Tox could understand Brain's hesitation, he really could. She spent the majority of her time avoiding interaction with any of the other people within the compound, she had a routine, and he was asking her to change the way she did things just so that he could avoid dealing with the backlash of telling Crypt he had no interest in her. It seemed absurd, perhaps even a bit cruel, but he just had no desire to go through that whole mess.
"Thank you," he said simply, not wanting to push his luck.
He knew it wasn't really fair to ask her, but it was an act of desperation at this point, and to be perfectly honest Tox didn't seem to hate the idea offhand. Brain may not be the most interesting of people but at least she didn't treat him like most of the others, the ones who weren't determined to flirt anyway...like a snake in the grass not to be touched. He peered at her, his face scrunched up in thought. She seemed willing but...he couldn't quite put his finger on it.
"Look," he said, transferring his pencil to the other hand and twirling it about on that one as he spoke, "I'm not asking you to do anything like hold hands or something of the sort. Just let me sit here during the day, eat meals with out, long enough for Crypt to turn her attention to someone else. Girls like her always do." He scowled a bit, staring off into the distance. He had always hated girls like Crypt, girls who seemed to think themselves entitled to anything they desired simply because they were beautiful. It made his skin crawl to think about spending much time in the company of one of them, or being physical for that matter if he was inclined to be in a physical relationship at all.
-----
It felt so good to be outside. Most people who would look at Reach would imagine her to be the type who preferred to be indoors, her nose stuck in a book in the corner of a dimly lit room. However, she had always loved the outdoors. Being inside all the time made her feel claustrophobic, and she loved nothing more than to breathe fresh air and to see the beauty to be found in nature. Her feelings of contentedness seemed to increase in the knowledge that she was enjoying such things with friends.
"There you go, Darcy," she said once they'd stepped outside, and held her arm out ever so slightly to give room to take off. He was breathtaking to behold as he flew around the courtyard, and she was so entranced by his flight that she hardly noticed the other people around them. They seemed perfectly content to ignore her as well and that suited her just fine. The only things that mattered to her in this moment were Mr. Darcy and Wire.
"I confess I'm not quite as curious as you are, Wire," she told her friend, continuing to watch Darcy continue flying for a moment before turning her gaze to Wire, "I'm not bold enough to be very curious, but if you are determined to find your answers then I dare say I shall be there to help in any way I can. Though, how exactly do you propose we find those answers?" It seemed to Reach a lofty goal, considering that others here had been here for years and seemed no closer to being able to explain anything themselves.
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Posted: 7/31/2018 at 12:20 AM
Post #42
Romance had never been an idea that Brain had given much thought to. Aside from the fact that she was simply undesirable, she suspected that the whole ordeal was so excessively overdone and far too unstable. That was the problem with emotions. That's why she despised them so much. They were messy and uncertain and every emotion instigated a guessing game.
She had never been a fan of guessing games, nor had she ever been very good at them.
An image flashed at the front of her mind of a forty-some year old man, his face white and arm painted red, and an involuntary shudder ran down her spine. No, she had never boded well when emotions were involved. Tox already made her heart speed up when she was around him for reasons she could not even begin to fathom of.
As he spoke and tried to coax her into the situation, she couldn't help but feel that he was oversimplifying it. He didn't know, of course, how much the whole scenario would affect her. Personally, she'd have preferred to stay away from Tox. She didn't like how he made her feel, and even worse, there was a hint of fear buried deep within her chest at what exactly it was that he made her feel.
He was honestly asking for her help... How could she say no?
"If you insist, then I don't suppose that could be so bad," she teased as she shot him a lopsided smile. On the table, Thor took the pencil from Tox and began chewing on it, rolling on his back to properly cradle it. Her smile growing, Brain couldn't resist reaching over and scratching his head lightly. "Silly boy," she murmured.
-
Wire was already pumped with her newfound realizations and goals. Her mind buzzed with questions and her eyes were bright as she grinned at her friend. Even Reach's hesitancy couldn't lower her mood, and her ecstasy soared even more, just like her familiar, when Reach agreed to help in any way she could.
