Halcyon

Hanan Hasan Zakir Recently washed-up

[hananzaki]

@jovigeorge​

It’s a nice way to pass the time, puttering around on the Bridge. They’re not looking for anything in particular… though, if he’s being honest, hoping against hope, Jovi’s looking for his phone. He’s missed it since it took a nosedive into the Labyrinth on his, Jupiter’s, and Lily’s trip to find Kessey. Sure, his momma lets him play around on hers sometimes, but it just doesn’t compare.

So Jovi’s keeping his eyes peeled, looking for the refracted glint of a partially shattered screen, when Hanan holds up something unrelated. It takes him a moment of squinting before he brightens with recognition. “Yooo! No way!” Jovi trots right over, picking the firebender shirt up from where Hanan had delicately put it back down. He holds it up to his own frame before saying, in an impression of Zuko’s flat voice, “That’s rough, buddy.”

Then Jovi laughs and tucks the shirt under his arm. “What kinda comics? I hope it’s some real nerdy stuff. Like – like Enterprise Logs type stuff. Were you into Trek at all?” Back to considering the shirt, he turns it this way and that before asking, “Were you more of a Katara fan or an Azula fan? Or Toph! I loved Toph, but my heart eyes were allllll for Katara.”

It was utterly hopeless, and totally impossible, for her to keep her composure. Hanan snorted, ticking over into laughter alongside Jovi. “Hey! That was good! Ohhh that’s a haaaaard question. I definitely had a soft spot for Katara. I mean hello? She’s so badass but has an absolute heart of gold but what can I say Jovi, Azula was totally unhinged but spoke to my totally very repressed young self.” All around the time when she was supposedly not meant to be watching toons anymore, because it was cringe, and she was too old for it. But that hadn’t ever really grown out of it. Now, she’s glad for it, because it felt like having the one-up! Little insights into their bending powers, even if so far Hanan hadn’t gotten very far with it.

“Noooot Trek! I was obsessed with x-men. I found a bunch of volumes and gosh, I don’t know I was just hooked. I used to just buy whatever I could find! Finding out there was a comic book shop close enough to me to get a standing order was honestly greatest day of my life. Okay maybe…second greatest? Third? I don’t know but it was pretty up there, up there with olympics and all that jazz. So, you were a Trekkie then? I’m sooo sorry my knowledge is totally limited to those reboot movies with the mega lens flares. A friend of mine was really into them, I think she had a crush on I wanna say... Kirk…?”

Hanan leafed through the case, pulling out one of the comics. “Avatar…yup makes sense…Star Wars…” She paused momentarily, still knelt by the case but gaze tilted up at Jovi, hands paused in prayer over the comics. “Hey like…you ever wonder if maybe avatar might happen here…on the island? Like not as in one person is going to have all the attunements, but what if people split off? I guess there’s kinda like…bigger fish to fry isn’t there? Ugh, sorry! I’m being a total buzz-kill. Soo if you could pick to be any bender? Which? Don’t get me wrong I definitely think it’s super cool to be earth, but it’d be so cool to have air powers! Total freedom. But then water...”

[hananzaki]

@akbartheolder​​

“Y’know it’s not a job-job, yeah,”  Emre motioned to the sugar set-up, as he observed Hanan.  “No punchcards, no clocks.  You do what you can, then let someone else have a go.  We got plenty workers, and no profit to be made.”

Only keeping people fed and happy.  The island could fuck with them day and night, month after month; but at least they could make coconut sugar cakes.  He dredged up an old hippie-dippie saying of Tomas’, but botched it completely:  “Mr Capitalism is getting well fucked up the arse by Miss Socialism.”  Or…something to that effect.  Tomas said it better, not crasser.

He wasn’t expecting training, just a thorough trouncing.  Anything to keep Hanan’s morale risen, even just a little.  If she was nearly Olympics, then competition was in her blood.  And sure; Emre knew he’d fail, and she knew he’d fail.  But Hanan didn’t have to know that he knew that.  So he smirked smugly at her, as she continued to chat big and realize aloud she didn’t have to train him at all. All part of the razzing.

Emre tiled his chin up haughtily, amping the combative sporty vibe.  Emre could get mean in a football game back home; worse in cricket.  And he and Madi were always challenging each other with farm work.  Girls liked to win over boys - that was the one golden rule.

He started heading up to the slated cliffside, as Emre kissed his teeth animatedly.  “You what - of course I’ll beat you, sweetheart.  You’ve gotten weak on the island, twirling about with bloody sugar.  I’ve only gotten stronger innit.  I don’t need no training, I got this locked down, what.”

A snorty-laugh.  “Only thing I’m scared of is having to hug you up and offer comfort after you’ve lost innit.  All that crying you’re gonna do, man.”

“I know.” Hanan said, a little quiet for a moment but smiling nonetheless as she somewhat succinctly added. “I kinda like pretending it is though, keeps me focused.” It wasn’t like her watch was synced to whatever time the island ran on. Rising with the sun, and collapsing once the stars blanketed the sky felt particularly freeing. “Less…like thinky time then.” She offered him a lopsided smile, that tipped bigger with a chuckle as Emre offered up a particularly crass saying. “Is that a saying? I’m like 99.99999% sure that’s not a saying.” Hanan teased, blissfully light as if she didn’t have a care in the world. “I understand what you mean though.” She nudged him lightly wit her elbow.

“Inshallah!” Hanan eagerly followed him, happy to fall in step as they headed upwards. Even if Emre was making choice bold declarations. “Uhhh, well as long as you don’t have a copy of UP in your pocket somewhere I think we’ll be okay. Never cried for losing.” If you discounted the times she had when she was little, but Hanan definitely wasn’t counting any loser-tears up until the age of eleven. “Wallahi, UP made me cry like an actual baby.”

“Did you ever do any sport, like before? Soccer? Could see you…kicking a ball around.” Hanan lead them both towards the path she’d discovered, that eventually led down to one she’d half-forged from memory of repeated visits, to her special cliffside edge. One of the few places on the island she felt…totally herself. At ease. It wasn’t hers but she’d spent enough time learning the rocky edge, the alcoves, the concave as the cliff momentarily diverged on two paths giving her a neat little chimney to relax in. In some ways it felt more like hers, than her tent did.

“First things first. Safety. There is no safety, actually we probably should’ve asked an air bender to come out with us but okay, totally nooooo worries. We’ll stick to this.”

She did a little jazz hand point towards a smaller bulge of the cliffside edge that was comparatively small, kinda smallish. “That way the fall won’t hurt too bad.” Hanan added a flourish of finger guns, and another quick smile. “Okay so, it’s kinda a work in progress this was originally pretty easy to send, and I wanted to make something to practice on that at least was kinda challenging. Soooo, we’ve got some dodgy stone creations! Can kinda still see where I’ve marked it out in chalk.” She’d maybe borrowed that, one afternoon, from the warehouse and promptly put it back afterwards.

