Slipping off his sandals, Joel wandered near the turning tide of Mineral Beach. The hot sand had the priest hopping for the first few steps, until the cool ocean waves washed over his feet. Taking a small breath of relief, Joel began setting up his station. Measuring the distance of the surf, he wandered around the coast with a long pipe-like tube, tackle box, and fishing rod. Seeming to find an appropriate spot, he dug the tub deep into the wave-lapped sand, and began baiting his rod. A soft whisting sound ringed in the air as Joel cast his line into the surf. Anchoring his rod into the tube, Joel excitedly walked back to dry sand, where a chair awaited him.
Taking a moment to admire the lovely wooden chair before him, Joel sat down upon it and watched his rod, reflecting on his morning. His contemplation about David and Alex were swept aside for a moment as a smile cracked on Joel’s face while ruminating on his morning with La Rosa. The scarlet lady had given Joel the closest thing he has had to a date in decades, complete with unsubtle innuendos. A fine day of surveying beautiful art and sharing breakfast with a lovely lady is a good for the soul. Joel even managed to come away with one of La Rosa’s fine pieces, the chair he was currently sitting on. She warned the priest that this chair lacks a varnish, and it would be unwise to use it for fishing close to the water. However, Joel thinks that planting the chair farther back along the beach will suffice. 

Joel sat back in the chair relaxing in the glowing sun, and eagerly waits for his dinner to bite his line. 

---

Finding a break in the day, Pearl unrolls a sandwich out of a cloth wrapping, and sets himself a place to eat on his counter. Though he cleaned his station spotless after G had left his shop, the shopkeeper could not help but remember that harsh black soot stood there a moment ago, which unnerved him enough to move his meal to his back desk. Pearl hastily snacked upon his sandwich in the hope of finishing his meal and cleaning up before anyone catches him eating. He was especially anxious now, for he recalled that a new farmer was in town, and Pearl was eager to meet the new resident, but alas, he has a duty to remain in his shop. The new resident could wander in at any time, so Pearl found himself worrying over details that he was usually unfazed by. Thank goodness Pearl’s memory finally caught up with him, but it appeared to also cause him unnecessary stress.