It was exhilarating, having someone care about you enough to investigate a high-security compound with you, even if you had just met them the day before.
"You know, Reach, that is the thing. My brother always told me that I am too stubborn for my own good. I do not care about how hard it will be; we will get it done because I will not stop until it is done," she laughed, shaking her head a little bit. "I do appreciate your help. Perhaps we should start be asking around and seeing what those that seem more friendly know about this place."
She turned and her eyes scanned the courtyard. People were scattered amongst the picnic-like tables, fountain, and the grass. Some looked approachable, and others did not. She happened to notice two people in particular at one of the tables. There was Tox and the redhead girl, the American who had read their tattoos and given them their names.
Gently, Wire jutted her chin in their direction. "Perhaps we could ask them. She seemed nice enough yesterday. And he... Well, he acts like a leader, and leaders have to answer questions, do they not?" she suggested.
Britters
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Posted: 7/31/2018 at 2:14 PM
Post #43
After a moment's consideration, Tox decided that Brain was as close to accepting of the plan as she was likely to be. He regarded her thoughtfully from his position across from her. He wished he could understand her better, but only as far as why she was the only person in this entire compound whom he could talk to without becoming grumpy. He supposed he probably just considered her not worth the effort of his usual demeanor, for she did nothing at all besides sit here at this table with her notes.
"Hey," he said suddenly when the badger, Thor he remembered Brain naming him, grabbed the pencil from his hand.
For a moment he frowned at the creature, but it was mostly out of a habit and after a moment he broke into a quick, flashy grin before he reached over and gave him a scratch on his exposed belly. He was careful to avoid coming into contact with Brain's hand, not wishing to spook her anymore than he already seemed to have today. He retracted his hand just a moment later and then glanced down at Fang, who was curled around his arm as usual. The serpent peered up at him curiously.
"No, I'm not rubbing your belly, too," he said absently to him, and then he froze as he realized he'd said that out loud and looked up at Brain, "Sorry, I don't usually speak out loud to him like that."
-----
Listening to Wire carry on, Reach could only smile softly and shake her head at her friend's ferociously curious tendencies. It was not the way she herself was, but she found it entirely endearing in the other woman. Yes, she would help Wire in any way she possibly could, even if that ended up simply keeping her out of some terrible trouble. She was surprised to find no hesitation in that regard, despite the fact they'd only met yesterday. She simply felt connected to Wire in a way she hadn't felt in a long time...and for a moment that caused her to frown.
"That seems logical," she murmured in response to Wire, though she was suddenly lost in her own thoughts more than focused on the conversation.
Reach avoided connections with people. Deep, emotional connections were dangerous for her as it pertained to her ability. For a brief moment her heart clenched and her hands shook as she remembered the very last time she had ever managed to gaze into someone's future. A deep shudder ran through her body and Reach did her best to hide it by holding out her arm to Mr. Darcy, who begun a slow circular descent back down to where she stood.
"Yes," she said, a little too briskly, after Darcy landed on her arm, "Perhaps you're right. It couldn't hurt to go ask."
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Posted: 7/31/2018 at 3:44 PM
Post #44
It didn't escape Brain's watchful eyes, Tox's hesitancy in being near to her. It was curious, she thought, though perhaps that unsettled her more than if he had actually touched her. She raised an eyebrow in amusement and glanced back at him, her smile having been tamed into a slight upturn at the corners of her mouth.
"I won't bite, you know," she teased again before taking on a slightly more serious tone. "Just because I avoid people doesn't mean I fear them. It just means that I far prefer the company of paper and ink," she gestured towards her notebook. She watched the snake for a moment and smiled slightly. "And can you blame me?" her freckled hands were drawn to the book and she captured it, opening it to a random page. Her own chicken scratch writing was sprawled across it what looked more like a seemingly random pattern than actual literacy.
She was very close to getting lost in her Theory of Everything once again, her eyes beginning to scan through her nearly-illegible writing and latching onto it. She was removed from the edge of that deep chasm knowledge, however, by the sound of two pairs of footsteps approaching the table.
