Aragorn wasn't quite sure why the man would go swimming without any clothes on but feel uncomfortable coming out of the water like that. While he didn't think he'd ever be comfortable around women who were nude, being around men without clothing on wasn't anything to be embarrassed about. People here were from all different cultures though, so he would not judge.
"Of course," Aragorn said, moving over to where the towel was. Picking it up, he moved forward and held it out for the silver haired man.
Of course. Of course. Really, there was absolutely no reason to feel any manner of embarrassment, she'd spent half of her college years in gym locker rooms where being shy around the other guys wasn't a trait that long survived and anyway, Wanda was in no way accountable for her current situation. Nevertheless, a distinct feeling of mortification came over her in a rush as she took the towel from Aragorn and came up out of the water, wrapping it around her waist like it was her job. At least she'd never been the type to blush.
"Thanks," she muttered once she was safely out of the water. A part of her was expecting to change back once she dried off some, it would only make sense, but if that was the way this worked, it was taking its time about it. "Got myself into a bit of a predicament out there, glad you came along."
That made him wonder just how the man had ended up out there in such a situation. Either he had somehow lost his clothes while swimming, or he had not intended to be swimming when he had disrobed.
"Are you new to the island?" he asked. That would explain how he was suddenly in the water. Perhaps he had just seen the towel on the beach and had not placed it there?
"And forgive me, I am being rude. Here-"
Quickly, Aragorn pulled his own shirt off and offered it to the man. It was not the fashion that most people wore, but it was functional enough.
"My camp is not far from here, this should fit you well enough until you can get some clothes of your own."
And just like that, Wanda very nearly started believing in God, if only because there had to be someone up there laughing at her during all of this. She had a nice little opening and everything in which to explain, and then the shirt was coming off and the window of opportunity slammed shut pretty quickly since there was no amount of testosterone and general heterosexual male inclinations in the multiverse that could keep her from getting at least a teensy bit flustered at that. She was just too on edge.
Well, if the shirt fits. It beat digging through the clothes box in nothing but a towel, at any rate, and why did she not keep an extra outfit on hand for this sort of thing? The shirt fit quite well, as it turned out.
"Thanks again... guy. Guess that's two I owe you."
"Think nothing of it. And I am Aragorn, it is a pleasure to meet you," he said, offering the man a handshake. He was pleased that the man didn't seem to take offense to the offering of the shirt. The Ranger was more lean than the other man, though he still had considerable muscle definition, so the shirt seemed to fit well enough.
"If you would like to accompany me back to camp, I believe I have some pants and shoes that would fit you, as well as a more... modern, shirt."
On the one hand, it was a terrible idea, one that would likely end in supreme discomfort at best. On the other hand, Aragorn vs. the clothes box wasn't exactly a tough match to call in terms of which she'd rather go with when it came to getting over this particular unanticipated dilemma.
"Not really in a position to say no, now am I?" Wanda asked with a wry, strained grin as she shook the hand of a man she already knew. "I'm Walter."
"It is a pleasure to meet you, Walter," he said with a bit of a smile. The man had a good handshake, firm and strong, Aragorn found him instantly liking the man. He wondered how he had not met him yet. He had heard of a Walter on the island but this man did not match the descriptions that he had heard.
"Come, it is not so far from here. We will get you properly clothed."
"In that case, I'd say the pleasure's all mine," Wanda said, flashing a small, forced smile. This wasn't so bad, really. Heading to camp with Aragorn (a very, very shirtless Aragorn, not that she was thinking about that when it was a solid five times weirder than usual, of course), getting some clothes, and then getting to the task of checking out the current spate of abilities all across the island. She even had one of her own to figure out, now, too, what part of that didn't point to a banner day ahead?
Oh, right, the crippling gender issues. How silly of me to forget. Of course, she could always just tell him already and take away at least one source of stress, but then that would just be too damn easy, wouldn't it?
"By how calmly you are taking this, I suppose that you are not a new arrival?" Aragorn asked as he lead Walter to the camp.
He knew that some people who arrived here were used to traveling to different worlds, so he supposed the man could be one of those. The idea that such a thing happened, and could happen to him, disturbed him deeply but since there was little he could do to prevent it he tried not to think on it.
"I've been around long enough to know my way around the place, yeah," Wanda said with only a slight bit of hesitation. It wasn't even as much of a lie as it could have been; with how often this happened to her, even as Walter, she was no stranger to the island. "I don't know if calm's the right word, though."
