peaceonearth | I don't think we're in Kansas anymore

It's Sam's turn to set the table and prepare lunch for everybody. He has got bags of groceries in hand when he comes into the kitchen and an searching look in his eye as he expects to find Ruby lingering around. Seeing blonde hair and a body turned away from him is a start. Typically there's one/third a chance of it being her in the bunker. The food laid out does not narrow it down, but the closer he comes to set his things on the counter, the easier it is for him to note he can't pinpoint the person. Food could be Ruby or Mary, the white dress again Mary, but the distinct tinge of strawberry hair is a playful side he can only place on...

"Lucy?" He clears his throat. "If you're looking for something, I brought more to fill the table for tonight. Can I help you find anything?" He asks as the smaller girl in front of him plays with the freezer door as what he views is indecisively. His expression says that's he not expecting a new face when she turns and faces him. He can't seem to get out the words to ask her who she is. He looks behind him for a second to see to claim her as their guest.

The strawberry-blonde in question doesn't have her counterpart's supernatural senses and she's more than a little pre-occupied by all the food and the fascinating freezer.

She does turn when Sam speaks, eyes wide, indecision on her face. Should she be terrified of this giant speaking (mostly) words she doesn't recognize. She responds by grabbing the first thing she can lay her hands on which happens to be a bag of frozen peas. She hefts it a little like she's going to attack the stranger with it and lets loose a slew of Polish which mostly consists of threats and insults. There's something about kill and swine in there. She's aiming for fierce, but she's short and skinny and wearing a voluminous, white nightgown.

She may be a stranger her but he offers her an apologetic glance when it's clear he startled her. He doesn't immediately think she is an intruder. He realizes soon enough she that she didn't grasp a word he said when she reacts defensively and he holds his hands up, palms facing her in the hopes she will calm. It signifies he means her no harm. Her Polish is actually a clue, if her familiar distinctive features aren't. He catches little more than swine and a colorful word for stab with her fluency of speech (i.e quick) but he knows Polish when he hears it; he thinks quickly on how to respond.

"Look, I'll stand right here... I won't come any closer. I invite you to eat if you're hungry." He is slow to speak to her in her language, not quite stringing the sentences the same way he thinks, and wincing once or twice at his own pronunciation. The girl is not very fierce at all but if his suspicion is correct -- she is his girlfriend -- than the last thing he wants to do is chase her away.

She may not understand his words but his expression and his gestures are clear. She lowers the peas, but continues to watch him warily. The insults and the threats are always the most fun bits of any language to learn.

Her eyes light up when he speaks Polish, even though it's slow and clumsy. She recognizes his words and they're the first thing that she's recognized in this place. Questions about who he is, where she is, why she's not in a cell, and where are the witch burners all fly out her mouth far too fast for him to catch them. At some point, she realizes that and stops abruptly her brow furrowing. When she speaks, it's even slower and more labored than Sam's Polish, but it is English. "Who?" she points at him, laying down the peas and taking a step toward him. She's still got a half-eaten, half-frozen eggo in her other hand.

His hands slowly lower back to his sides when the peas are placed on the counter again, though he stays right where he is. He won't risk her being skittish rather than wary of him. Her colorful threats are similar to ones Ruby taught him and there is no denying the likeness of the girl to Ruby.

There's a certain demon he knows that has said his Latin is better than his Polish, but the way this girl lights up is enough to gather that his message got through. Another way to look at it is like positive feedback for how far along he is it. He smiles sheepishly at her, but it lasts as long as an exchange of looks. He understands she must be trying to communicate her questions, concerns, and potentially complaints, but there is no doubt she speaks too fast for him to grasp more than a few words out of everything. By the time she stops to think, he has his brows both up, stumped and apologetic in nature for not being able to follow her. He would tell her that speaking slowly in Polish could do the trick; however her slow English works too.

Following her question, he points back at himself. "Me? Sam." He points to her after than hesitantly to the eggo in her hand. "Who are you? Want food warmed up?"

