Days

Dark Beyond: Voices of the Past

Caana, East Hole

Soft fingers brushed over her hip and Nova tore her eyes off the man to land them on her companion, trying to read Anna's expression. In some ways, Nova was a confident woman. She knew that she was incredibly smart and worked her own damn way to where she was now, even though the journey to it had been harrowing at some times. There's only so much cheap noodles one could eat before it gets boring, you know? Not to mention its health benefits or lack thereof. But she persevered, working her way up until eventually, her combined skills got her a job as an agent. That very job and its results got her a man who fell in love with her as she did with him. To Nova, it was the reward for all her troubles, the world finally giving her a damn break.

So why the fuck was the world now quite literally dumping her into an ocean of trouble. Hadn't she done her best? Hadn't she paid her due? She took a deep breath in, knowing that she couldn't spiral as her stomach flipped, suddenly feeling nauseous. Perhaps from the water, or the situation. She rubbed her free hand over her belly as Anna spoke, confessing that she thought she knew what was going on. Nova wasn't one to doubt the musings of her astute ward and angled her head to the side as she listened. This was all a figment of some sort? It could be. It was reasonable, even. But the water in her lungs hadn't felt very fake to her. "Where would I be without you?" Nova grinned, though her eyes went back to the man as she mulled over Annalise's words. Could that be?

The mention of the woman's experiments had the scientist's eyes flicker right back, a weight in her chest. Annalise had told them, carefully and eventually, about the things she'd gone through. Likely Nova didn't know everything yet, but she was a patient woman. She was already damn happy Anna trusted her and her husband as much as she did. "Oh, Anna..." Nova's voice was soft with a sprinkle of sympathy, but she knew Anna didn't much care for it.

And so, she sighed, steeling her nerves despite the swirls in her stomach, taking what Anna handed to her with a raised brow, curious as to what she was up to. While she trusted her, Nova's protective tendencies went haywire. If she was hella motherly and protective over her plants and cat, one can only imagine how she felt about Anna. Still, she let the woman do her thing, following closely, her eyes scrutinising the man as the woman beside her fed him. What had gotten him here? Was he okay? God, ideally she'd untie him, but could he be trusted? After the water had been poured into his mouth, Nova glanced down at the package in her hand, curious.

Her nose scrunched up at the ingredients but knew it had pretty damn good benefits, and Anna was wise for bringing it. Even so, the ingredients made her cock her head to the side. What would this do to the man? Perhaps Nova shouldn't be asking internal questions, as an answer came swiftly and unwanted. Screams around them, the bar turning and twisting in his mouth, making Nova's stomach turn once more. Oh, she was seconds away from actually hurling. What had gotten her this damn nauseous? Still, the man ate like he didn't care, likely starving, and their environment changed once more.

"You're really uncannily prepared, An. You think... that was the blood sacrifice?" On Nova's face, a careful smile tugged at her lips. She put the wrapper in her pocket and gave the lid of the bottle back to Anna. The CDE axe hung from the band on the side of her backpack, while the other side still held her Voidlight-issued bow. The fabric of the bag was damp over her shoulders, leaking droplets to the dark sand as the sky brightened and the water returned to its original colour, though still terrifying to Nova all the same.

She looked at the man in a quite perilous condition. He didn't quite seem a match for the two women in his current state, which made Nova feel a bit better about perhaps cutting him free. If he was like Anna, he needed help and understanding. Nova herself was still slightly trembling from the water but tried to subdue that at the same time as the nausea wanting to rise up. She watched an odd shimmer in his eyes, one of them a gentle blue, much like her own multicoloured ones. Was it natural, or an augmentation like hers?

He was an extra factor in getting out of here, but Nova had a plan. She palmed the ornate dagger as she positioned herself between the man and Ana. Their focus should remain on escaping here. A plan formed in her mind as she looked down at the man. "Listen, I'm going to cut you free. I urge you not to hurt us, as I have a sharp dagger and somewhat know how to use it." Her knife came between the ropes and the man's wrist, cutting and swiftly breaking free his right wrist. "I have a plan. Remem-"

Her vision turned white and her hand tightened around the dagger. It only fueled a fire in her belly, getting annoyed at the situation and its constant twists. But what else had she expected? She knew what she was getting into, and being able to study this odd form of CDE and helping Anna find out anything about her parents was going to be worth it. But still, a damn break?

Caana, South Hole

The skin around her eyes bunched up as the white faded and her vision returned, finding herself once more transported. At the very least not into water, this time. She had to count her blessings, after all. Quickly, she whirled around to find Anna behind her, sighing in relief before she spotted Nick too, her eyes widening. Commotion from in front of her begged for her attention, and her lower jaw fell as she witnessed a massive entity in front of them, seemingly sitting at a table with a feast.

