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 Posted: Wed Sep 13, 2006 2:21 pm
Can you imagine trying to swim through tar? Tommy sure can. He's had a lot of practice lately. Well, I guess swimming through tar isn't the perfect metaphor...how about climbing out of a steep, muddy pit? Yeah, that's more like it. whichever metaphore you use, though, it's basically what Tommy has been going through every few days. What between shocks into unconsciousness, malnourishment, and fights with a walking shark...I guess it's not hard to see why. Tommy's eyes blink open once, twice...ah dang...he slipped back into the mud again. Let's try again in a few minutes, eh? There we go...yeah, that's it Tommy...find some purchase, keep conscious...aaaaannnnd....awake! A groan escapes the bruised and battered man's lips as he finally finds purchase in the muddy landscape of his mind. He blinks up at the sky a few times before taking a gander at his surroundings. Still on the beach...figures...where's Alec? I hope he's okay...I don't think I hurt him too bad... He winces slightly when he tries to prop himself up with his left arm. He blinks at the heavy bandage adorning his left shoulder. Geuss I know who to thank for that rat thing back up in the mountain now...I...wait...what the...? Oh that sunofabitch! Tommy spots the batman bandaid covering a small scratch on his other arm. He can think of only one person here who has that kind of humor...and all Tommy can do is start laughing.
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Posted: Wed Sep 13, 2006 7:53 pm
Roleplay: Questions and answers Tommy and Maryke -------------------------------------- Maryke Jimenez
One of Maryke's favorite places to haunt was the beach. There was something calming about hearing the waves crash against the shore and feeling the warm sun on your skin, coupled with the nearby birdsong and it made for one hell of a way to relax. She especially loved this time of day as there weren't many people around. Thought she was wreary about even going NEAR the water after what happened to her. But hell, she wasn't going to let that b*****d screw over what little bit of solace she had.
So she walked, and kept walking until she neared the beach. That was when she stopped.
"Oh no, " she groaned seeing the body in the distance. And she just about jumped when it started to move around.
Tommy Christian Tommy just sits there, laughing to himself. At the moment he's wearing his filthy BDU pants, a tattered black t-shirt, and no boots (They're about ten feet away covered in sand). Tommy and Maryke have both changed some since their last meet, Tommy it seems for the worse. He has his back turned to Maryke at the moment, just digging the feeling of being alive. Maryke Jimenez
Get the ******** out now was the only thought that was running through her brain. It took her a moment to pinpoint who it was, but even with the new changest she could tell it was the guy she'd met a while back, and gotten drunk with. What was his name.....Tommy, that was it. Just WHAT was he turning into anyway? And that laughter.....she had to leave. She turned around to do so, but in the process she stepped on a wayward twig that must of made it's way to the sands. She turned around fast to make sure he hadn't heard.
Tommy Christian Tommy's sharp ears picked up the sound easily enough and his chuckling abruptly ceased. He glanced over in Maryke's direction. He grin lit his up on his face. He didn't care who it was. s**t, it could have even been Alec and Tommy would be glad to see them right now. He remembered Maryke alright, though. Not every day he had to carry a beautiful, unconscious woman back to his duplex. He lifts his spindly right hand and gives a wave in her direction. "Hey there!" he calls out. Maryke Jimenez
"Hey," she called back giving off a little wave of her own. She trudged over and quirked an eyebrow at his longer fingers. what the hell was he becoming?. "Need any help or something...?" she asked, looking from him to where he had been laying and then back again.
Tommy Christian Tommy catches the quirk and just gives a nervous chuckle as he looks down at his own hand. "Yeah...I know...vampire bat..." he says in a 'what can ya do?' way. He looks over Maryke a moment. It takes him a moment due to his lack of contacts, but finally he just nods a bit. He pushes off the ground with his good, right arm, obviously not trying to do anything with his left. It hurt like hell and the bandages covering his left shoulder didn't help any. "I...I dunno, I mean...you heard the announcement, right? Seems I'm on Moreau's s**t list." Maryke Jimenez
"Heard but it didn't reallly register....damn what'd you do to piss off the good doc?" she asked, reaching down and helping him up against her better judgment. Or helping him up as best as she could with her own injured shoulder. The wound still hadn't completely healed from where Billy had bitten her. Vampire bat? That made her fur bristle and stand on end slightly with just the thought. She wondered if he could smell or even sense the dried blood that was probably still under scar tissue. It made her sick to even think about.
Tommy Christian Tommy gratefully accepts the hand-up. With a wince due to his still broken ribs, he stands. His hand would feel frail under her grip. He couldn't smell the blood on her, but as he gets pulled up close to her he could swear he...he felt the blood rushing through the arteries in her neck. He shakes his head a bit to try and dismiss the feeling. "Well...I...uh...I tried to kill him..." he says, nodding to himself. "Yeah...didn't work out too great though. But I guess holding his fiancee hostage'll do that." Maryke Jimenez
She helped him until could stand on his own and then she moved away. There was something about the way he was looking that made her a little unnevered, but was it was probably the shock of seeing his latest change. "You held his fiancee hostage?" she repeated, her eyebrows raised. She wished she had payed closer attention to that announcement, deciding that it must have been important. Was he dangerous or something? Was SHE in danger?
"Word to the wise, don't go for the throat unless you know you've got the kill," she said, wondering how he could have been so foolish. She may not have known about the island happenings, but she knew how dirty was played.
Tommy Christian Tommy rubs his forehead with a spindly hand. Darkness creeped up on the edge of his vision. He takes a few deep breathes and it cleared up. "Yeah...I know...I had everything thought out too, you know? Found out all of the doctor's tactics from the other islanders...You heard about the knockout thing, right? Found a way around it too...turns out he had something hidden up his sleeve though. Something no one knew about," he says glancing between the ocean and Maryke. "So...here I am..." Maryke Jimenez
She looked at him a few beats, he looked, well hurt to say the least, but she was more interested in what he had to say then what state he was in. "Knockout thing.....? I'm vaguely aware," she said remembering how Billy had been knocked unconscious when he had bitten her. Well that certainly didn't suprise her. This was like a ******** zoo, of course Moreau wanted to control the locals. "Which was....?" she asked, deeply interested, "What did you find out? And what did he have hidden?" She wanted to know more, this was much too intruiging for the madam.
Tommy Christian Tommy looks back at Maryke, the now gaunt-looking bat-man obviously in none too good of shape. His face grows serious though as he continues to talk about his attempt on Moreau's life. "That's what the hostage was for. I created a situation where if my accomplice or I got knocked out, it would more than likely caused the death of his fiancee...pretty much we jabbed her with a syringe full of drain-o. If the one holding it passed out, then there was a good chance that he would disturb the plunger and pump her full of poison..." He says, looking down at the sand as he remembers it all. "Well, here comes Moreau, looking cocky as all hell, right? He gives this spiel about how if we let her go we wouldn't get in too much trouble...well I of course thought I was holding all the cards so I told him to go blow it out his a**, right? Next thing I know he says something like 'everyone freeze' and everyone literally does. Seriously, I couldn't move a damn inch to save my life...much less stop Moreau from coming over, pushing me down, and breaking a few ribs with a coupl'a well placed kicks. So not only can he make us passout with a word, but he can also cause complete paralysis." Maryke Jimenez
Maryke visibly flinched at that. Giving her one more reminder that she was royally ******** her. She had once thought she could rule it all, that the cards were in her hand and they were all aces. But, leave it up to her luck to screw her over. Maybe somewhere deep down inside she still thought she could manage to slide out of this situation, but by and by reality was beginning to set down. And it was not a pretty sight.
"So why didn't he just kill you?" she asked, ignoring how sickly he looked to get more information out of him.
Tommy Christian "Why? Dunno, probably the same reason my arm's patched up. I mean, what they're doin' to us can't come cheap, right?" he says, his speech coming a bit slurred now. He rubs his forehead again. "s**t...but he sure wants me to suffer, that's fer damn sure...I got busted ribs, a ******** up lung, torn up shoulder, 'n I haven't eaten in what...three...four days now? But lemme tell you, I think killin' me is the last thing on the sick b*****d's mind." Tommy shakes his head again. Memories of parade practice back at the Academy float to the surface. That feeling of standing in the hot sun at attention for an hour straight...he's starting to get that feeling again. Tommy slowly eases himself down to the ground. He puts out his left arm to support this, but he immediately regrets that decision. With a swift intake of breath and a "********!" he gingerly rubs his shoulder. Maryke Jimenez
She nodded, learning all she could from him. "Yeah you look....pretty ******** up." She haltered for a moment. She had no idea how to help him and even if she did, with the way he told the story and what Moreau had done to him there was bound to be repercussions on HER if she did help him. And who knows to what extent. Maryke was no fool. She might be at risk even talking to him. As soon as that thought made its way into her head she looked around, breathing a sigh of relief when no one was around them.
At his brief outburst she frowned. "Yeah you should.....go get that checked," she said rubbing her own shoulder banadges subconsciously. "Look, Tommy I've love to stay and chat but...." she nodded her head off towards the path she had come from. "I've got to get going.. See you around.."
