*Now and then she feels his presence as she goes about attending to the tavern, wiping off each of the small round tables scattered about, washing the dishes that have not been replaced since she came here ten years ago, polishing the dark wood bar that exudes his warmth each time she touches it. She even senses him when she serves her patrons. Her patrons. It still seems strange to her that Escape is now hers although it has been two years since Elijah died, since he left to her this haven for all those that the world shuns.* "Oh, Elijah. You always did have a soft heart for misfits, old man."
*The number of misfit denizens has increased in the wake of Kain's expose disguised as fiction. While Joi appreciates the surge in profits and in the company of others like her, she loathes Jacob Kain's divulgence of Caprice Island, a place that never should have been known to the general public. What's done is done, however. If the tourism that Kain has solicited for Caprice should happen to spill over into the mainland which houses Escape, Joi will deal with it.*
*Joi smiles as she looks down at her lover, the moonlight glazing over his back. The moment is almost too perfect to interrupt. Almost...She lifts the black satin covers and crawls into bed. Intoxicated by the aroma of his cologne, she slowly moves her fingertips from his left thigh to his waist to his side to his shoulder. A slight moan escapes him as she reaches his shoulder, so she responds by kissing the back of his neck...Another moan...She presses her body against his so that their bodies seem as one...until he starts to stir. She smiles and pulls back, giving him room to turn over and face her. When he does, she sees a set of ferocious canine teeth glaring at her.*
"Not again, Joi." *She sits up in bed and looks over on her nightstand where her glass of water should be. Instead there is trail of water from the nightstand to the wall where the glass is shattered. With Elijah's help she had gained control of her manipulation of the air around her, but since his death she has had her moments when her control weakens, mainly during nightmares.*
"There's no need to dwell on it. Get up." *She throws back the covers and swings her legs out of bed almost simultaneously as if her swiftness will somehow cause her to forget what has happened. Trying to put her decreasing control out of her head, Joi stands up and walks out of her room into the storage room where she grabs the broom and walks back to clean up the pieces of broken glass on the floor. Just as she finishes, she hears a pounding on the tavern door. Not caring that she is still only wearing a black tank top and thigh-cut panties, she returns the broom to the storage room and heads for the tavern door.*
-- Edited by Warm at 04:32, 2007-07-16
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"The absence of evidence is not the evidence of absence."--Gin Rummy, "The Boondocks"
Thomas banged on the door of the tavern. The storm had come up rather suddenly it seemed, and it was of such nature to prevent any travelling that wasn't absolutely necessary. Caprice Island would have to wait. It had waited this long, hadn't it? Besides, he had considered a lay over to better "prepare" himself for what might lie ahead. A few days on the mainland wouldn't hurt.
"Damn..." Thomas whispered in his quiet, deep voice as he shook the rain from his arms in vain. The townspeople had said this place rented rooms. Hopefully the owner was in and they had space, since for him, one without the other would profit him nothing at this point. Looking back at his car, he made sure the lights had gone off and that its security features were active. He was just turning around to knock again when the door to the tavern was opened.
"Damn again..." He said, taken by surprise at the sight before him. A strong, beautiful (and scantily clad) female stood before him, looking perhaps a little annoyed, which did nothing to lessen her features. "If I had known that I could expect this type of welcome, I would have come sooner." He thought to himself. He bustled in past her then, just to get out of the rain, then shook himself just a bit as he turned to face her again.
"Sorry for the intrusion, ma'am. I'm Thomas, Thomas King. I heard you had rooms?"
*Joi frowns a bit as she notices how the broad little man examines her body. As he pushes her aside, she mentally holds herself back from using her air manipulation to hurl a chair at him. He's not from around here. Besides, Elijah would not approve. Now facing the man, she looks down at her own body and back up at him, indicating that she is not dressed.* "Well, as you can see, we're not open." *Just then thunder roars outside. She sighs, walks past him, and goes behind the bar where she finds a towel that she throws at him.* "Here! Dry yourself off...And have a seat before you get water all over my floor." *She pours him a glass of warm spiced wine which she takes over to him with no modesty about her attire.* "Have a drink. This is the only one you'll ever have 'on the house', Thomas King." *At that, she turns away from him and walks toward the back, her hips naturally swaying as if to the beat of an African drum. Without facing him she leaves one last comment.* "I'll get you a room after I'm dressed, so relax." *She disappears into her bedroom.*
-- Edited by Warm at 05:05, 2007-07-19
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"The absence of evidence is not the evidence of absence."--Gin Rummy, "The Boondocks"
Thomas accepted the towel the manner it was given, and rubbed it over his face and head, the continued to dry the rest of him. "Sorry about the floor." He mumbled while taking a seat. He smiled just a bit as he watched Joi return from the bar with a cup of something that smelled of spices and had steam rising from the rim. But the smile wasn't about the cup so much, as it was about seeing her switching back and forth in the small amount of clothing she was wearing. "Thanks for the drink." He said as she set the cup down, and then watched her walk away until she turned back around to tell him she'd be back to find him a room. All in all, the rain had not been a bad thing, it seemed.
