InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "the more the merrier"

道明寺司・Tsukasa Domyouji (the_almighty_me) wrote in mirage_rpg,
@ 2008-05-30 16:34:00

Entry tags:

arrival, ayla, complete, day 1, tsukasa doumyouji

Who: Doumyouji and Ayla
When: Day 1, Midday
What: Doumyouji's arrival and subsequent greeting
Where: Foyer of the resort
Rating: PG? (Subject to change)
Status: Complete

This, Doumyouji thought as he stared at the building, his expression one of a well-practised glare, was most definitely not where he had intended on being. He didn't even know what or were this was. He had carefully (or rather, as carefully as he was prone to doing) instructed his driver as to where he had wanted to go. He'd wanted to visit Tsukushi (it had seemed necessary at the time, but all thoughts relating to that matter had more or less abandoned him once he'd got out the car and found himself facing some kind of... place). Turning back to where the car should have been - he'd just got out of it, after all - he found himself facing absolutely nothing. (Well, 'nothing' wouldn't have been entirely accurate; he just wasn't facing what he had intended to face).

Expression flickering for a moment, he glanced around somewhat wildly, looking for any sign of the car; he hadn't heard any tell-tale sign of an engine starting and running, or the sound of tyres against... Some kind of loosely stoned ground. Kicking at the stones irritably, he reached a hand into a pocket, withdrawing a phone. Flicking it open, he cycled through the numbers before finding the one for his driver (he didn't care if the man was driving. There would be hell to pay if he didn't pick up).

"The phone you have tried calling appears to be outside your current net-"

Letting out a loud noise of irritation, he was overcome with an urge to lob the phone as far as he possibly could away from him (it would have been really satisfying for all three minutes, but then he'd have to find the thing and that didn't appeal at all), before deciding against it. Dropping his arm back to his side, he shoved the phone back into his pocket. Someone had better explain this, and explain it well. This didn't even look like Japan; he certainly wasn't in Tokyo, that was for sure, and what was also certain, was that it didn't take twenty minutes to drive out into the middle of some miscellaneous piece of countryside.

It occurred to him that this might have been some kind of elaborate prank (although quite why someone would want to play such a prank on him, he had no idea; this seemed far more effort than it was worth). There were the other three members of F4, and if it were something to do with them, unless they had a very, very good reason for doing it (such as life threatening, for example), their lives would be threatened, that was certain. If it weren't them, it left Tsukushi, but that was simply ridiculous which only left... His mother.

The only problem with that, was that it was entirely possible, and if it were her, it wouldn't be a prank, it would be something more along the lines of 'you're not doing what I want you to do; you (and Makino) are going to pay for it'. At times, he really hated his mother. Hopefully, though, if it were her, she hadn't decided to block his credit cards. That would just be uncalled for and frustrating, and would leave him stranded here.

Walking up to what appeared to be the entrance to the place (he had already decided he didn't like it), he pushed the door open and strode inside. Without bothering to look for a reception, or anyone manning said reception, he chose to go down the more obnoxious route (which, he decided, would be particularly apt if this was something to with his mother).

"OI! What the hell is going on?" He yelled, before standing in the middle of the foyer with a particularly impressive scowl on his face, waiting for someone (anyone) to answer him.

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_ayla_
2008-05-30 11:06 am UTC (link)

Ayla had left her cave of a room for some lunch, and was thereby passing through the foyer when she saw the blinking keybox. Curious, she wandered over to it and remembered the day she'd arrived. The golem had plucked a platinum key from the keybox which than then made the flickering cease. A small light near the hook where a new key was hanging was flickering erratically. She reached up and pulled it from the hook and turned around at the sound of the doors shutting.

The strange looking young man striding into the foyer did not look happy at all. Ayla flinched slightly at the look on his face, and was quite certain she didn't want to greet him. However, she knew that this key must be his. "Hello." She called out to him. His angry eyes had missed her, as she stood just out of his line of sight. She didn't want to startle him, and so her greeting was quite soft. When it appeared she hadn't been heard, she stepped toward him again and repeated the greeting. "Hello."

When she caught the young man's attention, and his scowl, she tried to give him a reassuring smile, but it was as foreign to her as his look of anger. At a loss, she held out his key, her blue eyes wide and aprehensive. "I only know what the tablet says. Will you follow me?" She turned and began to head out of the foyer toward the open courtyard where the tablet was set into the side of the building. She walked quickly with long strides.