Yes, rather then help herself the madam was much more interested in saving her own a**. She could hope that Tommy would be okay, but knowing that she would be outwieghed anything that might happen to him. Least in her mind anyway. With that she gave the tiniest little wave and hurried off.
Tommy Christian Tommy blinks a few times, the world starting to spin around him. He can only distantly hear Maryke's excuse to leave him, having a strange sense of deja vu...but wasn't it her who passed out last time? And...he helped her...? Strangely enough though, he was fine with this. Who would want to help a poor wretch like me? Ah well...hopefully this time I won't wake up... Tommy thinks to himself as he lays back down in the sand and closes his eyes.
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Posted: Tue Sep 19, 2006 5:03 pm
Roleplay: The old man and the sea...er...bat Tommy and Sid -------------------------------------- Tommy Christian Tommy looks like hell. There's not much else one could say here. He just looks like hell. He's lost about twenty five pounds since the start of his exile, which has left extremely skinny. He's got a dirty and bloody bandage covering his left shoulder with his left arm in a makeshift sling made from what was left of his shirt. And at the moment he's creeping through the jungle, ears perked, looking for a juicy rat to suck dry. It's been what, a week now? With little to no food...how come I'm still standing? I should be dead by now... He glances down at the batman bandaid still affixed to his right arm. Yeah, well...thanks Sabin...I guess.Sid Eisley Sid was in search of something else entirely, namely a few good pieces of wood to try and carve. He had his knife in his right hand, though it was sheathed on the off chance that he might stumble across something. It was slow going with his cane, and worse than that he hadn't come across any viable branches. It occurred to him- too late, as always- that he could have just seen what he could get from the village, but he'd never tried working with... whatever kinds of trees grew on the island. He had no idea about plants, he just needed something new to work with- to distract himself with. The search, for the time being, was keeping his thoughts off things nicely. Tommy Christian Tommy's head perks up at the sound of something struggling through the underbrush. A mouse...a rat? Ohhh, maybe even a rabbit! he thinks to himself as his mouth starts to water. He creeps up and leans against a tree to peek around the other side. His vision doesn't even pick up the old man walking toward him. His ears and eyes are fully intent on whatever phantom sound he may have heard. His eyes wild and mouth slightly agape, he stares around intently at the ground. Sid Eisley A misplaced foot produced a loud snap as a twig snapped. Sid glanced down, but it was too much to hope it was something he could use. Just as he put his cane down to step ahead, he caught a glimpse of someone nearby, someone busy staring at the ground. He felt slightly better for not being the one caught off guard this time around, but he still kept his distance. "Uh... Hey?" he called over. Tommy Christian Tommy snaps his head up and stares at Sid for a moment. He squints his eyes before looking back to the ground, "Be vewy vewy quiet...I'm huntin' wabbit..." he chuckles to himself before turning a large ear in the direction of the ground. He kneels down on one knee, wincing as he does so, and places a spindly hand on the ground. After a moment of considering God knows what, he stands, looking dissapointed. "...Well s**t..." The wild look in his eyes begins to fade as he seems to see Sid for the first time. And immediately looks extremely embarassed. "Um...hi there..." Sid Eisley He leaned his weight on to his cane, and just barely caught himself from falling as it turned out it wasn't quite on even ground. With as much dignity as he could muster, he placed it upon level ground. His eyes lingered on Tommy's hands as he gave him the once over, but with a little effort he managed to focus on his face. "Bad hunting?" he asked. Tommy Christian Tommy readjusts the sling for his left arm, grimacing as he moves his shoulder a bit. "You could say that," he says a bit too quickly. He notes the look toward his hands, and being ever self-conscious about them, he moves his right hand behind him. The ex-cadet takes a few steps foreward, his busted up military boots crunching on a twig. "Name's Tommy...um...Tommy Christian. I take it I'm not the first one you've seen then?" He takes a moment to wonder just when he started to consider himself one of "them." Was it that long ago where he claimed vehemently that he would never be 'one of them?' Sid Eisley "More like the... s**t, I lost count, but no, you're not." He tried leaning on his cane again with better results, but it was hard to recover after the slip. "I'm Sid." Tommy's condition made him wonder- and the speculation was written all over his face- but he kept quiet for the time being. Wouldn't do to plunge right into the unpleasant questions, same with assumptions. Tommy Christian "Oh okay, not so new then. Heh...wonder how long it's been fer me..month? Two months? Too damn long that's fer sure...too damn long in this hellhole of a jungle. You know how hard it is to catch a rabbit with broken ribs and one arm? Heh, lemme tell you...not eating for four...five? I dunno...a while...yeah, that'll do that to you..." Tommy pauses in mid sentence and just looks haunted for a moment, "I...I'm sorry, I'm rambling...It's...it's just hard to think straight with all this going on..." Tommy shakes his head and seems to see Sid again for the first time, "You alright there?" he asks, nodding toward the cane. Sid Eisley At the question of the cane Sid looked down at it. His head jerked back, his eyes went wide. "Good god!" he gasped. "Where did this come from?" He looked down at his leg, went so far as to feel the knee. "Oh Jesus, my leg... It's... it's..." he drew in a shaky breath, as though he were hyperventilating. When he exhaled, his mock-horror evaporated. "It's been like this for months." He glared at Tommy. "So, by extension, I get by." He shook his head, regretting his own reaction to the question. "But enough about that... I'm assuming you're not out here for your--" Sid paused midsenetence as it hit him. "Wait a sec- you're in the same boat as Jaws Jr, aren't you? Pissed off the establishment?" Tommy Christian Tommy's face broke out in a grin, albiet a dirty and unshaven one...but still a hint of levity made all the difference to Tommy. He didn't care if it was in anger or not. It was still sarcasm, and that was all that mattered to Tommy. "Oh yeah, that sumbitch. Took a nice chunk out of my shoulder...the a*****e," he mutters, before shaking his head and looking back to Sid. "But yeah, old man. We..."pissed off the establishment" right and good. So good, in fact, that they thougt it'd be a wonderful idea to stick me out here without anything to eat for the past...what...two weeks? And keep in mind they did this knowing damn good and well I'm on a strict..er...liquid diet...Vampire bat and all that..." He grins and begins to chuckle in an almost manic manner. Sid Eisley "Really..." he said, the half-statement blanketing all of what Tommy had said. It seemed odd the kid he'd met would be capable of that, but then again he was a shark- or becoming one- or however you were supposed to refer to it. The vampire bad revelation was almost enough to make him back away, but at the same time it was probably a bad idea to show any sign of fear that blatantly. He cast a rueful glance down at his legs before making an attempt to continue the conversation. "But they wouldn't let you starve out here, would they?" he asked. He sucked at looking on the bright side, and it bled through in his tone. Tommy Christian Tommy squats down and leans against the tree, feeling a bit faint for a brief moment. He grins, "Oh yeah, don't piss off shark boy...I'm living proof, eh? But that's what I get for letting the poor b*****d down, I guess..." "Starve? Hah! You've got no ********' clue how hungry I am right now...they'd let me starve alright...but die? Nah, never! We're all too important to them as 'research' to just sit back and let us die. Nah, they've been coming in the middle of the night...giving me injections of something I think. Enough to keep me tickin' yaknow? But not enough to ease the fact that I'm ******** starvin'." Sid Eisley "That really sucks," he said, glancing to a rough path nearby. He was seriously considering making a break for it, but that would be as rude as it was pointless. The thought struck that he might end up some kind of prey animal, which would suck even more. But for the time being, he tried to give a reassuring smile to Tommy to mask what he was considering. "Well... You'll get the hang of it, I'm sure," he said. "Just takes patience, right?" Tommy Christian Tommy notices the glance toward the path, and the quickly hidden mask of fear. The only reason he knew it was due to the fact that he did the exact same thing before his first change. Tommy just looks down at the ground, suddenly extremely tired, looking much older (though not as old as Sid) than he really was. Tommy looks toward the path Sid was glancing at, and seriously considers making it easy on the old man and just walking off. His only arguement against that plan of action was that he would have to get up. And right now he knew that if he did, it would only result in the bat-man passing out. "Dude...look at me...my ribs are busted, I can only move one arm without excruciatng pain, and my lung may or may not still be punctured. I think I'm far past 'getting the hang of it.'" He sighs, and winces from the deep breath. "Listen...you're probably thinking I want to eat you right now or something," he says while rolling his eyes, "Hell, God knows I'd probably think that too if I saw me...but right now...God...I'm just...I'm just so tired." Sid Eisley Sid gave himself a mental kick for letting the slip. "Whoa, hold on a sec, you got the wrong idea, man. I thought I saw something over there. I mean, there's no telling what's out here, but... Ah, you probably know that better than I do." The lie sounded convincing enough, or so he hoped. He would have laid it on even thicker if what Tommy said hadn't sunk in. "Wait, ribs?" He said, looking shocked. "That kid did all that to you? Holy hell." Tommy Christian Tommy wasn't sure if the guy was telling the truth or not. Maybe he was just getting paranoid...letting the idea of himself as a monster get too large of a hold in his mind. But whether he was lying or not, Tommy really just didn't care at the moment. He may have before, but right now...well, apathy is becoming his bliss. "Alec? Nah...all Alec did was try to bite my shoulder off...Moreau...the good Doctor Moreau that sonofabitchratbastard...did this thing where he made me 'n Alec's nervous systems freeze up. 