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 Posted: Wed Apr 18, 2007 2:36 pm
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Posted: Wed Apr 18, 2007 2:40 pm
That's Not a Girl's Name
Catching up with Nita Nita MacNeal Once again, the duplex had grown too small. Nita had spent far too much time pacing back and forth; considering calling the labs, wondering if seeing Gaius really would get him buzzed, and making dozens of useless plans. She was rather at loose ends, since, as far as she could tell, Newt hadn't ever left any boxes for her in the cafeteria. She'd been checking once a day, but that little project seemed to be on hold. Just like the islander directory was on hold until Nita found out whatever happened to Kikue. In any case, staying indoors wasn't helping. With Comet's leash in hand, she strode outside, being sure to lock the door behind her. The two of them padded around the outskirts of the village, deliberately not going past Gaius' duplex. Nita followed the well-worn path that led through the lightest parts of the jungle. Having Comet with her helped her feel somewhat safe, and the jungle itself was a comfort. It was still too humid for her tastes, but being out-of-doors, with tall trees on either side of her, simply seemed right. Thomas Brinley Thom hadn't gone far after his encounter with Oz. Though the meeting with the gorilla man had cheered him, Thom hadn't accomplished his intents towards either Emelyn or Natsumi, and so he would stay nearby as long as he safely could. Of course, had he abided by safety, he probably would have vanished back into the jungle some time before. As it was, he had merely taken up a different position, this time curled up in the lower branches of a tree, looking very much like some vine or branch himself. The tree allowed him to see a good area around him while effectively hiding him from sight among the branches. And, as far as Thom could tell, there were no cameras in the immediate area, to boot. Though bored near-to sleep by his fruitless watch, the cobra still remained alert enough to flicker out his tongue every minute or so--and it was his tongue that first alerted him to Nita's approach. He lifted his head to peek down from the tree, watching the path curiously, and soon enough the red panda girl appeared. A good few seconds passed before he realized he recognized her--she certainly had changed--and called down. "Nita? S'that you?" Nita MacNeal Comet noticed Thom before Nita did; the dog bristled, interposing herself between her mistress and Thom's tree. Nita's head jerked up as she peered into the branches. Holy s**t, that was a big snake. A big snake who obviously wasn't Cass. After a moment of sheer prey-animal panic, Nita realized that the voice was familiar, as was the serpentine form. Although he'd certainly been less snake-like when last they'd seen each other. She kept a good hold on Comet's collar and placed a hand on the dog's shoulder. "Hush," Nita muttered. "It's me," she said, a bit louder. "Thom?" Thomas Brinley "Yeah," he acknowledged, wrinkling his nose at the dogs. Dogs were difficult. They were the perfect size for a good meal, and that meant the cobra couldn't sit comfortably near them...more for the fear of how the owner would react should the dog become dinner than any compassion towards the dog itself. Luckily, Thom wasn't particularly hungry today. "Haven't seen you in a while," he spoke as means of a greeting as he slid down to a lower tree branch, from there twining his tail around the branch to hold himself steady and lowering himself to the ground. "Sorry if I scared your pup." Nita MacNeal The 'pup' (who easily stood as high as Nita's waist) watched the snake-man warily, ears folded back against her head. Nita rolled her eyes, but kept a firm grip on Comet's collar. Although the way Thom oozed down the tree elicited a twinge of nervousness, Nita forced herself to stand still and project calm. "She's fine," she said, rather pointedly. Thom was a friend, of sorts, but who knew what his instincts might tell him to do? Nita shrugged one plump shoulder. "Yeah... A while." Several months, at least, since that party on the beach. "You been okay?" Thomas Brinley Thom was half tempted to make a face at the dog, or move suddenly, or anything that might startle the poor creature just because she was starting at him in such a way. Honestly, he wasn't going to eat her. He wouldn't need to eat again for a good few days. "Not really," he admitted