Maybe Time Travel (Cotton & Shades)

Cotton · **Posted:** Sat Feb 06, 2016 6:41 pm

A single, sharp breath. A carefully planted foot. Three quick steps, one after the other. She wouldn't fail again. Xpiayoc would not choke this time. Her hair was tied back, her clothing matching the forest around her. She was the perfect hunter, with her steps of such confidence.
So she liked to think.
Her companion, Hun Hunahpu, had his nose low, tight to the ground, sniffing and snuffling. Occasionally he would let out muffled barks, which Xpiayoc would chastise him for with a smart tap to the head. A hunter was to make no noise if they were truly intent on catching their prey.
Xpiayoc slid carefully across the ground, finding her footing slowly on slippery rocks. The stream was powerful this time of year when the flowers were in bloom, and the young ajaw didn't want to get wet. Not that she was one to fuss over appearances, but if she returned to the village with her garments soiled and hair askew, there would be questions. That was because a young girl was not to hunt. A young girl was not to explore. They were to do as they were told, and stay safe. Xpiayoc snorted in derision at the thought.
She made it across the stream. Hun Hunahpu was not so cautious, boldly splashing through and snapping playfully at the water spray that sparkled with the sun's light. Xpiayoc didn't hush him this time, instead smiling softly at the dog's antics. She remembered when she had received him, a wrinkly creature no larger than a ripe squash. Her brother had taught her how to train him to sit, come, stay, heel, and fetch. He was a good companion, and perhaps the closest friend Xpiayoc had.
As they began to clamber over the bank, Hun Hunahpu's ears went straight up, his body still, but strained. He smelled something. Xpiayoc hoped it was a deer. She lifted herself over the bank with her arms, keeping low to the ground. She turned and gripped Hun Hanahpu under the armpits, pulling him up swiftly before he could protest with his large, droopy eyes. She turned to the world of the new side of the bank. There was a deer. With her dark, keen eyes, she could pick out its shifting fawn coat among the broad-leaved trees and bushes. She crawled forward and hid behind a large, old punab tree, pulling Hun Hunahpu with her. She made him sit and squatted herself, taking a long, deep breath with closed eyes. She was ready.
In a flash of quick, dance-like steps, she was around the tree, arrow nocked. Breathe in. Breathe out. Shoot.
The arrow was swift and sure, whistling on its way. Xpiayoc held her breath. Thunk! The arrow landed, not in a tree, not in the earth, but in its target. The huntress' eyes widened in pleased shock as she watched the deer hit the forest floor. She had done it.
Hun Hunahpu barked. Xpiayoc did not stop him. In fact, she joined in, her surprise melting away into extreme joy. She barked, shouted, and babbled incoherently. She danced and spun. She was a howler monkey of the forest as she approached her kill.
Xpiayoc soon noted that her 'kill' was not quite dead. It twitched in a frightening manner as it clung on to the scraps of life it couldn't possibly keep. She moved forward slowly, drawing a knife from her belt. As she looked into the eyes of the creature she couldn't help but feel sad. She looked away as she drew the knife across its neck to fully extinguish its life.
The eyes weren't as sad now. Instead they were glassy and lifeless, like dull marbles. Xpiayoc went to work cleaning the corpse of meat and other useful things. She threw the unwanted pieces to Hun Hunahpu, which the canine gladly took, lying and rolling in the sun as he chewed.
Xpiayoc tucked the meats in her satchel hastily, shading her face with her hand as she looked up at the sky. She should be heading back.
She left as gracefully as she had come.
Xpiayoc began running as she left the treeline of the forest and entered a wide, grassy field. Suddenly the field fell away to a downward slope, and in the small valley below, past the vibrant green grass, was Holmul. She could see the adobe huts, the pok-a-tok field, and the stone temples. It made her feel trapped. She increased speed, letting the wind take her downhill. Her feet flew. She felt out of control, in a good way. Until she tripped, sending her tumbling down the hill.
Once Xpiayoc stopped rolling, she let out a whooping laugh. She sat cross-legged, bringing her bag into her lap to make sure she hadn't spilled any of the contents. Hun Hunahpu came to her side, having gone down the hill in a more careful fashion.
Xpiayoc patted her bag, happy that she hadn't lost anything. She stood up and tried to rub the grass stains out of her huipil. The attempt was not successful. The huipil she wore was more mute than her others, but the imperfections to the outfit were still distressing. She shrugged it off, reasoning that she could simply wash her clothes later.
As Xpiayoc entered the city, she noticed that the houses were all mostly empty. Few wandered the streets. That must mean they had visitors. She increased her pace, though not as recklessly as she had before. Her sandals slapped against the hard earth, pressed down by thousands of sandals before her. Xpiayoc often wondered how many people lived now, and how many people had lived in the past. Many, many people, she imagined. She rounded a corner, and before her was the market square, even busier than usual, because of the visitors. There were many bright colours, fabrics, carvings, and food overwhelming the wooden stalls. People walked back and forth, and children ran aimlessly through, cheering and playing imaginary games. Some faces Xpiayoc recognized, others she did not: those were the foreign traders. The smell of poc chuc made the girl's mouth water. Hun Hunahpu also seemed excited, wiggling and prancing just ahead of her. She heeled him, giving a stern glance as they fully entered the market.
Xpiayoc was looking for a specific stall. It didn't take her long before she both smelled it and spotted it. It was a booth that sold meat, just by the central pillar, run by a short man who was currently counting cacao beans.
"Hello, Iktan," Xpiayoc's voice was cheerful and rich, like the hot chocolate of her people. Despite its melodic sound, Xpiayoc couldn't sing or even chant, not having the ear to understand music.
Iktan turned from his counting and grinned a mouth of jade. "Hello, Xpiayoc," he said, leaning against the post of his booth, "how are you today?"
"Well." Xpiayoc was not one for pleasantries, but for business. Her father and mother had raised her that way. If you spoke about anything other than business, they could rope you in with sympathies. She looked into her bag and pulled out the meat from her deer kill.
Iktan raised a bushy black eyebrow. "Does your father know you were hunting?" he inquired, examining the quality of the meat with a careful eye.
"No. And you won't tell him, yes?" Xpiayoc put her elbows on the stall, head resting in her hands. A cheeky grin adorned her face like a pearl necklace. She had done business with Iktan before, and he was a friend. Xpiayoc had never brought in something this large before, however.
Iktan laughed. "I suppose not. What do you want for this?" He pointed to the meat, satisfied with its grade.
"Nothing. The thrill of the hunt is payment enou-" Hun Hunahpu interrupted his owner by snatching a hunk of steak off the stall. Xpiayoc barked in annoyance, readying to hit him, but Iktan laughed once again.
"Your dog's dinner is payment," he chortled, wiping tears from his eyes, "now, don't you have traders to pester?" He didn't wait for her response, instead giving a quick wink before turning to work at his booth.
Xpiayoc blushed for a slight moment, head bobbing in affirmation. He knew her well. "Heel!" she called to Hun Hunahpu, snapping loudly. The dog stood, meat hanging from his mouth with pride. She shook her head in a mixture of annoyance and amusement as she entered the mull of people. She let herself be taken by the flow of bodies, toward the east side of the market.
The foreign traders were congregated together, selling from the back of their cart. Xpiayoc could see obsidian and many, many feathers. The feathers were beautiful and bright: some Xpiayoc could not recognize.
"Hello," Xpiayoc tapped one of the traders on the shoulder. He turned to her for a moment. He was very tall, and Xpiayoc tried not to feel intimidated. She knew that her people were short, and she was one of the shortest.
"Do you have anything to trade?" The man asked sharply, making a big show of what a busy man he was. Xpiayoc tried not to laugh.
"No, I don't, but-"
"Then get out of the way. We are very busy, little girl." The trader pushed her away with one contemptuous brown hand. Xpiayoc's mouth opened and closed like a fish, eyebrows drawn together in annoyance. Little girl?! She was almost 19, and a distinguished ajaw! She began to collect herself, standing tall. Turning away from the cart, she thought what a shame it was. The exotic feathers had really caught her eye, and she had been hoping to hear stories from afar.
Xpiayoc decided to leave the market. If the traders wouldn't tell her stories of their adventures, she would find her own. She slipped back into the forest, praying to the gods that something exciting might happen in her life, just once.

