of being an entomologist, Greer supposed, of loving insects enough to spend her life with them while also looking forward to catching, killing, and mounting them artistically in glass cases. Her walls were covered with the bodies of bugs she had loved and caught, and there was a whole storage room filled with similar cases back home in Seattle. Thankfully, her live pets had never held this particular quirk against her. Greer was thinking about this particular oddity of hers at that moment, because she trying to decide whether or not she was upset that she hadn't caught and jarred the Ornithoptera goliath specimen of yesterday. After all, she did have one in her favorite butterfly case, which was currently hanging on the wall over her bed. It had been one of her early purchases - a wise one, since it had been preserved well and continued to look just caught to this day. Still, she hadn't caught it herself, and having a collection put together completely by your own hand was a point of pride with most field entomologists. No, no. She wasn't officially a field researcher yet, and besides, the Goliath Birdwing butterfly was a rare creature that oughtn't to be killed willy nilly. Yes, it was good that she hadn't caught it, and besides, she got a lovely fencing session in with Ambrose. Yesterday had been a good day. That decided, Greer moved on to the question of mosquitos. She had always been a rather systematic thinker, and with one category of thought marked 'done,' the next was due to be worked on. This was probably how she managed to look at her packages solely with joy and eagerness to answer questions, completely forgetting to wonder how Dr. Moreau had known to procure the items in question for her. If she had thought about it, she would have chalked it up to good will towards entomologists, even if that made very little sense. Having already scouted maps of the island and specific areas in and around human habitation for good places to begin her mosquito survey, Greer gathered her things and trooped out to set up study stations. She was mainly looking at standing water spots around the village, since those were the most likely breeding grounds for mosquitos. The first question to be answered was if the correct species of mosquito - Aedes fitchii and/or Aedes japonicus - was even present on the island. Keeping track of the water bound larvae was far easier than tracking the flying, blood-drinking adult females, even if they were more difficult to classify. And she's still be doing live night collections, since the adults would be the ones carrying the disease. Night collection was the best, especially out on this island with its lack of light pollution. The insects would be humming, the air would be warm, and the stars would be sparkily. First, though, she had low dirty water dishes to sprinkle about the town. She should really write a missive and stick on the cafeteria doors or something, telling the other residents what she was doing. Nothing ruined a mosquito survey like a civilian cleaning up the odd apparently missplaced dish. Besides, it was the social thing to do. Greer Cassenwari Humming cheerfully to herself, Greer taped a note with small, neat handwriting to the door of the ''town hall''. A general missive to all residents, it read: Greer's Note To Whom it May Concern, Hello! This is Greer Cassenwari, sending out a general request that people not tamper with my current study. I''m an entomologist as some of you know, and am currently investigating the insect life on the island. To do this, I have set up several research stations, consisting of water collection points, snare areas, and other data collection spots. I have done my best to make sure that they won''t get in anyone''s way, but if they do, please call it to my attention and I will relocate them. You can find me in duplex #4. And to the cleaning staff in particular - please do not remove my dishes of standing water! Thank you all. Sincerely, Greer
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Posted: Thu Sep 01, 2005 7:08 pm
After walking out from Ambrose's duplex, the Dude headed for the Duplex#4. There was light in the window now, which gave the Dude hope that Greer was around. Running up the stairwell he knocked on Greer's door:
"Yo Greer! I REALLY gotta talk to you. 'S the Dude. Some heavy s**t 's come to light."
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Posted: Thu Sep 01, 2005 7:16 pm
Rising slowly from her desk at the knock, Greer stretched out her stiff back and muscles before answering. Goodness, how long had she been going over her data? Seven, eight hours? And it was all pointing to the same thing, too. Good thing the Dude interupted her - she'd be less pained in the morning and she now had mosquito results to report.
Opening the door, she smiled and stepped back. "Come in! I'm glad you're here - what's up?"
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Posted: Thu Sep 01, 2005 7:26 pm
The Dude walked in and closed the door behind him: "Erm. Hi Greer."