It's a good decision to stay put. Neither her mother or her father would be pleased to hear her colorful language, but they're not her.

That demon is right, but to be fair, he hasn't studied Polish as long as he's studied Latin. He should look at it as positive feedback. He's come a long way in a little time. She'll figure out that she's got to slow down and they'll likely communicate in a combination of slow rudimentary English and Polish.

"Sam." She says it in a slow, hesitant manner. "Julietta," she says, pointing to herself. Her brow furrows and she looks to the eggo and back to him. She understood the word food. He doesn't look like he's going to take it away from her or that he's angry about her taking it. "Food," she repeats, but has no idea what he's asking.

No one is blaming her, least of all Sam considering the situation.

Suffice to say, her feedback means he will be picking up the book again so he won't disappoint the fair and beautiful demon later. For now, he will pronounce things slowly in either language in the hopes for smooth communication.

"Yes," he smiles gently, tapping his pointer finger again on himself. "Julietta," he points to her, inquiring if his pronunciation is correct. It's a contract from her name being Ruby so he wasn't expecting it nor certain what he was expecting. He can see her confusion about him offering to warm up her food and rather than try to use more words, he moves on to thinking how to show her. He points to what might be the most recognizable thing to her and warming food; the stove.

Ruby doesn't need him to learn Polish; they can communicate in plenty of other languages when she's her, but it's sweet and thoughtful and a show of love that he does (and has) learn Polish. Slow and steady wins the race? It applies a little in this case anyway.

She repeats her name for him and nods. The pronunciation is good enough. It lacks the accent, but she doesn't care so much about that. Demons are supposed to forget their human names when they become human (Ruby certainly has for the most part). She turns to the stove, curiosity driving her to put the idea of Sam being a threat behind her. Her brow is deeply furrowed as she touches the stove, trying to figure out why he might have pointed to it. She pushes buttons and turns knobs, gasping out loud when the gas burner catches. She murmurs the Polish word for fire with wonder. The fire they use to cook their food back home doesn't much resemble this, but the heat and the appearance of it is enough for her to realize it's somehow the same thing.

Slow and steady seems to be the only way forward...

He drops his pointer finger off of her when she confirms her name and keeps his smile rather gently. His accent is flat and American compared to hers. It seems to do the trick so he doesn't try her name again. In this case, he will be the one to tell her what her name was if she can't remember any of this when she returns. Though Julietta strikes him as a beautiful name, Ruby is much more beautiful by far. He makes no more toward her when she turns to the stove because having her trust him is what is more important, not even when she starts playing with the buttons she shouldn't. However, her loud gasp prompts him to rush to her side, assuming in that moment the burner caught on her sleeve. He turns off the burner before realizing his first mistake. The other mistake would be his proximity to her, his arm brushes against hers the second he leaned closer to help. He offers her an apology and steps back again. "Are you... You're okay?" He feels a little weird stupid asking, motioning to her.

The accent isn't really necessary for her understanding. Memories of this might be more than a little hazy; it'll be good to have Sam to remind her both of her name and the memories of this visit. The way that he stands back encourages her curiosity and exploration. She doesn't startle when he rushes to her side. The way he turns off the 'fire' prompts awe as well. She looks up at him, confused because where did the fire go. She's not bothered at all about the way his arm brushes hers. Her brow remains furrowed because she doesn't really understand his words, but his expression makes it clear that he's concerned about her. She spreads her arms a little and looks down at herself then back at him. "Ooook?" she asks. Congratulations, Sam. You distracted her from the fire.

It's good if that's the case. What it means is that his 'accent' isn't hard for her to understand. There will surely be stories to tell her when this is done. In any case, there's a fair chance that he won't be able to deny Ruby his thorough opinion of her human persona. He probably shouldn't have given her that much space to play with the stove but there's little he can do about that now. Her look of confusion initially prompts the part of his brain willing to explain the science, but the lan. barrier and obvious time difference is where he opens his mouth and closes again. The best he can offer is a shrugged off smile. He can tell he ought to give up on words and pull out gestures or a translating app. He's visibly relieved when her actions show she is unharmed and breathes out gently. "Yes, you seem okay," he says slowly and more to himself, pointing at her for good measure. He switches back to some rudimentary Polish, "Heat. Food?" The best thing he could do is distract her, the next best thing will be to gain her trust.