Shades · View Likes **Posted:** Sun Feb 07, 2016 8:57 pm

Dublin, Ireland

In that small room, two people stood facing each other - a man and a woman. The man was old enough to be the woman’s father - probably because he was - and had a very concerned expression while he spoke to her.

“You need to be extremely careful, Sue, please”, the man nearly pleaded, his hands holding the girl’s. “You have never been to a place like this before. Anything can happen, so please, take all the notes you can and come back in twenty four hours”.

“Yes, father, I know. You say it every time I travel”, the girl replied, in a somewhat bored intonation.

“And you disobey every time”, the man reminded his daughter, shaking his head.

The young woman fell silent for a moment, her gaze going to the bookshelf across the room. “Fine. You have a point”, she finally conceded. “I will not linger this time. I know of the risks”.

The man wasn’t convinced, as he was sure that his daughter always ‘knew’ of the risks every time she took a trip to another era. “And what are the risks, Susannah?”, he asked, in his usual patient intonation.

Susannah kept silent for a moment, nibbling on her lower lip. “Worst case scenario, they might freak out in seeing I’m different, and consider me some sort of witch or other unholy being and kill me”, she pondered.

The man also pondered for a moment. He had other possible scenarios in mind, but that was definitely the worst one, so he decided not to present any others. “Indeed. And that is why I want you back as soon as the watch is ready to travel back. And in the name of all that is holy, do not actively change anything”, the man reminded his daughter.

“Yes, father”, Susannah replied, as she always did. After these words, she checked her instructions and adjusted the pocket watch carefully for the right year. Since she was traveling to a time so far removed from her own, Susannah knew day and month mattered little, and adjusted the date to match the current one, just to make remembering it easier. After making sure she had all she would need - basically a rucksack with era appropriate clothes and her notepad plus pens -, Susannah kissed her father’s cheek. “See you in twenty-four hours. Have food ready”, she said as her farewell.

After this brief farewell, Susannah checked if the watch was set properly, and then pressed the ‘travel’ button. The process happened as it usually did. A sudden gust of wind surrounded the young woman, affecting nothing else but her, and her image started fading slowly from the library.

Her ‘landing’ was a lot less smooth than her exit from her current time. She literally crashed into the location for her new assignment, falling down and crashing against several branches from a tall tree before falling on her face with a groan.

And as it was her luck - or maybe Xpiayoc’s -, the ‘stranger’ would land practically at the young woman’s feet and stay still for a few moments, trying to figure out whether or not something had been broken before she could try and move.

Cotton · **Posted:** Fri Mar 11, 2016 7:41 pm

Xpiayoc let out a frustrated huff, picking her way through the trees. The more she obsessed about the magnificent plumage of the traders, the more upset she became. Even if she was a little girl, like the trader had so self-righteously sneered, she was still an ajaw, and so highly loved by her people for her inner fire, a blessing from the gods.
"Hun Hun," Xpiayoc called the dog to her side in a more affectionate manner than usual as she sat herself, back resting on a tree. She kept one knee up and left her arm rest on it, other hand patting the ground for Hun Hunahpu to sit. He let out a cheerful bark and cuddled by her, knowing to take advantage of her more affectionate mood.
Admiring Hun Hunahpu's dark chocolate coloured skin, Xpiayoc gave him a few strokes down the back. He was always so soft, and such a unique colour. Sometimes Xpiayoc wished she had skin like that. Then, when she was sad, she could stroke her arms and feel better. But of course, she already had Hun Hunahpu for that. Xpiayoc was often like that, thinking of ways to be independent from others. It wasn't that she didn't care about anyone, but if something could be done by herself, she would do it.
Slowly, Xpiayoc began to nod off. It was only midday, but hunting had taken quite a lot out of her. She hunted and adventured as often as possible, testing her endurance and going farther and farther from the village each day. She wished that maybe, some day, she would go as far as to find another village, and never return home.
Just as she closed her eyes, Hun Hunahpu stood up and began barking frantically at the sky, jumping in a wild circle. Xpiayoc flailed wildly from her state of half-sleep, letting out an extremely annoyed shout.
"Hun Huna-" Before Xpiayoc could finish her reprimand, something came crashing through the branches above them, landing directly between the young Mayan and her dog.
Xpiayoc hushed her dog and immediately gained composure, despite the curious nature of proceedings. It was in her character to be controlled more by curiosity than fear. As a precaution, she began reaching for her bow. Her heart dropped as she realized it wasn't on her back; it must have fallen when she rolled down the hill. So there were consequences to her impulsiveness. After thinking for a moment, she grabbed her skinning knife and approached the body slowly.
Xpiayoc quickly identified the person as a woman, but she was unlike any woman the ajaw had ever seen in her entire life. The stranger's hair was coppery red, a colour belonging on a dog or in the ground, not on someone's head. Her clothes were strange as well, so blandly designed. Was she a traveler, from far away? Certainly from farther away than any trader Xpiayoc had ever seen. And she had fallen right from the sky!
Against her better judgement, Xpiayoc crouched right next to the woman and poked her cheek. "Who are you?" The young girl spoke in her most commanding voice, holding the knife in a powerful manner. She was now in control of this woman, until she learned more about her, "speak, strange woman!"
Hun Hanuhpu circled the two, ears alert as he watched his owner's body language. Xpiayoc knew that if she was attacked, the faithful pup would protect her.
"Come now, speak!"
Perhaps this was the adventure Xpiayoc had been looking for.

