Amaro di Angostura

Stella was actively trying to ignore the rapidly approaching footsteps from behind. Her wings and tail tensed, which only heightened her mood as a reminder of her situation, and the last thing she wanted to do right now was deal with St. Caleb. She crossed the front lobby and was about to open the door when she let out an exasperated sigh and turned to face Caleb, who nearly tripped over himself as he stopped his approach.

“You follow me any further and you’re going to have a panic attack,” The bartender crossed her arms in front of her chest. “I’m not in the mood for a lecture, so you better make this quick.”

Caleb froze a bit, he knew he had to try to make peace here; after everything that had happened today, he couldn’t just let things hang as they were without risk of making things worse. That being said, he hadn’t really considered what exactly he should say besides that he should say something. So he started with the obvious, “I’m sorry for the way I’ve been treating you.”

“Hmmm?” Stella shifted her weight from one foot to the other as she raised her eyebrow, “What do you mean? Because if this is about punishing me earlier this week, I don’t buy it, it seemed like you were all too happy to do that.”

Caleb clicked his tongue and had to fight the heat rising in his chest to keep from answering Stella’s provocation, so he let out a deep breath before answering, “No, I’m not talking about that, though I guess it didn’t help.” Caleb frowned and paused, trying to organize his thoughts. “I got it in my head that you were being awful on purpose, but Maddy told me how you helped her sort things with Lily before. I also…remember you trying to help me in the library. I chose to ignore all that because I was mad and just consigned you to being a bad person. That was immature of me.”

Stella’s face remained impassive, but her tail swished back and forth lightly behind her as she took in what Caleb had said. She then looked away from Caleb, “I’m not trying to be anything, I’m just trying to get by and have fun. I tried to help you do that, too, remember? Everyone is taking everything so seriously.”

“I mean, it seemed like you took it pretty seriously when you voted Trust and got Betrayed.” Caleb offered.

Eyes shooting open, Stella looked at Caleb’s face, “That’s different, that was because Mads…because she-whatever.” She ended dismissively.

“No, come on now, I want to know. You’ve treated everything like it didn't matter and got defensive when other people got upset with you for doing ‘your own thing’, so why was this different?” Caleb knew he was pushing, but felt like it was the only way they were going to make any progress in this conversation.

Stella turned on her heel and leaned in, getting into Caleb’s space and causing him to lean back, “Contrary to what you may think, Caleb, I’m not heartless, I care about the fact that everyone seems to hate me here, that I’m all alone in this. Mads told me…after that dumbass speech you made that it was proof that you cared and I was dumb enough to go along with it. Look where that got me.” She gestured to her wings as she leaned back, “No one here cares.”

Swallowing and summoning all the determination he had, Caleb took Stella by the shoulders and looked her dead in the eye, “I do care, Stella, the reason I punished you wasn’t because I hate you.”

Stella looked away and made a dismissive sound with her lips, “Please, you only liked the quiet version of me that read in the bookstore. Then you learned what type of person I really am, of course, you’d be disappointed, story of my life.”

Caleb pushed on, “You are definitely not the person I imagined you were, that’s for certain. That doesn’t mean I don’t like the person you are. I liked our talk in the library, and if it weren’t for the mess of you stealing from Maddy, I would have enjoyed our date together. I like that you’re strong-willed and want to do your own thing. I just didn’t want you doing it at other people's expense, is that too much to ask?”

Her instinct was to dig in her heels and start yelling. Memories of dealing with her dad when she told him she was dropping out flashed through her mind. She clenched her teeth and fists and then locked eyes with Caleb and saw how earnest he was, no anger, no belittling. She felt her feelings dampen in the face of that expression, “...So as long as I don’t mess with other people, we’re good? You don’t mind if I pull pranks, get loud, or party hard?”

Caleb laughed nervously, feeling a sensation akin to what a bomb diffusal squad must feel when they see the timer stop, “As long as you aren’t hurting people on your way to have fun, I honestly don’t care what you do, Stella.”

“Hmm, you may regret that, Caleb,” Stella winked at him mischievously, “Because when I party, I go all out”

Caleb sighed, “I find myself with very little in the way of doubt regarding that. If you ever go too far, I’ll just have to reel you back in.”

“Oh I’ve been on the end of your reeling in, My ass stung the entire next day.” Watching as Caleb’s face turned bright red, Stella busted out laughing, “Jesus, you’re an easy mark.” She paused and looked off, contemplating, “Thanks, it’s nice to know one person here doesn’t hate my guts.”

