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Island In The Sun

I had to laugh as Makkari was fiddling with my old iPod that somehow found its way on the Domo.  We were in my room, Makkari walking in on me doing some re-modeling and cleaning in the room since I was bored that day.  I figured that doing some "Spring Cleaning" around the Domo would be the best case, at least in my room since I felt like the clutter was getting to be a bit much.  As wonderful as it was to have Druig be in my room officially, it was then feeling a bit cramped with two people sleeping in the area instead of one.  So a few days into our quest to look for other Eternals, I decided to do some cleaning.

I stopped at my apartment before we departed to space in the Domo, wanting to grab a few things that I didn't want to leave behind.  I took with me a few houseplants, being the plant lady that I was. Also, some pieces of clothing that I was attached to, and lastly, my record player with a handful of records and with headphones to go with it.  In one of my jacket pockets, I found my old iPod, something I thought I lost.  I used that iPod constantly, having me feel nostalgic seeing it once more in my possession.  Thankfully, the technology on the Domo was enough to recharge the little rectangle device and have it working again

Just like the good old days

Halfway through my cleaning session, Makkari poked her head in and wanted to help.  I thought of it being ironic that Makkari wanted to help me organize since she was more of a "chaotic yet comfortable" kind of person.  She hoarded more precious things, other things were thrown into Druig's old living quarters that were now the storage room.  She did feel bad about unceremoniously dumping some things in there, though it didn't bother Druig one bit.

Makkari was always a fascinating person when it came to discovering something new.  Not only did she have sticky figures when it came to things that were rare and shiny, but she also was interested in the new and improved.  But she was on the Domo those 500 years we were all separated from each other, and it made me wonder if she ever did go out and see all the world had to offer.  She hoarded herself up on the ship, all alone with her thoughts and hopes of going back home, or what used to be our home.  Now that we were reunited and we saved the world from an Emergence, she was learning plenty of things all over again.

Technology was her new fix.

For some reason I became the ambassador of technology for Makkari, answering all the questions that I could about the subject and what she could do nowadays.  Druig only knew a handful of things since he willingly cut himself off from the real world in his rural village.  He only had the essential things that helped his village survive and thrive, included solar panels and clean energy sources.  Thena lived off the land with Gilgamesh in Australia, not a single ounce of technology was there in their lives but it was a personal choice. So now it was all down to me to show her the wonders of modern technology and what it had to offer her.

Which lead to Makkari looking at the iPod that I got back in the early 2000s, scrolling through and seeing each song with fascination and wonder in her eyes.  She was propped up on the floor against the side of the bed while I was sorting some spare clothes in the dresser.  I looked over, seeing her move her finger along the old scrolling tool.  

"See anything you like?" I had to ask, though she was still concentrating on the songs I had.  I had plenty of songs there, almost maxing out the entire library with plenty of genres and music taste.  She then tapped on the iPod, looking at me and then showing the title to me with the iPod in her hand.  I walked over to lean down, reading the song and then grinning widely.

"Island in the Sun," I said and signed to her, seeing her look at me with a hint of confusion as I went on, "It's from a band called Weezer,"

That's a name?  She asked, almost seeing a bit assumed by it.  I chuckled, nodding my head and shrugging.

"Yeah, it's a weird name.  But they're a decent band, and that's one of their famous songs," I admitted to her, then raising an eyebrow and pointing to the iPod, "You wanna hear it?"

She nodded her head, having me grin, and walk over to the nightstand where I knew I stored random stuff.  Moving things around with my fingers, I finally pulled out a headphone splitter that could have two headphones listen at the same time, then my own pair of headphones.  Lastly, I had bigger headphones that could cover the ears and were meant to be silencing headphones.  I used them from time to time in the past when I did work at the apartment, a nice gift a gave to myself a few years back.

I knew Makkari wasn't going to be able to hear anything, but she felt the vibrations of everything around her.  She knew when I would walk into a room without even seeing me, she knew who was grabbing a glass from the cupboard without looking up because of the kind of vibration that was given from who held the glass.  Makkari felt everyone and everything around her, so this wasn't going to be new at all.

I walked back to her, sitting Indian Style in front of her and taking the iPod hand.  I got the cord splitting ready, plugging in my headphones and then the silencing headphones before handing the larger headphones to her.  She raised her eyebrow at me now in confusion.

I won't hear anything, She reminded me, but I pointed to the silencing headphones.

"You'll feel the song with these.  Trust me," I said to her.  She was still watching me, slowly taking the silencing headphones in her hands and then throwing them on over her ears.  She looked adorable with the big headphones almost taking over her entire head, seeing her wobble her head a bit with the added weight as I then looked at her directly.

Watch me. I signed to her, seeing her look at me as I then pressed play on the song.  I heard the first chords run through the both of us, having me watch as Makkari's face light up from feeling the song against her ears and head.  She looked shocked for a split second as the drums picked up, a bit startled as I grinned.  Makkari was floored, looking at me with wide eyes as I motioned with my hands that I was about to sign along with the song.