with a little laugh and lifted his eyes back to Nita, then shrugged. "But things are lookin' up. Yourself?" Nita MacNeal "Ha," Nita said, not really laughing either. She knew the feeling. "Oh, it's been... complicated." What exactly could she tell Thom? Not that she didn't trust him, but would her various activities even interest him? "Changed for the last time," she finally said. "And uh, had some issues with Lauren..." Taking nonverbal cues from Nita, Comet started to calm down a bit. The young dog settled to her haunches, although her body was still ready for action if need be. Thomas Brinley "I thought you looked different," he countered teasingly, grin returning. "Or shorter, at least, but who'm I to talk? I don't even know my height anymore. Good thing about th' last change, you don't 'ave to worry about any more to come." He paused briefly at the mention of Lauren, trying to summon up an image of the girl. He knew they had met, but... "Lauren... Your girl, mongoos--" he trailed off with a sudden sharp hiss as the image sprang to mind, hood flaring, but a sharp pain from the back of his neck at the movement snapped him back to his senses. Reaching back, he pressed a hand down against the bandage, hissing through his teeth and praying it hadn't begun bleeding again, then returned his attention to Nita, offering an apologetic smile. "Yes, well, ah... Sorry, cobra didn't... Pity about that. She seemed a bit immature when I met her, though." Nita MacNeal Nita grinned back and stuck out her tongue. "That's true, though. I mean, I may be all short and stumpy now, but at least it's over." She gave Thom a noncommittal shrug at his description of Lauren. Even though they certainly hadn't parted ways on the best of terms (to put it mildly), for some reason she didn't want to speak badly of her. The bit of bandaging caught Nita's attention; she raised an inquisitive brow. "Something take a bite out of you?" she asked, remembering the gashes Richard was sporting. Thomas Brinley "S'a good short an' stumpy, though." He assured her with a nod, and, once satisfied that the bandage wasn't leaking, let his hand fall. "Cute. Endearing, even. You look like a teddy bear." At the question, he countered with a raised brow of his own, but only shrugged slightly. "Emelyn decided she would hack open my neck. Apparently there was a nasty bit of metal down there that had to be removed... But it's gone now." Nita MacNeal Nita snorted. "I'm choosing to take that as a compliment," she said, whiskers twitching. Her second brow shot up to the other's level as the meaning of Thom's quip sank in. "Holy s**t," she said softly. The thought of anyone being unchipped made her nervous, but there was also that hint of freedom... Without the chips, they couldn't be monitored 24/7, like animals in cages. Without the chips, Gaius wouldn't be buzzed unconscious if Nita came within twenty-five feet of him. Nita chewed thoughtfully on her lower lip. "You on the run then? It's dangerous, so close to the village." Thomas Brinley "It was a compliment," Thom replied, chuckling. At her expression, he flashed a toothy grin, nodding once more and spreding his arms. "Free as a bird, 'ave been for a couple of weeks now. I know I should be keepin' away, and I 'ave been, but..." He hesitated, good mood fading quickly as he glanced off towards the village. "You 'aven't spoken with Emelyn recently, 'ave you? I'm worried that th' labs 'ave done somethin'. Didn't really think about it before, but they've acted on lesser things..." Nita MacNeal "Geez," Nita muttered, impressed in spite of herself. Thom seemed to be in much better shape than either Annie or Jamal. Granted, he'd only been 'free' for a couple of weeks... But Annie had been seriously messed up from that change... "Emelyn?" she repeated, grateful to be pulled away from that train of thought. "No, I haven't seen her in ages." Nita frowned sympathetically. "And the labs do act on less," she muttered. Damn them. Thomas Brinley "Damn," he muttered and sunk back against the tree, almost as if he were sitting. He sighed. "But she 'adn't done much, right? I mean, cuttin' out th' chip, yeah, but she's Emelyn. It's not like she went out an' attacked a guard or another islander." Nita MacNeal "I know... But she's easier to find." Nita sighed, leaning against Comet. The dog snuffled at her hand. She knew Nita was distressed, but not exactly why. "Hey, do you know a guy named Lucas?" asked Nita, in an apparent non sequitur. Thomas