Brain glanced up and saw two of the newbies from yesterday - Wire and Reach, she remembered - coming closer with a giant moth and barn owl, respectively. Wire greeted them and began to introduce themselves to her, but Brain couldn't help interrupting.
"I remember."
-
Wasting no time and nearly bubbling over with curiosity, Wire beckoned Reach to follow her - she knew that the girl would probably not want to be touched, and considering her Ability, Wire completely understood - as she approached the table where Tox and the redhead were sat at. There was a badger on the table, she noticed as she approached, and -
Of course. Tox. Why had she not figured it out?
A cobra was curled around his arm and hissing. Of course. The hair stood up on the back of Wire's neck, but she was far too proud to back down now. She was fairly certain that, were she being faced with Death itself, she'd raise her nose in defiance rather than submit. And approaching that cobra definitely felt like she was facing down Death.
"Pardon us," she cut off their conversation with an apologetic smile. "I hope you both are doing well." She was almost able to ignore the snake completely just by focusing on the girl. "I don't believe we've properly met," she said to the redhead. "I'm-"
"I remember."
That simply and easily, she was cut off. Wire's mouth hung open for a few seconds as she tried to process how outstandingly rude that had been. She liked to consider herself a polite, proper person, and for the girl to interrupt without even introducing herself was... Terribly inappropriate.
Britters
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Posted: 7/31/2018 at 4:14 PM
Post #45
Tox leaned back in his chair after Brain spoke, gazing at her curiously. The teasing sounded genuine despite his original assumptions about her character. He nodded at her in response to her comment, a smirk lingering about his lips as he watched her. She didn't seem to be waiting for an answer to her ending question, as she became engrossed in her notes, but he pondered it all the same while she began to scribble. No, he supposed he didn't blame her...
When Wire and Reach approached them Tox sat up straight in his chair again and regarded both of them with a frown. It was one of his least favorite parts of having assumed the role of leader that new arrivals seemed to be under the assumption that it was a good idea to come speak to him, ask him questions, and he had no doubt that was the motivation behind the two women coming this way. He remained silent as Wire tried to begin polite conversations and then...he snorted laughter when Brain interrupted her.
"Its okay," he said, shooting Brain an appreciative glance, "She just prefers paper and ink. Also she remembers everything. Now what do you want?"
Tox had no time for manners, nor had he ever seen the appeal. It just seemed a good way for people to conceal their particular thoughts and motives. Wire appeared offended by Brain's behavior, and honestly it only made him want to laugh out loud. Instead he folded his arms across his chest, Fang at the forefront, and stared at the two women, waiting for what he already knew was coming. He could have just told them both to go away, but again it was all about the balance of respect here, and that could have caused trouble with the dark-skinned one.
-----
As they approached the table at which Brain and Tox sat, Reach began to wish she hadn't agreed to this plan. Tox was such an intimidating figure, a fact that was becoming a painful reminder with every step they took forward. However, she had already pledged her assistance to Wire, and it was not in her nature to break her word, so she dutifully walked along behind her friend, Darcy perched on her arm. When they finally arrive at the table, the owl flapped his wings lightly and fluttered over to perch atop a vacant chair, which was a welcome relief to her weary limb. She'd have to try building up her muscles.
Wire began to introduce them to Tox and Brain while Reach tried to keep herself out of the thick of things by standing off to the side. When Brain interrupted Wire, her started to pound a little wildly as she anticipated some sort of confrontation. She glanced anxiously between her friend and the redhead, thinking she should perhaps step in, but not daring to do anything of the sort. Then Tox spoke up, and Reach became very tense, her fear of him quite evident. She took a step closer to Wire.
"Maybe we should just go," she muttered.
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Posted: 7/31/2018 at 4:49 PM
Post #46
Perhaps she had been rude, Brain realized, but she had never considered herself much of a social person to begin with, so she wasn't too particularly bothered by the thought. As Tox explained her impoliteness, she couldn't help a small, lopsided grin directed at him for feeding her own words to both Wire and Reach.