“You’re going to start down here. It’s a sit down start. So…” Hanan plonked herself down, pushing the toes of her boots against the memorised spots. Unfortunately the chalk had pretty much warn off down here. “Feet here, and then you’re going to put your right hand…here.” She reached up, almost full extension, to a slight ledge in the rock. All natural, she hadn’t tampered with that part. “And your left here. Got it? Then you’re going to follow the path up, you can kinda do as you will. You’re supposed to follow the pink chalk marks but honestly they’re faded and well…whatever works, go for it. You ready? Can have a couple practice runs first!”

[hananzaki]

Location: Bridge @jovigeorge​

Hanan was cruising through the odds and ends. It was hard to tell if it was sacrilegious to be peering through people’s forgotten belongings, or if she should be likening it to a free yard sale. Maybe it was best to keep it to the latter that way  no-one was going to have a moral dilemma. She leafed through to find a suitcase remarkably still intact. Either the contents were undesirable, or this one had just been tucked out of sight. Hanan pried it open to be greeted with what was mostly clothes, but importantly, zipped up in it’s own separate bag a costume she’d recognise anywhere. Hanan straightened up holding the top half of a distinctly fire nation themed costume.

“Holy moly! No way, you’d totally rock this Jovi.” Or was it too nerdy for him? Hanan was kinda going out on a limb. It was waaay too easy to forget that not everyone on the island was as shocked (and delighted) as she’d been to find out they were real-life benders. She neatly folded the costume back on top of the case. “There’s definitely comics in here too…oh I feel soooo bad for whoever lost this.” She carefully perched the case so it wasn’t in danger of spilling it’s contents into the ankle deep water. 

[hananzaki]

@akbartheolder​

Location: by the sugarcane processing @hananzaki​

“Alright, Hanz,”  Emre called out, sauntering over where he saw her working.  He nabbed a stick of sugar cane to chew on, and just…enjoyed it.  No exhaustion, no waswasah.  Nothing to plague his mind, shred at his spirit and willpower.  He was elated, really; more than he had been in ages.

(So long as he didn’t think about Iyaz.  Don’t think about Iyaz.  It was wrong to not think about Iyaz; and the cycle repeated itself, but that was a cycle that Emre was used to spinning around, like sugar spinning to a flame).  

For now, Emre just enjoyed the rush of liquid sweet between his teeth, not unlike his hope to see Hanan smile when she looked at him.  It seemed like the girl was getting accustomed to him, less of that rabbity-look, like she wanted to bolt but he’d trapped her in a conversation.

Emre nodded his chin up towards the upper settlement, a sheer incline they’d remarked on a while back.

“You off work soon? Fancy we get on with the challenge? You prove to me that girls can climb and that. Finally.”

There wasn’t too much left to be done, but nonetheless Hanan was an eager student and now finally putting it all into practice. The field had returned to it’s normal state, pre-Willy Wonka Chocolate Factory, ready for the final burn. She straightened up, half expecting Emre to have something for her to do. But he didn’t look tense, nor did he have a fresh task as if she was still under a month long hazing.

“Hey, hey, hey!” Hanan beamed, shielding her eyes from the sun as she waved at him. Could she convince him to alter the nickname path? Probably not. It was a little like how once the course had been set for Zaki there’d been no going back. “Liiike...I think so.” There didn’t seem to be hard ends, she could carry on all day and into the night, if she wanted to. Of which she had, but Hanan had kept that to herself. There’d been bigger fish to fry than one lowly worker who couldn’t sleep.

She leant on one of the last canes as if it was a prop, it was hard to stop the grin from forming. “You ready for it Em?” Hanan asked, patting off her gloves on her shorts. Having discovered the wonders of what a buffer could do between her and the earth, everything had settled, or at least a little bit. She didn’t feel so stricken but then she hadn’t gone barefoot in what felt like yonks. “One hundred percent sure you can handle it? I’ll train you hard, it’ll be like a montage scene from Rocky before you know it.” She chuckled, ducking her head to pull her things all together.

“Though if you’re so sure of yourself beating me from the get-go, I shouldn’t even train you!” He seemed…better? Little livelier. Hanan turned her cane towards him, same gesture she’d done to Tomas some days ago. Hanan cleared her throat, and dropped her voice. “So...Emre how do you feel? Have you accepted the challenge, or are you scared of being beat?”

[hananzaki]

@sagetomashardy​

“Basically all of grade school, and then we moved back to the States,” Tomas said. “It was a good place to grow up.” Not that he’d had a good childhood, particularly, but it was easy to angle the statement into something vague and benign. “Who knew it would come in handy thirty-plus years later when I’d find myself stranded on a mysterious tropical island? Funny how things work out.”

Funny, though, didn’t seem like quite the most accurate word when reality twisted and they found themselves in the factory, with candy in their hands. “Don’t eat anything,” Tomas was about to say, but he got distracted by Hanan’s quick surveillance and seeming delight in the place. She was already making her way to a bridge that looked like it might collapse if your breath got it wet, and Tomas followed haltingly, testing out his air attunement just in case. Just in case the thing shattered the moment they set foot on it.

“Thank god for that,” he muttered when Hanan said the river wasn’t chocolate. It was some clear blue liquid, but it just smelled of soda, nothing identifiable. Probably still a drowning hazard, though, Tomas thought direly, and turned to Hanan to dole out some warnings when he saw she’d already bitten into her candy and was struggling with it. She didn’t seem poisoned or anything, though, so that was … good?

He sighed, angling his own candy into his molars and biting off a sliver. “Those little gummy orange slices,” he said into her microphone, then stopped. “No. No, that’s not my favourite, I dunno why I said that. I like, um, Junior Mints. Anything mint chocolate. Except the ice cream, ice cream shouldn’t be mint.” The candy in his mouth was dissolving into something like blackcurrant and … first snow? That was the best Tomas could describe it. “Uh. Tell me your favourite while I think about impossible.” 

The bridge seemed to be holding, and Tomas bent and touched his tongue gently to the guardrail. “It’s sugar,” he said glumly. “Would we be cursed if we pocketed as much candy as we could? Would it all turn into … what, bagfuls of disembodied cavities if we blip forward?”

“It is…” She said, with a slow nod as she mulled over it, instead of rushing to glide on by to the next topic. Tomas didn’t say much at all, she tapped the candy cane to her lips and smiled. “It’s really useful! Some serious knowledge that’s definitely keeping us all alive.” This is all said, before his warning, and after she’s already nibbled on the end of the candy cane. Well, Hanan had always said that her weakness was anything sweet. Everything was a marvel. Maybe a delirium? Had she drunk enough water today? Could dehydration produce such a vivid hallucination, but Tomas could see it all too.

