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 Posted: Sat Sep 16, 2006 3:40 pm
September 09 2006: Arrival at the island // Aubrey Lockheart New RP
Charlie’s arrival was smooth and pleasant. The helicopter ride had been uncomfortable and bumpy, but after that he had been welcomed by Dr. Lockheart and shown to his quarters. Everything seemed perfect. A beautiful private island, good accommodations, and a salary no one could refuse.
He also was shown to his office. One of the large offices in the lab complex that had a breathtaking view of the ocean. There was a glass desk, top rate computer, bookcases, couches, the whole nine yards.
“How does everything look, Dr. Haston,” the woman doctor asked, smiling pleasantly.
Charlie Haston "Hmn?" The older man turned round to catch a better glimpse of his new employer, well one of them. He hadn't had chance to meet the other quite yet, though he had been assured a meeting with Moreau. A meeting quite soon actually...
"Oh," he sighed gently smiling, "Quite wonderful Ms. Lockheart..." his eyes scanned out the window once more lingering on the vast and expansive view before him, "...quite wonderful indeed. Oh--" He bent his head down to slip his glasses from his rounded face, "No need to use the title of Doctor Charlie will do just fine." He paused glancing down at the surface of his desk. ...Not a speck of dust. Perfect. "Or Mr. Haston if you'd like that better. Which ever makes you feel the most comfortable."
For most certainly Aubery would need to feel comfortable around him. Aubrey Lockheart “Okay, Doctor Charlie then. You can call me Dr. Lockheart or Aubrey, if you please” Aubrey hovered at the door before she spoke again. “Well you get yourself settled in..” she hesitated for moment, not quite knowing how to say what she really wanted to. “Do you mind if I swing by here with my fiancé in the morning?”
Though she used to the term, she wasn’t wearing a ring of any kind.
Charlie Haston "I think I'll stick to the informalities then," said the man with a sway in his voice while he placed a palm upon the window behind him using it as a way to prop himself up. "I always feel that such stuffy titles are not meant for young beautiful independent women, like yourself. " He smiled casually, reassuring that the stament was not to be taken as anything other than a compliment.
"As for your fiancé..." watery green eyes doged down to an empty ring finger. Ah, a tell tail sign that something was wrong, not all was well in paradise, and by the tone and address in Aubery's voice she meant to do something else tomarrow than just introduce her fiancé.
Perhaps he was mistake but recollection had it that this same fiancé was none other than his new employer and founder of this place. If so, then why introduce him as someone who would be her future husband? Why not simply address him as Mr. Moreau and not bring personal matters in? This was a professional environment, no? Ah well...he didn't mind personal matter or not this company had hired him and he would do whatever they wanted. "It would be a pleasure. "
And with that he bade her goodnight. Aubrey Lockheart The next day, Aubrey approached Moreau in one of the labs, the first time she’d willingly approached him in a few days. “The new therapist is here… I told him we’d swing by this morning. He’d like to meet you.” Doctor Moreau "This is the one you wrote that long recommendation for?" Moreau looked up at her curiously.
"I must admit Aubrey, I was suprised to see you so hard at work when I hadn't heard from you recently..." Moreau smiled a bit towards her. He was hoping she was recovering from the shock of the other day.
"I'll go meet with him though... lead the way" Moreau took off his labcoat, hung it up, and nodded to Aubrey following her. Aubrey Lockheart Aubrey just nodded and forced a smile. “Yes, that’s the one.”
She silently led him down to the office, tapping on the door before stepping in. “Doctor Charlie,” she said with a smile, “This is Dr. Nicholas Moreau.”
Doctor Moreau Moreau walked into Charlie's office. "Hello Dr. Haston." He smiled and nodded, taking note of the two chairs that were on the other side of Dr. Haston's desk. Many therapists would have a couch, rarely two since they normally worked one on one. Much like Dr. Frost had pretended to.
Moreau felt slightly suspicious but he walked up and looked around the office. "Dr. Lockheart seems to have set you up very nicely Doctor." Charlie Haston The man had just put the finishing touches along the edge of his desk, important documents, certification, cards from previous couples who had long since married and lived, "Happily Ever After"...or as close to it as one could get. However for just as many happy people in this world there were twice as many who lived in misery.
"Ah, Dr. Nicholas Moreau." He took the cue from Aubery as to what to call him, "Pleasure to meet you," right hand reached out in the obligatory handshake, as much as Charlie disliked the idea of rubbing hands with another...disgustingly wonderful way to spread disease it was...So he kept it short ; Firm grasp, swift tug and fast release. "It is always a pleasure to meet my employer, " he grinned smugly making his way back into his chair, where he quickly sat down and began to open his desk looking for the one item he desperately wanted right now--
"I never imagined I would end up working for someone like you, " he added wanting to continue the conversation slightly. It would be awkward if he just stopped after introduction, this left things open --ah, hah! There it was, fingers wrapped around the bottle of hand sanitizer. "It really is a pleasure...and yes Aubery was very addimate about getting everything just right." Liar. This wasn't a pleasure at all. Finished for now Charlie feared to say more, it would not be wise to go into the little details of why he never imagined he would end up some place like here. Aubrey Lockheart Aubrey smiled and watched between them, taking a seat on one of the couches. Doctor Moreau Moreau looked over at Aubrey. "Aubrey?" Moreau looked questionably over at her.
"Is that all?" Moreau was starting to get vibes he didn't exactly feel very fond of as he looked at the cards that were laying there. Charlie Haston Truth be told, Charlie wanted to know what was going on. 'Is that all' is usually not a question he heard a lot between couples. Something was going on...had Aubery not mentioned to Moreau what it was Charlie exactly did?
For that matter...Aubery really hadn't mentioned to Charlie anything else other than he would be meeting her fiancé, and as far as he knew, that was over with? Nothing more to be had here, correct?
Stepping in Charlie intervened, he didn’t like to hear arguing in the morning if he cold help it "Is something...the matter? " He looked first questioningly to Moreau and then to Aubrey. Aubrey Lockheart "Doctor Charlie's here for us... all of us, right?"
She looked between the two of them. "So, why not...talk? I figure we could use it, Nick? Doctor Charlie kind of... specializes in relationships." Doctor Moreau Moreau shot Aubrey a look. He couldn't believe that she'd dragged him into this. No, she'd hired him so she could drag him into this. Her own ruse up Moreau wasn't going to have a part of it. There was nothing he hated more than having someone else tell him what he was doing wrong.
In his own mind Moreau did very little that could be considered wrong, he often just did what he needed to. If he did recognize that he'd done something wrong... he needed to come to that realization by himself. This was an effect of his enormous ego and slight god-complex. "I believe there has been some confusion Dr. Haston. I'm not in need of counciling." Charlie HaSton]So finally things had come to light. It wasn't the smartest way to bring this about to your significant other. However, if Aubery had been this conniving and cunning--he wasn't really here for work, at least not long term, he was just here for one problem it seemed, a big nasty--Charlie closed his desk and blocked the buzzing headache which was beginning to form at the back of his mind.
"Doctor Moreau, I believe you misunderstand...well, me really. To start with, I must say I was in the dark like you about this until Aubery, " he smiled at her " so kindly told us the her motives. "
"I agree with you though, " he held his hand up in case the suddenly irate man try to interject, "your not in need of counseling--" he tried to choose his words carefully. No he didn't want to string things up, people when put in unfamiliar situations could be...quite irrational and testy, especially an egoist, which it was easy to see Moreau was. "But while you and Aubery are here, perhaps your charming fiancé has something she'd like to say? "
If there was a third party involved it was less likely that the one who felt they were being attacked would snap, that and if needed too Charlie could step in.[/size][/quote]
[quote="Aubrey Lockheart Aubrey crossed her arms and visable swallowed a bitter laugh as Moreau claimed he didn't need counseling.
"Don't look so surprised, Doctor Charlie. You're here to counsel the staff. Everyone here and stand to talk to a professional."
She looked between the two of them again. "Our relationship has trust issues."
Doctor Moreau Moreau sat down. "I can't believe you would say that. You asked me to be honest with you... how much more honest do you expect me to be?"
Moreau crossed his arms. He obviously wasn't happy in this situation. Still, he seems to have been for the moment distracted enough to stay in the office. Atleast for the moment.
Charlie Haston Sitting up Charlie walked over to the front of his desk and promptly took a seat upon the edge. Leaning over he put his knee up and propped his elbow upon it using it much like a rest for his head. "Now, now..." he said with the most caring of tones.
"No need to get cross about these things, we'll work it out. Aubery...just a note but surprises are not always the best way to start these things out. Counseling should be a joint effort, however it appears you felt you had no other means than this to communicate yourself, to which I might add Doctor Moreau should be a sign to you that something isn't right here. "
Charlie paused, ah where to go next--"Aubery forgive me if I'm wrong, but I don't think the word you mean to use is trust. More than once when I've encountered couple's with 'trust' issues, it usually turns out to be more about safety. The two are closely linked you see.. " Lowering his glasses he now made eye contact with the only female in the room, "Aubery...do you feel safe around Moreau? Why did you feel like you had to mislead him into coming to this? "
Aubrey Lockheart Aubrey scratched at the small wound on her neck, nothing more than a itchy scab at this point at the mention of safety. She opened her mouth to disagree- she was pretty sure trust was the word she meant.
But she took a few moments to think. "Depends on what you mean by safe. Moreau would never physically harm me, but we have sometimes have different definatition of what's considered harmful."
She took a deep breath, not wanting to get a head of herself. "Because if I told him you were a relatioonship counseller he would have never agreed to even hire you." She looked to Moreau, almost daring him to disagree with that.
Doctor Moreau "I mearly think this is something we could work out on our own..." Moreau shot Aubrey another glare.
Moreau tapped his fingers against the chair looking peeved to say the least. "I'd say that safety might be the perfect word. All I want to do is keep her safe but she just keeps putting herself into danger. Is it any wonder why I'd have to take such drastic measures."
Charlie Haston Charlie smiled amusedly tapping his finger against his lip, "Yet again miscommunication becomes the downfall of all. " Sitting up he turned to face Moreau and for a moment he pondered what to say, glasses sliding from his face as he moved to nibble on the tips of them, a bad habit he did when he was thinking.
"Doctor...I don't think I'm wrong, but Aubery in all her sweetness would never force you into this if she didn't think everything else had failed. Obviously she can't work this out on her own anymore, she's tried and me standing here is proof of that--" Catching the heated staring at each other the counsilor quickly interjected.
"Since this was a spurr of the moment thing--I might add, I have a policy where after you leave this room, anything mentioned in here is forgotten. Say what you want now...but please, why complicate things?" The smile on his faced turned to a grin that could make the Cheshire cat jealous.
"Aubery, why don't you listen to Moreau when he tries to protect you? Men have different ways of showing there affection than women do--if you understand where I'm getting at...drastic measures are his way of saying, 'I love you'. Again, guessing---but Aubery have you ever told Moreau why you don't listen to him and as he says "put yourself in danger". " Whatever danger might be...for the life of him this conversations was turning into something beyond dramatic and he couldn't understand why.
Aubrey Lockheart "He virtually spies on me - and has since before we were even a couple." She glanced over to him and sighed. "He has me chipped, uhm... tagged? So he knows where I am every single minute of every day. He says 'protecting' but he's just protecting himself. He's insanely jealous... I feel more trapped here than anyone out there," she gave Moreau a pointed look. "Like I have to watch everything I say and everything I do or else I'll be punished!!"