Brinley He frowned, but nodded silent in agreement. Someone had to take the fall. He just hoped they wouldn'tr treat her too badly. At the question, Thom glanced back up, and, after a beat, nodded. "Met 'im a couple of times. He lost an eye, did you hear? Zach's carryin' it around in a jar." Nita MacNeal "Yeah," Nita said. "Zach waved it at me and Gaius, a few weeks back. Disgusting really, to flaunt something like that." The girl pulled a face, obviously bothered by the mental image. "Well, Gaius went to get it. From Zach's duplex. They fought, and now they can't get within twenty-five feet of each other without being buzzed out." Nita paused before adding, "Which is all well and good, really. Except, as his punishment, Gaius and I can't get near each other, or he gets zapped." She shifted from foot to foot in her aggravation. "So... they do what they can, to get under our skin..." Thomas Brinley Thom nodded. "He did th' same to me. Tryin' to use it to intimidate people, the arse. All it shows is that he's coward enough t' run back to th' labs. When they locked me in my duplex, I--" he paused, catching himself, and gave Nita a long, calculating look before deciding he'd might as well continue now that he had started. "I 'ad only insulted him a bit... Smashed his tophat, yeah, but I didn't intentionally hurt -him- or anythin'." Sighing, he shook his head, then glanced back to Nita. "Gaius isn't a girl's name," he pointed out helpfully, grinning faintly. "I don't think I've met 'im, though." Nita MacNeal "Poor Lucas, though. He must have really snapped; he seemed like such a quiet guy when I met him. Not that I blame him, really." Nita shook her head and sighed. She coughed slightly and quirked a brow at Thom. "Yes, thank you, I'm aware of that," she quipped. "And you'd have seen him, at least, at that Truth or Dare thing. I believe you had commentary then, too." Thomas Brinley "That's th' same thing I said when Emelyn told me his eye was gone," Thom replied with a half-hearted laugh, shaking his head. "This island changes everyone after a time...in more ways than one. Doesn't surprise me, really, that somethin' like this would happen to 'im." Thom paused, attempting to summon up the memory that had apparently been less than pleasant for Nita, then managed a sheepish grin. "Sorry about that. Wasn't quite myself. Th' horse guy who looked so baffled afterwards, then?" Nita MacNeal "I know what you mean," Nita told him. The girl shook her head again, remembering how she'd been tempted to go after Zach, waving that jar around. It had frightened her, being that angry, wanting to give in to violence. And that was something she couldn't honestly attribute to the red panda that made up so much her DNA. Her fury had been all too human. "Nah, it's okay," she said, waving a paw. "But yeah, that's him." Thomas Brinley "He seemed nice?" Thom offered uncertainly, shrugging. He couldn't remember much of Gaius, and they hadn't ever spoken, but generally he got along with the same people Nita did. At that, nowadays he got along with about anyone who was against the labs, even if he may not particularly like the person. And if this 'Gaius' was against Zach, then he was okay in Thom's book. "Zach'll get his soon enough," he added confidently. Nita MacNeal Gaius being 'against' Zach would be putting it mildly. Nita's cheeks puffed out into a little smile. "He's a nice guy. Except to Zach." And Miller, she thought guiltily. But he meant well. "Oh?" she asked. Did Thom have plans of his own for the dragon? Without his chip... Nita had no doubts that Thom could be dangerous. Thomas Brinley "Then he's fine in my book," he assured her with a laugh. And even moreso if he disliked Miller. Good for him. Thom didn't exactly hate Miller, of course...but he was still rather miffed for nearly getting shoved out of a tree, not to mention woken from his nap. Stupid bird. Thom lifted a scaled brow, smirking down at Nita, but intially only shrugged, waiting a beat before replying. "Zach an' I have a few disagreements of our own t' settle. Should be fun." Nita MacNeal "Well as long as I have your approval," Nita teased. She chewed the inside of her cheek, feeling just a bit fidgety. "Well... Good luck," she told him. "And be careful." Her fingers found the comforting ruff behind Comet's shoulders. Thomas Brinley "Most people find comfort in that knowledge," he countered with a teasing grin. After a pause, he nodded slightly in thanks, then waved a hand out