Scratching his cheek, Caleb smiled, “I mean, pretty sure Maddy likes you too, and I’m pretty sure Noemi doesn’t dislike you from what I’ve seen since she also encouraged me to talk with you.”

Her wings fluttered slightly, and Stella leaned against the door. “Not exactly who I'm worried about, but good to know. No, I’m worried about Maya showing up at our room with more juice.”

“Oh.” Caleb remembered the confrontation that morning, “I’m sure it will be fine. Maya was mad, but I don’t feel she’s the type to hold a grudge.”

Stella raised an inquisitive eyebrow, “You sure about that? She seems the type to me to keep a list of people who have wronged her.”

“Don’t make her sound like some type of school shooter, Maya’s a bit weird, but she’s actually really nice!” Caleb said, coming across more defensive than he had intended.

“Hmmm…” Stella eyed the Master appraisingly, and Caleb found himself looking away under her gaze, “She really must have done something impressive to earn that VP, huh?”

“S-Shut up!” Caleb stuttered out, “That’s not what this is about. Listen, just like I’m doing my best with you, I’m giving everyone a fair shake, and she impressed me, that’s all!”

“Right…” Stella let the word drag out, highlighting how very totally and completely convinced she was, “Well, regardless, I have very little desire to see anyone else till tonight, so I was going to go out to one of the restaurants. You’re welcome to join, though I understand that’s ehe difficult for you.”

Caleb eyed the door and the lowering sun outside. Despite all the progress he had made this week, he still felt weak at the notion of going out, so he just shook his head, “No, go ahead and enjoy yourself.”

Stella shrugged, causing her wings to flutter before grabbing the door and heading outside, leaving Caleb to wander back into the Hotel.

A little while later, Lily and Amy were getting off the boat at the bazaar, Faundolier signaling them as they got off before pushing off back to the water. Apparently, there were other people who needed a ride, or something to that effect, with no voices, it was impossible to figure out the faun’s gesticulations with any degree of certainty.

Amy looked over at Lily and then tilted her head, signaling a quiet “let’s go”, before heading deeper inland. Lily found her eyes gazing over the items on display at the other shops as they made their way to the deserted alcove where the Sabotage shop sat. She hadn’t done much perusing last week, considering the low amount of BP in her possession, she felt she couldn’t carelessly shop. Now that she actually had some BP to spend, she was noticing the wide variety of objects on display, from clothes, jewelry, toys, furniture, it ran the gamut.

Amy was determined to keep them on task and made a beeline for the secluded alleyway and entered the Sabotage shop, causing the bell to ring out their arrival. Arrieta was waiting for them at the desk and lazily opened her eyes and smiled at the two, “Hello dearies, didn’t expect that anyone would be making their way here today. Don’t you want to relax after the challenge? I was under the impression it would be quite grueling.” As always, her words felt like they barely exited her mouth but still covered the senses with a warm, enticing feeling, like a hand beckoning you forward.

Amy smiled at the proprietress, “It was certainly no walk in the park but we made it through. If what I was looking for wasn’t so time sensitive, I might leave it for tomorrow, but I can’t risk anyone else buying it from underneath me.”

Lily reached out and gingerly touched Amy’s arm, “Are you sure about this? I know you told everyone that this was your plan, but we don’t even know what that mask does, not to mention you’re putting a big target on your back. Also even if you buy it, couldn’t someone just steal it, knowing that you have it? We’ve already had people steal things…”

Lily was silenced by Amy putting her hand overtop Lily’s and looking down at her, “Yeah, these are all risks, I get it. But I said this is what I was doing, so I’m going to do it Not only that but it’s better for me to have all the information we can, and this mask is one of the few mysteries here that I cannot solve unless I have it. You do raise a good point,” The oni turned to the shopkeeper, “Once a mask is bought, can it be stolen?”

Arietta nodded solemnly but kept a smile on her face, “The Masks, just like any other sabotage, can be stolen and repurposed by someone else. This is true of all purchases possible on the island with the exception of transformation upgrades.”

