• "So, have you been feeling well Sugar?" Keir's voice was always the same, heavy and very serious. When there was no reply he continued, "Experiencing any type of possible sickness?" Again, he received no reply. "Have you been eating properly?" he spoke slowly.[/color]
  
  After a long pause, a soft "Not really." escaped her lips. She barely moved as her tail swayed back and forth behind her. This was her usual routine, she wouldn't answer if it was the normal response.
  
  Keir's eyes shifted from the papers he was writing on as she replied. "Have you not been hungry?" he questioned as he stopped writing for a moment.
  
  "Not really," was the only response yet again. She reached up quickly to scratch one of her ears. Her eyes closed as her head moved to meet her hand, making it easy to scratch. She blinked suddenly and let her hand drop to her side.
  
  "I wonder if it's a side effect, the technicians will monitor your appetite. Everything else is fine, reflexes are getting sharper I hope?" he said in a rhetoric manor. As expected, there was no reply for the strange girl. "No change in your memories either?" again his question went unanswered. He finished writing what he gathered from their minor exchange of words. As he finished he set the pen and data on the desk beside him. "Well, let's get you back to your cage," he said in an almost order like tone as he rose.
  Sugar rose and followed him obediently down the hall to the cage she currently knew as home. She listened when Keir told her anything, much more so than when anyone else told her to do something. Keir is the first person she remembers and the one person she thinks she can trust, even if he has been experimenting on her.

Kit sat on her tail and stared down at the food the nice lady Laveris had slid through the opening in her cage designed specifically for such. Her three orange, white-tipped tails waved gently through the air behind her, and her ears and nose twitched in the direction of the food. She sniffed the air around it gently, and then decided that it was safe to eat and picked it up and munched a little on the tough, fatty meat that was given to her. They never were served good cuts, only the cheapest part of the beast, but Kit had never known any different, never known any better. At least not that she remembered.

Sitting back, tails still waving, the young, white-haired teen licked the blood and juices off of her elongated fingers. "Thank you very much, Miss Laveris!" she called politely and with a strangely child-like voice, as she crawled up to the bars of her cage and pressed her face against it to better see her environment. The woman scientist was a very nice lady, and was one of the few who talked to her and her neighbors as though they were intelligent beings. There had been one other, an older woman, who hadn't been seen around in a while.

Leaning back from the bars, Kit stared up at the dull, steel ceiling of her enclosure, at her distorted reflection that stared back at her, and frowned. She tore her eyes from the image and turned them on the smelly pile of blankets that served as her bedding. Sighing sadly, she shook her white-maned head and plastered a smile on her face, then rooted around in the blankets for a small rubber ball she had, then tossed it against the wall and caught it.

At least she was amused.

Anya sat perfectly still staring through the bars or her cell? Cage? She wasn't sure which it qualified as so she merely referred to it as home. It was the one thing that truly belonged to her. Her pale gray eyes flicked quickly to the side studying the blank walls of her home before she closed them. Nothing had changed. The walls were still blank as they would always remain.

Anya turned to amusing herself by petting the soft black spotted gray fur of her tail, her ears twitching with every sound made outside her home.

Laveris stood for a while and watched Kit eat and play. She was a sweet thing - sad that was because of the experiments. She was mentally extremly young and for that reason seemed to suffer from some of the worst experiments as the scientists tried to work out if that was natural or because of the previous work that they had done.

"How was the food?" she asked as she pulled the empty bucket back out of the cage.

"It was nice and juicy, thank you very much!" Kit chirped back in an eerily cheerful reply. Her voice was high-pitched and childlike, and her over-joyed expression was that of a child as well. Her ears twitched and quirked, and her tails waved through the air slowly, the girl-- if you could call her that-- barely aware of them doing so. "One of your friend-ladies let me use a brush earlier," she explained happily, running her long fingers through her soft, white hair and practically purring. "Doesn't my hair look pretty?" She smiled brightly and spun around, showing her tails to Laveris as well. "She let me brush my tails, too! Wasn't that nice of her?" Not only was the fox-child's voice high, but quick as she spoke hurriedly in a rapid attempt to get out as much information as possible before she was interrupted by something.