“Probably? Maybe?” She answered, in reference to cavities. She hadn’t given much thought to the possibility of blipping forwards. Thus far she’d watched her tent deconstruct itself. Seemingly by itself. Apparently that was not a unique phenomena, it also wasn’t a coconut-water-induced-hallucination, but forwards. She hadn’t considered that. Hanan paused at the blue soda river water’s edge, though the vivid green grass curved down into a slow banking slope. “Hubba Bubba,” she answered without missing too much of a beat. “I was totally obsessed! Probably have to be gummie lifesavers now though, or maybe lifesavers? Oh my gosh! I can’t even answer my own question.”

For a man shown a sugar haven of impossibility, he seemed underwhelmed. Hanan didn’t dwell too long on this, instead marvelling at the delightfully sweet melted toffee flavour of her candy cane. “I agree with you though, ice cream shouldn’t taste like toothpaste. Everything happens here for a reason, right?” But even despite that Hanan toed the bridge with caution. It didn’t feel capable of sustaining her weight even if this was an improbable candy land. She didn’t want to test her all too sinkable form, again.

Hanan stopped short, behind them as if it had been there all along, was a thick dense crop of what appeared on first glance to be yellow sugar cane. Closer inspection though it was glistening too brightly for that. Flecks of sesame encased in a healthy dosing of sugar. The miniature field was tall, and towered over them both. “Is this place changing with every blink of the eye? Am I losing it. Been trying to be a glass-full-kinda-gal, but it feels like at any second the plug is going to be pulled. I don’t know, gosh, sorry I’m spiralling. I haven’t really felt like myself.” She tapped the sugarcane to her chin, considering for a moment which really only seemed to last for the briefest of moments.

“We should make the most of this right? How many opportunities are we going to get, to have gorgeous candy like this! Tomas I simply don’t have the candy entrepreneurship to make all of this.” She’s right back into her default, keeping everything light, airy, waving her sugarcane stick at the myriad of candy delights springing up. It felt a little bit like they were springing up a touch too fast. A new one every time she turned to examine the last. More, and more, until they were crowded by sugar creations.

Quickly, it became claustrophobic as if candy shaped walls were pressing in on them. Hanan spun again, using the heel of her boots to meet out enough space for her to stand in from shards of sugar. “Uhhh….like not going to lie, not really enjoying this so much now.”

[hananzaki]

@sagetomashardy​

the burned sugar cane field @hananzaki​

“We’ve been doing pretty well with all this,” Tomas said, straightening up from chopping down the last of the burned stand. The fire attuned had done their controlled burn and let the field cool, ready for the cane to be harvested; Tomas didn’t generally do much reaping these days, but he’d wanted to this time. There was a specific muscular flex and toil and satisfied exhaustion that the task brought, and Hanan had seemed willing enough to jump in as well, which made the chore less of a stolid exertion and more something companionable. 

He breathed in deep, remarking, “I love that smell. The scorched sugar. It reminds me of being little and living in the Caribbean.” Not all good memories, but this was a nice one. Unattached to anything more harrowing.

“You’ve been doing really well with all this, Hanan.” Tomas picked up one of the canes, stripping off the thin bark with his cutlass. “Not just the processing side of it. I can see you took it upon yourself to walk the entire length of the sugar. From the field to the plate – that pawpaw candy’s addictive. I think we’ll have a good supply set in until the next cane cycle.” 

Tomas split the cane into a few manageable sticks, handing a couple to Hanan while he chewed the sweet juice out of his own. “In fact,” he said, “I think soon enough we’ll be able to–”

There was a jolt in the air that interrupted him, like it had been torn jaggedly sideways, and Tomas had enough time to say “oh fuckin’ seriously??” before their scene changed. “Goddammit! I was hoping we wouldn’t get a blip–” 

He was about to throw his stick of sugar cane to the ground, but paused. Opened his hand to see it had been replaced by a beautiful twist of violet-and-white hard candy, and as he raised his head, a building stacked itself into being over their heads. One full of machinery that smelled of butter, and fruit, and chocolate, and most of all sugar. 

“Uh,” Tomas said. “I think we’re oompa loompa doopity-ducked.”

If she could, she’d spend the whole day out here. There was a certain peace on the farm that was more comfort than it was daunting, and the smell of burnt sugar really did help. Hanan closed her eyes for a moment, tilting her head back just to inhale and enjoy the moment. She’d been running at pace ever since signing herself up to help out, this was really the closest she’d gotten to a mediative state in a long time. Hanan blinked, coming back to with a handful of canes that she set aside to be stripped, and eventually moved. “Oh really?” Hanan’s brows curved upwards, then slowly her lips joined in tandem for an easy smile. “How old were you when you lived there?”

“I’m just happy to help out,” she said quietly, eagerly taking the offered cane. She’d done this enough times now to know this was the real reward. Maybe the eventual candy was too. Hanan hummed, shuffling about in her boots as she chewed on the stick. Happy enough for a break, if it meant a little jolt of sweetness and enough energy to keep them going into the afternoon. But everything went still for a moment.

Hanan couldn’t feel the disturbance, the thick boots were doing their job of blocking her from most of the island’s deeper vibrations, but she’d have to be blind to miss how the sugar cane changed. Her’s a twist of rainbow tropical delight. Hanan yelped as the sun was blocked out brick by brick, turning around in a full circle to watch a full entire totally whole building be born around them. “Woooaaah! Tomas please tell me you’re seeing this too?”

She giggled, turning back to him with her candy stick held up. “Nothing for it Captain! We must explore. It’s our duty and…wait is that…” Hanan spied over Tomas’ shoulder a bridge in a sheer iridescent crystal-like material, she skipped over. Taking a few tentative steps over it. “Holy moly! Is this made of candy? Hey, the river isn’t chocolate! Okay…but this is like…totally bonkers.”

Hanan took a bite out of her rainbow candy cane, easier said than done. She ended up with a gob-stopper size chunk of candy to mull over. Hanan pointed her candy cane in Tomas’ direction as if it was a microphone. “Favourite candy Tomas? Both…real and impossible!”

[hananzaki]

@akbartheolder​​​

Emre mimed like he was shot in the heart, wobbling slightly and an ‘oof’ puff of air.  “Wounded, mortally.  If I’m not special to Hanz, what’s the point then,” he bemoaned in his droll way.  He admired the way Hanan brazenly spoke about defying her mum’s straight-and-narrow.  

“Did your parents, erm, was they okay with you being lesbian, like?” he asked curiously.  Emre felt sure his mum and dad would totally accept Iyaz - sensitive, a little odd - coming out.  But him?  Maybe acceptance, but it would be sad.  Disappointed, even.  Emre couldn’t stand thinking about disappointing his parents, so he focused on Hanan.  A Muslim girl, no less; Emre liked to believe Hanan would understand.  Even if she wasn’t practicing, it was about culture, not faith.  “Does they know?”