Aubrey was getting emotional and she knew it. And brave.. something about having a professional here was helping her say thing she would never dream of saying otherwise. "I'm not denying he loves me but he doesn't have to control my life completely. He manipulates me. And he has since high school. I don't even know if the man I fell in love with is the real Moreau at all. Its all been set up - a ruse.. right from the beginning. Even in high school if - god forbid - I actually got a date convientantly something urgent would come up and I'd have to cancel to be at his side and helping him. "
She turned her gaze to Moreau. "That was never an accident, was it, Nick?"
Doctor Moreau Moreau began fuming a bit, his face getting redder, "Your right, I do frequently keep tabs on you, and yes, I'll admit sometimes I watch what you do and say but if you really trusted me and loved me so much I wouldn't have to. Your the one who was trying to sneak around on me and sleep with slimey coke-headed invertabres."
"As far as high school... what if it wasn't. Is it so hard to grasp that I didn't know how else to approach it. I wasn't ready for a relationship but I enjoyed your company. Is there something so wrong with the fact that I've cared for you since high school and didn't want you running off with someone else? Some people might find that romantic." Moreau began to calm down as he was able to blow off his own rant.
Moreau's cool returned as he looked over at Aubrey with a smug smile. "And... I remind you my dear that it was always your choice to blow off your dates to spend the night in the lab with me. What does that say about how you felt about them over me anyway?"
Charlie Haston Finally it was getting nasty. But what might have sent some people watching into a sporadic fit of needing to play the hero and jump in, Charlie just watched silently. It was hard to tell weather he was just sitting back and enjoying this, or weather he was thinking the next move over in his head. Back and forth, back and forth on from one subject to the next, which in all reality had nothing to do with the problem it hand and that problem was serious and deep trust and safety issues.
Finally Charlie cleared his throat, just like children--"I hardly think dragging the past up into the light will do us anygood here. " He pushed his hair back with a sigh moving on, " Allthough I must say, a relationship since highschool...that is impressive, but troublesome too. It means the feelings can run deep and bitter.
"Now Aubery, who are the people out there? " First clarification was needed. Some of the things they said, though Charlie had heard stranger...were just not making sense. Ah well, all in good time. "--But sorry, never mind that, Moreau? " allready he had shortened it, no longer docotr "Is this true? You spy on Aubery...the person you "love"? No wonder Aubery is angery. " He pointed across to the now fuming woman on the couch, "Here you have a breech in trust...then again, " he turned to abuery now picking up the hint from Moreau along the lines of 'You've been cheating on me!'. "Aubery have you ever violated his trust?"
Aubrey Lockheart Aubrey watched Moreau with anger flashing in her eyes, though they softened as he continued. Moreau really felt that way about her from that long ago? Aubrey was certain it had been completely one-sided.
Whem forced to turn her attention back to Charlie she looked ashamed. "Yes, I have..." she said, avoiding her eyes. When she lifted her eyes again they were directly at Moreau. "I only slept with Billy because I was lashing out! You had been manipulating me and ... and.. lying to me. I was angry and confused and I did something stupid. But I don't know what else I can do to make you forgive me!?" Her voice was high and her eyes pleading.
Doctor Moreau "I tried to forgive you, I tried to give you exactly what you asked me for, but apparently that all wasn't enough or he..." Moreau pointed an accusing finger at Charlie. "...wouldn't be here."
"I don't know what you expect of me. I bring you here and try to give you everything and the more that I try to do the more you seem to want to run away. Maybe I am controlling, but only because you drive me to it." Moreau crossed his arms.
Moreau's eyes squinted a bit, "I knew you always had some idealized fantasy of me so I tried to live up to that. If I didn't know any better... I'd say you liked it more when it was one-sided and only in your fantasies."
Charlie Haston "Now, now Aubery as much as the world likes to point and blame the adulterer, as they say it take two to tango. " It wasn't per say as if he were blaming Moreau for what had happened, but he did sneak a side glance. "You must have felt very...desperate to do such a thing, for if I am seeing and hearing correctly you love Moreau and would otherwise never do so...Then again." His tone shifted, Charlie may have been a lenient and understanding man, he even tended to side with the woman on most issues, but he still wasn't about to coddle Aubery when it came to this issues.
"You, however, did know better Aubery. You knew there would be consequences, since childhood you have learned that for ever action there is a consequence. Driven or not, there was a risk, you took it and now you have to face it. If Moreau--" he pointed a finger back at the man who was pointing one at him. "Chooses not to forgive you, you can't make him."
"But despite these harsh words, there is also the issues I just put foreword about you Moreau. It seems your problems have been going on a long time..." he rubbed his temples, " a long time...Your not an open man are you? " He eyed him cautiously, "In fact I wonder if this is the most open you've ever been with your sweetheart. Aubery to a man respect is everything, it is the one thing they command, more so than you could probably understand. You respect Moreau don't you? How do you feel knowing what he just said...has he ever let you down? Or is it as he says...have your expectations always been fantasy?"
Aubrey Lockheart Aubrey shifted. “I only started to want to run away when I started to suspect – correctly – that you were lying to me!”
She blinked back tears at the last accusation. “Maybe it was better that way! But I didn’t have much of a choice. I was always honest in my feelings for you – I never hid how much I admired you. But you’re the one who made me choose my loyalties! It was all or nothing – become you lover or work against you. I didn’t have the choice to be anything in between!”
“I KNOW it takes two to tango,” she snapped at Charlie. “I’m not saying it was right I’m just explaining that I was desperate! And confused.”
“Is it true, Nick? Could you ever forgive me? Or is all this just pointless? I don’t wan to live the rest of my life feeling like I’m still be punished for a single mistake.”
She pinched the bridge of her nose. “Yes he’s let me down. He’s let me down when I’ve caught him in every elaborate lies, or manipulating me. He let me down when he told me he only proposed to me because he knew that’s what I wanted, not him. And he let me down when he drove away, leaving me alone in the village knowing I might never see him again.” She gave him a sideways glance.
”Perhaps I do expect too much.”
Doctor Moreau Moreau scoffed. He couldn't believe that Aubrey wouldn't listen to what he'd tried to explain. That she couldn't see that he lied and controlled her because it was his way of protecting her. In Moreau's twisted mind this made perect sense. "As long as you said your committed to me I said I forgave you. Your the one who is dwelling on your disgusting affair. Your the one who felt the need to bring someone else into our interests."
"I needed time to calm down, and I felt you needed time to make your own decision. Did you expect me to not be upset? Then you seem to get more upset that I knew... what kind of honesty is that Aubrey?" Moreau rubbed his temples.
Charlie Haston Moving past history and going onto the lies, the decet...why did people never talk things over? Always trouble was ignored until it was too late, like a venomous snake it stood, waiting to strike at its pray.
"Twisting the truth..." he finally began, "is never a means to get what you want." In the back of his mind stung that pang of conscious, for Charlie himself was a liar, a horrible one at that. It was only little lies though, he didn't think he had ever hurt anybody with them...but still such the hypocrite. "Lying prompts mistrust, and mistrust prompts fear and fear leads to irrational thought's. " He snapped his glasses shut squishing the lens against his cheek "All of these then cause hurt, and misunderstanding and un-needed problems. "
Leaning back he stared at the two for several minutes. "Running around in circles is all you are doing here. Aubery, you need to realize that Moreau's way of showing his affection is obscure. In a sense I suppose you could say that whatever you feel is unreasonable is his ultimate measure of security and protection for you. Of coare Moreau, you need to realize that Aubery is both hurt and scared and instead of "protecting her" as you think is right and should do, you should be backing off and comforting her. Listen to what she wants...Unlike many couples I have seen, you two actually seem to care for each other, but a relationship is not built on care alone it takes work, and communication. "
"So now, lets begin with you Aubery, if there was one thing--just one now-- that you could ask of Moreau, what would it be? Moreau, when Aubery is finished, you are allowed to ask one thing of her. Neither of you is allowed to comment on the other's choice."
Aubrey Lockheart Aubrey was silent for several moments. "I want the chip out," she said, pointing to her neck. "I'm not one of your subjects."
Doctor Moreau "I want you to spend less time in the village and more with me, if you do need to go you take a guard with you and never leave the range of the cameras. I refuse to let you come close to or get hurt again. If it happens again I won't be as forgiving with your assualters." Moreau said in response to Aubrey's request, the whole reason for the chip was to make sure she wasn't harmed.
Charlie Haston Silence was the only thing to be heard in the room for several moments. Of all his years of consiling therapy, hours of training and pre-planned situations never in his life had he heard such strang requests.
This whole time it had been poking at the back of his mind. There was a piece missing to this puzzle, even more than that several an imcomplete picture was forming at the back of Charlies mind about this place, an icomplete picture that he didn't care for very much at all. So far the main points of irrtation had been the weather...and the company he worked for now, nothing to do with Moreau as a person, just the company that Moreau ran (big business and all that) but now--lips parted to say something, yet his ability for speech had ran dry.
Akwardly the counsilor turned around and headed back for his chair, he didn't want his face currently visible, for its expression must have surely been odd. "Aubery--do you understand Moreau--do you think you could give what he's asking a try, and Moreau...could you give Aubery what she wants."
"It's a give and take you two...nothing more, nothing less for now."
Aubrey Lockheart Aubrey looked towards Moreau. "Fine. I promise." She crossed her legs and her ankle twitched in a fidgity manner.
Doctor Moreau "Then I'll have the chip shorted out. I don't believe it'd be safe to remove it, that's why I chose the location carefully, the potential for nerve damage is too great. You'd have to be a fool to actually try to remove it. But I'll make it inert and not activatable." Moreau shrugged.
"I want you back by my side Aubrey. I don't grasp how you can't see how hard I have tried to protect you and how impossible you have made it for me. I felt driven to take this measure in the first place, I never wanted it."
Of course, Moreau still was not comfortable with them having brought in a relationship counciler into the mix. Especially one as niave to think that twisting the truth was not how to get what you wanted. Moreau knew better. But he'd deal with Charlie later.
Charlie Haston Background chatter now. Charlie was tuning out. The headache that had started nearly a half hour before had become increasingly worse with every passing minute. It had started out so small, just a buzzing irritation, and now it was a throbbing sensation which sent the edges of the room a blurr. Had it all ready progressed to a migraine? That was the third one this week. A quiet yet, exasperated sigh flew from his mouth, he should never take off his glasses. Surely his vision was getting worse, or could these un-godly heachaces be the work of something more malignant than bad eye sight. Surely he didn't have--
Chip, chip...what were these two talking about? This couple was unnerving, and quite a unique pair from other cases had encountered. Given the chance, most people would have loved to explore them, a new case just like this one. There were so many details to get into, why Charlie had barely scratched the surface. Others of his occupation would have quickly gone into all the details clearly seeking out explanations for everything which had been mentioned; poking and prodding for the "why" down to the last nitty gritty detail. However, for now the two had seemed to reach an agreement , and that was all Charlie could handle. The unusual upset him, and lately things in his life had been quite unusual. Moving half way across the world, leaving behind his practice...what had he been thinking?
Lifting a hand to his face, Charlie rubbed the edge of his left eye...not feeling well, he didn't feel well at all, "Moreau, Aubery. " The man spun around now having composed himself, no matter how unpleasant he felt now on the inside. "I would love to continue here...but seeing as how you have reached an agreement, I think now is a good time to pause and break. Best not to overdo these things, pretty soon you'll have found yourself beating the horse to death. I would however like to see you two again once you've had sometime to complete your agreements and think things over...That is if you're both willing to come again. " He smiled and passed a glance at Moreau. The older man was curious...would the doctor be so unreasonable as to refuse? It was more of a test than anything, a way to determine where things in this relationship truly stood.