towards the jungle, gesturing at nothing in particular. "I should probably go. I'm sure this path's watched, an' I can't afford to stay in one area for long. It was good seein' you again, Nita... Keep an' eye out for Emelyn, would you?" Nita MacNeal "Ha! I'm sure they do," she said, snickering. She gazed into the depths of the jungle, away from the relative safety of the path. Thom was right; it was a near miracle he hadn't been spotted yet. Of course, Annie and Jamal were still on the loose after months of attacks. "Be safe, Thom," said Nita, placing one paw on his arm for a brief moment. "And if I see Emelyn.... I'll let her know I've seen you." And hopefully both of them would be alright... and in possession of all their eyes. Thomas Brinley "Thank you." He didn't bother with a goodbye, only offered a smile and a nod--as well as a second for Comet--, then pulled away from her touch and turned back into the trees, venturing only a few feet from the path before gradually lowering to move along on his stomach, chin hovering only an inch or so from the ground as he slipped away into the trees. Nita MacNeal Nita watched Thom for a moment until he escaped from view. It was rather impressive how quickly he disappeared, even from Nita's sharp eyes. She rested against the tree for a while, talking softly to Comet. The dog, of course, didn't reply. Once Nita had her thoughts somewhat in order she continued on her way along the path. She couldn't let anyone watching the cameras know that anything out of the ordinary had happened.
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Posted: Fri May 18, 2007 6:45 pm
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Posted: Fri May 18, 2007 6:47 pm
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Posted: Mon May 21, 2007 9:18 am
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Posted: Mon May 21, 2007 9:23 am
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Posted: Thu May 24, 2007 7:10 pm
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Posted: Mon Jun 18, 2007 6:14 pm
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Posted: Mon Jun 18, 2007 6:15 pm
Rope and the Request
Thom visits Newt with another request.
Newt paused in mid braid, cheeks trembling with his quickened breath as he peered across the swamp. Something had made his can alarms rattle not too far away. Instinctively, he dropped his work and leaped tentatively around the water towards the source of the sound. He pulled his make-shift knife he had constructed to peel tree bark for rope making, keeping it low and to his side as he moved. His heart was in his throat, expecting a guard or a wolf or a tiger... once he poked his large wide head through the brush, though, he was relieved to just find a rabbit tangled in the trap. With a relieved croak, he hopped forward, jamming the knife in such a way that killed the rodent quickly. The thing squealed briefly before falling limp and he sat himself down to untangle it- rope was valuable, and he couldn't risk wasting it by simply cutting the critter free. Thom had avoided the booby traps with ease and approached the little swamp while Newt was away, taking the opportunity to inspect the various projects Newt had hung about the clearing. It really was impressive, what things he could make with so little Newt certainly had his uses. And he wasn't a bad sort, really, just..irritating. That stutter. Thom shook his head, then tensed briefly as the squeal of the rabbit sounded through the air. Curious, he followed the rabbit's scent through the trees, and soon came upon Newt hovering over the carcass. He grinned. "Mind if I 'ave that?" At the sound of a voice, Newt dropped down onto his belly, pushing the rabbit into his mouth until only the legs and tail hung out, his throat inflating with a warning, territorial croak. His large eyes twitched this way and that to search for the intruder. "Apparently you do." Thom grimaced and moved around towards Newt's side, lifting a hand in a half-wave to catch his attention. "It's just me. I need you t' make a few things for me." The frog jumped again, but sat up this time as though relaxing. He nearly swallowed the critter before pulling it out again once he realized he wouldn't have to fight to keep his meal. "T-t..." He swallowed and narrowed his eyes (as narrow as a frog could narrow them) and concentrated on his mouth. "Thom!" "Yes, as far as I can remember, that's still my name." He rolled his eyes, but seemed to be in a good mood. He was mildly impressed by how easily Newt had just held the rabbit in his mouth. He could swallow the rabbits whole, yes, but it wasn't exactly an easy process. Newt seemed to have no trouble with it. "I need you to make me a map." "A... a m-map? A m-map of what? I'm n-not... ter-ter-terribly..." He caught himself, eyes quivering with a loud ribbit. "I'm.... n-not terribly... ff... familiar with the... the Island... Outside my s-swamp I mean..."