He didn't know quite how to start. How does one tell someone that they might be a guinea pig for a mad man? Ah, s**t.
"Greer, first of all - please do not panic. We'll have to be the adults here, I think. Okey. Play along with me."
He ran his hand thru the matted blond hair and continued:
"Okey. Our conspiracy theories seem to have been true. Except it is worse then we thought. After getting his second injection, Ambrose has grown a fur coat and elf ears. And he's in a miserable state of mind."
He cleared his throat, hoping Greer would cooperate and not tell him to go sober up. Then the Dude put his hand on Greer's shoulder and made a pleading look.
"Would you ... erm ... could you go over and work some babe magic and give him a hug and ... ya know ... cheer him up a little? I just snapped at him. And this way you can maybe figure out better what's been happening. You are a scientist and all. Okey?"
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Posted: Thu Sep 01, 2005 7:35 pm
Greer blinked, honestly more suprised by the 'babe magic' comment than the gineau pig information. Blushing a little at the hand on her shoulder, she let her scientific mind take over.
"Huh. Well. That explains a number of things."
She gestured to her desk, which was buried under a drift of papers covered in her small, neat hand writing. "My survey of the mosquitos of this island showed absolutly no sign of the two species that could carry and transmit the disease we were talking about at lunch last week. And that also covers all the different entrance stories we seem to have been told."
Shaking her head, smiled apologetically at her companion. "I may be able to figure out what's going on, but I'm not very good at social stuff, delicate or otherwise."
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Posted: Thu Sep 01, 2005 7:40 pm
"Ah." - was the Dude's comment to Greer's discovery:"They really didn't care what bull they sold us, huh? And we all happily bought it ..."
And when Greer started appologizing about "social stuff": "Yeah well, if you can help anyhow, it'd be great. Ambrose is a very depressed Wolfboy right now, just be prepared. Erm ... just be kind to him, you know? He's very selfconsioius that he is not a pretty boy anymore."
Opening the door, he walked out, motioning Greer along:"Let's go."
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Posted: Thu Sep 01, 2005 7:46 pm
Greer nodded, following the Dude obediently out her door and pulling it closed behind her. She might not be good at saying the right thing normally, but she'd gotten slightly better over the years, and for Ambrose she'd try her damndest. He was the closest thing to a friend she'd ever had, and besides, he was a fellow fencer. Hopefully her most concerted effort at helping would be enough.
Replaying her companion's words before they left her apartment, she frowned. "Wolfboy?"
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Posted: Thu Sep 01, 2005 7:53 pm
"Yeah. He has grown canines and a fur coat overnight. Not bad, really, but rather weird. And he said he also grew a tail. And his ears are pointed and this long" - the dude showed the size with his fingers. "And when he called '0' Aubrey giggled at him and told him that it's nothing to worry about. That is was expected or some such stuff? I don't rememember. And just left him alone."
He walked fast towards duplex #1 and knocked on Ambrose's door: "Ambrose? I am sorry, man. I was being an a**. I brought Greer. Can she come in?"
There was silence. The Dude knocked again. No answer.
"Crud." - he leanded with his forehead against the door, then turned around to face Greer. "Well, erm. I think we wait. He might need time."
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Posted: Thu Sep 01, 2005 8:02 pm
She nodded, somewhat for the temporary reprieve. She wanted to help Ambrose, she really did, but at the same time she was pretty sure she wasn't the one to do it. She was just a nerdy girl who'd never really grown people skills.
Since when had she become the girl who made things better?
"Okay. I haven't eaten since breakfast. Want to wait in the cafeteria?"
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Posted: Thu Sep 01, 2005 8:05 pm
((LOL, the Dude's working with what he can get here ^____^))
Still really bummed about the silence from Ambrose's apartment, the Dude nodded silently and trotted after Greer.
