[hr][hr][center][img]http://i.imgur.com/RGu6XoT.png[/img] [img]http://i.imgur.com/WNng51l.gif[/img] [b]Location:[/b] The Docks and The Beach [b]Interacting with:[/b] Beach Goers[hr][hr] Her mother practically paid for the ticket herself and all the time spent travelling, Veronica Bryant was kicking herself mentally for not letting her mother do so. It was a matter of pride, really. Having dear ol' mum pay to send Veronica to South Africa to a singles resort would be like admission that all the cries of '[b]You need to find a partner, Veronica, preferably before you shrivel up'[/b] were right. Though the fact that she boarded the plane and even wound up going through with it after initially scoffing at the idea seemed like silent admissions that mom was right all along. But the way Veronica saw it...it was research. Plain and simple. Writing and drawing a syndicated comic strip about dating and being single required that she broaden her horizons. If nothing else, this would prove to be inspiration for an extended story arc, and that meant this trip was just as much about maybe finally hooking up as it was a work vacation. Few people would probably claim that a trip to South Africa could be a tax write off, but Veronica Bryant was indeed few people. The worst part of it all, at least initially, was the flight in. Hours in a plane where they didn't serve alcohol for some reason, plus the in flight television she paid extra money for had nothing worth watching. She was also sat next to a young child who was initially amused by Veronica's chugging of a Diet Coke (because the plane didn't serve Pepsi, ugh) and subsequent loud belch, but it turned out that the passenger in the seat directly in front of Veronica found it disgusting. Veronica made sure to belch extra loud every time thereafter, just to spite him. The kid she was sat next to eventually crashed out and fell asleep and there went the only person on board that found Veronica amusing whatsoever. And that was just two hours into the flight. Her time in the air was spent doodling, making unflattering caricatures of the jerk in front of her as well as a funny drawing of the child next to her, for her parents to put on the fridge or whatever they did. After the infamous Diet Coke scandal, the only other momentous occurance on the flight was when some passing passenger scoffed at Veronica who was, at the time, enjoying the terrible in flight meal by both smacking her lips and chewing with her mouth open. [b]'Some parent'[/b] Veronica heard the snooty stranger say in passing. [color=thistle]"Joke's on you, I've never even had s....a kid!"[/color] She called back just before giving the universal symbol for telling people what you really feel about them. She doubt it was heard or seen, but in the moment it sure did feel great. By the time she arrived in Africa after dealing with the headache that was passport checks and international check ins, she was ready to simply lay down and die. Or at least sleep for hours on end. Fortunately she had arrived early, as you do, and was able to crash at a cheap hotel before it was time to make her way to Pezula or wherever it was. The trip on the boat was an improvement over the plane simply because she didn't have to share it with anyone. It was quite the royal treatment. She could get used to that. Perhaps that would be the main takeaway from this little thing...being treated like a fancy how-to-do and being waited on hand and foot. There were worse things in life. Veronica stepped onto the docks and promptly stopped listening to what the man in the penguin suit was saying. She was far more engaged by looking at the scenery and comparing it mentally to what she remembered of her trips to Ireland as a kid. More green there, perhaps, but there was a definite appeal in this place, and even in her plainclothes, unflattering outfit of denim shorts and a blue tee, she felt like a millionaire. Or at least someone wealthy enough to get into country clubs. With her bags being tended to, Veronica did the rational thing and walked from the docks over to the beach, sandals kicking up sand as she walked. There were people here already and they seemed to be getting friendly. Or at least making a good show of it; the introductions were always the awkward parts. [color=thistle]"Well look at this group of people, if you people aren't getting dates what chance do I have, am I right?"[/color] Veronica announced her presence with a smirk and a raised voice as she observed those presently gathered. [color=thistle]"Hey now, I though getting wet was for after hours. What're you two doing, getting a jump on things, eh?"[/color] Veronica snickered at the two guests who had already introduced themselves to the clear blue waters. It was funny in her mind even if no one else agreed.[/center] [hr] [hr][hr][center][img]http://i.imgur.com/QizVMzZ.png[/img] [img]http://i.imgur.com/vnSNbAb.gif[/img] [b]Location:[/b] The Docks and The Beach [b]Interacting with:[/b] Beach Goers[hr][hr] David remained slightly unconvinced that this was the right thing to do. While he agreed that perhaps moving on and dating again was a perfectly acceptable thing to do, he wasn't sure that 'moving on' meant 'traveling abroad to potentially meet someone'. It came with complications and concerns that rolled around in his head for the duration of the journey. Suppose he found someone and they hit it off but they live on opposite ends of the country, or even opposite ends of the planet, how would that work out? Maybe it was better not to think about it, but every time he came to that conclusion all he could do WAS think about it. How could he not? He couldn't have been the only one there that was thinking about this, but then maybe the other people were willing to compromise and just get swept up in it. That old saying, letting the chips fall where they may...maybe that was the way to go about it. At some point between the plane landing and the boat arriving at the docks, David Sandoval had simply agreed to just...go with what happened. It was a once in a lifetime opportunity, right? How many people could claim they traveled to South Africa for a date? It would make a hell of a story to tell friends and patients. A whistle escaped David's lips as he stepped onto the docks and got his first real view at where it was he would be staying while here. It sure did beat the hell out of his place in New Mexico, and even the heat wasn't as punishing as it was. But then, this was the beach and not the desert. Even though this was something of a vacation, David still dressed rather professionally, though with a clear casual dip to it. Instead of a suit and tie, it was a collared shirt and as nice a pair of jeans as one could get when they didn't want to wear slacks. Miles from home, on a different continent, but that was no excuse for slacking off. Appearances mattered, especially around strangers and potential suitors. David walked his way off the dock towards the small gathering of people, assuming them to be there for the same reason as he was. He hoped at least one of the guys there would be someone he could share a beer with just in case things didn't work out with the female side of things. Always helped to have a contingency plan. When he arrived, someone was laughing to herself; had he just missed some witty joke? That was unfortunate, but he still found himself slotting in with the others. [color=sienna]"You all here for the thing?"[/color] He asked, fingers crooked in the pocket of his jeans. [color=sienna]"I don't know if we're introducing ourselves or anything but...I'm David. Should be interesting, this whole thing, right?"[/color] Why were introductions always so...stiff?[/center]