Interactions - @Infinite Cosmos "Nate" Tanaka



Jericho waves to the tour group he'd taken out on the water. Though the fishing charter had said they could pull in two fish a person, they had not requested actually bringing home some tuna. Pity really. Jericho had been prepared to bargain for some of the meat for himself. Tuna fish being an especially good meal. Jericho stays on the quay and smiles watching the tour group get into their vehicle then race off into the early evening light. Turning back he gathers up the gear and takes it inside the warehouse, setting all the kit down on the floor, and seperating the rods out. He picks up a remote and sets it playing a local radio station.

The music filled the warehouse as Jericho began to work at seperating the rods and reels and the lines.

He'd need to do some maintenance on the reels and rods. Those tuna today put up some fights. As he's working his phone pings. And he reaches over and picks it up.

"Walls. What are you up to this evening? Still want to come by and chat? You know you have a permanent tab and family discount here ;) I'll even let your bring your own beer since I don't serve beer here"

Jericho chuckled and texted back, "Nate! How's things? Just doing some clean up from a fishing trip. The Bar running well? Oh my an invitation to the greatest of watering holes? Hehe fine. Be over in abit." He could do the rest of the rods and reels in the morning before the hiking trip. For now he has some unwinding to do.

Grabbing a satchel, and putting a few bottles into it from his own drink cabinet. And outside he gets, locking the warehouse behind him, and grabbing his bike. Soon he's racing down the roads.

After a ride, he comes rolling up to the Sunny Side/Side Car. Ringing his bell in greeting, and leaning his bike on a pillar outside. Soon entering the building. Waving and calling to Nate, "Hey bredda, how tings go? Mi hear seh a did some good company bout. Mi bring some drink too, hope yuh up fi some a it." JEricho striding up to the bar and opening his bag, pulling a bottle of spiced rum from within.

The meeting hadn’t really gone as smooth as she would have liked. The enormity of the stakes had gotten to her. That never happened before and she conceded to herself that she would have to get better at holding her nerve. Still, the deal was done and as she walked along alone now, it was impossible to hide she was absolutely beaming, giddy even. Her smile arced to one side slyly under her hat and she almost wanted to skip. Passersby on Ave Pura Vida seemed to sense this and some smiled back. It was a good day. A really good day. She was a player now. They were going to get on that boat and bring this whole house down.

The boat.

She remembered.

The mayor’s boat wasn’t just going to give them an idea about what happened to Esteban Flores. The navigational computer was likely full of clues to every secret about Azul for the last half century, maybe more. Her mind swimming, she finally had to step aside and leaned against the wall in an alleyway to fan herself at the thought of it. Relief, exhilaration, dread and uncertainty all combined in a rush. She stared up at the sky between sun bleached architecture and the lively sounds of the evening. She couldn’t explain why, but she had to stifle laughter bubbling up like a cauldron. In the heat of the moment with Cori she sort of… neglected to mention it. Oh well. She was entitled to her finder’s fee. For a moment she considered how she was even going to extract anything from the ultra-high end systems of the Flores’ expensive Italian yacht, but decided not to worry about it. There was plenty of time to figure it out. She took a deep breath to compose herself and relax before she started walking again.

Ave Pura Vida, pronounced, ‘Ah-vaye Purah Veedah’ was the main drag of Isla Zafrio, running nearly the length of the island before it divided off into side streets, alleyways and footpaths. The name, a combination of British and Spanish nomenclature, was nonsensical in the native dialogue, but stuck over time as it had a particularly exotic sound when spoken among Westerners and to the locals seemed to make the visitors readily part with their freshly converted Pesos. Being one of the oldest streets on the islands, it was also scarcely wide enough for two small cars to pass so most traffic was either on foot or via small bike or kart and like most Caribbean towns the idea of traffic flow was more of a suggestion than a hard and fast rule. The throng of the late evening shifted and moved no differently than currents passing along boat wakes.

Taryn was accustomed to this and she walked along with her eyes again hidden behind sunglasses, undistracted by happy-hour celebrations or the bright colors of skillfully presented open-air venues painted in elaborate murals depicting Mayan history and life around Azul. In some places even further adornments were being added in preparation for Azul Days and there was no shortage of candlelit effigies or hastily assembled memorials for the late mayor. Differing music and conversation filled the air and occasionally a street vendor would mistake her for a tourist. There was nothing on Ave Pura Vida that she needed. She was just walking to walk and clear her mind, though over her shoulder her beach bag gave her the appearance of a young woman looking to spend. Along the side in crisp, but faded stitching read Palm Royal Yacht Club - Ft Myers. In Azul this meant nothing, but back home, it was a status marker of the most hoity-toity sailing club in Southeast Florida, each bag being handmade from the used sails of past members: state senators, executives, celebrities and philanthropists. It was tradition for suitors to gift the bags to the young women of the club. Though he was long gone, Taryn still liked the bag and it had a distinctive red, white and blue pattern and the edge of a multi-pointed star where the sail had been cut. The worn tag on the inside read simply: Donated by J. Blake. She had no clue who that was, something to do with an early phone company, but it sounded very chic.

She stopped somewhere between Casa de la Contessa and La Casa Del Sol Nasciento, just to look unimpressed with a street stand. Occasionally it was possible to find a suitable trinket she might send back home to her dad, but the man was essentially impossible to shop for, even here. The vendor tried to offer something encouraging in Spanish, but she knew the game and ignored him completely. It crossed her mind to send something cheap to her mother just as a slight, but decided against it as she continued to peruse the various trinkets and wares.

@AndyC

Andrés was walking around town with the sun high in the sky. Enjoying the sights and getting a feel for the town. It has been a long time since he walked these streets and he is already starting to remember places. Some places he recognized, and some places he did not. One he did recognize was the Marina Barber shop, he was surprised that old Cassius was still a barber and had not changed by the looks of it. Some things do not change, he thought as he continued his tour of the town, and memories flowed back to him as he walked past familiar sights.