He knows she'll ask for his opinion. After all, she's shared her opinion of his younger selves with him. It's only fair. Sorry, Sam. She's fascinated by everything around her because it's all foreign and curiosity is a trait that Ruby shares with her human self. It's for the best; science isn't even a term that will be used for three centuries after this girl's death. Right now, it's all magic (and blasphemous, but Julietta is already a witch and capable of doing her own reasonably powerful magic thanks to the very accommodating woman she met at the crossroads one night). Gestures and body language are probably a better way to communicate, at least for the moment. She'll pick up more English the more she listens to him. "O-K," sh says the word, quite pleased with herself. Sam might recognize that smug look she's got. She hesitates at his question, mostly because she's not certain what he means by heat and food. She responds in Polish, slowly for his benefit and with few words. "I am not cold. Do you have more food?" She's not particularly hungry either, but she knows enough to not turn down food when it's offered.

He told her once that she handled all the times he was younger in the best possible way she could have. He is acutely aware that it is his turn. It is with very little deduction that he can see how she is fascinated with everything around her so before her curiosity can turn back to the stove, he motions to the table for her take a seat.

She's picking up English faster than he started to with Polish. His thumb goes up in response to her being pleased with herself. In a lot of ways her smugness reminds him of the cat ate the canary look when Ruby is pleased with ~~their being alone~~ herself, but distinctly more innocent. Who would he be not to encourage it? "Good," he assures her; she's got it down. On the other hand he has to chuckle nervously because he can grasp her the gist of her meaning of not being cold and see how his words need to be more thoughtful. He waves his hand to indicate the mistake on his part. "Requests?" He asks in Polish, using a word used on more than one occasion by him. "I mean, we can heat you food." He motions back to the stove so he point is understood.

She'd tried. It'd been easy when he was twelve and harder when he was sixteen. She'd doubted herself when he was eighteen. He's doing well right now and she's got all faith in him that he'll do wonderfully with her. She looks to the table and to him then scoots over to sit on the chair very primly.

He (she) can thank Catholicism and British missionaries for that. She recognizes the thumbs-up gesture and smiles broadly at him. She pauses to think about what she might request and it occurs to her that this could be a last meal situation and in that case "packzki" she requests.

Edited (html is a pain) 2020-06-11 01:08 (UTC)

He had an instantaneous and giant crush on her at twelve so it said a lot that she didn't fan the flames more than necessary. On the other hand, that crush never went anywhere... It ended up well enough for them. He can help her navigate all the barriers she might face if she doesn't give him too much trouble. One thing he does know is that Ruby is a character. Her prim and proper seat at the table catches him off guard just for a moment. That's not something he sees everyday.

Pausing after her request, he turns his eyes back to the fridge to think of what passes for paczki today and recalling Dean had a stash of jelly filled donuts. He finds them easily in the side door of the fridge and brings them to her at the table. He sits opposite of her -- a first, really, but considering the situation it feels more appropriate to face her -- opens the lid and slides it closer to her, inviting her to take one.

It was probably equal to the crush that Julietta will develop on Sam while she's here. It hadn't occurred to Ruby to fan the flames of Sam's crush (though she had enjoyed his adoration) until he'd gotten older and even then, she'd tried to avoid purposely fanning those flame. She just hadn't always managed it because she'd developed a bit of a crush on Sam (any version of Sam) by then. It is different from the Ruby that Sam knows, but she's still a (mostly) good girl at this point in her life. Never fear, as Sam gets to know Julietta, she'll reveal her more rebellious nature. After all, it was not a prim and proper girl that refused to get married nor was it a prim and proper girl that made a deal with a demon because she wanted to control her own destiny.

