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 Posted: Sat Aug 30, 2008 12:44 pm
Keeta sighed. Another Saturday alone. Well not alone in the true sense of the world, but she was definitely lacking in adult company. Not that Joel was boring or anything, but he couldn't exactly carry on a conversation yet, and he was still asleep. Puttering around, she grudgingly turned on the TV, which she had purchased and hooked up about a month ago, also out of boredom.
Channel surfing, she finally settled on a home and gardening program that was talking about backyard landscaping. Keeta thought maybe she should try her hand at a project like that, which would keep her from sitting around feeling bored and lonely. Joel would probably even enjoy the extra time outside.
As she pondered this idea, a commercial for the local zoo came on, and Keeta watched it with interest. The zoo? Why hadn't she thought of going there before? She'd always wanted to go, but never had...and then the whole thing with Joel...He was getting old enough now that she thought he'd enjoy it at least a little bit. Nodding her head, she decided they'd go....Just as soon as Joel woke up.
* * * * *
Two hours later, Keeta was standing in front of the entrance to the zoo, with Joel strapped securely in his stroller and a whole bag full of various things she thought they might need during the day. At the moment she had out the sunscreen bottle and was trying to appropriately coat her son in the white liquid.Joel wasn't a big fan of this, however and was turning his head this way and that, squirming as she tried to apply sunscreen to his face, arms and legs.
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Posted: Sat Aug 30, 2008 12:59 pm
Jiao'lan had been incredibly bored sitting around the flat waiting on Ke'rehl to get home from job hunting. She had managed to get on the bus, pay her fare, and pay again to enter the zoo. She had never been to such a place and the idea of some familiar and some completely new animals amused her greatly.
Instead of her customary top she wore a ruby red, halter peasant top, both to hide the slight bloating from the fertility meds and, well, she didn't think it quite appropriate, as she was learning a bare midriff in Gaia is sometimes seen as sleazy. She had a small hempen bag slung over her shoulder. She sat down on a bench and began to apply a generous amount of sunscreen to her pale skin.
Children were everywhere. She smiled softly as she watched them with their parents or older siblings.
A young girl, about five years old walked up to her. "How come you got feathers, lady?" She asked before her mother rushed up to her. "Abigale! That's rude." The woman hissed. "S'no' a problem, ma'am...I reckon I look quite odd t'er." She smiled softly knowing the little girl would need a simple, easy answer. "Ah'm related t' 'arpies...de big 'alf bird 'alf 'uman creat'as." She explained. The woman smiled sheepishly. "Again, I am so sorry!" She added.
Jiao'lan smiled.
"Ah sure Ah'd 'ave asked too if'n I were her age...not'ing wrong with curiosity." Jiao'lan reassured the woman. The little girl beamed. "I loooooooooooooooooooooove your big, poufy feathers!" She said, staring a bit. Her mother nodded. "Thank-you for being so understanding ma'am...come on...we haven't seen the elephants yet." The mother told her daughter as the pair walked away.
Well, today was most certainly going to be interesting.
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Posted: Sat Aug 30, 2008 1:15 pm
Keeta had eventually managed to get enough sunscreen on Joel and for a final touch put on him one of those big floppy hats with a chinstrap. She knew that the chinstrap would annoy him, but without it, the hat would tip forward and cover his center eye and she figured that would annoy him even more. She wanted to put sunglasses on him as well, like she had seen some other parents of younger children do, but she didn't think it'd work too well only shading his "normal" eyes, so she decided to skip it altogether.
When they were ready she got in line for a ticket for herself (Joel was free!) and was inside the gates within another five minutes. Just inside the entrance, Keeta pulled out the map they to follow for the day. So absorbed was she in trying to keep Joel from ripping his hat off and in studying the map, that she failed to notice the feathered lady sitting just feet away from her.
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Posted: Sat Aug 30, 2008 1:29 pm
Jiao'lan was hard pressed to forget a face. But placing an odd name to it, that would be the issue. She pushed herself to her feet and walked over to the pair. "Ey dere, Keetah..." She bent over to look at Joel and smiled. "Ello t'you too..." She added before standing up straight again. "Am ah interrup'tin' anyting?" She asked, making sure she wasn't making a pest of herself. The social structures and customs were so different in Gaia!
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Posted: Sat Aug 30, 2008 1:40 pm
"...huh?" Keeta looked up from her map, her blank expression turning into a smile when she saw who was adressing her.
"Jiao'lan! Hi! Oh, no not at all. I was just looking at the map to try and figure out what route I wanted to take through the zoo today. I didn't expect to see anyone I knew here, but I'm glad I ran into you. I've been getting lonely.
"How have you been holding up? Any luck in the motherhood department yet?" she looked around to see if anyone was with the feathered woman and no one seemed to make it apparent they had come with her.
"Are you here by yourself?"