Still, there were places Andrés had noticed were new, like this Sunny Side Cafe. He stood there looking at the sign, and he realized that he was a bit thirsty. Maybe I should check this place out, he again thought and see how it compares to the Hidden Retreat.

So Andrés walked inside and looked around, and he saw that the cafe certainly had people here. But how are the drinks? He pondered and walked up to the counter and saw a man talk to a bartender. Well, I hope I am not intruding right now, he thought and went to order a drink from another bartender."Hey, I would like a... hmmm, actually, what would you recommend?"

@Infinite Cosmos

The conversation with Taryn over Cori waited till the other girl left, then after collecting her thoughts rose and walked out of Pat’s flashing a smile at Donna. Her mood brightened considerably. She hopped into the cart and drove to her place. She had moved out of the villa, hacienda or the big house where the other parts of the family; her in-laws were staying. Alejandro was not a fan. Connie and Estaban were worried about her but they let her live her life. Normally. Connie had started to become passive aggressive about Cori coming back into the “fold”.

Turning her down gently Cori could have made a self help book on ”How To: Let Your MIL Know You Also Have a Life”. Probably would have been a bestseller too. And Alejandro, well he could go suck eggs as far as Cori was concerned. She, Imp and Brutus were living their best lives… No actually they weren’t. She was missing José but it was less everyday. Sometimes she feared that she’d lose him altogether. Perhaps that’s what really kept her here…?

No.

The Marina kept her here. It was her life’s work and she finally had it just the way she wanted it. The sea creatures here were fascinating and so diverse and she had never seen the variety that teemed in the waters here. Dolphins that seemed smarter than normal. Sea lions and seals that she swore could understand language. It was fascinating and she was here for that.

Brutus ran out to greet her barking his fool head off as she got in the gate. “Alright already I get the idea you’re happy to see me. Let me put up all this stuff and then I will spend some time with you. Imp needs some exercise. How about we go for a run?” And she said the R word so Brutus was off like a crazy person barking and making an adorable nuisance of himself. Shaking her head Cori hauled out the alfalfa and the kibble she bought at the supply store. The muscles in her arms stood out as she easily lifted and carried each item. She had that Sarah O’Conner toned physique that didn’t stand out until it was already being used otherwise she looked delicate. Deceptive and highly taken advantage of my none other than herself.

After cleaning out Imp’s stall and raking him and Brutus on a run Cori was still not as worn out as she normally was. Hours later Cori was freshly showered and deciding if she really wanted to force herself to stare at the ceiling or take a sleeping pill to fall asleep. Deciding against the pill Cori pulled out a pair of Daisy Duke cut offs a red baby tee crop top and her trusty red converse. She pulled her hair into a braid and headed out.

Deciding not to head back to Pat’s Cori went over to the Sunny Side Cafe, or rather Side Car since it was evening. As she walked in it was like being transported into a 1920’s speakeasy. “I swear if Dicaprio comes out the back room I am out.” Cori murmured as she moved around taking her time to get to the bar. Her eyes followed the stripe of black paint and the blue symbols on the walls. Who or what is Enso? Guess I’ll have to ask.

Harry Belafonte was playing softly in the speakers. One of her favorite songs Man Smart (Woman Smarter) and she moved to the beat. It turned over to Eagles I Can’t Tell You Why as she swayed and sang softly to the music that spoke to her. Her voice was like the call of a siren as she crooned out the song. Hypnotic and darkly sexy for a female, her voice was firmly set in what afficionados would call a contralto mein. She didn’t pay attention to the heads that turned as they heard her. She was too busy making observations and slowly making her way around the bar to pay attention to the looks she was getting.

Finally done with her exploration Cori made her way over to the bar seeing two native gentlemen sitting there. She recognized Walls or Jericho Bell. He reminded her of José and so she was always a little sad around him but that had been something she was slowly letting go of. She’d been at least attempting to smile more. Though she wasn’t used to it and it may have come out as more of a weird grimace. Hey I don’t stare at the mirror and practice… maybe I should?

The other native was Andrés Moruga. Now him she knew; well, knew of. Being one of the founding families and cut off due to not falling in line was someone that José would have liked; and he had. She had not seen a lot of José’s friends after his death.

She had turned inward and lost touch with people. She had needed time. She gave herself time and now she was making herself more seen in things outside José’s charities. And natives responded. She was surprised at how many people remembered her. She supposed that it was due to her striking coloring. Honestly how many pale redheaded women did one see in Azul?

The rhetorical question resounded in her head as Cori smiled at both Andrés and Walls as she sat down. “Evening Walls. Evening Andrés. Hope you’re both doing well. It’s been a while. So what’s good Slim?” Cori didn’t know Nate. He was too new and she’d been in self imposed isolation. Her voice was equally hypnotic speaking as well as singing. Dark and smokey like black velvet that reached in and held you captive with a soft easy grip. Oh sure you could get away but once you heard Cori’s voice why would you want to? The slightly southern belle accent made it all the more sexy. Her voice was described as dark and rich like cognac, expensive, cognac; like sweet sin; and especially siren. Like she could charm those animals that she worked with and if she sat on a rock sailors would crash just to find the source of that voice.
@Theyra@BigPapaBelial@Infinite Cosmos

Eloy couldn't help but grin, an air of mischief around him as his thumb rubbed over the bristles of his brush, trying to get out the paint. He had to admit that he kind of liked it when his best friend got feisty toward him, but he knew she wasn't ever truly angry at him. He was careful trying not to splatter white droplets everywhere as the bed and breakfast's owner joined him and the tourist in the front room. Especially not with Bells overlooking if he'd make a mess or not. She was a damn perfectionist at making the bed and breakfast as good as could be, and he was all too happy to assist in the matter.