The answer for top movie was easy, but Emre had to tease first.  “What’s all this - we on a date?  You gonna ask favourite colour next?  Suppose I could pretend to be a girl, for a couple hours…”  Emre joked, because he liked seeing Hanan protesting and giggling over his silliness.

“You trust my taste in people, or you saying I know all the people. I could give you recommendations, I suppose.  I - oh bloody hell.   Of course you choose the one person I don’t know, innit!  You cheeky thing.  Bloke is Tamyra’s nephew, yeah?  Tamzy seems to think the best of her fam, so.  Wager this Jovi’s alright.  Who’re the other two you knew before the island then, go on. Tamyra’s one, yeah.”  Everyone from the past 40 years would know Tamyra Williams.

He wasn’t selling himself short so much as his current state post-tree.  The plague in his head, the lack of sleep that truly played a number on his body. But he just went along with Hanan, not wanting to explain the effects of the tree to her, make her sad and worried.

“Lord of the Rings,”  Emre proclaimed. “And that’s three films innit, so - there you go. 2001 was a big year innit.”  Likely moreso for Hanan, given she was American.  Emre counted off on his fingers:  “9/11 happened, I got -”  Arrested, but Emre skipped over that part, “- sent to basic training, Lord of the Rings comes out in December.  It was all I watched on-base innit.”  It kept him sane, really.  Ringing up Iyaz when he could, just to hear his sweet little baby raving about this sick epic based on some old book by some old white geezer who was in the old Great War.  Listening to Iyaz go into details about this elf, that dwarf; while Emre liked Galadriel, well fit. 

And, he liked how Gandalf spoke about the creature named Gollum in the Mines of Moria.  A compassion that Emre - beaten and ostracized for being the very creature his platoon were training up to fight - had found so entirely alien, so touching.

“I’m guessing you’ve seen it enough time to quote scenes, innit. Go on, give us a line, and I’ll tell you which of the trilogy it’s from.”

Hanan exhaled a light laugh at Emre’s mimed out tragedy, it was easier skating along lighter topics. It didn’t mean that Emre couldn’t throw a spanner her way. Hanan didn’t know whether to duck, or attempt to catch it. She slowed, not quite stopping, but not chugging up the path on her own steam either. Hanan parsed a look sideways at him. “Am I that obvious?” She couldn’t recall ever telling him, but maybe she just unknowingly screamed queer. “Errrrrrr…” Hanan filled the air with disgruntled vowels. “They kinda knew? I think my dad just wanted me to be happy like…I don’t think he would have said much about it.”

“Mom is a little trickier but. That’s normal right?” Hanan said with a shrug as if trying to ease off that burden. She knew more than a few people also shared the burden of a fraught mother-daughter relationship. “I don’t know, I never really came out, it was easier just be like hey this is my friend! Gal pals. I kept thinking this time I’d tell her, or this time. Then we had this big argument because one year I sewed a rainbow patch to my chalk bag for a comp. In interviews I said I was just being an ally for pride month! But she flipped. Sorry you probably didn’t want to hear all this.”

“I know it comes from a place of care, like she just wanted the best but her view of that was limited. Like…she was always so proud of my brother for getting married, having kids and I just. She thought I was wasting my time climbing! I miss being an auntie…” Another thought tangent, not one Emre had even asked for. So Hanan pivoted. Jogging back along the path to keep up with him, and the talk of the islanders.

“Oh my gosh! Yeeeeesss I Love Tamyra’s movies.” Coming full circle to her gay awakening, it was all rather fitting. “Wait Jovi and Tamyra are related?? Woooweee so much talent in one family that’s totally bonkers. Actually now the grand total is going up! Sooo I sorta knew Cordelia? I mean she was my landlady for a while. But I didn’t know know her. Sorta same theme Mik reached out to me about sponsorship with his shake company. This was after the rainbow patch craziness before I got big brand deals so I was kinda desperate. But Yas Shakes was a yucky pyramid scheme sooooo absolutely not! I didn’t know him though, I mean he seems like a totally really nice guy!”

“Hold up!” Hanan said, not because Emre was going at speed but because this new Emre lore drop was a lot to process. “Yeah…it was a big year. You were in the army? I’m coming back to testing your metal on quotes don’t worry. How old were you? I didn’t think you were much older than me and like, I was a kid.”

“Told myself I was too cool to watch spy kids in the cinema. I don’t think I’ve ever been cool. But uh, I’m getting away from the point. Ok maybe quote is better…” Hanan drifted, though she loved Lord of the Rings (who didn’t) it hadn’t necessarily been an obsession. “Okaaay let’s start easy. What about side by side with a friend?”

[hananzaki]

@starlit-lilies​​

“You do!” Lily affirmed, smiling. Madi also seemed a little too quick to dismiss her own achievements and strengths, but hopefully that was changing. And hopefully it would change with Hanan, too, given time.

Lily clasped her hands behind her back, still feeling awkward and stiff, still tasting vine at the back of her throat. Still, she tried to muster some enthusiasm to match Hanan’s. “Yeah! It really doesn’t need much, it can make do with any light—but if you want the pretty white-and-green leaves, more sunlight causes that. And just stick your finger in before watering; if the soil’s dry to the second knuckle, that’s when you drown it.”

Hanan’s casual mention of Cordelia as a ‘before’ made Lily blink, tilting her head. “You knew Cordelia? How?” she asked. “You must’ve heard the news about her family, then. I’m sorry, if you knew Tao and Mei too.”

The revelation that Hanan and Madi had been lured into the jungle made Lily’s throat tighten, thinking of Jupiter in the vines, Libby in the green. Blood and laughter, the common denominators between all of them. What had the copies’ goals even been? But Hanan breezed on past this like it was no big deal. Wasn’t it?

“I do know Harry,” Lily confirmed, looking a little more closely at Hanan, catching that but that had trailed off. “Why are you sorry? Don’t be sorry, you didn’t do anything wrong.” (The better question is, why aren’t you sorry? the voice asked, laughing.) After a moment, Lily cleared her throat and continued, “Can I ask—does it bother you that—that you can’t really do anything about what happened? Like you can’t confront Harry because it wasn’t really her.”

“Okay, I think I can manage that. Thanks Lily it’s really kind of you.” It was probably going to have to live outside of her tent but that was okay. Little bit of decoration for her makeshift porch. Maybe this was a starting point to make a more permanent home. She wasn’t sure where to even begin with that though. “Oh! I kinda like didn’t really know know her. She was my landlady a while back so.” But nothing like a deeply traumatic event to bring them momentarily together. Hanan let her chin rest on her knees. “I am sorry to hear about her family though.”

Loss seemed to be deeply intertwined with the island. Be it through the depths of time, separation or grief. Hanan’s face momentarily bunched up. “I talk faster than I can think sometimes and like…must be kinda odd to have a newbie come in and talk your ear off about people you know. I think I’m overthinking it but yup, yeah, I’m doing it again.” Hanan huffed a laugh, and leant back stretching her arms out behind her.