She was wearing her fur wrap, her summer wrap as the weather was quite warm. It went over one shoulder and wrapped shapelessly around her torso to end haphazardly at the middle of her thighs. Her long legs were toned and tanned, along with the rest of her. And her hair, long and blond was silken, if untrimmed and ragged. It was parted recklessly down the middle and tucked behind her ears. She arrived at the tablet and pointed at it, urging him to read for himself.

She really wasn't sure what to do for the young man, and know that he must be just as worried as she had been when she arrived several days earlier. "I am Ayla." She spoke with almost a gutteral tone to her voice, seemingly swallowing some of her words. She also spoke with her hands as well as her voice. She had only just learned to communicate verbally before she was snatched from her home and plunked down in this strange place. Growing up with the clan meant that sounds were only used for warnings or names. Otherwise, all communication was done with their hands. She would probably never get over that habit no matter how much she spoke verbally.

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the_almighty_me
2008-05-30 11:37 am UTC (link)

As he realised that there was, in fact, someone around, he directed his attention towards them, studying them with a mixture of curiosity and ill-placed irritation, all the while ignoring her wide-eyed expression. Blonde hair, blue eyes; so, she was a foreigner. He'd have wondered if she was American, but he had never seen any American wearing what she was wearing (and quite frankly, he wasn't entirely sure what it was that she was wearing). As she held out the key, however, he looked down at it, eyebrows furrowing in slightly confusion. It wasn't his; he didn't own any keys like that but, regardless of that fact, it seemed that the woman wanted him to take it. Taking it from her outstretched hand, he studied it for a moment, before roughly shoving it in a pocket. He presumed it meant he was supposed to stay here for a while. Maybe this really was his mother's doing, oddly dressed woman aside. He briefly entertained the thought that perhaps there had been some new (and rather strange) fashion boom in New York, but judging from the woman's hair, she didn't seem the sort who would be inclined to follow fashion.

After asking him to follow her and heading outside, Doumyouji briefly debated not following her, but decided against it. Perhaps she could tell him whether this was his mother's work, or not, despite saying she only knew what 'the tablet says' - what did that mean, anyway? Was she some kind of drug addict? Tablet was another word for pills, after all. If he'd ended up somewhere surrounded by drug addicts, he was not going to be the least bit impressed. As she led him outside, he entertained the thought of what he would do if that scenario turned out to be the case, and succeeding in not thinking of anything particularly impressive. There was only so much that one person (even him) could do.

However, as she pointed at a stone tablet, the meaning of her previous words became clear, and he couldn't but feel a tad relieved that she wasn't some kind of junkie (not that it made up for the poor choice in clothing, however). After reading the words, he stared at it blankly for a moment, before looking at her. "What is this?" He snapped. 'Love, The Planet'. What did that mean? A planet wasn't a conscious being, and there was no way that this was going to be his home. "Are- Are you one of these 'assistants'? I have things to be doing. This is ridiculous", he complained angrily, glaring at her.

As she introduced herself, he looked away for a moment, as if debating whether he should return the courtesy. It seemed that she didn't know who he was (which, to be honest, he did find a bit unusual; it wasn't exactly common, after all). "Doumyouji". He paused. "Tsukasa Doumyouji".

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_ayla_
2008-05-30 12:09 pm UTC (link)

Ayla nibbled nervously on her lower lip. The young man was quite agitated. She could clearly see that from the look on his face, and his outburst confirmed the fact. She was starting to feel indignant that he was directing his anger toward her when this was not her fault. She was a victim as much as he was, and she set her jaw as she faced him. Trying out his name word, she spoke hesitantly. "That is the tablet, Dou-my-ouji. I read it myself when I arrived. And I know nothing more than you do now. You may be angry, but I did not bring you here, and I have done nothing to harm you." Although, if she wanted to, she could swing a stone right between his eyes and knock him out if it didn't kill him. But the stone said no killing, and she wasn't about to break a rule.

If something was strong enough to bring her here, she didn't want to know what the consequence would be for breaking a rule. "I am not an assistant, I was brought here the same as you three days ago. I believe that the stone man is an assistant. I can try to find him for you if you like." She was getting a little tired of his attitude, and if getting a golem for him meant she didn't have to deal with it, she was willing to do that. "There are many things you can do here. And there is food if you are hungry." Her stomach chose that moment to growl it's protest against the lack of food being fed to it.

