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?"
Once more, her aim was impeccable despite the nerves causing small tremors in her body. Her hand reached for another arrow as she witnessed the explosive result of her decision. She shielded her eyes, the second compact arrow still in her palm as the ground platform they were on shook beneath her. Not at the impact, but at the shrieking of the being, who definitely was affected by Nova's hit. She just hoped it wouldn't piss it off. Sucking in a breath, Nova ran once more, toward Cosette and the dropped Jay. If the being was to retaliate, Nova wouldn't damn allow it.
She shot a glance over her shoulder toward the group she had departed from, noticing Nick's form still on the ground. He hadn't gotten up after her shout for him to go for Cosette, and Nova knew that she meant a lot to him. Was he...? The man from the slab was beside him, curiously looking at the scene. The scientist shook her head, she'd have to check on him after she got to Cosette first, her speed already closing the distance between her and the curly-haired girl on the cold stone. The being shrieked, and Nova's heart thumped loudly as if she didn't watch him. It felt like running up the stairs after you'd just turned off the lights. She slid to a stop in between the two girls, almost losing her balance as her momentum wanted her body to keep going. She regained her footing and tried to shield the unconscious Cosette from the crumbling being, her eyes shooting to Jay to check if she was even still alive.
How had this gone so wrong, so fast?
Her laboured breathing rattled softly as she lowered hovered over Cosette, her hand moving aside the hair covering her face. It seemed she was alright, at least from what Nova could see and what the metrics in her eye were telling her. The awful sound of the large being died down, and Nova looked up as he disintegrated in front of them. A relieved sigh pulled from her chest but something in her told her that it wasn't over. God, if Kai knew what she and Annalise had gotten themselves into? She knew he was already worried. Biting her lip, she shook the thought of her husband from her mind, trying to figure out what to do next. Her eyes went back to Annalise to check if she was alright, relieved to see that she was. Before any of them could act, it was the crackle of a speaker that demanded their attention but evaded the deaf woman's attention.
She frowned, sitting with her knees on the ground in between Cosette and Jay, her neck craning as a sudden voice vibrated in her very sternum, the words being spoken visibly in her retina, but the man's tone and grating arrogance was something even Nova could hear. Von Galloes. That was fucking it. That was the damn breaking point for Nova's composure. Her hands moved under Cosette, and she lifted her up into her arms, groaning a little at the strength it took.
A gasp and a surprised flap of wings beside her alerted Nova to the awakening of Jay. Good, at the very least, that was a good start. Now they needed to get out of here. As Von kept going, Nova walked Cosete back toward Nick, Annalise and the man from the slab. Just as she arrived, the raging asshole addressed her directly. She carefully put Cosette down next to Nick before she rose, her head snapping upward to try and look into the coward's face. "You fucking cunt. Didn't you cause enough misery yet?" the researcher complained, her voice laced with annoyance and anger before she flickered her eyes back to Annalise, her features softening a little. She didn't want to be this way around the girl she was supposed to be some type of example and guardian for. Jay called at the chaos-causer, too, and Nova heard the astute Annalise confirm their situation.
Nova hated how Von Galloes pressed her points. She, an expert on CDE, was completely baffled about this site and he damn knew it, and enjoyed it, too. It didn't help Nova not feeling like a failure, which was becoming an increasingly more permanent fixture in her life. She couldn't find Stella. She couldn't fully figure out the heart of hearts and she couldn't figure out the instability in this facility. And God did she hate that man. Paris a year ago was still too fresh, too raw, and now he just fueled the rage she felt bubbling under her surface. She reconnected the bow to her back before reaching for the holster on her thigh, lifting out her gun as Annalise spoke quickly and without filter, making the guarding blink. She gave her an encouraging smile. "Yeah. If there's anything we know, it's that we can't trust this bastard." But Nova wanted to give him a piece of her damn mind. And being familiar with his antics meant that the door was the only way. But she didn't want to leave Cosette and Nick.
She clicked off the safety from her gun, her eyes steeling as she looked at the odd mix of companions. To Annalise, she spoke first. "I know I say it often but, stay close." Her eyes went to Jay, then to the man on the slab. She didn't know these two, but she had to trust them like Cosette had trusted her in the submarine. And the girl and her stepfather were able to weigh in. "Jay, you good? And what about you?" She asked the woman and the man from the slab, her finger curling around her gun, aimed to the ground and ready for anything Von would throw their way should they head up those stairs.
Eloy squinted ever so slightly, moving his head from left to right to be able to see the results of his detailed yet rigorous work. The man's fingers were curled around a sanding block, working on the wood trim of the windowsill at the back of the Whispering Waves, the sound of the waves mixing with the grit on wood. Truthfully, the windows were long overdue for their paint job, and the difference between those he had finished and those he hadn't was striking. But he wouldn't be done today. In the orange of the evening falling over the Azul islands he wouldn't be able to properly see the strokes of his brush, which would result in an awful job done on the bed and breakfast's lovely windows.
And a beating from Izabel.
At the very least, he could finish up the sanding to make his job easier when he came back to finish up. It was evening, and in August, Azul was still more than warm after sundown, allowing the man to stand in his work boots under grey cargo shorts. His shirt was off and draped over the back of a lounge chair beside him on the deck. Beside it, his toolbox stood open. Below the porch, with their chairs lodged and half sunk into the beach, two guests of the bed and breakfast were a couple of self-made cocktails in, two bottles stuck haphazardly into the sand as the girls giggled and talked, loudly at that. Every so often, they'd make comments about Eloy being a rigorous worker, working himself into a sweat and how much they'd love to cool him off with their cocktails or a skinny dip into the ocean. He had politely declined. Even so, he couldn't help but grin a little to himself as the girls thought that they were being silent when talking about him amongst the two of them.
