|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Fri Jul 22, 2011 9:02 pm
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jul 23, 2011 10:47 am
 |
|
|
|
((I'm assuming everyone's on board with this... So I'll just write up a quick narration.))
A month later...
Yani quickly established himself at the new laboratory Smith had gifted him, filling out the necessary paperwork, determining expenses, and fleshing out his staff. After placing the appropriate tabs on his newest business partner, TAIS now found itself firmly rooted into both the slaughterhouse and the newer lab, an establishment everyone quickly nicknamed as "the Shine".
The main building is enormous, and shaped like a dome. This is where the majority of the lab testing will be, as well as the chimerae's housing. Their housing is composed of two distinct, yet joint "districts". There is the indoors district, where modern, comfortable bedding can be found, separated by curtains, and soft chairs are spaced out over a fluffy rug. For outdoors-affiliated chimerae, a large field lay in the very center of the dome, with a glass roof allowing sunlight to filter in. There are large trees scattered about, an outcropping of rocks with simulated caverns, and a freshwater lake for aquatic creatures. Chimerae from either districts can easily leave a district for the next through a series of automated doors, which can be deactivated and locked in a time of crisis.
The lab features totally modern technology, though a few of the more impressive pieces, Yani suspects, are prototypes for a new breed of technology. Smith's company has also presented him with a list of scientists as possible candidates to work at the Shine, which he peruses at his spare time. The Isolation chamber downstairs is nearly finished with Smith's and Yani's combined efforts, and now only needs the finishing touches as according to TAIS.
A few outlying buildings surrounding the lab are for storage, offices, supplies, or even residential buildings for the scientists and their families who had to move to accompany Yani to the new location. The buildings offer free housing exclusively to Yani's employees, funded by the Vents' amassed fortune. Once the chimerae become publicized, any money the PR facility generated will be used to finance the residencies.
One of the buildings lay even further from the Shine, and this is the skeleton of a high school (to be dubbed Vent-Smith Chimerae High School, or V. S. Chimera High for short) being built. In it would be both chimerae and human beings, as part of a study Yani was planning. The Shine is focused primarily on the psychology of chimerae rather than the creatures' physical aspects, as the slaughterhouse had been, which granted the feasibility of producing such a school.
The slaughterhouse has been emptied, cleaned, aesthetically repainted, and refilled with new desks, sterile lab equipment, and glass walls. This is the PR facility and, as such, caters to the public. They would witness firsthand how chimerae were created, be dazzled with cleanliness and poly-syllabic words, and then ushered out to a gift shop with flyers ("Join the aquatic chimerae for a scenic oceanic dive this summer!") and adorable stuffed chimerae.
A small, relatively unnoticeable poster near the desk cautiously announces the newest experiments being handled--inter-chimeric reproduction. At the Shine, unknown to the public, Yani's chimeric "wife", the radiant Aiyana, is happily pregnant with the first prototype of chimeric reproduction and receiving all the prenatal care she needs. As far as their knowledge and combined guesswork had allowed, was safe. The chimera--or whatever it turned out to be--lying inside was another matter. Yani had little idea about how the process would manifest itself, and waited with cautious optimism. The gestation period for the prototype appeared almost over, after only a month, and Yani's anticipation is spilling into his work.
On the flip side, Smoke and the chimerae were still running for their lives. After a time, Smoke realized Yani was no longer chasing them. It would have been an easy enough matter after several slip-ups involving video cameras and the chip under John's skin, but they remained unharmed. Smoke can sense it's only the calm before the storm, and he works diligently (though without much success) in his attempts to smuggle himself and the chimerae off the coast of Florida to Cuba. Currently they stay in a beach house bought decades ago by Smith's parents with access to an isolated part of the shore. Fortunately, very little about the house can be called "modern", and so TAIS has very little information regarding how to trap them.
Both Smoke and John, as well as the other chimerae, have been talking extensively to each other as well as Apsalar, trying to teach her a little more about the language she struggles with. In the refrigerator, cold packets of deer blood are laid out for Hound, supplying him for a few weeks though they're beginning to run out. John's physical wounds, as well as Hiccadu's, have healed, and Smoke is growing a bit more comfortable around her. Smoke and Pup have grown closer, almost like a father and son, and they hang out frequently.
Jared hasn't had much luck in finding the group, mentioned in his timely reports to his father. A new employer has sought him out with a job proposition as well as a hint to the group's location, and Jared seeks them out with renewed vigor. The chimerae are no longer a part of his mission, but it promises to be a fun one nevertheless.