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Posted: Thu Sep 01, 2005 10:51 pm
 in the village, contintinued from the rp session aboveThe Dude XD Following Greer, the Dude walked into the cafeteria and ploped on a chair, waiting for Greer to get her food. He was visibly agitated and impatient, kept running his hand thru his matted dreadlocks. Finally, after about ten minutes, he jumped up again, and turned to Greer:"Let's go try this again. Maybe he'll open up now. Wanna come?" Greer Cassenwari Grabbing a ceasar salad and a bowl of vegetable soup, Greer joined the Dude at the table and began bolting down her food, not realizing how hungry she was until she began to eat. She really needed to drop this habit of letting work distract her from eating! Cleaning her plate and bowl, she nodded in response to her companion's suggetion that they check on Ambrose. Surely he knew more about these people things than she did. "Sounds like a plan." The Dude XD Five minutes after the Dude had walked out there was a knock on the door. But Ambrose didn't open that time (Adn I'll got add that post into here in a sec). He heard them leave. It was maybe ten minutes later when there was a knock on the door again. The Dude's voice aksed: "C'mon Ambrose, let us in. Greer doesn't bite. She is a smart cookie and she might help you out here. And I am sorry. " Greer Cassenwari Greer smiled a little at the cookie comment, and then spoke up in what she hoped was a caring, concerned tone. "Let us in Ambrose, please? We're all going through this together, and we need each other's help." Ambrose Maurlias Ambrose had been in the shower when the Dude had come by. His speach had really shaken him, truly making him feel like an utter b*****d, despite how much he honestly wanted to be a good person. He had been right, absolutely right. And he really needed to clear his head. He blocked out the world, soaping himself up and scrubbing hard... hoping that maybe, just maybe all of the deformities woudl wash away like so much soap suds..... to no avail, it just left him with a clean, shiny sparse coat of fur. Finally, coming out of the shower, his sleep-pants on, and toweling off his hair, he heard the (second) knock on the door. He heard the Dude's voice and came to the door, but hearing his words made him hesitate... even if just for a moment. Greer. She was here... She'd see him like.... He shook his head resolutely, The Dude's words reverberating through his head. With a deep breath he jerked the door open and swallowed his anxiety, trying his damndest to look confident. However, he was having a very hard time meeting the Dude's eyes after his parting words. The Dude XD "Hey Ambrose." - the Dude said simply and walked into the darkness of the apartment. "I''ve filled in Greer on some of the details, but it woudlnt'' hurt for her to hear it out of your own mouth." With that he plopped onto the same chair he was sitting in before. Greer Cassenwari Greer had long ago mastered the art of sticking a genuine-looking smile on her face and keeping it there, come what may. It had got her through many a time of just not knowing what was the appropriate response was and hoping a smile would get her through. It was certainly serving her now. "Hello Ambrose! How are you feeling?" Following the Dude in she stayed standing near her decidedly altered friend, deciding that the best way to give aid was to be a comforting, physical presence. Ambrose Maurlias Ambrose's nervous, stiff posture actually loosened a bit as Greer's first reaction wasn't horror or shock, but frendliness and concern. A small smile found its way to his face - barely - and he stepped aside, welcoming them in and gesturing to the chairs. "H...hi Greer" He squeaked. He nodded at the Dude as well "Thank you" he mumured quietly to him and retreated to his bed to sit on the edge. "I'm feeling.... well... I'm not quite sure to be pefectly honest. Physically... the pain's receeded for the most part... Mentally..." he trailed off, realizing that being honest would either make him look weak or fishing for sympathy. He looked back to the Dude, catching a moment belatedly that he had suggested explaining. "I.... I received a second injection the other day. Supposedly just the second injection of the study I'm a part of. Let me remind you that they told me that there weren't going to be any permanent affects to whatever it was. Yesterday afternoon - right at the end of our match - I started itching like crazy. I showered and called it a night early... then.... " He heaved a breath, getting annoyed again "I started sprouting HAIR." He sighed, and continued "IT.... continued for the rest of the