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 Posted: Sat Oct 01, 2011 8:04 pm
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Posted: Mon Oct 10, 2011 11:26 pm
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Posted: Wed Oct 12, 2011 8:13 pm
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Posted: Thu Oct 13, 2011 4:25 pm
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Posted: Tue Oct 18, 2011 6:00 pm
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Sam frowned. Normal. He didn't understand what was so great about it either, though most of the chimerae acted as though it were the greatest thing come true.
What was "normal", exactly? From what Sam had gleaned from other chimerae, it was not them. Whatever it was, it was Other.
He rolled over onto his stomach and scooted back towards Bucadu, repossessing her body's warmth. He plucked a blade of grass and held it to his lips, whistling through it. A scientist had inadvertently taught him how when undergoing a type of observation sub-titled "immersion". He spent several hours among chimerae, talking to them, interacting with them, observing them. Sam had been observing him too, and had picked up a few new tricks, least of all making the grass whistle.
"Normal is this?" Sam suggested, indicating the grass, half-asking the question to himself. "No... Normal is..." he looked around the courtyard, looking for something normal. "Normal is wearing white coats and carrying clipboards?"
At that moment, Yani sauntered up to them, pulling something half his height along with him. "Normal: in accordance with, constituting, conforming to, and not deviating from a standard."
Sam immediately sat up, paying respect to Yani. There was something about Yani that made him wary, the same "normalness" that he and his sister had just been discussing. The scientists were normal to themselves, and the chimerae were normal to each other, but Yani belonged in neither category. The scientists treated him differently and treated the chimerae differently than they did each other. The same with other chimerae. No one treated Yani normal, and he treated everyone else "normal". Paradox. Sam didn't yet know what the word meant, but it sounded in his mind and seemed to fit.
He didn't understand the definition Yani had provided either, but it didn't matter. He semi-understood now. They weren't: that's all that mattered.
Sam spared a glance to the kid behind Yani, and Yani pulled him forward and introduced him.
"Sam, Bucadu, this is my son Neo. Neo, say hi?" He smiled down at his son, proud to be the father of such a wonderful creation. He spared hardly a thought for the mother since he'd been born. "I just wanted to leave him here with you guys for a little while, see how you all got along. I'm going to be gone for most of today, so take care of him, alright?" Yani wasn't going to be gone at all. In fact, he was going to be stuck in a cool surveillance room with two drying eyes glued to computer screens in order to make sure Neo was totally safe. TAIS was instructed to intervene should anything risky go on--like Bucadu going on a rampage and Sam being unable to stop her. This was immersion training for all three of them. Bucadu and Sam's default, when not chasing chimerae, was to protect and supervise Neo. TAIS had informed him that was unnecessary and that her system could monitor and care for Neo much more efficiently, but Yani was unconvinced as a parent.
Sam and Bucadu were also being evaluated: Bucadu at keeping her cool and Sam at helping her keep her calm. Should she blow up, Sam's evaluation would lie in three parts: most importantly, protecting Neo, then how quickly he stabilized her and what methods were used.
All else is superfluous, Yani thought as he was creating the system.
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Posted: Wed Oct 19, 2011 8:04 am
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Posted: Fri Oct 21, 2011 8:32 pm
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Posted: Tue Oct 25, 2011 4:23 pm
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 1. CARDIO
2. They feel no fear. WHY SHOULD YOU?
3. You want to keep your head? CUT OFF THEIRS.
4. DOUBLETAP
5. Up the staircase? NOW DESTROY IT.
((Lol, sorry honey. xD))
Bucadu turned over onto her back and leaped into a sitting position as Yani neared, but that was about all the respect he received. He had her attention, but the visible, adorable scowl on her face told him that she was not pleased.
"But..." she began cutely. "Grandpa, what about Mom? Can't SHE take care of him?"
Mom: TAIS's human form that she had developed during the time when Bucadu was being created - as a physical being Bucadu could direct her affections to. A mother-figure. TAIS WAS, in a way, her mother after all. Bucadu, while she was in class, had seen her 'mother' watching after Neo when Yani wasn't around, and as far as Bucadu knew TAIS had no other job other than to take care of her and the boy.
Scowling, she looked back at Neo, the boy's adorable persona refusing to break through her displeasure.
Though she was sweet, Bucadu was a very, very jealous creature. She in fact went on rampage on the day it was announced the mother of Neo was pregnant with him, and that Yani was the father. She had gone on rampage AGAIN when Neo was born.
She thoroughly did not enjoy what was going on. Before Neo, Yani hardly had any time for her at all. She was his crowning achievement, right? But now there he was, dropping everything to hold hands with... with... that thing?!