--
John reached for three cans of soda from a refrigerator, ignoring the last pack of blood lying on a shelf for Hound, then closed the door with a foot. He returned to where Apsalar, Hound, and Lonomia sat around something that Smoke called a "board game" and passed out the sodas. He'd decided not to touch the blood, because that belonged solely to Hound and he didn't want to accidentally spill it or anything.
The game was simple enough. You rolled a cube with different numbered dots on it and moved your colored piece however many dots you counted. If you landed on someone else's land, they got moved back to the start. First one to the center of the board won.
Though Smoke had taught them how to play, they still got into fits of giggles whenever someone miscounted or sent someone's piece back. The caffeine from the sodas didn't help either, though John relished the carbonated sensation. "Who rolled last?" The order was Hound, Apsalar, John, Lonomia, then Hound again. They were waiting on Smoke to get back and tell them if this time had been successful or not; if they were leaving the country or not. John wasn't exactly sure what "leaving the country" entailed, but it seemed they would be safer wherever they were planned to go.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jul 23, 2011 10:57 am
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jul 23, 2011 11:19 am
|
|
|
|
Crusha had enjoyed the move to the new facility, and was thoroughly enjoying the new facility itself. He was spending much on his time in the freshwater lake. He'd recently asked Yani about making a toy that looked like him and like him could grow and shrink. He wasn't sure it was possible though, since he was still growing new bones.
Inside his mother's womb, the prototype chimera was having his first dreams. He dreamed only vague images. Images of touching the sky and the clouds through his eyes. Images of being held by his mother, though these things had not yet come to pass. All were seen through his eyes.
Pup had taken to Smoke quite fondly. Smoke was his dad as far as he was concerned.
Fade and R.J. had become good friends over the past month and could often be seen fishing with bamboo fishing rods.
Hound laughed a little hard and started choking as he tried to calm down. He said, "I rolled last." then he noticed he was leaving claw marks in the table and said, "Sorry, Excuse me, I need to have a different drink." Then he got up and went to the frige and when he reached for the last bag of blood, he saw that it was the last and said grimly, "Smoke...We have a problem...."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Jul 23, 2011 3:03 pm
|
|
|
 |
((I'd prefer it if it didn't move. D: But if you're doing it to attract more people, I can deal.))
Hiccadu lounged in the sun in her Chimeric form on the porch, thoroughly enjoying the heat. In the month, she had heard little to nothing from TAIS, and the only workout she'd been getting was the hunting, mostly for her and Hound.
She hated the idea of becoming sluggish, and in her human form she would take frequent runs along the beach. She had become incredibly tan, and her hair had gone from orange to almost blonde due to the sun. She would be routinely hit on (well, this was to be expected, seeing as how she took her runs in a bikini, the silly girl. Let's forget that she always takes a swim after the run) and the hit-ons would be (most of the time) ignored. However, there were some males who caught her attention, at least for the physical aspects of her human body.
Or she could maybe eat them. She hadn't tried it yet though.
As Hiccadu lounged, she entertained the idea of putting on her suit and going out for a jog.
But God, she was so comfortable.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Jul 24, 2011 2:32 pm
|
|
|
|
((OOC: As long as you put the link here so I can find it, I'll manage. biggrin ))
Apsalar glanced over at Hound. "Him," she said, pointing. She nearly had the words down, but being able to make herself clearly understood was still a novel sensation. "So that means it's my turn, right?"
She took her soda from John with a shy smile of thanks, and glanced up when she heard Hound's words from the kitchen. She wasn't entirely sure why there was a problem this time - there had to be things to hunt around a beach. Maybe she ought to go out as well this time - she had a mild yearning to go chase something down herself.
But there was this, for now.
Fiddling with the can until the top popped open, she took a sip from it and giggled. The die rattled as it rolled across the floor - and rolled, and rolled, until she actually had to get up and go follow it to find the number. "One, two, free - no, three - four." She came back to the board and carefully shifted the piece along. Then she looked up at John. "Is that right?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Jul 24, 2011 4:40 pm
|
|
|
|
((I don't think I'm going to move it, then. I like the group we have here biggrin ))
Apsalar's hand brushed against John's as she took a soda and gave him a shy smile. He opened his mouth to confirm that yes, it was her turn, but his mouth seemed to have dried up. He cleared his throat to try again, but then her attention was diverted elsewhere, towards Hound. John couldn't help but feel a faint surge of annoyance at the interruption, but soon enough, Apsalar was giggling, making John want to take another sip of the carbonated drink.
It was her turn to roll, a fact John communicated by finally nodding in response to her question. The six-sided dice left her hand and rolled far away, far enough that John got up to follow her to it. One of the things they had laughed about earlier was cheating. Actually, someone had miscounted and tried moving their piece another space, but in good fun, someone had accused them of cheating and now John had an excuse to follow her to get the dice. It was closer than he thought though, because soon Apsalar collided into him as she whirled around with the small cube in her hands.