night until the end of it I was like this. Greer - you know about medicine and things like that somewhat, right? You can't do this with just hormones or drugs - the hair and nails maybe, but.... but the rest? Matt's right about this being Genetic, isn't he? Is this permanent? Can it be reversed? Do you honestly think that they are still going to keep up their end of the bargain and let me leave in 4 days... and.... do you think ... " He hesitated "That the other injections people are getting.... you know..." He swallowed hard, realizing he was probably overwhelming the poor woman. Matthewt3hd0rk The agitation and hurry in the Dude's voice back at the cafeteria had sparked Matt's interest. Something was definitely going down... so, being the curious little scientist he was, he had followed. He'd wound up in front of Ambrose's duplex a few minutes after the Dude and Greer had. He felt awkwardly out of place; he'd only seen Ambrose once, and briefly at that. Still, if something was wrong... He didn't know how much help he could be, but he wanted to at least find out what had happened. Completely oblivious to Ambrose's current state of affairs, Matt tentatively knocked on the doorframe of the room, glancing at the shadows in the dark. "Err.. hello? Anyone? Sorry if I'm intruding. Is everything alright...?" The Dude XD The Dude stood up from his chair and trotted over to the door, not really looking at Ambrose and wheter he was protesting to the new intrusion. Matt actually might know something here. Opening the door, he blocked the insides of the room out for Matt thru his own bulky shape and said quietly to him: "Yo. Before I let you in, you have to promise not to panic and keep your voice down, okey? Okey. Go in. Be kind." With that he turned his head around to Ambrose and Greer and said: "You guys talk, i am gonna see who else I can find in the village. I'm not gonna be much help here anyway. See ya soon." With that, he let Matthew into the room and walked out. Greer Cassenwari She was really, really not the person to be doing this. Greer had never understood people properly - not the way she understood insects, anyway. The nonverbal alienness that scared everyone else away from arthropods was exactly the thing that had drawn her in. You couldn't say the wrong thing to bugs and garner worried looks or ridicule. You couldn't get an ant upset because you hadn't nodded fast enough or anger a mantis for missing a joke. Insects were safe and sensible, unlike humans. And here she was, expected to make everything right with a kind word and a warm smile. Bah. Not all females were born with the empathy gene. Her mother had been, though. What would mummy do? Nodding to the departing Dude Greer stepped forward, wrapping Ambrose a light, tentative hug and giving him plenty of room to react badly since she wasn't precisisely sure this was the correct form of action. "To be honest, I'm no doctor, but we'll figure this out and make it right somehow, I promise. I've been injected and lied to, the same as you. We're in this together." Please, please, please let her not have just messed up! Ambrose Maurlias Ambrose heard the knock at the door and Matthew's voice. He hardly knew him... but he had seemed to know more about the facilities itself than the rest of them, and had seen genuine enough. He was here on vacation for God's sake - and if he was in the same situation as well.... He took a shaking breath - his nervousness crying out at suddenly being on display for what seemed like half of the residents of the Island, but he held firm... or at least thought he was doign a good job holding firm. "No... no I wouldn't say everything is "all right"" Ambrose began as the newcomer came into the room, and he clicked on the lamp by the bedside table. He didn't pull away from Greer's hug, though he seemed a bit unsure of how to react to it as well - on one hand it felt so comforting... and on the other, the feeling of his fur rubbing against her clothing was a painful reminder of his situation. "Thank you, Greer.... honestly. It means a lot - and from your volunteering of information about the mosquitos not being the right species... well, we knew we could trust you. Even if you did think you were with the scientists...." He gave a small smile. Matthewt3hd0rk Matthew paused as the Dude walked past him, a feeling of slight dread and confusion welling up at the beach bum's words. He took careful heed of the warning, and walked into the room, treading quietly. This was definitely one of those 'proceed with caution' situations. Even the air felt thick with an ill-at-ease sort of quality to it. He couldn't really see much of the room, wondering why he'd been told not to panic, and why it was so dark. Had Ambrose gotten hurt somehow? The sudden lamplight chased away not only the dark, but also the confusion as to what was the matter. Matthew stared for a moment, letting his eyes readjust to the light, and then for another moment after that. His brain was doing frantic cartwheels trying to piece together what it was seeing just now; at the surreality of the situation before him. Though he'd only seen Ambrose one short time, he could definitely tell the man looked... well. Look at him. 