Joel smiled at being adressed and he babbled a greeting back to Jiao'lan. "Bababa"
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Posted: Sat Aug 30, 2008 8:00 pm
Jiao'lan beamed, feathers puffing slightly in contentment. "Es good'ta see you s'well." She said pleasantly. "No, dere's no cake in de coul'ron yet..." She said. "But dese meds are enough t'drive meh mad...Ke'rehl's out lookin' fer a job at the mom'nt, Ah'm goin' stir crazeh in de flat by meself an' though' Ah'd get a leetle fresh air." She explained. "Ah'm sorreh t'ear dat yeh've been gettin' lonleh dough." The female said.
She chuckled sheepishly. "Ah've nev'a been t'a zoo an' Ah though' it migh' be a fun change 'o pace...see some tings dat Ah 'aven't a'fore an' such...but..." She sighed, feathers slicking down closer to her body. "Actuleh, now dat yeh mention't Ah'm not doin' so keen meself...Ah've 'ad a 'orrid 'bout'a 'ome sickness an' de side effects of dese meds aren' 'elpin' matt'as. Dere wearin' meh down...mentalleh an' physicalleh. Ah jest 'ope de pregnanceh'll 'elp distract meh from some 'o et." She forced a smile.
"Bu' Ah'll manage...ah always 'ave."
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Posted: Sun Aug 31, 2008 9:00 am
"I'm sorry to hear they're making you feel poorly," Keeta said sympathetically, patting Jiao'lan on the shoulder.
"I hope it gets better for you soon. Sounds like you've been like me at your place. That's why I decided to come here as well. Never been and a chance to get myself some fresh air, like you said. My man's kind of disappeared as well..." Keeta bit her lip lightly, as she tried to push away the emotion rising in her chest. It was getting a little easier every day, but it still wasn't gone.
"Anyways, you're welcome to join Joel and I if you wish. We'd love to have you," Keeta said with a smile.
Joel was batting at the chinstrap again, the elastic around his chin driving him nuts. He wanted this hat off.
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Posted: Sun Aug 31, 2008 9:15 am
"Ah, well et's fer a good 'cause so Ah've jest been tryin' t'take et all in stride, as et were." She said. The female smiled, finally glad she knew someone in Gaia.
It made the days far less lonesome and hard to deal with. The Keincho-Jin couldn't imagine a male just up and leaving his family but then again that showed how vastly different their cultures were.
"Ah'd love de compa'neh...tank-you fer de off'a," She said before glancing to Joel. "'E 'ates dat hat like nothin' else in dis worl' eh?" She asked.
She also didn't quite understand the use of hats. Afterall, where she had grown up a thin covering of aloe mixed with other plant juices was a very good form of sunscreen. With her fair skin she slathered it on most of the time.
"So, where to firs'?" She asked, not wanting to intrude on her plans.
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Posted: Sun Aug 31, 2008 9:47 am
"Yes, he does," Keeta said, leaning down and trying to readjust it. "It's really the chinstrap that's annoying him, but without it, the hat slips forward and covers up his center eye. I'm still working on a better solution, because I want his eyes to be shaded. I tried sunglasses, but they wouldn't cover his center eye either. So...until I find something better...I think he's going to have to deal with it." She sighed a bit as she fought with Joel's hands trying to get the strap back into place.
He whined and fussed, grabbing at his mommy's hands, not understanding that she was trying to do him a favor. All he knew was that it was bothing his chin! When Keeta finally handed him a toy to occupy him, he was distracted enough and started shaking the toy up and down and occasionally chewing on it.
"And it's no problem, I'm glad to have run into you. I was thinking of heading off to look at the African animals first, so I can show Joel the elephants and lions and whatnot." She pointed towards where a section of the path was heading off toward the right.
"Does that sound ok to you?"
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Posted: Mon Sep 01, 2008 1:38 pm
"Sounds more'n fine ta me." She said with a bright smile. "Ah've actualeh onleh seen what was on de islan' back 'ome so dis is gonna be a real treat Ah'm sure." She said somewhat sheepishly at her own excitement over seeing animals. "De missionarehs nev'a translated any of our words fer animals int'a 'elephan' so...I dun think Ah've ev'a seen one a'fore." Yes, she was anxious and excited, which rolled itself into one bubbly emotion.
She had no idea just how big the world was and what lived in it. Would she ever have quite a bit to tell Ke'rehl when he came home!
The biggest animal they had on the island she was raised on were Causeries, large black, blue and red flightless birds which stood five feet tall and had nasty dispositions so the idea of something as large as a giraffe would be simply mind-boggling.
She began to walk, slowly in case Keeta wasn't ready to head out yet. "Ah dunno if Ke'rehl woul' mind et but...Ah'm proba-leh gonna need ta find a job...ting es Ah dunno what skills Ah possab-leh 'ave dat coul' be of any use." Jiao'lan explained biting her lip slightly.
She was quite good at what her clan called, 'gentleing animals' but she knew that would be of no use in Gaia, or so she thought at any rate.
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Posted: Mon Sep 01, 2008 1:58 pm
Well, from what I know, elephants only live in jungle and desert areas. I don't think they typically end up near the ocean like on an island for example...Although you may have seen a picture of one, since being here and not known what it was. That's how I was when I first came," Keeta said shrugging. She hadn't seen all these animals either. Not in person at any rate.