'n while I was frozen on the ground, helpless, he punted me in the ribs about four times. Broke a couple 'a them...think my right lung got punctured too, not sure though...all I know is that it still hurts to breath." Tommy's blinks a few times as he gets the sudden image of Sid's arteries pulsing through his neck. He shakes his head to clear this troubling image. Sid Eisley Sid was taken aback by the idea of Tommy getting the s**t kicked out of him by one of the doctors, not mention the talk of freezing up. He was so taken aback he didn't notice the look Tommy gave him. "That is so ******** up..." he murmured. Tommy Christian "Yer tellin' me..." He mutters. He shakes his head again as blackness creeps onto the edge of his vision. All this talking has really sapped the energy out of him. Sid could probably almost see him get paler. "But...that's life here...I guess..." He blinks hard, trying to stay conscious. "Hey uh...you...you got a name there? I'd hate to keep callin' you old man, and I doubt if you'd like to be called 'gramps'...which is what I'm about to call you soon." Sid Eisley "Ah, well in that case." He smirked. "I'd hate to have to hurt a man in your condition," Sid's tone was a little too jovial for the threat to seem sincere. "Sorry I didn't say before, name's Sid... And have I mentioned you don't look so good?" He risked taking a step closer. "To the point where asking if you're okay seems kinda pointless." Tommy Christian Tommy gives a weak grin of his own, "Yeah, I get that a lot," he says in response to the jovial threat. "But umm..yeah...Hey Sid...name's Tommy...did...did I already say that? Huh..." he shakes his head and shrugs. "And I don't feel too good. Can't think straight...'n I pass out more and more lately...sometimes I wish they'd just let me die...yaknow? It'd make things easier on everybody I think..." his head lolls from side to side as he talks, like he's having trouble keeping it steady. Sid Eisley Sid winced. He wasn't exactly inclined to be the doting type, but if Tommy somehow died anyway he'd hate for it to some how come back to him thanks to negligence. "Hey," he said. Concerned as he was, he didn't want to move closer. "Hang in there, okay? I... uh... s**t, I don't know what I can do." His thoughts went back to the warning Alec gave him, making him worry if trying to help Tommy would mean the same trouble. Tommy Christian Tommy blinks a few times, the fog of his mind clearing a moment. "Nah...don't worry 'bout me...can't let you help anyway, I just like bitchin'," he says with a tired grin, "It's a uh...a stress reliever fer me..." "'sides...you heard the warnin', right? Help me'r Alec 'n ye get the boot...can't have that, can we? Nah...anyway...I already told ye: they won't let me die." He points a spindly digit at the batman bandaid on his right arm. "This proves it," he says with a laugh. "That b*****d Sabin's not gonna let me kick the bucket out here, even if I tried." "Yeah, there's not much you can do fer 'ol Tommy...they want me to suffer out here...and whelp...here I am." Sid Eisley Sid opened his mouth, then closed it as his first choice of reassuring words was censored as too stupid. He opened it again, closed it, and wondered what the hell you could say to that? "Sorry," he said. That was close enough. He thumbed over his shoulder at the way he'd come from. "I should probably go," he said sheepishly. "I'm not exactly of much use here, anyway... I really am sorry." Tommy Christian Tommy looks up at Sid with genuine gratitude in his eyes, "Hey man...you're the first person I've talked to in more than a week...you've done more for me here than the majority of those other bastards out there..." he says while nodding in the direction of the village. "So...thanks man...really." Sid Eisley Sid nodded, still feeling guilty and turned. "Yeah, well... I'll see ya around, in any case. Take care." And with that he slowly walked back the way he came. He could look for materials later, once he was a good distance away. Tommy Christian Tommy watched the old man walk away. It was nice to talk to a human...a real human for once. He can only hope that he'll meet others like him sometime in the near future or else he fears he may just go completely batty. He decides to just lay there for the time being until either his strength returned, or he drifts off into familiar unconciousness.
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Posted: Thu Sep 21, 2006 6:23 pm
You awaken back in your duplex, safe and secure. There is food sitting on a nearby table with a note signed by Dr. Moreau himself. "I hope you enjoyed your camping trip. Don't do anything like that again... this is my warning. Welcome back."
An announcement follows shortly "Mr. Christian and Mr. Bloodstone have been allowed back into the village with the rest of you. I hope you'll welcome them back and advise them and remind them what a mistake it was to abuse my generosity in the first place."
"Mr. Derring on the other hand, is still under the same restrictions that I placed previously. Do not aid him, unless you want to end up like him." the voice cuts off after that.
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Posted: Thu Sep 21, 2006 6:27 pm
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Posted: Sun Sep 24, 2006 8:03 pm
Roleplay: V8 the other blood Tommy and Seth -------------------------------------- Tommy Christian Tommy sits at a table in the chow hall just digging life. He's got a bottle of V8 in his right hand, while his left is still set up in a makeshift sling (though he has recently removed the dirty bandages). While the bat-man still looks thin and malnourished, he's got some color back into his cheeks as he regains his health. He leans back in his chair and places a well-worn boot on the table. Seth Callaghan Seth was bored. He could not deny this at all. He had been bored for a number of days now and had been like this even before he made the phone call to Sabin about his departure from the island. The fact that he was stuck here longer did not help in the slightest. He wanted his internet back. He wanted to be anywhere but here.
He could change one thing about his current fate though, and that was his hunger. He wandered the well worn path from his duplex to the cafeteria area once again, his trusty laptop under one arm. Even if he could not connect to the internet with it, he could still write comments on a Notepad file, and small things like that.
He wandered towards the food serving area, promptly choosing out a steak and some fries. When he turned around to find a seat, he noticed somebody he had not seen before. A very strange looking male, who looked very skinny and had... really weird fingers. Another member of this "project" that Sabin was talking about, perhaps?
The man wandered over to the table, looking down at him, managing a friendly grin despite the fact he couldn't help finding himself staring longer than usual at those fingers.
"G'day there," He began, grinning. "I've never seen you around here before. You're new?" Tommy Christian Tommy looks up from his V8 enduced euphoria to see Seth studying him, and his distended fingers. Though still more than a little self-conscious about them, he was in too good a mood to let a little staring bother him. Tommy looks over Seth a moment and says with an amiable grin, "Hey there, guy...new? Heh...I dunno...what do you mean by new? Most people 'round here can tell how long a person's been imprisoned here just by how they look...But me? a'coupl'a months, I'd say." Tommy looks over Seth once more, checking to see if the man had any changes he had missed...nope. "You though...you look like you're fresh off the boat...or helicopter as I guess the case would be." Seth Callaghan "A couple of months?" Seth frowned, taking a seat across from him at the table, dropping his plate down on it with a loud clatter. "Bloody hell mate, if I was stuck here that long, I'd go absolutely bonkers for sure."
He nodded his head as Tommy spoke of the helicopter. "Yeah, I rode over here on it quite recently. But I'm not here long. I just delivered a package off to the labs here, and I'll be on my way again soon. I was going to be gone before the weekend, but there's been some storms brewing up around the sea as of recent, and it's delayed my flight out. They'll call me when they're ready to ship me out again."
"I'm Seth by the way," He grinned, offering a hand out to shake his. "What's your name?" Tommy Christian "Yeah well...I think you're right about that," Tommy says to Seth in regards to the 'bonkers' bit. He didn't want to tell him outright that he'd tried to kill Moreau...because strangely enough, he now felt that not all the islanders would be as...apreciative as he once thought they would be. "Name's Tommy, Tommy Christian," he says while shaking Seth's hand. Even though his fingers were spindly, his palm was pretty much unchanged. It would just feel...a bit frail. Tommy ponders over what the man had said for a moment, and finally after an extended brain fart it clicked just what was wrong with it. "Not here for long...? So...waitwaitwait...You mean that they're letting you go back home?" He asks, a bit warily and excited at the same time. Seth Callaghan Seth shook his hand, surprised by how normal it felt. He moved his hand away after the friendly exchange was done, and picked up a fork to start impaling some fries with it.