John flushed momentarily, but returned to the game with her, answering in a half-stammer "Ye-es, that's four." He felt something else was required, so he tacked on a "Good job" at the end, feeling slightly foolish afterward.
Smoke entered the building, throwing the door open with irritation. Another deal gone sour, another day wasted. He fished a cigarette from his pocket and lit it, for once not caring about smoking indoors in his frustration. He saw Hound reaching into the refrigerator and remembered, somewhat belatedly, two things. One, there were other people sharing the house with him, which made him douse his cigarette with an impatient flourish. Two, they were almost out of blood packets. Smoke would need to take Hound out of the city to hunt for more deer.
Four of the other chimerae--Smoke reflexively counted three who were missing, probably Pup, Fade, and R.J.--were sitting around a board game he'd taught them to play only a few days ago. They'd taken to it rather well. He took a deep breath and diverted his attention to watching the game. Lonomia was playing, trying not to touch anyone with the parts of skin that were bared, and Hound, it appeared, was also playing. Apsalar had just rolled a four and appeared to be winning, though her piece was in danger of being moved back to the start. And John... Smoke had seen this pattern developing with him for a couple of weeks now. It seemed John had a crush on Apsalar.
He wasn't entirely sure how to proceed with this. John was a leader--the leader, actually. Smoke understood that leaders took what they wanted, especially in animal packs. He'd need to talk to John before anything messy happened; the last thing he needed was more trouble.
That was for another time though, because now he needed to announce the obvious and then, the not-so obvious. "Well, we've been delayed in our trip to Cuba. Again." There was no mistaking the impatience, as well as the weary disappointment in his voice. "I'll try again, but next week." Usually, he tried the day immediately after, if not the same day. "I need to take Hound further inland so he can hunt. I'd rather you guys stay here: It's safer, and Hound and I will be able to travel faster with less baggage." Smoke paused, then amended the previous statement for Apsalar's benefit. "When there's less people, there's less of a chance of getting caught, and we don't have to be so cautious.
Anyway, we leave tonight," he announced, for Hound's benefit as well as the others'. "There's plenty of food for you guys, and it's safer here than anywhere else I can think of. We'll only be gone for a few days."
As for Hiccadu... Well, Smoke was becoming more comfortable having her around. She hadn't done anything remotely threatening, besides being there, but that was his own fault. Perhaps... Perhaps everything would go alright.
He waited a moment, in case anyone wanted to talk to him, then retreated to his room to pack a small bag of clothes. He'd managed to procure a few items for the rest of the chimerae as well, and they each had at least more than just a day's worth of clothing.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Jul 24, 2011 6:19 pm
|
|
|
|
((Sorry for the double post D smile )
Aiyana shifted on the sloped furniture, shaped almost like a therapist's couch but infinitely more comfortable. She usually lay face-down, lounging with feline grace and dozing off every now and then, but with the new bulge in her stomach, that had become a no-no. The thing she wanted most on earth was finally arriving, and the last thing she wanted was to hurt him. Or her. Whatever it was, human, chimera, boy, girl... Aiyana would love it. And she would protect it with every ounce of the considerable strength her DNA had gifted her. Once again, she was internally grateful that Yani had not only created her, but had honored her with the gift of having a child.
Though it was also his child too, she had to remind herself. Only, he wouldn't have enough time for a baby during his busy job, so Aiyana had grown rather possessive. After all, she was the one carrying him, was she not?
Aiyana stretched, giving an unconscious purr, then twitched her head as her door opened, revealing Yani. He walked over to her briskly, as he usually did, eyeing the bulge of her stomach. "Feeling well?" he asked, watching her finish her stretch. It was a customary question. After all, Aiyana was receiving the best prenatal care in the world.
"Mmmm, she purred, feeling her muscles stretch comfortably. "Feeling great. Soon now," she announced, reading his expression.
All of a sudden, she curled in on herself, around the bulge in her stomach. At once, Yani reacted, pressing an emergency button located on the underside of every piece of furniture in his wife's personal quarters before kneeling down next to Aiyana.
"What is it? Is everything alright? Are you in pain?"
Aiyana couldn't answer. Her hearing, as well as her vision stopped. Suddenly, she felt herself touching the sky, the clouds, felt the water vapor mist across her cheeks, felt the overwhelming desire to hold her child now. She didn't feel them lifting her onto a stretcher, running her to the infirmary, setting her down gently onto a hospital bed until she was tucked in safely. "He's coming," she gasped, knowing without knowing how that it was, in all certainty, a boy. And a chimera. My baby.
