falling a step behind; { introducing Eva }

[Im Yong Soo~!]

This situation seemed to be becoming a bit more awkward for Eva; she felt so conflicting and didn't even know why. Hopefully she had not come off as overly rude for not replying to miss Caroline, but she was happy that mister Hasbrouck had at least spoken up. Eva could not help the tiniest smile once the man ruffled her hair – a part of her wanted to outright laugh, as if it was such a familiar gesture (it did feel like one) that it could not possibly be perceived as odd to anyone else; although from the smile on this young woman’s face, Eva could very well be wrong. She did not at the mention of simply being a customer before diverting her gaze once more, losing herself in thought and all these odd… sensations, making her feel so conflicted.

For the most part, their conversation fell on deaf ears – she occasionally glanced at them, but she wasn’t particularly interested in any sort of parasol or umbrella; perhaps she would be, had her stomach not been hurting and if only a part of her wasn’t mentally suggesting she should just leave now. But perhaps she was just making a storm in a glass of water when it came to all of this; she was new here, so maybe she was just homesick or…

Speaking of storms, miss Caroline’s comment almost went by unnoticed – but it processed in her mind fast enough that Eva reminded herself she had yet to find a place to stay for the night; she certainly did not want to be caught in a storm. She didn’t really have the time to thank her for the information though, or even stand up fully and announce that she should leave – in only a short moment, she found herself staring closely at the other young woman who seemed concerned. Eva could only blink in response for a moment, before realising that it was due to her current demeanour; with a soft gasp, she stood up straighter (and by now she’d forgotten she was still sitting on a counter, at a store she had nothing to do with in the first place; you could say that, occasionally, manners were not quite her forte) and nodded, offering a tiny, slightly nervous but well-meaning smile. “Ja, ja. My apologies; I was just… Thinking.” About what, she was not sure; what Eva was sure of, though, was that she did not want to worry this young woman.

{ welcome back c: }[/color]

Nikolaas had even more unanswered questions...but this was perhaps not the time to find the answers. He smiled at the young, petite woman again, smiling was so natural all of a sudden around these two. He was never the one for displays for emotions, but something told him even if he tried to keep a stony expression, these two could see through him like a window.

"Thank you Madam, I'm glad you think so. If you want something that might survive several storms in this town I'd recommend this one" Nikolaas pulled out an dark red umbrella, with a small white flower pattern on the edges "It's not the most 'dressy' one, but it will last a lot longer than the parasols. I might have another colour out in the back, I could check if there is a colour you'd specifically like. " He smiled and handed the umbrella to the petite woman for inspection. "The storms here can get pretty bad...but you know the saying 'there's no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothes' " He grinned again before turning back to Eva, who had for some reason been oddly quiet, since the other woman had entered. Was that a sign Eva too got that odd feeling again? They could talk about it later he guessed.

At the woman's question to Eva, Nikolaas was rather surprised. She was reading Eva like an open book..."If you're tired or something, Eva, go lie down out back...Don't worry me or Zuz here" Nikolaas slammed a hand over his mouth. Fuck...that was not what he had meant to say!
"Ah...I'm so sorry Madam...I must be tired too today..." he hoped the woman had not taken offense to being called 'sister'. But the word felt so natural to call both of them...God, he REALLY needed a smoke after this day. It seemed everything today was either going wrong or just making him more and more confused.

The Luxembourgian still looked with slight concern for the young woman, her inner doctor immediately supplying her with possible suggestions to ease Eva’s apparent anxiety, but Caroline put up a small smile in spite of it, for the sake of propriety. “Heavy thoughts precede heavy storms, ja?” She reached over, as though about to pat the other woman’s hand, but hesitated at the last moment, deciding it was better to keep communication on a purely verbal level at this time, setting it on the counter nearby and giving the other a sincere look, “Hopefully, it too will clear with the rain.”

Caroline looked to the parasol again, running one hand over the material and testing the grip of the handle with the other. It was definitely sturdy, the girl thought, and it seemed as though it would be big enough for her needs—perhaps over; she could all too easily picture her bustling across a rainy street looking like a big mushroom—though, she would have to see what other color options were available. Yellow, maybe. She turned, about to ask as much, when the Dutch man made his verbal slip.

Caroline stiffened slightly, her thoughts going into a wild blur at the word. ‘Zuz?’ Caroline dipped her head shyly, fidgeting with her glasses and flushing like a schoolgirl, much to her embarrassment, “Ah, pas de tout—do not worry over, brud-” The honey blonde choked on the word, stopping herself in time, and tried to be reasonable. She had a brother, yes, but, he looked nothing like this stranger! And he was a stranger…wasn’t he? Caroline touched her forehead, confused. “…I-I think, that you are not the only one, Nikolaas—tired seems to be catching;”

[Im Yong Soo~!]