As the tourist explained she and a stone had apparently had a match which she regretfully lost, the man nodded in understanding, a low hum coming from his lips. Perhaps the woman was used to roads swept clean with not a piece of nature in sight, but on Azul, everything was a bit wilder. Which was beneficial to Eloy, as his services were often needed to tame it. Nothing like the root of a tree threatening to puncture your water tank. "I hope it's nothing too bad," he told her, pulling a rag from the back pocket of his pants and placing it on the counter beside the sink, making it a home for the first clean brush before he went onto the next.

As Izabel, putting on her most amazing customer service smile, took over the conversation, Eloy listened in, continuing to take care of his brushes as Bells offered to call their local doctor for her. Always the caring one, her. He just smiled to himself until the woman in the lemon dress said something about a wreck. Intrigued, his eyebrows knitted together as he glanced up. So not a tourist per se. He was very big on environmental conservation. But, he wasn't about to meddle in the boss' possibility for customers. Even so, he couldn't help but chime in when the woman inquired about a cold drink. Eloy turned off the water and dried his hands with the towel, a wide grin on his face. "Izabel here makes the best mango smoothie in Azul, although I may be biased," the handyman said, winking to his best friend before hanging up the towel. He grabbed his brushes, wrapping them in the rag before excusing himself from the room.

Outside, Eloy briefly glanced at the two guests on the lawn chairs, finding that they had abandoned their chairs and now waded in the water with their bare feet. The ocean called to him, too, but actually, he was considering asking Izabel if she wanted to head into town for a drink or something. While his bed also called to him, he knew he needed to make time for the fun stuff, too. He cleaned up all of his stuff before tugging on his light green shirt as Izabel had commanded. With his toolbox firmly in his palm, he returned to the main room to rejoin the conversation. Yet, he knew he couldn't easily pull Izabel away to head to town if she was tending to a customer. And what if the woman, who introduced herself as Kat, needed a doctor anyway?

Giving the woman a nod, he leaned his palm on the counter and looked at his best friend, a curious look on her face. "Uh, did you still want to head into town tonight?"

D2BE76
Interactions: Jericho @BigPapaBelial, Andrés @Theyra Cori @Almalthia
Location: Sunny Side Cafe/Side Car Bar

---

The crew of Side Car were in full swing. The tiny crew of three anyways. Nate manned the bar, as he typically does. There were few patrons yet, this early in the evening. Surely they would file in later. Or so Nate was hoping. To be honest, there has been thoughts of changing up how his conducted business for his bar. Doing away with the exclusivity and just changing it to fit in with the vibes of the islands. Inclusivity isn't what Nate feared. It's more so becoming mundane. Having his dream bar become just another island tourist bar is the last thing he wants...

Just has he was picking up and polishing a stainless steel shaker, a familiar sight walked in. "Ah. Brother. Welcome." Nate offered Walls a warm greeting. "While I do appreciate the offer of a drink with a friend, I am alas at work still. However, that is not to say I cannot have a small tipple... Nate said with a slight smirk. He set down the shaker and pulled out two double old-fashioned glasses. "Spiced rum. Interesting choice for the evening. I presume you'd still prefer it neat? Or how was it that you took your drink? I do have a new tincture I've been working on. It is a mix of nutmeg, cinnamon and lemongrass to lighten everything. I think it'd go well with a spiced rum and it's fermented sweetness..." Nate said, as he produced a dasher bottle filled with a clear brown liquid. "One or two dashes should do. Of course, I welcome any feedback you may have from this. Now, allow me." Nate continued as he gently but expertly opened the bottle that his friend had brought in and poured the pair about two finger's worth of the spiced liquor into the aforementioned glasses and added two dashes of his own tincture into it. It was at this moment that he noticed another guest had walked in. This one was not so familiar, but that is perfectly ok. He set his glass down under the counter and noticed that one of his staff had approached the new guest that arrived.

"Good evening, welcome to Side Car. Here is a menu for the evening. As for recommendations, we can heartily recommend the Sidecar, as it is our namesake. Please feel free to take a moment to look over the menu and one of us will be with you shortly for your order." the staff member said then quickly made their exit to return to what they were working on before. Nate quietly observed the interaction, trying to glean some information about the guest, in order to accurately recommend a drink for him. After a small moment, Nate approached. " Good evening, welcome to Side Car. Do you have any questions on the cocktails or do you know what I can make for you?

As Nate waited for a reply from the guest, he noticed a red glow, making the warm lighting in his establishment glow ever warmer. Of course, being the well-trained bartender, Nate did not leave his current guest by himself since he has not told him if he needed more time or given him his order. Nate simply allowed the woman to approach the bar and take her seat among his two other guests.

As soon as she has taken a seat, however, Nate did offer her his customary warm greeting. "Señora Flores. Welcome. how may I be of service this evening?" Nate said as he waited for the orders of his guests while continuing to try to find little mannerisms and external clues that can help him craft the drink that his guests will like.

Chris MacDonald

Flying from Isla Ramilo to the main island was about like moving a car down the block. Freshly caffeinated and with the engine still warm, Chris was back in the air albeit a little uneasy about the revelation that Jewel was not visiting, but was potentially here to stay. He knew the real reason why even though her family did not exactly say the words and the implications were hard not to think about. For most of his life he’d been out of the cliques wherever he lived and being an outsider had its perks. However if events unfolded a certain way, he’d have to choose whether or not to stay in the background and be Azul’s leisurely delivery pilot, or maybe be part of something bigger. At thirty-six he was gradually accepting he was running out of time and opportunities to change his course, or mind.

Fortunately, there was enough distraction again sitting in his right seat. When they finished coffee and Chris expected to make his way home for the day, Iris had suddenly declared she needed to get to the main island and make sure her house hadn’t been “taken over by dust bunnies” and clean it. Bizarre as it was, they were off again and Isla Zafrio was passing by on the port wing while the sun dipped a little lower in the west. Chris pointed out a few things that had changed since she had last been on the island, but mostly things that had stayed the same. They did a short circuit while Chris scanned for other air traffic, which was rare, though he had seen a helicopter parked on one of the old baseball fields recently. The floats touched down south of the marina past the regular stand of white boat masts.