'Different' was one of many words racing through his mind at the moment. With a suddenly rather dry feeling in his mouth, he spoke quietly in disbelief. "Ambrose.. is that... is that fur?" Greer Cassenwari Greer stepped back, sighing. "I thought I was too, but solely in a bug collecting compacity. And I suppose even that was a lie..." It might not be! screamed a large, worried part of her brain. No, no, deal with your own issues later. Be all solid and apparently competent for your friend now. Eee! She had a friend! Anyway. Turning to Mattheew, she nodded. "Looks like it. We have some developements in our concerns about this island. Could you help?" Ambrose Maurlias If Ambrose felt like he was under the spotlight before, it was even worse now with the lamp on and with Matthew's stunned exclamation. A ball seemed to drop into the pit of his stomach and sink. "I.... I... well... I'd really like to say it's... maybe... thick hair?" It was more of a justification. Ambrose didn't buy it wasn't actually fur more than Matthew did, especially with what he knew of his other new "attributes". "They...." he shook his head, repeating almost verbatum what he had said moments before Matthew's arrival to Greer, re-emphasizing his concern about what could have been injected in him to DO this. The lies, and wondering about whether or not they would in fact let him leave, and... then the othery mysterious injections the rest of the people had been receiving - comparing it to Greer's mosquito discovery. "Matthew - you mentioned they told you they were doing genetics work? Do you know anything about that?" His tone was pleading - he needed answers, and the fear, despite the amount he was trying to cover it, was still there. Matthewt3hd0rk Matthew turned to Greer, nodding in stunned silence. "I don''t know what I can do personally, but I''ll help as much as I can." He listened to Ambrose, his hand raising subconciously to slightly cover his mouth. His own problems of the morning had very quickly been forgotten, in light of this new information. Well, one thing was for sure. He couldn''t denounce the conspiracies. Something was definitely going on that shouldn''t be, and here he''d wandered smack dab in the middle of it. They were definitely being lied to. And Matt had a feeling that this was only the tip of the iceburg... Urk. Had he.. had he mentioned the genetics work? He must have let it slip at some point the other day; and here Moreau had told him it was secretive stuff. Not like that man deserved to have any of his secrets kept, if this was the result. "I''m pretty sure that''s what... that''s what Moreau told me." He paused, swallowing. "I know a little, just general studies, but nothing near the level he must be working on for this... So this happened right after they gave you a second injection? When exactly was that?" Even if he didn''t know what had caused this, the inner drive to learn more, to gather information, was telling him to ask questions. Find out as much as possible about this, from how quickly it had worked, to... god, he didn''t know, he had no idea what he was dealing with. But if they started compiling information, maybe.. Well. Anything was better than just sitting about. He realized with a sickening jolt that, whatever was going on here, Ambrose was not going to be the only one involved... "Did you... by any chance... did you try calling the labs and asking?" Greer Cassenwari Supressing her worry, Greer's brain clicked smoothly back into scientist mode, the addition of a fellow studious person helping the transition emmensely. How on earth did other people function without a clinical autopilot? "We'll both help Ambrose, for as long as we're able." Maybe if she kept reminding herself she might change, she'd get used to the idea. Well, as long as she didn't loose the use of her hands, or become an insectivore or some other such hellish thing... Was she getting mildly excited about this change prospect? No, surely not. Research, that's what she needed! Her mind worked best when studying or solving problems. "Is there anything... practical I can do? Specific