Julietta watches Sam very carefully, more curious and interested than wary. When he sets the box on the table and opens the lid, she leans forward a bit, peering into the box. Her expression is one of delight and surprise as she reaches in carefully and takes one of the donuts. Her first bite is cautious, more of a nibble, but then she abandons caution. Her next bite is a large one and she chews, her face lit with pleasure as she finishes the bite and swallows. "Paczki," she declares. She abandons her seat and moves to sit in the chair next to him. "Sam. Paczki," she insists, pushing the box toward him before she takes another healthy bite of her donut.

It will definitely occur to him sooner or later that the prim and proper girl before him is more learned than her true character. It would help him to understand where she's come from and why she is the way she is to see who she once has been.

Sam watches her light up like a luminous gemstone, letting himself smile at her delight. He doesn't mind one bit that she is cautious because it's understandable. His hum is enthusiastic to communicate that he knows how good the donuts can be. Though his reaction to her move to sit next to him is another thing that clearly surprises him. "Paczki." He nods saying the word before the understanding of what she means catches up to him. His first assumption is that she's like a child sharing her experience. He realizes that she wants him to share in the experience then nods. He considers the donuts leftover and takes the blueberry glaze. "Okay!" He takes a bit of it, eyes staying on her to see if that will make her smile.

There weren't very many ways for girls to behave in her time. Who she had to be is part of the reason she's who she is: Ruby refuses to play polite or fake for anyone because at one point in her life (many really) she had to.

Yes, if he hesitates a moment longer, he'll see a hint of a scowl on her face. She wants him to enjoy the experience with her (and it assures her the donuts aren't poisoned, though poison wouldn't really be unwelcome considering what's to come) and when he does pick up a donut, he gets a look of approval; yes, he makes her smile. After she finishes her donut and licks her fingers clean, she starts to ask questions in halting sentences and a combination of poor English and rudimentary Polish. Questions like:

"Why aren't I in a cell?"
"Where are the men that took me?"
"Is this place really safe?"
"Are you sure you aren't going to turn me in?"
"Don't you believe I'm a witch?"

Unfortunately, she's going to ask several questions (all of them running together a bit) before she gives him a chance to answer.

The donuts are definitely not poison. Full of sugar and yeast and other unhealthy ingredients, definitely. He will enjoy the experience with her, all it takes is a moment to relax again with her moved to sit next to him. He chews and swallows most of his donut, but savors the blueberry bits on his tongue before swallowing them. The last thing he expects is the great many number of questions but he does his best to compartmentalize and decipher the Polish mixed into her questions.

His hand raises to stop her from asking more. "Whoa, Whoa, um, slow it down to one question at a time." To try to remain clear, he holds up a finger and pronounces the Polish word meaning one. "No cell. What men?"

The frown to grow on his face isn't because of her, but because he starts to recall what Ruby said about what she remembers from her past.

She can stand to have a little (or a lot) of unhealthy food. It clearly pleases her and makes her relax when he eats the donuts as well.

He gets a disgruntled look from her when he tells her one question at a time (she's got so many; she'll be asking questions every waking moment) but she nods, letting him know that she understands him.

Her brow furrows a little. She actually knows enough English to tell him about her circumstances, but they're not pleasant and while she's a teenage girl that's made a deal with a demon (though she doesn't know that just yet; she does know that Astaroth aka Tammy is a powerful witch) She is still a teenage girl right now that facing a very scary and uncertain (or very certain) future. "Cell. Lock up." She points to herself. "Witch." Her voice quavers a little though she lifts her chin in a gesture that might be very familiar to Sam and straightens her back. "Burn." Her pauses, reining in her emotion. "Priests, also...village men." Her mouth purses up a bit and her brows furrow as she searches for the right word. "Leaders?" she suggests, obviously uncertain it's the right word. "Scared. They're scared," she clarifies and sighs. "The Black Death did not kill my village." She points to herself again. "Witch," and she looks a little smug and pleased with herself then she rolls her eyes. "He was fat. Old. Ugly. Mean. Will not marry.Maybe I make him...." she scratches exaggerated at her arm. "Scratch? All over and cow milk go sour and maybe potatoes rot." She shrugs. "My father sees maybe he's not so good for husband."

