Welcome to Gaia! ::

Christopher let out a sigh of relief as he took a moment to lay on his duplex bed. He was a little exhausted from the chopper ride and unpacking all his belongings. It was good to have a moment to relax, and calm his nerves.

He had a bad feeling about the place. As soon as he arrived and was greeted by that creep Moreau, he didn't trust him. His demeanor seemed very two faced and twisted. Christopher wasn't able to ease this feeling either when it came for his injection, some supposed vacination for some tropical disease. It all seemed like a cover to him.

Usually, Christopher was right about these sort of things too. After all his years of dealing with people, he could sense certain things and tell something was up. He was not blind, ignorant, or in denial of people's conditions. That wasn't who he was. He could tell when someone was putting up an act. Being in the filmmaking department helped that much.

He had his doubts he was really brought here to meet investors for a wolf documentary. But there was not much he could do about it now. It would do no good to dwell on it at the moment either. Allowing himself to be stuck in a stuffy duplex all day thinking it over would not be the healthy thing to do.

Christopher looked out his window and was reminded of the jungle on the island. Feeling that would put him at a piece of mind, Christopher grabbed his camcorder, his CD player, and his hunting knife (which he holstered in his shorts). He would go out and try to enjoy his day.

He hit play on the CD player and the first song to pop up was "Disposable Teens" by Marilyn Manson.

'Great, that's really comforting,' Christopher thought sarcastically.

However, looking at the foliage of the jungle and having a camcorder, it reminded him of the opening ariel shot in Blair Witch 2 which he loved. So, it eventually put him into a filmmaking mood as he dashed out of his duplex and to the outskirts of the jungle.

Little did he know what he was bound to find...

Christopher was already caught up filming with his camera, getting a bunch of pan shots, zoom ins and outs, and POV shots. He was having quite a bit of fun when he heard some rustling in the trees. His eyes darted upward with the camcorder, trying to get a visual.

He was greeted by a branch soaring downward, about to land on his head. Christopher screamed a little and jumped back. The branch had just missed him. Trying to catch his breath from the shock, Christopher was panting like he had just ran a two mile dash nonstop.

Once he had rejuvinated himself slightly, he pulled the hunting knife out of its sheath and stood right under the tree, waiting for something to come out of it. Whether it be a threat or not, he was going to be ready. Whatever it was, it was definitely too big to be a normal little woodland animal. Afterall, it did cause a whole branch to nearly topple on top of his head. It had be a person.

"Who the hell is up there?!" he screamed out. "Are you trying to kill me?!?!"

Christopher smacked his forehead and put the knife away. Somedays he was too quick to defense and anger. Taking a deep breath, he then cleared his throat and got ready to speak up.

"I'm sorry," Christopher hollered upward in an apologetic tone, "I didn't mean to scare you if I did. My name is Christopher. And you?"

Christopher tried to get a view of this person who sounded female but it was damn near impossible. He could only make out some rustling of leaves and that was it.

"Listen, do you need any help getting down from there?" he offered.

"Well, nice to... uhm... hear you Branwan," Christopher said awkwardly.

Saying 'Nice to meet you' didn't seem right without having a face to go with the name and personality. While he was prone to instinct and habit on many things, that was not one of them. He watched the tree attentively, seeing a form coming down to the ground, closer and closer by each branch.

'She definitely seems nimble and athletic,' Christopher noted to himself. It made him wonder what she might have done to cause a branch to go crashing down.

He listened to her telling him to move out of the way and he obliged. He waited a little longer, watching as she came closer to the ground.

When she reached the ground, Christopher took immediate notice to her... different features. Her hands, the claws, and the... tail?

He wasn't weirded out by it, but fascinated. This was not something you'd see any other day. Besides, he could tell she was friendly so there was no reason to be scared. He looked her over as he walked in a slow circle around her, studying every detail.

"Well, this is most fascinating," Christopher commented. "I'm guessing this has something to do with the island?"

Something was definitely up and he knew it for sure now. He hated being lied to with a passion. Next time he saw Moreau, he was going to get an earful.

Christopher could tell by her movements and speech she was getting uncomfortable so he distanced himself from her a little bit, taking three steps back. He apologized to her, "I'm sorry once more. Didn't mean to make you feel insecure. It's just... you don't see this everyday. At least I don't."

He hung his head, slightly ashamed.

'Real nice way to present yourself so far you dolt!' Christopher's mind scolded him.

He looked back up a little when he heard her speak again. However, he made no eye contact as he still felt embarassed and was blushing some.

"No, I haven't been here long," Christopher replied. "I only arrived today. However, I'm not blind to fact when someone is trying to pull a veil over my eyes which is what Moreau has done, hasn't he?"

He paused a moment and spoke up once more, "Tell me all about what is going on please. That's if you don't mind explaining."

Christopher had himself a seat on the ground and listened to the teenager explain the situation at hand. Listening to her talk, he felt a little more ashamed he looked at her the way he did and as such, hung his head in shame more. He hoped she knew he wasn't trying to treat her like a freak or something.

After she finished the explanation, he let it sink in for a moment. It wasn't surprising to him nor did it really shock him. But he couldn't help but contemplate the situation, thoughts racing through his head. How angry he was being deceived. How that b*****d could have the nerve to lure in other people like this and play God with their lives like guinea pigs. He also wondered what Moreau had in store for him animal wise. Then it hit him. It seemed too perfect to not be.

Christopher, remembering that Branwan was present, spoke up once again to break the silence, "I think I have a good idea of what animal I'm to become. I was told that I was being brought here to meet investors for a documentary on wolves... I'm into filmmaking and wolves happen to be my favorite animal."

Christopher prayed that he was right. He wouldn't mind so much if that was the case. He could practically hear the chant his mind was doing.

'Let it be a wolf... Let it be a wolf...'

Christopher stood again and offered his hand in friendship to her. He was almost glowing, but also presented a neutral complextion as he was still ticked at the deceit that was going on with this island.

"Thanks for being honest with me Branwan," Christopher said very gratefully. "So, under what circumstances did they lure you here under? All the more reason for me to b***h out that creep Moreau. I mean, seriously. Bringing a teenage girl into this mess. What a d**k..."

He almost cut her off as he asked, "Is there anyway to find out what my animal will be? I really have to know. This is important to me."

'Oh s**t...' his mind panicked, 'Now she's going to think you're a total loon.'

He scratched the back of his head and laughed nervously, perspiration visible on his brow. He knew he really messed it up now. He wouldn't be surprised if she suddenly walked away from him at that moment. He was not doing so hot today.

But he tried to keep a straight face and play it as if nothing was wrong.

"I'm sorry to hear that," Christopher offered his condolences. "It must be rough, I imagine. But I've got to give you credit. You do seem to be handling it well."

Christopher tried to smile but he knew it was inappropriate for the situation. The whole conversation had turned so awkward when he made it obvious how much he wouldn't mind that kind of change. It was only going to go downhill from here. Christopher was sure of that.