(Untitled)

[not_the_s]

Kon groaned softly when he woke up. It was still that time just before dawn when the entire world was quiet. Except that Kon could hear the chittering of squirrels and the calls of birds. He tried to roll over, but his feet tangled in the sheets and he kicked something off the bed as he was trying to get them out. That woke him up completely

Comments

[stirthingsapart]

Thomasina had missed the warm weather more than she'd known. It wasn't that she particularly preferred heat to cold, and she had been very glad indeed to have the snow for Christmas, but what she had really missed was the freedom to walk out the door of the compound any time she liked. Much of her first months here had been spent walking the paths, learning the lay of the island, and it was with this that she was very much looking forward to reacquainting herself.

The clothing box, it seemed, had been glad for the return to normal weather too, as it had just that morning provided Thom with what she thought was a perfectly lovely bathing costume and coverup, as well as a widebrimmed but rather floppy straw hat to keep the sun off her face. It still seemed daring to her, but at least she knew she would garner no odd looks, and that was what really mattered. She made her way down to the beach with towel, apple, and one of the books Henri had lent her in hand, realizing only when she arrived that not only was she not alone, but there

[goldeneyedflash]

Bart nearly tripped and fell when Kon shoved him towards the lady reading with an order to 'be social.' Catching his balance, he shot a glare over one shoulder back at his friend before making his way over.

"May I ask what you're reading?" he said, curious.

[stirthingsapart]

Thom looked up, shading her eyes against the glare of the sun as it climbed in the sky. "Darwin," she said, showing him the cover of On the Origin of Species. "It's fascinating. Are you familiar with it?" She'd never met the young man before, but anyone interested in someone's book at a party like this was probably, in her estimation, someone worth talking to.

[goldeneyedflash]

"I've read it," Bart said, a little cautiously. He could quote the whole thing if he wanted to, but he didn't want to show off. "For the son of an Anglican minister, he certainly managed to stir things up, that's for sure."

He smiled, thinking about it. "Are you interested in the science or the philosophy?" Then he realized what he said. "Before I start interrogating you or something, I should probably introduce myself. I'm Bart. Bart Allen."

[stirthingsapart]

"Both," she said, "though neither so much as the fact that it was recommended to me by a very dear friend. I am discovering the extent of his good taste more and more, it seems." Thom smiled and extended a hand, as seemed to be the fashion here. "Thomasina Coverly," she said, "formerly of Derbyshire, England."

[goldeneyedflash]

Bart shook the offered hand firmly with his own roughly calloused one, smiling in return. "I'm from Keystone City, Kansas," he said, dropping to sit near her with casual aplomb.

"Evolution is an interesting topic, though. The idea that everything, even life itself is in a constant state of flux, not being, but becoming. Socrates would have loved the topic."

[stirthingsapart]

"It's very different than everything I have ever been taught," Thom said, marking her place in the book with the scrap of paper on which she'd been scrawling casual notes, "But laid out like this, I see the sense in it. There is nothing, after all, that stays in one spot, one shape for the whole of its life. Why should life itself be any different?" It was a dangerous thing to engage Thom in discussion about anything scientific or philosophical, which was a fact that more people learned almost every day, whether they wanted to or not.

[goldeneyedflash]

"The reason people object to applying the theory of evolution to a larger whole is that the circumstances seem almost random," Bart said, more than willing to take on the topic for a discussion. "We want to believe that we are special, chosen, important, but the more we explore the universe, the less significant we seem. Darwin's opponents claim he thinks we're just talking upright apes.

"Baron Cuvier, Georges Cuvier, I mean, was the first to point at the fossil skeleton of an animal and say that there was nothing living that resembled that creature, that somehow, there were no living descendants. By the church's doctrine, that is heresy, because God would never permit his creations to be utterly destroyed. Or to change beyond their original form. So why, then, do we have such variation in the offspring of any one species? And if each species is perfectly created, why are some so similar to another but seemingly not best suited to its lifestyle?"

[stirthingsapart]

"Unfortunately, this book is quite past my own time," she said, flipping to the cover to look again at the publication date. "So I've not had the chance to hear people's objections firsthand. But I have no doubt of it, really; people have such a fear of unfamiliar ideas. I can't say I don't understand it but it does make me sad, in a way."

"Such heavy topics for so bright a day, though!" Thom said with a smile, setting the book down in her lap and shading her eyes as she looked towards the sun. "Is this generally where you come to discuss theology and biology, or is today a special circumstance?"

[goldeneyedflash]

"I'm not really fond of theology," Bart said, with a shrug. "I prefer things clear-cut and solvable, not that there's much of that in the universe. Besides, is it really that bad a thing to have a conversation about an interesting topic?"

He didn't mind at all, it was light compared to some things he'd gotten into lately, like temporal causality or guilt. "I'm originally from the thirtieth century, myself. Had to relearn a lot of things because the science hasn't been invented yet. I still miss holographic videos and neural interfacing. No wonder my cousin sent me to learn from a guy born around the time that book was published to learn to deal with the twentieth century."

[not_the_s]

"Surely you're not going to sit all by your lonesome," Kon said after walking over to meet the newcomer. He couldn't help the enthusiasm he had. Nothing cheered him up as much as a good party and this one was of his own design.

"Reading..." He ducked his head and glanced at the cover. "On the Origin of Species." He chuckled. "My friend Bart would like you. He made his way through an entire library once." What Kon didn't say was that it had taken only a few hours in so-called 'normal' time.

[stirthingsapart]

"That's ambitious," Thom said, tearing herself away from the book with obvious effort. "I know several people who would certainly envy him the opportunity." She closed the book and looked up with a smile, shading her eyes against the glare of the sun. "Truth be told, Sir, I came looking not for a party, but only the sun and the water. It seems I was fortunate enough to find all three."

[not_the_s]

"You might say that he had the time to spare." Kon lifted an eyebrow. "Only fortunate if you decided to take advantage of the party." He smiled and offered her his hand. "Well, let me start that by introducing myself. Conner Kent, the apparent host of the party. Or at least I was the first one here."

[stirthingsapart]

"Thomasina Coverly," she said, shaking the hand that he'd extended. "So you must be as glad as I am, then to see the end of the snow and ice. I think it had just overstayed its welcome, personally." She had nothing against it, in principle, but once the sun had begun to shine again she'd realized just how fully she'd missed it.

[not_the_s]

"I was only in it a few days, but that was more than enough for me," Kon agreed. "Walking around in the snow and ice is only fun if you're away for a vacation. Although I admit, it would have been fun to find someplace to ski. I'd have to learn, first." That was one of the things he'd never done before.

[stirthingsapart]

"From what I hear, it's a yearly occurrence, so you'll surely have another chance," she said, although truth be told the prospect of being here a year from now had not fully sunk in. "In any case, I am very glad to have the sun back, if only because it makes getting from place to place so much easier. I hadn't realized what a convenience it was not to have to bundle up until it became necessary."