It clearly helps that she is relaxed so this once donuts won't hurt either of them.

Seeing her off put look, he sets down his donut and presses both his hands together to signify an apology. However, one question at a time still stands.

English would help a lot here. She doesn't know him well so it is understable if she does not want to share every detail with him; he does hope she will come to trust him as he's being patient with her. His eyes flash with a mix of surprise and understanding when the word witch comes out of her mouth. It seems just Ruby for the girl to quiver but hide that behind a display of confidence. The corner of his mouth twitches with a fleeting smile. To be honest, it sounds like something Ruby would do today to curse a man too. Sam refocuses as her words start to paint a clear picture of when she came from. Eventually, he shakes his head. "You." He points at her specifically. "Safe. Nobody to lock you up. No husband. No... Free." He looks around the kitchen, behind him to see if anyone else was around yet. Not yet by the looks of it. It is a moment to think how else to explain this world to her. "Not scared of witches here if they have good behavior." He tilts his head towards the door. "Shall we?"

Ruby Ruby would tell Sam that donuts aren't going to hurt either one of them occasionally. Dean would tell him that they make everything better.

She gets the gist of his apology and the look she gives him is clearly one of appeasement.

She's trying. Her English is limited, but with her limited English and his limited Polish, they'll be okay. Trust is already being built, and fortunately, she's a great deal more trusting than the version of Ruby that Sam loves. Whether Ruby realizes it (or remembers it) or not, who this girl is helped Ruby become the demon she is. This girl is, in part, the reason Ruby was able to hold onto shreds of her humanity. When a hex is good, you stick with it.

Julietta listens intently to what Sam is saying, processing it a little at a time. It's clear she's doubtful, but she's also hopeful that this place, wherever it is, doesn't want to burn her alive. She tilts her head a little. "Free," she repeats, her tone wary, but she understands the gist of his words. Her brows go up at his indication toward the door and she looks at him with wide eyes then crams the rest of her donut in her mouth and starts to follow him on bare feet.

Ruby may get Sam to agree with that logic yet. Of course her words always have a level of persuasion over him. Dean though... How Dean doesn't gain any weight at forty-two years old is more of a mystery than who Jack the Ripper was.

Julietta obviously wants to trust him, and he wouldn't do anything to dissuade her from that. She should just be able to be a child for a while and Sam can give that to her like Ruby gave it to him. If it's food and freedom she wants, there's a few things he can think of to show her. He motions again with his head toward the exit. "Tak," he tells her 'yes' in her native tongue. She's got her freedom to do whatever he means. She's free to follow him or not. The choice is up to her. Of course when she makes the decision to follow him while cramming the pastry in her mouth, he chuckles a little bit. He stops for a moment in the library to see how she will react to her surroundings. The tables show signs of activity in the room previously from books piled up near one seat to a plate with crumbs left behind by another. The shelving is adorned with photographs of Sam and other faces probably unrecognizable to Julietta.

He turns, eyes clear as the sky watching her. "Tour" is another word he emphasises in her tongue. "Zapraszam do zwiedzania." To give her permission to look around.

She's working on it. That's a damn miracle. He ought to be a star on My 600 Pound Life and yet....

She doesn't consider herself a child and neither does her world, but it'll be nice to actually act like one for a little while, especially considering what is awaiting her. That's also a reason that she's not going to let this chance, whatever it is, go to waste so of course, she follows the kind, handsome guy. The library is an excellent first stop on this tour. Her eyes go wide and she starts to step inside the library, but doesn't fully commit to it until he gives her permission to look around.

