There were more subtle differences between where he'd been and this place. Zia sometimes forgot to notice them, but it was hard to right then, with it staring him in the face
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The beach was, by far, one of Mia's favorite places to be. The waves lapping at the white shore that seemed to stretch on forever...it wasn't forever, she knew (Nothing is.) but it was close enough. A ring around the island, the beach was simultaneously a symbol of freedom and of being trapped.
Mia had to say, she didn't mind either. What would she go back to, after all? With every day that passed she had more reason to stay.
She had been walking, but she had stopped a while to stare out to sea thoughtfully, and that was when she noticed she wasn't alone. In fact, the man lying in the sand had probably been there for a lot longer than her, she just hadn't been aware. (Good thing you didn't step on him, Mia.)
"Oh," she said, smiling apologetically down at him. "I'm sorry. I didn't notice anyone else was here."
Zia, for his part, really hadn't noticed her until she was nearly on top of him. He eased himself up into a sitting up position, looking a little sheepish himself.
"No harm done," he said, waving off the concern. The whole thing reminded him of Kneller, strangely, though Zia at least had the good sense to not lay down in the middle of the road like he had when they first met him. "I probably shouldn't have been lying down, anyway."
"Not if you don't want to get fleas," Mia nodded sagely. "Sand fleas." She had discovered this on another night in a pair of shorts. Now she wore capris. Her ankles were still vulnerable, but that beat itchy thighs.
Of course, she had had Phoenix around to scratch them...
"After the last beach I sat on, I think I can deal with them," he said, nearly wry. He wasn't having much trouble just yet with them, anyway. It probably helped he had long sleeves and was wearing jeans - less things for them to bite.
His attention was drawn back to the scenery at the question, and he looked out at the ocean for a few moments before answering, "Yeah. I was just thinking how the sky's nothing like this back home."
There were many nights, these days, that Thomasina found it difficult to sleep. During the bustle of the day, when the compound was crowded with people and there was always someone new to talk to, it was easy to forget about everything she'd left at home. But in the evening, as things calmed down, everything came back to her, and more often that not it left her antsy and unable to sleep. Tonight, she'd found her way down to the beach, and sat down close enough to the edge of the water that the wave licked at her bare toes.
It had been more than a few minutes before she'd realized there was someone else on the beach with her, a few dozen yards down. "The crabs will get you if you sleep there, you know," she called, considering a moment too late that she might be disturbing them.
Zia hadn't really noticed anyone around either, though the voice pulled him out of his thoughts. He sat up and glanced over to where it'd come from, seeing someone he pretty sure he'd never met.
"I wasn't planning on sleeping here, actually," he called back. It was unsurprisingly not really the most comfortable of position to be sleeping in. He'd known that from experience.
"Good," she called again, and then felt silly for it. Gathering her skirt up a bit so it wouldn't get dirty with damp sand, she got up and came close enough to the young man to make talking considerably more convenient. "I know we've only just met, but I can't help thinking that you don't look wicked enough to deserve death by crab."
Zia had found most people around the island seemed to have that kind of care, teasing or not, about strangers. It was a switch from what he'd been slowly getting used to where he'd ended up, and, even after all the months he'd been around, he still wasn't quite used to it.
"I'd definitely try to not deserve that," he said, vaguely wondering if that way would've been any more painful than the way he had chosen. He unconsciously tugged his sleeves down a little more before adding, with the slightest of smiles, "I'm pretty sure death by crab would be a pretty bad way to go."
She is wrapped in a blanket, feet barefoot as she pads down the beach, stopping as she smiles down at him. "Art thou stargazing?" she asks before getting down on her knees, turning down looking up at the sky for a moment. "I do like the stars."
Zia didn't need to turn his head to know who was there. He did tilt his head to the side towards the voice, resting his head on top of one of his hands.
"I haven't stopped to look at them in a while," he admitted. "I can't believe how well you can see them here."
By this time she is sitting cross-legged on the sand as well, still wrapped in the blanket, her arms folded across her chest like some sort of corpse for the grave. The irony is not lost on her and she smiles as she looks at the stars, before tilting her head to the side.
"I could not be any where where I could not see them. Not even if it were heaven. Which I do believe is cloudy."
"Well, I don't know about heaven," he said, because he really doubted where he ended up was there. "But where I ended up, there wasn't any stars at all. It got kind of depressing, after a while."
The excessive heat wasn't all that great in the day, either. Say anything you wanted about the island, but he'd come to the very real conclusion this place was better than anything he could've gotten back there.
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Mia had to say, she didn't mind either. What would she go back to, after all? With every day that passed she had more reason to stay.
She had been walking, but she had stopped a while to stare out to sea thoughtfully, and that was when she noticed she wasn't alone. In fact, the man lying in the sand had probably been there for a lot longer than her, she just hadn't been aware. (Good thing you didn't step on him, Mia.)
"Oh," she said, smiling apologetically down at him. "I'm sorry. I didn't notice anyone else was here."
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"No harm done," he said, waving off the concern. The whole thing reminded him of Kneller, strangely, though Zia at least had the good sense to not lay down in the middle of the road like he had when they first met him. "I probably shouldn't have been lying down, anyway."
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Of course, she had had Phoenix around to scratch them...
"Nice night, isn't it?" (Except for the fleas.)
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His attention was drawn back to the scenery at the question, and he looked out at the ocean for a few moments before answering, "Yeah. I was just thinking how the sky's nothing like this back home."
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It had been more than a few minutes before she'd realized there was someone else on the beach with her, a few dozen yards down. "The crabs will get you if you sleep there, you know," she called, considering a moment too late that she might be disturbing them.
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"I wasn't planning on sleeping here, actually," he called back. It was unsurprisingly not really the most comfortable of position to be sleeping in. He'd known that from experience.
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"I'd definitely try to not deserve that," he said, vaguely wondering if that way would've been any more painful than the way he had chosen. He unconsciously tugged his sleeves down a little more before adding, with the slightest of smiles, "I'm pretty sure death by crab would be a pretty bad way to go."
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"I haven't stopped to look at them in a while," he admitted. "I can't believe how well you can see them here."
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"I could not be any where where I could not see them. Not even if it were heaven. Which I do believe is cloudy."
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The excessive heat wasn't all that great in the day, either. Say anything you wanted about the island, but he'd come to the very real conclusion this place was better than anything he could've gotten back there.
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