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Romi

Romi

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Jude stood not far from the main shopping strip waiting for Zora. He was bundled up in a heavy winter jacket, a knit hat pulled down to cover most of his hair. He suspected she'd recognize him anyway, but that didn't stop him from frequently looking around, trying to spot her first so he could flag her down.

Technically speaking he hadn't actually told her what he needed her for. He'd just told her he needed a favor, and that it was Christmas related, and wasn't that enough?
 
Zora

Zora

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Hurrying down the strip, Zora was dressed in a long wool winter coat that was belted in the middle, ear muffs, matching gloves, and a warm fuzzy scarf. She had received Jude's message earlier, and was more than happy to get out of the office to help him with his "favor". Though she was intrigued and did wonder what he needed her for exactly.

Looking around her as she neared the shopping area, she spotted Jude standing near the entrance to the strip. Slowing her pace, she waved to him as she approached, smiling at just how bundled up he was too.

"I see you aren't used to Manta Carlos weather either," she said in greeting.
 
Romi

Romi

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Jude waved Zora over, spotting her easily. She looked... professional. That was pretty much what he expected from her, and pretty much what he was used to seeing. Like she spoke with someone who could be described as a fashion consultant.

She probably did.

"Not really," Jude admitted. "It wasn't as cold in Halcyon. About the same highs, but here gets a lot colder... and a lot snowier." Or at least it seemed like it. It had started snowing on the first of December, and Jude didn't think it had stopped once since then. "At least it'll be a white Christmas rather than a mush Christmas."
 
Zora

Zora

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Zora nodded as she adjusted her scarf, "It's the humidity levels here, I think," she said, "When I lived in London, it never felt this cold either, even when it snowed. Must be the whole 'sea currents being on a tiny island' thing," she reasoned.

"So... what is this mysterious Christmas favour?" she asked Jude eyeing him curiously now, and then noticing .. his arm. "When?" she asked with a delighted and somewhat surprised look on her face as she gestured to Jude's, she was guessing, new arm.
 
Romi

Romi

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It took Jude a moment to process what the when was. Oh right. She'd been gone, just like Broen had, and while Broen had seen it before, she still hadn't. He reached down, hiking up his sleeve and holding the arm out for inspection.

"Middle of last month. Right after you left for Fiji," he said. "It took me almost a week to get it fully installed, because it connects up to my actual nerves. Full sense of feeling."

He reached up, obviously going to tap his skin, and then changed his mind. It's not like the demonstration would show anything, and he let his flesh-and-blood hand drop to his side.

"I've actually already been doing some of my shopping, but at least one part of what I wanted is... ah, inaccessible to me. I considered just asking Broen, but I remembered your ad, and this seemed like not so bad an idea."
 
Zora

Zora

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"Oh, wow... that's amazing," Zora said, truly happy for him, and also slightly amazed at what he had just told her. The island never ceased to amaze. Just when you thought nothing else could amaze you, something did.

"Oh! Sure!" Zora smiled in surprise when Jude told her he had seen her ad. "What do you need? Something for Angelo, your father, Roa?" she asked eagerly, assuming that it wasn't for anything for Broen since Jude had mentioned the idea of going to him first.
 
Romi

Romi

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Jude let his hand drop to his side as he listened to her question, smiling despite himself. He already had things in mind for Angelo and Roa... and while he had things in mind for his father, there were issues.

"I don't know how much you know about my father," Jude admitted, "but to make a very long story very short, he's got a bit of a fire elemental thing going on. Back at home he used to smoke a lot of cigars to calm his nerves, but money's tight and the brands are all different here. I don't think he's really... ah, had many lately. I got a nice list of recommendations, and I'm setting up the other half of his gift on my own, but the unfortunate reality is that I'm actually underage, and can't buy any of the cigars."

Which was absolutely ridiculous, considering he was almost eighteen and wasn't even buying them for himself, but that was neither here nor there.
 
Zora

Zora

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"Oh, my goodness, that's right, isn't it?" Zora said with a slightly surprised look on her face as she looked at Jude, "I entirely forgot that you weren't of age yet."

Jude had always seemed somewhat older and more mature to her, and well, probably because Broen was nineteen, somewhere in her mind Zora had just clumped Jude in with Broen.

"That's perfectly fine. I'd love to help. And no, I don't know too overly much about your father, only what Broen has told me," she said, which was true. She had actually met Basilio, but very briefly and she couldn't say she knew that much about him personally.

"Did you have any shops in mind?" she asked curiously as she pulled out her cell phone from her purse. "My grandfather often buys cigars for himself as well as for clients. Would you like to give him a shout and ask?"
 
Romi

Romi

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The fact that Broen was older than him was not a fact Jude was ever likely to forget. Broen seemed the type who was going to insist on Jude getting so wasted he couldn't move on the night of his eighteenth birthday, after all. It wasn't as if they hadn't drank together before, either, although not any time recently.

"I don't have any shops in mind, no," Jude admitted. "I had some brands suggested to me, but not any shops. If your grandfather has some suggestions, that would be nice."

He couldn't help but wonder just what Broen had told her about Basilio. Probably much of the same stuff that Jude had used to share about him, back when he'd assumed Basilio would never make it to the island.

He sort of regretted all that, but it was too late to do much about it.
 
Zora

Zora

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And with that Zora swiped to the side, pushed a button and dialed up her grandfather's private number.

"Hello? Takisu?" Zora said as she recognised Rafael's oricenta assistant's voice. "Is Rafael around?" she asked politely.

"No, that's fine... maybe you can help me instead?" she stated as she balanced the phone while pulling out a pen and paper from her bag. "Would you happen to know where my grandfather buys his cigars?"

"Okay, I think I know where that is, and the other one? Oh, really... okay, that's easy. I appreciated the information. Talk to you soon," Zora said as she hung up the phone and glanced at Jude.

"Takisu, my grandfather's assistant, says there are two tobacconists on the next street over, that sell imported cigars along with lighters, cutters, cases, basically anything you might need..." Zora told Jude as she looked at the piece of paper she had scribbled the names on. "Supposedly, they shops are almost next door to one another," she added.
 
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