The paradise Island (open, players need)

[Jay_P]

"When I was 15 my mom passed away. Dad decided it was time to be a girl. So it was dresses instead of jeans and plaid shirts." Aiya explained.

Aiya picked up a vine and showed him her square knots. It was a few trys to fix some slip knots that would work on the pen.

Aiya moves closer and grabs another vine. "These will work for hammicks too."

I nod, and watch your fingers deftly tie the knots and begin to try and copy the movements. I can tell my knots are not as precise and elegant as the ones you are making, but I think i have the basics down.
"Hammocks will be nice. A chance to get off the ground." I nod down toward the beach, I think though, at least one of the hammocks should be big enough for two." I sit with you tying knots as we work.
"And, if I may be bold, I think you are lovely in a dress."

 

[landiek]

Aiya noticed Jay's gaze down to the beach. "Someone you wish you would have gotten to know better?"

Aiya knew the look, she had seen it numerous times with her brothers.. Still she didn't add to the issue as the sigh followed.

"When they come back, I'll ask Rom if he knows which feathers ground our jungle fowl."

When Jay remarked the dress, Aiya blushed. "Thank you."

 

[Jay_P]

Aiya noticed Jay's gaze down to the beach. "Someone you wish you would have gotten to know better?"

Aiya knew the look, she had seen it numerous times with her brothers.. Still she didn't add to the issue as the sigh followed.

"When they come back, I'll ask Rom if he knows which feathers ground our jungle fowl."

When Jay remarked the dress, Aiya blushed. "Thank you."

I thought maybe earlier, but I think she is already spoken for now. And I am sitting next to someone I'd like to get to know better. "You know, they went to go bathe and clean-up. I think I could use a good washing. Will you join me?

 

[landiek]

Aiya agreed about taking a bath and walked with Jay to the beach. The sun was hiding behind clouds.

Aiya wasn't nervous about bathing around males. After all she went skinny dipping with her siblings for years without embarrassment. She was happy to get the dirt out from her hair and under her nails.

 

[Jay_P]

Aiya agreed about taking a bath and walked with Jay to the beach. The sun was hiding behind clouds.

Aiya wasn't nervous about bathing around males. After all she went skinny dipping with her siblings for years without embarrassment. She was happy to get the dirt out from her hair and under her nails.

I smile as we make our way to the beach and wade into the salt water. I watch Aiya as she comes to the beach and undresses. I can't help but let my eyes wander over her curves and coming back to the edge of the water i follow ROm's example and scrub my skin with the wet sand.

 

[Hard_Rom]

It may feel like a holiday but It's not. Breakfast, washed, rested. Time to do some work. From the sound and look of it Aiya has the next set of meals. Tucking my rolled up mat under my arm I go walkabout. There should be things to find that we can use, plus the inevitable load of firewood.

First two things I find are the table I floated in on and my PFD. I shake my head. A bed off the floor and a pillow, missed that. I'll pick them up on the way back. A kilometer up the beach, entwined in a clump of washed up dried seaweed is twenty feet of plastic twine. Bowstring! Further on a white spot in the wet sand turns into a two litre pop bottle crushed with a lid. I blow it up. It pops back into shape. Maybe human waste covering the planet isn't such a bad thing, I think. Two torn garbage bags enforces the thought. I laugh.

The sight of patio lanterns makes me laugh again, until I realise they used to adorn the ship. Makes me think of the last time I saw. All lit up on a quiet summer night. Lit up! Wire. Sure enough about twelve feet of fourteen/two wire. Do good for securing spear points to spears. Jay should appreciate this.

I roll every thing in my mat and start back to camp.

 

[Jay_P]

I scrub my skin with the sand wincing at the roughness but feeling better already as I swim through the water. My eyes are still on Aiya. "Would you like help scrubbing you back?"

 

[landiek]

Aiya turns back towards Jay. "I'm good."

It was noticing the activity of creatures in the water. Small silver lines dotting beneath the waves and what reminds her of fiddler crabs moving sideways on the sand. The fish would give natural oils to cook with and crab meat has lots of nutrients.

"Hey look what I found!"Aiya waved to Jay spotting six more crabs.

 

[Jay_P]

Aiya turns back towards Jay. "I'm good."

It was noticing the activity of creatures in the water. Small silver lines dotting beneath the waves and what reminds her of fiddler crabs moving sideways on the sand. The fish would give natural oils to cook with and crab meat has lots of nutrients.

