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.Karma.
01-31-2017, 08:48 PM
February's 3rd prompt is "Sensuality"



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ArtisticVicu
03-01-2017, 06:27 AM
"Sensuality."

He frowned slightly as he let the hammer come down on the nail. "In what context?"

She looked up from the book, confused. "What do you mean?"

He leaned back enough to look at her perched on top of a set piece, his class notebook and textbook resting on her knee. "Is it meant to be associate with sensuous or sensual? Are we dealing with the older definitions or the more modern ones?"

She shrugged, showing him the page she was reading from. "You've got me. It just says sensuality."

He let out a sigh, turning back to his work. "Fricken vague professors."

He hammered in a few more nails before he had to move the ladder. It wasn't till he was on the ground that he realized she hadn't spoken up again. He looked to her, curious. "You alright, kit?"

She looked at him, blinking as if coming out of a daze. She nodded, smiling. "Yeah, sorry. Just thinking."

"Bout sensuality?"

She nodded again as he crossed to stand beneath her. "It's hard not to, with what we are."

He chuckled at that. "Young adults full of hormones."

She shifted so that her legs hung over the edge, feet barely brushing the face of the structure as she gave him a look. "Not just that."

He looked away. "We can't, Nera," he growled, looking around to see if anyone else was there. They were thankfully alone.

"Come on, Xander," Nera urged, leaning forward as if threatening to jump. "Tell me you're not curious."

"Of course I am," he snapped, his voice slow and roughened by a growl. "But this is not the time nor the place to be discussing it."

She made a face almost like she had tasted something sour. He knew that she felt betrayed by his words just by her reaction but he just couldn't. Not here, not with so much at stake. He sighed, turning to return to the flat he had been hammering facing onto. "Look, I'm more than up for talking about it later but right now, I have work to do." He dug out a few nails from a box, glancing at her. "You gonna help me study or not?"

She sighed and returned to her original position, his books propped up around her. "Fine. But I'm not letting you off the hook," she promised.

He smirked around a nail between his teeth. "Next word."

He worked like that for another half hour, going through and doing all that needed to be done by hand. In the end, it all turned out rather well and the rest of the crew had arrived. Nera joined him briefly, his bag slung over her shoulder. She looked determined, if not a tad annoyed. "Later," she reminded him sharply.

He offered her a tight smile and a pat of the shoulder. "Later. Promise."

She gave a quick nod before ducking out as the technical director stormed the stage. He fell into work, doing what was asked of him with relative ease. It wasn't till they were cleaning up that one of his classmates and fellow coworker asked their own question.

"Hey, Xander, you understand the study guide?"

He looked to his classmate, finding a young man smaller than him and a little on the timid side. An actor, not a technician, but there for the credit needed to pass a class. He shrugged, winding the cable they were gathering on the catwalk. "Only enough to know that the teacher was being vague."

His classmate chuckled and shook their head. "At least I'm not the only one thinking that."

Xander dropped his bundle on the cart, gaze still on his classmate. "Everything alright, Tucker?"

His classmate shrugged. "As alright as things can be."

Xander placed his hand on Tucker's shoulder, feeling the young man tense beneath his touch. Xander noted it and pushed it aside. "Hey. You do know that you don't have to work yourself to the bone, right? Nera says yer doing at least five classes and, not only are you cast in the production, you're working here and off campus." Xander frowned. "Is there anything that either of us can do for you?"

Tucker shook his head but the other now looked a lot more tired than Xander had originally noticed. He also noticed faint tremors under his fingers which only bred worry in his gut. "No, and I've already told Nera the same thing." Tucker gave him a tight smile. "You two are always so kind to me. Really, I'm fine. Just still getting used to it all."

Xander slowly removed his hand from the other, not sure how to take it. But, nonetheless, he let it be. "Alright. But you come to either of us if you ever need anything. Even if it's just help with homework."

Tucker grinned at him but Xander could see the flaws in the mask. "Of course."

Xander turned his back for only a moment, but there was a commotion behind him, and someone screamed.

