crossing_lostrp | Day 9 Onward and away

After a breakfast of pop-tarts (all the toaster would make) and coffee, the assembled guests stuffed what goods they could into packs and such. Rose produced an extra backpack that was filled with rice and pasta.

The two bags of flour were left behind because of weight. But nutrition bars were packed. As were the Oscial mender and the spare dermal regenerator.

Once outside the TARDIS, they all traverled together to the beach, where the Tranmitter team helped Faith and Mara pack. They carried a map to Camp Crash and a note writen in Ancient.

'Daniel,

This is Faith and Mara. Faith is an old aquiantance of Tara's. They will tell you their story. They have not lied in my presence, and seem genuine enough. Hope to see you in two days with good news. By the way, introduce Faith to Ripley. They seem to have a bit in common.

Doctor'

P.S. Rose said if Sawyer goes anywhere near her kit, please break his fingers.'

Faith and Mara couldn't read it, but were told the gist of it.

They parted good naturedly, and each set off in the oposite direction. One set towards realitive safety, the other towards the unknown.

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Truthfully, Faith itched to go with the group deeper into the jungle, but she had to concede The Doctor's point that it was safer for her and Mara, most definitely for Mara, to head back towards their camp where they could reunite with the other survivors. Still, she couldn't help but sidle up to Ash as the groups geared up to part ways and give him a lascivious wink, her voice pitched low, "I might be ready for that back wash when you get back. And then some."

She didn't look back at him as she strolled away, hips swaying, to take some of the load that Mara was trying to shoulder. "C'mon M, you know I can handle it, and I need something to give me a good workout."

"Awww," Ash said, "you say the sweetest things. I'll be sure to hurry back," he added. But he wasn't sure she'd heard him. Faith was already walking away with a swivel-hipped gait that said she knew he'd be watching her ass. So he made a point of doing so--far be it from him to disappoint a lady.

When Faith had disappeared from sight, Ash turned away and found Jon watching him with an amused expression. "You about done, there, Sparky?" Jon asked. "We're burning daylight."

Ash just grinned at him. "Keep yer shirt on, kid. It's all about priorities. You'll understand when you're older," he said and was rewarded with a scowl.

"Wipe your chin, old man," the kid shot back. "You're drooling."

Mara waved to everyone with fair cheerfulness...including the Tardis. She looked very thoughtful as she turned to follow Faith down the path. "I wonder how long it will take him to solve it," she said after several yards, apropos of nothing.

"Solve what?" Faith asked, half-curious.

"The painting. The painting I made him was a puzzle. A visual puzzle."

"Sounds kind of cool."

"I hope so. I hope he likes it." /And gets the message./

"Oh yeah! He's a geek, geeks love that sort of shit. Besides, if not, Rose'll like it 'cause it's pretty."

"Yeah, I guess." The jungle during the day was a different creature; almost like someone had flipped a switch. It was simply natural now, and...wonderful. "You know I'm doing your walls when we're out of here and you get a place, right?"

Faith grinned. "Oh shit, girlfriend, that'd be cool! Any idea what?"

"I don't know." Mara threw Orrie's ball again, making him run up the path ahead of them a little. Nothing to keep the little goober in line like a lure. "You like variety. Probably something different in each room." And no sunflowers anywhere.

"So, what do you think of the scenery so far?" Faith asked a little while longer.

"It's beautiful, but too hot for me, and I need about a truckload of art supplies."

"No, no no, not /that/ scenery. The guys! Sayid and all them."

"O-oh." Mara blushed. "I-um...I...well...."

Faith laughed. "God, you're hopeless. You're not a virgin, right?"

Mara looked embarrassed. /Might as well be./ "No, I had a boyfriend...before...what happened. But I know I'm high maintenance, so I don't really...you know...look, in that way, much?"

Faith rolled her eyes. "Oh please. No wonder guys don't hit on you, honey. They're afraid you'll run away screaming."

Mara blinked, tried on being hurt, and then caught the thread of Faith's humor and giggled. "Yeah, I g-guess."

As they broke out onto the beach and headed toward their camp, Mara said softly, "Faith, take the tent. You'll need privacy, and I'm already making my own."

If it hadn't been for the seven, now eight days, that she spent in Mara's company, Faith would have been a bit unsettled or confused by her statement. As it was, Faith just shrugged it off with a, "Yeah, sure, whatever you say."

(Need my own tent, eh? Yeah, we'll have to see 'bout that.)

"So, I was thinking," Faith said with a sly smile, "Ash might be cool. I could have fun with him. Maybe he wouldn't take it all too seriously and end up getting all mired down in my shitload of crap and baggage. Sayid," Faith let out an appreciative whistle at the mention of Sayid, "Talk 'bout your wet panties. But he's a bit much on the wearing down the walls bit. He really didn't know what to make of me, and seems like the type who'd start makin' romantic overtures and saying 'I love you,' and going all hatred and blind love vengeance if I got killed or something.

"Way more'n I can deal with right now."

She pulled out the note and studied it, not expecting that she could read it. "I knew I shulda took a foreign language in high school. Maybe I shulda just stayed in high school, heh."

"Ash is a Scooby all grown up, but stuck alone, or thought he was. He might sneak up on you, like too many Strawberry Daiquiris. Be friendly about it with him, okay? He's really a pretty cool guy to hang out with. He doesn't mind me." She ducked her head. Only the last half of that had made any sense to her at all.

The description of Sayid made Mara stumble a little and do that nervous thing she did when she pushed her hair out of her eyes a lot. /What's so horribly wrong with any of that? I really wish somebody would feel that fiercely about me--well, except for the hatred and vengeance and people d--/

She stopped short with her hand over her chest, frozen, reminded of the premonition that had sent her fleeing /from/ Alex instead of /to/ him. Faith, used to this, sighed a little and stopped a minute, knowing these little spells didn't last very long.

Mara caught her breath, her eyes wet. /That's what's getting to me...another deeply religious stoic with too many ethics who's...like that...underneath. Sayid reminds me a little of Alex, and Faith just pointed out why./

"You thinking about Priest-guy again?"

Mara smiled thinly and wiped her eyes, then scooped up Orrie for a slobberhug. "I was trying to run to him when the plane went down...I was supposed to stay away, but I heard him screaming...all the way in Sydney...I know I have to let him go, now. I can't even hear him anymore. That's probably good...I don't think I could stand it." She started walking again.

Faith sighed relief and did as well. "So you're really stuck on this guy, huh?"

"...no. I mean...it isn't appropriate, I know that, and nothing ever came of it. I just...he was the first and only guy since...what happened...to take an interest in me. I was vulnerable."

"...and he was hot."

Mara giggled a little in spite of herself. "Well, yeah."

"See, girlfriend, you gotta get over this shyness trip. Most guys are kinda clueless. You gotta get in their faces."

Mara shrugged her shoulder and set Orrie down to run after her ball again. "Some things I have a talent for. That's never going to be one of them."

Day 9 Onward and away

[Faith] On the Road again (open tag)

[Ash] On the Road again (open tag)

[Mara] On the Road again (tag Faith, open)

[Faith] On the Road again (tag Mara, open)

[Mara] On the Road again (tag Faith, open)