Sibling rivalry. That could be potentially dangerous for Neo. Though Neo cooed cutely at her, that didn't stop the pouting glare she had going his way.
She turned her face away, sulking.
I don't wanna baby-sit.
 6. Blades don't need RELOADING.
7. There is no such thing as safe. ONLY SAFER.
8. LIMBER UP.
9. Ideal protection? TIGHT CLOTHES + SHORT HAIR
10. Enjoy the little things. LIKE ZOMBIE-KILLING.
On this delightful 2011 Halloween, there is only one suggestion to be made...
DON'T BE A ZOMBIE. YOU WILL BE SHOT.
Happy Halloween~ |
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Posted: Tue Nov 01, 2011 4:08 pm
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John glided around in the air for a few moments more after the encounter with Jared, not bothering to check on Smoke and Hound. Jared was such an incompetent fool, nothing would come of John's tipping him off.
So he thought.
In any case, John wasn't planning on regretting his decision. He didn't know what he would find when he returned to the beach house, but Smoke and Hound would supposedly have been gone for a few days. Nothing to be done about that but to wait it out.
In the meantime, John wasn't quite sure what to do now. He had left in a rage, but now he was heading back. Hopefully he'd steer clear of Hiccadu. She was just trouble in the making. She hadn't done anything terrible to all of them yet, but he still wasn't comfortable with Smoke's decision to bring her along.
John landed silently on the sand, shook his wings from the flight, and folded them behind him. In the night, the wind had switched from blowing in towards land to blowing out to sea, and the breeze ruffled his hair and feathers.
He looked up at the beach house and sighed. He wanted to talk to Apsalar, but didn't want to confront everyone else just yet. Hoping she'd come out sooner or later, John knelt down and began building shapeless towers and trenches in the sand.
((I'm really stuck now. Hound needs to come back, and Smith's associates need to get it in gear.))
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Posted: Thu Nov 03, 2011 6:48 pm
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((OOC: Agreed.))
Apsalar looked around once more as she wandered down the stairs. It was empty. So wide and empty that maybe it would be okay if she...
Carefully, she took off the hoodie she was wearing. It was the same one Smoke had given her when they'd first escaped - it was her favourite. Carrying it over her arm, she let her black wings open up and stretch. It had been a long time since she'd last done that; she didn't want to draw attention to herself.
With a small, pleased sound, she folded them up again, but didn't bother to put on the hoodie. It was a warm night, and she had a shirt on underneath, though it was debatable how many others would have considered that little brown halter thing a shirt. It gave her wings space without having to slice holes in it, and Apsalar considered that the main thing.
Besides, she was alone.
Tucking one hand into her jeans pocket while cradling the hoodie under her other arm, she walked down towards the beach to see if she could find anybody - too many of them had been outside for too long, and she was getting a little uneasy. It didn't matter how many times she told herself it was leftover paranoia. She just didn't like everyone to be too far away for too long.
Wandering towards the water, she stood for a few minutes to try and catch their scents on the air, only to stop when she spotted John. It looked like he was doing something with the sand.
Curious about it, she made her way over to him. "What are you doing?" she asked, genuinely wondering.
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Posted: Thu Nov 03, 2011 7:08 pm
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After every imagined sound, John had stopped looking back towards the house to see if it was Apsalar. Eventually, he had lost track of time and the pile of sand had turned into something relatively crafted, if not artistic. At least, instead of one big pile of sand, it was a big pile of sand with character.
And, having gotten absorbed in his thoughts (if not his "creation"), John was somewhat startled when Apsalar soundlessly approached him. He looked up at her, squinting in the darkness. Though it was a full moon, the light was behind her and made it hard for his night vision to kick in.
"Apsalar. Hi. I'm just..." John looked at his sand mutation and tilted his head, wondering exactly what to call it. "I'm just... Playing with sand," he finished awkwardly. He took in a deep breath, exhaled, and then gestured to it with rough, grainy hands. "Want to join me?" Though, even if she did, they'd both have to go inside soon. The night was getting colder.
Conflicts were running through his mind. Should he ask to see Tobart as well, so they could all talk about it? There seemed to be too many unresolved questions. And John was reasonably certain that it would be a better idea than to leave things to sit and ferment the way they would.
Though, maybe that was the right thing to do. Apsalar was right. They should wait until they get somewhere, like Cuba or wherever Smoke was supposed to be taking them.
He wiped his forehead with a wrist, careful not to get sand in his eyes. He almost wish Smoke had been there, as a source of advice. But no, he had tortured John worse than Jared. There wasn't any way John could rely on him. And accusing him of being about to rape Apsalar...
