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 Posted: Mon May 14, 2007 5:09 pm
It was miserably hot in the jungle. Though the breeze from the sea helped a great deal, it was still hot and humid and growing worse by the day. While, to an extent, the cobra absolutely adored the heat, it was beginning to grow a bit overbearing. At times, the heat strongly reminded him of the red-lit room, and the days of imprisonment in the labs. It was not a pleasant memory.
Today, to avoid the heat, Thom had risked the cameras to slink his way to the river, and was presently floating lazily near the bank, only half paying attention to his surroundings. The cool water was very refreshing after the humid jungle, and, as long as he stayed near the rather overgrown bank, he should be safe from the cameras. He could relax all he wanted.
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Posted: Mon May 14, 2007 5:24 pm
It was some small mercy that Richard's need for wearing a formal clothing had fled with most of her testosterone. Usually the shade of her tree was enough to keep her from over heating. Her body temperature had elevated some with the changes, and that helped some what. Still, there was a limit and the summer heat was proving more than up to the task of finding it. Today, Richard couldn't seem to keep her tongue in her mouth, instead it hung out over her bottom lip, exposed to the air as Richard panted.
Finally Richard couldn't take it anymore and she launched her considerable bulk into the river. Sighing with relief and wondering why she hadn't thought of that sooner. She began to swim/wade up river, enjoying the feeling of the current pushing against her skin and flowing over her tentacles.
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Posted: Mon May 14, 2007 6:03 pm
The splash a short distance down the river was enough to rouse Thom from his daze. He quickly righted himself, tongue giving a flick in an attempt to identify the intruder, though the water masked most of the scent. However, Thom was quite sure any guards wouldn't be jumping into the water, which meant it was most probably and islander and there wasn't much risk to him.
Just to be safe, however, he slipped through the water to the bank and pulled himself clear of the river, drawing into a coil in the reeds to warily watch the water from the perch. He wasn't hidden, persay, but it was enough of a distance between himself and whoever was in the water that he didn't need to worry about possible attacks.
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Posted: Mon May 14, 2007 6:19 pm
Richard almost swam right by Thom as she did her best to side stroke up river. Between the extra arms and the tentacles she wasn't going anywhere fast. While the water felt good, it was clear she was no aquatic. Her back was to Thom at first, then she switched sides and saw the snake man.
"Thom!" She uttered his name in surprise. She froze mid stroke, as she stared at the object of many the jungle trek that had suddenly materialized before her. Her head disappeared underwater for a moment as she shifted her body to find the bottom of the river which was nearly five feet at this particular spot. She resurfaced and pulled her hair out of her eyes and then smiled at the snake.
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Posted: Mon May 14, 2007 6:26 pm
She looked...vaguely familiar. Perhaps they had seen each other in passing. Whatever the case, Thom was quite content to let her swim right by...and found himself slightly irritated when she noticed him and knew his name. After a brief glance around to reassure himself that there were no cameras, he rose up from the coil to normal height, lazily rolling his shoulders. "That'd be me, right. 'Ave we met?"
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Posted: Mon May 14, 2007 6:38 pm
Richard felt vulnerable with Thom looming over her like that. Uncertanity crossed her face for moment. She knew next to nothing about this man but there was nothing to be done about that now. This could be her only chance to get what she needed. The look of concern was quickly forced away by a friendly grin. "Briefly, at one of Gaius' little gatherings. Name's Richard." She swam to bank near Thom and pulled herself out of the water with all four arms, freeing her tentacles from the water. She was wearing a pair of black shorts and a T-shirt that once read Dungeons and dragons on it but the lettering was cracking and peeling. The wet shirt clung to her torso, but at least it was black.
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Posted: Mon May 14, 2007 6:53 pm
"Ahhh." Initially, that didn't spur any memories, but it came back before long. Somewhat. The little truth or dare game at the construction site, before he had eaten Jordan's rabbit. He hadn't stayed long. But he could have sworn that this person was male... At least, at the time. And the name only verified the...once-gender.