An hour passed. Then two. Then six. Yani was eventually ordered--by his own doctors!--to leave the room, and he paced restlessly outside. The doctor found him sitting, jaw in hand, nodding off in a chair after the operation.
"We had to resort to using a Caesarean section, as expected, but your wife..." Here, the doctor paused, and shuffled awkwardly. "Well, complications arose. She's still alive, but--"
"And the child?"
"--in intensive care. The baby, though. The baby is healthy, sir."
Yani brushed past him and into the room. Aiyana had been moved, as he'd been informed, and a nurse placed his new child in his arms. It was a boy. And a chimera. The first one of its kind. A creature so perfect and so unique, and it stained Yani's clothes with its newness. "Neo..." he whispered, closing his eyes and kissing him softly on his brow. His son. "My boy."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Jul 24, 2011 6:30 pm
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jul 25, 2011 1:05 am
|
The Amazing Flying Circus
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jul 25, 2011 4:49 am
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jul 25, 2011 9:20 pm
|
|
|
|
It was then Hiccadu decided she had had enough sun and, turning, lumbered into the beach house with a ******** it's warm out there," she commented before she changed into her human form. In her human form she wore a short white skirt made of such delicate material that it was almost translucent, but in the shade of the beach house was completely solid. It was paired with a cute purple half-top that tied at the center of her chest in a firmly secure knot. She was bare-foot as she padded in, and her skin was a beautiful bronze color.
God she was beautiful.
Yawning, she wiped her forehead and continued, addressing Smoke's obviously frustrated aura.
"Another deal gone to hell, huh? Well, that sucks." She didn't seem to care too much as she headed into the kitchen to get a cold bottle of water. "Next time'll be the charm, I'm sure."
((So, Wire, I'm pretty sure your character can reply to InfectMe, because he WAS addressing my character before the freak out.))
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Jul 25, 2011 10:46 pm
|
|
|
|
She'd felt his awkwardness when he'd run into her, and her only response had been a mild confusion. John seemed to feel uncomfortable around her these days, and that made Apsalar a little sad - she didn't want to feel divided from her pack. Maybe she would ask Smoke about what could cause some humans to separate from their - not pack, things were different for humans - their friends? Was that the word?
Apsalar looked down at the board again and smiled delightedly. "Am I winning?" she asked. Then she tilted her head and looked at it again from another angle. "Maybe not." She'd proven to be a pretty good sport about it, tending to only pout momentarily when she got sent back before starting to giggle like a crazy thing.
When Smoke came in angrily, Apsalar's attention was diverted from the game again. Her brows lifted a little at the figure of speech, but when he explained himself she nodded in satisfaction. That made more sense.
There wouldn't be very much to do while they were gone, but...
Not for the chimerae, anyway. The thought struck with the force of a physical blow. Had any of them ever thought to thank him for the work he was doing on their behalf?
When Smoke left, she said to John, "Be right back," and followed him to his room. Carefully, she knocked on the door.
"Smoke?" she asked hesitantly. She wanted to thank him for working so hard for them, for trying so much to get them to 'Kyuba', wherever that was, and to safety. She would have liked to help him feel better when he seemed so frustrated - the wariness she'd once had of him was completely gone these days.
Unable to think of anything to say, even after all those strenuous lessons in wordcraft, she just went up to him and put her arms cautiously around his back for a second before stepping back again. "Thank you," she said.
And then she swiftly went back out to the living room and the game before anyone could wonder where she'd gone off to.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Tue Jul 26, 2011 12:08 am
|
|
|
|
After giving his child into the hands of well-trained, very persuasive doctors, Yani went to check on his wife, Aiyana. Things did not look well for her. The doctors informed him that her heart had stopped twice, and the only way she was managing to survive this long was both the chimeric DNA within her and her fierce desire of life. Yani felt momentary anxiety, but no dammed grief. He did not love Aiyana, but she had served him well and would be a good mother for little Neo while he was gone.
That put him in a new position though, because now he had to care for the baby himself. Within the hour, he was at the nearest Gymboree (a store he'd never imagined visiting) looking at toddler's clothing, careful to buy every size the store had to offer. Who knew how fast this kid would grow?
--
Hiccadu's reply caught him before he entered his room, and he merely grunted, unconvinced, in reply. If there was another deal out there, he was certain it was fake and would get most of them killed.