"Hey look what I found!"Aiya waved to Jay spotting six more crabs.

I finish washing off and head over to wear Aiya is pointing... "crabs?" They could make for some good eating.
The fish shouldn't be too hard to catch when they get trapped in the Tidal pools.
I try not to notice her continued nudity but smile as she seems completely oblivious to it at the moment.

 

[Initiate_me]

Rom's gone off down one end of the beach to salvage things.I take a stroll in tbe opposite directionee what I can find. There doesn't seem to be much- splintered wood mostly, and not even much of that. Red flashes at me, and I wade in to retrieve it. A rubber life-ring. I think that if we could find a few more of these, we could use them as floats for a raft. But I can't see any more. My heart signs again, but I strive not to feel too discouraged.

I come across a big battered brown-leather suitcase. It's covered in sea plants, bobbing around in tbe swell of the bubbling waves. I drag it out, with difficulty, and heave it onto the sand. It's big and weirdly promising, but locked quite securely. The positive side of this is that whatever is inside is probably still dry, or nearly so.

I can see the camp from here. I think Rom is back now. I wave, and beckon the distant figures over. I'm sure one of them coud get this open.

 

[Hard_Rom]

I wrap my finds and some dry driftwood in my matt, throwing up on my shoulder. Dragging the old table top along behind me. Steph is long ways down the beach the other way, waving. Something at her feet.

I leave my finds near path to camp and join her. A big battered suitcase is ashore.

"What do we have here?" I ask.

Using my knife I pop the latches open.

Standing up I say to Steph, "Your find. You open it."

 

[Initiate_me]

I push the case open. The first things I find are a few pairs of men's jeans, dark and expensive-looking. A man's luggage then. A case containing a pair of sunglasses. Then another small case. Inside is a pretty sophisticated pen-knife multi tool. The guys will be pleased!

"There's more in here. Care for a rummage, to see what you can find?"

 

[Hard_Rom]

A Leatherman Multitool. Cool.

"You should keep that, Steph," I tell her, "You found it. Loan it out if needed but keep it yourself. The shades too."

Two leather belts, shaving kit, couple of tee and polo shirts. A pair of leather dress shoes, size 9, spare laces too. Five pair of boxers and socks. A duty free bottle of Vodka, plastic. Enough to keep cuts clean for a long time or one good piss up between the four of us. Shaving kit has a bar of soap, face cloth, tube of shaving cream, toothbrush and toothpaste, roll-on deodorant and 20 cheap Bic shavers. Four Monte Cristo Cuban cigars. Small drawstring bag holds cigar cutter and a Bic lighter. Real full too.

"Lots of goodies Steph. Good on ya!" I say, "Here use a shoelace to put the bag around your neck and put the multitool and lighter in it. World could end and your half way to rebuilding it with fire and tools."

I close and pick up the suitcase.

"Let's go show the others our finds."

 

[landiek]

Aiya being challenged thinks of ways to catch the crabs and finally concludes that her top would be the best option.

"If you grab my top we can catch them to take to camp, it's the faded pink scrap of cloth.'' Aiya nods back to her clothes.

While Jay is deciding Aiya grabs the biggest one and lets out a squeal trying not to get her fingers snapped by the larger claw. Still she did the worst thing by throwing it to shore, making it land in the path to her clothes and the crab being tossed around got defensive and snapped at anything moving.

Seeing how far from the water she could toss them gave Aiya the idea to do that to the rest before they vanished from sight. So Aiya squatted down and grabbed another one flipping it towards the first.

 

[Jay_P]

Aiya being challenged thinks of ways to catch the crabs and finally concludes that her top would be the best option.

"If you grab my top we can catch them to take to camp, it's the faded pink scrap of cloth.'' Aiya nods back to her clothes.

While Jay is deciding Aiya grabs the biggest one and lets out a squeal trying not to get her fingers snapped by the larger claw. Still she did the worst thing by throwing it to shore, making it land in the path to her clothes and the crab being tossed around got defensive and snapped at anything moving.

Seeing how far from the water she could toss them gave Aiya the idea to do that to the rest before they vanished from sight. So Aiya squatted down and grabbed another one flipping it towards the first.