Ears perking up, Lily beat Amy to it by milliseconds, “Transformation upgrades?” Lily had had an inkling that such a thing was possible, after all Lucian had forcibly upgraded her first transformation when she had arrived here as a punishment. If they could choose to have it done, though, maybe there was a way to make them less inconvenient

Arietta waved a hand and moved to lean back in her chair, “Not done here, sweetie. They’re available on the Island but I can tell you they’re not here or anywhere in the bazaar. You need to seek out someone who specializes in such a craft, and that’s going to require some exploring. Our good host doesn’t want things to be too easy for you all lest you take your good fortune for granted.” There was an air of humour as her words drifted off that assured the two that she was not mocking their situation.

Amy pushed this new mystery behind her and locked eyes with Arietta, “Something to figure out another time. For now, I need to purchase the Lucian mask in the cabinet.”

For the first time since Amy had met the older woman, Arietta’s features darkened, “Are you sure, my dear? There are many other ways you could spend your well-earned BP that would reward you well.”

Lily looked over at the oni as she nodded, “Unless you have a reason you can tell me why I shouldn’t purchase it, I’m sure.”

Arietta closed her eyes and sighed, waving her hand.

Amy: 52 BP - 50 BP: 2 BP remaining

In her hand appeared the expertly crafted porcelain mask designed in Lucian's likeness, outlined in a border comprised of many overlaid rubies. She extended it to Amy, and when the oni gripped it, Arietta held her there, looking her in the eye, “Be careful with the information you gain from using this mask, I pray that it is a boon to you and does not harm you or those around you.” She then released her grip, and Amy kept her eyes on the shopkeeper as she stuffed the mask in her bag.

“Thank you, I promise to be careful with it.” She exchanged a look with Lily, who looked both worried and confused. “I’ll try to visit again this week for a social call and not business.” She made a move to leave.

Arietta’s face returned to its gentle smile as she waved the two off, “Thank you, m’dears…be safe out there.”

As the two girls left, Arietta ran her hand over the table at turned her gaze to the cabinet where the mask had lain before and sighed. There was nothing for it now, it was only a matter of time before the host learned of the mask and then…Arietta hoped the girls did not tip their hand.

The Faun barista managing the coffee shop had just finished waxing their fake mustache when the trio of Eliza, Mira, and Maya walked in. Mira tugged at her outfit, happy to be in air conditioning as the balmy climate did not agree with the tight latex she was wearing. It didn’t take long for the Faun to hide all their wax styling accoutrements and begin taking their order and encouraging them to have a seat while they waited for their drinks.

While Maya smiled and kicked her feet as she got to the table, and Mira was the paragon of poise she always was, Eliza couldn’t shake the feeling that she shouldn’t be here. What right did she have giving advice to anyone right now? The only reason she had come and not found someplace to hide was that Maya had specifically asked for her, and she felt it would be rude to ignore that specific request.

She was caught off guard then when the first thing out of Maya’s mouth was “Eliza, what are your hobbies?”

Eliza paused and, after gathering herself, responded, “Um, I like reading Harlequin romance novels in my free time. I also enjoy reading about philosophy, particularly epistemology, and the Three Kingdoms period in China.”

Mira looked over interested, “I feel like I might have guessed the first two, but Romance of the Three Kingdoms? That feels a little out there.”

Looking a little sheepish, Eliza smiled awkwardly, “I caught a drama of it once on television when I was young, and since then have been captivated by the period. The book itself is laden with melodrama and dynamic characters. Not to mention it's been adapted countless times. I bought a PS2 just so I could play the Dynasty Warriors games.”

“I’ve heard of them, I didn’t know that’s what they were based on-” Mira was going to continue when she was cut off by Maya grabbing Eliza’s hands and looking at her starry-eyed.

“You play games? What kind? What are your favourites? Is it just video games, or do you play board games too? What about Card games?” She reached into her pocket and pulled out the deck of cards she received from Sally, “I have some with me if you want, we could play right now!”

Eliza found herself recoiling from the purple-haired girl's enthusiasm as blinding and powerful as it was. It took her some time to collect herself as their drinks were delivered, and she finally managed to reply, “I don’t play many games. The only video game I play is the Dynasty Warriors games. I do play some board games like Catan or Pandemic. They were very popular amongst my students.”

Maya looked a little deflated but was still encouraged that Eliza didn’t seem completely at a loss when it came to board games, “I like all sorts of board games, they have a lot in the game room, maybe we could play together some time?”

Nervously, Eliza took a sip of her drink. She knew how Maddy and Lily felt about Maya, but faced with this onslaught of enthusiasm, she found herself saying, “Sure, if we have time.”

Maya was beaming when Mira cut in, “Maya, you said you had something to ask us?”

Maya’s expression faltered. “What?”