The dock that accommodated the plane and the MacDonald’s “residence” was most notably marked by a small radio tower and like most of the permanent dwellings, was set on the western side of the island rather than facing the year round beating of the Atlantic. There were two small cottages on the property, almost identically laid out; one set on the beachfront and the other directly adjacent to an unnamed packed sand road that stretched away from the island center. Chris’ parents had the beachfront. Various pieces of hanging art and chimes drifted in the breeze and all was shaded in palms and wild green fauna with a tidy little “backyard” that would be pressed to host more than ten. Repeating the same steps from earlier, Chris shut down and drifted up to the dock, this time angling his drift so Iris’ side would be on the dock and she could get out without having to walk across the floats.

As he opened the door to help Iris out again, it occurred to him, a nagging feeling, that it was nice to have a passenger in the front seat for a change and that going other places with said company might be alright… however he smacked the eject button on that thought almost as quickly as it came up and his passenger’s ample frame hopped down to the dock. He wiped a hand over his face and knelt to tie the plane down again, glancing up towards his parents’ house as his hands went through the motions with the rope by memory. He didn’t think they were home and that would be a good thing for him arriving with a girl, particularly with the last name Cardenas. He shook his head and reached up behind Iris’ seat and retrieved a large document envelope and his current logbook to finish off the entries for the day.

“I gotta give this envelope to the neighbors and then we can take you to your house.” He said, holding up the envelope and nodding towards the south. Housing was much more sparse in the southern tip of the island and within the steady curve of the beach there was only one larger property visible. The label on the envelope was addressed to Whispering Waves. Being an off day for the mail, he still checked the postage locker in Cancun while he waited for Iris’ flight not expecting anything and only found the one parcel. With this done and Iris also delivered for the second time, he thought he might finally get some food and a decent nap.

@Days@PrinceAlexus@Sadie@Fading Memory

Dr Katrazyna "Katska" Nadezhda Kowalewska

Her phone buzzed, normally Kat would have left it but the fact it buzzed when she was on quiet mode said it was probably important or someone who mattered. “Excuse me a second” As she reached into her handbag and opened her phone to see a message. “You probably wanna see this Kat before it breaks on the island. Just hit Twitter, island time means it can be seen in the morning or after that Azul day you called me about. Lilly. X” Kat followed the link and yes… Plans had changed and from the little she saw was not entirely surprised and quickly skim read it before returning her phone.

The Island seemed composed of two main families, each with their own aims and one was showing potential weakness after seeming like years in prominence of the two. The other would naturally move when they found a chance to gain standing… It was all very much like a back plot to a cheese romance that bridges the families that are natural enemies. That was the very surface understanding anyway.



…

In London overlooking an overcast sky of grey in an office block looking akin to many others in the city the decision had been made, agreed and sent. Local information was saying things tense and unsure, changes of leadership and two families who were potentially feuding for control of the islands.

The decision was made and it had been a long meeting, many arguments were made. “As for…Dr…Dr Kowalewska. Let her know we have all support available, I do not at all expect to need it. Milo, Mike, make sure local Embassy contacts are good, and confirm who we need to talk to if anything goes bad. Double check it ASAP.” She said closing the meeting and nodded to the two men who she had called in when the topics of safety and risk assessments came up. They considered it over the top but no one wanted to be caught out and said they were negligent, never assume. Always verify.

“Got it, Amelia. day…maybe 2. I have to call a contact in Mexico to confirm who is local for Poland exactly.” He said with an easy confident term and nodded along writing quick notes into a notebook. They were over thinking and over planning but plan for the worst… expect the best. “Put me on double time for Over and I reckon day rather than 2” Mike said and he backed it up with a reputation for getting work done.

“Just sort it out, let me know if you need anything.” Amelia said before they got going and talked her into something else.

…

“Looks like my job got Interesting…” Kat said under her breath as she closed the clasp on her handbag and left on the counter. She had found it an independent little goth shop and was advertised as “corporate Goth”. Kat had got it there and then and that shop was a favourite haunt of hers in London.

“If you sell drinks I might not say no” Kat did not want to have to think about how the pull out would affect her situation right now. Also how much money in contracts had probably been closed.

Kats mental distraction caused her to look over at the taller man, commenting on her great battle with the rock. She lost to a rock, there was no way to look good. “As I said, I'll take it easy for a day or two and skip my run, I grew up on a farm.” Kat said casually, she was used to minor and seeing minor injury and just having to shrug it off and carry on, Farms never stopped for you, just made you have to work 3 times as hard to catch up.

He seemed to perk up when he heard about the environmental aspect of her role though maybe seeing things, truth be told it seemed to be a major point here, a line even. One side was the island's nature, the other its future and where it lay. Even an outsider could pick up a lot of everything riding on what those things were. “What can you say, best fruit ever” Kat said with a smile and a little grimace when she put too much weight on one foot by mistake, yup she would be taking it easy tomorrow and not doing her run.

“I'm not after the diamonds, mine sank in 1944 not 1744. We are trying to clean up the mess so future generations are not impacted. My last find was more baggage than dangerous cargo though. We ignored the problem too long.” She said with reference to the local obsession with that ship among some. She had been shown to a well run through section at Library before she remembered it was after a different era of history. Maybe it was recent events that made the islands a little weird.

She noticed his return a few minutes later and she… Well Kat paused a little awkwardly. Had she interrupted some kind of date night between the two, she would say that this lady had good taste. If it was handsome and handy about the house, the tool box was worn from use. Kat just tried to avoid getting in the way. Kat looked at her nail, she really had to find a place at some stage, no time to book an appointment in London.

