Her first evening on the Beta site, and Ruth was still trying to get her bearings. She had already scouted the perimeter of the camp, looking for anything that might be of any linguistic interest to her, but had found nothing, and that disappointed her. She had hoped that the reason she had been sent here was because there was something of linguistic interest, but, at least at first glance, there was nothing, and she was likely there as something of a "just in case" appointment.
Still, short of wandering off and exploring, there was little for her to do. Ruth had settled into the shared tent, stashing what few possessions she had brought with her, and now it was time for food. The mess tent was busy, and there were very few seats available. She didn't see anyone she knew, at least not with space at their table, so kept her eyes open for somewhere to sit.
Her ears eventually found her a seat, though, as she heard an unfamiliar language being spoken. It sounded vaguely European, but not anything she was able to understand. It was being spoken by a man and a woman she didn't recognise, and Ruth leaned down, smiling warmly. "Hi there," she said, her voice warm as she nodded at a spare seat at the table. "You mind if I join you? It's really busy in here, and... I guess I left it late!"
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