Doctor Moreau "We shall see Doctor. It has been, enlightening to say the least. I hope you find your employment here... pleasant" Moreau said with that creepy tone that he normally used when he had something in mind.
Moreau stood up, put his arm around Aubrey and walked out the door. No, Moreau realized, he didn't like therapy sessions very much. He also didn't intend to attend another one. Moreau smiled at Aubrey and put his hand on her back. Leading her away to the mansion and to a night that showed her just how much he'd forgiven her.
On the other hand... Dr. Haston was not going to have so pleasent of a night.****To Dr. Haston
You go to sleep that night in the comfortable room that you are given in the dormatories facilities, it is not one of the largest that take up an entire story such as Sabin and Ginerva have, but it is a decently sized room, larger than the duplexes, with it's own mini-kitchen, it shares a floor with similar rooms built for senior staff.
Of course, this isn't where you wake up. When you wake up you find yourself in a room that is completely unfamilar. All of your stuff is there, and put away in drawers and such. You have a small needle puncture on your arm. When you open the door, you find yourself staring out at duplexes, and a lake, and a lavish jungle. Of course, perhaps this is a dream...
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Posted: Mon Sep 18, 2006 9:24 am
September 09 2006: Arrival at the island Moreu's Revenge// Quote: To Dr. Haston
You go to sleep that night in the comfortable room that you are given in the dormitories facilities, it is not one of the largest that take up an entire story such as Sabin and Ginerva have, but it is a decently sized room, larger than the duplexes, with it's own mini-kitchen, it shares a floor with similar rooms built for senior staff.
Of course, this isn't where you wake up. When you wake up you find yourself in a room that is completely unfamiliar. All of your stuff is there, and put away in drawers and such. You have a small needle puncture on your arm. When you open the door, you find yourself staring out at duplexes, and a lake, and a lavish jungle. Of course, perhaps this is a dream...
Already the humidity was making breathing an oppressive task. He would get used to that though, and hopefully soon, he didn't think he could stand it for much longer. Peeking an eye open, Charlie looked for desk upon which his clock should have been but...it wasn't...there. Slowly the counselor set up. What was this he didn't--owch!
What the hell had just jabbed into his skin? Watery green eyes looked down only to find a--needle?! "Heeh!" It was a short small gasp with violent motions following. Fingers from the left hand snatched out at the fragile cylindrical object with in his arm. What was that doing there? Huh? HUH? Filthy things, needles, one could never tell where they had been, who used them last, what nasty disease plagued them. What was worse, for the life of him Charlie could find no reason why a needle should be in his arm. Not even one.
Minutes passed by and the man simply sat there, starring in a mix of horror and confusion at his arm. How did that get there? Why was it there...why was he here..oh yes. That's right. He was working here. No, not here. He was working in an office. Where he lived in a decent room. This place was strange. It was not his. This was strange. This thing in his arm.
Blood vessel threatened to burst and Charlie had to cover his eyes with a pillow. The darkness, oh how he favored it over this dreadful sunshine pouring in through open windows he had never gazed out of before. The blackness, the blank mind was so wonderful. No matter the circumstances, reality or illusion, you could close your eyes and be brought back to the blackness, it never changed.
Slowly things quieted down, irrationality melted and heart rates resumed their normal beat. 'Ta-dump, ta-dump'. Slowly the counselor dragged the pillow down his face, and threw it onto the floor. He was calm...he was happy...this was simply an illusion, a bad trip from something he took in his college days.
Rising from the bed, Charlie lethargically stepped across the room, hand outstretched to the door. Fully dressed and just out of bed, yeah...that was normal. He would just open the door and...wow.
A breeze blew the entrance to his duplex open wider, and Charlie stood their stunned as he looked out upon the wilds before him.
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Posted: Sun Oct 01, 2006 3:05 pm
September 30 2006: Bats Need A Psychoanalysis Too!// 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: Sat Oct 28, 2006 12:20 am
October 30 2006 : Halloween Debate //
It was by now late October, soon to be November. Tomorrow would be Halloween if he was not mistaken. Lifting his calloused fingers, Charlie flipped a few pages into his calendar book to find that he indeed was right on the mark. ...As usual.
Even if he didn't have his date book, Charlie would have known it to be the special holiday. For weeks now the island had been abuzz. First a message from the higher ups (a message oddly enough delivered in Moreau’s voice, chilling thought that it was) then the hustle and bustle all about the complexes and finally...the party tomorrow. Oh, he may not have been trying to acquaint himself with people, but one could certainly catch bits and phrases of events to come from nearby dinners in the cafeteria. A place, which he tried to avoid at all costs, nevertheless, his efforts had proven futile. Long ago had the counselor run out of wonder bars and other nutritious snacks he had been living off of. Taken a damn near three months supply with him, they were his favorite type of food, organic, gluten free--only found special in Utah, made by a company whose founder was a former friend. Alas though, when eaten for breakfast lunch and dinner, a three months supply only lasts a mere month.
Yet enough of that matter. Lazily mossy eyes rolled over to the package next to him. For all he was worth, Charlie couldn't remember picking up the phone, to place the order which was now sitting across his lap…but he had. No, no, no, he simply was not going! He would have nothing to do with this island, nothing to do with these people, and most certainly nothing to do with their parties. But if this were to be true, why did he have that most hideous color of blue staring back up at him? Grumbling, the man moved aside the tissue paper and plastic covering his costume had come in. Made in China, said a small label attached to the collar. "Wonderful...I see they still make good use of slave labor."
Shifting back, Charlie picked the garment up between his thumbs and forefingers, letting the fabric drape and dangle while he passed his final judgments. A wizard? No. Merlin that had been the description written across the top of the box. Disdainfully the man dropped the garment, shifting his attention to the debate before him. "To go, or not to go, that is the question," bemused the older man.
On the one hand, he simply couldn't lock himself up inside of these walls forever. Before he condemned himself to this prison, there was the matter of finding out, just exactly why and how he had gotten here...and if there was any possible means to leave. If the stay was to be long, he needed to make friends, there was no doubt about that...Besides, he did have a rather fitting costume, even if it was ugly. People always said he was a "wizard" of sorts when it came to fixing relations.
Yes, he would go then, and tomorrow he would brave the outside world.
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Posted: Wed Nov 01, 2006 4:48 pm
November 1 2006: Turn it Down//
Shenzi Thompson November 1st, 2006
Private RP with Charlie Townsend Shenzi was lying on her bed, her face buried in her pillow, hair messy and down in tangled waves. Her stereo was playing Three Days Grace at full blast, currently playing Burn.Shaking her head against the pillow, she turned her head to look at the clock she had found, set up on her bedside table. 1:31pm. Rubbing her temples, she sat up, her legs over the side of the bed. The Halloween party last night... Zatratit... Rubbing her head, she recalled what had happened. A few days before, some girl dressed as a panda tried to tell her about being tricked here. Halloween night, a man with tentacles had knocked her down, responding in ways that a costume and robotics couldn't... Moaning softly, the blueberry held her head in her hands. s**t, was Nita right? Maybe she wasn't wearing a costume...
Charlie Haston "You can do it..." the older man mumbled to himself. He barely had one foot out the door before he promptly slammed it shut again. Why go outside, when he had everything he had ever wanted inside this wonderful little box of his? " You need to eat" said the voice of reason, but, tish! Food was only temporary...and exercise and human companionship, they were all unnecessary human frivolities. He could do with out them.
The spawning of all this trouble; last nights Halloween party. It had been hard enough for the counselor to convince himself to take a step out, but last night...being around all those horribly disfigured people...the music, the lights...well, he told himself never again would he leave. Yet, here he was at the front door, again. Propping the portal to the outside world open Charlie looked about,--No he just cou--wait...what was that noise? Head peeped out a bit as a faint wave of repulsive sounding form of rock hit him. Oh it was god awful...but besides the horrid taste, what worried Charlie more was the fact someone had their music on loud enough so that he from his several rooms away could hear it.
Forgetting his dilemma the man briskly walked from his door. Downstairs...shuffling about, he finally found himself in front of duplex door number 78. Oh dear, it must be stopped--a hard pounding at the door.
...Would whomever was inside even be able to hear him?
Shenzi Thompson Shenzi looked up as she heard a faint pounding on the door; she could just barely register the sound overtop her music. She generally turned it up full blast when she was irritated, and it usually made no difference in New York. Sighing to herself, she got up from the bed, throwing a loose t-shirt on over her skirt and leggings as she approached the door. Turning the volume dial down on the stereo, she cautiously looked through the door. A man with drab, brunette hair and half-moon glasses stood there, his hand mid knock. She had been expecting something else; what, Shenzi couldn't say, just not a full human, not after last night and what Nita had said had slowly sunk in. Heaving a sigh of relief, she leaned against the door frame, trying to mold her face to neutrality, and not suceeding. "Yes?"
Charlie Haston As far as expectations went, Shenzi whom Charlie had been expecting either. Someone his age...a guy...just anyone with normal hair? What an interesting person, this girl in front of him. Behind all the various doors of these little apartment rooms were a thousand different people, all distinct in a thousand different ways. But, ah, he was getting off track--
"My apologies, I hope I wasn't interrupting--erm, anything." Charlie started in, a slow look of concern slipping across his face. "It's just, I live several doors and one floors up," he watched carefully making sure to note any expressions from the young female which might suggest anger. " But I could hear your music, and I have to say...I was awful concerned. One's hearing is so precious, you see--it would be shame to go deaf at your age." He hoped that didn't sound too awkward. He was just concerned was all...concerned for his sanity, and well being.
How could he ever concentrate on making the effort to step out of his room, while this racket was going on. But, Charlie, don't you see? You're already outside your door step, you did it!
Shenzi Thompson Shenzi listened through his dialogue, with a growing sense of amusement; she definately needed a laugh. She wanted for forget about Mr. Tentacles, and maybe that ill haunted spector would go away. And besides, why should he care about her hearing? She didn't even know his name, and the music was usually just as loud, if not louder, on stage. So, she made a face. "Not really interrupting anything..." Shenzi said, shrugging her shoulders; the t-shirt said something about The Strokes on it, a backwards hand holding a pistol. "Sorry for the loudness. Guess I'm just used to the city, though I don't think I need to worry about going deaf right now." She said, raising a darkly colored eyebrow, laughter and a smile that didn't show on her face lighting her eyes. "I don't believe I caught your name?"
Charlie Haston Ok...so he may not have been completely concerned for the woman's well being, but that didn't mean he wasn't a bit concerned. Your hearing was something you didn't want to loose, besides obvious survivor factors, you lost a lot of other good things. For example, enjoying the sound of raindrops falling on the roof at night. That was terribly important...the simple things in life always were the best.
Instead he was more or less concentrating on the strange garb plastered to her skin. Is that what the younger generation was wearing now days? ..Or was that just some sort of fad, this "radical" girl was wearing. Who was he to judge, though? Many a time in his youth had he pulled extravagant feats as Shenzi and her hair.
As for his name? ...Was it really necessary to give her that? He would probably never meat this person again, "Just call me Charels," Ever a faint smirk on his lip, the man with oddly chopped bangs reached out a hand extending a firm handshake to his complex neighbor. "And pray tell, Mis.---" he left out her name for now, "Why need not worry about such a thing? Your hearing is something terribly precious after all...you can't get it back, no matter what those doctors say about their new technology."