While getting ready for the upcoming travel, Smoke paused, holding a shirt in mid-fold before he put it into a small pack. Apsalar's voice, still growing steady with her newfound ability of making herself understood, sounded at the door. He set down the shirt and went to let her in. Her arms wrapped around him in an unexpected hug, a treasure he hadn't experienced in years, and he was too surprised to remember to hug her back until it was over and she was thanking him. His lips slightly parted, Smoke watched her leave. A content, warm glow settled over him then, which remarkably eased his earlier frustration and made him believe that, yes. The day had been worth it.
He finished up packing, letting himself dwell over that warm feeling of nearness, then followed Apsalar into the living room. John was rolling, and it brought his mind back to recent events.
"John," he called. "Could I speak with you outside?" His words were light, but the tone associated with them let the other chimerae know that John was the only one he wished to talk to.
John finished his game, carefully passed the dice to Lonomia, and followed Smoke outside. He was still cautious around Smoke. He hadn't forgotten for a moment about his extreme beating at the slaughterhouse, at Smoke's hands, and hadn't totally forgiven him for it.
"Leave Apsalar alone," Smoke stated, eyes flashing. John's eyes widened in surprise; this wasn't at all what he had expected. He opened his mouth to speak, but Smoke cut him off.
"I know what you're thinking, but human beings don't react like that. You could really hurt her."
Now John's face was flushed with a mixture of anger and embarrassment. "You don't know anything about us," he protested viciously, planting his feet defensively. "We--"
"I know plenty about you," Smoke snapped, cutting him off. "And I'm telling you now, if you rape her, or try to own her without letting her know she has a choice, I won't protect you any longer."
John tensed, as though to strike at Smoke. Suddenly, he stopped, relaxed, settled back on his heels and looked at Smoke with smoldering hatred in his eyes. He didn't know anything about chimerae. Maybe they weren't people, but their ways were different. How dare he threaten John?
But the chimera didn't say this. He wanted to make Smoke as furious as he was, and so, after a moment, he spoke his chosen words. "I'll do what I want." He watched then, as Smoke's eyes flashed, and felt a thrill of rage and victory climb up his spine like a snake. He readied himself with another retort, but Smoke didn't reply, instead turning around and climbing into his car with Hound. As soon as the doors closed, they were off, spitting a mixture of sand and gravel behind them.
John felt disconnected as he turned to rejoin the others around the board game, watching Apsalar absentmindedly. Smoke didn't understand. He had made this possible. He had given them food, and shelter, and with those two necessities of survival satisfied in an animal's mind, next came reproduction. This didn't piece together in John's mind. All he saw, was that Smoke was standing in the way of millenia old instincts, and was running the risk of being obliterated.
With every thought of the conversation, John grew more and more restless. Eventually he excused himself from the game and took to the skies, needing space and time to think.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
The Amazing Flying Circus
|
Posted: Tue Jul 26, 2011 1:11 am
|
|
|
|
John passed the dice to Lonomia. The boy still didn't have a firm grasp of the rules or even the idea; he just had fun tossing the black and white cubes and watching the others move the pieces. He cast them with the vigor only a child can produce, a broad smile on his face. He was safe; Smoke would protect them and even though he'd still felt nervous around Hiccadu and Hound, they hadn't done anything to harm them on their journey.
---
Tobart shook the water from his hair as he emerged from the water. It felt so good! They seemed almost safe, never mind the plans and deals that were falling through around them. He stretched as far back as he could, scales glinting in the bright sun and wondered what the others had been up to.
He halted in his tracks when he heard Smoke's voice telling someone to leave Apsalar alone. Had someone been harassing her? How did he fail to notice?
"You could really hurt her." Hurt her? How!? Tobart wanted to know who Smoke was talking to; needed to know.
Ice gripped his heart when John's voice replied. Why would John hurt her? He'd only ever stood up for any of them.
Tobart's vocabulary was strong but he had never encountered the word "rape", though the others he understood well. The chimera was offended that John would make advances on the girl with an "I saw her first" mentality. He'd been the one to have a connection with her (so he thought), he'd been the one who told her that he loved her. At the slaughterhouse, she'd come back for him (disregarding the fact that she'd returned for the other male as well). She was as good as his!
John's final "I'll do what I want" brought Tobart back down from his thoughts and left a large pit in his stomach. He liked and admired John. He was their leader; always had been. He was strong.
He had Panther. Spite flared up inside of him; he'd had his chance; even if it was John, he would have to back off.
John returned inside and Tobart felt the need to confront him. His tone and stance indicated that he was brushed the wrong way by what Smoke said; meaning it had probably held too much water for Tobart's comfort.
But it could wait. Perhaps it was a misunderstanding.
Yeah.
Tobart took a different door inside, making a point to come in and sit close to Apsalar. He smiled at her, "Who's winning?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