Parasols, storms, pretty green dresses – at this point, all of that was a blur in Eva’s mind. The more she looked at either of them, the more she could picture her whole childhood – except instead of her siblings, the ones she left back home, she could find herself holding hands, laughing and crying with these two. It was a sick, strange feeling and honestly! Eva was not even the clingy type; she was homesick. That had to be it. Perhaps that was the good thing about bad welcoming; people would not get these feelings, would not grow attached to strangers the way she thought she was growing attached to these two.

Caroline’s gesture did not go by unnoticed, but Eva simply slumped her shoulders, looking down at her feet; even her dirty old boots her tying a knot in her throat. With a slight shake of her head, Eva stood up straight and took a look outside; indeed the weather was becoming unwelcoming and she had yet to find a place to stay. “Non, non! I’m alright, ah…” Whatever excuse she was about to deliver to make a swift escape died in her mouth. To call Caroline his sister…? It seemed to be some sort of slip, to which the young lady nearly responded. It only made the sharp pain in Eva’s stomach even worse and not even a few deep breaths and clamping her mouth over it seemed ease it. She was far too anxious, but had to agree with both of them in their last quip. “I-it does. Ah… I should go…” She paused, glancing back at them, although it only worsened the anxiety. Bad idea; she was feeling unwell. “Before the storm hits us full force…”

Scratching his head in embarrassment, although he didn't really feel he should be embarrassed about anything like that around these two...maybe he really was smoking a bit too much these days...
"Ah..I'm terribly sorry. This seems to be a re-occurring thing today...whatever God of faith that exists up there must really love seeing me make a fool out of myself..." a small nervous laugh slipped from his lips as he tried to determine why these two women seemed so very familiar. Nikolaas wanted so very badly to ask the petite woman if she too had the odd sensation of dèjà-vu around them as he had around her and Eva...

Knotting his eyebrows into a slight frown at Eva as she tried to leave, she really didn't look too good, even he could see that. "oh no you don't young lady" he closed the small distance between them with two large steps and placed a hand on her shoulder. "You don't look well at all, no way am I letting you wander out in that weather in such a state" he gestured out the window, raindrops already having wetted the sidewalks and almost emptied the streets of people. "If you need a place to stay, I have spare rooms" He smiled slightly, genuinely worried about Eva and her current state.

Caroline smiled politely, wringing her hands over the umbrella and not looking up, trying to figure out a way to leave in as appropriate a fashion as possible. “Ja, fools of us all,” she murmured, staring at the wood grain pattern in the floor. Her heart was torn—she wanted to talk to these people, these fascinatingly familiar people, but at the same time she was terrified. Of what, she could not identify, but there was an urgent sense that staying too long around these two would cause everything to change again. Make everything unsafe again.

‘Again? Why again?’ The Luxembourgish woman resisted the desire to tremble, maintaining a sense of composure. Just as she was about to announce her own departure, Eva’s comment reached her ears. The brunet looked up sharply, her concern for the other woman spiking once she took in the other’s pallor. Her mouth formed a firm line, and she was about to protest when Nikolaas beat her to it.

Caroline nodded, relieved for the other’s support, and bustled up to the other woman, “You really don’t look the picture for traveling, dear, if it is not out of my place to say.” She paused, and then lifted her bag, setting it on the counter and patting it, “In fact, if you are ailing, I happen to be a doctor. I’m sure there is something here that can help you. At least bring your color back.” The European woman smiled encouragingly. “And, so we are not perfect strangers, my name is Caroline.”

Caroline paused then, glancing up at the tall man suddenly. There had been no introductions, so, how had she known…?

[Im Yong Soo~!]

Just the sound of the word ‘no’ and Eva immediately stopped in her tracks, straightening up considerably once she felt that hand on her shoulder. It was an almost mechanical response, as if she was used to doing this all the time – complying with the older man’s (was he older? He seemed young; but she could not be sure, so…) demands, no questions asked. She even offered a curt nod before reality hit her and she realised she did not have to do as she was told – but as her gaze settled on the window, she realised that it would not matter either way; if she went out now, chances were the rain would get to her. Eva did not want to get sick now, though every few seconds it seemed like a far better alternative to all the symptoms being caused by this strong feeling of anxiety.