questions I can answer?" she looked at both men when she asked this, hoping at least one would give her something to do so she could avoid thinking about all the new and frightening things that were happening. Ambrose Maurlias Ambrose sat back, thinking. "I was given the second the day before yesterday. Yesterday afternoon is when all of this began. I was initially injected around ... eleven... twelve days ago?" "So they are doing some sort of genetic manipulation research..." The term "gentic manipulation" ran shivers down his spine, to his embarrassment setting the fur along his back and shoulders on end. Ambrose snorted at the final question. "That's the first place I turned. I got a hold of Dr. Lockheart.... but she... she.. she laughed" he steamed "Can you believe that?! I told her what had happened and she didnt' seem surprised. In regards to the fur hair she said that "increased hair growth" was a possible side effect. And when I told her I had grown a tail she GIGGLED! she sounded PLEASED about that fact. And I swear she was flirting with the Doctor himself in the background during our conversation! And then - even better - she cut me off!" He huffed, and then tried to even out his breathing as he looked apologetically to the two of them. "I'm sorry... I honestly am.. this ... this just seems so positively unreal... and... and goddamnit I don't want to be like this!" He turned fully to Greer. "You technically work for them, right? You're collecting bugs for their medicine? Do you think they'd talk to you? Tell you what they're doing - are... are they done with me...? Will they actually let us leave... or... do they intend on..." he swallowed hard "continuing it even past this. Maybe you're not a part of this..." He hoped it was true. Matthewt3hd0rk Matthew shrugged helplessly at Greer. He had no idea where to start, what to do... more information was needed. Hmm... nearly two weeks since Ambrose had gotten here. Were they going to wait that long for all of them? Would there be an all of them, or was it just because Ambrose had purposefully signed up for the study? Matthew didn't know. But whatever it was they'd done to the other man... well. It was definitely genetic on some level, he couldn't think of anything that would cause those kinds of effects so rapidly. Hair growth was one thing, but things like his ears? His longer teeth? His eyes narrowed upon hearing of the lab's reaction. He hadn't met this Aubrey, but he could hardly believe that any human being would react so carelessly towards someone in Ambrose's situation. It was crazy! "She actually laughed? It definitely sounds like she knows what's going on, then. I wonder... I wonder just how much of Moreau's staff is involved?" Matthew thought back to Sabin, greeting him on the beach. It was hard to think someone so nice could be involved in such a thing, whatever it was; but then, humans could be wonderfully skilled actors when they needed to be. Looking to Greer, he nodded at Ambrose's comment. "If they'd talk to you... if we can get any sort of outside information, any at all... it might help. The more we've got to work with, the greater chance we've got of figuring out something." He was trying very hard not to think of himself as part of this increasingly bad situation. But the more he tried not to think about it, the more he realized that his fate was just as tied up here as anyone else that had been lured to the island. It was definitely not a comforting feeling. Greer Cassenwari For the love of- was there a sign on her back that said "I know how to talk to people", or was it just written on her forehead? More socializing? Meep! "I'll... I'll track her down. Right now. I'll get you answers Ambrose, no matter what it takes." It was a lie, a pure, stinking lie, but for some unexplainable reason Greer was ready to say anything just then to make her friend feel better. There was very little possibility that Aubrey would talk to her, as nice as the woman had been. Greer simply didn't have the social skills to charm information out of anyone, never mind the pants off. Smiling determinedly at both men, she gave Ambrose's shoulder a hopefully sympathetic squeeze and excused herself to go off on her mission. Pity she ran home before going to look for Aubrey on the personal pretense of wanting to get some facts in order before confronting the cheery lab assisstant. Instead, she locked her door and sat her desk, resting her head in her hands. My god. She had people relying on her now! And she was going to let them down because she was Greer Cassenwari, and wasn't capable of anything else. She would have prefered to sprout fur and fangs any day.