Once she's got that permission, her fingertips go to the spines of the books then she makes her way toward the pictures, as awed by those as she is by the books. She leans in close, eyes squinting as she examines them then looks back to Sam. She points to a picture of him and a blonde. "Sam," she says. Her tone and expression are curious: who's the blonde?

It's entirely up to her how she ends up being treated during her stay in Itinere but she should take advantage of everything it has to offer. ~~Yes, the kind, handsome guy too.~~ He wasn't expecting visitors so most of the library is spell books and lore, however off to one corner, there rests a selection of Ruby's novelettes on the shelf too. She has her permission yet he directs her more to the lore side of the library. His inclination is that she might feel more comfortable seeing that they're peers, at the same time keeping her away from spell books.

There's traces of dust on some of the spines of the books while none on others, hinting just which ones have been read somewhat recently and which ones have not. Sam respects her space, keeping close but an eye on her with a modicum of distance between them. He looks over at the picture she points to though. From what he can see, her finger is pointed more on Ruby than him. "Yeah, um. That's Rubyand me." If he seems strange, it's because he feels weird keeping the whole truth from her. All he can add is a gesture here or there to the blonde in the picture and him and place they stand. "Courting. Live together. Here."

Well, he has been warned. Plus, he knows Ruby and this younger, human version of her is a lot like the Ruby he knows ~~oh, don't worry. she will~~. Julietta would be scandalized by the book covers on Ruby's books (trust when she sees them, she's going to read them anyway...which might be where she gets some ideas about advantage taking). The spell books and lore make her turn to look at him, surprise in her expression. She also relaxes a bit more when she realizes that he's a witch too (or at least she thinks he is--she's never known a boy witch or any other witches expect Astaroth ~~who is actually a fallen angel~~).

The only book she pulls off the shelf is a book in Polish of Polish fairytales. She leafs through it briefly, a huge smile on her face, before she turns to the pictures, book still in hand. She might want to keep that one to read. Her brow furrows a little as she listens to him, half her attention still on the magic (to her) photos. He does seem strange, but she doesn't know him well enough to guess why. After a moment and a couple of seconds where she looks like she is going to say something, she finally says "Wife?". Yes, Sam, that might be disappointment mixed with curiosity in her expression.

The books will kindly transform into Polish on the pages should she pick one up. Is it a good thing that she will read Ruby's collection? No. But the secrets of advantage taking will be at her fingertips for as long as she remains in Itinere. Sam isn't sure what the surprise in her face is for and raises his brow as if to ask. Is he too close to her? Did she see something familiar? She may be a lot like Ruby but he can't read her half as well.

Sam has a theory that the Polish book of fairytales are very real and that reason alone is why the book was in the Men of Letters bunker. It's Julietta's for the time being if she wants it. He smiles just because when she smiles at the words on the page it's exactly like looking at Ruby reading (in another body.) He could explain the photos for the science and magic they are but even he recognizes it may be best left alone. Any awkwardness on his end doesn't last though because he swallows it down. His mouth opens to answer her question and hangs for a moment before he can tell her honestly, "No. Not yet. Po prostu mieszkajcie razem." Just live together in more broken Polish.

Once she discovers that she will dive into the trashy romance novels. She'll even re-read some of those novels that Ruby has read and marked up. She'll get plenty of ideas about advantage taking. Maybe at some point she'll share with him that she's never known a boy witch.

It probably is real. Even though the actual book doesn't exist in Julietta's time; the fairytales do and she'll appreciate both the language and the familiarity of them. It probably is best left alone. It's unlikely that Julietta will be here long enough to really understand it. She gives him a confused look. Men and women don't live together in her time. After a moment she shrugs a little. "Continue tour?" she asks in broken English.

It's only a matter of time before one the trashy novels conveniently falls off the shelf and falls open to the first page in its translated form. Sam would rather she come up with no ideas but what can he do. He never will tell her that he is a (boy) man witch but letting her think that is a white lie that is better for them both in the long run.