Shenzi Thompson She shook his hand, tucking a stray strand of vivid blue hair behind an ear. "Shenzi. And no miss, that's for a dáma." Shenzi said with a laugh, grinning at him. "And 'sides, I've heard louder music before at my concerts. Being on stage is kinda like that." She said, her grin turning slightly crooked in answer to his slight smirk. Though when reminded of the "doctors," her face fell. Now she couldn't help but wonder... What will I turn into? Staring off to the side, she shook her head, letting a false smile take over now. "So how long have you been here?"
Charlie Haston "Shenzi? Lovely name," Charlie sweetly smiled although he was dying to of its origins, or for that matter what kind of a name Shenzi was. "Concerts? My, my I remember those days...I'm sure it's changed by now though. Nothing quite like the feeling of the bass being so loud you can feel it through your toes." He almost let out a laugh but restrained himself. Now, now, not too friendly...
Hmmn, how long had he? "Two months," the real answer slipped from his mouth before he had time to correct it. Blast! She didn't need to know the actual date now...besides, why did she need to know at all? He would have to be more careful before he spoke next time. But for now...he might as well take advantage of the fact he was actually holding a conversation with a real living human being.
"And you, m'dear? What brought you here to this lovely...paradise?" The real word for it was death trap, mosquitoes, diseased freaks--Shenzi wasn't some sort of leper too was she? Oh hell, he was going to die here for sure, ...if the yellow fever didn't get him, the sickies of this place would.
Shenzi Thompson She laughed again, some of her good humor being restored. Some. "Mm, yes, concerts are fun. My only source of income between me'n my buddies." At his own question, Shenzi waved a hand dismissively in the air. "Rehab, for who knows how long. Got here less then a week ago, with a guy named Miller." She said shortly, not caring to think about it. And in less then a week, she'd be turning 18. Joy. The day she was planning on partying like crazy, she winds up at some ******** up medical island.
Charlie Haston "Ah, so you are the performer then." Charlie pushed up his glasses which were slipping down his forehead. Always so troublesome, but he would take them anyday over contacts. Surely if he ever tried to use the obscure glasses he would jab his eye out. Simply put, Charlie wasn't that coordinated.
"An artist? How splendid." Now the hair was starting to make sense, her answer too somewhat. Rehab? Was that what this place was? Unlike the other islanders here, Charlie had simply woken up in his room. One day he was in a lovely office...and the next this dark and dank place. And Rehab was a better explanation than the one that--that creep had given him.
"A friend?" Said Charlie, sensing the vibe that this girl had arrived here alone. Ever little bit of information he could find was valuable, every bit added to the puzzle he had to solve. "Or simply someone you met on the plane." He laughed slightly at that bit.
Shenzi Thompson Shenzi shrugged carelessly. "Yeah, I sing and dance." She said, giving her hip a little upwards twitch, before laughing again. She loved to dance, which was the understatement of the week, simply put. "I didn't come by plane. More by helicopter. And yeah, met him on the ride over, he's okay. Kept stealing my hat though..." As if expecting said person to come up that minute, she put a hand on her head, holding her hat in place; Miller was only one floor below her, after all.
Charlie Haston The man now leaned to the side of the door post, this was turning into a longer conversation than he had originally thought. Not that he minded, it was really quite nice to see someone so alive, after feeling like he had been dead for so long. Who wouldn't feel that way after living in a small room a good 99% of their time? Shenzi, despite her hair and clothing was...acceptable.
"Ah, that's right...I came by helicopter too, they don't have a runway here." Charlie tried to think back on his own time coming to the island, it did seem like ages ago...
Relaxing somewhat, Charlie let out a soft wheeze, "You know what they say, boys will be boys it seems." It certainly did take men longer to grow up than women...not that his Miller fellow was all that old. If he was playing games with Shenzi, it was most likely he was near his age. "There games just can't be helped."
Shenzi Thompson Shenzi nodded her head to that statement; she hadn't seen a runway while coming in. Just s**t loads of trees, water, and the labs and a small town thing. She couldn't help but give an unladylike snort. "And aren'y you yourself a boy?" Shenzi asked, laughter reflecting in her eyes as she grinned at him.
Charlie Haston The older man smiled back. Ah, what a wonderful young woman, not afraid to be herself. There was also the bonus that she was actually a likeable person under that extravagant exterior. Had she been a bit more distasteful...
"I was he calmly replied, but I grew up and out of childish acts--nonetheless, I suppose you are right." Cheerfully he reached over and nicked the floppy creation off of the girls bright blue hair.
"As they say, boys will be boys."
Shenzi Thompson She let off a noise of annoyance, as she fell over backwards to try and catch the hat, landing partly on a pile of clothes off to the side in her room. "Oy, what's with guys and my hat?" She mumbled as she sat up again, standing up with a foot in the middle of the clothes pile, her hat in her hand. Three Days Grace was still playing, the volume turned down low, and it was playing Just Like You.I could be mean, I could be angry,
You know I could be just like you.
I could be fake, I could be stupid,
You know I could be just like youShe quickly flipped off the stereo, grinning sheepishly at Charlie. "Sorry again about the music."
Charlie Haston A little glimmer of...mischief? No, it wasn't anything like that, Charlie was only suggesting something, something which perhaps other people would care not to mention. He didn't particularly laugh as the blue haired beauty took a spill into the mess that was her floor, but he couldn't help but smirk. "Just remember Shenzi, you let yourself play the victim on that one. " Such a young thing, she probably wouldn't understand Charlie's message...but did he even understand his own message? Such is life, always vaguely aware of the answer, but never quite hitting it on the mark.
Patiently the man waited till the girl had finished fiddling with her stereo. What wretched music, no wonder today’s teenagers were so violent...such negative messages, where was the good? Yes, where was the good, everything about this place was negative.
"It's not a problem," Mumbled Charlie, removing himself from the door frame. He had most defiantly overstayed his welcome, her tone didn't express it, but Charlie could tell by the statement. "Just concerned, not upset." Now back out in the air, Charlie felt the disgusting p***k of humid weather against the back of his neck. Oh this weather...how he missed the desert, the dry acrid air. The jungle wetness of this place was unsettlingly disgusting. "Well Shenzi, it was a pleasure. You have a good day now." With that the man promptly turned his back and began to head back down the stairs.
...That hadn't been so bad.
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Posted: Wed Nov 01, 2006 10:16 pm
Horrid nightmares assail Charlie's dreams that night. Mercilous, chaotic dreams that seem to jostle with his fears and his insecurities. When he finally tears himself back to consciousness, he wakes up to what feels like a cold with a vengence. What tropical infection could have snared the doctor? His skin is dry and cracked, his joints stiff and a headache seems to have set up a permanent residence in his sinuses. And on top of that, he can't seem to get warm enough. For most of the day he feels miserable, and it gets nothing but worse as the day progresses. Then, the dry, cracked skin accentuates all along his arms and on spots of his face. The skin begins to thicken, turning leathery, and then even harder, cracking along fissures until the spots begin to resemble more like scales than skin. Your face aches, your lips cracking and receeding as thick folds emerge along your neck and your face restructures ever so vaguely. Your finger and toe nails then begin to grow at an impossible rate, hardening and darkening and growing... and growing... and growing. Finally, a twinge and a painful pop - and a short, naked tail loosens itself from your spine. 
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Sabin Duvert Vice Captain
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Posted: Sun Dec 17, 2006 11:04 pm
November 1 2006: Changes (Charlie's Account) // Quote: Horrid nightmares assail Charlie's dreams that night. Merciless, chaotic dreams that seem to jostle with his fears and his insecurities. When he finally tears himself back to consciousness, he wakes up to what feels like a cold with a vengeance. What tropical infection could have snared the doctor? His skin is dry and cracked, his joints stiff and a headache seems to have set up a permanent residence in his sinuses. And on top of that, he can't seem to get warm enough. For most of the day he feels miserable, and it gets nothing but worse as the day progresses. Then, the dry, cracked skin accentuates all along his arms and on spots of his face. The skin begins to thicken, turning leathery, and then even harder, cracking along fissures until the spots begin to resemble more like scales than skin. Your face aches, your lips cracking and receding as thick folds emerge along your neck and your face restructures ever so vaguely. Your finger and toe nails then begin to grow at an impossible rate, hardening and darkening and growing... and growing... and growing. Finally, a twinge and a painful pop - and a short, naked tail loosens itself from your spine.
"Beep, beep, beep---THACK!" Lazily a large hand reached out and silenced the infernal irritating ring of his alarm clock. Oh god--with a shiver, Charlie pulled himself back under his blankets and rolled over. What was this? He felt awful. No. God awful. No, even worse. "I'm dyiiing--" came a muffled cough as the short haired man bemoaned his current existance.
Of course he wasn't dying and had any one else been in his room Charlie would have kept that comment to himself. Yet, just like any man underneath his exterior, Charlie was a big baby. All men are; they love to complain and moan and b***h much like a woman does. The only difference is they do it in secret. (Or at least only when they know its going to be getting them some attention).
Silently an eye lid slipped open. A hiss--and Charlie shut it rapidly as the sun hit him. Oh, the fool he was, he had forgotten to shut the blinds last night. Now he would have to suffer for his mistake. No matter how desperately Charlie wanted to drift back off to dream land and forget his current bodily pain, he would never get to sleep with all this sunlight streaming in. Darkness. The counselor needed absolute silence and absolute dark to sleep. The silence he had, the darkness however--Ugh! The problem wouldn't be that difficult to remedy...but once Charlie was up, he was up. Just one foot out of bed and the day was to start. Sickness or not, he wouldn't be heading back under the sheets until the sun had set. Hmmn, seven AM now...sun set at around eight PM; seven minus eight? Thirteen hours?! Nonono, that wasn't right...or was it?
"Oh goooood," cried the man, placing both hands to his head, seemed he had a headache as well. It was far to late for that, however, to cure it with aspirin or any such cold medicine, all through the night the counselor had been plagued with restless images, livid and horrifying...dreams of the desert, grotesque monsters, needles, endless watching eyes. Oh enough, enough! A low grumble emitting from the back of his throat, Charlie slipped from betwixt his sheets and hit the ground with a soft thud. It was too much to stand up today...
…Yet, stand he did. Somehow he managed it...even if it was with all the moaning and bitching in the world. For being a guy who chided others on how they had to grow a spine, Charlie certainly acted like a woman a good 70% of the time. Behind closed doors of course--but then again, he did spend about 80% of his time locked up in his duplex...Couldn't be healthy that was for sure. But even his safe abode had failed him today, something had snuck in, something horrible and now...and now....
"God damn it," was the soft mutter echoed through the tiny residence, as Charlie began to examine his arms and legs. Ew...his skin. If you could see it, it would become very understandable why Charlie got a sudden urge for a good bottle of Aloe Vera lotion. His skin looked horrible. In all honesty, it was… disgusting. The only thing he could compare it too was a very temperamental sun burn he had got when he was younger.
That had been a fun day to say the least. The poor fella, being the tender age of twelve and naïve about nature’s dangers went out to play in the water of the swimming pool, but forgot to put on sunscreen. Well, that was a lesson Charlie certainly never forgot.
And good lord, not only did his skin look like something peeled off bottom a dry lake, but it was beginning to also itch.
That…was…it!
Even if it was a hassle, and Charlie rather felt like dying than leaving his bed side, hassle was better than sitting here in this agony. It was the itch--driving him crazy you see? One foot foreword and then the next, Charlie managed to drag himself away from his squishy resting place and towards the bathroom. And of all the ridiculous--why was he shivering?! This was a tropical island for Pete’s sakes, disregard the fact that it was raining at the moment...the temperature was still warmer than he normally would have liked.