Peeling his shirt from his body and over his head, Thomas laid the towel on the floor and wringed his shirt out over it. With a shake, he straightened it again and laid on the table, then sighed and rubbed a hand over his head. Laying his head back he took a deep breath and sighed again, tiredness washing over him. He stayed like that for a moment before remembering the warm cup she had brought him, which caused him to sit up and claim it. A long, slow drink rewarded him with the flavor of delicious and indeed spicy wine, along with a feeling of spreading warmth inside. "Damn...that's good."
*Joi returns wearing a grey tank top that hugs her womanly assets and is tucked into black denim shorts which accent her runner's thighs and her peach-shaped derriere. She looks over at the intruder and sighs before throwing the keys toward the table where he sits.* "Room 19." *She uses her thumb to point in the direction of the guest rooms.* "Go out and around the back. Can't miss 'em..." *She retrieves a price list from behind the bar and takes it over to Thomas's table. Putting it down, she does not bother to tell him that she does not like discussing what can be read. The bottom of the copy reads, "Pay upon departure. It is not about trust." Joi goes back behind the counter to await the day's drinkers.*
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ADMINISTRATOR
"The absence of evidence is not the evidence of absence."--Gin Rummy, "The Boondocks"
Thomas was still impressed by Joi just on looks alone. She had a slight edge to her too, it seemed, but running a tavern could do that to a person. Lifting a hand, he barely took his eyes off her while easily catching the keys to his room. "Thanks again." he said after she had placed the pricelist on his table. "Sorry for interrupting your sleep." This assumption was made due to the way she was dressed both now and when he had first arrived. He was a little surprised to see her go behind the bar instead of back to her room, but he didn't say anything about it. Looking at the door, he picked up the paper and head back out into the rain to hop in his car and drive around to the back of the tavern.
At the door way, he stopped and looked back at her. "Hey, I have a question. Why did you look back at me when you went into your room? Checking to see if I was following you?"
*She stops in the middle of cleaning a glass to look up at him as if annoyed.* "I didn't." *This would not be the first time that an outsider was affected by the proximity to Caprice Island. Since Kain put the island on a platter for the whole world to consume, many outsiders have dropped by Escape Tavern and immediately started fantasizing without realizing it. If this is what happened to Thomas King, he is already in for a visit like no other he has ever experienced.
Joi finishes the glass and goes in the back for the broom.*
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"The absence of evidence is not the evidence of absence."--Gin Rummy, "The Boondocks"
"You don't have to lie to me, you know. I just got here." He states flatly, but not rudely. He then opens his mouth to say something else, but stops, a quizical look crossing his face. Thinking back on the moment, something didn't seem quite...right about it. It was like it was distorted, not flawed per se, but...off. He spoke again, a little quieter. "Sorry. My mistake." Turning away, he exited before he could make more of a fool of himself. He also continued to think about why he had such a clear...and unclear...memory of her looking at him.
Walking through the rain in silence with his thoughts, Thomas entered his vehicle and drove around back to his room.
*Joi shakes her head and rolls her eyes when she hears the outsider accuse her of lying. A verbal response is unnecessary. He'll figure it out soon enough. Just as he apologizes, she grins slightly but does not return to his sight. Instead she waits until she hears the door close behind him.* "I almost feel sorry for you, Thomas King."
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ADMINISTRATOR
"The absence of evidence is not the evidence of absence."--Gin Rummy, "The Boondocks"
*After her early morning cleaning duty--Elijah always had her clean at night and in the morning regardless of how clean she left the place--Joi puts away her cleaning supplies. She frowns when she thinks about how her morning had been disrupted by the outsider, for she usually would have had her morning run by now. She rolls her eyes again and changes into a pair of grey jogging pants.* "No need to miss a day of running, Joi."