Shades · **Posted:** Mon Mar 14, 2016 12:58 pm

Shades wrote:

Susannah took a deep breath when the other young woman poked her cheek. She had not expected to meet someone right away, as she had not expected to fall as she had done. Well, it was too late to expect anything other than what she had gotten.

With a sigh of relief - nothing was broken - she started moving slowly. Her face was very different from others that Xpiayoc had seen as well, probably. Her skin was very fair, dotted with freckles, and the eyes had a hue between green and blue.

Despite her strange appearance, the odd visitor seemed harmless enough, even friendly. Moving slowly, she sat up, keeping her hands in sight as a way of making known that she meant no harm. As she had no idea how friendly or unfriendly the one she had met was, Susannah told herself, it was for the best that she kept an attitude that could in no way be constructed as threatening. Between a young woman with a knife and a dog, after all, she held no chances if they felt threatened by her presence or any of her movements. And - she thought, eyeing the dog - the animal would probably bite first and ask questions later.

Making a gesture for the other one to wait, Susannah fumbled with something in her pocket - her translating device. Not removing it from her pocket, in case Xpiayoc would mistake it for a weapon, Susannah finally spoke - in her language.

"I apologize if I have startled you. I come from far, and mean no harm. I am only passing by this place and have no intention of staying", she explained.

"I am named Susannah among mine, but you may call me as you prefer. I have no weapons or ill intents".

Once she had finished speaking, Susannah kept her hands in sight and waited. It was, after all, the best way to deal with someone who had a weapon and apparently intended to use it.

Cotton · **Posted:** Mon Mar 14, 2016 4:29 pm

Xpiayoc stood in a defensive stance and watched intently as the stranger slowly lifted herself from the ground, making strange gestures. She didn't appear threatening, but Xpiayoc had been tricked before. When she and her brother would rough-house at a younger age, Gabor would pretend to be bested before springing from the ground when she was least prepared.
"Don't think your enemy is a fool, or you will be fooled," he had said, giving her hair a light tussle before helping her up. She had always been weaker than him, but fought with a fierce tenacity. Despite her bravado, Xpiayoc had never been in a real fight for her life, and wasn't prepared for one now. Her thoughts turned to Hun Hunahpu, with his natural weapons: jaws and claws. He was ready for a fight, hackles raised, but to Xpiayoc, the pacing was distracting. She tapped her leg and he came to sit at her side, nose still straining to be close to the new, strange-smelling woman, who was currently fumbling around in a shirt pouch. Xpiayoc tightened her grip on her skinning knife, prepared to strike first should a weapon be withdrawn. The weapon wasn't the best for a fight, and Xpiayoc much preferred her bow, but anything was better than her bare hands against such a large person. The woman withdrew her hand slowly, and Xpiayoc was relieved to find it unarmed.
The woman began speaking abruptly, as if something had been holding her back before. Xpiayoc stepped back in surprise. The woman spoke clearly and formally, the words of Xpiayoc's own language falling from her tongue perfectly. The only thing that stood out was the name she gave herself, Susannah. It was unlike anything Xpiayoc had ever heard, even from traders and adventurers, and meant nothing in Yucatec. It was as strange as the woman who bore it.
The woman said she came from far away. That much was glaringly obvious as Xpiayoc stared into her jade coloured eyes. Xpiayoc thought back to her own, a set of dark, hooded orbs. If she could replace her eyes with precios stones, she would.
Only passing through? Xpiayoc mused, passing the skinning knife to her other hand and shifting her weight. She must have already traveled far to come here, let alone to go even farther. When Susannah said that she wasn't a threat, the huntress couldn't help but relax slightly, still keeping her position of power.
"You are strange," Xpiayoc finally began, a slight frown on her face, "where are you from, and why are you traveling?" The hardness of her face and voice was dissipating, replaced with Xpyiaoc's natural, childlike wondering. If the phrase 'curiosity killed the cat' were to be applied to anyone in the village, it would be her. It took all Xpiayoc could not to sit on the ground and ask hundreds of questions, but her brother's words of warning echoed in her head, keeping her safe from the possible danger that this woman presented.
Hun Hunahpu licked Xpiayoc's hand, and she fought back a giggle, tapping his nose lightly. He was such an inattentive fool.

Shades · **Posted:** Tue Mar 15, 2016 3:43 pm

Shades wrote:

After saying what she had to say, Susannah kept silence. She felt that the other young woman was scared, and she wanted Xpiayoc to understand that she was not going to bring her any harm. It was the first thing she needed to accomplish, after all.

Having been found out now, Susannah needed to think on her feet. She couldn't be known by everyone else, as it would be very dangerous. Unlike the young woman she was speaking to, others, older and wiser, would probably see her as a threat and order her killed.

Touching her neck, Susannah closed her eyes for a moment. What could she offer without causing too many problems?

A smile curved her lips when she heard that she was strange. "I am indeed", the red haired woman replied. "I am from a land which is named Ireland. It is very far from here, to the North", she answered, deciding to keep things simple, but truthful. "I come here, and to other lands, to learn about the places and people", she completed. It was a good and neutral way of explaining why she was there without actually getting down to the details.

"If you do not hand me over to your elders - as they would probably kill me -, I will tell you everything about my land and our customs, and you can tell me about yours. I promise I come in peace and will not harm you. On my word, you may kill me where I stand if I cause you any sort of harm. Have we a deal?".

Yes, Susannah knew she was probably making a bad decision there. But things had already gone wrong, so all she could do, now, was to try some damage control.

"Would you like me to prove that I have no weapons in my possession?", she asked, after some thinking. It was prudent to offer, after all.

Cotton · **Posted:** Fri Mar 18, 2016 10:22 pm

Ireland? Xpiayoc had heard of many places, but Ireland wasn't one of them. The word held an unnatural strangeness, just like the name Susannah did. Of course, if Ireland was so far away, it would make sense that they had different words with different sounds. Xpiayoc had met travelers that spoke with different languages before, but none of those travelers had fallen from the sky.

So Susannah was an explorer. Xpiayoc couldn't help but feel a twinge of jealousy. The woman looked about her age, maybe a little bit older, and she was allowed to go out on her own and learn about the world and other cultures? Maybe it was because the woman was so large. She looked like she could take care of herself in a fight, being even taller than the trader that had snubbed Xpiayoc so harshly on those beautiful feathers. Imagining Susannah punch the man out gave Xpiayoc internal satisfaction.

Xpiayoc was startled by Susannah's next statement. It was something she herself had not considered yet. The elders were wary, but were they so wary as to kill a stranger on the spot? They would kill prisoners and cowards who surely deserved it, or have them play pok-a-tok, which Xpiayoc loved to watch, if she ignored the inevitable outcome for one of the teams. Was it crime enough, to simply be strange? Xpiayoc thought back to her father. He was loving to her, his only daughter, and was a strict but kind ruler. He wasn't wary of the average trader, but Susannah was wild-looking, with her pale face, dog hair, and height.

