Now Hold the Note [Uny]

[Lucca]

After a few months of working in the Court of Spades as a newly titled Jack, Colin was in very bad need of a vacation. His heartbreak was slowly fading, at least, though it helped when he was completely immersed in work to distract him from his traitorous thoughts. So admittedly, it was by his own choice that his time at Court consisted of little more than working, sleeping, and the occasional excursions to the palace's music room to play on the piano. It was this latter that had kept him from going entirely crazy. Still, her certainly needed a vacation...

But that, sadly, was not why he was in the Midori Beach. No, he was here on Court business, and he was supposed to be meeting a representative from a local town to discuss why the Court's last shipment of fresh fish was late.

The representative was also late, and a slight frown turned the edges of Colin's beak as he paced back and forth on the sandy ground, pausing every so often to squint up at the sky and check the time.

Very late.

[Unyko]

It was Kamayaro's first trip to the Midori Beach, so she wanted to make it special, even though the only thing exciting about this beach was that it was away from home. A dip in the warm water (which was almost exactly the same as the water back home), a stroll along the shore, letting the smooth sand press between her toes and slide through her fur (also similar to the sand on the beaches where she grew up), and even sunning her self on the beach (under the exact same sun) was quite an experience to the little Selkie. It didn't really matter that she could've had the same thing back home; what mattered was that this was most definitely NOT home.

The most exciting aspect of this journey was the fact that she'd get to meet so many different people. Midori was simply chock full of them, all shapes and shades, all vacationing along the warm, sunny shores.

All except that one. He caught her eye as she wandered along, looking so distinctly dissatisfied with.. something. She sidled closer, attempting to look inconspicuous (which was probably easier than she thought, what with all the different people coming and going, which meant she was probably looking downright odd/suspicious, trying so hard to blend in). Was he looking for someone? He kept checking the time. He actually managed to remind her that she was here on business herself.

Finally she had to give in to curiosity and approach him. She just had to know what the matter was. Kama slid a bit closer, peering up at him from behind her long 'bangs.' "Excuse me," she began, voice soft and a bit timid "Are you looking for someone?"

[Lucca]

Colin's thoughts were a vicious cyclone, whipping around in his brain at furious speed. So many different reasons why the Card he was expecting had not made his or her appearance, ranging from the worrying (did something HAPPEN to the company, and that's why we didn't get their last shipment?) to the infuriating (is this just their way of snubbing the Court?) to the downright ridiculous (perhaps a rabid pack of Rabbits made off with the shipment and the representative?). As Colin's pacing got more and more furious, kicking up sand and very narrowly managing not to knock over the barrel beside the tree, he began to pay less and less attention to those around him (since he didn't know what the Card he was waiting for looked like anyway!)

And so it was that when a voice cut into his pacing, he fluttered a bit and made a rather undignified sound. Clearing his throat, Colin paused, lifting his head and composing his expression into something dignified, despite the sand in his feathers, and turned to regard the one who had spoken to him.

"Good day to you," he said in a stiff, but polite voice. "Close. I am actually waiting for someone. I happen to be here on Court business." He tilted his head toward his chest, where his high Rank stood out, and then turned to examine the Card before him. Not a native...though her Rank was fairly high, and that always made Colin respect someone more. "I don't suppose you are aware of any recent disasters that have befallen the town of Beachside or its fishing business?" His neutral expression slipped into worry for a moment, though if the Selkie wasn't used to reading avian expressions it may be hard for her to pick up.

[Unyko]

Kamayaro startled a bit at his reaction, taking a quick half-jump back to avoid being struck. She waited and watched as he regained his composure, eyes still hidden behind a veil of fur, giving her a general appearance of calm confidence no matter the circumstance.

She glanced at his suit when he indicated it, though her expression did not visibly change. In actuality, she was quite surprised (and a bit awed) that she'd met a member of the Court here. Certainly she had seen cards ranked higher than herself, though this would be the first that was a true stranger; all of the others were already acquainted with her family, at least.

Having grown up with an interest in her parents' business, Kama did indeed have a little practice reading avian expressions (one of the aforementioned business contacts), though not much. So while she could tell he was vaguely distressed about the possible occurrence in Beachside, she couldn't tell in which direction. Which was to say, whether he was worried that something had happened the town, or he was upset that something hadn't happened to it. And she'd heard so many stories of the Court and it's goings on (though whether they were true or entirely unfounded she had yet to decide), she could believe either.

She searched her recent memory for an answer to his question, but in the end, had to shrug. "Nothing that I've heard," she said, then "...is that a good thing, or a bad thing?"

[Lucca]

If Colin had been a bit less flustered over the day's events (or lack thereof) he probably would have made a bigger show of his Rank, puffing his chest out proudly for the other Card. As it was, he only barely noted her reaction. Which was that she didn't have much of one. He was far more interested in the answer to his question, although he wasn't sure if she'd have heard anything, unless she actually lived here.

He shook his head, trying to keep his distress out of his voice. "I wish I knew," he said, shifting to perch on a rock. No point in tiring himself out while waiting for someone who may or may not come. Looking back at the Selkie, he figured he probably owed her a bit more of an explanation. "A representative from that town is supposed to meet me here today. However, he or she is remarkably late. I was just...wondering why that might be." He rubbed at his crest with a wing, looking suddenly tired. "Ah, sorry to interrupt your...er...day. So...are you from around here, then? Or just here on vacation?"

He blinked, and then realized he'd forgotten to introduce himself. He stood up again in a flurry of feathers. "Oh, oh dear! Please pardon my atrocious lack of manners, miss! My name is Colin." He managed a smile, and though it was faked, his fake smiles were fairly convincing. He'd had a lot of practice.

