(Untitled)

[jill_langston]

All things considered -- her near wedding to Rodney, for one, and the fact that John and Mayko had both witnessed her madness -- Jill was feeling relatively cheerful. The disaster had been averted with as little bloodshed as possible and she was determined not to let the clothes box and its endless supply of wedding dresses get her down. If Mayko

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[mayko_tran]

"Hey, stranger," says Mayko, smiling at Jill as she approaches the ferris wheel, kicking a little at the base of it as she arrives. There are so many things she could say, but she's gotten some practice this last while at biting her tongue. "I wasn't sure I was ever going to see you outside of the lab again."

[jill_langston]

"I decided it was time to face the world again," Jill answered dryly, looking up at Mayko with a faint grin. So far Mayko hadn't said anything too embarrassing, but Jill suspected it was only a matter of time. "Besides, I'm pretty sure Rodney will hide out enough for the both of us."

[mayko_tran]

"So strange to see more than two feet in between you," says Mayko, shoving Jill over to make room for her to sit down too. "So how are you feeling, anyway?"

[jill_langston]

"We were awfully affectionate," Jill admitted, trying not to laugh and having a hard time as she shifted over to let Mayko sit in the car as well. "I'm fine, really. Still slightly embarrassed, but there isn't much I can do to change that. I think I'll owe you and John for the rest of my life, though."

[ata_beckett]

Carson had stayed at the second clinic a bit longer than usual that day, staying a bit into Dr. Keller's shift when he'd gotten preoccupied with running an inventory and realized that they were running a bit low on bangages. While it wasn't an immediate concern, Carson felt that it was probably best taken care of right away.

After all, knowing the island, there was no telling whether or not that day would end in some island-generated catastrophe that would catch them all with their trousers down, so to speak.

It was on his way to the compound that he spotted Jill, and wandered curiously over.

"Anything particularly interesting?" he asked, catching sight of her book.

[jill_langston]

"Not as interesting as it might have once been," she answered with a smile, tipping the book toward him so that he could read the title. "Brave New World was one of those things I missed out on in high school, so I suppose I'm making up for lost time now."

And it was sort of nice to read about a perfect world wherein science solved everything, even if she wasn't supposed to like the Utopian society. "It's no brilliant virology paper written by yours truly, but it'll do."

[ata_beckett]

He considered the title for a moment, eyebrows raised.

"Well, at least it's not Island," Carson remarked. He hadn't read Huxley's other novel, but something told him that it probably hit a little too close to home.

[jill_langston]

"You have a point," Jill conceded with a laugh, then shifted over to make room for Carson in the ferris wheel car as well. "Come sit down for a bit. Keep me company. I'm determined to have a normal night where nothing possibly goes wrong, which probably means something will just to spite me."

[spd_green]

Sometimes Bridge wandered, and sometimes he stopped. A combination of the two had brought him to the ferris wheel earlier in the day, so he was standing on his head, mind full, near the giant machine when Jill came by.

"Hi," he said cheerfully. "How're you?"

[jill_langston]

"Fairly good, but not upside down," Jill answered promptly, tipping her head to the side before she decided that would only lead to a headache. "Does it help you think?"

Bob had always claimed that by reversing the blood flow and allowing more blood to reach the brain made thinking easier. She still wasn't sure if that was true, but she had to admit that he'd come up with some good ideas while upside down.

[spd_green]

Bridge blinked up at Jill several times in shock, his mouth hanging open. Well, standing open, maybe. "Yes!" he said with enthusiasm. "Yes, that's exactly it. No one gets that. No one believes me. How'd you know?"

[jill_langston]

It was difficult not to let a bit of sadness temper her smile, but it had been long enough since Bob's disappearance that she was still able to laugh a little.

"A friend of mine used to do it," she admitted. "Bob Melnikov. He was here for awhile and we worked together back home. I used to come into our boss's office to find Bob upside on the couch."

[flyboy_shepp]

"What's that?" John said, coming up to the car and peering over to get a look at what Jill was reading. "Bridal advice? Tips on how to throw the perfect?"

She had it coming, and John was more than happy to provide.

[jill_langston]

"Remember that time I threatened to give you Marberg?" Jill asked, only twitching very slightly at John's words. "I could do it. I really could." It might take her years to manage it, but she'd find a way.

"Besides," she added, relaxing into a very faint smile, "I think you know full well I didn't need any tips."

[flyboy_shepp]

"Of course you didn't," John replied. "You were hellbent on getting married in anyway possible, damn the wedding."

[jill_langston]

"At least I had the good sense to find a nice dress and a maid of honour first," Jill pointed out, then patted the seat beside her in invitation. Mostly she just wanted John to be sitting down so that she could start to elbow him in the ribs whenever he said something like this.

[view_from_duma]

I'd been meaning to check out the ferris wheel for a while-- it was one of those things, like the huge blow-up castle down by the water, that made damn sure I never forgot I wasn't in Kansas anymore, Toto. As I walked up to it I couldn't help wondering why it was here; who it had come because of, if they were still here, what it meant to them. I couldn't help hoping that it would be a long time before anything from my past showed up to haunt me-- good or bad, I wasn't sure I could take the reminder.

As I got closer I saw a young woman sitting in the lowest car, a book on her knee and a glass in her hand. I gave her a little wave, but didn't say anything, keeping my distance in case she was after some solitude.

[jill_langston]

"Hi," Jill called when she saw the man wave, lifting her book to wave in return. Having been on the island for some time now, she recognized most people who passed by, but she didn't recognize him. Between the fact that he looked like an actor whose name she couldn't quite place and his missing arm, she suspected she'd never seen him before. He was the kind of person she'd probably remember.

"If you're looking for a ride to the top, the guy who operates it usually doesn't come by until sundown," she added with a grin.

[view_from_duma]

"Thanks," I laughed, "but I'm just spectating." I looked up to the top, shaking my head a little. "It's funny, you know, the things that make you realize how far from home you are." I chuckled, a little embarrassed at my philosophical bent. "A ferris wheel in the middle of the jungle's definitely one of 'em."

[jill_langston]

"On this island, it's just one of the many," Jill said with a smile, tipping her head back to look up at the top for a moment, thinking about how much John loved the thing.

"I'm Jill Langston, by the way." Tucking her book under her leg, she offered him her left hand. "You're either relatively new or you've really kept to yourself, because I don't think I've seen you around before."