In keeping Susannah away from the city, she said she would repay Xpiayoc with knowledge of far away. A most interesting trade, the kind that made her skin prickle with excitement and distant dreams. The elders had told her stories of the gods and their people hundreds of times, until they had become bored of her pestering, and the traders would give their knowledge to her, if they respected her, but Susannah was special. Her stories would be a precious jewel, stored in Xpiayoc's mind. The trade seemed fair.

Again, Susannah repeated that she wasn't a threat. Xpiayoc was beginning to believe her. She wanted to believe. She wanted to sit in the dirt and stare in wonder at the foreign woman's face, counting the number of spots on it.

To Susannah's question about weapons Xpiayoc nodded, lowering her knife to her side and watching the woman carefully, her stance more relaxed, but still ready to defend herself. This woman was no harm, she hoped. Hun Hunahpu sensed his master's defences dropping and sat down, resting his head on his paws. Lazy dog, Xpiayoc tutted internally.

Shades · **Posted:** Mon Mar 21, 2016 8:51 am

Susannah really hoped that what she had to offer was enough to get some cooperation from Xpiayoc. She had noticed that the young woman was very curious, and it might work to her advantage. And of course, she meant it when she said she was not a threat. She would never harm anyone in there unless she needed to defend her own life. And she had no illness that could be communicated - a problem that she knew could be very serious in a place like that. So, she was 100% not a threat for anyone who was not out to kill her. And she did indeed hold no weapons, as it was a part of her code of conduct.

When the girl indicated that she would want to be sure that she had no weapons, Susannah obliged right away. She had no reasons not to, after all.

“I may have some strange items, but I promise none of them is a weapon, and I will explain what they all are”, she warned beforehand.

That said, Susannah started taking off of her person everything that was not her clothes, and explaining while she did so.

First, she removed her necklace, with a small silver cross. “This is a simbol of my religion, it’s for protection”, she explained.

She then removed the object in her pocket. “This is for me to be able to communicate with you”, she stated.

A tube of lip balm came out afterwards. “This is for when my lips get dry”, she explained, demonstrating how it worked by taking the cap off, spinning the white tube and passing the light blue inner tube on her lips.

A plastic bottle of water followed. “And this is just water. That is all I have on my person”, she finished, calmly.

Once everything was placed at her feet, Susannah waited patiently, watching the girl’s movements. Should she want to touch anything or ask questions, Susannah would happily oblige, as she imagined all of that would look alien to Xpiayoc.

Cotton · **Posted:** Thu Mar 24, 2016 11:09 am

Susannah wasn't armed, dropping Xpiayoc's caution. Her longing for companionship and knowledge of far away worlds was too great for her to continue to be defensive. Her pride of self caused her to retain the authoritative state of speaking that she had had when Susannah was a possible threat. She was an ajaw, after all.
This allowed Xpiayoc to openly stare in wonder at the objects now displayed in front of her. The items that Susannah produced were in a progression from unusual to otherworldly. The silver necklace in the shape of a cross was understandable. The beads, jewels, feathers, fabrics, and very stones of her life were embedded with symbols of her and her people's gods. Many were to bring protection. The next item looked like a gray stone with carved protrusions, yet the woman said it was for communication? Xpiayoc didn't understand what she meant by that, but then, she was from far away. Perhaps it was another religious talisman for clear speech and thoughtful words.
The tube that Susannah pressed to her lips was strange. The material itself looked like a chalk stick, and despite its bright, beautiful colour, none of it came off on to her lips. Xpiayoc reached up and touched her own lips, rubbing her fingers lightly over them. This time of the year was hot, with beautiful rain that added a buzz and warmness to the air, like a steam bath, so her lips were smooth. In the dry months, her lips would sometimes crack and dry, but she had never thought there was something to seek relief from it.
Carrying water was of no shock to Xpiayoc. She had often used a limeta, made with a cut and hollowed luch, the orange kind with with the curved middle. It always gave the water a special, pleasant taste, different from taking it directly from a reservoir, cave, or spring. The thing that was interesting about Susannah's water was the carrying device itself. It was clear, and made a strange crinkling noise as Susannah put it down. Xpiayoc watched as the water lapped from side to side of the bottle before finally settling. Xpiayoc turned her attention to Susannah, staring firmly into her eyes before slowly crouching down on to the ground, not letting go of her knife as she began examining the items with one hand.
Hun Hunahpu took this as the cue to put down his guard. He let out a cheerful yap, lunging towards Susannah and vigorously sniffing her clothes from foot to hair. His tail thwacked Xpiayoc in the face; she pushed his hindquarters out of her way, letting out a huff and adjusting her dark hair. She wished that Hun Hunahpu could speak, and tell her what he learned from Susannah's scent. "if he bothers you, tell him binel and he should," Xpiayoc shot an annoyed glare at the overly excited dog, "leave you alone." Xpiayoc reached for the water bottle, letting out a surprised breath at the texture of the container. It was smooth, like a polished stone, but crinkled like a thick sheet of paper when she held it firmly. She fought with the cap on top of the bottle, the hard round object refusing to budge. Finally it twisted open, and in Xpiayoc's hastiness, some of the water spilt to the ground. Xpiayoc continued her investigation unabashedly, tipping the bottle to her lips and taking a small sip. It tasted wrong, with none of the freshness from the water of a luch limeta. Xpiayoc put the cap on the bottle and offered it back to Susannah, face twisted in a slight grimace. "Your water is bad," she said, her eyebrows drawn firmly over her dark face. The stranger didn't seem like a fool, but her water carrying device didn't seem very effective.

Notes: limeta means bottle / luch means gourd / binel means to go

Shades · **Posted:** Mon Mar 28, 2016 2:14 pm

Susannah was relieved that Xpiayoc seemed to have dropped the defensive posture. That would definitely make things much easier. For both of them, actually. Susannah would never harm Xpiayoc unprovoked, but she was ready to defend herself in case of an attack. Heck, non-interference didn’t mean ‘let yourself get killed’, after all.

Once she had placed all the items she carried with her, Susannah waited patiently for the younger woman to check everything out. She was worried that the communicator would get damaged, but took a relieved breath when Xpiayoc handled it carefully. Should that stop working, she would be in a very complicated situation.

Watching as the girl touched her lips, Susannah opened her mouth to ask if she wanted to try the lip balm. She closed it without saying anything, though. It was for the best that she did nothing that could cause any problems.

Laughing a bit when Xpiayoc’s dog came close to her, Susannah shook her head and allowed Hun Hunahpu to sniff her. Hearing the girl’s words made her nod. “Do not concern yourself. He does not bother me at all”, she said, one hand scratching behind the dog’s ear. “He is a good boy”, the young woman added.

She watched as the girl tried her water. A smile showed on her face when Xpiayoc said her water was bad. “I believe so. Would you show me where I can get good water?”, she asked, believing that letting Xpiayoc teach her something would make her more pleasant to the other one. “I am sure that the water you have here is much better than this one - and of course, while we walk, you may ask me whatever questions you might have about anything”, she completed after her request.

