well.
“Greetings. We come in peace,” Leaf said, extending his hand in a welcoming gesture.
It seemed the natural thing to say and do, he reasoned, when meeting an Outsider for the first time. The man in the glass angled his head, and creased his brows once again. After a moment, he burst into laughter, falling back against a large chair that appeared like a throne compared to the humble wooden variety found in their homes. Leaf glanced over his shoulder casually and exchanged a worried look with Willow. He returned his attention back to the portal and gasped when the image cleared and he realized the manner of person with whom he was interacting.
Chin-length black hair swept forward across the man’s face, decorated by a single bright blue streak on one side. One eye peered at him inquisitively while the other eye remained hidden by the black and blue hair. Two metal rings protruded from his bottom lip, a primal look emulating how Leaf envisioned savages of eras past.
The mysterious man wore a tight black tunic with shortened sleeves, exposing a tattoo on his right bicep of a tree in flames, bearing red fruit. Another tattoo circled in a ring around his upper left arm in what appeared to be Celtic knots. Leaf thought of the linden tree tattoo on his father’s back. The community used henna during certain celebrations; and only the first generation possessed permanent tattoos, received prior to Moving Day. Why was this man’s tree on fire? Leaf pondered the pain of fashion in the Outside, thankful for his own simple lifestyle.
He met the man’s exposed eye, an otherworldly shade of blue intensified by a darkly drawn border. Leaf stood up straight, squared his shoulders, and returned the silent challenge in the man’s hard stare.
“Who are you ?” the man in the portal asked.
Oaklee closed her eyes and cringed, clutching Leaf’s cloak as she buried her face to hide. Leaf plucked the candle from her grasp as he maneuvered in front of her, and she was grateful, feeling lightheaded as the fear swirled around in a dizzying speed. She closed her eyes to listen to the sounds of nature, her usual way to find peace, but she could not hear the jungle. Only the Outsider’s voice echoed in her mind. This man’s speech was strange to her ears. His tone was soft yet unmistakably cold—and he pronounced his words in a very odd way.
Her brother began in an uncharacteristically loud voice and she jumped. “Forgive me for not being forthcoming, but I do not believe we should share this information with a stranger.”
She peered over Leaf’s shoulder and held her breath. The Outsider personified the complete opposite of everything earthy and natural. The outright defiance to nature moved a small part of her heart, an area that festered against her father’s death, her mother’s death, and the cycle of life.
“Well played,” said the man in the portal, giving Leaf a smug look. “However, you are in the communication room, and I’m your salvation. So, how can I save you today?”
“We do not need your… salvation.”
“We?” He leaned in and looked around, and Oaklee ducked. “Oh, god. You’re mental. Shit. Is everyone in the dome your brand of crazy? Or just you?”
Oaklee sucked in a breath and felt all her emotions spill over. “How dare you mock your office and our possible needs, sir.” She stepped out from behind Leaf, a hand clenched at her side while grabbing the candle back. “Where are your manners and compassion?”
The man startled and sat back against a throne, somehow spinning without standing, and then casually placed a fist in front of his mouth. A black glove covered the hand up to where his fingers began. Oaklee found his partial glove curious as it stretched up his forearm, and only on one hand, she noticed. Fingerless gloves were common during the colder months in New Eden, but who wore a single glove? And one so tall upon the arm? His eyes narrowed slightly as he returned
“Greetings. We come in peace,” Leaf said, extending his hand in a welcoming gesture.
It seemed the natural thing to say and do, he reasoned, when meeting an Outsider for the first time. The man in the glass angled his head, and creased his brows once again. After a moment, he burst into laughter, falling back against a large chair that appeared like a throne compared to the humble wooden variety found in their homes. Leaf glanced over his shoulder casually and exchanged a worried look with Willow. He returned his attention back to the portal and gasped when the image cleared and he realized the manner of person with whom he was interacting.
Chin-length black hair swept forward across the man’s face, decorated by a single bright blue streak on one side. One eye peered at him inquisitively while the other eye remained hidden by the black and blue hair. Two metal rings protruded from his bottom lip, a primal look emulating how Leaf envisioned savages of eras past.
The mysterious man wore a tight black tunic with shortened sleeves, exposing a tattoo on his right bicep of a tree in flames, bearing red fruit. Another tattoo circled in a ring around his upper left arm in what appeared to be Celtic knots. Leaf thought of the linden tree tattoo on his father’s back. The community used henna during certain celebrations; and only the first generation possessed permanent tattoos, received prior to Moving Day. Why was this man’s tree on fire? Leaf pondered the pain of fashion in the Outside, thankful for his own simple lifestyle.
He met the man’s exposed eye, an otherworldly shade of blue intensified by a darkly drawn border. Leaf stood up straight, squared his shoulders, and returned the silent challenge in the man’s hard stare.
“Who are you ?” the man in the portal asked.
Oaklee closed her eyes and cringed, clutching Leaf’s cloak as she buried her face to hide. Leaf plucked the candle from her grasp as he maneuvered in front of her, and she was grateful, feeling lightheaded as the fear swirled around in a dizzying speed. She closed her eyes to listen to the sounds of nature, her usual way to find peace, but she could not hear the jungle. Only the Outsider’s voice echoed in her mind. This man’s speech was strange to her ears. His tone was soft yet unmistakably cold—and he pronounced his words in a very odd way.
Her brother began in an uncharacteristically loud voice and she jumped. “Forgive me for not being forthcoming, but I do not believe we should share this information with a stranger.”
She peered over Leaf’s shoulder and held her breath. The Outsider personified the complete opposite of everything earthy and natural. The outright defiance to nature moved a small part of her heart, an area that festered against her father’s death, her mother’s death, and the cycle of life.
“Well played,” said the man in the portal, giving Leaf a smug look. “However, you are in the communication room, and I’m your salvation. So, how can I save you today?”
“We do not need your… salvation.”
“We?” He leaned in and looked around, and Oaklee ducked. “Oh, god. You’re mental. Shit. Is everyone in the dome your brand of crazy? Or just you?”
Oaklee sucked in a breath and felt all her emotions spill over. “How dare you mock your office and our possible needs, sir.” She stepped out from behind Leaf, a hand clenched at her side while grabbing the candle back. “Where are your manners and compassion?”
The man startled and sat back against a throne, somehow spinning without standing, and then casually placed a fist in front of his mouth. A black glove covered the hand up to where his fingers began. Oaklee found his partial glove curious as it stretched up his forearm, and only on one hand, she noticed. Fingerless gloves were common during the colder months in New Eden, but who wore a single glove? And one so tall upon the arm? His eyes narrowed slightly as he returned
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