#c:tomas

Dani’s endless curiosity did help the hours go by but it was sometimes hard to tell when it was too much for another person. They’d been trying to err on the side of caution of ending the questions well before that point was reached which is why they left Lark’s little-house with still absolutely no idea why or how plants were made into powder that somehow tasted different than the plants themselves - especially when mixed together.

Their feet took them back towards the orchard to wander among trees enjoying the brief chill from the flickers of shade before reluctantly turning their feet back towards the beach. There was no real reason to dread it the way they did but when did emotions ever listen to reason? Surely they were not going to start now. So, Dani put no hurry into their steps and let their mind wander as they considered the Farm and why the island might be allowing it.

Sometimes they got the impression the island would be bored without its inhabitants and did make survival-for-longer possible for its own benefit but this seemed…different in a way they couldn’t put their finger on. Dani wasn’t certain if the seeds from any of these fruits would grow anywhere else on the island but it was a Science thing that Emilia would probably love to try.

With that in mind, their eyes swept over the land looking for the one in charge. Dani was terrible at names and worse at faces especially when in a state of shock and introduced to too many all at once. It’d now gotten to the point that there was no way they could ask names of people they interacted with fairly frequently but majority of them they knew by profession or connections to their family. Like…husband.

Spotting a figure that looked close enough to right was enough to point their feet in the opposite direction and they pretended their shoulders didn’t inch down with each step now. It didn’t take long to set a path that would cross the others’ and now that they were closing in - they felt foolish and awkward. They weren’t big on conversations - especially with the Others - but too late now.

“Hello.” Dani started. “Would you be willing to trade some fruit for some work? I am not a stranger to farming and work hard.”

It seemed that Jingyan had arrived in Switzerland just in time. There seemed to be a cheer in the air that he did not think would have been there, given all he had heard of the events leading up to this point. He did not think that death and destruction would have been so easily forgotten. He had heard some sought to blame China. That would not soon be forgotten, either. 

Despite the joy of the festivities, There was nothing that took Jingyan’s interest. He was not a fisherman, a farmer, or a beekeeper, and though he wasn’t opposed to a boat ride, still remained the question of what he would do when he got out of the water. No. He was a man of action, and the activities the others seemed to be happily indulging in were not at all his idea of fun. 

Still, it was better to be seen, he supposed. He had found himself an ideal spot by the riverbank, where many clustered to take advantage of the sailing, and perched himself on a long-felled tree trunk. He had a good view of the surroundings, and was close enough to engage in conversation if he so chose. Ever the soldier, his sword lay, unsheathed across his lap, an sloth in his hand as he worked oil into the blade, though it was clear by his relaxed demeanour that there was no danger in approaching. 

Friedi wasn’t quite sure what came over her, but then again, she rarely was. The majority of the time, she acted on impulse alone. There was a small voice in her head, one that sounded a lot like Eleonora, that told her to behave, but it was rare that Friedi took heed. She had been so good, all day long, and she could barely stand it any longer. That was how she found herself, squatting in an unladylike fashion to scoop up a handful of powdery snow. She straightened, dark eyes scanning the area for a target, before locking on to the Spanish prince. A smirk twisted around her lips as she patted the snow into a firm ball, took aim, and launched it at him. She always had remarkably good aim, and a laugh had escaped her before the snowball had even hit him, hands flying up to cover her mouth in an attempt to conceal it. For the first time since she had arrived in Switzerland, she felt the weight of the world lift from her shoulders. For a few seconds, she was just a girl. 

@aberranttomas

Dani ran cold on a good day and this was a Very Bad Day. They were wet, shivering, and had long since given up both the blanket and their shirt - the latter had been torn up for make-shift bandages from people encountering rocks or coral or other mysterious sharp objects in the ocean they couldn’t see once they were back to the beach. They’d run drastically low on herbs too and now had resorted to just carefully heating up water to pass off for something warm for people to hold and sip at while wondering if it’d even be possible to make it to the Farm to get more herbs or into the jungle with the fog choking them more and more as it thickened.

Frustrated, they sat back on their heels and tried to glance around themselves but there wasn’t much to see and too much to hear to begin to even make sense of it. The sudden horn still had their hands raising to cover their ears as they flinched but for so many others - the noise seemed to spark hope and further determination and Dani was exhausted. 

Nothing they said or did seemed to be detering much of anyone from heading off into certain doom and they didn’t know how much longer they could keep trying. They were barely able to spot anyone on the beach anymore and it was beyond hopeless in the water. 

So what did they do now?

Through the mist - Dani began picking up a familiar voice and perked up a little. Tomas was ok? Carefully getting back up to their feet, they took a few dozen steps towards the voice, hand outstretched to try and prevent any unwanted collisions before eventually beginning to spot the familiar shape kneeling next to someone. 

“Tomas?”

@aberranttomas