Xander spun around, mind working fast to take in what was going on. Tucker was wavering between safety and free fall at the edge of the catwalk. One of the other students, some bully Xander cared not to know the name of, had pushed bodily passed Tucker and, while it may have been fine, it seemed that exhaustion had rid the young man of his balance. Xander didn't even have a chance to think.

He was across the catwalk and jumping after Tucker, consequences be damned. Air rushed passed him as the sound of his own blood filled his ears. He reached out and wrapped his arms around Tucker, wings suddenly pounding the air around him to make sure he reached the smaller man before they touched ground. With a grunt, he turned them about in the air so that his wings could counter their fall. By the time his feet touched ground, he had nearly countered their freefall completely. His feet were soft as they touched pavement but his main concern was Tucker.

The young man was shaking in his grasp but the freefall had caused the other to shift, similar to how Xander had just shifted. But Tucker seemed to be in shock, staring at his hands as if he didn't recognize them. Xander growled, though it sounded weird coming from the chest of an aviary of sorts. He turned his attention to the crowd, defensive. His wings came up as if to shield them both.

"Xander!"

Nera came bounding over on all four paws, her human form having given way to her anthropomorphic fox form. She moved from all fours to two legs smoothly, hands ghosting over Xander's large black beak in a calming gesture. "What happen?" she asked, the fur on her tail fluffed more than normal and her ears alert and twitchy, meaning she was on edge. He gently grabbed her hand as he tucked his wings against his back.

"Someone pushed Tucker off the catwalk." He noticed that, even with her fur, she paled considerably. He tightened his grip on her hand, urging, "He's never shifted."

Her eyes snapped to the young man Xander was still holding against his chest. Tucker was lankier than normal, though Xander would use the term lithe in later conversations. It suited him, seeing as he had turned into a sort of anthropomorphic deer. Not quite like Nera, able to use all four limbs to run, but he had the antlers, the ears, a slightly elongated face, and longer limbs. His coloring had changed a bit too, leaving his hands the same color as hooves, and his skin and hair to be more of the coloring of a specific type of deer. Xander had no clue what type it was but he knew for certain it wasn't the white-tail that was native to the region. Xander tightened his hold on Tucker, gaining Nera's gaze. He wasn't looking at her though. The students around them looked as if they were still in shock. "Nera," he urged, his voice low.

"Xander! Nera!" the technical director barked, causing both to flinch. Xander's feathers rose from his body, giving him a rather jagged look. Nera was in no better shape, all her fur standing on end in fright. They both were not sure how to handle the situation when their professor and technical director stopped before them, ordering, "Do not move from this spot till I get back. Am I clear?"

They both nodded out of not knowing what else to do.

The technical director turned to the rest of the student body. "Carmic, go around and make sure the doors are locked. Everyone else to the house. Find a seat and get comfortable. We're going to be a while."

The technical director moved off to do something, leaving the three students in their creature forms floundering for something to do. Xander wanted to shift back to human just so that the other students would stop staring but, if he did that, his plumage would go away, revealing more of Tucker than was already exposed. The thought only made him curl around the deer in his arm even more. Nera seemed to be reading his thoughts like she always seemed to do because she re-positioned herself so that she was more obvious to look at than Tucker.

The technical director returned with another professor and Xander instinctively bristled again. They did not need more people knowing about them.

"Xander, how is Tucker," the new professor asked, coming to stand just out of reach of Nera.

Xander looked down to find Tucker's gaze on him. The young man seemed calmer and a lot more alert. "Better, professor," Xander responded, returning his gaze to the professor. "But I don't understand why you are here, let alone why Nera and I haven't simply booked it by now."

The technical director gave a chuckle that carried from the stage. "Because you're not alone in this."

Xander frowned at him but Nera seemed to lighten up with a bit of hope. The technical director looked to the other students, seeming to pick specific ones, ordering, "If you know how, shift. It's about time we started making a community for those of you that can."

A good number of the student body shifted into all manner of creature, ranging from that actual creature to an anthropomorphic version of it to even some just having a few minor characteristics. Xander visibly relaxed as the technical director shifted. He turned his gaze to the professor, finding that the man hadn't shifted. "Professor?"

The professor gave a soft smile. "I am not one of you, but my husband is."

