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The Universal Language (Part 1?)

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The afternoon sun was already touching the horizon by the time John realized that he'd lost sight of the sight seeing group. Being alone in a foreign country was not a new experience for John and, in most cases he didn't mind it at all... but that was when he had access to his cell phone and, unfortunately, as far away from main population centers he had zero service. That meant no directions, no translation, and no ability to call for assistance.

John was no stranger to travel and he'd run into some touch patches in the past, so he managed to keep his cool. He knew some Spanish but he was far out enough from the main population centers that few if any people spoke English and, in fact, most spoke the local native language, meaning John's limited grasp of Spanish was of little use. Apparently his passive concern didn't go completely unnoticed because the Human noticed a Jaguar across the street lock eyes with him, raise a paw in greeting, and say something in-- as anticipated, one of the local languages descended from Mayan.

Offering a pleasant smile back, John also raised his hand, offering a pleasant wave. During his time in different countries there were a few consistencies that the Human had learned and the first was that a lot of communication was non-verbal and, with enough patience, he'd become skilled enough to get basic ideas across... though it usually helped that he knew enough of the local languages to also inject a few words. Having a natural ear for spoken words, John believed that most of the people in the small town spoke Mam... which was NOT like Spanish at all.

The Jaguar crossed the road, jogging over, offering up a reserved smile, and spoke to John in the local language. Based on the tone, and the furred man's open body language it sounded like a greeting, followed by, based on the Jaguar's ears raising and tail flicking, a question. One thing John had learned to appreciate when dealing with anthro folk was how much more expressive they were, making non-verbal communication much easier. In reply to what he figured the Jaguar was inquiring, the Human raised his finger to his ear and shook his head, stating simply "I don't understand your language."

The Jaguar nodded thoughtfully-- based on the large cat's furrowed brow and one ear pulled back, John was confident that his new companion was working thorough the problem of their limited ability to communicate. It was a start, since it took two in order to evaluate the best way to enact a dialogue. After a long pause, John tried again, speaking in English, but putting emphasis on proper nouns, like the name of his hotel. "Do you know how I can get to the CASA DEL REY hotel?"

Blinking, the Jaguar actually nodded, his rounded ears perking up. His tail flicked and he offered a calming smile, taking another step closer as his whiskers twitched upward. "Casa del Rey.... Quetzaltenango?"

John's heart jumped when he recognized the name of the city as spoken by the Jaguar. Despite his excitement, the Human kept his voice even, speaking slowly as he gestured with his hands to indicate that he was trying to find directions, hoping that his companion would understand. "Yes! Casa del Rey is in Quetzaltenango... do you know where it is?"

The Jaguar pointed back over John's right shoulder, offering a single word response. The Human turned around, judging direction based on the sun, which was inching ever closer to the horizon. "Okay... south... south west."

The Jaguar motioned in that direction again, speaking slowly and calmy in his own language, also using hand gestures; John puzzled through them, thinking that his companion was trying to convey distance. "So... it's... far?"

John put his hands together, then brought them further apart to suggest a great distance. The Jaguar looked at his two hands, paws coming out to take gentle hold of the Human's wrists; John noticed that the feline's paw pads were incredibly warm. A moment later the Jaguar gave them a gentle shake and said a word... then brought them together until they were almost touching, and said another word... then brought them out almost to maximum distance apart... but not quite. The Human figured that his companion was suggesting that it was far, but not exceedingly far. Helpful... but not enough information.

A few moments passed before John could figure out how to ask his follow up question. In the end he glanced toward an old farming truck; the Jaguar followed his gaze. When the local looked back, John pointed at the truck, then pointed to a Capybara riding a bicycle past, and then to his own feet. He looked back up at the Jaguar and made a questioning gesture, shrugging his shoulders with his palms up.

The Jaguar offered an "Ahh..." and then proceeded to talk, ultimately pointing toward the truck, followed by spreading his arms wide... and then drawing them back in a little. John pieced together that the trip would take while by car... which meant there was no way he'd get back to the hotel before it got dark, especially since there didn't seem to be anyone in the area that spoke English, and probably not a lick of-- he paused, chewing on his bottom lip before he tried to test his luck by asking if the Jaguar spoke any Spanish. "español? Hablar español?"

John's vocabulary was bad... only slightly better than his grammar, but he hoped it would be enough to at least convey some ideas.. presuming he and his new friend shared SOME capacity to talk. The Jaguar's eyes widened a little, and he nodded his head, words coming out tentatively and slowly as he held up a paw, thumb and first finger close together "Si. Un poco español."

The Jaguar knew a little, based on his answer, but it was better than nothing. Letting out a deep breath, John tried again, attempting to figure out how to ask about a hotel. He was fairly sure he butchered the request several times in trying to convey that he needed to find a hotel. In the end the best he managed was "No sol. Yo necesitar dormir.", but he knew he botched trying to say "There's no sun. I need to sleep."

Ears folded back in apparent sympathy, the Jaguar nodded, whispers drooping slightly. Glancing up to the sky, he looked westward. "Dos horas."