They were the feast.

Before them, two unconscious forms lay on the stone surface, which seemed to be a tall table. It hadn't taken Nova long to recognise Cosette's lovely hair, nor Jay's typical locks. "Holy shit." She said, as the augmentation in her eye zoomed in, scanning the giant before scanning Cosette. Still alive, the metrics in her eye signalled. As was Jay. But just as she scanned the woman, a massive hand wrapped around her body, lifting her limp form and Nova realised what was going on.

She was going to be a damn snack.

"NO!" She shouted, her hand wasting no time depositing the dagger that had left little imprints in her palm into the mesh of her bag before grabbing her bow. It would reach further than her handgun would, and it had promised to be effective once more, killing the dragon that took Stella. She ran forward without thinking, knowing that at the very least Nick would back her up, and hoping that Anna wouldn't. "Nick! Get Cosette!" She called out, skitting to a stop once she deemed herself close enough.

She realised her next actions may only piss the being off, but she had to try something. The AI dinosaur had the same thoughts, screeching and trying to hurt the being in any way possible. Its sounds and sparks were a bad sign, and Nova made a brief note to try and catch the bird and Jay as she aimed her bow, the small rod turning into a deadly sharp arrow, activated by being strung on the bow. A blinking red light at the tip told Nova it was charged to go fast, and far and cause a small explosion upon arrival.

She aimed, and shot for the eye, trying to ignore the odd sense of Deja Vu.

Dark Beyond: Voices of the Past

Just a small update that it's in the works and will be posted today. Thank you guys for your patience while I recover from one helluva week or so.

AZUL Islands - Drama, Romance, Mystery, Slice of Life

Your local surfing teacher and handyman: Eloy Kan

Name: Eloy Kan
Nickname: Loy (only by Izzy), E, Eel, Surf Daddy, Fixit Kan
Age: 25
Gender: Male
Occupation: Owner of Make Waves Surf School, local handyman (boats and otherwise), volunteer.

Appearance: When you look at Eloy, everything about him screams native Azulian. His family, culture, and inheritance are deeply rooted in Mayan culture, however. Due to this, he doesn't shy away from wearing cultural clothing or items, and keeps his dark brown hair longer, curled by the salty sea water his locks get dipped in at least once every day. His skin is tanned by being out in the sun most of the time, boosted by his ethnicity. The frequent dips in the waves leave his skin soft and smooth, and he tends to take care of it well due to his exposure to the elements. This man won't shy away from having a skin creme or two in his home. Moisturising is key! A tube of zinc sunscreen for his cheeks and nose is almost always in his pocket, especially when he goes surfing.

At 6'2 and 190lbs, one shouldn't be picking a fight with the man, even though he's quite the pacifist, and likes to solve issues with communication. Even then, sometimes he would like to toss his students to waves when they push him too far. While he doesn't visit any sort of gym, his physical work at the surfing school, his repairman jobs and overall activity around the island ensure his daily steps are well exceeded and leave him muscular and strong.

Eloy's wardrobe consists mostly of a multitude of swimming trunks, airy light shirts, tank tops and flip-flops. A part of his closet is reserved for responsible sportswear, mainly for surfing, as he wants to give a good example to his local students and the tourists who come for quick courses. For his repairman jobs, he tends to wear cargo shorts and work boots. While Eloy's clothing style is beyond simple, he always wears a Mayan sun disk necklace, though most unfamiliar with the culture would assume it's just a coin. On his left wrist, one would usually find a couple of wristbands, which are made by himself, those dear to him or students giving him a present at the end of the season. At this point, he has so many he changes them out every couple of days or so.

Character Concept: Eloy lives and breathes Azul and its community. His community. His family has lived on Azul for the longest time, yet never held prominent positions on the island. Even so, his family and he are well known among the locals, especially the lower-income and middle class. Eloy continues the legacy of his father to be an asset to the island and its inhabitants. The people, the island, and the ocean have a special place in his heart and he does a lot for all aspects of Azul. The bulk of the income he gets from tourists booking surfing lessons and buying equipment he puts back into his community, funding volunteer projects, sponsoring local businesses and using the rest to keep his business and himself afloat. As such, he lives quite the sober minimalistic life, and he is quite fond of it, too.

He is the type of guy to take a dip in sea every morning, just him and his snorkel, examining the sea life and enjoying the tranquillity of being below the water. He can hold his breath for a long time and can be under for extended periods. While has taken and graduated diving classes and has skill in that department, he does like connecting with the ocean in just his swimming trunks more. Sundown, in the orange of the lowering sun, is one of his favourite moments to surf, as surfing remains his biggest passion.