Cotton · View Likes **Posted:** Mon Mar 28, 2016 10:12 pm

Hun Hunahpu was treated well by Susannah, putting Xpiayoc further at ease. She isn't made of wood, Xpiayoc mused, watching as Susannah pet Hun Hunahpu behind the ear, so she can't be evil or heartless. Despite Susannah saying it was fine, Xpiayoc decided Hun Hunahpu had had enough fun. "Talel, Hun Hun," she said, tapping her thigh. The dog let out a reluctant yap before turning to sit at his master's feet. Xpiayoc tried not to glow with pride when Susannah admired her canine companion. Her brother had trained him well, and many people in the village had admired his faithfulness to Xpiayoc.

Xpiayoc passed the water container back to Susannah, running her tongue along her pointed teeth to get rid of the taste. "Of course I can show you water better than this," Xpiayoc grimaced. She wasn't one to hide emotions in her words or face, not afraid of insulting the traveler's inadequate resources. Xpiayoc tapped her chin and took a quick look around to receive her bearings. There was a cenote nearby to the east. It would have the best water, but foreigners weren't allowed in the spiritual pools. There were many chultuns in and near the city, but if Susannah was seen, they would be questioned profusely. There was a well beyond the city, but it was far. Xpiayoc frowned as she thought. We will walk together and I will judge her character, Xpiayoc thought. A good plan. "Come," she commanded, nodding firmly to Susannah. Hun Hunahpu jumped up and followed her.

Xpiayoc began walking south-east, giving herself room to decide where to go on their journey. She bagn walking backwards to ensure that Susannah was following, feet carefully placed among the undergrowth of the forest.

It was only fair that Xpiayoc introduce herself, after Susannah had so freely offered her name. "I'm Ix Xpiayoc Kan Ajaw, and this," Xpiayoc patted the top of Hun Hunahpu's head, "is Hun Hunahpu." Xpiayoc couldn't hold her questions in any longer. "What is your home like? Who are your gods? What's in the north? Where else have you traveled? How did you get here? Why did you fall from the trees?" Xpiayoc blurted, letting the questions spill from her lips without filter.

Notes: Xpiayoc's statement she isn't made of wood relates to the second attempt of creating man by the gods, when they tried creating the race from wood. The wooden humans had no emotions and wouldn't care for or feed animals, specifically dogs / a cenote is a natural underground cave filled with water / a chultun is a man-built underground cistern

Shades · **Posted:** Sun Apr 03, 2016 4:12 am

Susannah was sure that she was being watched very carefully by Xpiayoc. Still, her attitude towards her dog had nothing to do with the fact that the interaction was being watched. Susannah really liked dogs, and that one seemed to be a well-behaved specimen. And of course, pleasing a dog was a really good way of pleasing its master. Anyone who had ever had a dog could easily know that. So, it was for the best that Hun Hunahpu had liked her, it made things easier.

When the dog went back to Xpiayoc, Susannah stayed where she was. She didn’t want to do anything wrong and raise Xpiayoc’s suspicions again, after all.

Taking her bottle back when Xpiayoc returned it to her, Susannah nodded when the young woman said she could show her better water. She was pretty sure of that, as bottled water couldn’t really measured up to real fresh water. Waiting patiently for Xpiayoc to make up her mind about where they would go to find water, Susannah jumped to her feet right away when commanded.

As soon as Xpiayoc started walking, Susannah followed her, keeping about two steps behind. This way, she could see where Xpiayoc was going without getting too close and risking tripping on her feet, since the other woman had decided to walk backwards.

When Xpiayoc introduced herself, Susannah bowed her head in a greeting. “It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance”, she replied politely. “And yours too”, she completed to the dog in a lighter intonation. The questions were heard patiently and Susannah started speaking as soon as she was sure that Xpiayoc had finished her questioning. “My home is a very large house, made of mortar and brick - materials everyone where I live uses to make sure their homes last a long time. We have only one god, and we refer to him simply as God or the Lord, but there are also saints, who are sort of minor gods. Of these, I feel closer to Saint Patrick, a saint from my own home land. In the north there are many other lands. Most of them are very different from here. They are colder, and the people look different. Some of them look like me, some have black hair but fair skin, or yellow hair, like the color of gold. I have traveled to many countries and seen many different people and places, it would take days to tell of them all. I have gotten here through a special way of transportation from my land, and I have landed on the trees because something went wrong”.

After all these answers, Susannah fell silent. She was pretty sure her answers would only spark more questions, but not answering would have been way worse.

Cotton · **Posted:** Tue Apr 05, 2016 9:28 pm

Once Susannah had begun walking, Xpiayoc slowed and turned to walk beside her, Hun Hunahpu trotting between the strange pair. Xpiayoc waited for the traveler to answer all her questions, breathless from speaking so rapidly. She tended to talk faster when she was excited, sometimes walking the line between coherent speech and gibberish. Her parents had always berated her for it, stating that it was a form of impatience, which Xpiayoc couldn't help but know to be true. Speaking took far too long to do. The faster she could get all of her ideas out, the faster people could respond to them, and get things done.

So the people from Ireland also used mortar and brick to help build their houses. Xpiayoc had watched and helped build both mud brick and stone block houses, and she herself lived in the latter, being from one of the influential families. The materials themselves were unremarkable, but what was beautiful was the carvings and stories written on the outside of many buildings. Even he thatched huts of the average citizens were decorated in a beautiful manner. And of course, there were the roof combs. Xpiayoc would never say it aloud in the city, but she had always thought they looked a bit silly.

Tilting her head in surprise as Susannah mentioned that she only had one god, Xpiayoc thought to her own religion. She prayed and went to ceremonies like any other self-respected member of her city. How she loved the clothing and the bright colours and the dancing and chanting. As an Ajaw, she had to know how to lead her people through such ceremonies, and help them with their godly troubles, but it still seemed all too confusing. If a member of the community approached her with a problem, she usually suggested sending prayers to Ahau Chamahez and Ah Puch, if it was to do with health, and Itzamna if it was for understanding or good crops, as well as a bird or deer sacrifice. Xpiayoc never recommended a dog sacrifice, being too attached to her own companion. She was also afraid of the idea of the sacrificial bloodletting that commonly happened during the burning of idols. Why would the gods want to cause her pain? She was a highly-respected woman in the city, but thankfully not high enough status to be considered worthy of a bloodletting sacrifice.

Of all the gods, Xpiayoc most appreciated Alaghom Naum. She couldn't imagine a world without human thought and intelligence. Perhaps Naum was much the 'Saint Patrick' that Susannah referred to being close to.

A tangle of particularly close bushes and trees cause Xpiayoc to drop focus from listening for a moment as she focused on placing her sandaled feet through the woods without tripping or disturbing the wildlife. Her people had always respected nature, and it was a part of Xpiayoc's culture that she felt strongly rooted in. Hun Hunahpu charged through the bushes, snapping at branches playfully as he pushed through. Xpiayoc snorted in a mixture of annoyance and amusement. Now that the thick brush had passed their way was clear. Besides the space that they needed for the city and sacbeob, they left the forest as it was: beautiful, wild, and holders of the sky.