A little bell at his feet caught the handyman's attention, and he glanced down at the black fluffy cat circling around his legs, making the shape of an eight as if the trick would get her a reward. He had learned to always watch where he walked while he was working at the home because the cat had an uncanny ability to be in the way, always asking to be scratched atop her head. The lack thereof today had the feline confused, as Eloy didn't touch her with his paint-stained and dusty hands. "You just wait, Saph. When I wash my hands you'll get the best scratches ever, I promise." She let out a loud meow as if she was holding him to the promise. A forceful bunt against his legs returned a promise of violence if he didn't comply.
When he felt content about his sanding work, he transferred the block to his other hand before stretching out his fingers that were half-locked into a grabbing position. He made a fist before flexing the digits, his mind carrying off with the wind. These were busy days for Eloy, and the man couldn't deny he was stretching himself just a little bit thin. July and August and a bit of September were always prime time months for his surfing school, with many tourists signing up for a class or a longer course. Some were serious, some were just there for the novelty, the experience or the social media picture. Not that Eloy minded, and he frequently posed for a picture or two if that was what would get him more customers. It was needed income, and he adored spreading his love for the waves, even though some people had the motoric skills of a walnut. The money would boost his businesses and sustain him for the rest of the year, when he had a bit fewer tourists to teach and instead had a fixed group of mostly local kids, from little ones to teens.
Some of them were shaping up to be incredibly talented, making Eloy feel an odd sense of pride whenever he helped them sign up for competitions, navigate offers from sponsors or to join more prominent teams than his own. Most of his students stayed loyal to the Wave Makers, though. The season brought many competitions Eloy coached his students at, and many classes to teach while still being in demand for his repairman services. As the tourists were still traversing the boardwalks, the locals prepared themselves for the Azul Native Days, which made a lot of business owners suddenly aware of issues they needed fixing within their establishments, stores and tour boats.
All in all, August was usually a chaotic non-stop whirlwind, and he'd love to be sleeping all through September to catch up. Fixing up the Whispering Waves, however, was a task in itself that spanned over a longer time, and he didn't mind. The house itself had good memories for him, too. Stepping over the cat and to his toolbox, Eloy ensured that all his tools were back in their place before he latched it shut.
Above, the familiar sound of a small plane filled the sky, and Eloy glanced upward. Ah, Chris was returning. He too, was busy. Grabbing his used paintbrushes, Eloy held them in his fist as he walked to the backdoor. He'd wash his brushes, scratch the cat, say bye to Izabel and head out. As he stomped his feet on the mat outside the door, he heard a voice inside, unfamiliar and with an accent he couldn't place. Definitely not a native Spanish speaker, though, not only clear from the apology.
He was in the door before he thought better of it, hopeful he wouldn't get swatted by Izabel and her handtowel of doom for walking around shirtless among her guests, he just hadn't expected someone to be in the main area of the house. Making his way further, he noticed a woman gingerly sitting down, seemingly favouring one foot. She was wearing a summery dress, and Eloy immediately recognised where it came from. A local woman who made dresses like no other. This woman had shopped locally, and Eloy could appreciate that. As he walked up behind her, paintbrushes in hand, he spoke up. "Buenas noches, Señorita, your Spanish is fine."
The cat slid between his legs as she trudged up to the woman, likely looking for cuddles, the little bell around her neck tinkling softly. "The cat's harmless. Let me get the owner for you." As he passed her, he flashed the woman a friendly smile as he studied her face for a brief moment. Glasses on her nose, light eyes peering through them, and pale skin. Shortly, Eloy hoped that the woman would use a lot of sunscreen because skin like hers would turn her into a lobster at the soonest opportunity. She did seem slightly overheated, too, but hospitality was not his thing, so instead he passed the counter and walked into the little hallway that led to the small office Izabel usually worked at.
The man leaned his forearm on the doorpost, paintbrushes still clutched as he briefly watched his best friend concentrate on whatever she was doing, not noticing him at all. Like himself, he found her to be hardworking, not taking what she had now for granted. She had worked tirelessly for him as an instructor, being especially good with the little ones. Sometimes, he missed having her on his team, but he acknowledged her desire for more. To be in charge of something for herself. Eloy would always support his best friend in that. Now, he works for her sometimes, which was a welcome twist. For a brief moment, he looked fondly upon her, her face etched in concentration before clearing his throat and raising an amused brow. "Bells, there's a customer up front, tourist I believe."
The surfer pushed himself off the post and rolled his shoulder, a little sour from the sanding movements. Holding up the brushes, he waved them with a big grin. "Gonna wash my brushes. Not done yet with all of the windows, though, but getting there." He winked before turning.
After informing Izabel of his progress, he walked back toward the main room where the woman waited. At the counter, he dumped his brushes into the deep, large sink before turning on the water. He carefully started washing out the paint, as he knew better than to splatter water and paint around Izabel's neat establishment. He looked at the tourist with a curious brow raised, a kind expression on his face. "Did you hurt yourself?" The man jutted his chin into the direction of the foot he saw her favouring.
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 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.
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.
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.
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