The latter of which seemed far more terrified to be near them. Brain looked at her with slight curiosity, head tilting to the side a little. She remembered how a chill had ran down her spine as she had touched the girl, and Reach didn't seem very happy yesterday either.
"Unfortunately," she muttered darkly at Tox's explanation of her Ability, though she hoped it was too quiet for anyone to notice. Again, she couldn't help but notice Reach once more as the fair-haired girl mumbled something to Wire. "No one here is going to hurt you," she suddenly spoke up, looking still at Reach. "You know that, don't you? Some may seem aggressive, but they'll get over themselves as soon as the next bout of check-ups happen."
Perhaps she had said too much, and glanced at Tox worriedly. Some part of her figured that they would find out in a few days when check-ups did come and they'd be taken to their first doctor's appointment, and she was probably okay with how much she had revealed. She was just unsure since Tox had obviously become the stand-in leader after Kicker, and she didn't know how much he wanted revealed.
-
Wire gritted her teeth for a minute, then relaxed and chewed on the inside of her cheek as she composed herself. They were both so awfully rude, but the girl seemed kind when she spoke to Reach. Wire herself had only glanced at Reach in acknowledgement of her comment, hoping that the English girl understood that she was going to stand her ground.
Tox's snake was thrust forward - unintentionally, probably - and Wire had to struggle to control her breathing. Her eyes narrowed slightly and she crossed her arms over her chest defensively. It took everything within her not to lash out about something, anything.
But she held herself back, and listened to Tox explain about the girl's Ability. Fair enough.
"Well, we were hoping you would be willing to impart some information. About where we are, why we are here, and whatever those vague, ominous 'check-ups' are. I mean, this place seems far too comfortable for anything to be seriously wrong. Why is that? And why is everyone afraid? Why do we have pets? What is the purpose of us being here?"
She let it all out in one breath, having been quite unable to stop. She took a mini-step backwards toward Reach, having no intention to be any nearer to the demon noodle that was wrapped around Tox's arm than she absolutely had to be.
Britters
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Posted: 7/31/2018 at 7:06 PM
Post #47
Reach had been brought up to have manners, but had been more easygoing in her youth and so had never been one to worry about others having her same manners. She could still understand Wire's frustrations, they had been thrust into this strange place, with still more strange things happening all around them, and yet they still wanted to be able to hold onto their identities. It was a challenge when there were other people so unlike them. Even so, Brain and Tox seemed to at least be trying to be helpful, and that was at least something.
"Its hard to make such an assumption," she found herself replying to Brain, "When I know so little about this place." It was quite a mouthful for Reach, especially when she'd had no prior interactions with the redhead and the asian male was still staring her and Wire down. She nearly lost what little nerve she had mustered when something else Brain side piqued her interest.
"Check ups?" Her countenance was quizzical, her demeanor suddenly curious. "What do you mean?"
Once upon a time, Reach had been a nurse. She chose not to think about her experiences often, for they were filled with nothing but pain. However, despite being brought into nursing involuntarily, she had found the profession fascinating, and she wondered what the people who had brought them here had intended to examine them for. Clearly it was something to do with their abilities, but what were their methods? She had never heard of anyone experimenting on people with abilities, but she supposed it was the natural course of society. Certainly she'd read enough books on almost this very thing.
-----
Tox didn't speak right away. He let Wire's tirade wash over him, and though he could feel the angry tension wanting to build up in his muscles, he did his best to keep it at bay. He hated this, hated that it was his duty, hated that no one else had stepped up after Kicker had perished, and he only wished he could walk away from this entire conversation. He looked over and Brain and gave her a nod, letting her know it was alright that she had said what she'd said. The information would have gotten to Wire some other way and they'd be right back in this situation.
"What she means," he said, starting off by answering Reach's question, "Is that we're taken in for regular exams by the doctors and scientists that run the compound. The reason I didn't say anything last night..." Now he pointedly switched his attention to Wire and continued, "...is because theres no sense in sending you all to bed for your first night scared out of your wits more than some already are, particularly since you're going to wake up to another shock as it is." For a moment Tox glanced down at Fang, and then he shifted his weight in his chair and kept going.