"Yeah, sure sounds that way. They're letting me go back home as soon as the weather clears up properly out at sea. I didn't think there were many storms around here, but there has been some cloud activity over the weekend." He stopped for a moment, picking up on Tommy's tone of voice. "I'm just a delivery guy afterall. I'm not part of the project that's going on here. And boy I can tell you, I've seen some pretty weird stuff." Tommy Christian Tommy looks extremely confused for a moment. Just what the hell kind of place did he think this was? "Uh...wait...you...you do know what they're doing here...right? They turn people...into animals...against our will. I'm not sucking down V8 because I want to, you know (which was actually quite a lie). And I don't look like this 'cause I was born that way..." he says while holding up his deformed hands. His visage begins to turn cold as he thinks he realizes just what kind of person Seth is...the kind who's been working for Moreau for a while and has done absolutely nothing about it. Seth Callaghan Seth raised an eyebrow at Tommy's sudden attitude change. Was he jealous? Or angry? The man sighed, not knowing what to say about that, not knowing any words of sympathy he could give.
"I saw a man that was half frog, the poor guy looked scared to death. What this place is doing is completely immoral." Seth said firmly. "But the problem is, if I go back to the mainland and try to blow the lid on this whole operation, the company is going to ensure I won't be able to do anything again. They'd probably break my kneecaps or something, or freeze my assets, or worse, have me and my family killed."
Seth looked quite glum and set his fork down, less interested in eating now.
"I want to do something, hell, when I leave, I'll have a crapload of money to make all kinds of differences. But if I blow the whistle on this operation, I'm pretty much done for."
He looked back at Tommy, a rather hopeless expression on his face. Tommy Christian Tommy just doesn't know what to say to that. On one hand he's furious at the complete selfishness of the man. But on the other? Well...they'd more than likely do just what Seth said, kill him. A corporation like this does not survive without the proper pull in both legitimate...and other more...darker shades of society. Tommy just sighs and shakes his head, "I...Jesus...I dunno what to say..." He expect this man to lay down his life so others may live. He was willing to do that, but from firsthand experience he knows that not all are able to. "Just uh...well make sure you don't go flaunting this information about to everyone...of us...that you meet. Not everyone's being changed into as peaceful of a creature as a frog...or a vampire bat," he adds hesitantly. Seth Callaghan "I can completely understand that..." Seth frowned. "Hell, if it were me, I'd be looking to attack the bastards that are running this joint." He shook his head in disgust. "There could be a few ways to dob them in. Perhaps an anonymous letter to some news station somewhere..."
"How many people are there on the island that are changing into animals, exactly?" Seth wondered. "I asked this kid called Marshall, and he didn't know. Both he, and this older guy called Sid were both accepting of the fact." He snorted. "I'm surprised nobody's done anything to try and take the lab techs down. If it were me, I'd be all over the place looking for ways to kill them." Tommy Christian "Well...from what I understand, the number of duplexes occupied is the number of subjects. I'm in 54, so there're at least that many," Tommy says after draining his bottle of V8. "You're looking at the only goddamn person out here who's had balls enough to try," he says with a smirk, "And you know what it got me? Almost a month out in the wilderness to slowly starve to death." Seth Callaghan "Damn, you already tried it?" Seth gave him a look of admiration. "Good on ya, though the being stuck out in the wilderness for a month isn't so good..."
"I'm in Duplex 65, but I'm not a subject," Seth said quickly. "I'm just here for another few days or so, Dr. Duvert said so. Anyway, I can't be part of the project. That kid showed me his needlestick injury from the labs, and I don't have one anywhere on me. I don't remember them injecting me either. And nothing's been said about it..." He paused again, looking rather unhappy, as if he was trying to assure himself.
"Besides, when I talked to Dr. Duvert about it, he said I'd be able to leave soon. He has no reason to lie about that, I helped him get what he wanted." Tommy Christian Tommy looks over Seth a moment after hearing this. Sabin was involved...s**t, that could mean anything. He's in a duplex...they're delaying his flight back...goddamn, he probably is one of us and just hasn't realized it yet. Poor b*****d."Yaknow...um...I never remembered getting stuck when I first got here..." he says slowly. He hates to try and break this to Seth, but what would be the use of delaying the lie? It'll just make the truth all that much harder to cope with. Better now than when he's writhing in pain from a transformation. "I got here by way of plane crash. I was on a hop to Aviano Air Force Base during the summer when something happened...I parachuted out 'n was lost at sea." Tommy shakes his head as he digs up these aweful memories. "I passed out for what I thought was for good after the third day or so. I woke up in my duplex, and you know who was the first person I saw? The good Dr. Duvert." Tommy looks over to Seth and then back to his V8 bottle, "He lied straight to my face about where I was. I had to find out what was going to happen to me the hard way." Seth Callaghan "What?" Seth blinked, stopping dead for a moment.
He looked quite confused and unhappy. He said nothing for several moments as he began to argue with himself in his mind.
"No..." Seth shook his head feverently. "Dr Duvert was really nice about it. Our transaction went smoothly and everything. He gave me a nice hotel room, and then when I called him up, he said the flight was delayed."
He shook his head again. "He wouldn't lie about something like that, would he? I... I'm not part of the project. I don't have a needlestick mark on me or anything. They would have said something, right?" Tommy Christian Tommy wasn't sure if he wanted to hit the man or not, but the quesiton altogether was washed away by Seth's reaction. The batman just sighed and shook his head, a look of pity on his face. Pity because he knew exactly what Seth was going through, "No. They wouldn't. They'd tell you exactly what you wanted to hear to keep you from causing any trouble. Sabin was the nicest of people when I first met him. But that man's a viper underneath the smile..." Tommy sighs again, trying to figure out how to word this, "Listen, I really hate to be the one to tell you this...but better now then the night of your first...well...yeah..." He looks at Seth in the eyes, trying to get him to meet his gaze, "You've got to start at least thinking that Sabin wasn't altogether truthful with you." Seth Callaghan Seth wasn't aware that Tommy was trying to meet his gaze. At that paticular point in time, he wasn't really aware of anything else. He was in a state of shock, disbelief, and more or less out of it.
"But.. I don't want to stay here! I've got stuff to be doing, I can't stay here for however long they feel like keeping me here for! That b*****d! If he lied to me, I'm going to... I don't know what I'm going to do." Seth was visibly trembling now. He rested his head in his hands. "I don't want to believe it, but... I'm not not going to believe it, that would be stubborn..."
He looked up at Tommy a few moments later, dazed.
"My first... what?" Tommy Christian Tommy looks down in thought for a moment as he tries to figure out how to best help Seth with the horrible notion that is the island. The guy looks like the businessman sort...well, maybe the kind that works for himself due to his appearance. But businessman nevertheless. "Well...think about it from their point of view and ask yourself some questions. One, how much money do they owe you? Two, is there a good chance for repeat business? Three, are there others like you out there that do what you do and won't ask questions? Four, are they absolutely positive you won't tell anyone what's going on here if you ever leave?" He says while counting off the questions on spindly fingers. Tommy just ignores his last question dealing with his first...what. He'll cross that bridge after those questions were answered. Seth Callaghan Seth lowered his head again as Tommy brought up the points, silently nodding. They were valid. Unnerving, strikingly unfair and very against him, but valid nonetheless.
"Well I guess they save money and their own asses if they keep me here, but... I don't want to be stuck here!" Seth realized that he was probably sounding like a broken record, or trying this other man's patience, but that didn't matter to him right now. "There has to be a way off. Maybe I could hijack the helicopter that brings people here, or something like that."
It was a stupid idea, and he knew it. He couldn't fly a helicopter! But at that point, he couldn't think of anything better. His thoughts were erratic, and the situation was looking more and more hopeless. Seth was quiet as he began to ponder in his mind just exactly what he would do with his time now.
"Damned if I'm going to be stuck here forever." He mumbled. "There has to be a way off, right?" Tommy Christian "Yeah well, you and me both man...but they don't give a s**t who they capture. They could just as easily have sent me back to the U.S. before I woke up. I wouldn't know anything, and they'd be off the hook. But no, instead they're trying to turn me into a blood-drinking monster," he tells Seth, trying to force it into his head that it doesn't matter what he wants. "Like I said though, you're looking at the one guy who tried to get outta here. And I like to think I'm brighter than the average bulb. It's just that this Moreau guy has all of his bases covered...all that I could think of anyway. And the one that I found open? Hell, he slammed that one closed on my face about as hard as afterward when he broke three of my ribs..." Tommy says with a sigh, his ribs still aching, "But...I dunno...don't make the same mistake I did, is all..." Seth Callaghan "Bloody hell..." Those were the only words Seth could utter for the next few moments that followed. He just looked back at Tommy, highly concerned with the news he had just told. "He broke three of your ribs? Ouch... what the heck did you do to warrant something like that?"
"I'll think of some way out.. there has to be some way out for sure. I wouldn't want to get my ribs broken, hell, that's just brutal. But there's probably something that they haven't covered in their security yet. Something, somewhere..." He muttered.
"Do you know when the next arrival comes in on the helicopter? Perhaps it could be hijacked. Doctor Duvert didn't look very guarded when I first arrived, he was the only one around actually. If he's ambushed and taken out, somebody could easily steal their helicopter from there. Or, I could climb over that massive high security fence that surrounded the Feral Labs building and sneak in somehow. There has to be something that we could do, nobody truly has all their bases covered."