* JFreak2007: "I know the island well enough," Thom assured him. He coiled his tail around and sunk down as if sitting, flashing a grin that was mostly fangs. "I want a map of the labs. You were there long enough, I'm sure you remember where everything' is." "I..." His eyes twitched to the side and back again, his mind racing. Without answering, he huddled down over his rabbit, not daring to move back towards his main camp in case there were any installed cameras he might have missed. Deep out this far upstream he was fairly safe, he'd found. At least from the labs. The other beasts were another matter. Thom was a living testament to that. He used the knife to cut in certain points, skinning it on the spot. It could be cleaned and recycled. As could the bones and claws and teeth. "I d-don't know," He said finally, his voice oddly calm and low for the jittery frog. "I coo-coo-could get in a lot of t-trouble." In a land where most things were provided by the labs, other things became valuable. Like information. Thom wasn't the only one who had tried to get it out of the frog- it had to be of some worth to him. Thom's good mood faltered only slightly, saved somewhat by Newt's work at not stuttering. He probably should have expected such a response, but he had grown used to Newt supplying whatever he asked without argument. Newt was the supply man, it was Newt's job to keep inventing potentially-useful things. That was why Thom kept him around. "You'll already get in a lot of trouble if they hear about th' weapons you've given me. They'll never know about the map." "And.... if... I c-can remember enough to m... make this m.. map...." Once he had sawed through the neck and managed to twist off the paws, He cut it down the middle to try to pull out the bones. "What... what will you do for m-me?" Thom's expression contorted into a grimace as he watched Newt skin the rabbit. Sure, he ate them, but he never butchered them first. Even when he had eaten lizards, biting them in half and chewing them up, he hadn't picked them apart first. The poor rabbit. Newt's response didn't help Thom's diminishing good mood, and he frowned, sinking a bit lower in his coils and leaning towards the frog. "I will pretend you're not gettin' arrogant an' remember why I 'aven't killed you yet." "Y-you need me." Once the precious parts of rabbit were cleaned from the meat, he tossed the mangled carcass into his wide mouth to swallow. "At this point, I really don't," he assured Newt, tongue giving a quick flick. "A map would be useful, an' would make things a bit easier, but I could do without. And, you forget, you're not th' only island who's stayed in th' labs. I'm sure I could convince someone else t' help me.." "Wh-who else is w-woo-willing to d-do it? Who else can... m-make you weapons?" His stuttered returned as his confidence began to shake, eyes twitching up from his bloodied hands to the snake watching him. He immediately looked away again. It was easier to try to be brave when he didn't have the instinctual terror of a frog's natural predator gnawing at him. "Within th' week, I'll 'ave at least one gun," Thom boasted confidently, hissing a bit under his breath. "I guarantee it. An' once I 'ave one, if I shoot first, I'll 'ave plenty more to come. I won't need your shoddy arrows anymore." He was probably exaggerating a bit, and Newt's weapons were handy, but he wasn't about to start trading Newt for information. That wasn't how things worked. "You are only useful t' me as long as you make yourself useful. I'll be back t' pick up th' map in a few days." Newt sagged, frustration building up in his chest. "And... and wh-what will you d-do with it? If I decide to make it at all." "That is my business, not yours." Nonetheless, he grinned, backing off a bit and straightening up. "But it could be useful. Also, I need rope. Lots of rope, as much as you 'ave." His urge to be useful and fear of rejection battled against his frustration of being walked all over. "N-no! No, I need my rope." "Make more, then." Thom