"The fact of the matter is I don't have your answers, no one does. None of us know why we were brought here besides the fact that we all have abilities and the scientists seem bent on studying us. Again, I don't know why. I also don't know why we all get an animal companion, some of us call them familiars, after our first night here but it happens to everyone, no exceptions. Believe me I wish I had more to tell you, I wish I could tell you after all these years we've been able to learn more, but we just haven't. They don't give us any information during the examinations and they'll knock you out cold if you ask questions instead of cooperate. We have no equipment here ourselves to try and figure things out, and escape is impossible. Ask me how I know that and I'll take you on a tour of our 'memorial wall' where we've carved the names of all those who have tried into the stone. If none of this has been what you wanted to hear then I'm sorry, but thats all I've got." He opened his arms in a defeated gesture, and then eyed Wire, waiting to see how she would respond to all of it.
Edited By Britters on 7/31/2018 at 7:14 PM.
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Posted: 8/4/2018 at 1:49 PM
Post #48
Brain couldn't help a soft, lopsided smile at Reach's hesitancy. She had to look away at the question, though. She didn't quite want to mention the check-ups, or how nasty they could sometimes get. Though, a bad one was highly rare, and she had only had one or two in the four years she had been at the prison. Unfortunately for her, she had woken up during one of them, the anesthesia having worn off. Waking up to the sight of your own leg cut open down the calf was less than welcoming.
And with her curse of a memory, it was a sight that she could never be rid of. Just like the deaths that Tox mentioned, on the memorial wall. With a slight wince, Brain glared down at her hands. She remembered each corpse very clearly, as if they had just died yesterday. Especially Hesiod...
She bit her lip and gave her head a small shake. Hesiod had been her first friend at the compound, having arrived in the batch after her. He was deaf, but was able to see voices as waves coming out of mouths, he described them to her in sign language. She had learned it just for him. He also had the Ability to detect lies within these voices. He would tell her that the voice waves would be red in color when someone was lying, even if he couldn't hear the lie.
One day, he had snapped. Said he had five younger sisters back home that he needed to get back to. He had attempted to climb the wall, but a guard had sent a bullet into his skull and walked off casually. Brain had been the one to find him like that, eyes wide and empty and mouth open in a silent scream. For a moment, she forgot how to breathe, and hoped that none of the others present noticed her as she slowly forced deep breaths into her lungs.
"I hope you don't mind," she suddenly said to Tox. "But I've hit an idea for my notes and I will be excusing myself to the library. I'll be out by lunch," she promised. She then grabbed her notebook, hugged Thor to her with one arm, to which he chittered lightly, and stood, beginning to walk off.
-
Wire noticed Reach slowly trying to enter the conversation, in response to what the redhead mentioned. In an act of slight comfort, Wire reached out a hand and laid it very gently and slowly against Reach's sleeve, hoping it didn't cause the jumpy girl to freak out. She knew that Reach didn't like to be touched because of her Ability, so she was careful not to brush against any skin, only giving the slight pressure to the fabric to encourage the English girl.
She frowned at Tox's answer, though. He was right: it really wasn't what she was looking for. She shook her head a few times, not willing to accept it. Her eyes were narrowed slightly and lips pursed as she considered what he had said.
Though, she would admit, the check-ups seemed a little unnerving. Perhaps she had been wrong about this place. Perhaps. Though some part of her still insisted that no matter how bad Tox tried to make it out to be, it was still probably better than living with her brother, acting as a slave to a family member who was too lazy to get a job.
'Why would I need a job, anyway?' he would say. 'That's what I have you for, Lungile. You can get us what we need.'
The 'memorial wall' was perhaps even more disturbing. "That is their fault, then, for being caught. What if someone were to succeed? Believe me, I mourn all dead - even those that I do not know. I wish those souls to be happy in the above world. But, I have a curse of curiosity. Though, I do not wish to escape this place. It seems a paradise compared to the world I once lived in."