He shook his head, his brow furrowing as he scowled. "No security is foolproof." Tommy Christian Tommy has begun to get a headache from the massive amount of deja vu he's experiencing. Jesus...I said those exact words...did I really sound like that? He pops open another bottle of V8 and drinks it down. "Well...this other guy and I held his fiance hostage. Made it so that they couldn't knock us out without first hurting her. That seemed to piss him off royaly. So when all was said and done, he decided to punt me four times in the ribs." "But...enough about that...first and foremost you've gotta realize that you're being watched 24/7 by the labs. They've got cameras everywhere. Pretty sure they can hear you too. So, finding a way around that is your first hurdle. Then worry about electrified fences, overpowering the helicopter pilot, and then learning how to fly said helicopter back to the mainland." Tommy Christian Tommy has begun to get a headache from the massive amount of deja vu he's experiencing. Jesus...I said those exact words...did I really sound like that? He pops open another bottle of V8 and drinks it down. "Well...this other guy and I held his fiance hostage. Made it so that they couldn't knock us out without first hurting her. That seemed to piss him off royaly. So when all was said and done, he decided to punt me four times in the ribs." "But...enough about that...first and foremost you've gotta realize that you're being watched 24/7 by the labs. They've got cameras everywhere. Pretty sure they can hear you too. So, finding a way around that is your first hurdle. Then worry about electrified fences, overpowering the helicopter pilot, and then learning how to fly said helicopter back to the mainland." Tommy Christian Goddamn...poor guy. I know just how he feels too. That feeling of complete and utter helplessness. You're only cling to sanity is a sliver of hope that somehow, someway, an opening will present itself...I wonder if this guy knows how to read sheet music...?"Hell, you find it, let me know, eh?" he tells the Aussie sadly, "But...s**t...yeah, I think I got close to 'em. Pissed 'em off enough to physically attack me, so yeah...pretty close." The bat-man looks up when Seth speaks to the unseen eye watching them, "Heheh...doesn't work. God knows I've tried it enough," he says after draining his second bottle of V8. Seth Callaghan "Hmph..." Seth settled down in his chair again, grumbling to himself. "If that doesn't work, I'll find something that does."
He spoke in a low voice to Tommy, not wanting to be heard by whatever recording/surveilance equipment was in the room and listening to them.
"I'll let you know if I find anything," He mumbled. "Perhaps you can help me out then, hmm?"
He slowly shook his head and sat up properly once more.
"We'll get the bloody bastards. I'm not spending my whole life as a prisoner trapped on a pissy little island." Tommy Christian "...you ever hear of something called the Code of Conduct for the Members of the Armed Forces of the United States? It's something we were foced to memorize during basic training...It's a code telling us what to do if we become captured...article three sticks out in my mind right now." Tommy clears his throat and looks Seth in the eye, "Article three: If I am captured, I will continue to resist by all means available. I will make every effort to escape and aid others to escape. I will accept neither parole nor special favors from the enemy....and I think we all know who the enemy is." Tommy looks down at his bottle once more before looking back up, "Hope that answers your question." Seth Callaghan Seth sat there and listened to Tommy as he spoke of Article Three from the Code of Conduct. He was silent for a few moments as he took it in, seeming pleased with what Tommy had said. The edges of his mouth upturning in a very slightly smile, the first genuine one he had made since he got there.
"Mmhmm, I think it most certainly does." He leaned back in his seat, nodding. "That's the spirit. And I think that settles it for me - either die free, or die in the attempt."
He slowly rose to his feet, picking up his laptop as he did so. He reached out to offer his hand to Tommy for another handshake.
"Well, it was good meeting you.. Tommy? Which room number are you in? I'll more than likely... contact you once I've figured something out." Tommy Christian Tommy stares down at his bottle for a moment, the other five articles flashing through his head. Because that's truly what he is right now, a prisoner. Maybe not of war as we normally see it, but a personal one. He looks up at Seth, that old determination back in his eyes. He shakes Seth's hand with his twisted own, "Tommy Christian...Duplex 54." Seth Callaghan "I'll remember that. Cheers, mate." Seth grinned as he broke contact with the handshake. "I'm in 65, my name is Seth Callaghan."
"I'll work something out, we basically have all the time in the world to do that. I know you probably don't exactly want to get beaten up again... I'll think of something so good, they'll not be able to do that. Because we'd be gone." He tucked his trusty ol' laptop under his left arm.
"Oh, I nearly forgot... about the project. What animal are you turning into?" He paused for a moment to glance back down at Tommy's fingers, feeling sorry for him. "The frog guy's animal was glaringly obvious, but I.. I can't think of an animal that, er... well." He didn't seem to want to finish the sentence, guessing that Tommy's changes were a touchy subject for him. He didn't want to lose a new friend so soon after making one.
"I'm planning not to turn into anything, myself." He added, quickly deflecting the subject to himself. "I'm hoping we can get out of here before the lab crazies get a chance to touch me again." Tommy Christian Tommy just listens to Seth for a moment. He grins and shakes his head, trying to wave off the uncertain feeling Seth was having. "A uh...bat...vampire bat," he says hesitatingly, "Wings haven't grown in yet...I guess." He splays his right hand, showing off the small wingspan he would have if he had the webbing. At the latter comment, his initial response would have been to tell him that those were his exact words a month or so ago. But...damnit, like he told Alec, hope was all they had. He just smiles sadly and nods, "Yeah, I hear you...lemme know when you get some stuff together, eh?" Seth Callaghan "A vampire bat? I don't think I've ever seen one of those before." He frowns for a moment, pondering what such an animal might look like. "Doesn't sound very friendly though."
He turned to head towards the door, raising a hand up as if to wave goodbye to Tommy. "You'll be the first one to know, apart from me anyway." He grinned back to him. "I'll keep you informed. Have fun there."
And with that, he stepped out the cafeteria area and headed back towards his duplex, intending to do some quality thinking time. Tommy Christian "Looks can be deceiving I guess...Anyway, yeah...take care, man. He raises his hand in a short wave as Seth exits the chow hall. At least I think they're friendly...goddamn I don't know anything about these bats...I think I saw an encyclopedia in the entertainment room...maybe I'll check there.Tommy sighs and stands before heading over to the buffet to grab a protein shake.
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Posted: Mon Sep 25, 2006 10:58 pm
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Posted: Mon Sep 25, 2006 11:18 pm
Finally, you were welcomed back into the duplexes and away from the miserable weather, near-starvation, and only your injuries to keep you company. However, your downtime since your return has been... cut short. It starts with vivid nightmares, and hunger that snaps you to join the land of the waking. It's not long after you awaken that the second change is upon you. Coarse, pricking hair appears in very small patches along your shoulders, back, and around your hips. Your fingers ache something fierce... and then before your eyes your already deformed hands become worse - the fingers growing longer... and longer. Meanwhile, your already thin frame only seems to become thinner - perhaps the mass necessary for your finger (and now ear) growth. Your legs become very thin, and you hear joints popping as your legs seem to push themselves strangely out to the sides. Your feet become even more bat-like, your big toe almost a servicable thumb now that your hands have become so ungainly. Your nose, which had become very slightly upturned during your last change now goes for broke, pushing up severely and flattening into an odd leaf-like shape. Two other teeth lengthen and join your front nosferatu-like chompers. All the while, your face widens and changes, becoming much more bat-like, although no fur or other masking features or features that would 'soften' the overall fugly bat-face grow in. But yet, after all is said and done, your ribs feel miraculously better.... 