shrugged as if making rope were the easiest thing in the world. "But I need some. I don't need much right now, but I will. I can pick it up when I come to get the map." "A r-rope. A m-map. W-weapons. Y-you ask a lot and f-for what? Wh-what have you done with it? Have you d-done anything with them? If th-they're so ter-ter-terrible, give them b-back!" It seemed solitude had unnervingly given the trembling fat frogman a backbone. "They're not terrible," He quickly assured Newt, frowning. "The arrows are a bit shoddy, but they're better than anythin' I could've come up with. I've been practicin' with them, if you're so determined t' know. I can't just pick up a bow an' go shoot 'alf th' labs." He paused, then shook his head. "Look, Newt, I'm just tryin' t' set everythin' up t' where a victory is assured. I can't risk recklessly runnin' in an attackin' groups of guards. But with a bit more effort from both of us... Well, just wait an' see. I 'ave some things in mind. Right now, you'll just 'ave to trust me." That seemed to be enough to settle the frog, and he gave a loud thoughtful KrrKIT before suckling at the rabbit ribs to try to clean them, "Alright.... alright, I'll s-see what I can do." He finally sprung over the grass to land on the more open muddy patch closer towards the water away from the snake. He wasn't sure if he trusted the snake, entirely. He was a *snake* after all. But it seemed he DID have some sort of plan, and the fact that the dangerous outlaw to the village chose to incorporate him at all made him feel somewhat important, which was a rarity in his life. He just hoped he wouldn't eat him if he didn't have what he wanted by the time he returned. "Brilliant." Thom grinned and started after the frog, gradually unwinding from his coil. The cobra stretched his arms out over his head, then let them fall and glanced expectantly to Newt. "I'll need as much rope as you can spare today, then, an' I'll be back for th' map and more rope in a few days." "Wh-what.... what is it for?" He replied thoughtfully, eyes peering along the piles of various supplies lined in rock-gullies he had set up to keep dry of the swamp floor until he needed them. "A hanging," he replied casually, and edged a bit further away from the foul-smelling swampy water. "Make sure it's strong." The corners of the frogs mouth twitched downward in a wide-eyed frown, but he murmured something to himself before leaping away through the thickets towards one of his dry stashing spots, rooting through various attempts. He had tried several different rope methods, scraping various types of bark from around the jungle, braided saplings, woven vines, twisted, knotted, twisted and tucked into various lengths and widths. "H-hanging, hang-KRIIIT-ing..." He mumbled over and over under his breath as he shuffled through the likely candidates. Thom chuckled softly at Newt's mumbled disapproval, but otherwise said nothing on the subject. He really wasn't sure exactly what this particular piece of rope would be used for, but he did have some ideas--and that was certainly one of them. While he waited, he amused himself with scanning the surrounding trees for cameras, though he was quite sure there were none. Not unless they had been installed since his last visit, which was unlikely. In the end, Newt ended up forfeiting the strongest, most flexible blend of weave and material he had come up with, several strands of about twenty feet a piece. Any longer and they began to weaken and threaten to break unless he managed to weave together the segments. He coiled them around his elbow and shoulder, twisting it so it wouldn't unravel, "S-see... if th-this works for you." Thom accepted the loop of rope from Newt and unwrapped it a bit, tugging on a stretch of the rope experimentally to see if it would tear. It didn't. Nodding his approval, he looped the rope up once more and flashed Newt a grin. "Excellent. This should be perfect. Thank you," he added, more to keep from having to threaten Newt again later. "I'll be back in a few days for the rest, then." "I'll... I'll do wh-what I KrrrrIIIIIT-an. You d-do what you kr...can." He pushed the unnecessary rope back into their stash spot amongst tree branches and rocks. Thom nodded slightly once more, then slipped an arm through the loop of rope to keep a better hold on it and started away, slinking off through the trees--and carefully avoiding Newt's traps on the way out.
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