"I was on my way to get some lunch when I saw your key blinking. That is the key to your room. You will find your room the way you want it to be." Her strange way of speaking did not hinder her at all, and it wasn't difficult to understand. It was just a bit of an impediment. She knew that he wasn't going to understand what he was doing here, at least not until he saw the place and his room. "What is the number on your key? I'll take you to your room." In the days she'd been here, she had found plenty of time to explore.

She might have been going a little too quickly for his taste, perhaps, but she was not impressed with his attitude. She didn't know who he was or why he thought he was so important, but she did know that she didn't like it. It especially irked her when people fancied themselves more important than anyone else. As it seemed Tsukasa did. She tried his name out again in her head. It was such a strange name. And he was so strange looking. She had never seen a man with eyes like his, or cheekbones so high. And his hair was so black. His eyes she was used to. Brown was common among the members of the Clan. But his clothes were also strange.

Still, she did not cast disapproving glances as he was doing. She was an expert at reading body language. It was a necessity when one spoke without words. Subtle nuances and changes in the way a person held themselves, or the changed expressions were like reading a book to Ayla. She could tell that this young man thought he was important, and that he didn't think she was anyone special. She wasn't, but she didn't appreciate him thinking it.

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the_almighty_me
2008-05-30 12:35 pm UTC (link)

As she explained what she knew, Doumyouji fell (and remained) silent, unable to help but feel somewhat overwhelmed by the overload of information (not that he was about to admit it). "It's Doum-you-ji", he corrected her as she mispronounced his name, instead of commenting on any of the other information she presented him with. He'd never been good with apologies or thanks (indeed, his attempts at apologising to Tsukushi more often than not ended up in slanging matches). Arriving here wasn't going to have any form of miraculous change on that aspect of his personality. Instead, he chose to ignore the fact that he should have done at least one of the two. Nevertheless, he did manage to look more than a little perturbed by the fact that there was apparently a stone man wandering around. He didn't even know how that would work.

Glancing at her as her stomach rumbled, he considered something for a few moments. He'd been about to ask if you had to pay for the food, and if she was poor, before she continued to say that she'd been going to get food. He'd been going to offer to buy a sandwich (or whatever they ate here) if it had, in fact, turned out that she was poor. However, as it was, the offer was left unsaid. "Where are you from?" He asked, gesturing vaguely at her clothing.

As he waited for her response, he pulled the key back out of his pocket, turning it over in his hands. It had been blinking? What was up with that. At her question, however, he looked back at her. "B144". Looking back at the building, despite the fact that he Definitely Didn't Like It, it was a fairly impressive size (somewhat), and the scenery was also (only somewhat) nice. It made him wonder what kind of place he intended on going to with Tsukushi as part of their honeymoon, and then immediately scowled. He really, no matter what that tablet said, didn't plan on being here very long; he had wedding plans to help with, after all. In accordance with that line of thought, he spoke again.

"Is there a town nearby?"

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_ayla_
2008-05-31 12:14 am UTC (link)

"I'm sorry, Doumyouji." She pronounced it correctly this time. Ayla had always been different, and in an effort to fit in, she had always pushed herself to never make the same mistake twice. She had an excellent memory and could retain information and recall it better than most.

She was glad that he wasn't putting up too much of a fuss. It made it that much easier to for her to deal with him. As they walked into the main building the aromas of various foods drifted on the air toward them. She aimed their walk toward the restaurant. She had discovered it a few days ago, and found that whatever food she desired would be provided for her. He had asked her where she was from, but she wasn't sure how to answer him. She didn't really know. During her time, there were no names for places.

Taking a deep breath, she prepared to explain to the best of her capabilities. "I am from the valley of horses." That was the best she could do. Places in her time didn't have names. They were known by the people who lived in them. Like, the Land of the Zelandonii where Jondalar was from. But, in relation to which continent or country, she had no way to explain that. She saw that he gestured to her wrap and brushed her hands over it self-consciously. She had never seen clothes like his, and she was quite interested in them, although it was inappropriate for her to stare.

"I will show you to your room after we eat." She stepped into the restaurant and found a table for two. She didn't really want to spend anymore time with the young man than she had to, but she really was hungry. One of the golems walked to the table to take their orders from the menus on the table. Although there had been no written language in Ayla's world, she found that she was able to understand any written words she came upon, including those in the menu.