What matters most is that she is familiar with the fables at her fingertips. Confident enough that she shares the same interest in stories as Ruby or even himself, Sam turns to the shelf to pull another fairytale book to pass to her. Alice in Wonderland. He indicates to her that she should take it. His knowledge of history makes her confusion very clear; he hesitates but smiles awkwardly at her request to continue and motions to the bunker foyer. Next on the tour? They come to the clothes store. He holds the door open for her, checking that she hadn't slipped away on the walk there. "Change of clothes?" he asks her slowly.

Wouldn't things feel 'off' if he weren't at her mercy? She's just making sure that things feel familiar. You're welcome, Sam. The white lie really isn't hurting anyone and it does make Julietta feel more comfortable. It assures her that she's not going to be persecuted for being a witch, and that's not true back home.

She's got the same interest in stories, even if she doesn't have such easy access to them back home. She takes the book from him with a smile and murmurs thank you in Polish (she's not as reluctant to show gratitude as Ruby is, but then she doesn't have all the baggage Ruby has either). She steps out into the hallway before him and turns, pausing so he can catch up, books clutched tightly to her chest. She tells him, in a rush of Polish that he may or may not entirely understand, that she's never seen so many books in her life and that she'll take good care of the books in her arms. Curiosity silences her when he opens the door. She surveys the selection with curiosity, surprise etching her expression at his words. After a moment, she nods, shifting her books to one arm before reaching to pull a plaid shirt (much like his) off the hanger.

"This?" she asks. To be fair, she is tiny enough that it probably will come down to her knees.

He shouldn't feel 'off' at all when she's not technically Ruby nor an adult. Suffice to say he is. She's safe from being persecuted; that is a guarantee.

He can follow the gratuite she gives him. The rush of Polish is harder to pick apart but the sentiment can be understood by the way he sees her clutching the book when he glances back. He trusts she will take care of it only because Ruby would. Her face is worth the extra second he spends watching her before stepping in behind her to be just right behind her.

"Anything you want," he responds to her question. Knees? Ankles? The dress doesn't seem particularly scandalous because of everything else going on.

Fair enough. She probably is less 'Ruby' than she would be if Ruby were a human and the girl he's looking at were only three years younger than his girlfriend. Julietta might argue that in her world she is very much an adult.

Most of the time, she'll remember to speak more slowly. She's excited about the books and about everything here. It's also a rush that she's not going to be burned alive in a few hours.

She unbuttons the shirt and pulls it over the nightgown she's wearing then turns to pull a sweater and a tee shirt (this one Ruby's) off a shelf then grabs a pair of pants that are Sam's. She adds a pair of socks to the pile then turns to Sam. "Okay."

Carry on is the implied (slightly bossy) order here.

Yes, and he can hardly consider her Ruby. He is old enough to be her father.

It will help immensely if she does as her perfect Polish accent is also foreign to his ears. For the next few hours there will be more she will find that she is excited about. Sam has a few ideas of where else they can go after they finish up with the clothes.

He averts his eyes away from her as it's not clear if she will strip or not, turning his back to her. He turns back to face her only when he's sure it's safe to. Seems she has everything but... "Shoes?" They should get her a proper pair. His eyes search to find a comfortable pair. Sam indicates she waits there and goes and comes back with a few boxes of a pair, sizes 4 to 6. He opens the smallest size to her first. There is a bench for her to sit on just right next to them.

Okay. Well. Fair. At least when she's Ruby she's the older one.

Yeah, even Ruby's accent is diminished when she's speaking Polish. He'll figure it out eventually, as will she. She'll pick up more of his English as well. Already, Julietta can't imagine a better day; he's given her food, books, and now clothes. Much like her demon counterpart, Julietta is relatively easy to make happy.