“I can take it to go, if you have a thing. Just tell me which is the easier path back to Marina” Kat said softly with a little hope she didn't have to walk straight away, it would be better if she could wait a little time farm background or not.

Her head turned and looked out the window when she hered the loud engine of one of the islands few aircraft, an drone echoed out until it ended when the distant sounds reduced and then ended. She recalled it might be the same one that flew her in, a crampt and noisey smaller float plane but she had ended up on what must have been one of the "busy" flights.

That float plane must be based locally, it made sense. The Marina where she was likely too busy to safely take off and land regularly, this side of the island was more sparsely populated.



Mentions
@Pilatus@Days@Sadie

As he sat there, Andrés heard a voice he had not heard in a long time. Turned to face her and saw a familiar face, "oh hey Cori." A smile appeared on his face, "it has been a while, yeah, and it is nice to see you. Things have been well for me." Andrés almost thought of saying something about recent events but decided against it since he did not want to spoil his greeting with Cordelia. It has been a long time since he saw her, and she looks good, as always. However, he did wonder how Jose was doing. Plus, he did not feel like talking about that right now, maybe later.

But then he remembered he was trying to get a drink and heard the barkeep talk about a menu. "Excuse me for a bit," he said as he turned to face the bartender and looked at the menu. For a moment, he thought about making up his mind. "I think I will go with the High Ball, please."

Whiskey, that is something he has not had in a bit, and Andrés was in a good mood, so why not. He is not a lightweight and can handle some alcohol. One drink should be fine, and so far, his day had been a good one.

Turning to face her again, Andrés continued. "So, how have things been going for you, Cori? Good, I hope?"

@Almalthia@Infinite Cosmos

@Theyra@Infinite Cosmos@Almalthia



Jericho grinned brightly. Nodding his head, "Mi bredda, yuh have di patience a one saint. an yu get mi rispek. a likkle drink naa go hurt yuh. An mi naa go get yuh smash. mi swear pan mi soul." Jericho often brought clients to the Cafe and bar before or during trips. It's almost a staple now for his tours. Thr place is a prime place. And that Nate didn't get more business them he already did is a crime. Jericho nodded, "mek wi try yuh magical brew yeah? si ou i pair wid gud Jumiekan jringk." He chuckled a little and uncorked the rum.

As he did he turned and gave a nod to Andres, "yuh waan in pan dis too mi fren? no pressure yeah." He liked Andres. Jericho had seen a bunch of his illustrations. And covertly commissioned Andres a time or two. Not that'd he'd admit it. Guilty pleasure and all.

Ahh and then the situation right up.

Jericho turned them almost jumped to his feet. Sweeping a near courtly bow to Cori.

Jericho chuckled, "mi day is blessed fi see a goddess a di blue isles. As mi live an breathe it's good fi see yuh Cori" Can we blame the guy? Oh Jericho knows she's so out of his league, but he can be friendly. He grinned and pulled a stool out for her. Absolutely unknowing of any conflict or pain he may cause Cori from his countenance or manner. Thr well tanned Jamiacan is just being a fair fella.

"An now di party can staat, cause di magic deh yah." Jericho said as he sat himself back down.

She couldn't help but to just blink in response to the woman. Katra- Her smile faltered a bit as she tried to repeat the name in her head but was thankful when the stranger gave her a shortened version. Izabel side-eyed Eloy when Kat explained that she didn't need a room, wondering why she had stumbled into the Whispering Pines anyway. Clasping her hands in front of her lap, she returned her full attention back to her and gave a short nod of her head at the mention of a meal. "Oh. I-"

At the interruption from her best friend, she glanced over at him once more and tried to bite back the flush that threatened to warm her core from that wink of his. She couldn't help a small grin and shook her head before looking back to Kat. "He's entirely biased, but I'll be happy to make you one." Noticing Eloy head out with his brushes, she raised a brow before moving over to the left of the woman towards the bay window overlooking the ocean.

It didn't take her long to gather the items necessary for the beverage. Izabel listened to Kat speak about some sort of ship and diamonds and tried to bite back a groan. For longer than she could remember there had been treasure hunters searching all corners of the isles. While it did bring in some good tourism, it also overcrowded the beaches and brought some shady characters to the land. If this woman was any associated with that, she didn't want any part of it. Thankfully she admitted that she was only here to clean up the wreckage.

As she started to blend the ingredients together, she furrowed her brows as she tried to think why growing up on a farm would have anything to do with her foot being hurt. Maybe the woman was just used to getting injured? She looked out the window and noticed Eloy looking towards the ocean and tilted her head. Maybe he was thinking of dipping out early to catch a wave or two. Not like she blamed him.

Soon she was pouring the smoothie into a reusable cup when the man of the hour walked back in. She caught the look from the tourist and raised a brow, catching the immediate attraction to cross the woman's features. A pang tugged at her gut which she immediately recognized but refused to name. Clearing her throat, she turned to her best friend as he proposed a question. Her brow raised now in question. Did they have plans for later that she had forgotten about? That was quite like her, so it made sense. Iz was so busy with the inn these days that anything else was quick to slip from her mind.

"Oh, uh-" Her next thought was pulled from her by the sound of a loud engine. Looking back towards the window, she noticed her next-door neighbor's water plane making its landing. Being as how he was one of the only people to check the postage, she needed to see if her package had finally arrived. But first she needed to finish with her guest. Izabel nodded and walked over to the woman before handing her the cup. "Here you are, on the house as a welcome treat. You can stay for as long as you want to rest your foot, I have to check on something for one moment. There are maps of the island with the best routes to everywhere you need to get to right here." Grabbing a pamphlet from the back wall, she handed it to Kat.

Izabel looked at her friend and gave him a quick nod of her head. "Give me thirty minutes to get ready and I'll meet you at the usual spot, I have to go see if Chris has anything for me." She looked back at the tourist and waved her hand. "Was a pleasure to meet you, please stop by again any time." Hurrying past Eloy, she put a hand on his bicep before moving out the door and down the stairs towards Chris's property.