Mmng, sweater...he needed a sweater. Turning to his right Charlie began to lumber towards his half packed, half un-packed suitcase. Yes...still had his hopes up that he would be going home, that one did. Sweater… sweater…
About to take another step foreword, it dawned on Charlie that he hadn’t probably bothered to bring a sweater. When he had first arrived here, he had planned on nauseously warm weather conditions. Tish…what a downer, stupid shortcomings. You’re always supposed to bring a sweatshirt or a coat--even if it was a nice warm island...
Sighing, Charlie finally finished his journey to the bathroom sink. At least the sound of the running water was nice...kind of claming in the midst of all the panic. Even if the water that Charlie tired to dump on his face didn't help a lick...the sound of it was soothing. Uhg...no good, he would just be better off making his way back to bed. You know, sleep it off the whole day?...Or just rest, since going back to sleep almost seemed impossible. Maybe tomorrow it would all go away or something?
Feebly, the "old" guy made his way back to bed, shutting his eyes, as he tried a very meek attempt at sleep. Truthfully, Charlie didn't expect to get much rest, but always better to try than to simply pout and stomp your foot. Letting out a deep breath, the red head pulled the blankets over himself and drifted somewhat off to sleep--more than anything he was trying to clear his mind, "Stupid cold..."
Poor man, he really had no idea, what was going on. Or maybe he did...Charlie was no stupid person after all. In fact, the counselor was quite conniving and intelligent; you had to be creative in his line of work. He was in denial, so what? Every one went through bouts and phases. I'm happier this way, the red head had once told himself. If he was happy, why was it wrong then to live in bliss? Yes, it was hypocritical of himself to say that, when every day he told many, many other people to stop living in a fantasy realm and wake up...But Charlie was like that sometimes, selfish, acting like a little kid, like all other human beings, he had his flaws and imperfections. No one can be perfect.
Time roved on and soon a whole day had passed and evening had come…despite feeling like it was getting worse, Charlie shut his eyes tighter and pretended everything was right. Oh, but it's not...it's not, screamed the counselor’s angry body. It was defiantly not all right. He could feel it, feel his skin changing, taste the blood along his lips as they dried and cracked...
"No..." came a groan as he rolled over onto his stomach and pulled the blankets around his head. Ignore the fact that it felt as if needles were shooting out of his fingers. No needles didn't quite describe it, these were larger. Quivering as he huffed and puffed gasping for air, Charlie curled up into a small ball just as they finally came. ....What was that? Half in shock from the transformations, half having no desire to see what had become of him, Charlie remained hidden and moaning in the blankets.
What ever he had...it was the worst disease ever....or so, he told himself.
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Posted: Sun Dec 17, 2006 11:06 pm
November 07 2006: Truth or Dare// Link to be Filled in Soon.
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Posted: Sun Dec 17, 2006 11:07 pm
November 27 2006: Liamh's Birthday Extravaganza// Here
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Posted: Sun Dec 17, 2006 11:09 pm
December 12 2006: A Little Skin Never Hurt Anyone// Gaius Harper Life for Gaius had been interesting the past couple days. His nights were spent curled up sleeping on benches, or in the entertainment room when no one was there, which was rare thanks to the nocturnal islanders, and his sheets and pillow were certainly suffering for the exposure to the elements. He himself was looking a good deal scragglier. Baths in the nearby river helped, but he was developing a distinct stubble around his jaw and upper part of his neck, and his hair was scruffier than usual. Aside from that, though, he was feeling better. With time came the fading of memory, and with that, a pleasant blanket he could put between himself and Sabin’s hard words. Marshall was right, after all, and so was Liamh. They were the people he trusted. Somewhere along the way, he’d finally realized… he had an opportunity to be useful to people here that he didn’t have back home. It was all a matter of numbers. Here, he was the better architect… being the only one. That thought only marginally comforted Gaius, though it made him feel guilty at the same time, but it was enough to rekindle the drive that’d died in the labs. Having just finished a brief meal in the cafeteria, Gaius stood in front of the village bulletin board, reading over the notes. He frowned. Seemed Billy was already searching out talent for the stage that he hadn’t even started. “Jumping the gun a bit…” he muttered to himself. Well, he was finally ready to start! There was just one problem… He still refused to go inside his duplex. The pieces of skin lying about still brought a shudder to his broad shoulders. But that was where his blueprints still were… Maybe he could find someone to help… Charlie Haston Noon and time for lunch. There was only one problem...Charlie wasn't really hungery. His stomach told him no, but his mind told him, " Yes you are". No...yes...no....Charlie debated with himself as he walked towards the cafeteria. It had been yesterday since he had eaten...but he felt perfectly fine, only in the back of his mind did something human urge him that what he was doing wasn't healthy.
The man needed a distraction...something to keep him postponing his eating. However, lucky for him, that a human distraction happened to be right along his path. Not only that, but this distraction was speaking aloud providing a perfect opportunity for Charlie to jump in with conversation.
Not wanting to startle the man, Charlie casually walked up behind him and then waddled over to the side. "Someone being a bit hasty, eh? " Came a cheerful voice, as the counsilor cleared his throat and pushed his slipping glasses up the bridge of his eroding nose....at least it was still somewhat there...
Gaius Harper Gaius turned, a bit too quickly, as despite the man’s precautions, it’d become easier to surprise Gaius recently. However, he quickly relaxed, seeing the apparently friendly man with scales on his nose. Actually, it rather amused him how similar their flattened noses were, except Gaius certainly won out in the nostril department, he mused ruefully. “Yeah… I’m the guy working on that stage construction, you see, but Billy, the guy who came up with the whole idea, is already looking for performers… and, well,” he winced, rubbing at his long neck and looking back at the board, “I haven’t exactly made any progress on building the stage for them yet. And it’s kind of hard to have a show without a place to do it…” Glancing back at the shorter man, he smiled. “I’m Gaius, by the way. Seems I’m always introducing myself to people I’ve never met, just seen glimpses of around here…” Charlie Haston Speaking of appearances...Gaius wasn't half bad. Not that Charlie was particularly thrilled at the sight of him, but the older guy couldn't remember the last time he had seen a normal looking human around this place. It had been nearly a month now...even longer since had talked to someone who wasn't diseased ridden like everyone else here.
"Oh..." came the slight murmur as Charlie listened half intently with interest. Perhaps if he actually knew about this project before Gaius had said something about it...and actually knew who Billy was, he might have more to say about it. "That's certainly is a troublesome proposition," Charlie mumbled scratching at the side of his face for a moment. Damn skin! No matter how much lotion he rubbed on it...
"Gaius? So your the one I've heard lots about--" Allright. So, Charlie really didn't know Gaius...but what did it hurt to pretend, flattery could get you places you never dreamed of. "Call me Frank," came a coy smile, as Charlie extended a claw-like hand and gave Gaius his middle name.
Gaius Harper Charlie’s feigned interest was taken as sincere by the ever-innocent Gaius, who was more than eager to share with a sympathetic ear. His own ears perked up at the vague compliment. People spoke of him? Really? Considering the guy wasn’t teasing him for falling for a lesbian, then it must not have been all that bad! He took the hand, careful of the long nails, and shook it warmly, his smile broadening. “Great to meet you, Frank! And yeah, troublesome is a good way to put it… I gotta get started as soon as possible. I have the plans already drawn up and stuff, it’s just a matter of getting the supplies and labor together. There’s just… uh…” He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly and lowered his eyes. “There’s a problem getting to the blueprints…” Charlie Haston Oh-ho-ho, if only Charlie had known poor Gaius' troubles with Nita. He probably good have given him a proper out look on that. After all, he had delt with more than his fare share of scandalous divorces...you'd be surprised just how many wives cheated on their husbands with the skanky secretary girl.
Gaius wasn't the first guy to be hoodwinked, nor would he the last...ah, but such was life, no? At least Gaius was slightly happy at the fact he thought Charlie was taking interest in him. Let the man have some happiness before he had to start worrying over his projects...
"Oh?" Said Charlie, half amused, half slightly eager to hear something new. "What would that problem be?" Half of him wanted to smirk at the fact someone like Gaius, seemingly the epitome of the manly stereotype, seemed embarrassed about his predicament. What could it be that kept him from solving all his problems?
Gaius Harper “Well… ehhh,” he winced. “The problem is, Liamh, one of my friends… you were at his birthday I think? Anyways, he changed again recently, in my duplex. And now half his skin is scattered around my floor with everything else…” Gaius chewed his lip. That wasn’t all that was currently bothering him, but he wasn’t ready to discuss the labs with anyone. “What it comes down to is… I guess I’m paranoid about going back inside my duplex, at least just yet… But the blueprints I need are still inside.” Turning his eyes back on Charlie, his smile brightened again. “But that’s where you come in! You can help fetch them for me, right pal?” He planted a firm pat on Charlie’s shoulder, one that would probably turn into a hard grip if Charlie tried to run. Charlie Haston "Birthday--" in the back of his mind, Charlie tried to re-call that event. It wasn't so long ago, but nothing particular exciting had happened (if only Charlie realized how lucky he had been about that fact) so he didn't remember it as well as he would have liked.
Just about to re-call the name he had used for that birthday event, Gaius said something that called Charlie from his musings and sent a twitch to the counsilor's eye. Sk-skin? Wht in all of gods green earth...No, no, just pretend he hadn't heared anything.
Burying his feelings the best he could, Charlie swallowed and gave Gaius a charmed smile, "Ah, yes, quite understandable. It's natural for people to avoid places which bring up un-plesantries or so my work tells me."
"Heh--" with soft clear of the throat Charlie pulled off his glasses about to examine a speck of dust, when Gaius hand sent him foreward a bit. Tempted to pull a glare, Charlie rolled his shoulders back glanced up at Gaius. "We can think of something." Came a cool subtel reply.
"There's always a way..." Even if the task was going to be un-pleasent, at least Charlie didn't have to think about eating anymore. Gaius Harper “Right, always a way!” Gaius parroted happily, using the hand to catch Charlie’s shoulder and pull him along in the direction of good old duplex 62. “And perfectly natural, yeah! I mean, hell, who wouldn’t be traumatized when their friend’s skin came off right under their hands?” Gaius’ long legs ate up the distance, forcing Charlie to hurry to keep up with the horse-man, otherwise risk being pulled off balance. “It’ll be easy, really,” he assured the red-head, “the stuff’s all lying out on the floor already anyways… Hopefully Newt’s trap is still working, there shouldn’t be any beetles scurrying around… I think!” Charlie Haston Inside, it became suddenly hard to resist the urge to toss Gaius hand a side. Charlie...despite his job and polite outward appearence, was not a people person. He liked his space. There was a very definate bubble around Charlie and right now Gaius was invading it.
...And would it kill the man to slow down a little? These days Charlie never liked taking anything fast. Why rush the pace of life? ....Let things happen as they naturally did, which for Charlie these days, was very slow.