Not that he would notice that his house is small and creaky, as he's rarely home. Eloy has a small "issue" when it comes to deciding and as such he has never fully decided on what to do with his life. Instead? He became a jack of all trades, always busy, always running around, always in demand. While his surfing school is the most prominent feature in his life, and his pride, it isn't open all seasons which leaves him with a lot of downtime. During downtime, Eloy started feeling useless, which isn't like him. So, instead, he started offering his handyman skills to locals which have now developed into a full-blown hireable service. And while he has an official e-mail and booking service, most locals either call him on his personal cell to come over or wave him down when they spot him. Eloy especially has a knack for the maintenance of boats, which is why he's often tinkering around the harbour. He has yet to decide on a name for this handyman-for-hire service, and perhaps it will always stay that way. The locals have taken to just saying "Call Kan, he can fix it".

When no one needs a lightbulb fixed or a wooden porch replaced, he could be found at the local home for the elderly, where his own father resides, volunteering with whatever the staff needs. He does groceries and errands for the elderly Rodriquez couple down the beach of his house and helps out anyone who needs it with anything. A more regular fixture in his schedule is helping out at the Whispering Waves, the bed and breakfast owned by his best friend Izzy, who have been mates since kindergarten. He mostly does repairs there, but doesn't shy away from helping where needed, there, too.

Perhaps keeping himself so busy distracts him from thinking about his mistakes in life, and what he actually wants to do with it. Is he making enough of a difference to the people of Azul? Because change might be coming, and could he sit idly around while all he knows in Azul may be changed?

Character History: Eloy, meaning renowned warrior, was born to Fabio and Itza Kan. Both were simple people, living a modest life in a house by the beach on Isla Zafrio. The home had been acquired a couple of generations ago at a much more favourable price, and while it could only suit a family of 4, with small rooms and simple style, its access to the beach was a prominent and sought-after feature nowadays. If Eloy were to sell it, he'd surely become wealthy. That is if he fixed it up a little. He still lives there, by himself, and the once lovely yellow-painted house surrounded by flowers and plants carefully kept by his mother is now more of a sorry excuse for a shack, its paint faded and blistering.

He grew up happy, loved and taught to love the life of the island. Simple, sandy and community-orientated. Love your neighbours. Fabio was much like Eloy in some regard. He was a fisherman, taking his boat out to the seas and practising sustainable fishing practices. He always knew of the best spots and got the biggest crabs and lobsters. Little Eloy often went along with his father, growing a love for the ocean in its serenity and brutality. Even so, he found that sitting on a boat atop the water didn't connect him enough with the spirit of the ocean, as he felt it calling to him from a young age.

Luckily, there was his mother, who also worked for Fabio but joined a group of women from the island for the finer touches of letting the sea provide. Their diving practices are known around the island, and they often get jokingly called La Mujer Fatal. The group of women, now with daughters taking over, are free divers, going under for hours to harvest sea urchins, critters, and abalones for local businesses and markets. It was diving with his mother and the aunties that he truly learned to understand the ocean and her whims. He found himself often distracted, studying the passing marine life instead of focussing on his task; earning money for his parents.

When his father didn't work, they surfed. As a middle schooler, Eloy was already one with his board due to his father, and he shared this passion with the girl from a few houses over, Izabel, who was in his class. Her parents were immigrants, but he could feel the soul of Azul in her as they surfed together, taught by Fabio. Naturally, they became best friends.

But even with all the ocean's splendid beauty, allure and tranquillity, she had her darker, temperamental side. In the summer after he graduated high school, a sudden storm hit the island. Not too grand, but it struck deeply for Eloy. While his father's fishing boat had made it safely back to shore in the nick of time, the sea had seemed angry, lashing out at the islands that day. His mother never resurfaced from her dive. In the days following, a big group of locals walked the sandy shores and rocky outcroppings in search of Itza Kan. It had been a local fisherman who had found her lifeless body washed ashore between two rocks.

The plans of the young man who was at the start of his life changed drastically. While he had originally decided to leave for the mainland to get an education which he could bring back to better Azul Island, he decided to remain with his father instead, who was heartbroken over the ordeal. For the next two years, he worked tirelessly in order to afford the bills while his father sat on the couch and withered away in his sorrows, his heart left at sea. What she gives, she can take, and Eloy will never forget that. But the ocean kept calling to him, and despite what she took, he found that her waves, creatures and salt kept him sane and feeling tethered to his life. It was then that he decided not to leave Azul at all.

He had been too late in realising the truth; his father wasn't just heartbroken, he was also slipping mentally, being diagnosed with Alzheimer's. At first, he tried to have his father stay at home while Eloy worked his ass off to support them, but after a couple of escape attempts and close calls, Eloy had to make the decision to house his father in the local home for the elderly, where he visits him frequently.