“Right…about the doppelgängers? Not really.” Maybe a little. “It wasn’t really her, it wasn’t really you either.” Lily curiously was the first person to even claim she knew Harry, but in this moment that felt secondary to it all. “Are you worried about that? The doppelgänger it wasn’t you…like I know I’m not the one to be judging here and I don’t really know you.” But she’d like to think that the real Lily bore no resemblance to the fake. The same with Harry. The same with them all. “Are you okay?” She knew a common thread between all those that’d had a less than restful retreat in the trees now didn’t rest easy. “Can’t imagine how terrifying it must be to come back and know something was impersonating you…”

[hananzaki]

@ameliaxdalton​​

Defensive, treating everyone like her enemy. Amelia had been working on it. Or trying too. Thinking about it a lot anyway, her habit of assuming the worst in people and their motives. Like many of her bad habits it had been her default long before Meridium, and it wasn’t easy to kick, especially in the constant chaos of the place.

But Hanan didn’t lash out. She offered distration, comfort, cookies, and it made Amelia’s chest feel tight because she didn’t know how to accept it. Everyone was…  Everyone was trying to be helpful, and she just kept waiting for the other shoe to drop. Maybe it was time to stop looking at the floor, so ready to flnch when it clattered to the ground.

(That was good. She wished she could write that down. Later, if she remembered it.) 

“You make cookies too? I thought you were dealing with the sugar. And then- those candy things, with papaya, didn’t you have something to do with those?” Amelia wasn’t sure why she latched onto the food topic, of all things. Perhaps because it was easiest, but she really didn’t have a lot to say about it. They’d circle back to the doppleganger of it all, sooner or later. “I’m… Okay..” She drew the word out, like she might want to change her answer halfway through. “Trying to be out and about more, I guess. I’m not busy though, I actually literally never have plans.”

“Yes! Well, sugar is my real job I guess? The one Tomas gave me but the cookies were just for fun.” Hanan dipped her head as they walked, concentrating momentarily on the earth beneath their feet. But her heavy hiking boots shielded her. Kept the aches at bay (somewhat) and thus left her locked out of any deeper bond. Amelia seemed quiet. Extra quiet. But Hanan’s reference point was merely one afternoon on the train.

“And yes! Did some sugar fruit candy experimenting. I was definitely the one learning then like, you would not believe it’s so technical! Although actually Emre did make rum with the run off molasses and woweeee that looks complicated. I have no idea how they figure that stuff out. Trial and error, probably I guess.” She said, answering her own question.

Hanan’s gaze lingered on Amelia for a moment, it was easy to forget that Amelia had seen more than she’d ever had. But even still as they walked side by side down to the lower farm, she inevitably wondered what had led Amelia to here. To the island. “I’m still not sure I’m used to this place.” Hanan said earnestly, her gaze realigning to the path and where they were going. “There’s so much…the attunements…the island itself? Now the glowing sand! Ever since I landed not sure whether I’ve been coming or going, kinda like…just let people sweep me up and take me with them. But I really want to understand it all. Now I totally get why people get into philosophy and all that. I just want to know the deeper meaning of this place! Why we all ended up here.” More to the point, why they couldn’t leave.

[hananzaki]

@akbartheolder​​

“Could’ve been a rat,” Emre said, licking his teeth at remembrance of the biscuits.  “Don’t eat kahk that much back home, can’t say I got a comparison.  But on their own merit, they was delightful, darling.  Cheers.  Well sweet of you to think of me.” And Emre felt he knew the culprit behind the thought.  He’d have to thank Wren later.  “You planning to make them again or is they loads of work? Suppose nothing else to do but make biscuits though.  Not like there’s films or facebook here.”

Emre just nodded, to confirm that he knew Mik.  No point in getting into details; if Mik wanted to warn Hanan away from Emre, what was within his right.  Mik, technically, hadn’t done anything to piss Emre off. And Emre didn’t dislike someone just because they didn’t like him. People had plenty good reasons for disliking him, after all.

He nodded also about meeting Harry.  “Honestly I’ve only met Harry once, when I was out in the jungle.  So I suppose to answer your question, I haven’t seen her outside the jungle, not personally no.”  Emre then teased. “Anyone else you stanning, that I need to confirm?”

Hanan seemed placid about not talking about his fake; and Emre had little desire to mire her with what (he assumed were) bad memories.  Or at least just memories Hanan would rather just pack away and not think about.  Why shouldn’t she? Denial was their best chance of a soporific on the island.

A pbbbhht of a laugh and Emre shook his head.  “Nah, no one I know would dare say ‘cream-crackered’ and make it out alive.  Is just some old-fashioned slang innit.  But you’re right about a fair match. I’m deffo not at my top shape these days.  None of us from the tree is, it’s…is just been difficult.”  Emre shrugged one shoulder, to brush it off.  He believed Hanan, like most of these squirrely sorts, might get worried. Then promptly anxious, then feel guilty about even just smiling when someone else was suffering.

And he definitely didn’t want to traverse the high settlement denizens, who low-key resented him.  And he resented them too.  No regrets, chopping Billy’s fingers off or laughing at Guys bleeding out.  No regret guarding them like prisoners after it was all over.

 Instead, he proposed something that Hanan might fancy.   “Right. How about you show me how you climb rock, like. I’m curious to see how it’s done, right.   Not like just watching you means I’ll learn any of your tricks and skills innit.  Just like to see an expert doing what she does best.  If you don’t mind, Zimmy.”

🗻

“For everyone so don’t go thinking you’re special now.” Hanan teased, although yes she had baked the cookies for anyone that wanted them. She had also reserved some treats for those that she actually knew. “Probably make them again. My mom used to say baking was the key to a man’s heart. I’m nooooot making them for that though. She was kinda barking up the wrong tree. Hey! I’m good with a digital detox and there’s soooo much to do! I wouldn’t mind having a movie night though. Got a favourite film? Orr if you can’t pick one, I can never pick one, top three?”

Hanan bobbed along to Emre’s acknowledgement of Harry, not knowing her personally. Looked like she might remain an enigma. She’d like to one day get a little more than a grunt out of her. It would have to be reserved for the far slung future however, as evidently not many knew her. “Hey, you’re my inside man now. Need you to vet people so I’m befriending the right ones.” She couldn’t help but volley his tease right back at him, feeling a little more at home, a little more comfortable. “Only really know two people from before the island. Actually! Wait! I watched Jovi’s stuff before but I didn’t know, know him.”

“I guess I didn’t really know the other two either, but familiar faces. Anyway. Yeah, but! That’s why we’re here right? Team work makes the dream work.” Hanan gave Emre a light prod to his shoulder. Nudge of sorts and then a smile that beamed from ear to ear as Emre made his suggestion. “Hey, don’t sell yourself short! Especially after all the big-talk other day Emmy.” Which had been more like the other week, a month ago. Hanan glanced over her shoulder at the rest of the upper farm, hopefully, no-one would miss her for an hour or two.