The coffee and chatter had done Iris some good. Her heightened nerves were soothed by chatter with Jewel, and her fatigue was smothered in a layer of caffeine. As dialogue unto conversation, Iris' orders of confections unto plates. Whether she wished to admit it or not, home-made meals of familiar treats and fingerfoods sang to her in a siren's sultry voice as the catching-ups and what-to-do's occurred. When the trio had finally concluded their conversation, Iris had finished two and a third cups of sugar-coffee and refilled a plate with delights once. When the time to split came, it seemed to arrive just in time to Iris.

"Oo, yeah, if you're headed that way I need to check on my house." She chimed to get her foot in the door with Chris, then waved goodbye to Jewel with only a hint of mischief in the twitch of her lips.

When she fell into the passenger's seat of the Cessna, there was no forthcoming tirade of dialogue. No torrent of words. No nervous chatter. Just the comfortable silence born of satiation and, perhaps, the false sense of confidence that everything was going to be okay. The preparations, take off, landing, and subsequent docking maneuvers were a blur to her. It wasn't until Chris was suddenly at her side, the door opening, his hand there for her to take that she realized just how deep into her own headspace she had fallen. She flashed a smile. She took his hand and pulled herself out and hopped down onto the dock. She took a few steps then turned and watched his near-instinctual movements of tying the ropes off. She smirked slowly.

"Damn, you make that look easy. Big strong hands like that? Stop me if you've heard this one before, but if you don't have anything going on tonight, a girl could use some help moving some furniture around. All my friends are coming in a few days later with the rest of the equipment and the research boat, so it's just little ol' Bunny on her lonesome tonight."

All of that flowed easily out of her lips as she fell into step beside him when he started moving towards the Whispering Waves, phone suddenly in hand as she opened it to check her messages. Without looking up from the device she continued.

"Mm. Yeah. You can call me Bunny. You're a cool guy. Look alive, swiftly walking woman at two o'clock. Definitely for you, I haven't been back long enough for anyone to come chasing me like that yet."

Chris MacDonald

Somehow he doubted Iris was ever one to be starved for company while she suddenly had him at an unexpected impasse. Chris could manage fuel and weather or even fly on just the gauges alone without even looking out the window, but Iris was a force that couldn’t be managed or predicted. His step up the path faltered just a fraction at her invitation and there were about ten different warning sirens blaring in the back of his mind like an annunciator panel. Luckily, pragmatism came through, though the words were right on the edge of his thought process. “...Yeah, I’m pretty much done for the day at this point.” He said, speaking as if he were still considering something he might have forgotten and buying some time to think as they walked. Why would she be alone tonight after that whole reunion? Even though she had expressed some reluctance towards coming back to Azul, everything seemed fine when they first landed. When she said she wanted a ride to see her house, he figured it was just the most efficient move. His mind thought similarly: A to B in the best method. It was literally his job. After he dropped her off, he assumed she would make her way back to Ramilo, but apparently not.

She just wants her furniture moved and you are already here and can give her a ride. Yes, that was all there was to it. Deferring to the simplest process was also the easiest explanation. There was no way she could already be avoiding the rest of her family. That was just a tease to entice him to work. All women did it and her change of outfit made the allure all the easier. He’d certainly got a good enough view when he helped her out of the plane. Chris looked ahead now, refocused. He pushed a palm frond out of their way and his thoughts reordered how the rest of his day would likely go if he was going to have to move furniture. Fortunately, “moving” on Azul wasn’t usually the event that it was back in the States. Most all the houses were fairly small, not much more than cottages or apartments and he doubted Iris’ would be any different, especially if it was closer to the center of the island. Push a sofa around, maybe pick up a table and chairs- that would be it. Since it looked like a nap wasn’t going to happen, he considered something from the market that would tide him over when they were done and then he would go for a run later. That would be the best case scenario.

Chris knew which way to look before Iris spoke up and had noticed the figure of Izabel Perkins moving through the flora with a purposeful stride. He’d also noticed Eloy’s truck yet again at the small B&B when they landed which gave him a little smirk and a similar snort of amusement. A small town was easy to see from the air and a small town on an island was even easier. He held the envelope up as a greeting, though he could tell she looked a little annoyed, which usually meant a guest was being difficult. “Got somethin’ for ya.” He said, relaxed. They were cordial enough to be beyond formal greeting and the envelope was handed off no differently than a homework assignment being passed in class. “I was up north this morning and checked the box.” He said, referring to Azul’s Mexpost mail locker in Cancun that he normally collected on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Whatever it was, she was getting it a day early and was important enough for her to come out in hopes of it. Chris tried his best to never intentionally glean anything from the contents of the mail, though often it was unavoidable. He also didn’t partake in a lot of gossip; just between the view and the mail, very little escaped his notice and he kept it to himself.

“This is Iris,” He said, giving his accompaniment a glance. There may have been a tiny upward arc on the corner of his mouth at the introduction that only she could see. The two women didn’t seem to know each other and since Iris didn’t immediately divulge her preferred nickname, he didn’t freely give it. An idea was forming and he wanted to test how fast the Coconut Telegraph would work. Iris was pretty sharp, so he was reasonably sure she would catch on and go with it: “We’re going up to town to see about a house,” He said, letting the statement hang for just a second before before looking fully back at Izabel. “Everything good with you?”

@Fading Memory@Sadie

As she made her way towards the edge of her property, she could make out the figures of two people walking towards her. While she immediately recognized Chris, Izzy didn't know who the woman was. Or did she? She seemed vaguely familiar, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. Could have been a former guest. Tucking her hair behind her ears, she decided to put the thought past her and just continue on for her letter. It was obvious the man held it for her in his hand.