*At that she walks out of her room, into the tavern, and out of the front door. Once outside she looks around at the trees, their green leaves dancing in the morning breeze, a refreshing scene after such a horrible storm. Suddenly a smile shines through her roughness and she forgets all about her disrupted routine. After locking the tavern door, she then stands up straight and bends at the waist with her arms stretched down so that her hands grasp her ankles. 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8. She repeats this five times and stands up straight again, deeply inhaling and exhaling five times. Afterward, she stands with her feet as far apart as she can get them and leans to the right, bending her right leg down as far as she can go. 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8. She alternates this stretch between her left and right legs ten times each before she strikes out in a steady jog, not caring about the mud splashing onto her sneakers with every step.
On her way past the guest rooms, she notices a car she has never seen before. Thomas King. She shakes her head, smiles, and continues to jog. A couple of blocks from the tavern, she runs into Wheaton, Mrs. Zir's blind dog, his wet, white hair glistening in the sun. He always turns his head up at her as if he can see with those pale blue eyes of his. Maybe he pretends to see just as Mrs. Zir pretends that she married Dalton Zir forty years ago when everyone knows that he went to Caprice Island a week before their wedding and was never seen again. Joi waves to Mrs. Zir and smiles as she jogs past Zir Mansion. After one more block, she picks up her pace until she is running at full throttle, imagining that she is being chased by the werewolf that plagues her dreams.*
-- Edited by Warm at 06:02, 2007-07-28
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"The absence of evidence is not the evidence of absence."--Gin Rummy, "The Boondocks"
*Joi's heart beats fiercely against her chest as she stays just seconds ahead of the werewolf. At some points while running through Willoughby Forest, she can feel the heat of his breath against the back of her neck. Just as he is about to grab her, she hears a plane in the distance. Mainland Airport. Possible customers. Once the werewolf is gone from her head, she realizes that she is standing in the clearing where she had her first kiss. Half a smile creeps onto her face before she wipes it away along with the sweat that she catches with the back of her hand. Elijah always said to keep your mind on your business. She stretches and jogs back to Escape.
Once back at Escape Tavern, Joi showers and dons a pair of fitted black jeans and a black tank top. She then makes sure that the door is unlocked and the "OPEN" sign is on in the window.* "Let's do it!"
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"The absence of evidence is not the evidence of absence."--Gin Rummy, "The Boondocks"
Thomas laid sprawlled on the bed, sleeping off the night's long drive through the storm. The sun was invading the room, beckoning him to awaken, but he hadn't remember his destination, he would have rolled over and went for 20 minutes more.
As it was, he pushed himself up groggily, and yawned wide. "Caprice Island..." was the only thing on his lips as he stumbled to the bathroom. The drive to the mainland port had been brutal, not to mention the trouble he ran into along the way, but he had made it. Soon he would have his answers.
After a shower and shave, Thomas was good and refreshed. Dressing, he thought over his plans for the day. 1: Breakfast, apologize to...Joi, wasn't it?? 2: Catch the ferry over to Caprice Island. 3: Begin investigating his family's ties to the island.
"I didn't even find out if they made breakfast at this place..." Thomas thought to himself. "Ah, well, whatever. If not here then either something on the way or on the island."
Exiting the room, Thomas took little notice of how clean and bright the rain had left everything. His thoughts were elsewhere at the moment. He decided to walk the distance from his room to the lobby area since the weather wasn't anywhere near as bad as it was last night. He was dressed in a nice button down white shirt with short sleeves that pulled a bit taunt over his large arms; and a pair of good, well-fitted jeans. Combat boots finished this ensamble and he strode as though he didn't feel the weight of them.
*Joi smiles inside as she serves those who actually chose to leave Caprice Island and waves goodbye to those on their way to board the plane to whatever fantasies might lie in the recesses of their minds. Elijah said that smiles should be rationed out sparingly, for kindness can be taken for weakness. Just as the last of those headed for Caprice walks out the door, she thinks of the big little man who had no idea what he is getting himself into here. She shakes her head, remembering not to smile, and goes about serving her guests.*
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ADMINISTRATOR
"The absence of evidence is not the evidence of absence."--Gin Rummy, "The Boondocks"
Thomas strode through the lobby door to Escape with determination in his step. Looking around, he noted all the people that were sitting, eating...where they coming or going? Was it always this busy? He didn't know, but it was of little matter at the moment. He refocused his attention on finding Joi, and soon spotted her going about her work. Moving to her, he called, his voice loud to reach over the slight din in the room. "Joi? Hey, Joi! Can I have a word with you??"
