15,000 years between us makes very little difference
Ayla had crept through the caves and into the compound to explore a bit further and had met a man who was choosing clothes. As soon as she entered the room and froze, her eyes lowered, he found the hunt for something decent halted as he began to pull out bikini after bikini.
"Huh. I think these are for you," he said, holding a couple out for her. When she didn't move or speak, Jack walked closer and tried to catch her eye. "I'm Jack," he said, smiling at her. He had more teeth than she had ever seen, and many people here smiled. Ayla looked up, then at the straps and bands he held before looking down once again.
""I am Ayla," she said.
She was the one who had been sick. Who had made House so happy with whatever her puzzle had been. Jack nodded and stepped closer. He offered her the strappy things once more, and she took them. "What means...this?" she asked, not entirely sure what to call them.
"Bikini," Jack said, plucking a pair of trunks from the box. "For swimming. Do you swim?"
*** *** ***
On the beach, Ayla stretched out in the warm sand, letting the sun soak into her skin. Jack had been an endless source of words, telling her things until she was dizzy. He explained why the jungle had changed in a way she could understand, although she could tell he was either concealing some truth, or perhaps wasn't certain. It didn't matter all that much. The world she had come from only changed with the seasons, but this island where the Others lived was different. Very different. She understood that, now. With her limited world view, she had justified that although she was living, the curse Broud had demanded had done something and the spirits of the Others cared for her. In return for this, she had to learn to adjust quickly to the land, to the language, and to the customs. With so many willing to teach her, she was beginning to understand more of how the people lived, survived, and thrived.
Jack had enjoyed himself, probably more than he should have. It was less common than people might think to meet someone who didn't mind nudity, or who thought clothes were strange and confining. He'd patiently explained the custom, leaving out tales of other planets and other times where clothing was either optional or oppressive and stuck to the basics. She seemed to like the bikini top much more than the shirt, and he nodded when she asked if she could simply wear it instead. But more than that, she was interesting. Together they had worked out words, and he could guess a few things from her behavior and her resistance to writing--although her grasp of numbers was amazing. His grasp of 16 was unwavering, and she didn't have a strong enough grasp of the language for flirting to mean anything, anyhow.
The sun had passed overhead and was starting to descend before Jack held up his hand and told her he was going to swim. She had nodded and watched him go, then waited for his return. There were strange animals making noises in the jungle and she listened carefully, then tried to imitate the sounds. It made sense that animals had their own words for things.
[You get both Ayla and Jack on the beach! Just let me know which one you want, or both, take turns, whatever. Ayla is completely better, so if you were concerned about her health, now would be a good time to see her. Jack is...Jack]
"Huh. I think these are for you," he said, holding a couple out for her. When she didn't move or speak, Jack walked closer and tried to catch her eye. "I'm Jack," he said, smiling at her. He had more teeth than she had ever seen, and many people here smiled. Ayla looked up, then at the straps and bands he held before looking down once again.
""I am Ayla," she said.
She was the one who had been sick. Who had made House so happy with whatever her puzzle had been. Jack nodded and stepped closer. He offered her the strappy things once more, and she took them. "What means...this?" she asked, not entirely sure what to call them.
"Bikini," Jack said, plucking a pair of trunks from the box. "For swimming. Do you swim?"
*** *** ***
On the beach, Ayla stretched out in the warm sand, letting the sun soak into her skin. Jack had been an endless source of words, telling her things until she was dizzy. He explained why the jungle had changed in a way she could understand, although she could tell he was either concealing some truth, or perhaps wasn't certain. It didn't matter all that much. The world she had come from only changed with the seasons, but this island where the Others lived was different. Very different. She understood that, now. With her limited world view, she had justified that although she was living, the curse Broud had demanded had done something and the spirits of the Others cared for her. In return for this, she had to learn to adjust quickly to the land, to the language, and to the customs. With so many willing to teach her, she was beginning to understand more of how the people lived, survived, and thrived.
Jack had enjoyed himself, probably more than he should have. It was less common than people might think to meet someone who didn't mind nudity, or who thought clothes were strange and confining. He'd patiently explained the custom, leaving out tales of other planets and other times where clothing was either optional or oppressive and stuck to the basics. She seemed to like the bikini top much more than the shirt, and he nodded when she asked if she could simply wear it instead. But more than that, she was interesting. Together they had worked out words, and he could guess a few things from her behavior and her resistance to writing--although her grasp of numbers was amazing. His grasp of 16 was unwavering, and she didn't have a strong enough grasp of the language for flirting to mean anything, anyhow.
The sun had passed overhead and was starting to descend before Jack held up his hand and told her he was going to swim. She had nodded and watched him go, then waited for his return. There were strange animals making noises in the jungle and she listened carefully, then tried to imitate the sounds. It made sense that animals had their own words for things.
[You get both Ayla and Jack on the beach! Just let me know which one you want, or both, take turns, whatever. Ayla is completely better, so if you were concerned about her health, now would be a good time to see her. Jack is...Jack]