Hot and warm were the two things Xpiayoc knew well. Sometimes between the wet and dry season, it would become cool, and Xpiayoc had to stretch her imagination to imagine weather even cooler than that.

Hair the colour of gold? Xpiayoc's ears perked up at that statement. Hair the colour of corn would surely be beautiful, just as Susannah's copper was. Xpiayoc strove to carry beauty, as any of her people would. As she had been hunting, she wasn't adorned with the regular bangles, jewels, and tassels, which made her feel somewhat out of place presented to a foreigner. At least her hair was up, held by decorative feathered bands. Even when hunting, she had to allow herself a small vanity.

Thinking on her own appearance made Xpiayoc turn to glance at Susannah once again as she finished answering Xpiayoc's last hasty question, tutting internally at how plainly she was dressed. Her beautiful hair was left down, and her clothes matched the rocks around her. Susannah must not have had as much access to beautiful things in her home as Xpiayoc did.

Xpiayoc didn't worry whether she was bothering Susannah with her questions. "Why are you dressed so boringly?" she asked bluntly, looking over to Susannah while picking dirt from under her nails, "and can you fly?" The last question was very child-like, but incredibly logical to Xpiayoc. Only birds landed in the trees, after all.

Anything was possible.

Notes: Ahau Chamahez is one of the gods of health and medicine / Ah Puch is the god of death / Itzamna is the god of writing and taught man about crops / Alaghom Naum is the goddess who gave mankind thought, intelligence, and consciousness / a sacbe is a Mayan road, the name literally meaning "white way". Connects places within a city and occasionally cities to each other

Shades · **Posted:** Fri Apr 08, 2016 2:20 pm

Susannah relaxed a bit when Xpiayoc started walking normally by her side. That seemed to be a good sign, a sign that the other young woman no longer saw her as a threat. That really put her mind at ease, for many reasons. First of all, because she wouldn’t want Xpiayoc to fear her. Second, because she didn’t want to have to get physical to defend herself. Yes, she had told a little white lie and failed to mention the fact that she had a weapon in her person, but she really had no plans of using it, so it was all good - hopefully.

After saying she only had one god, Susannah wondered for a moment. She could imagine that having only one god should sound as odd and foreign for someone like Xpiayoc as having several sounded to her. She imagined that the rites of her religion as a Catholic would also sound pretty strange, and toyed with the idea of sharing them once they had more time to talk.

When Xpiayoc got distracted, so did Susannah. While she didn’t share the Mayan views, she had always been a follower of the ‘in Rome like the Romans’ principle. So, she walked as carefully as Xpiayoc did, not wanting to cause any trouble. It had been a principle that had always served her well, and she was not about to abandon it now. Everything that could have gone wrong in this particular trip already had, after all.

Xpiayoc’s question about why she was dressed so boringly made Susannah smile. It was almost exactly like speaking to a child. Looking at her own clothes, Susannah agreed that they could be constructed as boring. She had no ornaments or bright colors, which would probably make her much more attractive in the eyes of someone of Xpiayoc’s culture. “I usually travel dressed in plain clothes”, she explained gently. “I often reserve better clothing for special moments”.

The question about her ability to fly nearly made Susannah laugh. The only reason why she did not was out of respect. Shaking her head after she felt able to speak without laughing, Susannah finally replied. “No, I can not fly”, she answered truthfully. The idea of telling Xpiayoc about airplanes played with her mind for a moment, but Susannah eventually decided against it. “Are there any more questions you would want answered?”, she asked politely, without the slightest hint of impatience. This conversation was actually immensely interesting to her, and Susannah would have liked to prolong it as much as possible.

Cotton · **Posted:** Tue May 03, 2016 7:20 pm

"Life is a special moment," Xpiayoc quipped quickly, lifting her arms so that her huipil flapped around her, "you don't wait for it!" There were always the ceremonies, where men and women of Holmul wore headdresses, necklaces, beads, and capes even more extravagant than what they usually wore, but with such ceremonies performed as often as possible, it wasn't an uncommon dress style. Xpiayoc especially enjoyed weddings, even if some people became incredibly drunk. The priests said being drunk was having a connection with the gods, but the girl wasn't so sure.

Xpiayoc had watched when Susannah had gone through the thick forest, pleased that she had given the area a similar respect that she herself had. She wondered if it was part of the woman's culture, or if she was simply following Xpiayoc's lead. Either way, it was a good sign, either a strong respect of the forest, or respect for her. If only Hun Hunahpu was able learn the same respect. Dogs could be taught many things, but reverence for nature did not appear to be one of them. They peed on any tree, sacred or not. Xpiayoc fought against the hilarious memory brought by the thought.

The trio weaved their way through the newly blooming flowers, waxy bushes, and proud, tall trees. It was now around midday, the sun beating hot, but they were partially protected by the wide canopy of branches above them. Sunlight streamed through, mottling the ground beautifully.

So Susannah couldn't fly. Xpiayoc had expected that-how could someone fly with no feathers?-but it had seemed important to ask. Despite Susannah's size and hair and eyes and skin and clothes, the two were one in the same. Xpiayoc wished she could fly with the birds. They seemed free to go where they liked, and traveled far every day. Her favourite birds were the ch'el, with their bright blue wings. They always seemed to have friends when they were hopping along the ground or flocking to the ja'as.

"You say that 'Ireland' is far north. Have you met any other people on your way here?" If Susannah had met other people like Xpiayoc in her travels, she would have even more stories to tell about them, not just about herself and her own culture. The white north, top of the square. She wondered what the stars looked like there. Like her people, she loved and admired the stars and how they moved across the sky. Xpiayoc very often visited the city's ilhuica tlamatilizmatini to learn from him, though she rarely stayed awake long enough to see him do his real work. She was enthusiastic, but easily swayed by sleep.

xpiayoc found her feet gradually taking the path to the cenote. She would have to think of some sort of test before she revealed its location, to truly prove that Susannah was trustworthy. Perhaps the gods would provide it for her.

Notes: Ch'el are yucatan jays / ja'as are banana plants / 'white' north refers to the Mayans association to colour for different directions / 'top of the square' refers to the Mayans' believe that the Earth was square and flat - some also believed the world rested on the back of a crocodile in a pool of water lilies / ilhuica tlamatilizmatini means "wise man who studies heaven", and was considered an oracle among Mayans for their predictions using the stars

Shades · **Posted:** Sun May 08, 2016 6:47 pm

Susannah nodded when Xpiayoc said that life was a special moment. She did have a point there, there was no way to deny that. “I have to concede that you are right”, the Irish girl replied. “Let us say, then, that these clothes were the most practical for traveling”, she corrected herself. It was very interesting to talk to Xpiayoc, and Susannah had to admit she was learning a new perspective in life.