Explorers from Evin who had traveled to other places in the world had brought back sketches of some of the more amazing animals they had encountered in their travels, as well as the stories of the big cities and crazy things that Keeta had never heard the like of before. Back then, she had only believed half of what she had heard, writing it off as embellishment or fantasy. To her shock and amazement, however, when she made the journey to Gaia, she found that most of what they had said was true! As overwhelming as it had been for her, she could sympathize with Jiao'lan, who had been under even more isolating circumstances.
Only in the past couple years had Keeta become aquainted with things like elephants, tigers, kangaroos and giraffes. And what she knew of them came from what she had seen in books and on TV. She had never seen any of them in person.
"I'm sure there are things you can do that would be wonderful to use as a job skill," Keeta said starting to walk after her, pushing the stroller.
"Tell me about some of the things you're good at and that you like to do, maybe? I can't promise to know of every job in the world, seeing as I've only been here a few more years than you, but I can try to help..."
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Posted: Mon Sep 01, 2008 2:16 pm
Jiao'lan chuckled. "Ah'm good with animals...and...well I can't say good at cookin' 'cause Ah'm sure Ah'm 'orrible in Gaia. Dere's not too much real-eh 'sides...possib-leh sewin' but 'gain I couldn' make the tings people here wear." She said.
A peacock was roosting under the shade of a maple tree near a duck and koi pond where children were buying corn from a machine quite akin to an old fashioned gumball dispenser and feeding it to the animals. As soon as it saw the three approach it rose to it's feet and bobbed it's head slightly before unfurling it's brown, mottled wings and making a sort of half flap, half jump into a low branch and began to coo, staring at Jiao'lan.
She looked to the bird and smiled. "Ah fergot dat birds seemed t'reall-eh take a fancy t'me..." She laughed. "Must be de feathers." The woman mused aloud. "S'one bird 'ere Ah'm familiar with...we kept dem along with jungle fowl...I tink you call dem 'chickens' if Ah'm not mistaken." She explained.
The path branched with two hanging signs over each on metal rods. One read 'African Veldt' and the other, 'Australia'. She took the Veldt path, walking at a leisurely pace.
What looked like a large ravine with thick, bullet-proof glass around it was just ahead. It had acacia trees, and water sources. It was the elephant enclosure. There was a large bull at one end and three females and a calf at the other.
The young woman's mouth dropped slightly, eyes wide with a child-like wonder. She couldn't read the placard that said, 'Elephant' and had a little blurb about them but just seeing the giants was enough for her. She was speechless.
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Posted: Mon Sep 01, 2008 2:36 pm
Keeta smiled in amusement as the peacock seemed to be drawn to Jiao'lan. She had always had a soft-spot for birds, but they had never just come to her like that. As they passed by she turned her head back forward, pushing the stroller behind her feathered companion as she took the path towards the Afican animals.
"Well if you're good with and like animals, there's quite a few career possibilities for you there, if you get the proper training. People in Gaia like t-" Keeta stopped seeing her words were no longer being registered when her friend saw the Elephants. She grinned at seeing her friend's amazement, and she took a good look at the wrinkly, grey-skinned creatures as well, enjoying getting a chance to look at a real one up close. She had never seen one in person, but her amazement was not so intense, as she had at least known what to expect. Still smiling, she reached over and touched Jiao'lan on the shoulder.
"You ok?" she asked, a hint of amusement in her voice. Keeta wanted to get Joel out of the stroller for a better look, but she thought she'd get her friend's take on it first.
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Posted: Mon Sep 01, 2008 2:45 pm
Jiao'lan jumped slightly before smiling sheepishly. "Heh, Ah'm more'n fine..." She said. "So...what exact-leh are dey...'sides huge 'o 'course?" She asked, peeling her eyes away from them for a moment. The tusks, trunks, and ears alone would be impressive but when paired with their size, they were almost mesmerising.
The calf waded into the water and scooped up a bit of mud and threw it over it's head so it landed on it's back before repeating the process until it had a gooey, slosh-y mess all over it.
She chuckled slightly. "No matt'a what kin' 'o creature yeh are kids is all de same." She said with bemusement. Of course she knew the elephant was also doing this to cool off but it looked so happy and playful.
Two sparrows landed on the largest female and began to pick at and eat the mites hiding behind their massive ears.
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Posted: Mon Sep 01, 2008 3:03 pm
"Well...." she started, chucking at the comment about children, before leaning down to unstrap Joel.
He was suddenly still, his eyes wide and all three of them focused on the elephants. The center one was looking at the large male, while the others were focused on the calf. It was obvious these large creatues had caught his interest.
"These are the Elephants I was talking about. They like to eat grass and their trunk, which is the long thing hanging off the front of them, is their nose and can be used much like a hand. From what I understand they're very social creatures and like to live in large groups. I...belive....they are the largest animal with hair that lives on land..." she trailed off, not quite sure if that was the kind of information Jiao'lan was looking for. Vaugely she hoped she wouldn't have to do that for every animal in the zoo, because quite frankly, she didn't know enough about all the animals that would be here. She was sure she'd come across quite a few that would be completely new to her as well.
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