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Sabin Duvert Vice Captain
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Posted: Mon Sep 25, 2006 11:45 pm
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Posted: Thu Sep 28, 2006 9:57 pm
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Posted: Thu Sep 28, 2006 9:58 pm
Richard Harrison After a shower and a change of clothing Richard felt much better. His duplex certianly wasn't what he imagined as the abode of persons undergoing hidious experimentations and mutations. Of course it could be all a joke but the needle marks in his arm and the decidely tender spot on his left bumcheek told him otherwise. Whatever the truth, the joke was certianly on Richard. A small part of Richard just wanted to curl on in the bed and never get up. It was fortunately a small part and the rest of Richard quickly over powered it and stuffed it in a locker in the back of his mind. Richard opened the door and was confronted by... Stairs. Richard frowned at the them for a bit, he was no cripple but moving his 350 pounds up or down them required enough effort to cause him to break out in a sweat. Sighing, Richard grabbed the handrail with one hand and started down, the boards creaking protests from his weight. Tommy Christian Tommy had been suffering, no doubt about that. His mind was in a daze from the recent change and he had no outlet for the thoughts bottling up in his head. This change was so much worse than the last one...everything was larger and twisted. Everything was clumsy. Walking was by far one of his biggest challenges at the moment. Due to his shifted hip position, he was more inclined to waddle than anything else. But pride got the better of him. Instead of trying to walk as his hips would want him to, he instead shuffled slowly around to keep a more 'normal' gait. Still wearing his jeans and boots from the other day (due to the loss in mass of his waist and legs, he constantly has to pull up his pants. Also his mutated feet are getting mighty sore in the boots, but he's afraid to take them off because he may never get them back on), he makes his way back from the town center. The only movement he sees is an older man having difficulty with stairs...and older human, anyway. Richard Harrison Richard was too busy trying to peer around his belly at where he was placing his feet to notice the creature that was watching him at first. Only when he reached the bottom did look up to take stock of his surroundings. And when he looked up, he found Tommy looking back at him. Richard's eyes went wide, his grip instinctively tightened around his cane and keen ears could clearly hear him say, " dear god." Tommy Christian Tommy's eyes take on at first a look of concern, then shock as he realized the old man was talking about him. He hadn't had a chance to look in the mirror yet, and right now it was both the most and least important thing on his mind. What seemed to horrify him the most though, was the fact that the old man looked to be getting ready to defend himself. Is this guy new? Or do I just look that horrible? Dear God is what he said...maybe it's both...well ******** this.Tommy looks away quickly and brings a hand up to rub his forehead...only to stop halfway up when he realizes, not for the first time, just how large his hand have gotten. Shaking his head, he drops his arm and looks back to Richard. Embarassement? Anger? It's hard to tell what emotion is on his face from his gruesome appearance. "...h...hello there..." he mutters out. Richard Harrison Richard had certianly not be prepared for Tommy's appearence, he still was expecting to find cages somewhere with half human creatures, yowling and whimpering inside them. To find one just wandering around in broad daylight was flying in the face of his expectations. In Richard's mind Tommy was truely hidious and malformed but as he studied the man thing with its extended fingers and strangely angled legs, the fear moved to pity. It was clearly a threat to no one and when it spoke in that timid, unsure manner Richard realized this poor thing, is, or was a person. Richard relaxed, smiled a little. "Ah... Terribly sorry. Your just the first, um person I've seen since arriving here." Richard mentally kicked himself for hesitating. Tommy Christian Tommy looked of Richard a moment. He didn't want to get too close...funny things start happening when he got close to someone. "Seeing" Newt's blood pumping through his veins was disturbing enough. And there's the pause...Jesus, I sounded just like that...what..two...three months ago? Not sure what to call them...a person...a freak? Goddamnit..."...Not everyone's as bad as me," he says a little stronger this time, knowing damn well what the guy was thinking. Whatever happened to the command voice he used to hold in reserve for commanding his squadron? Either the mental trauma of the changes, or the sheer act of transformation has stripped him of it for the time being. "Sorry I'm the first you've seen..." Each word seemed labored as he still tries to figure out how to talk properly with a mouth like his. Richard Harrison Richard wasn't quite sure how to proceed. Usually flashing a smile and a firm handshake would be in order but Richard wasn't particular eager to touch the man... yes he's a man, this were... are people. And your in the same boat Richard. And on top of that you've probably pissed the good doctor off... Richard shook his head to clear his thoughts, now wasn't the time. Visably recentering himself. Richard smiled, a warm grandfatherly smile. "Let me try again. My name is Richard Harrison, a reporter specializing in corperate personalities. A recent acquistion of a certian personallity whom I'm guessing your familar with." Inhaling slightly, Richard extended his hand. "May I inquire as to your name sir?" Tommy Christian The guy looks like my ninth grade Latin teacher... is all he can think when the man puts on the smile. Teacher: In nomine patri et filii et spiritus sancti, amen...come now Tommy, surely you can recite that much? Tommy: In nomin...what'nwhat now? Tommy grins to himself at the memory but quickly focuses back to the task at hand. Guy seems intelligent...but of course, he did end up getting trapped here. "Moreau...the bane of our continued wretched existence...yeah, I know 'em..." Tommy replies but then frowns some as Richard extends his hand. He just shrugs, thinking the guy is either one of the bravest men he knows or just unfazable. He extends his own hand slowly and shakes Richard's. Tommy's palm has yet to change much, so it wouldn't feel too weird (just look it). The only thing he may notice is that his hand seems frail. "Name's Tommy, Tommy Christian. Ex-cadet at the US Air Force Academy now fulltime vampire bat. b*****d's got a sense of humor, eh?" Richard Harrison Richard carefully shakes the batman's hand, applying far less pressure than he normally did, afraid to hurt the man. But still the handshake is firm as Richard's fingers probe the bone structure of Tommy's hand, the long dorment physologist part of his brain begining to stir. "A cadet you say?" Richard uttered a slight sigh, so young! "Well I have many questions if you could spare the time. I haven't eaten for at least twenty-four hours if you could prehaps accompany me to where ever one could eat? I'm wasting away." Richard chuckled. He was focusing on Tommy's eyes, trying to ignore the rest of the inhuman face. Tommy Christian Tommy nods a few times, and gives what he hopes is a friendly grin. "Yeah, sure...Mr...Harrison?" he nods again, confirming the name, "The chow hall's right this way...forgive me if I walk a bit slow...my uh...my latest change wasn't...it wasn't kind to me." Tommy looks away for a moment and shudders from the memory. Shaking his head, he turns toward the cafeteria and begins his slow walk. Richard Harrison Richard has no complaints about Tommy's slow gait. He couldn't help making occianional glances at Tommy's altered hip structure or his boots that seemed to be far too narrow and too long for the feet within them. When they were about halfway to to the cafe, Richard voiced the obivious question. "How long have you been here?" Tommy Christian Tommy caught the glances out of the corner of his eye, but pretended like he didn't notice. What would be the point? Goddamn, all I wanna do is go back to my duplex and sleep the day away...I...no...NO! ******** being nocturnal! Hah! You almost got me there, you bastards, but I'm too ******** smart for you! I'll fight for every goddamn inch of my mind.Tommy's brows furrow as he wages a mental war with himself, but his face soon relaxes when Richard makes himelf known again. "Huh? Oh...um...since late July...my jet crashed on its way to Aviano Air Force Base in Italy...Have you um...Did you by chance hear anything about that?" His eyes seem to be pleading for any scrap of information. Richard Harrison Three months... He's been here for three months and they've altered his bone structure that much? Impossible! Something that drastic should have taken years! Unless they helped it along with surgery but even if that the man should still be bed ridden for months! Richard carefully inspected Tommy's face for any tell tale signs of surgery, his eyes crawling all over Tommy's face. He found none. "Three months... thats insane, even with surgery you should still be in intensive care. The body can't grow that fast." Distancely he heard Tommy's question but his mind was far away, churning through his age brain looking for a scrap of information that could explain that. Tommy Christian Tommy looks over to Richard as the scrutiny begins. He bears with it agreably enough. "In case you hadn't noticed, Mr. Harrison...this isn't the sanest of places. I don't pretend to understand it, but I don't need to, to see that whatever that psycho is doing works..." he's about to go on when his ungainly feet stumble over a small rock. That much imbalance sends him crashing to the ground. He catches himself with his knuckles, his long fingers splaying out to either side of him. "Jesus! ******** boots..." he mutters to himself. Richard Harrison Richard tried to catch Tommy but was left clutching empty air. Frowning he looked at the ungainly figure on the ground, unsure how to help. Peering over his glasses, "Are you alright?" Tommy Christian "Yeah...just...heh...embarassing...it's almost impossible to take off combat boots without working hands," he says while positioning himself to stand back up. Instead, Tommy does a knuckle pushup. Surprisingly enough though, he does it with such force that he pops himself upright. He stumbles back a step or two, and at first it seemed like he meant to do that. However, a look at his face tells otherwise. He seems rather confused by the whole ordeal. "I uh...wow..." Richard Harrison Richard blinks at Tommy's sudden return to eye level. "Very impressive." He nods and then looks down at Tommy's constrained feet. They looked uncomfortable, of course admitting that he couldn't get them off probably couldn't be exactly a high point in one's life. "Do you want me to untie them for you? If you'd like to do it yourself, I have a pocket knife. Could you cut the laces." Tommy Christian Tommy shrugs, "Well...let's worry about that after we get into the chow hall. I'll struggle with it while you get your food...not like I can eat anything there anyway." Tommy brushes himself off and looks at his knuckles, checking for scrapes. He sighs and walks over to the doors of the cafeteria. Richard Harrison Nodding Richard follows Tommy into the cafe. He chuckled to himself, at the unreality of it. I'm having lunch with a vampire. This place just jumps from one bad movie to another. As helped himself to heaping portions from the buffet. He tried to assimlate what was happening here, comparing it to the atrosities he had seen in his travels. The starving children of the Congo to the full hospitials of Baghdad. He couldn't quite