All the while, she had been continuing to throw the ball, and missed it suddenly, causing it to collide with her delicate nose. This led her to let out a loud yelp of pain that sounded much like that of a fox. "Ooowwwiiiieee~" she moaned, clutching it and gasping as blood began to seep through her fingers. Her eyes widened sharply, and she started to hyperventilate as the crimson liquid oozed between her digits and down her upper lip. The blood of her food was one thing, but the sight of her own life-fluid freaked her out to no end, and her breaths were coming out in rapid, short, screeching bursts. "Ohmigawdohmigawdohmigawd~" she gasped out, having little knowledge of anything to do with 'God' or any concept like it. She, much like any child does, simply repeated things she heard from the various scientists who looked after her.

"Miss Laverisss!!!" she cried, tears streaming from her eyes and beginning to mix in with the blood that streamed from her nose. "Make it stoooop!!" Her cries sounded all-too-much like those of a small child.

Originally Posted by flaming-Scorpion

"I've never seen a person stare at their reflection in such a disastisfied manner before." A monotone voice cut through the steady silence of streaming water and mechanical filters. Soft footsteps echoed through the quiet room and a chair skidded across the floor. Silence weighed the air once more as the person watched Merrow continue with her swim. Apparently, Merrow was too preoccupied with her self loathing and exercise to notice that the door had opened and closed. So much for being alone, her blissful solitude was stolen away from her, like so many uncountable times before.

She was vaugley aware that somebody had spoken, and ceased her swimming, and snapped out of her self obsessed thoughts. She looked to her side and saw who stood there, faintly surprised. Her body followed her head and she lay her arms over the edge of the tank in a lax manner as she spoke.
"Pyralis, i didn't hear you come in..." she paused while she took a quick glance at her reflection again. "Well, what can i say, i dont to look at myself much. I mean, would you if you looked like a sea monster?" her voice was flat and devoid of much emotion. Her tail slapped the side of the tank lightly as she spoke.

Only a few seconds later she herd the doors on the other side of the vast room open. Unlike her hearing, which was the strongest of her sences her eyesight was quite poor over such long distances. She guessed that Pyralis might be able to see that far. "Who is it?" she asked, her voice it's normal gentle tone this time.

"It looks lovely..," Laveris began to say, but was cut off as the ball hit Kit straight in the nose. The cries of the girl would have made even Doctor Baneful's eyes well with tears, long and wailing just like a terrified child - everything she did was like a child.

As Kit's nose poured with blood and paniced the girl, Laveris took the medical kit from the wall and opened the cage, climbing inside.

"Shhh," she tried to sound stern. "It's just your nose." This was the sort of situation where she had to prove she could act professionally no matter how hard it was. Still, she put an arm around the girl and tried to sooth her. It was not discouraged to act kindly towards the subjects - though more encouraged just to shove a tranqualiser into them. "You don't want to mess up your lovely hair, not just after you brushed it." She took a wad of tissue from the medical case and offered it to Kit.

Kuro woke up atfer sleeping off his meal. He slowly went back into the corner that he useually stayed in. But for some reason, he actually had some energy. He layed back down, and just played with his tail. He just still couldnt beleave that this happened to him, and why? He knew he would hever know, but he was still creious.

Kit sniffed heavily, pulling blood into her nose, and coughed. The blood that she had breathed in spurted out from between her parted lips and sprayed into the tissue that Laveris had given her. When she stopped coughing, she placed the thin paper over her nose and shook her head at the woman's last question. It was true, she didn't want to mess up her hair right after she'd just brushed it all nice and soft and pretty like that. Breathing evenly to calm herself, she still had spasms in her breath, and found it difficult to speak. "Tha-tha-tha-thanks, Miss Lave-ve-Laveris," she practically gasped out, still clutching the tissue to her wounded nose.

She stayed silent for a few minutes, still trying to steady her breathing. The gaspings slowly stopped, and finally ended altogether. A weak smile formed on the small-minded being's face, and she reached out and hugged the woman scientist who sat with her. "Thanks a lot, Miss Laveris," she thanked again, taking the bloody tissue from her nose and wiping the remaining fluid off carefully before burying her face in the woman's lab coat with a big hug.