"You appear to be 'freaking the hell out' a lot less than many here would be upon finding themselves without clothes," Aragorn said, pleased as his use of the 'common' vernacular. He rather thought that Wanda would be proud of him.
"Do I?" Wanda asked, surprising herself with a laugh. His growing grasp of the slang of the day was nothing if not intensely endearing, and she found herself feeling strangely proud of him, even if she obviously couldn't say as much. "Maybe I'm just really good at hiding it."
"Perhaps," he said with a nod as he moved through the forest. "Though such a thing would make me wonder how often you get in such situations that you have practice hiding your reactions."
He supposed that he could just be good in general at hiding his feelings, but Aragorn rarely ran across people like that who did not have good reason to.
"Ah, and here we are, my camp."
Aragorn's camp was small, mostly a fire pit and a very small tent with a bed roll inside of it. He had a small rucksack there as well, with a few of his clothes hanging on a line strung up between two trees. Rather simple, but more than sufficient for his needs.
You'd be surprised, thought Wanda, but then again, even she still managed to be surprised by how often these things happened to her. What she'd done to deserve it all, she'd never know (or rather, what he'd done, since being a she in the first place was just one of her many mishaps).
Still, at least she got to check out Aragorn's sanctum sanctorum, as it were. That might have very well tipped an average day over into 'pleasant' territory, so it had to be worth at least something on one like this.
"I am perfectly content to sleep in a camp. And I do not always stay in the same place," Aragorn said with a shrug. He would likely get one at some point, but for the moment he couldn't see the need. Once it started raining, perhaps he would change his tune, but right now he preferred mobile.
"And I believe these things will fit," he added, taking a t-shirt and sweatpants off the line and handing them to Walter.
"Perfect, thank you," Wanda emphatically said, taking the clothes she was handed and once again reminding herself that this was infinitely better than awkwardly digging through the clothes box in nothing but a too-small towel. "And hey, whatever keeps thing interesting for you. Got anywhere I can change?"
"Of course," Aragorn said, moving over to where the towel was. Picking it up, he moved forward and held it out for the silver haired man.
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"Thanks," she muttered once she was safely out of the water. A part of her was expecting to change back once she dried off some, it would only make sense, but if that was the way this worked, it was taking its time about it. "Got myself into a bit of a predicament out there, glad you came along."
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That made him wonder just how the man had ended up out there in such a situation. Either he had somehow lost his clothes while swimming, or he had not intended to be swimming when he had disrobed.
"Are you new to the island?" he asked. That would explain how he was suddenly in the water. Perhaps he had just seen the towel on the beach and had not placed it there?
"And forgive me, I am being rude. Here-"
Quickly, Aragorn pulled his own shirt off and offered it to the man. It was not the fashion that most people wore, but it was functional enough.
"My camp is not far from here, this should fit you well enough until you can get some clothes of your own."
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Well, if the shirt fits. It beat digging through the clothes box in nothing but a towel, at any rate, and why did she not keep an extra outfit on hand for this sort of thing? The shirt fit quite well, as it turned out.
"Thanks again... guy. Guess that's two I owe you."
Oh, she was in trouble.
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"If you would like to accompany me back to camp, I believe I have some pants and shoes that would fit you, as well as a more... modern, shirt."
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"Not really in a position to say no, now am I?" Wanda asked with a wry, strained grin as she shook the hand of a man she already knew. "I'm Walter."
She hoped she still was on some level, at least.
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"Come, it is not so far from here. We will get you properly clothed."
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Oh, right, the crippling gender issues. How silly of me to forget. Of course, she could always just tell him already and take away at least one source of stress, but then that would just be too damn easy, wouldn't it?
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He knew that some people who arrived here were used to traveling to different worlds, so he supposed the man could be one of those. The idea that such a thing happened, and could happen to him, disturbed him deeply but since there was little he could do to prevent it he tried not to think on it.
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He supposed that he could just be good in general at hiding his feelings, but Aragorn rarely ran across people like that who did not have good reason to.
"Ah, and here we are, my camp."
Aragorn's camp was small, mostly a fire pit and a very small tent with a bed roll inside of it. He had a small rucksack there as well, with a few of his clothes hanging on a line strung up between two trees. Rather simple, but more than sufficient for his needs.
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Still, at least she got to check out Aragorn's sanctum sanctorum, as it were. That might have very well tipped an average day over into 'pleasant' territory, so it had to be worth at least something on one like this.
"Nice digs. Why not get yourself a hut, though?"
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"And I believe these things will fit," he added, taking a t-shirt and sweatpants off the line and handing them to Walter.
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