Before either of them couldn’t be caught playing truant she slung her arm over his shoulder, and wheeled them both away. “Okay, but back to top three films. Very important question. This could be make-or-break in our friendship Emmy. You could secretly be a Twilight fan and I’d never know.”

There was definitely worse things than Twilight, but she didn’t quite feel like exposing herself like that. Besides the mood was light, buoyant and they were on their way towards the edge of the ridge she’d been using for training. If she couldn’t undo the damage caused by the trees. She could do what she did best. Comfort, distraction, and a positive silly attitude. Hanan was almost positive that Emre was not the kind of guy to put Highlander, or Princess Bride, or any fantasy film, good or bad, high on his list but she was holding out hope. Hanan drew away from him so they could walk side by side up the path.

[hananzaki]

akbartheolder​

At Hanan’s grimace, Emre relaxed.  “Take who literally?  What’s ‘literally’ even mean.  No idea what you’re chatting about.”  For an inexplicable reason, Emre was so taken by nervous types on the island.  The garden variety of Mazzys and Nellz, and Hanzys and Wenzs.  The kinds who, to Emre, liked the idea of being good, better than they were good at being good.  Hampered because they lacked confidence, doubted their own potential, carried fears, guilts, or haunted pasts, self-sabotaged…something that manifested an anxious disposition.  

On Meridium, Emre loved it.  He loved it.  He wanted to tease and coddle and encourage their badness - no; not that last part, not anymore. Why he took a shine, Emre didn’t know. Iyaz was never like this; and after Iyaz, Emre had no ready reasons. 

“Yeah.  Leave that to the experts innit,”  Emre agreed. Tomas had the talent.  Emre had no talents in cultivation. So he felt he understood where Hanan was coming from.

“You what.  Them coconut biccies was from you and Wren?  When I got there, I found two.  One had a bite out of it - didn’t know if it were a mouse or man.  But I gobbled them both, honestly.  Bloody hell, they was brilliant.  ‘Kahk’, then? I -”  But Emre’s stomach dropped when Hanan brought up the fake.  His fake had got to Hanan too, and Emre stepped away suddenly, distraught.  It felt like the fake’s memories were lying in wait to ambush him.  One more twist of the screw Emmy; you should suffer so much more.  Blips of leading Hanan into the jungle, with promises of…

Her girl.  Cecil.  A body.  Poor little Hanan, abandoned.  “You’re alive mashallah.  You made it out alive and you’re baking me biscuits for it…”  Emre shook his head, rubbed his face to allay the overwhelmed sensation.  “Right.  Was…and that was when Maz - Madi and them found you, yeah? She told me about that.”

Hanan was so chipper now; and Emre actually wanted to rise to her mood, than drag her down to his.  “Well knackered.  Buggered, zonked, cream-crackered.  It’s maddening, but is life now innit.  We’ve all got to deal with it.  Hope you haven’t run into anything too bothersome, luv.”

A challenge.  Hanan was looking sly, and Emre was taken by it.  His smile slid sideways as he thinned his eyes at her.  “You naughty thing.  You want a climb innit.  Right - anything for our Hanz, yeah.  You got a cliff picked out and all?  Oi - you know when I fall, you better make that ground nice and soft for my landing.”

“Seriously!” Hanan’s brows shot up, trying not to laugh even though it wasn’t really a joke at all. Just one of those reflexes that couldn’t be easily stamped out. Hanan turned over her hands. “Deffo leaving it to the experts. I’ll stick to what I know.” She gave him a mini-salute. Which wasn’t much, but she could weed, she could work with the sugarcane now, and she was willing to learn. She was so ready and willing to be their steady hand. It was a distraction, and a good one, especially now she had some kind of handle on the earth sickness.

“Oof sorry dude, wait a mouse? It’d have to be a preeetty big mouse.” Her smile twisted into something bigger. This time when her brow arched it’s a challenge, a dare to him to over-exaggerate and spin a ridiculous tale. She brought her hand balled into a fist underneath her chin as if leaning in to listen onto his every word.“We had to sorta remix them slightly, but pretty tasty huh?”

“Madi found me…? Oh––actually I met Madi with Mik, do you know him too? Anyway, we got pulled out into the jungle by Harry, well it wasn’t Harry, it was her doppelgänger she left us out there. Do you know Harry? Have you…have you seen her since? I feel like I should talk to her but I haven’t seen her. I didn’t really see her all that much before everything, someone was saying she doesn’t come to camp much is that true? Sorry! I’m asking you like twenty questions huh.” All at a rate of naughts too, any wonder he could keep up.

Hanan’s shield of relentless positivity felt chipped, but she held it up nonetheless. “No I’m made of strong stuff don’t you worry about me. Well you did promise. Or rather I think actually…” Hanan smiled, with a finger pressed to her cheek as if deep in thought. “You said you could beat me? Anyway it’s silly we can do it when you’re a little less…cream-crackered, I have not heard that before. Do you really say that? Like…really really say that? ‘Sides I want a fair match hmm.”

“Walk? Maybe? You said you wanted to come see the farm right? Wait a second hold up, did you call me Hanz?” A new one. She couldn’t contain her laughter this time. “Nooooooo it just makes me think of Hans Zimmer.”

[hananzaki]

ameliaxdalton​

Something Amelia hadn’t stopped to consider would be a side effect of her decision to try and be a bit more present around Meridium; people were… Approaching her. Chatting casually, polite throwaway lines about the weather or water. It was not entirely unwelcome, but still quite jarring. She was still getting around mostly barefoot, so she did have some advanced warning of these approaches, but some surprised her regardless.

Like Hanan, who… Well, Amelia’s memory of the event was fragmented, but her fake had definitely treated her quite badly. So far, Tomas and his fulfilling conversation were the anomale. But she was on her way to the farm, so, even if she said no they’d still be walking in the same direction. She gavea non-commital shrug, wary of whatever it was Hanan could have to say.

Amelia’s brows furrowed in confusion when she apologised first. “You have every right to not want to see the same face as the thing that… Well, whaever she did.” It felt like the first thing listed in the book of poor excuses, but all she had was the truth. “I don’t remember it well. I… I’m glad you’re alright. And I hope- I hope it wasn’t too awful.”

Hanan fell silent long enough to watch, just enough that she could get a gauge on Amelia, nothing deep nor personal, just hungry eyes searching for a flicker. Everyone seemed so…tired these days. Hanan didn’t really known Amelia well enough to make a guess here nor there. In the end she didn’t really need guesses as Amelia spelled it out for her. “It wasn’t you.” Hanan supplied, feeling the cracks form in her hastily clad happiness armour. It hadn’t always been this way. But something about the island had made Hanan bolt for an approach of overzealous happiness whilst in the face of all adversity.