The technical director sat on the edge of the stage. "That is not well known information in the school and none of you are permitted to spread it," he growled.

The majority of the student body flinched at the empty threat but one brave soul raised their hand, squeaking out, "About you two being married?"

The technical director nodded, though Xander couldn't help but think that was a rather tame reaction.

The professor shifted his weight, gaining the majority's attention again. "We would like to start a network of support for those that are....more than human." There was a collective tensing but the professor continued on as carefully as he could manage, turning his attention to the masses. "There are many things a lot of you are unprepared for, especially if you have recently discovered this trait about yourself. Your senses will be affected in many ways and myself and your TD are working to set up a system to help you."

"Those of you that are human in this room, fully and completely," the technical director spoke, the silence becoming even more so as he paused, "you are being asked to either become part of this community and help your friends and classmates in their time of need, or to keep your trap shut and never speak of this again. Your choice."

The professor gained a fond smile. "Charming as always."

The technical director shrugged, obviously hearing the soft comment. "Not my fault I have such the reputation."

"You're still scary, teach," Xander commented, feeling brave even when his technical director turned panther eyes on him. And everyone thought their technical director was scarier before. "And that isn't something we did."

The technical director pretended to be affronted but the glint in that panther gaze clearly spoke of amusement that was probably sadistic on some level. "I'm not that scary!"

"Hun, you're currently a panther," the professor commented, the banter cutting through the tension in the room like a lightning bolt. The students relaxed, a low chatter settling over the room.

The technical director pointed his finger at the closest students, male and female. "If I hear any of you make a kitty comment, I will make you strike the set by yourself at the end of the run."

Laughter filled the space as those that had been picked out cowered appropriately. That was a threat no one wanted to have happen.

m139
03-03-2017, 07:04 AM
Sensuality
Part 1 of "The Happiness Box"
( part 2 (http://role-player.net/forum/showthread.php?t=86023&p=2880125&viewfull=1#post2880125) )


They were a ragtag group, made up of the odds and ends of those lucky enough to survive the Great War and the subsequent events. In total, they numbered exactly six, a small group who had, either voluntarily or by choice, been cast out from a larger group only three months ago, due to a disease which four of them had caught. There was once more of them, but those others had died in the weeks after they had left. Now, only these remained, all left to find a new home or some other group that would take them in.

It came to pass that, during their travels, as they made their way through a wooded area, they came across a wall. It was a long, somewhat tall white wall, and flecks of paint along its gray exterior suggested it had once been painted with many different colors. This suggested that this once had been some sort of place that attracted people- but as to what it was doing in the middle of a forest, or whether there would be anything left after so many years, was a question as of yet unanswered.

The group paused, and there was a brief discussion as to whether or not to seek the entrance. After a few shrugs, a couple of comments about not having anything better to do, and a word of warning about not having seen this place on any map, the six decided to follow along the wall.

Soon enough, they came to a place where there once had been a large sliding metal gate. Now, there only stood the remains of the structure: the metal was bent and dented all over, and a hole, slightly bigger than two men in size, had been cut out of the right side. Looking in, they could see the partially-covered road branching off towards a couple of buildings inside.

They would enter cautiously, in case some other people had taken residence in this old complex of some kind. Carefully, one of their group , called out, and stepped forward. The rest held their breathes, but nothing happened. Then, the rest of them entered as well.

As they followed the straight path to the building directly ahead of them, the only sound other than their own clattering was the wildlife that had taken up residence. For some in the group, this was a relief, but for the others, it made them only more wary. After all, the building in front appeared, at this distance, to look perfectly fine: either someone was hiding, or there was a very good reason no one inhabited it.

Still, the group continued making its way forward. When they got to the entrance, they found a door devoid of all its glass. They entered, and were in what once had been a lobby. It must have been nice at one time, but now, with all its windows broken and all the soft furniture filled with large, copious holes, it looked rather creepy. On the wall, those certificates and pictures which still remained inside of glass were faded, almost to the point of being unrecognizable. Still, here and there, a word or two stood out: Doctor, psychiatry. Perhaps, mused one of the members, this was a place of medicine...