       When you're on a holiday

You can't find the words to say

All things that come to you

And I wanna feel it too

On an island in the sun

We'll be playing and having fun

And it makes me feel so fine 

I can't control my brain

I signed every word with the beat of the song, grinning as I was doing this in front of Makkari.  She was watching every sign, a movement of emotions was all over her face as I was signing the lyrics.  It was such a simple song, almost mind-numbing and catchy to listen to on repeat.  I wasn't going to lie either when this song was a comfort song for me. 

We'll run away together

We'll spend some time together

We'll never feel bad anymore

I didn't know if it was the melody, or how they sang about being in the sun within the joyous moments of life perhaps, but I was hooked on this song ever since I heard it for the first time when it was fits released.  Something about the melody gravitated me to feeling more content, sometimes in melancholy too.  I listened to it when I was feeling down or when I was sad and missing my family every once in a while.

Or when I was lonely.  

Yet I was watching Makkari move with the vibrations of the song, swaying in time with what was beating against her ears and skin.  It was making me smile so widely as she was closing her eyes, drinking in what she was feeling and experiencing under her skin.  In the past when she wanted to, she could press her palm against a wall to feel something coming, or when she would press her fingers to the ground to pick up the vibrations of feet.  But all she would do was stand still and let the vibrations come to her.  Makkari was able to pick up on attacks before any of us could, just by feeling it and almost sensing it.  Plenty of attacks and ambushes were spared and discovered because of her.  That's what I loved about her so much, Makkari was able to see and feel plenty of things that others wouldn't dare to understand.  

She then reached out and took my hand in hers, having me look at her and see her open her eyes at me, the bright brown orbs on her face as she signed with her one hand.

Can you sing it for me? She asked me, making me stop signing the song and look at her with a shocked look.  I rarely sang at all, it was more of a self-conscious thing for me.  I knew some of the others could sing, Kingo being boisterous when he would ding with humans at parties, or even Sprite when she would cast an illusion or two with her singing.  One of them was surprisingly Thena.  Though she never sang to us at all, it was mostly something I stubbed upon some time ago when it was just her a Gilgamesh together.  But apart from us, there were no real singers in our little makeshift family. 

I can't sing well, I tried to argue, but the look she was giving me was showing me that she didn't care.  I couldn't say no to her, especially when she wiped flash her big brown eyes.  I sighed, nodding my head yes and seeing her grin as I restarted the song again with a tap on the iPod.   

Only for you, I signed back to her, seeing her almost look giddy in her spot across from me.  I then sang the lyrics while I signed them to see, watching her watch me as I sang every word.  It was kind of nice to only sing with Makkari, no other audience was involved.  Makkari and I required some time together, catching up on each other's lives and enjoying each other's company.  

When I was off on my own, she was one of the ones I missed the hardest, apart from Druig of course.  Makkari's energy and light were always infectious and helpful for me when I had hard times.  So being able to be with her at this moment, in my room on the Domo within the depths of space, made me so happy

Makkari took both of my hands in her own and started swaying with the song as I kept singing to her, knowing that I didn't have to sign for her anymore.  She understood it, felt it under her skin and within her bones as we swayed back and forth like two teenage girls.  I thought back to the simpler times with each other, laughing at a joke from Kingo or some illusional trick that Sprite would pull on someone else.  I loved seeing her grin, feeling her shoulder bump mind as I snorted and she hid her face in her hands to hide her smile.  Maybe in some past life, we would have been sisters.

She was my sister after all.

I felt a bit overwhelmed then, hating the fact that we lost time together.  Apart from Druig, Makkari was an Eternal that I cared deeply for.  She and I had great times together, if only we had more time to see the growth of the human race.  To travel together with her speed and my teleportation, to see the wonders of the world.  Yet we never got the chance to, only being brought together to stop the Emergence of Tiamut and the almost extinction of the planet.  We had a job to do, there was no time to truly reconnect.  It made my heart hurt, almost ache, in wishing that we did have more time the planet to be the best friends we once were.  

Some time passed as another song floated in our headphones, but something else was catching my eye.  Makkari stopped swaying, looking at with a hint of concern now.  

You're crying, She signed, pointing to the small tear at the corner of my eye.  She was about to reach out and take it away with her nimble fingers, having me stop the tear myself before she could.  I sighed, just giving her a small grin and shaking my head slowly.  

I've missed you so much, Makkari, I confessed to her, seeing her slowly give me a soft smile.  I knew she understood too, maybe thinking the same thing.  We were robbed of connection and of growth together, and it felt like we were slowly making up for it now on our ship.  She pointed to herself then, looking so sure.

I've missed you too, She replied, having me lean over to hug her.  She softly hugged me back, her arm wrapped around my shoulder and her head pressed against my own for a solid moment.  Makkari knew how to show love and affection us when we needed it, no matter if it was a gentle touch of her fingers or a fierce hug.  Her caring nature was always infectious and kind, something I missed and craved for the past 500 years when I needed it the most. I pulled away from her, pointing to the iPod that was sitting on the ground between us.

Wanna listen to another song? I asked, seeing her nod her head yes.  So we listened to another song together, holding hands between the both of us on the floor of my bedroom and feeling like our old selves again.  Yet I wasn't worried or thinking that someone was watching from the doorway, his blue eyes crinkling with a smile on his lips and a tilt of his head.