John took a quick breath and exhaled, shaking his head imperceptibly. No. Wait for an opportunity, either here or in Cuba. Patience.
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Posted: Thu Nov 03, 2011 7:24 pm
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((Sorry for the double post. Forgot about Sam for a moment O.o))
Yani almost rubbed his temples. Did she not understand?
No. Of course not. Intelligent as Bucadu was, she simply didn't understand all the subtleties of language yet. She didn't have the processing speed of TAIS or Hiccadu. Eventually, she would learn. She would become more experienced, living in a bio-skin, and pick up on the reasons behind what he did.
For now though, she was too young. Still somewhat selfish, still unreliable. Volatile. Dangerous.
He was still concerned for little Neo, but it was the best way to assess their compatibility. Both socially and professionally, though he doubted the former would ever achieve total efficiency.
Sam wrinkled his nose. He didn't want to be saddled with the youth either, and Bucadu's reaction gave rise to his own. They were inexplicably tied. He had felt her betrayal as his own when the chimera was conceived, and born. Both times, he had failed to stop her as effectively as he could have, and she had ended up in the Isolation Room. Again.
Not that it seemed to help.
But he wouldn't go against Yani, regardless of what he wanted. Hanging out with the youngling shouldn't be so bad. Now, however, he was torn between talking to his sister or talking to Yani's son.
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Posted: Thu Nov 03, 2011 7:30 pm
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Apsalar seemed pleased by the invitation. "Okay," she replied, sitting beside him and examining the sand pile for some time. Damned if she could figure out quite what he'd been trying to make. But not knowing what was going on had never stopped her before.
She picked up a handful of sand of her own and carefully pressed it into the side of the object, rubbing it lightly between her hands to smooth the sides down while she shaped it. The amount of concentration she was focusing on it was somewhat adorable - she looked like a little girl for a minute or two, entirely bound up in the building of a sand castle.
For a minute, she debated with herself. This moment was nice, just playing in the sand with a friend. Did she really want to ruin it?
She had to.
So she looked up and pinned him with those amber eyes, and she didn't look like a little girl anymore.
"I talked to Tobart," she said quietly. "He...as far as I could tell, he does not mean to challenge you for the leadership." As though embarrassed to have brought it up, she looked back down at what she seemed to have claimed as her half of the sand pile, which was slowly growing and taking shape under her hands. "I am still not very good with the language and the words - you are all very patient with me, but I know. But I feel like there is more to what is happening than what is being said."
Her hands continued to move, to build, while she talked, and her gaze stayed firmly on the sand. "Do you know why we are all still here, John?" She could only assume that that was where this curious tension had come from - the 'more' that she sensed, but could not put into words.
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Posted: Mon Nov 14, 2011 11:29 am
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Posted: Tue Nov 15, 2011 6:56 pm
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John didn't know what to say. There was a lot going on under the surface, things that he hadn't discussed with Apsalar. But the reason for that was that John himself didn't know how to say it.
"There's a lot going on, Apsalar," he admitted, frowning and then sighing, leaning back on his elbows, sand-forming forgotten. "But I don't know the words to tell you."
He waited for a while, forming his thoughts. He would try to find the words to explain, somehow of communicating through the limitations of language. He was glad she had talked to Tobart, but there was a feeling that maybe he would take advantage of the delay to beat John in the race. There was a sense of urgency that had been accumulating until that point, and John was teetering on the edge. And then there was that business with Smoke, Jared, and Hound. Every moment they didn't turn up was another moment John wondered whether Jared had been able to find them after all.
Then there was the matter of leading the group and getting away, which was of less urgency. Though John didn't like Smoke, and didn't trust him totally, he had gotten them out of trouble. And he knew more about the world than John did, which was why they had to rely on him at all. Otherwise, they could just lie low.
He turned to Apsalar to say all of this, maybe to vent, but closed his mouth when he looked at her. It wasn't her burden to bear, maybe.
But no, that wasn't it. It was the simple fact that, like John understood Apsalar when she didn't understand words, Apsalar always understood him. He met her eyes, conveying all he felt in that simple, familiar, silent communication everyone shared. Showing weariness, hope, ache, familiarity, friendship, love, responsibility, frustration, annoyance, potential. Uncertainty. Somethings that words could never quite capture.
He let the contact rest for a moment before he shifted forward and stood up. "It'll be alright," he said momentarily, giving her a weak, hopeful smile. He hoped that whatever message he had imagined had indeed passed to her; that he didn't know, but that it would all be okay. He lowered a hand to help her up from the sand, then dusted off his hands, arms, and wings. The sun had completely set some time ago, and it was getting cold. Time to go back inside.
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