"Do you want my ball? I'm not so sure I want it anymore.." she thought out loud as she sat up and released the woman from her tight squeeze. She put a single, elongated finger to her chin and looked up at the ceiling, then quickly diverted her attention to the floor, away from her reflection. Her large, amber eyes flicked around, taking in everything around her, even though very little had changed. "I think you should get out of my cage, Miss Laveris," she said suddenly as her ears perked up and her nose twitched. "You could get in trouble if someone catches you in here."

Originally Posted by Idiosyncratic

She was vaugley aware that somebody had spoken, and ceased her swimming, and snapped out of her self obsessed thoughts. She looked to her side and saw who stood there, faintly surprised. Her body followed her head and she lay her arms over the edge of the tank in a lax manner as she spoke.
"Pyralis, i didn't hear you come in..." she paused while she took a quick glance at her reflection again. "Well, what can i say, i dont to look at myself much. I mean, would you if you looked like a sea monster?" her voice was flat and devoid of much emotion. Her tail slapped the side of the tank lightly as she spoke.

Only a few seconds later she herd the doors on the other side of the vast room open. Unlike her hearing, which was the strongest of her sences her eyesight was quite poor over such long distances. She guessed that Pyralis might be able to see that far. "Who is it?" she asked, her voice it's normal gentle tone this time.

Pyralis looked over dully,
"One of the doctors I suppose," his voice was monotone as usual. "They're waiting for my reaction to a new medication, they're not sure if it could trigger my old symptoms or cause new ones, or cure me. I wasn't listening to their conversation. They said I should just sit down for now wait. I suppose it would be easier for them to keep an eye on both of us if we were in the same room, and if something happened to me then they probably think you could alert them somehow." He ran a hand through his uncombed hair in an attempt to push it away from his face, a drop of blood running from his nose. He didn't seem to notice.
"Its nice to know that they're letting you have exercise, I haven't been seeing many of the others out as of late," he was silent for a moment. Pyralis was never one to carry on long conversations and when he did it seemed difficult for him to find things to say.
"I don't think you look like a monster," the change of subject seemed awkward.

Laveris was relieved when Kit began to calm down. Screaming anger she could deal with - panic, not so good. She touched Kit on the head inbetween her large fluffy ears.
"Better?" she said to her and was replied with the girl throwing herself at her. For a moment Laveris wondered if she was trying to attack her but then it settled snuggly into a hug and, with much uncertainty, she patted Kit's back gently. She was just a child afterall.

As Kit released her the ball was presented, still with a spot of blood on it, Laveris took it.
"What will you play with?" she asked. "Won't you be bored without a toy?" She thought for a moment, watching as the girl's eyes flickered around. "Well, I could try and find you something else instead, if you'd like Kit, maybe something a bit less...dangerous?" She stood up; Kit was right though, she shouldn't stay in here, it could lead to some akward questions.

Originally Posted by flaming-Scorpion

Pyralis looked over dully,
"One of the doctors I suppose," his voice was monotone as usual. "They're waiting for my reaction to a new medication, they're not sure if it could trigger my old symptoms or cause new ones, or cure me. I wasn't listening to their conversation. They said I should just sit down for now wait. I suppose it would be easier for them to keep an eye on both of us if we were in the same room, and if something happened to me then they probably think you could alert them somehow." He ran a hand through his uncombed hair in an attempt to push it away from his face, a drop of blood running from his nose. He didn't seem to notice.
"Its nice to know that they're letting you have exercise, I haven't been seeing many of the others out as of late," he was silent for a moment. Pyralis was never one to carry on long conversations and when he did it seemed difficult for him to find things to say.
"I don't think you look like a monster," the change of subject seemed awkward.

She listened intently to him, as she often did when anybody spoke. "Oh...Yeah, it is nice of them. Mind you i'd get to podgey just sat about all day." a small grin inhabited her face for about three seconds while she sopke next. "Thanks about the not looking so monsterous thing." she was also the kind of girl who couldnt sustain a convosation for long, and it was even worse when something nice was said to her. She had never known how to respond. As it was her attention was quickly diverted. "You've got a nose bleed, are you ok? is it an after effect of the testing?" she quiried.