”That is very kind of you, but don’t feel obligated to…” Once again, her protests, if a near interruption of Nikolaas’ speech could be considered as such, died down in favour of Caroline’s own voice reaching her ears. She shook her head, a weak sort of affirmation that perhaps Eva was really not that well. She offered the tiniest smile, almost resisting the urge to laugh softly in response, as if she knew this story from elsewhere – as if she had been faced with a similar situation, at least where a good, mildly happy sibling get-together was concerned – and looking back, she had. Perhaps she was thinking of her siblings back home, though she would quickly admit to how different this felt. One minute it felt comfortable, but the other she was almost afraid of what would happen. Afraid any of the three of them would raise their voice or a fight would somehow ensue. ”I appreciate your concern, really.” There was a small pause in Eva’s speech and she nodded, a tiny, reassuring smile tugging at the corner of her lips – almost as if she felt the need to convince either of them that she was alright, even if that was not entirely the case. ”It is a pleasure to meet you both, Caroline, Nikolaas.” Uttering their names like this, together, she could not deny how they rang a familiar bell. Why, however, she had no idea. “My name is Eva.”

Something in the back of his head told him that Eva didn't really like being fretted over too much, but he couldn't help it. Something about her just made him want to protect her, make sure she was alright...the same went for Caroline. Both of them had that familiar feeling...suddenly he had an image of standing in front of the two, in a trench, bullets whipping past over them...but just as suddenly as it had appeared, the image was gone...He blinked a few times, trying to make sense of what he had just seen, failing he simply pushed the thought away...he had more important things to worry about.

"It's no problem...you're here anyways, might as well make yourself at home, ja?" he looked at the two women. Perhaps Eva was just hungry?
An idea hit him.
"Well...I'm starving, been a while since my last meal. Would you two care to join me? No fun eating alone anyways" He grinned happily at them, wondering if he could perhaps get some information out of Caroline over dinner. If she was a Doctor, she perhaps knew what was causing those 'flask-backs' of a life he didn't know, yet still felt was so real. There was also the small chance Caroline had the same feeling of familiarity to them, as he had to Eva and her... "Some food might help you feel better Eva...what do you say Miss Caroline?"

Still puzzling over the fact that she felt as though she already knew the other’s name, Caroline hummed lightly in response, smiling faintly upwards at Eva. “By your expression, dear, I fear the pleasure is mostly ours, but, ja, it is.” Ah, that was strangely forward; usually, it took the Luxembourgish woman a while to be so comfortable teasing others. Then again, some much about these two was just so peculiarly familiar…

Caroline blinked up at Nikolaas once he made his suggestion, surprised by the offer. “Dinner? An mech?” She was sure that Eva, at least, should stay, but for herself…the doctor fluttered one of her hands from side-to-side, blushing faintly and shaking her head, turning her gaze to his feet, “Oh, neen, neen, I couldn’t possibly—it would hardly be pro-”

Just then, a crack of thunder sounded over the dock, rumbling over Tortuga and shaking the windows. Caroline flinched, unpleased, peering around Nikolaas to the view outside. The sky had just broken over the street, letting out a powerful torrent of rain. The trees swayed and drooped in the wind, and the unfortunate souls still out there were quickly drenched.

Not looking forward to the prospect of facing the sudden island storm, Caroline drew her hand close to her face, adjusting her glasses in a sheepish gesture. “Ah…perhaps, at least for a drink, ja?” She glanced between Eva and Nikolaas again, her other hand fingering the umbrella nervously.

Well, at least she might have the opportunity to figure out more of what was going on…

An mech = For me?
Neen = no

[missbelgium]

If Eva could read the man’s thoughts, she would tell him he was right; in all honesty, she didn’t want someone to worry about her. She was young, but mostly independent – mostly. Sometimes she still needed to sit down and talk, cuddle to sleep, ask for help when things were just too much. But right now, she almost felt an aversion to these sorts of care – not in the sense of being disgusted, no; she just couldn’t stand having not one, but two (so familiar…) people worrying over her. Trying to lighten the mood. Caring for her so naturally, as if they were old, close-knit friends.
She would be fine. She would.

There was a somewhat elongated moment of silence on her behalf as she pondered their words; had she not been too tired and perhaps paling slightly from a state of illness she had no explanation for (no fever, no cold sweats, no coughs or sneezes, perhaps only a slight tremor stemmed from anxiousness and lack of sugar in her blood), she would have certainly made a well-meaning comment about their company. She would have also been faster to reply to Nikolaas – food? Well, that did seem more pleasant than finding a place to eat. A place to sleep. Somewhere that wasn’t a hellhole amongst drunkards, jealous men and women, people she didn’t trust.
But did she really trust this woman, this man standing before her? She wasn’t sure. But they were decent; they made her feel safe. And that was good enough for someone so occasionally simple-minded as Eva.

But as she gathered the will to reply to his offer – a tempting one, and perhaps food, even just a piece of bread, would do her good -, thunder cut off her whole line of thought and she immediately turned towards the window. She wasn’t scared – far from that, really; but she was caught off-guard. And a storm, so close to the sea? It would be a fascinating sight.
It took her another moment and Caroline to speak up before she finally uttered a word, fingertips delicately grazing over the lace hem of one of her sleeves.