*When Joi sees him come in, she shakes her head slightly and continues her duty of taking care of business. As he makes his way toward her, she looks past him and sees the pale, disoriented face of a tall, slender, black suited man who is standing against the wall looking at all the people as if they were wolves waiting to devour him. Just then, Thomas reaches her and she sighs, for she knows that if she does not reach Nevan soon, his terror will drive him over the edge of sanity where he has been hanging ever since his wife died, leaving him to serve Mrs. Zir on his own.* "Not now." *She almost whispers the words and touches Thomas's arm as she walks past him. It is then that she notices how solidly he is built but throws the feel of him out of her mind as quickly as it registers so that she can attend to Nevan.
As soon as she is half an arm's length from Nevan, she lifts her hand to direct an almost unnoticeable wave of wind which blows his hair just enough to make him stop looking at the crowd and focus on her. Once Nevan's eyes meet hers, his face softens and he smiles. It is then that she knows that she can approach him safely, so she takes his hand, absorbing the now expected electric shock from each initial contact with Nevan, and takes him outside.* "It's ok, Nevan." *Still holding hands, they walk around to the back of the tavern where she unlocks the door.* "Wait here, Nevan." *She quickly goes inside and returns after only a few moments with a bottle of Mrs. Zir's "sleep aid". Nevan takes the bottle and leaves.
Joi locks the back door from the inside and walks through to the front where her customers are still enjoying themselves. As far as she can see, no one seems at all disturbed by Nevan's appearance at least not as disturbed as she was when she discovered years ago that he is the only one around which she has complete control over her ability to manipulate the air.*
-- Edited by Warm at 02:54, 2007-09-21
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"The absence of evidence is not the evidence of absence."--Gin Rummy, "The Boondocks"
Surprised, Thomas stood silently for a second, turning to watch Joi as she walked out of the "lobby" area. He could see there was a man, rather strange looking to him, that she was going to see; and the most inexplicable pang of jealousy hit him. The woman owed him nothing and had given (for a price, of course...this was a business) room and board and was relatively kind considering the time of his arrival. Still...the way she moved with him as they left the area, the door closing behind them and obstructing the view, caused him to feel that there was some sort of connection there. Friend? Lover? Brother, maybe? Perhaps. He did not know. But he was going to find out.
Thomas exited the place shortly after Joi and her mysterious companion had, and caught just a glimpse of them heading around the corner. Waiting a few brief moments, Thomas strode quickly (but not in such a way to look "rushed," incase others saw him) to the corner and stopped. He took one breath...two...then looked around, only to see Joi and the man walking around the back of the building.
"Very curious." He mumbled to himself before stealing along the side of the building in practiced stealth. Silently, he neared the corner, and dared just a slight peek around. Joi and the man was standing close, and she was giving him...something. A bottle...a container. Something. He couldn't get a clear picture. What was it??
Thinking on this, he disappeared from the corner before the man even had a chance to grip the item well in his hand. He was back inside and standing near the bar before Joi had returned, arriving in enough time to make it seem like he had decided to approach the bar just as she was coming to it from the back. The only thing that might give him away was the slight sweat on his brow, a sign of either the heat or his haste.
*After having looked around Escape for signs of disturbance and to see if anyone needs her immediate attention (everyone seems satisfied), Joi slants her head slightly to the left as she looks at Thomas, takes in a breath, and exhales while squinting a bit at him, studying him for just a moment. She then rights her head and places her hands on the bar.* "What is it, Thomas King?"
-- Edited by Warm at 03:53, 2007-09-30
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"The absence of evidence is not the evidence of absence."--Gin Rummy, "The Boondocks"
Watching Joi, Thomas' eyes narrowed a bit before he spoke. "Um...well, I wanted to apologize for inconviencing last night. I think I'm going to go ahead and pull out this morning, if you can tell me when the ferry leaves." He stopped then, just watching her for a moment longer, then started to speak again, but stopped, instead remaining silent.
*Joi picks up a rag and begins to wipe down the bar and almost frowns.* "I don't keep a schedule of the ferry, Thomas King. If you want on Caprice Island, you'll just have to catch the ferry when it comes." *After a moment the bite of her tone weighs on her conscience.* "Look, why don't you just wait down by the dock." *She looks down at her watch then back at him.* "A ferry should be along soon."
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"The absence of evidence is not the evidence of absence."--Gin Rummy, "The Boondocks"
