7/1 Instance: Night-time Visiting Hours

[tears~fall~like~glass]

Timeline: The night of There and Back Again


<Lizard> The dead of night was prime Lizard-time, and at approximately 1:15 in the morning was ideal time for Lizard to slink down to the medlab, use Curt's codes to get in, and coil up beside Hope's bed.

<Hope> Hope's eyes opened. What was that? Was it Essex? She sat up looking around. She had a vague memory of having restraints on when she had woken earlier, but they were gone. Somebody must have removed them. She strained her ears for anything in the dark, but with no powers she felt half blind and deaf. She swung her feet over the bed and paused when they didn't touch the floor, but something scaley.

<Lizard> Lizard looked up and blinked at her, his forked tongue snaking out from his fangs.

<Hope> Hope shrieked and climbed on top of her bed. What was that!?

<Lizard> Lizard's head popped up and looked to her with concern. "Ssssomething wrong?" Lizard asked.

<Hope> The voice was familiar. She knew who that was. She slowly sat back down, reaching out for the lizard. "Curt? er... Lizard?"

<Lizard> "Ssssafe, Hope issss..."

<Hope> Hope all but tackled him, hugging him tightly.

<Lizard> Lizard choked as he lost air, his tongue flicking out desperately. "Gak!"

<Hope> "Sorry..." She let him go a bit, but not all the way.

<Lizard> "Ssss'alright." He promised. "Sssscared. Hope ssscared."

<Hope> "They took me... and then I did bad things... and then Johnny came... and then they put be back in jail."

<Lizard> "Lizzssssard keep Hope sssafe. War gone."

<Hope> Hope wasn't so sure about that. It didn't feel gone when she still had all the memories. "Am I?"

<Lizard> Lizard sniffed the top of her head. He snorted and then sniffed her arms His tongue slipped out and licked into her ear. "Yesss. All gone."

<Hope> "Eeeewwwww!" Hope rubbed her wet ear.

<Lizard> Lizard snorted a chuckle and sniffed her face. "Foodsss?" He asked her.

<Hope> "I'm not food." She reminded him, resting her head against him. At least something was familiar.

<Lizard>Lizard snorted and rolled his eyes. "Ssssit. I get foodsss..."

<Hope> "And... peppermints? Please?" Hope tried to muster her most pathetic look.

<Lizard>Lizard rolled his reptilian eyes as he slipped out. He went to the fridge, snatched a raw steak, ate it, got another, a box of townhouse crackers, and 2 gallons of milk.

<Hope> Hope eyed the door. How had he escaped? She inspected it more closely while he was gone.

<Lizard> Lizard used the keycard to get in again, and brought with him his plethora of food. He spat the roll of Mentos he had nabbed from McCoy's office (well, it's not like he was using it).

<Lizard> Lizard then dropped the steak, the milk, the crackers, and some mustard on her lap. "Right?"

<Hope> Hope eyed the steak and handed it carefully back to him. "You can have that part. Thank you." She went right for the crackers. Might as well try them with some mustard too, she reasoned, and put some of that on ehr crackers. She gobbled them down as quickly as she made them.

<Lizard> Lizard shrugged as he threw his head back and coughed them down. "Sssecurity ssstinks. Lizzssard is better." He nodded confidently. Security didn't bring snacks.

<Lizard> "Lizard is way better." Hope assured him between crackers. She debated on drinking straight from the milk gallon, then decided they shouldn't have locked her up in jail to begin with and went for it.

<Lizard> "Johnny issss ssssad." Lizard said, slurping the meat. He looked at the mustard and flicked his tongue into it. The sensation and flavor made him squealch and hack.

<Hope> "Johnny..." Hope glanced over at his bed again. He was still out. "This is all my fault." She didn't even laugh properly at the funny faces lizard made at the mustard.

<Lizard> Lizard shook his head. "Esssex. They took care of that. Not happening again." He said with certainty.

<Hope> "They killed him? Who?! What?! When!? What happened!?"

<Lizard> Lizard was surprised she hadn't heard. He cocked his head. "X-Forcssse."

<Hope> "...What?" Hope gave him a confused look. "X-men don't kill... ok unless we're taken over by Essex but that's a seperate issue."

<Lizard> Lizard shrugged. "They kill." He said. "Now."

<Hope> "Wow... how long was I out?" She tried to laugh a bit.

<Lizard> "The Maraudersss too. And Teagan. And anyone elssse in their way. Effective, ssscientific, tactical."

<Hope> Hope looked over at him quickly. "They are the ones who killed Teagan?" How had she missed that? Maybe she hadn't Maybe she had supressed it. Hope rubbed her forehead at the oncoming headache.

<Lizard>"Accsssident... ssso they ssssay." Lizard leaned forward and into her ear whispered. "Danny'sss a killer..."

<Hope> Narrowing her eyes at him, she nodded a bit. "That hypocritical bastard. Do you know the rant he gave me about killing people!? And he's a murderer. Figures."

<Lizard> "Lizzsssard knowsss them all. Ssssmell the blood." He nodded.

<Hope> Hope suddered. "Did... did Johnny?"

<Lizard> Lizard cocked his head. "Assss if. No Sssstormss." He insisted.

<Hope> Hope sighed with relief. "Good... I knew he was better than that." Though obviously she wasn't. She shuddered again at her memories. So many deaths.

<Lizard> "War killsss too, right?"

<Hope> She could only nod at him. "I killed... a lot..." She burried her face in her hands.

<Lizard> Lizard was confused. "War." He stated. "War. Not Hope."

<Hope> "Yeah..." Hope didn't bother arguing with him. There wasn't a real distinction to her. "And not Lizard. Lizard is good."

<Lizard> Lizard shrugged. "Pointlesss kill. Not food."

<Hope> Hope kissed his cheek. "That's why I like you."

<Lizard> Lizard flicked his tongue at her ear when she did. He looked over to Johnny. The human part of him (which was buried way, way down) felt bad that his girl was kissing him on the cheek. Lizard sighed.

<Hope> Hope made a face at his ear licking again, wiping it off. "Is Sue really mad?"

<Lizard>Lizard shrugged. "Alwayssss mad." he assured her.

<Hope> "She doens't have the key right? She isn't going to come kill me in my sleep?" Hope glanced over to sleeping Johnny. She was totally going to try to kill her in her sleep.

<Lizard> Lizard laughed. It was more of a raspy cackle, but it still recognized as a laughter. "No one getsss passst the Lizsssard." Except Laura... maybe Laura. She was on the X-Force too. Mate with her. Was the only thing he could think of when she came up.

<Hope> "I have a guard lizard?" Hope wasn't quite sure what to make of that.

<Lizard> Lizard slinked down to the floor and snuggled up half under the hospital bed, rather than responding.

<Hope> "Thank you." She told him softly. "Really... thank you." She patted him a bit, then climbs back up on top of her bed. "And you'll keep Johnny safe too?" Since obviously she failed at that one.

<Lizard> "Ssssure." He said, having no intention of doing so.

[tears~fall~like~glass]

Aww, Lizard. He's like... a giant, creepy puppy. And, kind of an ass. Johnny would keep him safe!

[TechPrincess]

He totally is! He's great

[Ferguson]

aww, yeah, creepy puppy, and I don't think anyone wants to play shag, marry, kill with Lizard either just because the answers would be really uncomfortable.

[Slarti]

Wow, I fourth those comments...

Best big creepy assy puppy ever?