She looked up at the man made of clay and spoke. "I would like to have the ptarmigan stuffed with its own eggs and the variety of ground nuts." She looked over at Tsukasa, waiting for him to give the golem his order. She smiled slightly to herself because she knew that the clay man would make the young man look twice, at least. She had also had a difficult time with it at first. As she had had a difficult time with almost everything in this place. But she was growing used to the strange place. And Doumyouji would in time as well.

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the_almighty_me
2008-05-31 06:01 am UTC (link)

Doumyouji made no comment on her corrected pronunciation, instead choosing to silently follow her back inside, glancing about at the interior of the building with curiosity. It definitely didn't seem to be poorly decorated or laid out, he would give it that much. Whilst he wasn't overly hungry, the smell of freshly cooked food did make him want to have something small. As she answered his question, he stared at her with an odd expression, eyebrows furrowed; valley of the horses? He had absolutely no idea what she meant by that (but it did match the interesting choice of clothing to some extent. It made him think of his brief teachings of Aboriginees and the such like, but as far as he was aware, none of them were blonde). Whilst she hadn't asked him in return (which he considered somewhat rude; he was taking a slight interest in her, it was only polite after all), he decided to tell her where he was from, anyway. "I'm from Tokyo", he paused for a moment, regarding her. "Japan", he added.

Nodding at her comment about showing him to his room after eating, he followed her over to a table, and sat down, picking up a menu and glancing at the list of food. He honestly couldn't say he fancied all that much. As the golem came over to take their order, he glanced at the 'man' once before frowning and staring at him again. Apparently Ayla had been completely serious when she mentioned a 'stone man'. Lips slightly parted and eyebrows raised, he stared at the golem for a few moments, before pointedly returning his attention to the menu. That was not normal, and he was going to pay it as little attention as he possibly could. "Insalata d'Anatra", he ordered, speaking more to the menu than to the golem, but loudly enough so that he would be heard. It seemed to be an Italian style dish, primarily salad, but with a couple of slices of duck to accompany the salad. He hoped whoever was preparing it wasn't made of stone (he imagined it would make being a chef decidedly awkward).

After placing his order, he handed the menu to the golem, before sitting in what could only be described as an awkward silence. He had no idea of what to say to this woman. Instead of attempting to think of a conversation topic, he reached into a trouser pocket, withdrawing his phone and glancing at it, pulling an expression of annoyance as it, unsurprisingly, showed that it was receiving no network coverage. This place was going to be awful without anyone he knew.

After a few momenta, his gaze flickered uncomfortably over to Ayla, and he appeared to debate as to whether he should say something. Glancing in the direction that the golem had walked off in, he eventually decided that he would say it. "What money do they take?" The tablet hadn't mentioned currency, after all. There was, from the phrasing, a chance it would be free (not that that sat entirely comfortably with him), but there was also a chance that it wouldn't be.

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_ayla_
2008-05-31 02:51 pm UTC (link)

"I do not know Tokyo or Japan." She frowned slightly. She had never seen people like him, and had never heard of the places he spoke of. She would probably never understand, either. She hadn't been trying to be rude when she didn't ask him where he was from, but it wouldn't have meant anything to her to ask.

As the golem took their orders, she noted with a little bit of pleasure the shock that registered on Tsukasa's face. She hid her smile, however, and watched the golem walk away with their menus. She turned her eyes back to Doumyouji as the silence stretched out between them. She tried not to look at him directly, because it was not only rude, but it unnerved her.

"No money. It is provided by the Planet." She looked down at the table for a minute before she continued. "The Planet will provider for all your needs. Nothing will be denied to you. Except your friends and family. Unless it decides to pull them here as well." She leaned back and clasped her hands in her lap. This was quite awkward. She could feel quiet disdain coming off of him, and it made her keep silent.

She looked up as their plates were brought out. The bird on her plate resembled a chicken, but it was a prehistoric bird from her era. The shelled, cooked eggs sat alongside it with the roots resembling potatoes and carrots. It was lightly seasoned, but Ayla reached for the salt and sprinkled it liberally all over her food. She used only a little pepper, however.

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the_almighty_me
2008-06-01 04:05 pm UTC (link)

A slight frown crossed his features when she stated she didn't know Tokyo, or Japan, but refrained from saying anything (after all, he didn't know where her 'valley of the horses' was).