[Unyko]

At least he wasn't angry. That was a good sign. Kama followed his example and settled herself on the sand, wiggling her toes a little (no sense in failing to enjoy every moment). She listened to his weary explanation, sympathy shining uselessly in her hidden eyes. The wry smile that went with them wasn't nearly so effective as the full expression might have been.

Kamayaro had just taken a breath to answer his first questions when he was up and fluttering again, startling her once more. She smiled, though, at his belated (and somewhat flustered) introduction, bowing respectfully in return.

"I am Kamayaro, and it is a pleasure to meet you. My day hasn't been interrupted, it's been added to." The little ferret beamed at him. It was a genuine grin, even though it faded just about as quickly as it had appeared when she continued. "But I'm sorry to hear that yours hasn't been going well. How long have you been waiting here?"

[Lucca]

"Oh, please, the pleasure is all mine, Miss Kamayaro," Colin replied, with a smile, resisting the urge to bow. Now that he was an official member of the Courts, it wouldn't do for him to bow to just anyone, though he always felt the desire to do so, especially if the one introducing themselves to him was a woman. He was just old fashioned like that. At least the urge to simultaneously treat all females he came across very delicately and yet not trust them as far as he could throw them had gradually faded as the months since his heart break passed. Colin looked at Kama curiously at her assurance. She...actually was glad to meet him, then? Or perhaps she was merely being polite. Either way, the Cardinal appreciated it immensely, and he sat back down on the rock, settling his feathers into place.

It was a little odd, to be sure, to not be able to read her expressions very well, and he wondered if she did that on purpose, covering her eyes with her bangs to get a bit of a foot up in social conflicts. He'd never realized before now just how much he trusted eye contact to read others. Well, then this would be a lesson in overcoming such a handicap!

"Ah...let's see," he said, sighing and glancing up at the sun again. "It's been nearly two hours since I got here, but I arrived a little early, and it's been only one since my contact was supposed to make an appearance." Only. Being an hour late to an appointment was, in Colin's eyes, utterly unforgivable. So unless something unfortunate really had happened to this individual, he felt he had a right to be a bit miffed.

[Unyko]

Had Colin thought to ask, Kama would have confirmed and denied his suspicion that she kept her eyes covered on purpose. On the one hand, her bangs were part of her heritage, the same as the long fur on her ears and ankles, so in a way, it was like a badge of honor (in her opinion). On the other hand, she could certainly have cut it short, but what would be the point of that? It'd only grow right back. Besides, she only half-realized it made her so hard to read; her family and close friends never seemed to have trouble with it, and the rare stranger she met wouldn't admit to having such difficulty. Besides, one could say the same thing of avian expressions, so perhaps they were on about even ground in that regard.

She blinked several times in dismay (again, the expression being somewhat less than impressive with her eyes covered), and glanced around. The beach seemed only to hold tourists and residents, generally enjoying themselves as usual. In fact, the only unusual thing Kama had seen all day was Colin, churning up the sand as he paced.

"Are you sure it's today that you were to meet them? Could you possibly be a day early in your travels?" It seemed possible to the little selkie, considering the long journey he must've had in getting here from the Court. She hoped, for the missing representative's sake, that her guess was right. The way he was acting before her arrival didn't bode well for anyone with the bad luck (or timing) to cross him.

[Lucca]

Even to someone well-versed in avian expressions, Colin would be a little hard to read. It was purposeful; a necessary skill at hiding his true feelings about a situation that he'd developed over time to be socially accepted. Even when he showed his true feelings, he usually toned them down to a palatable level, so that excitement would become mere happiness and depression just a hint of sorrow. The exception being on the occasions he lost his temper...as he had a hard time controlling his anger. He blamed it on the text that flowed so elegantly over his feathers: Wrath.

In this case, his slight annoyance at Kama's doubt was carefully concealed, and his tone was perfectly even when he replied. "I am absolutely positive of the date and time. After all, if the Courts do not keep to a rigid schedule, how can we possibly expect anyone else to?" He gave her a reflective look, almost as if he were expecting her to answer his rhetorical question, though in all actuality he expected no such thing. "But, forgive me, I'm sure you don't care to sit here and discuss my stresses. Are you enjoying your time here? That is...if you don't live here full time." He realized he never gave her a chance to answer his question earlier, and hoped that she would not be offended by his assumption.

[Unyko]

"Oh," that probability hadn't occurred to her. "That's a good point," she murmured, somewhat taken aback and, whether he meant to or not, duly chastised. Now that she actually thought about it, it did make sense. Even if he had arrived a day or so early, he would already know (having counted the days of his journey) and would clearly not make such a silly mistake. She probably would have.

Kamayaro shrugged. She didn't mind listening to other peoples' business, and in fact, actually enjoyed people-watching. It let her forget her own situation for a while, and generally let her learn something new at the same time. Not that she was going to go around telling people that. It made it much more difficult to observe someone when they knew you were doing it. "I have been enjoying myself, yes," she said, after a very short pause for consideration, letting a rather contented grin spread the corners of her mouth. However, this smile, like the last one, vanished like a snowflake in the sun. "I should probably move on soon, though. This was only ever meant as a short stop on my way, and the people around here are either too busy doing their own thing, or doing nothing at all. Which is.. less than helpful."

Her head turned slightly from side to side, hinting at the glances she was giving everyone else in their immediate vicinity, before returning to focus her attention once more on Colin, cocked slightly in curiosity. "What will you do if your contact never appears?" This was a chance meeting, but possibly a fortuitous one as well. She had been sent to set up a staple of their little family-run business elsewhere, hadn't she? Who better to befriend than a member of the Court? Besides, this was really her first contact with someone who wasn't either expecting something of her, or just downright ignoring her since she left home.