Mentally sighing, the counselor now regretted ever stopping to talk to poor Gauis. "Eh-hem..." stepping way from Gaius, the red head removed the overly enthustiastic one's hand. "Like I said there's always a way...however, your going to have to help me. "
Call it part sadism and part want to actually help Gaius, but..."If you don't go in with me now, you'll never get over this--fear of yours. I usually don't do counsiling for singels--but I'm afraid I'm if you should like me to help, your going to have to come inside with me." Gaius Harper Completely unaware of the personal bubble he was violating with what he considered an inoffensive touch, Gaius didn’t slow down until they were near his duplex, when Charlie freed himself. Gaius blinked, looking at the guy with confusion. “What do you mean, Frank?” he asked, using the name the man had given him. “If you have a problem, I’d be more than willing to help…” And then the conditions were given. Gaius’ face paled a shade, his bright expression falling along with his drooping ears. “G-Go… inside? But…” He glanced up at the door to the second-story duplex, then back at Charlie, wavering. “The skin! And, it all came off, so horrible…” A small shudder ran down his body. Taking a deep breath, Gaius steadied himself. “Y-You’re right… I just don’t think it’s going to be a very pretty sight in there…” Glancing back up the stairs, he asked, “…Promise you’ll go in first?” Charlie Haston Help? Charlie? What? Tish. As if the counselor would ever ask for such a thing from anyone else. Charlie was his own help, that's the way things were and that's how he liked it. If he ever wanted to talk to someone, it would be to his own journal...not that a journal could talk back, but, at least one could clear one's thoughts.
"Look," Came a stare from the counsilor. "I frankly haven't given much thought as to what you have said about what's on the floor and all that jazz..." distatefully the red head gave a glance at his arms, " and I really have no intention of thinking about it either. That's the key in these situations, you need to take a deep breath and simply put everything in retro-spect."
"Now..." continued on the slightly be-mused elder gentelman. "I will go first, you just have to promise not to run away. If you do that, there's no fixing it. Besides..." mumbled Charlie as he opened the door of Gaius' duplex and stepped through the void, "Don't want to be the laughing stock of your friends and neighbors..." He added the last bit, not out of spite, but moreso to give an insentive for Gaius. Nobody liked being made fun of. Gaius Harper Gaius hung his head, looking rather like a shamed kid as Charlie lectured him, and nodded. Of course, just don’t think about it… Had to be easy enough, right? The comment questioning his bravery stung, cause Gaius to raise his head, frowning stubbornly. “I won’t run! And… I don’t want anyone else to know…” he confessed. Augh, he could just imagine if someone like Zach found out Gaius was disturbed by his own duplex… And Sabin was probably in stitches watching him right now. Puffing out his chest, Gaius took a determined step after Charlie. Inside, it was quite obvious the place had been vacated for days. All the windows were closed, leaving the air musty and smelling of faint decay. The pieces of skin were well on the way to drying out, several falling into several flakey pieces and leaving a dust of skin flakes all over the carpet and papers littering the floor. The aroma caught the two full-on and Gaius gagged, clamping a hand over his nose as he tried to not look at the place where the worst of the skin bits were gathered. “De plans… dey’re ober der…” He waved his hand towards the desk, which was completely clear of anything atop its surface. Behind it, whoever, were crumpled several papers, some that had blue draft markings on if inspected closer. Charlie Haston Good...god...did someone actually live here at one point? Trying not to gag, Charlie covered his nose and fought the original urge to run. This place smelled of death and disease....It was all simply too much for Charlie, there were no words to convey his feelings that moment. Waving a hand in front of his face, as if that would clear out the foul stench, the older man back shot a glance at Gaius. Nearly full grown and it seemed some people never learned how to take care of things.
"Nou-nou-nou--" Charlie instinctively lifted an index finger towards Gaius and pointed at the table, which the dark haired man, was aimlessly trying to move him towards. "Yhu get it--” Charlie had better things to do. For example, how about some fresh air? Shuffling his way over towards the curtains, a struggling snap and the counselor had a light breeze blowing through the place.
"A bit better--" was the initial response, until with a near gasping hiss, Charlie spotted the vulgar debris on the floor. Understandable Gaius hadn't been here in a while. However, that was no excuse for what Charlie's saw. If only he had a broom--"Get them all?"
The faster the counsilor was out of here, the happier he would be.
Gaius Harper This ‘help’ Gaius had found wasn’t being nearly as helpful in the way Gaius had wanted… After all, who didn’t like having someone else do all their work for them? He groaned when Charlie motioned him towards the desk, but then, he was right, once again. Gotta get over the silly fear… Skirting the edge of the radial formed by the decomposing skin, Gaius picked his way between papers and old laundry until he was close enough to the other side of the desk to kneel down. Working quickly, he gathered the wads of paper into his arm, not minding if they got a little more crumpled at this point. As he cleared the floor, he found a notebook beneath the pile, which he picked up with more care. It was Richard’s notes, including the drafts for… the plan. Gaius’ mouth tightened. Soon. He’d have to do it soon. The breeze of fresh air cleared much of the air, bringing with it the cleaner smell of the jungle. Gaius took a deep breath and stood back up, a hesitant, but appreciative smile on his flattened face. “Yeah, I think I got them. You were right, wasn’t that hard…” Charlie Haston "Well, I'm glad that's over then," Charlie said, with a weary voice. This escapade certainly had seemed to drain him, then again, working with other people's problems always did. However, it was a comforting feeling to know that you had done some small part to make the world a better place.
"You did very well, Gaius and should be very proud of yourself." Did the man do well? Yes. Should he be proud of himself?... Maybe. Nevertheless, it was important that he receive praise. Positive reinforcement...positive, had this experience turned out badly for Gaius, there was no doubt in Charlie's mind, that in the future Gauis would refuse to come with in fifty feet of this place.
"However, now that you have managed to overcome one part of this," Charlie started in, "I should like to remind you, you have a long way to go.” Glancing over to make eye contact with his new acquaintance, the counselor made sure to have his attention. "Avoiding this place is simply not healthy, even if the most un-pleasant experiences have happened in this room, you'll have to learn how to get over them and move on. It's simply a process of life Gaius, tomorrow you should come here again. Oh, and this time--" Charlie cleared his throat before continuing on. "By yourself."
In all honesty, Charlie couldn't say why he was investing so much of himself into this problem, but he was...Boredom that was probably it, finally he had something to do on this accursed place...other than read. Gaius Harper At the praise, Gaius visibly puffed up, looking quite pleased, like a dog getting patted. Yes! He’d done it, he’d gone into his house! That puffed pride soon deflated a level as Charlie laid out the next phase of Gaius’ ‘therapy.’ “Alone?” he whined. Bah, got a grip man, he could do this… It was just going into his own duplex, after all. The place he’d been living for so many months… Almost four now? Gaius took a deep breath to steady himself and nodded. “Right. I’ll do that…” Well, maybe not alone… He glanced at the skin bits. He’d need to find help with the cleaning… Crumpled balls of plans still in his arms, Gaius looked back up at Charlie with a hopeful grin. “Hey! I know I’ve already asked a lot of you without even really knowing each other, but I’m gonna be working on building a construction project over on the edge of the village, and I could use any free hands available. I mean, if you want to… But it’s not like there’s much else to do on the island, right Frank?” he chuckled. Charlie Haston At the praise, Gaius showed the typical male reaction of pure delightful pride. Then again, Gaius was a typical male. In any other circumstance, if Charlie met Gaius off of this Island, well...he would still be himself, or nearly so. Cheerful, somewhat of an egoist and optimistic, a body that would be considered the epitome of manly by nearly all women...someone highly desirable as a family man. Oh well...at least of all the types of people Charlie usual dealt with, men like Gaius were easiest to handle. Always so willing to, "fix" the problem at hand. --Eh-hem, if not a little eager to complain about it before actual, said "fixing".
"Yes, like I said, alone." Repetition, however tedious, was important. "You don't have to necessarily go all the way into the room the first time. But, take it easy, you know, small steps at a time. For example, tomorrow, I want you to take one step inside of your duplex and the next day take two, the day after that, three. If you start to get panicked I simply want you to pause, take a deep breath and count to ten--As for your construction project--"
Charlie waited until a few moments before answering. Mmng, Gaius was right now...there wasn't much else to do, besides the occasional project that he would take on for fun, like he current fellow beside him. "I suppose I could help you." A slight smile before Charlie continued on, "Besides, it will give me an excuse to see how your progress goes."
Gaius Harper Gaius shifted from one foot to the other uncomfortably. Much as he wanted to get over this fear, Charlie’s orders sounded a bit slow and tedious for him. Wasn’t there some kind of one-time cure-all for this? And he couldn’t help but feel just a little… patronized, but that was probably just his ego getting in the way. It wasn’t just the horrible incident… but more so the fact that the material OF the incident still lay scattered about the floor there, but now he had an idea of how to fix that. He broke into a smile as Charlie accepted the offer, patting the guy on the shoulder as they both made their way towards the door. “Great! I’m sure you’ll be a big help! I’ve been needing to get this thing off the ground for weeks, so the more hands I get, the faster we can get it done! And just wait, I bet I’ll be over this by next week! I mean, ah…” His eyes drifted down to one of the half-crusted chunks of skin, then quickly rolled back up, his face a bit tight as he tried to keep his smile steady. “I-It’s not so bad! Just… one step at a time…” Charlie Haston "Gaius..." Charlie looked up admits the stuttering and quite obvious discomfort and slightly angry apprehensiveness in the air. "Not that it seems your worried about this, however, know I will never mention this meeting to anyone. You need to focus on yourself. I leave our meeting open for you too share, perhaps you have a friend you would like to talk to? Sounds to me like you're going through a lot more than I'm actually seeing today."
"However, I'm not too worried about it, your a very capable gentleman--" gently Charlie shut the door after they booth had exited. "Anyway Gaius, I think I shall be going about now. But, if you ever need anything simply try duplex 63. I'm home most of the time. " Finished the counselor with his final words.
Ah...it was defiantly time for a nap. Gaius Harper Gaius blinked. He hadn't considered that anyone would actually talk about this whole thing, so Charlie's reassurance was a bit unnerving, but relieving at the same time, thus leaving the simple guy a little confused. "Ah, right, thanks... Thanks for everything, really." He blushed a bit at the compliment and muttered a sheepish thanks, rubbing at the back of his neck as he watched Charlie go. It was surprising how close the guy lived, just the duplex over... yet, he still looked pretty human, overall. Hopefully the guy was one of the 'lucky' ones. "Seeya!" Gaius called to the retreating form, then brought his attention to the papers in his arms. He had a lot of work to do!
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Posted: Sun Dec 24, 2006 10:56 pm
December 20 2006: You Like Hiking Too?// (RP in Progress) Charlie Haston It was strange to have met another person so early in the morning. As he had come to discover, many of the people of this island were not early risers. Mostly being young, it was easy to understand why. People at that age, they all enjoy staying up late, talking, drinking and doing who else knows what until the pass out in the early hours of the morning.
Silently to himself, Charlie smiled as he remembered those days. And...it wasn't exactly that the counselor was old, but as the years had past, his tastes had grown more refined and sophisticated. Some days he felt like he was old as all get out and others well...he felt like that too on other days. But that wasn't the current point--
The current point was that he was delighted to find younger company up so early in the morning to talk to and share a walk with. A very unusual statement for Charlie to be delighted about, I must say. It just wasn’t his usual self to say it. But as of late...Charlie was not feeling his usual self at all.
"I'm sorry--But what was your name again? You have to forgive me for not catching it the first time." Aislinn_Derry Aislinn, however, only got at most five hours of sleep any given night, and so tended to be out and about frequently. Particularly in the morning, though she made certain to wait until it was light out lest the predators find her easy prey. She smiled at the other. He seemed a nice enough guy, really. A little cute, in that geeky way like Liamh was. "Aislinn. Aislinn Derry," she informed the man. Charlie Haston If only he had known Aislinn's first lingering thought, he certainly would have something to say about that. Charlie was rather lucky when it came to trouble. So far, he hadn't run into any problems...he always seemed to miss the drama by a close minute or two. Predators...tish, like he cared about them at the moment.