Keeping silent while she thought about what the young Mayan girl had said, Susannah paid attention to where she was going, keeping an eye out for anything on her path. Another part of her attention was kept on both Xpiayoc and Hun Hunahpu, to whom she gave an eventual petting or ear scratching when the dog came close enough.

While Xpiayoc also kept silent, Susannah was simply enjoying the walk and the warmth. It was a little too hot for her liking, but Susannah felt that she could get used to the weather there in time. Of course, she wouldn’t stay around for long enough to get used. But it wouldn’t do to keep thinking about it right now.

When Xpiayoc spoke again, Susannah turned her attention to the other girl’s words. She listened to the question and shook her head on a negative. “Sadly, no”, Susannah replied quietly. “You happened to be the first person I have met during my travels here”, she completed, really hoping she wouldn’t have to spin another tale about her traveling process.

With a sigh, Susannah kept on walking. She felt a little down right now, for having to lie to Xpiayoc. It was clear that the other girl had a lot to ask, and she would love to be able to - or more properly be allowed to - answer all of her questions. For now, though, she preferred to keep her eyes on her path and wait for some other question she could answer honestly.

Feeling that itch she usually felt when something wasn’t right, Susannah fell even more silent, keeping her breathing shallow as to make as little noise as possible. In an almost involuntary move, the Irish girl held out a hand to hold Xpiayoc’s arm. “Please”, she murmured, not sure why on earth she had done that. It was just a strong feeling that it was important for the other young woman to stop walking for a moment.

Susannah was about to apologize and let go of Xpiayoc’s arm, ashamed of her irrational action, when, right where Xpiayoc would have stepped had she not stopped the other girl’s progress, a large boa started slithering past, not seeming even a little bit bothered by the two women. Letting out a breath she didn’t even know she was holding, Susannah finally let go of Xpiayoc’s arm. “I apologize”, she murmured, timidly. “I felt that I should, for some reason”.

Cotton · **Posted:** Sat May 21, 2016 2:33 pm

Xpiayoc could understand Susannah's logic. Clothes for traveling, and hunting, did need to be a little simpler, which was why she wasn't dressed as beautifully as she normally would be. When people left the village to trade, they wore more plain clothes, but brought with them the beautiful garments the women of the village made for them and their protection.

The answer Susannah gave next was more disappointing. Had she not met anyone on her way down the square and said hello? Xpiayoc would have talked to everyone she met, chattering away like the monkeys that sometimes came out from the trees. Though, she reasoned, there were many different types of people who did things differently, even among Xpiayoc's own friends. She knew many of the girls were timid and quiet, while others were like her. She was friends with a few boys, but overall they were mean and rude and obviously not focused on being just her 'friend'. She had evaded marriage yet so far. Plus, if Susannah hadn't chosen to speak to anyone before now, maybe that meant Xpiayoc was special, and chosen carefully. That made her happy to think about.

Questions didn't tumble from Xpiayoc's lips quite like before as she let the silence speak. She heard Susannah's sigh and copied her like a curious parrot, expelling the air out of her mouth like it was foreign to her. She began to copy a few more things, like Susannah's posture and gait, which Xpiayoc had to make mighty steps on her short legs for. It became almost like a little game as she pushed off her feet in a jump-like motion to match even one of the foreigner's mighty steps.

Suddenly, Susannah's breath changed, and she grabbed Xpaiyoc's arm. The ajaw immediately bristled, thoughts racing about how she shouldn't have trusted the foreigner, and that she was an enemy, a liar. She was prepared to smack the woman's hand away and sic Hun Hunahpu on her before Susannah's voice came through, soft and quiet, a small request. Xpiayoc paused for a fraction of a second, before her eyes caught on something moving in the grass, just where her next stride could have taken her. It was a large boa, happily moving across the forest floor. If she had stepped on the creature's head, it would have been a different tale.

Even as Susannah let go of Xpaiyoc's arm, the woman she had saved grabbed her sleeve. "For some reason? Did the gods speak to you? Did Ixchel speak to you? What did she say? No, she's telling me- come!" Xpiayoc's speech became like babble again as she grabbed the woman's hand and began running towards the cenote. Hun Hunahpu ran ahead, barking happily. He knew where they were going.

Xpiayoc dropped Susannah's hand and fell into the plush grass outside the cave that descended to the holy waters. "The gods say I can trust you, Susannah," she said, grinning and breathing heavily from the exhilarating run. They've brought me a friend!

Notes: Ixchel is the goddess of a plethora of different things, including snakes and water

Shades · **Posted:** Fri May 27, 2016 8:52 pm

Susannah was a little relieved that Xpiayoc seemed to understand her reasoning for wearing plain clothes. It wasn’t like there was much more she could do than explain her reasons, after all. Of course, if this was the current time, she could have shown Xpiayoc pictures of herself in more interesting clothes. As it was, though, it would be the worst possible idea. So, she was happy to change the subject and speak about other matters, before she ended up feeling tempted to say even more than she already had.

As for offering reports of conversations, that was something Susannah couldn’t do unless she wanted to spin a tale, which she didn’t. Of course, every now and then, Susannah did humor people by creating a story, but this time, she didn’t want to. It was for the best to keep things simple. It would have pleased her to know that Xpiayoc was happy to think that she had chosen her specifically to talk to - even if that hadn’t exactly been the case, so it was for the best that Susannah didn’t say that she had met others and talked to them.

It took Susannah a while to notice that Xpiayoc was copying her. It would have made her smile, had the Irish woman not been so concerned about that feeling that something was wrong.

Holding Xpiayoc back had been something done out of pure instinct, and Susannah was relieved to know that her instincts had been right. The other girl’s reaction, though, was very surprising for Susannah. Allowing Xpiayoc to grab her sleeve, Susannah followed her, wide-eyed and confused. Where the hell were they going? There was no time to ask, apparently. So, Susannah simply followed.

When Xpiayoc let go of her hand and dropped on the grass, Susannah, still surprised, sat down by her - apparently - new friend. When Xpiayoc spoke, Susannah seemed to understand what she meant. So, the fact that she had acted accordingly to her instinct meant that the gods had sent a signal. Well, she could live with that. With a smile, Susannah nodded. “You can, indeed. I would never harm you”, she replied quietly. “All I want is to be your friend for as long as I am here”, the Irish woman completed.

Cotton · **Posted:** Mon Jun 13, 2016 7:15 pm

A friend! Suku'um! Xpiayoc thought excitedly, pleased at such a response from Susannah. As Susannah sat down near the windswept girl, Xpiayoc rolled to be beside her, staining her plain brown clothes with that slight, sweet-smelling green colour that came from the lush grass. Having caught up to her breath, she popped up and drew her knees up to her chest. The light breeze from behind caused her huipil to carry in the wind, making a satisfying fabric noise. Hun Hunahpu continued to sniff at the foreign girl's hair, with the same enthusiasm as he had shown before. Ixchel wouldn't trick Xpiayoc with such an obvious sign, would she? No, no, this felt right. Xpiayoc had prayed for a friend, and she had received one. It wasn't that she had no friends, or was lonely. So many people knew and loved her. But this... this felt so different.