Herself she found nosebleeds rare yet unbareable. The sight of a tank of water dyed red had been quite scary for her when she recived her last, lest induced nosebleed when she had been about five.

Kuro thought he heard some foot steps heading toward his area. Not for sure, he sat up and didnt move like he always did. Not realy likeing this place or any of the scientests. There are a few that he didnt mind, buy the other wernt nice at all. He itched the wraping on his arm from the last shots, and sat in the corrner playing with his tail. Hopeing that it was the nice scientest that gave him the food.

• 
  Keir locked the cage once Sugar was settled inside, "I'll have someone bring you food Sugar. You should eat," he spoke in his usual, unemotional tone before turning and heading off in search of a lab technician.
  
  After looking for a few moments he found the young female technician that was currently feeding the experiments. Her name escaped him, he rarely remembered the technicians names. He waited silently for her to finished her exchange with Kit.
  
  Sugar settled into a position at the far corner of her cage and rest her head against the side. She stared, that same spacey look in her eyes, at the lock on the cage. Her tail wrapped around her twitched lightly against her lap. Her eyes narrowed suddenly, shifting into a deadly glare as if something had angered her in that few moments of sheer silence.
  

Laveris looked up as she heard someone enter the room.

"Dr Keir?" she said. "Is there something I can help you with?"

Laveris didn't know much about Keir. Most of the seniors didn't mix with the juniors until they had proven themselves worthy of their place at the lab.

• 
  "I see you're seeing to their feeding today," he paused, "Sugar may be experiencing some side affects. I'd like the record kept of when she eats to also state how much was eaten." he turned slightly toward the door, "I'll check the record at her next review." he gave a slight nod in her direction as he moved to exit the room just as abruptly as he'd entered.
  

Laveris nodded.

"I will see to her as soon as I finish here," she said. "And I'll do as you ask. I know how important the work is."

His thoughts whirred about in his mind, twisting and turning around one another. Wes couldn't seem to figure out why he had been picked, off all the people, for his experiments. He was trained to review facts, which he did over and over again, playing with different scenarios. Yet still his mind pulled blanks and all he could think of was that his kidnapping was random.

Deryk was silent and he didn't seem to make any motion to force Wes to keep moving. The teen remained on his back floating gently while he kicked his feet to a steady rhythm. The ripples that he made where gentle and small unlike the one's being created by the other person in the tank.

Being that it was in his nature Wes eavesdropped on their conversation. He picked small aspects from their tones of voice and remembered them. What made his more curious was what was creating the huge ripples. And so he tilted his head back and took in a deep breath before pushing his head into the water and kicking his feet over his head. His body twirled int he air and he went under water. The serums allowed for him to keep his eyes opened. What greeted him was a monstrous tail at the other end of the tank beating steadily. What was disgusting was the skin that seemed to peel off and float gently in the water every time it moved.

He crinkled his nose unsure of quite what 'it' was. A mermaid for sure but why would a facility waste such resources on making a human fish?

Kuro started at his cage door, after hearing someone walking toward it. He didnt see antone, so me jingled his way closer to the door. He has just heard things before, and never seen anything, so he was thinking thats what this was again. After getting closer, he heard a sound behind him, he turnd quickly, but no one was there. The main thing he heard was laughter of kids, and didnt know why, sometimes he heard voices, and didnt see anyone. He freeked out a little and yelled "Am I loosing my mind??!!" sence he hasnt talked in a while his voice squeeked as he yelled. He dropped and layed on the floor of his cage.

Originally Posted by Idiosyncratic

She listened intently to him, as she often did when anybody spoke. "Oh...Yeah, it is nice of them. Mind you i'd get to podgey just sat about all day." a small grin inhabited her face for about three seconds while she sopke next. "Thanks about the not looking so monsterous thing." she was also the kind of girl who couldnt sustain a convosation for long, and it was even worse when something nice was said to her. She had never known how to respond. As it was her attention was quickly diverted. "You've got a nose bleed, are you ok? is it an after effect of the testing?" she quiried.