My, that was a terrifying thought.
"Pleasure," he replied dryly, though he wasn't sure how much he actually meant it. "Can I help you with somethin'?" Richard seemed intent on a conversation, else, he-she-it would have probably just kept swimming.
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Posted: Mon May 14, 2007 7:04 pm
For what it was worth Richard was grateful to Thom for not mentioning her altered condition and her smile became far less forced. "If you want to be direct about it. Yes. I've been looking for you, hoping you could help me out a little." Her tone is conversational, friendly. Internally she felt it was just victory to find the man.
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Posted: Mon May 14, 2007 7:13 pm
Thom wasn't exactly one to talk. While he had very thankfully remained the same gender, he had gone through considerable changes. Richard was being polite enough, Thom could be polite in reply. He had no reason to dislike the--what exactly was she? Well, the whatever she was. He could always use another ally. "Really now? What d'you need?"
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Posted: Mon May 14, 2007 7:23 pm
Instinctively, she glanced about for camera's unaware that as far as the trackers we concerned she was here alone. She leaned in closer to Thom just to be safe. "Its about a certain item you acquired from a certain fluffy idiot. I'm very curious to know what was so important about it." As she spoke there was a certain amount of distant hunger came into her eyes. The opportunity of driving a nail into Jordan's self inflicted coffin always made her a bit eager.
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Posted: Mon May 14, 2007 7:34 pm
Thom raised a scaled brow, edging a bit away from Richard despite the need for quiet. He wasn't terribly worried that they would be overheard. He knew the labs knew he had taken the laptop, and he knew that, at least for the moment, the labs didn't know where he was. What he didn't know was how Richard had learned that he had the laptop. "You're not th' only one, I've been tryin' to find out m'self. Th' laptop's rigged some'ow, it won't even turn on. Who told you I 'ave it?"
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Posted: Mon May 14, 2007 7:47 pm
Richard gestured dismissively at the question, "Awen told me a while ago." She clearly did not believe how she had found out was very important. At the news that it wasn't turning on she looked disappointed. "Its not broken though? I could do a hard drive transfer perhaps?" Richard wasn't really good with opening up computers, but he knew how to operated them competently, she hoped Thom was just bad with computers. But she knew that if the did contain the evidence she sought then it would be passworded at the very least.
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Posted: Mon May 14, 2007 7:59 pm
Well, that was justification enough. Awen would know about it. Still, he was suspicious. "It's not broken. It's in perfect condition, same as when I took it... Wouldn't that just lose all the information?" It was true, Thom knew almost nothing about computers. He very rarely used them before the island, and he certainly hadn't in the time since arriving. But the hard drive, he remembered, was something important, and he didn't want to lose anything on that laptop. He wanted to see what was on it as badly as Richard did. "Why do you want it?"
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Posted: Mon May 14, 2007 8:12 pm
Richard was in no hurry to admit her association with Sabin, she wasn't proud of it herself. She wanted to get what ever was on the laptop first, then decide if it was worth the risk of handing it over. "You mean other than the fact that Jordan so badly wanted to keep it?" She chuckled and flicked the tip of her sopping wet tail. "I met Jordan before he changed, I think Moreau did something to him mentally, beyond a normal serum. If that laptop has a journal on it or perhaps something more thats something that would be very important to know about." She edged closer to Thom, almost aggressively. Her eyes predatory as she smiled at him.
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Posted: Mon May 14, 2007 8:20 pm
Thom didn't seem particularly impressed. Indeed, he didn't budge from his spot except to give another flick of his tongue. "An' what good'll that do you? You want th' laptop just to verify that this special serum exists? To what end? You've nothin' t' gain from that except for a sated curiosity. D'you realize, with a bit of help, this laptop may be our key off this island? An' you want me to 'and it over so you can tear it up for your own amusement?"
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