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Posted: Fri Sep 02, 2005 11:07 am
Never once in all her years had Greer found it difficult to fall asleep. When stressed she found unconsiousness faster than on good days, disappearing blissfully into the oblivion of night and waking fresh and early to tackle the new day. When her father had died twelve years ago, she'd slept for days. One little request from her first friend, though, and her eyes wouldn't shut. Lying on her bed in the darkness, she glanced at her desk clock. 3:42 a.m. She was going to be here all night. She hadn't talked to Aubrey yet, like Ambrose had asked. She hadn't even made the most basic attempt to contact the woman. She wanted to say that it was because she lacked social skills and was afraid of saying the wrong thing, which she did and was, but it was more her fear of what Miss Aubrey might say about Greer's own situation that frightened her. She'd been avoiding thinking about what all these lies and strange happenings might mean about her own situation on the island as long as she could, but as the night ticked away and sleep didn't come there was little else to contemplate. They couldn't really have lied to her, could they? All her life - well, all her life that she remembered, anyway. It was entirely possible that during those blurry pre-age-three years she had had a different life goal - she had wanted to be a field entomologist. It was the end-all be-all of her existance, and every last thing she had ever done was in pursuit of that dream. Even her fencing and archery had been part of journey towards field entomology. They'd made her well-rounded enough to get into college and had kept her in good physical shape for an active job. She'd worked five years with the dead for goodness sake! Was it any wonder then, that when Dr. Moreau's letter had come, inviting her to compete for the exact life she had always wanted for herself, that she'd jumped at the chance? Quit her hated job, packed up her tiny apartment, and kissed her mother good bye? Her mum had understood, in her own way, although the two of them had never really made enough sense to each other to get along properly. Her mother would miss her, of course, but she'd had a new family to nuture ever since Greer had left high school, and they would keep her well. She'd never begrudged her mum her new life, on the contrary, she'd been happy for it. She knew she was not the kind of daughter her mother needed, to quiet and solitary. So no matter what happened to her on this lost island, her last bit of family would be taken care of and loved. Good. Snuggling further under her blankets, Greer shivered. She was avoiding the real question again. Did this mean the promise of her dream job was a lie? There was no team, no expedition? But they'd been letting her work on the island, to the point of giving her supplies without even needing to really be asked. Surely that wasn't the sign of a lie. Yes, they'd lied to Ambrose clearly enough, and to Matthew, and perhaps even to the Dude, but had they lied to her yet? Had they? She'd been doing field research for nearly two weeks straight, and had never been happier. She'd even managed to make her first friend, and might even be well on her way to making her second. How could all that come from a lie? Not that she was the one to really understand all this - lies had never made much sense to her, beyond natural insect camoflauge. Either something was or it wasn't. Why try to pretend the opposite of facts? Lies, camoflauge, mimicry... it all reminded her of the big test halfway through the first year of her graduate entomology program. There had been two hundred pictures of insects on a stack of papers, and everyone had been forced to sit in the testing room until the labeled each picture with common name, latin name, and place of origin. It'd been tough - there are a number of flies that try to look like bees, wasps, and ants, and very nearly succeed. She'd been the only member of the class to get every single answer right. It wasn't that suprising - she'd had all of the examples memorized by the time she was eleven. Life long goals can be so helpful sometimes! The point, though, is that it made her remember all the tests she'd had to pass and hoops she'd had to jump through just to get a degree, let alone a job. So, maybe, this was all a test. Well, not all a test, as she couldn't dismiss Ambrose's distress or the Dude's worry, but maybe her section was a test. To see how well she could work under highly stressful situations. How well she could bond with teammates. There was, after all, far more to being a field entomologist than just being able to recognize every insect on the planet by sight. That's why she'd failed to be picked up by any of her professors in the first place. A test was a soothing thought. Greer knew how to deal with tests. Yes, that's what it was, at least for her. A trial. An exam. Which she would pass of course, like she always did. She had always been very good with tests. Her mind finally at ease, the young woman sighed, rolled over, and drifted off to sleep. The question of how to locate Aubrey would have to be a question for the daylight of tomorrow.
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