Herself she found nosebleeds rare yet unbareable. The sight of a tank of water dyed red had been quite scary for her when she recived her last, lest induced nosebleed when she had been about five.

Pyralis blinked for a moment,
"Nosebleed..?" he questioned in perplexity. He carefully ran a hand over his nose, smearing crimson across his hand and cheek. He starred at the blood for a moment before his gaze raised and he tensed. His sharp hearing catching the sound of rippling water that was not flowing in the rythem of Merrow's tail.
"Is someone in there with you?" he questioned, his dull gray eyes looking over the surface of the water, his vision danced for a moment and he lightly grimaced and shook it away. Apparently the nosebleed wasn't the only side affect, he was becoming dizzy, or was it nausea?
"For a moment I thought it was just us."

Originally Posted by flaming-Scorpion

Pyralis blinked for a moment,
"Nosebleed..?" he questioned in perplexity. He carefully ran a hand over his nose, smearing crimson across his hand and cheek. He starred at the blood for a moment before his gaze raised and he tensed. His sharp hearing catching the sound of rippling water that was not flowing in the rythem of Merrow's tail.
"Is someone in there with you?" he questioned, his dull gray eyes looking over the surface of the water, his vision danced for a moment and he lightly grimaced and shook it away. Apparently the nosebleed wasn't the only side affect, he was becoming dizzy, or was it nausea?
"For a moment I thought it was just us."

She flicked her ears at the mention of other people. "In the tank? theres nobody else in here i dont think." She looked around, only seeing the ripples she herself had made. nope...
She turned back to face him, and thought she saw him wobble a little.
"Are you feeling ok?" she asked with certain concern she experienced for anybody who wasnt feeling quite themself. Though sometimes it was hard to know exactly what you were ment to feel with so many side effects.

((OOC: Okay, since I got no response, I'm going to carry on. ^^))

Laveris locked the door of the cage and walked down the corridor to the room where the subject Sugar was held. She was a quiet one, docile and almost uninterested, but she worried Laveris more than the ones like Kit because if she set her mind to escape, well, she probably would manage it.

She entered the labratory room and, after collecting a bucket of food, approached Sugar's cage and prepared to take detailed notes on her eating habits.

For a mermaid you're blind as a bat. Wes' voice came out from the other corner of the tank. He was no longer in the water but sitting up on the edge of the glass resting with his arms folded tightly across his chest. The muscles twitched awkwardly sending flashes of ripples across his skin. It was only present in his legs for the moment but it was disgusting to watch for afar. He had rolled up his track pants to see exactly what was going on and so far this was a new side effect of the serums. Or so he could at least presume that it was. The serums were usually to blame for any illness or pain that he felt unless there was another logical explanation. He bit on his lower lip to divert his attention from it. It not only felt funny or looked funny but it was causing him pain. His feet were numb and he was incapable of moving his toes. He looked quite disturbed about it seeing as he didn't think that he could walk properly.

His thoughts whirled in his mind as to what exac tly what was happening. Again he went into his process of thinking. He accessed what he was feeling. Muscle twitches which became painful and then numbing.
He was tempted to hollar on Tarek but he didn't feel like making the scientist come over like he was a wimp.

And so he just sat there and inside of continuing to watch the muscles of his legs he leaned over and rolled his pants back down. Then he looked up to view the two on the other end of the tank.

After Kuro freeked out for a while, he clamed down, and started hearing actual words, that answered some of his thoughts. He always thought of trying to get out, but never realy attemped it, so the voice was encourageing him to try and get out the next time the gate was open.

• 
  As Laveris approached with food Sugar's glare settled into that same spacey gaze that she usually had. Whatever it was that caused the glare had subsided, what a weird reaction. She sniffed slightly at the smell of the food and moved to all fours looking through the bars at the young Scientist. Laveris was nice enough, Sugar would listen to her if asked... but there was no way Laveris could know that. She found herself hungry after not eating much for a couple days. Her tail twitched back and forth slowly as she waited.