match it up. While this was certianly more comfortable than either of those places, he was reluctant to say wether it was better or worse. It was a crime, a terrible crime but it was an entirely different kind of suffering he saw in Tommy's eyes. Richard felt shivers race along his spine as he continued to ponder it. He pushed it aside for now, think about it later. Richard sat down at a table with a heaping helping of meat and potatos. His chloresterol be damned. Tommy Christian Tommy picks up a bottle of V8 on his way to a table. He sits down gingerly, trying to find a comfortable position with his strange hips. Before going about the arduous task of opening said bottle, he first wants to find out about his feet. Using the small claws on his thumbs, he tries to start picking the knots apart on his boots. By the time Richard sits down, however, he has made no progress and seems a bit frustrated. "...you know...I used to be able to play the piano..." he says with a sigh as he straightens up. Richard Harrison Richard shrugs, "I used to skydive on the weekends. Then I got fat." It was a lame comparision, your not supposed to lose your goddamn hands but maybe youth could find a solice comparing it to a more normal loss of function. Richard fishes his swiss army knife out of his pocket, opens the short blade on it and slides it across the table. "Don't hurt yourself." An admonishment. He digs into the food before him. Tommy Christian Tommy just looks over at Richard with his comparison. He wants to berate the old man for being so callous but stops himself short. He can't blame this guy for how he acts, no matter what he does...and he's old. Old people can say whatever the hell they feel like it seems. Tommy grins to himself and just shakes his head. Picking up the pocket knife, he nods to Richard. "Yeah...wish me luck," he says jokingly. It takes him a moment to figure out how to grasp it. But after a few awkward positions, he finally finds a semi-comfortable way to hold it. He goes about trying to cut apart the laces. As he pulls, his long fingers hit against the table a few times. He perserveres and with one last grunt of effort there's a loud *snap!* and the laces fly apart. This grunt wasn't what it seemed though. An extremely high-pitched squeak emanating from his nose burst forth and leaves Tommy wide eyed. He blinks a few times and looks around, almost panicked. "What the ******** was that!?" Richard Harrison Richard didn't hear a thing. But he did notice the Batman sit bolt upright and look around like somebody had tagged him with a spitball. Richard shoots him a slightly concerned look. "What was what? Did you hurt yourself?" Tommy Christian Tommy just looks around a little more before staring at Richard. The after 'image' of the sonar leaving him stunned. "I uh..." shakes his head, "that was the weirdest thing...I've ever felt..." he looks down at himself before going back to Richard, "I think...I uh...I think I just...used echolocation..." Richard Harrison There wasn't much Richard could say to that. He was starting to reach his limit with the batman, whose journey of self discovery had not provided any information on the island itself and perhaps an escape path. Rather it was driving home just what happened in this place. The man was an unfortunate mutant, maybe there was real person in there but it was preoccupied at the moment. Richard laid down his fork and knife, not hungry anymore. Richard bit his lip. "What am I suppose to say to that." Tommy Christian Tommy blinks and quickly snaps out of his daze. Actually, he looks embarassed moreso than anything else. "I'm sorry...I uh...goddamn this is...weirder than normal. See I got my third injection a day ago and things just haven't seemed to stabalize," he says while picking up the pocket knife again and going after the other boot. "It's just...something you can't get used to I guess...I dunno...behind the pretty island and the free food all this place boils down to is the most luxurious prison in the world," he says, having some trouble with pronouncing the word 'luxurious.' He pops off the second shoelace, minus the squeak this time. Richard Harrison Thank god, a conversation thread that might not involve a pity party for the man. While Richard didn't begrudge Tommy the right to complain, he lept at the chance to chance the subject. Richard leaned back and stretched, his shoulders making slight popping noises. "Sooo, how this place work exactly? They let everyone do as they please until its time for these, injections? You don't go willingly do you?" Tommy Christian Tommy places the pocket knife on the table but doesn't yet try and kick off his boots. Although his feet were aching something fierce, at the moment he just didn't think he could handle anything too else too strange at the moment. And by the way his feet felt, he was sure he was making the right choice. At the moment, Tommy doesn't realized just what his main function is to this man. Being used for information and information alone was not something Tommy would have normally stood for. However, memories of being alone in the jungle for weeks come to mind. Not a singe soul came up there just to see him. He had no true friends here to call his own, and he is now desperate to make as many as possible. "We're all chipped...you are too if I had to guess. They do it in your sleep. Anaesthetise you and shove a computer chip in. If I had to guess it's gotta be somewhere on the spine 'cause they can freeze your nervous system, or make you fall asleep with a verbal command. And no. I don't go willingly. You think anyone in their right mind would? They knock you out with these chips and inject you in your sleep." Richard Harrison It had been a long time since Richard had friends. He had contacts and sources. People who he could buy a drink, share a couple stories and part ways but never truely connecting. It had worked well for the last nine years, he had lists of people he could call for a little companioniship. And he was usually much better company than he was right now. Fear was dominating Richard at the moment and he hated that feeling. He had conquered the fear of death, thanks to his fatalistic attitude. Through out the interview with Moreau Richard had only felt the barest flicker of fear that was drowned by disgust and anger. However, waking up in this village alone brought in an entirely different factor. The Unknown. No fatalistic attitude was any defence againist that. Richard would do anything to dispel that fear. Tommy had infromation that Richard needed. While he was sympathic to Tommy's plight, he really needed to know what was going on. Richard rubbed the back of his neck a bit. "Another thing I didn't think happened outside of movies. Makes sense, couldn't imagine Moreau going on safari everytime he needs to see a subject." Richard managed a weak chuckle at that. "Each injection is a change then? I damned when I set foot on the helicopter wasn't I?" The peices were begining to come together, it wasn't a pretty picture but it was at least a picture. Tommy Christian "Yeah, each injection's a change...and you're right on that part. There was never any intention of you leavin' this place. It doesn't matter who the person is, if they step foot on this island, they're not gonna be leaving any time soon. Hell, I hear even the staff isn't allowed to get out of here," he says with a sigh, "this place is all ******** up...anyway...how'd you get here, Mr. Harrison?" Richard Harrison "How many injections do you do you get?" Richard asked while rubbing the bump on his arm. "Oh, nothing really. I run a small blog where I publish unauthorized biographies of corperate big wigs. Usually those that are involved in a scandal in some way or another. Heh you can probably guess who I was working on most recently. I always formally request an interview before I publish anything really juicy, give them a chance to clear their name right? They are always refused of course. Moreau granted the request and here I am. We even held the interview." Tommy Christian "Not sure really, all I can tell you is that it takes about a year for a person to go from human to a complete mix of animal and human...of course sometimes it doesn't stop there. Saw this one guy who was a complete a coyote with the only thing left showing he was once human were his thumbs." Tommy frowns at the mention of a blog. The guy didn't seem the type to be computer savvy. It just sounded weird coming from a guy Richard's age. He just shrugs and nods, "Seems trickery is their staple recuirment tactic." Richard Harrison "Just his thumbs eh? Did he happen to piss Moreau off?" Richard looked down at his hands, looked at Tommy's and grimaced a little. "So the ocean, keeps us on the island, the chips keep us controlled. Hell of a retirement plan. Anybody get away?" Tommy Christian Tommy shakes his head slowly as he goes about trying to pop off the cap of the V8 bottle. "Not that I know of. To be honest, I think I'm the only guy here who ligitimately tried...didn't work out so hot." Richard Harrison Richard wanted to ask what he tried to do. "You don't sound eager to tell that story." "I've just got one last question. How many people are here?" Tommy Christian Tommy shrugs and takes a sip from the V8 bottle. He frowns some and puts the bottle down before replying to Richard, "...not much to tell. I figured out a way around the knock out word...it involved taking a hostage...Moreau's fiance to be exact...before I could get close enough to...to take care of him he freeze's us all. That's the first time anyone's seen him do that...wasn't in my calculations." "How many people? What's your duplex number? It's at least that many." Richard Harrison "Dr. Lockheart? Moreau mentioned they were having... issues." Richard frowned, he hadn't really checked the number before he left. There had been a paper with a code for the door on his dresser but no mention of the duplex number. "Well there were 27 steps, I know that." Richard grinned. Tommy Christian "I'd assume so...any guy willing to lock his wife out of the labs 'n force her to live with his prisoners would more than likely cause some tension between 'em..." Tommy chuckles some, "That bad, eh? but...damn...at least fifty four...that's my duplex number. 'n I've seen at least five or six people who came in after me...*shrugs* I dunno, somewhere in the mid sixties?" Richard Harrison "Reaally now?" Tension in the labs might provide an opening of some sort. Of course you'd need to figure out what was going on in order to use it. "So number 1 was the first subject then?" Tommy Christian Tommy nods a few times, "Goes by the name of Ambrose. I think he's done changing. He's a wolf-man...it's weird though. There's no set limit to how far a person changes. You sometimes see people who're done changing still walking around on two legs while those that aren't barely able to stand." Richard Harrison Richard makes a mental note to pay duplex #1 a visit. If Richard could get a complete history of the island out him... well Richard doesn't know what he'd do but he would feel better! "Well thanks for humoring an old man Tommy. I have a starting place now. For moment I think I've had enough food." Richard smiles, the wary look is gone and the grandfather demenor has returned. He extends his hand. Tommy Christian Tommy blinks and looks down at Richard's hand. He then looks back up at the old man and just shrugs, why not? He lifts his right hand slowly, finding it hard to control it with any sort of accuracy, and shakes Richard's hand. "Till we meet again, eh, Mr. Harrison?" Richard Harrison "Just Richard. Feel free to stop my duplex." And with a two fingered salute at Tommy the elder man walks from the cafe. Tommy Christian Tommy just watches him leave. He has half a mind to salute him right back but then just realizes it would look creepy. He looks around for a moment and sighs, whelp...time to get these damn boots off.