The trio soon approached each other and she quicky relieved the man on the envelope. She held it with both hands and glanced down at it before returning her attention to the couple in front of her. "I appreciate it, Chris. You're amazing, as always." With a bright grin, her eyes darted over to the woman as she was introduced. Iris? Nope, definitely didn't ring a bell with her. Didn't matter. Apparently, she was on good terms with Chris so that was good enough for her.

"Nice to meet you, Iris. I'm Izabel." She blinked at the man's next statement. A house? So, was this woman looking to be a new permanent resident of the island then? Not a lot of people actually moved to the island. Interesting. Maybe she would have Eloy look into it. He had more connections around the island, anyway. Looking back at Chris, she shrugged her shoulders and let out a breath at his question.

"Yeah, everything's good here. Just having Eloy do a few touch ups around the place while the season is starting to settle down." Iz would ask him the same, but it seemed as if he were keeping himself busy just fine. She held up the letter and grinned once more. "Thanks again, for this. I'll get out of your hair and let you get back to what you were doing." Looking back at Iris, she nodded her head. "Welcome to the island. It'll be nice to have a new face around here. If you need anything, I'm just up the road at Whispering Waves. I've been known to make a mean smoothie."

Dr Katrazyna "Katska" Nadezhda Kowalewska

Kat took the mango most happily, it was cold and refreshing, the heat was still something the woman was not used too fully. Some days she would be glad for a wet cloudy day just to get a short break from the hot days, London was very very different to Azul. It was hard to be a tropical goth, maybe they would think she was a witch or something. “Thank you, it's delicious. I'm not used to the heat. Cold and refreshing.” Kat said happily as she sipped her drink.

Kat quietly enjoyed her drink but eyes looked around and took I'm the environment, the well loved and maintained place, its homely style. The place definitely could grow on her, it was nice to get away from the floating home in the evenings. The boat was nice but Kat found it hard, no noise, no busy crew working shifts… she was alone, and could do whatever she wanted. Often she just found self walking or even taking a swim, the water was lovely.

“Thankyou for ze map, I do not want a rematch with the rock, my sister will not let me live this down.” Kat said as she looked into her bag and popped a pain killer to dull the ache a little, it did not stop it but it would help her make it back home. “I almost wish they would put me up here now.” She said casually, the place was lovely, calming by the sea. The Marina was more central to everything she needed though and easier to trek back with photocopies, maps and such.

“Have a nice time. lucky you.” Kat said cheerfully and innocently as she went back to looking out the window and relaxed, her foot throbbed but let the gentle pounding of the waves lull her, the gentle rhythm that could be heard or felt almost the entire island.

It probably was a date, a date she forgot it seemed. Usually it was the men doing that, not the women.

“umm your local? Can I ask? You know If this Azul days has a dress code or … anything? It seems talk of town, I don't wanna turn up to a sombre event dressed for a dance… I just arrived, everyone's been caught up in events and such. I live in London, so this is.a new world. Not felt as open .. recently as people said the islands where so no one to ask.” Kat had a few ideas but she really did not know, and to complicate most of her wardrobe was not suited to this weather, coats, layers and black was not the ideal colour palette. Maybe that cute somewhat addams family summer dress her friend had got her last year and she never had much good weather to wear it.

Kat looked to Eloy as she asked the question, she really needed more info and Google was not so helpful. The Island was rather small and hardly the most advanced in social media and digital media usage. London was not Azul and she was having to adapt to a whole new way of life.

Their was some other people it sounded like but could not see them bar a small slant, a man and a woman had come up by the looks of their height and build anyway. She could not be 100% on that from this angle and walking out to the balcony to drink was off her list of things to do at this particular moment.

@Sadie@Days

Smiling at all three men Cori tipped her head watching Jericho make his bow as the bartender addressed her. “A Sidecar please.” She sat down between Jericho, who pulled out the stool for her, and Andrés so that neither had to talk over the other. “Not a goddess you flirt.” She gave a broader smile to them.

Andrés answered her and it was nice to know that someone was doing well. Cori smiled a little at Andrés when he asked her about how things were. She wondered if he knew what was front page news sometimes. But this gave her a way to not say anything about her in laws for once. “Marina is the same old steady girl. The tourists come, they eat, they leave. Revolving door really. The extra stuff we do like the education on the ocean for the schools rakes in money in between tourist runs. Then I turn most of it over to charity. Pretty boring cycle really.” Till something like this happens.

Looking over at Jericho she tipped her head. “Ever take your boat out after hours and kill the lights in a calm ocean?”
@Infinite Cosmos@BigPapaBelial@Theyra

Ronaldo had led Bobby out of the hotel, into the main strip of the Ave Pure Vida, and was rattling on about some local watering hole. Bobby was only half-interested in his description of the place, imagining what it might look like once his firm had either bought it out or gained enough leverage over the owner to make it more of a destination than a dive. The street pulsed with foot traffic, and Bobby wondered- not for the first time- if it would be worth the money and time to widen the street for cars. As always, he decided against it; half the charm of little island chains like this was pretending to live like a local, even if all it meant was hoofing it to whatever place you planned on getting smashed that night instead of driving. On top of that, cutting down on the risk of drunk-driving accidents meant more opportunities for booze sales. He made a note of that for when he had the Casa Del Sol Nasciento torn down and rebuilt; find a good bartender the locals liked, charge the maximum amount the locals were willing to pay, and the new Casa would be a hit with more than just the turistas.

He passed a street vendor, and something at the kiosk caught his eye. Not something that the busker was trying to peddle, but something about five-foot-four, with long black hair and wearing sunglasses.

"Something always struck me as funny," he said to the woman, approaching her as if they were already in the middle of a conversation, "about being an American abroad. As soon as we get a little money and a little clout, the first thing we all wanna do is head out into the big wide world and start seeing what there is to see. We meet new people, we explore new places, we try to expand our horizons and get cultured. And yet, what's the thing Americans are always the most excited to see in a foreign land?"

He gave a wide grin. "Other Americans."