Was the local trying to say there was two hours of sunlight left? As far as John could figure there was probably less than an hour but, he realized, he wasn't as familiar with the local dawn and dusk hours as he would have liked to be. Talking more to himself at that point, the Human mumbled. "Okay... two hours to find an inn... god, I hope they take credit cards. If I can handle tonight I'm sure I'll be able to figure my way back tomorrow morning."

The Jaguar didn't bother moving, eyes watching him astutely, ears up. He waited until John looked at him before asking. "Ayuda?"

The Human smirked. "Ayuda? Help? Yeah... I could certainly use some help."

His companion's whiskers flicked as he smiled, the Jaguar's attentive eyes looking closely at him. "Yo.... yo ayudar." He was offering to help, apparently.

Finally getting his brain into collaboration mode, the Human thought back to his experience in other countries and how he'd had to communicate with the locals. Including gestures and not focusing as much on words he tried to convey that he needed somewhere more local to sleep, gesturing to the immediate area before pantomiming resting his head down on a pillow. "Dormir? Sleep. I need somewhere to sleep."

The Jaguar nodded, expression softening sympathetically, seeming to understand John's request. The native shook his head slowly. "Aqui? No. No aqui." Apparently the town lacked any kind of hotel.

John closed his eyes, letting out a long sigh; that was not what he was looking to hear. Grinding his teeth, the Human glanced around, trying to figure out what he could do. Was it possible someone had a phone he could use? What in the hell was the word for 'phone' in Spanish? Would the Jaguar even understand him? His thoughts came to a stop when a warm paw came to rest on hims shoulder.

The Jaguar was smiling, green eyes glimmering in the light from the sunset as he spoke. "Casa? Mi casa."

The Human wasn't quite sure what was being suggested. Trying to figure out if he understood correctly, John motioned between himself and the Jaguar. "You want me to stay with you? At your house? Yo... tu casa? Con tu?"

The Jaguar smiled and nodded, whiskers vibrating faintly as he grinned, and the big cat gestured down the street to a large adobe house at the end. It looked to be a decent sized one story home with a large patio in front; John also saw a collection of youth (an Otter, a Maned Wolf, a Nutria, and what looked like a Tapir) kicking a ball back and forth on a titled courtyard and two older women (an ocelot, and what looked like a llama) seated in chairs out front of it. When John looked back at his companion, the big cat nodded again, offering a simple response. "Si."

Even without the pidgin Spanish John realized what the Jaguar was saying--- he was being offered a place to sleep. So surprised, he responded in English before realizing tha there was no point, and spoke again in as much Spanish as he could. "Oh... uh... Thank you! Er... gracias. Mucho gracias!"

The two approached the entryway to the home and the youths, all probably somewhere between 6 and 12 came running out, swarming the Jaguar. They were speaking a mile a minute in the native language, meaning John didn't have the first idea what they were talking about but, as they spoke he paid attention, able to decipher enough that they were asking his host about him, and likely any other number of things. The Jaguar calmly spoke to all of them, ultimately ushering them toward the older women, who greeted him warmly and helped him extricate himself from the loud and insistent youth, all parties laughing the whole time.

Watching things unfold made John blush a little, and smile. Although he hadn't seen all cultures and visited all places, he'd seen enough to realize that, in the end, Human or Anthro, Northern Hemisphere or South, in the end, everyone was more alike than they were different. As the Jaguar said what John figured were goodbyes, their eyes locked. The feline's eyes glimmered in mirth and he gestured back toward the older women. "Familia."

It was the word for 'family', but the Jaguar and the ladies and the children were definitely not the same species. John was willing to simply accept the statement for what it was: they were close enough that they could easily have been family. It did bring up another question though as they approached the house. Looking back to the Jaguar, John motioned to the front door. "Familia? Tu? En casa?" He didn't know how to ask about a spouse or children, but he hoped his inquiry would get across: he wanted to know who else to expect.

The Jaguar's smile faded slightly and he slowly shook his head. "No. Yo."

John wasn't too sure if he was reading a sense of forlornness in the single word or if it was just his imagination. Willing to let that question slide, the Human followed after his host, the Jaguar's tail swishing back and forth like a metronome. As they stepped through into the entryway, the feline turned around, his ears perking up, and his eyes sparkling with warmth. The Jaguar opened his arms, inviting demeanor make it clear that he was welcoming John inside, speaking a word that the Human didn't understand.

The thought of a local graciously opening his home to him was overwhelming but, at the same time, John hated the idea of imposing-- they didn't even know one another. Pausing, the Human thought of a way to remedy that, "My... my name is John, by the way." He rested his hand against his chest. "John."

He then held a hand out to the Jaguar. The felines eyes lit up and he took John's hand in a firm, gentle grasp. "Hola, Hyon."

John had to fight to avoid smiling; he'd spent a fair amount of time in Central and South American countries and most of them had trouble saying the 'J' in his name-- he'd long since learned to not let it bother him. Once hand and paw met, the Human followed up. "Tu? Tu nombre? Yo, John... tu?" He wanted to know his host's name.