"Unusual..." Charlie said, "But fitting for someone such as your self." Not caring to elaborate what, that last bit meant. It probably wasn't an insult. After all, Aislinn had done nothing so far to upset or annoy him. "Also unusual to find another living being up this early," he noted with a casual smile.
"I like to come down by the beach how ever, especially before it gets to muggy out--" A thought that nearly made Charlie twitch. The heat he didn't mind, but this warm tropical weather...it was just nauseating. "That or I have to talk a walk in the evening...which is nice to, but you know...I like to go to bed early."
"Do you walk around here every day?" A red head bobbed and nodded towards the loud waves crashing against the shore. The two had been walking for quite a while now, starting near the village area, they had now made their way towards the ominous mountain. The massive clod of rock and dirt was still somewhat of a distance away...but steadily they were getting there. " I can't say as I've ever seen you around before." Aislinn_Derry She smiled, "I walk around different areas. I'm trying to see if I can't get past the injury completely with a little workout," she motioned to her leg and the cane, though she seemed to be moving forward at a decent pace, "So far as the rest...well, lately I've been able to get less and less sleep, so I'm usually about early before anyone else." Charlie Haston "Oh? Troubles?" Charlie tried to make himself not sound too interested in the girls worries. Uneasy sleep was usual a sign of mental stress and if it had anything to do with mental stress..."Worried about something?" He prompted further, hoping she wouldn't take it as a nosy question, keeping as much curiosity out of his voice as he could.
"Either way--you seem to be doing well on your--erm--legs," it was a distasteful glance he shot the pair of lengthy limbs. Don't get him wrong--Aislinn was a very attractive female, but something wasn't right about her legs. That was that and he really didn't care to expand upon it further or continue to look at them.
"It takes a strong person to recover from such things--" Even if he hadn't known previous circumstances which caused her condition, it was an intelligent remake, one that would hopefully get her talking more. Aislinn_Derry She shook her head, "Oh, no. I think it's more related to the hormones injected to make me turn into a horse. Equines only sleep a few hours a day, particularly at night when there's danger from predators...and I can't seem to shake the habit." Well, at least the legs weren't covered in -fur- anymore. They were clean, shapely legs again, despite the scars on her knees (all but imperceptible given how wrinkly knees are anyhow) and higher up where he couldn't quite see anyhow. She limped strongly on one leg, though, and supported it by the cane at her side, "I suppose." Really, she wasn't sure what had gotten her through it all. Determination, sure. But probably more the desire to compete, to succeed, than simply to persevere. Charlie Haston If anything, Charlie was the oddity out of the two of them. Wrinkly skin, scales and all manner of oddities growing from his body...at least nobody could see that thing growing out of his spine, which looked horribly similar to a tail...thank god for baggy clothing.
Now what was Aislinn talking about? Mumbling something about hormones…probably drug related, no doubt. "Eh--" Charlie cleared his throat, not really interested in listening to what the girl was saying, "I see." It wasn't that he didn't want to listen to the girl, it was just the topic chosen was far to un-comfortable for his liking.
Quickly he latched onto the different subject he had brought up. "They say people who manage to make it through physical illnesses and such are the one's who succeed most in life. Nothing slows them down--” he paused taking a moment to look at the waves, “except for maybe the out of shape man walking along side them."
A laugh and then Charlie frowned looking down at himself. Lately he seemed to be out of shape and though it didn't look like he had gained weight, he was clearly struggling with all physical movement. "How I miss adventuring out on the weekends," there came a sigh as he began to reminisce of the past, " I loved to go out hiking around the desert," He turned grinning at Aislinn, "Seems I've fallen too out of shape for that, however."
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Posted: Sun Dec 24, 2006 11:01 pm
December 24 2006: Surprise, Surprise// Cody Archer In front of the door of your duplex lies a small gift wrapped in regular paper by a string. There are some words scribbled with ordinary pen, saying: "Merry Xmas. From Cody" ((Cody doesn't remember the number of most of the duplexes his friends live in, so he painted gifts for everyone))
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Posted: Tue Dec 26, 2006 12:55 am
December 24 2006: Surprise, Surprise// Pt. 2
A set of wrinkling green eyes stared down at the object by his foot. Well, that certainly hadn't been there when he had left this morning for breakfast. Which, by the way, had not been all that pleasant...all he ever wanted these days was fruit. For once the counselor was beginning to wish he had the stomach to eat something perhaps just a little more daring than apples and bananas. It was this damn disease which had clung on to him. Every time he tried to sample something else, the morning after was far from pleasant. It was especially bad if he ever ate meat. Ew...even the thought made him shudder.
But back to the small object at his feet. Nimbly Charlie gave the shell a soft kick. Lord knows it wasn't dangerous, never the less, Charles had the dying urge to poke at it just to make sure everything was alright. Worries settled however when the stationary object remained as lifeless as ever. And happy that it wouldn't suddenly sprout a set of fangs and bite him, Charlie picked up the small package.
Tumbling the awkwardly packaged gift in his hands, at length poor eyes landed upon the attached note. "Cody?" His voice was curious, but still less than enthused, the reason being that the gift brought up more concerns than appreciation. For starters, who was Cody? He certainly hadn't met anyone named Cody here. Had he? No, no, Charlie was good at remembering faces and names, at least he knew that well enough. And secondly was it really already Christmas? No, Charlie wasn't dumb, he knew the date to be late December...it was just, here on this island, it didn't feel like Christmas at all. Which, to be perfectly honest was...kind of nice.
A contented smile on his face, Charlie began to hum under his breath, as he un-locked the door to his duplex and to be faced with a sterile and drab apartment. Careful to shut the door behind him--didn't want any unwelcome visitors now, Charlie waddled over to his bed and with a deep sigh shoved himself over the squeaking frame. Let's see now what had this so called 'Cody' person left him?
It didn't take long for the simple paper to be torn off, shredded and discarded to Charlie's side, leaving a simple green seashell ornament in his hands.
Whatever Charlie had been expecting, it hadn't been what he was now holding. Simple, rather crude and the paint job a bit messy...the project reeked of a child's hand. With a soft thunk, Charlie's immediately dropped the spirited trinket.
Children? There were children here on this accursed island! The idea, as much as he wished it were ludicrous, was actually very plausible and Charlie should have realized it sooner. ...Realized it a lot sooner, like many other things going at this place. Perhaps...perhaps it really was time to stop pretending that nothing was wrong. For a long time now, Charlie had been trying to put the stories out of his head, tried to ignore the irking comments as they came up--but it was just silly trying to avoid reality. It never got anything done. Honestly as of late, he was behaving no better than some of the people he had been trying to help.
...Rubbing his temples, Charlie's chest gave a heave as he released a troubled sigh. Things would have been so much better if he had just ignored that stupid e-mail from Aubrey--Leaving things as they were, the red headed counselor toddled off towards the bathroom in search of a soothing shower.
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Posted: Tue Dec 26, 2006 12:56 am
December 25 2006: And That's Life//
It was early evening, the sun was just beginning to disappear over the horizon and Richard found himself sitting on the balacony outside his duplex. After his encounter with Billy he had shattered yet another mirror. Today he was calmer but still in a sour, bitter mood. So much for just accepting things and enjoying his "retirement." He sat in a folding chair he had grabbed out of the cafe. Surveying the village from the height of the balancony brought him a feeling of peace. He refused to ponder why.
The sun was dropping and as such, it was usually Charlie's cue to head home. It wasn't that he was scared of the darkness, the man had little fear of anything really. Charlie was an early riser you see and for this reason, he went to bed earlier than most normal people you would meet. It was as the old saying went, "early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise," for Charlie. --Yet, at the current moment, maybe not so healthy. These days it seemed he had everything BUT his healthy and perhaps his sanity was slipping to, but helping others seemed to be keeping the tide at bay. Nearing the duplexes he spotted a familiar face several doors down. "Why the long face, Richard?" Was the phrase practically shouted across the small area of the apartments.--Now what had he told this man his name was?
Richard turned his head to in the direction of the voice. As he did his changed eyes caught the light from the setting sun, causing the pupils to shine gold. He squinted at the man, snorted through his changed nose, who the hell was that? While his night vision had improved a bit, he was still near sighted. He held up his glasses and peered through them, his nose no longer the proper shape to keep them on his face. "Charlie?" He asked. He didn't bother to shout.
Smug grin on his face, the counselor took the time to ramble his way over towards the sitting gentleman, while Richard took his time pondering exactly who it was. Honestly Charlie didn't expect for Richard to remember him. One's brain could only contain so much information and at his age--well, it got harder to take in new names and such. Besides, they had only had one meeting together. One very un-pleasant brief meeting. Least it twas unpleasant for Charlie. Richard had seemed to get a laugh out of--oh yes, that's right, Richard was half drunk as well...Not a good way to make a first impression was it? "How are you? Long time no see." The man shuffled about now under the balcony. Why come up? It would only be a pain rambling up those stairs.
The name had come before Richard had remembered the circumstances of there meeting. The corners of Richard's mouth turned up slightly as the event replayed in his head.
He peered down at the younger man. How was he? At the bottom of the barrel. "I've been better." Richard grumbled in his direction. "You look a bit... less nervious." He observed.
"Nervous?" The corners of Charlie's lips turned upwards into a bemused smile, "I've come to terms with myself--" the lie slipped between his teeth before he could even reconcile with it. His inner voice was quick to nag him about the juxtaposing statment. Come to terms? Come to terms that he was terribly ill? Stuck here forever for all he could tell?--That he was going to die ON THIS MISERABLE PLACE?!
...
Inwardly taking a deep breath, Charlie's watery moss eyes looked down at dark black toenails poking through pampered and cared feet. "Seems the tables have turned then this time." Was the simple statement the man volleyed off of Richard, "--Care to talk about it? " His speech was casual enough, just a curious question really…but the tone was oh-so inviting.
Richard eyed the red head supiciously. In his experiance nobody had actually wanted to listen him and his opinions. So had been keeping them to myself lately. Unwilling to trust anyone with all the things that were now bothering him. "Hmpf. Talking doesn't help much here it appears. Then again. There isn't much you can do besides talk."
"Hmmn? Why so closed Richard?--Keeping life's problems at bay? " It was a bold statement, but one that Charlie after taking the calculated costs. When you listened to people's problems, there wasn't much you could get them to do to talk. Sure, there were ways to try and trick people into loosening their tongues...but in the end, if someone didn't want to talk, you clearly couldn't make them. It was half interest and again, half boredom that egged the short middle aged man onward. However… keeping information about other's on hand was always useful. Charlie defiantly wanted to hear what was on the others mind. "Are you going to make me climb these stairs to come listen to you?" The smirking one asked.
Richard chuckled darkly. "Well I'm certianly not going to shout about my problems at you from this distance. I've done enough of that this week."
A roll of his eyes, and Charlie looked suspiciously at the stairs. --Why was it that everything these days looked to be an impossible amount of work? "--You better make this worth my while..." was the horribly quite mutter Charlie held under his breath, as his right foot mounted the first step. A minute later and the seemingly arduous task had been achieved. "--Now then--" wheezed Charlie, "...What was the subject at hand?"
Richard watched as Charlie laboriously made his way up the steps. He idly wondered what was wrong with the man, he was moving slower than Richard did when he arrived on the island. He gave the man an appraising look. "What would you say if I could take the chip out of your neck? Threotically, I mean. What would you do then?"