@Pilatus

Andrés smiled, "that is good, Cori, and I am glad things are still going well for you." At least someone he knows life is still well, despite being the same over the years. Some things never change, he thought as he sat there. Andrés could only wish that he had a better tale to say as to why he is back to the Isles after so long on the mainland. He wondered how many knew of it, and maybe he could save that for another day.

Still, he wonders how his old friends on the Isles are doing since he has not had a chance to meet with them yet. Hopefully, as well as Cori here. Maybe later, they can talk about things and catch up. Since he feels like now is not the right time and with her talking to another here. It is best not to have two conversations at the same time, and things might get mixed up.

Either way, Andrés is enjoying his time so far, and maybe tomorrow, he can meet more of the people he knows on the Isles. Hopefully, they are doing as well as Cori. Now, he is just sitting there waiting for his drink and waiting to see if anyone else he knows shows up.

@Almalthia@BigPapaBelial@Infinite Cosmos

The potential intricacies of the Flores’ Italian yacht kept popping up in the back of her mind. It felt like the only wildcard in the plan and it prickled at her nerves like a map she could only half see. She had told Cori she would be able to pull the information straight away as if it would be like hooking up a laptop or tablet, but in truth she had not the slightest idea. It was a little funny in a way and the sentiment matched her continuing good mood and smug smile as she glanced around at nothing in particular. Plenty of times she had looked up videos on Youtube or appealed to the followers on her Instagram page for technical issues with Donna and they never steered her wrong… most of the time. This would be no different, she told herself. Her shoulders bobbed back and forth gingerly as if she were dancing with the considerations. Getting the data on a boat like that wouldn’t be hard mechanical work, which wasn’t exactly her forte either, but it might get a little tricky if they had put up any sort of password protection on the nav systems. After that it would likely be pretty straightforward and if she could just get coordinates on the screen she could take pictures with her phone. Dates would be even better…

The scent of a foreign perfume mixed with the surrounding aroma of food, sunscreen and saltwater. Not just some discount outlet Victoria’s Secret either, expensive perfume, Dior or Chanel. Mostly lost in her thoughts, Taryn’s eyes lifted behind her glasses. Someone was talking. A man. Her gaze moved slowly over shoulder. A serious looking Asian woman was looking directly at her, clearly staring from behind her own sunglasses. Taryn continued to turn her head slowly. Another man also looked back at her, but not the one speaking. He had a softer glance of some amusement and looked relaxed, completely at home. Her eyebrow arched as the words continued to spill out and she realized, turning finally to the speaker, that he was attempting to make a pass at her. She stared blankly at him for an awkward few seconds as whatever game he had was concluded and her fantasy of raiding the mayor’s yacht dissolved in the image of a man who looked like a cross between Don Johnson and Patrick Bateman. Instinctively, a defensive quip was forming on the edge of her lips to put him in his place and she crossed an arm over herself to hold her bag with both hands.

The whole trio was a bizarre assemblage. Shooting a covered glance back at the woman, she didn’t see any ring on her either and thought for a moment the woman might have been an escort which wasn’t unusual. It was just an odd vibe. They were together, but not together and the third wheel bro was like the hangaround wingman she guessed. Still, something familiar came to mind as she saw herself in the reflection of his glasses- an accessory just as pricey as the perfume and she knew the sensation of her uncanny memory pulling up some fleeting impression. When the recollection hit, she couldn’t believe her luck and her countenance slowly shifted like a jaguar grinning from a tree. She hadn’t paid any attention to his canned spiel and it didn’t matter. This day literally couldn’t get any better. Her accent turned up just a bit as she spoke to him: “I know you,” She said, feigning amazement for his ego. “You’re the one with the helicopter.”

@AndyC

D2BE76
Interactions: Jericho @BigPapaBelial, Andrés @Theyra Cori @Almalthia
Location: Sunny Side Cafe/Side Car Bar

---

Nate nodded lightly when Andres ordered a high ball. Given that it is still early in the evening, Nate naturally reached for an easy sipping whisky, The Hakushu 18 year, and set it aside. Then he pulled out a high ball glass and gently dropped in a crystal clear ice spear. Twirling the ice in the glass, Nate allowed the glass to chill with proper timing. After the glass was chilled to his liking, he used the bar spoon to hold the ice in while tipping back out the melt-off from the bottle of the glass, in an effort to not further dilute the taste of the whisky and carbonation of the water he will be using. As he gently uncorked the bottle, he quietly listened to the three guests that sat at his bar. Pouring a portion of the whisky into the glass, he allowed the liquor a few seconds to chill down slightly and for the ice to melt into water, and the water to open up the full flavor profile of the liquor. Moments later, Nate expertly opened the tin cap of the bottle of carbonated water and added it to the high ball glass. The liquid combination fizzed and the brown of the whisky turned into a pleasant gradient, fading from amber to clear. Setting the glass down on a wooden coaster, Nate gently slid the felt-lined coaster towards Andres. "Your high ball, sir. Please enjoy." Nate ended his words with a smile, before beginning immediately working on Cori's order.

Setting his shaker down on the counter, Nate reached for a few large cubes of ice and chipped them into the shaker, allowing the irregular pieces of ice to fall in. Reaching for his bottle of Hennessy V.S.O.P., the poured the required portion into his iced shaker. Then, he followed that up with a pour of the required portion of his choice of orange liqueur, Grand Marnier to be exact. Allowing a few seconds for the liquors to chill down, he reached for his long-stemmed cocktail glass and also cut a lemon in half. Using his citrus press, he juiced the lemon directly into the shaker before capping the shaker and using it for it's intended propose. The satisfying clanging of the ice against the stainless steel shaker filled the space between the conversations of his guests. Pouring out the content, Nate slid a similar wooden coaster towards Cori, "Senora Cori, your sidecar. Please enjoy." Nate ended his words with a smile.

After that, he started cleaning and clearing his workstation, preparing himself for the next round of orders...