The Jaguar's smile widened and he chuckled, the soft sound rumbling up from his chest. Ears perked in amusement, the feline spoke slowly and simply. "Hugo. Hu-go. Hugo."

John nodded with a smile; it was different from the Hyu-go he normally recognized, but he rolled with it. "Yes. Si." He gestured to himself. "John..." and he motioned to his host. "Hugo."

It was the Jaguar's turn, first indicating himself, then John. "Hugo... Hyon."

The Human had to avoid laughing at the way his name was spoken, but Hugo didn't, ears red as he apparently tried to apologize for the mispronunciation. John had to take hold of his shoulder, gesturing and shaking his head, joining in on the laughter until the Jaguar seemed to relaize that it was okay. After that a warm silence persisted between them, and Hugo let out a contented sigh. He slipped his paws out of the sandals he'd been wearing, setting them off to the side near a few other pairs of paw coverings. Being mindful of what he was seeing, John took off his own shoes and slid them into place beside the sandals.

Hugo's face lit up when he saw that, motioning to the shoes then John's feet, then his house, speaking in his native language and finishing it up what sounded like gratitude-- he even went back and offered thanks in Spanish. "Gracias... amigo."

It made John smile to think that neither of them spoke one another's native language and they both barely knew enough Spanish to get by, and yet, it seemed to be their saving grace. He also let out a sigh of relief; despite the insanity of the day and getting lost, he seemed to meet a kind local who was willing to take him in. A moment passed before the Human realized that he was still holding his backpack, and Hugo noticed it as well. Blushing, John gave it a little shake. "So... what do I do about THIS?"

The Jaguar laughed, leaning forward to offer the Human a light hug, speaking back to him in his language exactly the same John had just spoken in English. Gesturing for the Human to follow him, Hugo headed further into the house, into what appeared to be a large family room, complete with two sofas and three arm chairs. Hugo's tail flipped back and forth with excitement, speaking as he went, gesturing-- it looked like his host was explaining the living room and then, after crossing the distance, approached a door that opened inward; glancing in, John saw a small but comfy looking bedroom-- it was in immaculate condition and appeared ready to host a guest.

After that, the Jaguar stepped away, heading across the room to what appeared to be the house's kitchen, connected to the living room by a tiled dining area. Pausing just long enough to drop off his things, John followed after his host, pausing when Hugo looked at him, asking a question in halting Spanish that John didn't understand. A moment later, apparently realizing he wasn't understood, the Jaguar pantomimed drinking from a cup. The Human was very much thirsty and he nodded his head vigorously, confirming as much as he could with his limited Spanish. "Si. Por favor."

The Jaguar poured two cups, bringing them over on a tray, and offered them to John. The Human selected one and Hugo took the other, motioning toward the several seats available in the living room. Taking a seat on one of the sofas, he was surprised when Hugo sat down almost right next to him, still smiling, pausing only to take a sip of his drink. The Jaguar motioned to his glass, saying something John didn't understand but, based on the aroma, it definitely smelled both sweet and tart-- and a lot like tamarind. Taking a sip, John smiled; he was able to confirm it, which was a bonus because he greatly liked the taste of tamarind in almost everything.

Leaning slowly back into the comfortable sofa, John let out a calming breath; it had been a crazy afternoon and an evening bordering on frightening, but meeting Hugo had greatly helped his anxiety decrease. Eying the room, the Human admired the decor; despite it being furnished in a modern style there were definite hints of tribal life including small carvings and paintings interspersed throughout. John was also thankful that the house had electricity-- but he had to pause and check his first world notions. He knew that small rural towns in South America by nature didn't have to be backwaters-- Hugo's home seemed nice, and the Jaguar was dressed in 'normal clothing' so John realized he needed to check his privileged since-- the Human's thoughts paused as he saw his host begin to unbutton his shirt before slipping it over and off of his head.

The Jaguar let out a soft, contented sigh, the sound accompanied by a background track of soft, gentle purring. John immediately felt his cheeks grow warm; even out of the corner of his eye the feline's body was noticeably fit-- Hugo had a swimmer's build with muscle definition only slightly hidden by his fur. The Jaguar's coloration and pattern glimmered under the overhead light, seeming to pulse and weavae across his body in time with his breathing. John hadn't noticed he was staring until Hugo cleared his throat, and the Human looked up into a pair of gleaming green eyes.

Smirking, the Jaguar's whiskers vibrated slightly, humor evident in is gaze as he spoke, full of levity. "Bien?"

John wasn't completely sure, but he thought his host was asking if he liked what he saw. Blushing even more, the Human glanced away, but couldn't help but glance back out of the corner of his eye. Chuckling, Hugo kicked his bare paws up on the coffee table, spreading his arms out across the sofa, obviously not minding John looking at him in the least. When the Jaguar spoke again his voice came out smooth as silk, ruffled only by his gentle purring. "Si... muy bien."