As long as I am here? Of course, Susannah was a traveler after all. At some point she would have to leave, to discover people and things Xpiayoc would never see in her life. Would she meet the crocodile? Could Xpiayoc... go with her? Xpiayco shook her head suddenly, dark hair flying. She couldn't be so quick like that. Her father always told her so. And besides, her people needed her. Some day she would be able to go on trades, if she convinced her mother and brothers, but she couldn't possibly just run away, and never come back. If Susannah was traveling all the time, that meant wasn't tied to anyone but herself. Did that make Susannah the lonely one? Was she really the one who needed a friend?

"Before we go inside," Xpiayoc began, sitting up on her knees and taking a few 'steps' to be in front of Susannah, "you must know this is a sacred place. The gods gave it to us, and the gods' it is. We're only using it, and so we also have to take care of it for them." Xpiayoc stood, brushing off her huipil and skirt for a moment before giving up on the fruitless project, and walked over to the entrance to the cenote. It seemed all too much like a big hole in a short hill, with trees and tendrils growing at the top and hanging over, looking slightly unstable. The hole was dark, but Xpiayoc wasn't afraid. At least, she wasn't afraid any more.

Realizing Susannah was a far outsider, being from Ireland, as she called it, Xpiayoc decided to give more explanation of what the cenote meant. As she crouched and pushed back the dark green overhanging of foliage, she began to explain. "We find the cenotes all over the forest, already formed and chiseled by the gods. At the bottom, there is always beautiful, clear water, even in the dry season, when our chultuns begin to run low. Whenever we find them, we clear them out and make them beautiful, and carve stairs. Sometimes we have sacrifices in them, to make sure the gods will keep giving us water." She began to make her way down the helical stairs carved into the stone itself, feeling the hanging moss and carvings in the wall. She kept herself from looking up, knowing the ceiling's spears would cause her to worry about them falling on her. They never did, and gave the ceiling an amazing depth and texture, but she still couldn't bring herself to it.

Xpiayoc reached the bottom of the stairs, where there was rocky siding around the incredibly azure, shimmering water that inhabited the majority of the area. Standing on her tip-toes, she peered into the water. It was very deep, so deep you couldn't see the bottom. As always. She glanced up towards the entrance, which was now so bright you could barely look at it. Its stream of light fell near the other side of the pool. Turning to Susannah, she snatched the woman's water container and poured the contents on the rocky ground. Since they were friends, that now meant she was allowed to take and grab, was it not? "Fill your crinkly water-carrier with this," she commanded, bending down to cup it with her own hands. She took a satisfying draught, closing her eyes to savor the moment and feel the coolness.

The moment of peace was interrupted by a certain dog giving a mighty leap into the water from a higher stair, splashing both girls with a mighty amount of water.

"Hun Hun!" Xpiayoc spluttered admonishingly, standing up and looking at her now soaked clothes, "bad, bad dog!" Hun Hunahpu ignored her, continuing to paddle happily in the middle of the pool. Xpiayoc glanced over at Susannah, letting out a sheepish chuckle. "Our clothes will dry quick, if we bring them to the entrance." Xpiayoc wondered how the foreigner felt about being unclothed. In front of young children and women Xpiayoc was unabashed, like most of her people. She threw off her huipil and unwrapped her skirt, throwing it over her shoulder as she sprinted up the stairs. At the entrance she kept her eyes in slits, to be sure she wouldn't get spots in her vision. She laid her clothes out, hiding them slightly in rocks. She imagined they were alone, but she could never be sure. When the monkeys were cheeky, they were known to take clothing as well. It was best to stay safe.

Notes: Suku'um means friend / ceiling spears refers to stalactites

Shades · **Posted:** Thu Jun 16, 2016 7:19 pm

Susannah had to admit she was still surprised with the turn of the events. She had acted out of pure instinct, but Xpiayoc had interpreted her actions in a completely different light. Reflecting a little, Susannah came to the conclusion that she shouldn’t be surprised. Her new friend’s culture had many gods, and each of them corresponded to something. So, it should only be expected that what for her had been a hunch, for Xpiayoc meant a sign from one of her gods. Smiling when Hun Hunahpu sniffed her hair, Susannah sighed happily. Things seemed to be going well.

When Xpiayoc sat up, Susannah did the same. It seemed like the other girl had something important to say. She listened in silence, nodding when Xpiayoc said that was a sacred place. She could understand and respect that. “I understand”, she replied quietly. “I will be respectful”, the young woman completed. She would never disrespect anyone’s sacred place, as she would never want anyone to disrespect those she considered sacred. Standing up as well, Susannah brushed herself off as possible, and follow her new friend slowly, curious about what it looked like inside.

Listening to Xpiayoc’s explanations about what a cenote was, Susannah nodded. That all made sense. It was good to know that they took good care of those amazing places. With a sigh, Susannah thought that, unfortunately, all those people would be wiped out some day. For now, though, they were still there. And she was not supposed to interfere in History. She was interfering way too much already as it was. Sighing again, Susannah decided to enjoy the moment and look at the beauty of everything around her.

When they reached the water, Susannah held her breath for a moment. It was beautiful. With a deep breath, she allowed Xpiayoc to take her bottle and empty it. Nodding, she walked closer to the water and leaned to fill her bottle. Trying it, Susannah smiled. It was amazing, like only clean and fresh water could be. “Thank you”, she whispered to Xpiayoc.

As Susannah was about to say something else, the dog leapt in the water. She still tried to jump away from the water before getting wet, but ended up failing in her attempt.

“Oh, come on!”, she exclaimed, shaking her head. That darn dog. Even while she thought that, Susannah smiled. What could one expect for such an energetic dog as Hun Hunahpu seemed to be? Yet, she was now too wet to wear her clothes comfortably. When Xpiayoc said that the clothes would dry quickly if they brought them to the entrance, Susannah hesitated a little, but nodded, blushing lightly. That made sense, and they were both women, after all. There was nothing she had under her clothes that Xpiayoc had never seen. “It sounds like a good idea”, she finally agreed.

Unlike Xpiayoc, Susannah walked back to the entrance still wearing her clothes. She wanted to make sure that they were really alone. Once they got to the entrance and Susannah could see that there was nobody around to watch them, she finally took her clothes off. First, she took off her boots. Then, the pants and blouse, that she placed where Xpiayoc had put hers. Unlike her friend, though, Susannah wore strange pieces covering parts of her body, which was very white and covered in freckles. A small piece covered her breasts, and another the part where babies came from. They were made of a fine fabric and had a lilac color. Susannah wondered if she should have taken them off, but decided that it was too much for her. Bracing herself for questions, Susannah kept her underwear on.

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