Bent over and wheezing, Charlie raised an eye at Richards' some what cold and distant reply, not to mention it was a ridiculous one as well. Chip? What was he talking about? Some sort of food? No. Richard's neck statement had voided that. Was the fellow talking about a tracking chip? Like they put in animals to track their migratory patterns? --In his neck? Eye's narrowed at the thought. What was with these people and their ridiculous fantasies? Did they find it funny to keep making up these wild stories? Was lying funny to Charlie?! OH YES THIS WAS ALL ONE LAUGHING MATTER, ONE BIG FUC--
Ten, count to ten..., came the voice from with in his mind. The voice of reason. The one that always calmed him when things became too stressful. Eight...nine..."All right." Charlie sat up, dully giving Richard a not so amused look. "Pretending that for one minute I will indulge in these foolish fancies of yours--Which is not healthy, I might add. I'd have to wait and weight the pros and cons of it all, before I gave you an answer. Life is a matter of balance, you see? For every action there is a re-action but the question of it all is can you deal with the consequences. With this erm--chip", disdain dripped from his lips as he muttered the word, "Out of my neck, what good would come of it? "
Oh yes, Charile's denial, Richard remembered it well. At the moment he didn't care whether Charlie believed him or not. His tentacles snaked over his shoulders pointing at Charlie, like he was some tastely morsal and they wanted a bite of. "In the back of our necks is a chip, that can knock us out with a touch of a button and I think it also tracks us." Richard stated matter of factly. "If it wasn't there, if I was able cut open your neck without injurying you spinal cord. You could hide in the jungle, the labs wouldn't be able to find you if you were clever. Its freedom, right?" The tentacle backed off when Richard looked up at Charlie, dashing away like a kid caught reaching for a candy he hadn't paid for.
What was that? Underneath his right eye Charlie could feel a nerve twitch. Disgustingly--slimy--If he hadn't been sure that ,that tentacle--erm that thing, was attached to Richard's body, he would have slapped it away. Just like a god damn survivor of a nuclear waist site-- the marriage counselor couldn't help but snidely remarked to himself. Maybe this whole place was hidden atop of radioactive waste--that would make sense why now and again his skin flaked off, why the people round here had things growing out of their sides and necks and all manner of places.
"And do what?" Asked the man taking a step back just in time to catch Richard's glance. "Live out there, like Tarzan the monkey man? First off--I haven't walked the entire area, but I can't imagine this place is overly large, you could only hide for so long. Besides, if someone wants to find you...believe me...there are ways of finding you..." He didn't mean too, but the man's voice dropped slightly as some old memories were brought up. Nothing from his life mind you--Just sad stories, women he had made friends with, met and had helped make a 'happy' life with. Or so it seemed...sometimes things don't always work out right and husbands get jealous and--oh that wasn't the point here! " Eh-hem, why do you want freedom so badly Richard? Why would you abandon your life style here? Food, comfort...what quality does freedom posses that you would give up your life necessities--yes, even risking death to achieve it? "
"--Or is perhaps something else driving you on? " The defensive edge in his voice rising a decibel as he murmured the almost forbidden question.
"You don't care if you die in a cage or not do you? If the cage is confortable you couldn't care less." That really wasn't the point but the counciler's tone irked Richard. "You remember the end of segregation? Naw, your too young. Why did freedom matter then and not now?"
Richard looked away, over the village. "I suppose that's not the point though. "I've met a man in the jungle but all he cared about was himself. The question is, does being in the jungle do anyone any good?" Richard before had fantazied about removing enough people's chips to start a uprising but after seeing what Jamal was. He wasn't sure anyone living in the wild could help anyone at all.
"Besides nicely avoiding my questions," Charlie couldn't help but smile at that one, he had made a good point and as such Richard had carefully over stepped it. Who wanted to look at their flaws? The answer was normally no one. Humans as a general rule were prideful and when you pointed out their faults they could become touchy, irritable and all together un-pleasant...Charlie was no exception to the rule. Richard was trying to get at his pride and as much as the man inside of him would love to snap back something immature and irrelevant--the dignified social with in him restrained that childish half.
"Your right Richard, what good does it do being in the jungle? Hmn? Richard, say you obtained this freedom, obtained it--and then helped others to achieve the same, but then what? You going to leave this place?--Simply float off and leave this island all together? "For the faintest of moments, a sneer crawled across Charlie's face, Richard disgusted him...people that didn't think of the realty about them, disgusted him.
"Just--" For a moment Charlie was caught off guard, trying to say what he wanted. The counselor didn't want to admit what was about to happen to him, but in the end...he knew it had to be said. "Just look at what you're turning into! Look what I'm turning into! HUH?! What makes you think freedom will make things better?" --Calmly, Charlie tried to lower his voice. He really shouldn't be taking out his fears upon other people and their dreams, even if those dreams were unrealistic.
"I'm not avoiding your question." Richard growled, seeing the sneer. Richard thought of Cathy for the first time in days. Her fire, her purpose and her rightousness. How would she fare in this sitaution? She was never the leader, but more an outspoken and abrasive voice. He thought back and examined her from his memories not even noticing that the wall of greif that normally stirred when he thought of her was abscent. Ultimately he had to concede that his model for his life would probably have no idea what to do. Other than be angry.
Richard studied his own hands as they gripped the railing infront of him. "Drive? Prehaps it that not quite it. Ultimately I've already won the game Charile." Richard's voice shifted to dark tone. "I had something that I doubt anyone on the island possesses. Was married happily for 30 years. And in almost every motment was a fortunate one. Any bump in the road was quickly over come, it was nearly charmed." He leaned closer to Charlie. "But she's gone now, has been gone for a long time. And with her gone I've been looking for a suitable conclusion to my own story." Deep within his eyes danced a maddened saddness. His wife had died a meaningless death of simply falling asleep at the wheel, for nine years Richard had been attempting to avoid the same fate. He wished for his death to be symbolic of something greater than himself. A twisted tribute to his wife's drive and fire, He would leave this earth the way she had always wished to. Attmepting to make a difference, in some way.
"But still, I'm not one to simply do something without a reasonable chance of seeing results." Change was a subtle thing and perhaps Richard might has thrown himself upon Moreau in a simple act of definance when he first arrived, now was a different time. Some where along the way self presiveration had become important again. He still had himself convinced that he had a deathwish but he had to admit he was no longer willing to through his life away in a symbolic gesture.
"Freedom with these..." Richard reached up and gently pulled on a whisker, his finger and thumb moving along its length. The sensation was alien, it was so sensitive he could practically feel the texture of his fingers on it. It was the same as the tail and the little hands. Peices of him that had simply not existed before. "I never thought about after wards." He chuckled darkly.
"I'm...sorry, " Charlie tried too look away as he said the apology, it was almost too hard to look Richard in the eye. "I'm sorry for on both accounts. For my snappish nature...and for your wife. It sounds as if you were truly blessed my friend." Giving a troubled sigh, Charlie's fingers reached up under his glasses and massaged tired eyes. "Lord knows I've seen enough un-happiness in the world, to know those who do find it are truly lucky...and yet you still move on. It's all you can do really..." Throwing his shoulders back, Charlie looked out into the setting sun. "I tell people all sorts of tricks, but in the end there is only one point and that is they have to move on."
"Unfortunately..." Charlie's voice faded out for a moment and he had to clear it with a hacking cough, "It seems that you and I, even perhaps everyone on this island, has it a rut. Can't move foreword, can't move backward. It's unsettling. Usually I can at least tell people they can always en-better themselves, but here..."
Frowning slightly Charlie squinted his moss green eyes and tried to take a good hard look at that nasty gob of scales on his nose....which in the end only made him go cross-eyed. "I don't think my clients would be too thrilled to sit in a room with me and discuss their life's problems about why they haven't slept together in a month."
"That is the crux of it. That's why this place really feels like a prision, there is no future and no past. All you've got is yourself and the new additions."
Richard chuckled at Charlie's talk of his clients. "Well If Cathy was here I'm sure we'd give you an entirely new problem to resolve." Charile's sudden shift had put him some what at ease. He felt Charlie had suddenly dropped his own walls and RIchard felt his own dropping too.
Prison? ...Well now, Charlie could certainly have something to argue against that, but then it would just be pointless bickering. So for the sake of saving his energy and voice, Charlie decided to leave it. This place was a prison...just a very nice one...Such a fool, he had no idea what some of the other people had been through so far. Perhaps later he would change his tune.
Faintly smiling, Charlie swung round to face Richard, "As if you would need someone like me to solve such a problem. My services are more for the like of Aubrey and her fiancé." He had to laugh at that one and laugh viciously, those two made his skin crawl. Aubrey wasn't so bad...and Charlie was sure that alone and not stuck to his island like a fly on wallpaper, Moreau would make a great person to have a dinner party with. But alas, together on this island, those two were about as appealing as a pair of sea slugs.
"Anyway...I should be headed off now..." Half feigning a yawn, Charlie headed towards the stairs, "I hope I helped you some Richard, but should you ever need to talk again, I'm down the way in duplex sixty three. Just stop on by." A short bob of his red hair and Charlie had vanished off into the night.
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Posted: Tue Dec 26, 2006 12:57 am
December 25 2006: Learning to Accept Growing Pains//
Back inside and once safe again from those of the outside world, Charlie took a moment to place his hand against his heart and feel just how fast the poor muscle was pumping. That talk with Richard, he had just had a couple of moments ago--it had left him shaken.
For a long time now, Charlie knew it was coming, he knew he couldn't put off things forever, but he had finally admitted it. He finally admitted that he was changing, into what he wasn't sure...but the maladies that plaughed is body were not from any disease, the scales and claws and tail on his back, these were man made. These were from Moreau if what the other islandershad told him were true. Perhaps the good Doctor didn't administer these changes personally, but he was behind it all.
There were a million questions in Charlie's mind...there always had been, but in the past he always conviently decided to shove them out of thought. Yet, out of sight out of mind didn't satisfy him anymore. Really, this was just too good to be a practile joke. And even if it were a joke why would someone go through so much trobuble to lure Charlie to a seculded island, pay good money for people to dress up as animals and then--no, it was too good to be a practile joke. The marks on Charlie's neck and arms also disproved that it was just some sort of laughing matter.
So, how exactly did he end up in this position? Biting his lip, the counselor tried to remember just exactly whom he had pissed off to get where he was. Passing it off as Moreau not liking his "advice" was just to easy. Nobdoy was that spiteful...unless they were a psycho. No, you couldn't talk to a psycho like a normal human bieng, couldn't reason with them either.
"Why is everything such a pain in the a**?" The rethorical question lingered in the air as Charlie moved towards his bed stand, pulling off his glasses and other miscelanious pieces of clothing along the way until he was once again able to cover himself up in a nice set of pajams. Actually...they really weren't pajamas, more like a loose t-shirt and a pair of ratty sweat pants he had managed to pull togehter.
Stretching the man crawled into his bed. No, he wasn't quite ready for sleep yet. Like the weirdo would fall asleep with out washing his face, brushing his teeth or cleaning his hands with soap and water before he went to bead. Heaven forbid he get dirt mixed in with the clean sheet.
...Charlie desparatly needed to stop with the walking, all it did was wore him out and sprinkle him in a fine layer of sweat and tropical dust, mainly consisting of sand and humid saltwater. Ugh. The saltwater--just water in general these days seemed to make Charlie itchy and un-comfortable all over. Could they have picked a more horrid climate to proceed with experimental changes in? The humidty was just horrible for his skin. Couldn't be good for what he was changing into either.
Hmmn, what had Richard said that one day when charlie was looking over the books in the req room, reptile? Lifting a clawed hand over his eyes, Charlie stared at the unfamiliar limb.
The idea wasn't too farfetched...
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