At her reply to the issue of money, Tsukasa huffed slightly, and glanced away from the table. He'd have rather he had to pay, and have people he liked here (or, indeed, not have to be here at all), rather than the reverse. He wondered what they would think about the whole thing; after all, it wasn't like him to simply go missing. They would look for him and then... What? F4 would no longer be four, and Tsukushi would... Pressing his lips together in a thin line, he almost stood up and stormed out of the restaurant. He would have, but he didn't know his way around the place and getting lost wasn't something he was fond of, particularly as it would lead to (probably) encountering someone, and a roundabout conversation leading to the fact that he was lost emerging. "If the planet wants us to live here, why doesn't it gives us the things that would actually makes us want to live here", he muttered. Words had never been something he was good at, even when it came to complaining (or even simply voicing his opinion).

As the plates were brought to them, Doumyouji carefully inspected his salad - after all, if someone who was made of rock had made it, he wanted to make sure it actually looked edible before attempting to eat some of it. After deciding that he supposed it might not kill him, he glanced curiously at Ayla's plate, before returning to his own. He wasn't sure if it wasn't something he would brave eating (not here, at least); his looked a lot safer. Admittedly, the duck might be hit and miss, but it was primarily salad, and how wrong could one go with salad? Picking up his knife and fork, Doumyouji ate his food somewhat cautiously, somewhat hoping that Ayla wouldn't take too long. There was only so much stilted conversation one could put up with.

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_ayla_
2008-06-01 07:32 pm UTC (link)

Ayla raised a brow at the huffing from across the table. She wasn't used to having food provided for her. She had to work hard for it, hunting, butchering, spitting and cooking. She had to harvest grains, dig up roots, dry leaves and meat for future use. There were no refrigerators, freezers or the like in her world. She had been unnerved by the idea of being given food without having to work for it. And she enjoyed working for it. She enjoyed the thrill of the hunt and keeping busy.

But, in the last few days, she'd gotten used to it. As their plates were brought out and set in front of them, she looked over at the salad that had been set in front of Doumyouji. It was interesting, like nothing she had ever seen, except perhaps the greens. And she had never had duck. They didn't exist in her world. Not yet, anyway. But the meat looked like fowl, kind of the way hers looked. And her food looked delicious. And smelled like heaven. She ate with her fingers, as utensils hadn't been invented, either.

She put the meat in her mouth and chewed, closing her eyes to relish the flavor of it. She ate quickly. She was used to it. She had always had something to do, and eating quickly meant she had more time for other things. She wiped her fingers on her napkin when she was finished and looked over at the young man to see how close he was to finishing. She wanted to show him where his room was and maybe get the hell away from him. He was not very pleasant company at all. And Ayla wasn't difficult to please.

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the_almighty_me
2008-06-02 11:36 am UTC (link)

Glancing up from his salad at Ayla, his eyes widened as he saw that she was eating with her hands. He pulled a face and returned to his own food, silently wondering whether she'd washed her hands before eating. He'd always been taught that eating quickly was a sign of bad manners (he wasn't even going to go near the idea of not using utensils), and so whilst he wasn't necessarily a slow eater, he was by no means as quick an eater as Ayla appeared to be. At least she used a napkin, he noted, eyes flickering back over to her.

As he finished, he placed the knife and fork to one side on the plate, standing up and pushing his chair under the table. Glancing down at Ayla, he shoved one hand into a pocket. "Are you ready?" He asked, glancing towards the exit of the restuarant. He'd already decided that the less time he spent near men made from rock the better. He hoped they wouldn't come across any on their way to the rooms. Idly, he wondered just why the place was decorated and built in the manner it was. Whilst it was vaguely impressive (or, he imagined it would be if he personally hadn't seen more impressive buildings), it was hardly something that he would have thought of as the most ideal and amazing building for housing people from all over the place.

After a brief pause, he glanced back at Ayla. "What are the rooms like?" He asked. He hoped they would be furnished decently (although judging from the building thus far, he couldn't help but think that his idea of 'furnished decently' was entirely different to whoever had furnished this place), and large, with a decent array of items. If he was expected to spend an extended amount of time here, he expected the place to be good. Not that he'd know who to complain to if it wasn't up to his standards.

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_ayla_
2008-06-02 01:22 pm UTC (link)

Ayla was conveniently unaware of his look of shock when she began to eat with her fingers. She was a cavewoman, and had no idea about modern etiquette or manners. She came from a time when doing things a certain way meant survival. If she ate quickly, she had more time to do things that would mean living another day, another season, another year. To do things any other way, might mean death.