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Posted: Sat Sep 30, 2006 12:02 am
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Posted: Sun Oct 01, 2006 7:55 pm
Roleplay: A new arrival Tommy and Charlie -------------------------------------- Tommy Christian Tommy walks slowly out of his duplex. He's just woken up and it's getting to be evening. He silently curses the fact that he's becoming more and more nocturnal every day. The stairs were a bit tricky for him, but ever since he got his boots off, things have been getting a bit easier for the bat man. He sighs once he reaches his landing and looks about. Charlie Haston For several days now the older gentleman residing in duplex number sixty three had kept himself locked up. He was dazed, irritable and most of all ...confused. No matter how many times he looked at it, examined it, went through all the details with a fine comb, it didn't make scene.
Looking up from behind his half rimmed glasses Charlie caught the last bits of a beautiful sun set through his bedroom window. He didn't know what drove him to do it, but he suddenly stood up. Taken by impulse, he opened the door.
Oh, not a moment too soon did he open that door either, for a what a sight to behold coming down the stairs. "Huuh!" Feet slipped backwards, as instinctively Charlie tried to make his way back into the safety of the room behind him. What...what...what was that thing coming down the stairs?! Tommy Christian Tommy blinks a few times as he sees movement in another duplex. Frowning because the image is fuzzy (it's impossible for him to put in contacts with his fingers the way they are). It looked human though...almost completely...and it looked like it was about ready to crash down the stairs. Sadly, Tommy hadn't put two and two together yet on why the person would do such a thing. Tommy began to slowly move in Charlie's direction to see if the guy was alright. Charlie Haston Make up your mind, mind! Charlie ordered at himself and promptly began to close the door. The handle wobbled and wooden panel moved, come on...come on...why was this not closing. All right. Clam.
Freezing where he was, Charlie tried to reason with things. (Very hard to do I might add, while a strange un-known creature continued to wobble towards you.) Opening up his eyes, the counselor took another look at the situation. Eye's stared strait ahead, hard and long...eventually in the diminishing light features were made out, eyes, legs, arms...fingers?
In the back of his throat came a gagging noise which he promptly shut off. Human. That was a human. The features, though oddly distorted and twisted were quite obviously from someone who had been a normal person at one time or another. How awful...was it...leprosy? No, no it couldn't be. The fingers, the rest of the body it didn't look to be so, but the face, the features of the face possibly.
Oh god. He had woken up to a leper colony! He was living in some sort of sick convent, obscure disease, he had read about these places. Why here though? Only days ago he had been sitting in a cush office--Fingers trembled while he fought the urge to cover his mouth.
Was he sick too, was that why he had woken up in this strange place? "Hello---" The voice was soft, hard to hear, in fact, almost inaudible. The madness of it all, speaking with this fellow, perhaps though, perhaps-- he could learn some answers. Tommy Christian Tommy paused in his slow trek toward Charlie when the man turned around and stared at him. Oh God...he's ******** hell...of all the islanders to meet first it had to be me. Who was this guy though? He's older...but dresses like a guy my age...weird. Although Charlie had spoken in a soft whisper, Tommy had no trouble picking up on his 'Hello.' He doesn't miss much with his ears. "Um...hey there..." he mutters out, "I'm...I'm gonna guess you're new here...?" He tries to give a friendly grin, but sadly with his new fangs it looks rather...off. Charlie Haston Patience. The red head would have nothing more than to sink his proverbial fangs into the approaching man of death battering him with questions demanding answers. Wait. He told himself. Just wait.
"New?" The door Charlie had once been holding open, silently closed as sandals slipped across the dusty entrance to what he would soon discover to be his abode. He raised his voice slightly, trying to make it as smoothing and honey filled as possible. "Yes. I suppose I am."
A flutter in his chest told him his heart had skipped a beat at the sight of those long 'pearly whites'. No. He shouldn't tell him anything more than that. He didn't want to be taken advantage of after all. What if this guy was a liar? Charlie had never met a leper before...were they the same as normal people? He couldn't remember if the disease affected brain as well. Tommy Christian Tommy watches as the man contemplates whether or not to just shut the door on Tommy. Strangely enough, he isn't sure if he's happy or not that Charlie has decided to stay and chat. "Listen...Um...I'm sorry...I know how this must look 'n all. But uh..." he trails off a moment, having no clue as to what to tell this guy, "but well, there's some stuff you gotta know...first off, I gotta ask, what do you think is going on right now?" Jesus, this guy's face looks as serene as can be...but his eyes tell something else. He's either horrified or scared out of his mind. Goddamnit...I hate this place.Charlie Haston "Oh please..." did he still sound calm? Of course he did. He had been in worse before right? Something in the back of his mind told him no. What was he doing standing here right now, when safety stood behind him three feet? Standing here, talking like this, he was going to catch what ever this man had. He was going to get sick and die, die, die, die, di--"It's not as if you have any control over the way you look."
A soft smile played across chapped lips as he closed his eyes. Ah the darkness how peaceful. Of coarse, nothing wonderful or peaceful can last long. Questioning? How strange. What would he need to know? There was really no useful infor--now why would he ask that?
The truth was out of the question. "Oh," a sigh, Charlie placed out the causal reply. Now for something to make it complete, naming a few of the usual things that people did on islands he named the first that came to his head. " Vacation, you know? "
He finished only stopping to think afterwards how ridiculous that must have sounded. Vacation....on a leper colony? Ah well, at least he could pretend he did it for the cheap rates. 'Come now old guy,' He mentally mumbled, 'You're loosing your touch'. Tommy Christian Tommy watches the man for a moment as he closes his eyes. This one's stranger than most...I mean, even Richard had shown some shock upon first seeing me. This guy just seems to wall it up...wonder if I was like that when I first met Nita...? And there he goes again, that serene look on his face...that calm, cool voice. Just what does this guy do for a living?"I don't have any control, no...those at the labs on the other hand..." he shakes his head and mutters something inaudbile under his breath, "But...yeah anyway...a vacation?" The bat-man nods as if this explains everything. "Yeah...seems the vast majority of the people get tricked into coming here." Charlie Haston The control statement had been more or less Charlie’s belief that this man was sick. Yet, here he came spouting off some nonsense about labs. Labs...why did that so ring a bell? Feral labs of course, he pushed the thought of how silly he for forgetting from his mind. Now, where was he, again? Yes, the labs...so, Moreau was connected to this then? It didn't seem impossible, especially after replaying Moreau and Aubery's last moments with each other in his office. They had been talking about lab subjects and what-not after all. Feral labs, obscure disease research testing facility, too?
Heh. A flash of hate splashed across Charlie’s face. Too benign for such a large company. If anything they would be bio-engineering some horrible military weapon or something here. Sitting up in their offices, playing god. Oh how he loathed modern man.
He had to make room, though, for new slew of questions as Tommy continued to talk. "Tricked?" Head lifted as the older man now grew intent with interest. "But I came willingly, nobody tricked me into coming here." What would mostly likely confuse Tommy now, had not been a statement of trickery or question. Charlie now spoke truth. He had come here on his own accord.
Was it fortune in his favor today? Or were things just coming together as they naturally should? Tommy Christian I don't know if this guy's unfazable or just slow. All I know is that voice of his is starting to creep me out. Tommy shifts weight from one bare foot to another, finding it difficult to stand for too long without support. The 'thumb' on each foot moves a bit on its own accord due to Tommy's lack of practice having thumbs on his feet. The cadet blinks a few times and looks over Charlie, "Well...yeah, of course you came of your own accord...what I'm saying is that you more than likely came under false pretenses. The same as the majority of us." Tommy waits a moment, watching Charlie to see if he gets the picture yet. I'm just thankful that he's not coming any closer...I don't know if I could handle feeling his bloodstream pumping *shudder* Charlie Haston For some time now, Charlie had been keeping his head down. Avoiding eye contact at all times was a must. If he didn't, he didn't think he could bare to have this conversation with this certain individual. Already he could feel his skin crawling with what his imagination told him was deathly bacteria.
Now with a soft cough to clear his throat, Charlie raised his head. Index finger lifted up to push the thin framed glasses he wore along the bridge of his nose. Briefly, Charlie glanced up at the man before him. "Tell me then, what pretenses am I here for?"
Finally, finally they were at it. The heart of the matter here. Literally he was only seconds away from finding the answer that he so longed for. He wanted the truth, he wanted to know what was going on. Instinctively his body swung forward a few centimeters. Lips hung slightly parted, as the man stood still waiting.
So near, he could almost taste it.
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Posted: Mon Oct 02, 2006 9:18 pm
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