Raising a hand to her forehead, Mira pushed on, “You said you had something you needed advice about, and that’s why you wanted to speak to us? You didn’t just want to ask about board games, did you?”

Maya froze, and then it was like a computer rebooted as realization dawned on her face, “Right!” Her expression grew more serious. “I wanted your advice on two things. The first thing is that I am now rooming with the bully Stella, and I don’t know how I should handle that. The second thing is I am supposed to have the first date with Caleb this week, and I do not know what to do.”

Eliza once again found herself at a loss, She looked down at the hand that she had used to strike at Stella earlier. As if she were in any position to be able to give advice on such a thing. Not that she felt great about the second topic.

Luckily, Mira seemed eager to engage, “Well, first thing you need to do is apologize for what you did at breakfast when you dumped orange juice on her.”

Maya looked confused and then puffed up her cheeks, “But she was in the wrong and being a bully. Why do I need to apologize?”

Sighing, Mira leaned in towards Maya, “Even if she was doing wrong, you assaulted her, that’s not good either, Maya. Doing a bad thing for the right reasons is still doing a bad thing. When you do something bad, you apologize.”

Eliza looked at Mira, surprised, “I’m sorry, I’m a little shocked to hear that, given what you said about using Sabotages earlier in the week.”

Mira merely shrugged, “I stand by both statements. I’ll use sabotage to get ahead if I have to, but that doesn’t mean I won’t apologize afterward.”

Meanwhile, Maya was hemming and hawing and then finally let out a distressed sigh, “Ok fine, I’ll apologize. What then?”

Mira shrugged, “She’s your roommate, not necessarily your friend. How you handle it from there is based on what sort of relationship you want.”

Maya scrunched her face together, and Eliza raised an eyebrow. “Do you want to be friends with Stella?”

Maya nodded, “I’d like to be friends with everyone if I could, but I’m not very good with it. I got some nice advice in fan mail about asking people about their interests. That’s why I asked about your hobbies, and it worked! Now I know we can play games together.”

Brushing off that she was sure she had said more than just that, Eliza pressed forward to the other thing Maya had asked about while taking a sip of her drink, “Now, about your date, it helps to know what worked before. What did you do on your first date?”

Maya looked thoughtful, “I played my favourite card game with him, we talked, and I gave him a blowjob.” she said matter-of-factly causing Eliza to spit and **** on her drink.

Leaning in and rubbing Eliza’s back, Mira looked to Maya, “Well, he is limited by not being able to leave the building, so those were good activities. Maybe since you shared something you loved with him, you could see about him sharing the same with you?”

Thinking on this, Maya then asked, “But what if what he likes is boring?”

Eliza winced at this, remembering her ex’s own criticisms of her hobbies and life. Mira interjected, “Relationships are give and take. Besides, even if you don’t like the activity, it still might be fun doing something someone else likes with that person.

Maya didn’t look convinced, and the conversation continued. Eliza found herself participating less and less. She just didn’t feel like she had anything to contribute. I mean, everything she had to say was bound to be dull or wrong. So she just nodded along and drank her coffee until the group broke up.

On screen, the contestants continued about their evening, though there wasn’t much more of note that took place. The fauns came out and informed everyone of their rooms, and eventually everyone clamored off to sleep, exhausted from the day's challenge. The credits then began to roll, and advertisements for the Lily garden began to play on the side ad.

Andrea Malcolm drummed her fingers along the granite chair she was lounging in. The black snake coiled around her neck, sensed the movement, and began to move down her arm. She casually raised a hand to scratch under its chin, “No worries, Darling, you can stay where you are, I’m just processing.”

She flicked her hand at the television, causing it to blink out, a petty use of infernal magic but more convenient than any remote. She had been tuning in to see how her apprentice was fairing. She invests hundreds of years into that boy, and now the big shots take him away for what? This entertainment nonsense? Waste of good material is what it was. Still, she was happy to see they hadn’t completely set back years of hard work on him, though she still smelled the dangerous scent of sentimentality on the boy.

She knew she couldn’t interfere, not directly. She might be a lord of hell, but the higher-ups would do terrible things if she were caught messing with their plans, as inane as they might be. Still, she had an investment to protect. Lucian couldn’t afford to lose here and be destroyed. That Soul belonged to her.

She raised a hand to pet her snake's head and smiled as she wistfully spoke, “Maybe it's time I cashed in some of that vacation I’ve accrued.”