“It’s okay like…” Hanan It wasn’t necessarily okay but they’d all work through it. Somehow. If the stories were anything to go by this wasn’t out of the ordinary, island messing with them all, the whisperings of jinn –- well she hadn’t wanted to believe it. “Between us I mean, what happened it doesn’t really matter I just…how’re you feeling? I know it hasn’t been easy since it all and I promise if you don’t want to talk about it we won’t. I’ll distract you, but I’m here for you. If you need it. Should you need it.”

That was all she could really offer. Some semblance of hope, or reassurance, the knowledge that the deceit of the island would not ruin their shot at friendship – or so Hanan was hoping. “Actually I wanted to bring you a cookie but they’ve all somehow disappeared so, maybe if you aren’t busy later can come visit?” Or they could go now, except that was probably wishful thinking, presumably Amelia had somewhere to be, something else to be doing.

[hananzaki]

cordeliakwan​

Maybe it was ignorance, but Cordelia didn’t even know climbing was included in the Olympics. But that really didn’t make much of a difference, not when the Olympics itself was pretty big and a clear indication of what level Hanan achieved. “Oh wow, that is amazing! And so impressive. Congratulation, Hanan. I know it didn’t just happen, but wow! Really, really impressive.”

Weirdly, that knowledge took off the tiniest bit of anxiety Cordelia had about climbing and failing in front of Hanan - the woman was a pro, the kind of pro she would never be, and knowing just how much better Hanan was, she could just try and fail and enjoy it, there was no point in even trying to reach up to her level. So once she fall down, she just laughed and then let Hanan take over - she didn’t remember her own route, but based on Hanan’s comment she could tell that was what Hanan was doing, and she was watching her fascinated by how naturally Hanan moved on the side of the rock. it was just so much fun to see somebody do the thing they excelled at the most.

And then Hanan fell down too and maybe that was a bit of an ego boost - even hanan couldn’t do it all right away, even if she was much better than Cordelia was. “I am not sure my air could help, I don’t usually do that kind of stuff, and it kind of feels like cheating I guess. I wanna be able to do it by myself, without that kind of help.” She pushed herself back onto her feet, pulled Hanan up, and then faced the rock again. “Okay, let’s try this again.”

END.

[hananzaki]

akbartheolder​

Oh blast.  She was taking him seriously.  Emre watched in increasing (yet still slightly amused, because Yanks were always amusing when they didn’t get it; poor Peter.  Poor poor earnest midwestern Christian-boy Peter, sandwiched between acerbic Iyaz and sardonic Emre) dismay as Hanan made excuses and then began beating herself up.  A Yank special, that one.  Especially in the girls.

Emre rushed over then, hands held out in a placating way.  “No, no no no, darling it were only teasing, my luv.  Taking the mick, honest.”  Emre replayed her words in his exhausted mind, choosing what to tackle first, out of what Hanan said.  “You mucked nothing up.  You’re perfectly fine.  You can work both farms, no one minds.  Bismillah - you could start up your own little Hanan Farm and you’d get all the encouragement for it.  Including from me, alright?  No offense taken, honestly I was just having a laugh.  No need for panic attacks, sweetheart. Soz about the fright; seems I’m chatting as poorly as I’m looking these days innit.”

Ever since those blasted trees.  Emre liked to think he had the waswasah whispers under some control now.  And the insomnia?  His body was reluctantly adapted (not well, but still) to the change in sleep schedule, or lack thereof.

He looked down at the field they were standing in.  “Erm, having fun then?”  A silly, trite question; so Emre then opted to distract.  “Honestly I just came up here to see how it were all going innit.  Haven’t been up here in a while.”

He almost teased again about Hanan better having a preference for the right farm; but stopped himself.  Seriousface only.  Literal and non-dodgy, the way Amercian girls needed to felt safe and reassured.  It was adorable.

Clarity struck her as he spoke. Hanan stuck out her tongue with a grimace-come-smile. “Oh man, oh no. Okay, pretend I didn’t take you literally.” She set down the trowel she’d been using. “Noooo way, not starting my own farm starting to worry my thumbs are too far gone to ever be green. Everything I touch tends to go all…wilty sad.” Hanan did an exaggerated roll of her shoulders to act out the magic death touch. The trees. Anyone that had been in the trees looked worse for wear these days and he was no different. Though she wouldn’t admit it aloud.

“Alhamdulillah, it’s going good. Aam Sisco has been busy, we planted a bunch of trees and I’m just on weeding duty now. “Hey, did you get the kahk we left you? Me and Wren baked some, I couldn’t find you so left the extras for you on the farm.” She’d wanted to give them to him in person, in so much that food always helped to bridge gulfs. “I don’t know if you remember what happened…but I know it wasn’t you.” Hanan tentatively smiled, which grew and grew, it was easiest to let the good mood be infectious. “The island is crazy!”

“Totally loco. But, the people are good.” Hanan said, lifting her gaze to meet his. “You’re good too. Anyway, how’re you diddly doing? I know no-one is really sleeping right now.” A soft way of saying she was worried, Hanan came about to nudge him. “If…how do you Brits say it…knackered? I heard a Brit climber use it once anyway, but if you aren’t too knackered still have a challenge for you. That is if you think you can beat me.” Hanan said, with an easy lighthearted smile, she’d like to think this was akin to Serena Williams beating normal guys, but it definitely wasn’t. But maybe it was just a little. To her.

[hananzaki]

cordeliakwan​

Watched a special and it just spurred Hanan onto the path of climbing step by step. It sounded to Cordelia like Hanan was destined to learn how to climb, to become somebody who lived her life dedicating them for the most part. She wondered sometimes what it would have been like, to dedicate so much time to one single craft, to know what was that one thing you were so good at.

… Then again, she did having a single focus for so long, she wasn’t sure if she was that interested in it for now.

She didn’t quite understand what Hanan was talking about - this bouldering was puzzling -, but in context she had an idea about it, so she didn’t ask about it, just let Hanan continue to talk. “It’s kind of fascinating - how a single hour of watching the tv can change so much, plant a seed that will turn into this amazing, huge part of your life. And now you’re here and you got earth power, right? You can fully embrace the climber and have a connection with the rocks while doing it. That must be really fun.”

She wasn’t quite sure where the Zaki nickname story came from, but it was kind of cute so she just nodded along until, “Oh, you’re on the mountains like the goats, that’s cute.”

They then focused back onto the wall and now she was taking in the wall more - the beginning didn’t seem too hard, that was probably why she got about a meter up and then Hanan showed up. She wasn’t quite sure how she could get further ahead, but she wasn’t going to just not try. Hanan suggested planning the route ahead of time and not to overthink it, so she was going to attempt that at least. “I feel like falling being the fun feels just wrong but I don’t know enough to refute it,” she muttered, more to herself than to Hanan, really, more as a comment than anythnig else - she was already focused on how to get higher up than she originally got.