She stood up when he did and nodded in answer to his question. She took the initiative to exit before him, not because she was a woman and it was her right (Ayla had no knowlege of such things), but because she knew where she was going, and he did not. She remembered the number etched into his key and so she headed for the respective lodging unit. She walked quickly, but gracefully and soundlessly. She walked like someone who did not want to be seen or heard. As a hunter, that was a necessity. Scaring off a potential meal meant you didn't eat.

She returned his glance, but looked away when their eyes met. She could not bring herself to look at him for long. So engrained in her was the idea of men deserving defference and respect that she could never look a man in the eye. Even after her time with Jondalar, she still found herself looking down instead of at him. He didn't like it, either. "The rooms are like what you want them to be like." She didn't bother to explain any further. She felt that was explanation enough.

She entered the lodging unit ahead of him and walked her graceful pace down to his room. She gestured to it. "This is yours." She stood back, knowing that she would be unable to enter unless invited. She had the distinct feeling he would not be inviting her in, and even if he did for some strange reason, she would have to decline. She had things to do. She wanted to hunt, and she didn't want to spend any more time with a young man who thought he was better than her because he came from a different time and place. If he had landed in her world instead, it would be quite a culture shock, she knew. In this place, other than being without his friends and family, she knew he would be more than comfortable.

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the_almighty_me
2008-06-06 02:13 pm UTC (link)

((ooc: Apologies for the late reply; RL decided to become busy and I had to unexpectedly pack and travel for six hours.))

Following her out of the restaurant, Doumyouji couldn't help but think that she really wasn't the most talkative of people, and the manner in which she kept avoiding his gaze was mildly frustrating to say the least. It did cause him to wonder whether there was something about him that made her want to avoid his gaze, or whether she was just like that with all people. If he'd been more concerned, or perhaps more observant, he might have been impressed with the quiet, swift manner in which she walked. As it was, he didn't notice (nor have any call to be impressed), and his own shoes made a soft clacking noise against the floor underfoot.

Eyebrows furrowing together at her answer about the rooms, he stared at her back for a few moments, trying to make sense of her answer. Shoving his hands into his pockets, he followed her in silence, still attempting to envisage just what she meant with regards to the rooms. He got the distinct feeling, however, that no matter what he might like to say, and whatever was on the tip of his tongue, would have been pointless. He imagined that if she had been going to elaborate, she would have done so already. As such, Tsukasa settled for walking behind her, feeling more than a little irritable and not the least bit impressed by her supposed answer, amongst other things.

As she stopped outside a room and informed him that it was his, he glanced at the number on the door and pulled the key he'd been given out of his pocket. Pressing his lips together, he walked over to the door and inserted the key into lock. Wrapping his hand around the door handle, he paused for a moment and tilted his head to one side. Sighing audibly, he looked noticeably uncomfortable for several moments. After what appeared to be a moment of internal debate, he muttered a quiet 'thank you' before pushing open the door to his room.

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_ayla_
2008-06-06 09:27 pm UTC (link)

Ayla had lived alone for far too long before she came to this place. After being exiled by the Clan, she had lived alone in her valley for three years with no human contact until Jondalar had come along. He had taught her to speak verbally, but she still wasn't used to it. The Clan language of speaking with hands came more naturally to her. And if someone wasn't speaking to her, she didn't feel the need to speak. She didn't know that it sometimes made people feel uncomfortable.

When Doumyouji stared at her, it unnerved the young woman. She instantly dropped her eyes. She bit down on her lip and then shook her head. She knew that it was alright to look a man in the eye. Besides, he wasn't Clan. It wouldn't matter. He wouldn't know that it was unacceptable for a woman to make eye contact with him. She looked up and stared at him, waiting for him to ask her a question. Waiting for him to say something. He had been just as quiet as she had. And it was awkward. Ayla knew she was no good with people, especially people that weren't Clan. She didn't fit in, and she didn't know what customs she was violating. But she couldn't know unless someone told her.

When he didn't say anything, she stepped back and waited for him to open the door and go inside. She hoped that he liked his room, but if he didn't it would be his own fault. He was the one who dictated what it would look like. She nodded. "Is there anything else I can do for you before I go?" She paused a moment, but she was shocked when he actually said something. And it was something nice, if not completely sincere. "You're welcome." Ayla smiled, and it was radiant.

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