Which wasn't sitting well with the woman he was in a relationship with. A blonde daughter of an expat, who hadn't worked a single day in her life to afford her lavish lifestyle. Oftentimes now Eloy wondered what he ever saw in her, but perhaps he was searching for some type of connection. A therapist would likely have a field day with his reasonings. Emily had expected him to just ditch his father in a home and move with her to the mainland to "live their lives". But he was living it right here, and she left the island without him and the ring he had given her.

Deciding not to sit idly by, Eloy started his Make Waves Surfing School with the little money he managed to save up. At first, he taught the local kids but then found a profitable market with the tourists. His best friend Izzy worked as an instructor alongside him while she saved up for her own business, too.

Now, after all that, Eloy is more relaxed, enjoying life and his amount of busy, but he knows there are still things internally he's not addressing or processing, just coasting by.

Likes:
✓ The ocean and everything she has to offer (Surfing, swimming, freediving)
✓ Seafood
✓ Local businesses
✓ Plants, especially succulents
✓ Getting creative in solving maintenance issues
✓ Attention due to his looks (though he wouldn't admit to it, he kind of blushes when tourist ladies spot him on the beach)
✓ Mint tea
✓ Community involvement
✓ Physical contact
✓ Having a distinct, own smell (salt and sandalwood)
Dislikes:
✗ People littering on beaches, or anywhere
✗ Disrespect against Mayan or Azulian culture
✗ Commercialisation
✗ Doing laundry
✗ Chain businesses
✗ Lazy people
✗ Bad weather, or storms (bad memories)
✗ People who wear too much perfume or cologne

Special Talent: Deep connection with the sea. He understands the waves, the temperament of Mother Nature and the tranquillity of below the surface. He knows the best surfing spots, dead spots in the water where sailboats lie still, the winds around the island, the best fishing spots and the entire map of the reef around Azul is in his mind. Aside from that, he's handy, especially in boat maintenance.

Supporting Information:

The Kan family residence

The home of the Kan family, for several generations, is situated closeby to the beach and a short distance away from the fishing docks. It seems bigger on the outside than it is on the inside, with a modest main bedroom and two smaller bedrooms, a simple living and kitchen combination. It's a little bit rundown, which is ironic for the versatile handyman. He just likes it simple and tidy, though he's not home enough to make a mess. Maybe that's why he doesn't have pets, but he does have a large amount of plants that need little maintenance, like succulents and cacti.

Make Waves Surf School

The Wave Maker's Shack, or just "the" shack is the main hub for the Surfing School. It is relatively small and simple, with a quaint little surfing goods shop with a cashier's counter, a hilariously small office that used to be a closet, a small kitchenette within an employee area, complete with a fan, a crappy radio and an old couch. In the back, you can find a cosy classroom that overlooks the ocean. After all, most teaching takes place in the water, and the shack is there for additional sales, paperwork and chilling after having hit the waves. The building is positioned in such a way that those walking the boulevard can easily enter, while the beach is just a couple of paces away across the walkway. Under the stilts, accessible via stairs in the employee room or from the wide doors beachside, you enter the workshop. An additional shack on the beach holds more assets of the school, such as many learner boards and maintenance equipment.


Since Izabel had quit teaching to focus on her bed and breakfast, Eloy now employs two other avid surfers, a guy and a girl, to help him teach different levels. Eloy mostly focuses on the local students, whom he is like a mentor to, driving them to do better and helping them when they enter contests. Even so, he does like teaching the kid's classes, too.

Eloy's transportation

Usually, he's on his trusty bicycle, complete with a rack for his surfboard. It's Eloy's main transport around town. If he has a job which requires more tools, he'll bring his truck.

Dark Beyond: Voices of the Past

Yes love, just trying to get through this workweek. I basically get home, eat, sleep. First full workweek is proving to be a lot. I'll write this weekend if that's alright!

Dark Beyond: Voices of the Past

Esty proteccs <3

@Lexisheeps
Good sheep

Dark Beyond: Voices of the Past

@Estylwen Esty, Lexi is bullying me :(

Dark Beyond: Voices of the Past

There we go ahaha, Maw sees big man and just thinks "Big food!"

@SporkoBug

I connect with that on a deeper level ngl

The post was amazing love! I like seeing the difference between the two characters.

On another note, give me patience with my post <3

Dark Beyond: Voices of the Past

Aww <3

Dark Beyond: Voices of the Past

You're all simps, the lot of you.
(Will try and posttoday or tomorrow)

@SporkoBug

Yeah but you love us don’tcha!

AZUL Islands - Drama, Romance, Mystery, Slice of Life

Interested, too! Thinking about a local surfer/marine life connoisseur/diver type of deal, though that’s just my first thought.