She didn’t really waste much time. Cordelia had a route in her head, so she went and started on it. The first few steps were on the easier side again, it quickly became pretty hard, though - it wasn’t just finding the right route for it, it was the physical side of it that was even harder, possibly. She knew some air attuned could make themselves lighter, but it wasn’t something she could do herself, or at least not without much preparation and focus, but then she would have just lost her grip and so eventually (relatively) she got stuck on a place where she didn’t feel like she could move further up help herself, either.

“Uhhh, I think–” she was about to ask where she should go next, but then her hand slipped and all she had time for was to make sure she didn’t fall right onto her back, instead fell onto her side, which wasn’t quite a fun experience and she groaned. “Well, it’s not like I thought I’d climb this in a single attempt,” she joked as she pushed herself up onto her feet. “How long do you needed to feel like you got the hang of it?”

“That and pestering my baba to take me climbing. He was always easier to win over.” It was her brother who’d clearly been their mom’s favourite. Hanan had never taken much of an issue with that. “It’s been a journey. Hey! When I met you I was just climbing nationally, well you’ll never guess. I made it and I competed in the Olympics.” Hanan struck out her ankle to show the tattoo that still largely looked fresh, even some years old now. “Anyway, yes that’s me a lil mountain goat.” There’d been a time when she’d hop, skipped up ascents that didn’t require rope but here she was. Humbled to be back at her roots.

Hanan watched intently as Cordelia made a second attempt. “You’ve got this.” She said with eager encouragement, hands splayed and knees braced incase she needed to help. Often when spotting it was about righting someone so they didn’t fall on their head. There wasn’t much more that could be done. Perhaps if she’d been blessed with air it’d be different. Cordelia had paused, Hanan recognised the indecisive nature of her hesitation well, and braced.

Sure enough, moments later Cordelia fell with a great deal more grace than Hanan had. “Rome wasn’t made in a day!” Hanan offered a hand to help pull Cordelia up to her feet from the makeshift mat. Really it was only enough to take the edge out of a fall being no more than sleeping mats piled on with sleeping bags. “It depends from person to person. But that’s the beauty of it, isn’t it? Hey here.” Hanan had memorised the route Cordelia had taken, and slowly copied it for a fresh attempt at an ascent. “Here…” Hanan said, her grip steadfast but it was as if she could feel a steady buzz echoing up her shoulder. “Swing up to here and…” Hanan used her body weight to swing herself upwards, but the move backfired and she slipped. Landing back on the mat without grace.

“Oh shoot.” Hanan righted herself, legs spread out in front of her. “Okay definitely still can’t do that. You might have an easier job of it, with your attunement if you can use air to propel yourself up? Maybe?”

[hananzaki]

shadesofsylver​

Sylver regarded to the obvious with a nod of his head, not minding her jumpiness much - the flowers died down as his focus went away, loosing their petals and their color until there was simple dirt left, spreading over the rocks like a path left by dirty shoes. “As long as it’s not edible.”, he explained, “My marigold’s tend to look horrendous.” He couldn’t grow them at all, to be exact, and if he would have been able to, they would have likely been poisonous, or something like that.

He wiped the dirt from his fingers and pushed his hands onto his hips, with his back hurting from all the work he had been doing on his hut, the posture was pure relaxation and allowed him to relieve some tension from his shoulders. “With the way you made that stone bend, I’m assuming it might be the rocks.” Amusement made his eyes twinkle as he leaned down to inspect the slide-thing she created. “Stone won’t even budge when I say please and thank you and chère pierre.” Something that has never bothered him before - his calling was the earth, the plants and occasionally the metal (something he hadn’t fully gotten to realize yet, but it definitely should have been obvious from the beginning, with the way he felt most secure with his knife in his fingers).

In his eyes, she was fidgety - he was still used to the calm and patience of rich assholes from all over the world, and he liked this fragment of unfamiliarity that reminded him of so many people. “Don’t worry.” Sylver made a dismissive gesture with his hand before pushing it back onto his hip, “I don’t own this place, after all.” Then, after his little attempt to soothen her guilty conscience, he repeated her name, let it roll of his tongue and tested the sound of it, “Pleased to meet you, Hanan.” Lots of words and questions and energy opposing to his quiet and calm, and that raised even more amusement inside of him. A smirk spread on his lips, his eyes closing momentarily as the clouds budged to shine the sun in his face, and he only re-opened them when it was hidden again.

“Roundabout a decade. What about you? Newly stranded?”

Somehow his specifics to which flowers he was better at, and worse at lightened her mood enough to induce a round of giggling. She had never really given much thought to growing flowers, nor the specifics of what might be easier. Hanan had never had much of a green thumb. Really, his accent should’ve been a dead give away the same sing-song lilt she’d come to love. “Peut-être que tu ne…devrais pas demander… si gentiment.” She didn’t quite have the same ease, or comfort in her French but practice was the only route to being better.

“I actually don’t know if that’s the route to success. A friend used to say that to me when I was annoyed with…” Hanan waved off the story. “Offloading stories on you and we’ve only just met. Nice to meet you too.” Had she said that? She’d definitely already said that. Hanan stopped down to scoop up her pack, digging out a mango from within. “Share half? Feels only right after disturbing your peace. I guess you could say I’m new it’s been like…maybe months? I’m not sure  no-one has washed up since I got here and apparently that’s the way of tracking time. Oh wait, why am I telling you this. You’d know this…”

Hanan kissed her front teeth and set about splitting the mango instead. She only had a small utilitarian pocket knife on her but it did the job. If a little messily. “Last I knew it was July 2022 but I think we’re well past that now. Are you…did you spend time in the trees? Here have this…” Hanan offered up one half of the mango, that had been only moderately butchered by the short knife. “Ma tournée…ah that isn’t right, is it? I’m a little out of practice. Wow...decade feels like a lifetime, any tips for a newbie?”

[hananzaki]

Location: Somewhere between the farms @ameliaxdalton

Hanan, if she was being honest with herself, felt a little embarrassed for not coming to visit sooner. She’d made the trek up to the upper farm to assist Sisco tending to the tomatoes, well it’d been a little more than that but that had been just this morning. She slung her pack over her shoulder and intended to hike all the way up to the train. Except she got as far as the perimeter and she just happened to come across her. Hanan chased down the path that led to the lower farm a little breathless as she called. “Hey!” Hanan hop skipped to come to a stop. “Amelia!”

“Sorry to ambush you. Hey, I was heading down to the farm you mind if I walk with you?” The clumsily put together story was reinforced with a cheery smile. “How’ve you been? I’m sorry I didn’t come and find you sooner…” Hanan drew her bottom lip between her lip. What did Amelia remember? It was so easy to forget that it hadn’t been them. It would be so easy to brush it all under the carpet but Hanan was worried. Worried for the ex-tree-people. Worried for them all.