I laugh as you squeal and then get around the crab grabbing your top and holding it on the corner manage to snag a couple of the crabs and hold them in the fabric as you come back to shore my eyes following your movement and curves. "Let's head back"

 

[landiek]

Aiya flipped two more on the beach before picking up one in each hand. Aiya moved out of the water towards Jay in order to drop the ones in her hands to the top.

Thankfully Jay had it under control and she was able to pick up the wanders as well as drop off the ones in her hands.

" God I wish I had a cooking pot." Aiya pictured a gumbo as Jay carries those six crabs back to camp. Still it look like the crab would be roasted over a fire.

Overall she was proud of herself caught three birds, collected 6 crab, she was on a roll. Aiya wished her Dad could see her using those scout skills he tried teaching to his sons. Aiya was beaming with pride as she gathered the remanients of her skirt.

 

[Initiate_me]

I do as Rom says, using the shoelace to attach the bag, and storing the treasures inside. His words of praise are music to my ears- he's sort of a father figure here, I feel, almost. A.... quite sexy father figure..... is that sick? I don't think so, no. Or.... a little sick. But never mind.
I haven't forgotten the promise he made to me.... what he said he'd do..... I shiver with delighted anticipation, and start off back to the camp.

 

[Hard_Rom]

I pile Steph and my finds on the table top. Aiya and Jay walk up to join us. Aiya's top holds half a dozen struggling crabs. The thought of roasted crab momentarily takes my attention away from Aiya. The image of her in just a pigskin loincloth enters my mind.

"Holy shit! Is it Yule? New toys and feasting tonight," I exclaim.

"Jay, can you grab the other end of this table and we can carry everything back on it?" I ask, "Or would you like a pair of pants and shoes first?"

Steph and Aiya are standing close. I still picture Aiya in a loincloth. No particular image comes to mind with Steph. Going to have to think of one. Maybe mud covered and painted... I've been a fan of Rae Dawn Chong since "Quest for Fire". Openly I look Steph up and down, smiling slightly.

 

[Initiate_me]

We're all here, together, and I feel sort of... optimistic. At least we have each other. Two girls, two guys. A strange, but comforting domestic arrangement. And maybe more.

I lie down on the firm ground. The rugged surface doesn't bother me, already I feel tougher than the old me, but I do choose area to preserve my new cleanliness.

 

[landiek]

Aiya talked quickly hoping Rom could answer her question. ''When you pin birds, which feathers do you cut to ground them? I caught a cock and two hens earlier with the net I made but I think the hens would provide eggs for at least a few months. Plus I'm sure we could catch more if we cage these.''

She chuckled at the Yule remark. '' Well if we find yarn and needles I'll knit you a scarf.''

Seeing the table was causing some memories of family dinners to replay in her mind. Quickly Aiya wiped her eyes turning away from the others. It wouldn't look right to be crying.

 

[Hard_Rom]

I think about Aiya's question.

"Not exactly sure. Short winged birds, like ground birds and ducks, really need their primary flight feathers for thrust to take off. A duck hunting buddy told me that ," I answer, "They should be the longer feathers closer to the tip."

I laugh, "And as for the scarf. With reindeers and pine trees on it, please."

Aiya suddenly looks sad. I make like I don't see. Hate to embarrass her. She seems strong enough, she'll make it.

 

[Initiate_me]

We've got a table now. We're really domesticating this environment- and yet it's still quite scary to be here. We don't know what, or who, else is on the island. We've explored just a small part of it. Hidden dangers, secret threats, race through my imagination.
I comfort myself by sidling up to Rom. I know what might help distract me. I lean in, and whisper to him.
"When we were lying together...... you promised me something"

 

[Hard_Rom]

I break into a huge silly grin. Smiling brightly, I reach down and unroll my matt dumping out the wood and beach finds. Taking Steph by the hand, I turn to Aiya and Jay.

"We'll catch up with you two later actually." I trying not to smile too stupidly.

"A walk on the beach?" I ask Steph.

 

[Initiate_me]

My heart thumps thrillingly.

"Yes, I do feel I could benefit from a little stroll," I say, and set off straightaway, trying not to catch anyone's eye.

 

[Jay_P]

I come over to aiya, " Are you ok?" I open my arms.. "I have a shoulder and a good ear." COme here. I think what you need is just a chance to let it go and process everything. I ... didn't lose anyone on the cruise, but I do know what it is like to face the death of someone close.