She hardly even paid attention as the redhead extricated herself from the conversation, only shooting the woman a brief glance before returning her gaze to Tox.
Britters
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Posted: 8/4/2018 at 3:37 PM
Post #49
The whole conversation was beginning to make Tox weary. This was perhaps one of his least favorite parts of his job as a leader, having to explain to people just arriving that there were no answers to be had. There was another duty that he knew he would like even less, but so far he had been spared. He knew that wouldn't last long, especially with individuals like Wire determined to upset the balance.
"No problem," he said to Brain as she walked off in what seemed like a sudden hurry. He watched her leave with a look of genuine concern on his face for a moment. He knew she had been here longer than he had, she had seen more than her share of atrocities, he wondered...but he didn't have time to wonder, he still had to deal with Wire.
"Look," he said to the dark-skinned woman very firmly, "Escape has been attempted more times than I've even been present for, and I've been here a while. Some attempts have been more thought out than others and they've all failed. Take my word for it and put the though of possible success out of your mind." He too this moment to stand up, so he was now looking slightly downwards at her, Fang Stu secure around his arm. "Think this place a paradise I'd that's what makes it easier for you, the cold reality of our existence here will become evident soon enough. If you'll excuse me, I'm going to go make my rounds and get something to eat."
Tox left without another word to Wire, sparing a final glance in the direction of the library where Brain, and realized Reach as well, had disappeared to. He hoped it hadn't been anything he'd said or done that had made her leave so abruptly. Things had already started out so out of the norm, and briefly he thought about going after her...but he really had morning duties to tend to and he told himself he'd just make sure to bring her lunch later.
-----
After her brief outburst of conversation, Reach once again retreated back into her timid self, watching the discussion from her sheltered spot next to Wire. She couldn't help but notice how determined the other woman was to put a positive spin on this place. Her home life must truly have been unpleasant, Reach thought to herself, to be so enamored with and island compound they had been forcibly taken to and dumped off like so much garbage. She understood there were perhaps some perks, glancing at Mr. Darcy still perched on the chair, but she was not so optimistic that she didn't understand the potential dangers here.
It was Brain's sudden exit that brought Reach out her own thoughts. She furrowed her pale eyebrows together, realizing that the redhead seemed somewhat discomfited about something. Watching her leave, Reach had a sudden impulse to follow her. She reached out and brushed Wire's sleeve, much like her friend had done just moments ago to her, which she had miraculously had no issues with, and then followed after Brain. After just a moment, Mr. Darcy took flight and followed.
"Excuse me," she called out very softly, once she had caught up somewhat to the other woman, "You mentioned a library?" It seemed a lamr icebreaker but it would have to do. "I know you are already aware of my name but I was hoping I might also know you're name."
Edited By Britters on 8/5/2018 at 1:00 AM.
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Posted: 8/4/2018 at 3:49 PM
Post #50
It seemed that Brain was followed, she figured as Reach trailed after her. She glanced at the fair girl sideways, struggling to keep Thor in her grasp as he noticed the owl and became suddenly determined to greet him. Brain muttered something under her breath and shifted her notebook in her grasp to allow Thor to climb onto her arm, paws wrapping around her limb to deftly ascend to her shoulder.
She couldn't help rolling her eyes a little bit at him. Who ever would have thought that badgers would be such a handful to take care of? She certainly wouldn't have. 'You sure don't think of much, do you?' an authoritative male voice played in her mind and she tilted her head a little bit subconsciously, eyes narrowing slightly.
But then she remembered Reach approaching and heard the girl's timid voice. She returned her gaze to the other girl blankly. "Brain. Infinite memory and all," she sighed, reaching up with her free hand to steady her twenty pound familiar on her shoulder. "You're not going to be staying up there for long, you know," she told him matter-of-factly before returning her attention to the English woman.
"And yes, there is a library. It doesn't have a whole lot, but I like to go there for some peace and quiet every once in a while," she explained, pointing towards the old gray building they were heading in the direction of. "Some of it's books, though, are in different languages, so I haven't yet read everything there."
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