He gets a confused look because she doesn't recognize the word, but it's fairly obvious when he brings out the shoes, even if they're unlike any shoes she's seen. She repeats 'shoes' but in Polish and nods. She takes one of the shoes out of the box and considers it. After a bit of shuffling, she sits down on the bench and tries to slip her foot into the shoe. She shakes her head, considering the English words she knows and which one might work. "No fit," she finally declares and reaches to look in one of the boxes that Sam has. She takes one of those shoes out (the next size up) and manages to put her foot in. She wiggles her toes inside the sneaker then reaches to take it's companion and put it on. "Okay," she tells him again, that bossiness still there.

Whether it's through English or Polish or the odd gesture they seem to be communicating well enough. Sam has always had a habit of taking in strays and Julietta is no exception. It goes without saying

He didn't think she would recognize Ruby's usual boots with heels and instead choose flats, shimmery black with white soles. He gathers she said 'shoes' in her tongue and nods on back. Her feet are so small that he can only hope his guesses at her size are accurate. Size five seems to fit her well and her wiggly toe display brings him to smile. "They're yours," he tells her in Polish. That hint of bossiness in her voice prompts him to clear his throat. His thumb points to the change room. "Try on more clothes?" It's an offer in what he thinks is the Polish words for the question.

Ruby will tease him about it when she returns, though she can't say she was any better considering all the time she spent with him when his younger selves were visiting Itinere.

High heels haven't even been invented yet in her time. It's likely she doesn't recognize them as shoes at all. He does pretty well with the Polish, at least well enough to get the idea across. She hesitates then looks to the room then back to him. "Stay." That bossiness isn't going anywhere, particularly now that she's getting comfortable with him. She ducks behind the curtain of the room and proceeds to change into some of the clothes she's picked out. She'll come out after a moment in the too-big flannel shirt, a pair of soft leggings that resemble something like men's undergarments in her world, and another flannel shirt tied around her waist a bit like a wrap skirt of some sort. "Good?" She asks in Polish. It's clear she wants Sam's approval. She probably looks ridiculous, but she's no longer wearing a nightgown. She sort of resembles a teenager from the Grunge period of the 90s.

For sure. The joke may be more on him because she was the best babysitter he ever had and many of his firsts. This is a first, too, and the trouble is that he feels responsible for her so he can't pawn her off for his own sanity.

He could be more fluent so it has crossed his mind to study some more when the bunker is fast asleep. He follows her looks and his hands go out in front of him. "Staying." She will always be the boss of him, most times, but he wouldn't dream of doing what she seems worried about. He does not move far from his spot actually because he does not know how she will react if he does (what she will assume). He shops for himself with his eyes a little. When the curtain pulls back and she steps forward, his attention returns to her. Well... He looks speechless, teeth pressed together for a second, before he gives her a smile and a thumbs up.

"Better." That is the word he uses in her native tongue.

It wouldn't be what he chose but he doesn't have the heart to tell her. The only thing certain is it is much better than her nightgown.

She did try. Honestly, Ruby would be a little hurt if she'd returned to remember that he had pawned Julietta off on someone else. She's not Ruby, but she's not not Ruby either.

She'll be happy to help him with his fluency as well. The gesture as well as his vocal reassure that he's not going to run off, does the trick. If he were to move very far, she would assume he'd abandoned her.

Next time, he can choose her clothes. She's got no idea what she's doing when it comes to this century's fashion. Buttons are new to her, not to mention zippers and the idea of women wearing pants. She nods and moves to stand next to him, looking up. "Now?" Where to next tour guide?

There's no one to stick her with at the kids table either so she is very safe from being pawned off on anybody.

It's very likely an opportunity they'll have when they return to the bunker--helping him with his fluency and her feeling comfortable. He wouldn't abandon her even if she were a wild animal.

Next time, she most definitely can tease him about what she is wearing and gauge his reaction if that's what that means. Of course, it will have to mean Ruby is back. Or else next time he might just ask for help from Lucy or his mom or anybody available. He draws the line at being responsible at showing a 16 year old girl how simple buttons work. "Tell me about yourself, Rosetta. What do you like?" He could show you more based on her interests if she gave him some ideas.

I don't think we're in Kansas anymore

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