For a while, the group looked around the front room and the one immediately behind it, none yet willing to tackle the double-door windowless hallway that branched off from the lobby. There was not much in those rooms they did find: there were a couple of useless pens on the floor, and a couple other random bits of odds and ends here and there. The place appeared pretty thoroughly gutted, except for a couple of locked file cabinets in the back. They broke open one.

As expected, the cabinet was full of papers, full of somewhat fragile papers. The writing on these were faded, too, but much easier to read since they had been out of the sun. For a while, they each fingered through the papers. Half of the drawers were filled with what looked like legal forms, filled with jargon that only lawyers of the old age would understand. The other half, which was packed much looser and had some empty space, seemed to be some sort of log. One set, the largest, was titled visits. There was page after page of names, and each one had a separate date. It appeared that having more than two visitor in a week was highly unusual- and there was a sizeable number of weeks where no one came at all!

The other ledger was labeled "Residents". Unlike the previous one, it was not sorted by date, but instead by something referred to as "Box #". There were a total of 120 boxes, and the ledger page for each of them had one column labeled "e" and another labeled "d". Entry and departure. thought one of the six, although thirty or more years per person... that is quite a lot. Here's one for sixty! And I wonder why whoever wrote this felt it was so important to put "left" on that one. Probably because the stay was less than three months?

No box was ever without a resident for more than a month, and some were open for less than a few days. Indeed, it seemed that whatever these doctors did in this place was highly sought after, for the third set of papers, labeled "Waiting List" was very thick.

By the time they were done with this activity, it was dusk. The person who they had left as guard had collected enough wood to start a fire, and with the help of a few sheets of paper, they soon had a decent blaze on the old road. However, the more cautious of their group recommended a quick search of the doubled door hallway before they called it a night. After all, they did not want to get ambushed...

Torch in hand, three approached the double doors. The first one, which they had opened before, shut silently behind them. Now, with only two glowing orbs of light, they opened the second door. And then, the need for torches was instantly extinguished.

The hallway before them lit itself up slowly, and the little party gasped. It had been many years since any of them had seen working electricity, and the fact that a generator could have not only escaped the war but the following destruction and age greatly surprised them. Nevertheless, the artificial light lit up the six doorways, three on each side. They opened the first door, labeled Boxes 1-20.

The girl screamed. Just to the left of the door, a withered man, probably around sixty, laid in a coffin shaped container. Likely, she would have run out of the room, had not another member of the group, a boy just younger than her, held her back, staring at the third member of the group: the old man's eyes were focused on the withered man's face. For a while, the three stood in that position, the girl sobbing into her brother's arms. Finally, the older man looked up at the teens. "I know what this place is now." he said slowly, "And I know what this is..." he trailed off, his face showing no expression as he continued to look at the man in the box. The skin on the withered man's face was flabby, and his muscles had long ago withered due to disuse. Still, there was the slight but discernable up and down movement of his chest- he was alive and breathing. However, the most disconcerting feature was his mouth- across his face was a large smile.

The girl made some movement, muttering "let's get out of here".

At this, the old man turned back to the pair. He was going to say something, but the brother spoke first. "What..." he began, "What... Who is he?" he gestured towards the box, not daring to look at the man inside.

The old man responded, "I cannot say. But perhaps I can answer your first, though unstated, question. What this is... is a man inside a Happiness Box."

"A what?" said the girl, looking up from her brother's shoulders into the eyes of the old man, "But how can a box make one happy? And that man- how could he be happy?"

"Doesn't he look happy?" replied the man.

The girl shuddered, remembering that awful smile. A quick look told her it was still there. "But..." She trailed off.

"But what?" Said the man, his voice monotone. "The box works by firing off those neurons in the brain to stimulate pleasure. From these come all his sensing of the world. The outside senses, do not feed any information to him, as they are blocked because they might cause pain. Therefore, all the man feels is happiness."

For a while, the only sound was the slight humming of the internal mechanisms of Box 1. Then, the boy began to voice the thought that had been forming in his head. "But..." he began, looking from the old man, to the box, then back to the old man, "That's not happiness... Is it?"

The old man laughed. Then, smiling, he looked at the boy. "That depends." he stated, "What is happiness?"