“I suppose a meal wouldn’t hurt…”

[netherland]

Nikolaas smiled warmly at the two women standing in his shop. Great, company for dinner, been a while since he'd eaten with anyone...it was a homely feeling in a way... He'd eaten alone since coming here, not bothering becoming friends with or 'attached' to anyone or anything in this town.
A voice in the back of him mind was nagging at him about something...he felt he knew what these two women liked to eat...but it would be just plain creepy if he proposed it out of thin air.
"So, do you two have any preferences...food, drink? anything?" He waved them to the back of the shop and up the stairs to the 'house' part of the building. "Can't say I'm a gourmet chef, but I'm not hopeless~" he laughed a bit, feeling so much more 'at home' around these two.

He stopped for a moment once inside the kitchen to ponder what ingredients he actually had. not that it really mattered, as his shop had almost anything one could want for almost any dish...At least he had almost every type of alcohol under the sun, they where sure to like something he had

[Caroline Bausch]

Still a bit hesitant, Caroline followed Nikolaas up the stairs, holding the umbrella in one hand and her skirts in another. “Merci,” she murmured, still minding her manners. She looked up when Nikolaas asked his question, considering carefully. “…If you happen to have a spot of brandy, perhaps? That will suffice for me.” Caroline wasn’t particularly hungry, but the drink would help calm her nerves and hopefully smooth over the mad rush of thoughts. Hopefully, the Dutchman wouldn’t mistake the request as alcoholism.

As they entered the housing proper, Caroline glanced around, taking in the décor. It was modest, as one could expect from a bachelor, but tasteful. There was an abundance of orange and tulips, which brought an amused smile to the doctor’s lips. “You seem to have settled in quite nicely.” The trembling feeling had yet to fade completely, but the Luxembourger decided to rely on the comfortably familiar social conventions to ease her way through this remarkable situation. She turned about and offered Eva a small smile of shared confusion, an unspoken show of camaraderie in the almost-awkward almost-comfortable sense of closeness between the strangers.

The petite honey-blonde bustled into the main parlor, settling down on the nearest couch and patting the cushion nearest, inviting the Belgian a place to rest as Nikolaas proceeded into the kitchen. “You are from Europe also, ja? How was the crossing?” Perhaps a bit dry for an ice-breaker, but, at least it was something. And Eva looked as though she could use the distraction as badly as Caroline did.

SORRYSORRYSORRY. But at least it's here? ;;

[missbelgium]

There was something oddly comforting about this – moving away from the windows of the store and to a more secluded place, even if these people were still strangers. But.. It seemed to ease her anxiety a bit; quite a bit, actually. Perhaps she was not trembling as much now as she had been before, when there had been that strange though not entirely foreign misunderstanding and they had treated each other almost as old friends would – almost like family, perhaps.
But wasn’t that what they were doing now?

Eva let out the quietest little sigh she could master, opting to not over think this. They were three strangers, all of them in need of company of some sort. That was it, ja? Yes, essentially.
For the most part she was silent: walking up the stairs in that dress she had not yet bothered to change out of, though she didn’t exactly mind it right now. No, scratch that – she didn’t mind it at all. But there was a moment after his question had settled and miss Caroline had brought herself to answer it, when Eva found it fitting to reply as well – alas, she was at a loss for words. She opened her mouth slightly, but produced no sound, except perhaps a soft ‘ah’ of hesitation – and she closed it again only a moment later to think of her answer properly. It did not take her long, thankfully, but it wasn’t such an impressive response that she could have gone by without uttering it in the first place. Perhaps it would have been more productive to have questioned him about the first alcoholic drink that she could name out of thin air, but still, she did not go into that. “Non, I really have no preference.” She offered a meek shrug, although she did not expect them to see it.

Once they had finally found themselves in the man’s house, she took her time to examine her surroundings, unable to avoid the tiny smile which tugged at the corner of her lips; there was something decidedly cosy about this – the warm colours and the flowers and there was something about the décor… - although it did not easy her anxiety away entirely. She glanced to miss Caroline and her tiny smile grew just a little more as she offered a small nod, in something akin to a mute dialog to which she could say ‘I feel slightly better’ and ‘thank you’.
They were still strangers, yes; but perhaps not as much now – and regardless, Eva knew when to be polite.

Without a word, she followed her to said couch and took a seat, exhaling softly in appreciation as some of the strain she had not yet acknowledged seemed to practically melt away from her muscles. She tilted her head to the side slightly, pursing her lips and frowning as if she were in deep thought for a moment. “It was… Tolerable, I suppose?” She eventually smiled. ”There was some rain for a while, which proved to be unpleasant, but we still got here unharmed. Have you been here for a long time now..? If- if you don’t mind me asking, of course.”

[netherland]

"Settled? Ja, guess you could say that, not that I had much choice" All he really wanted was to get back to the sea - he just needed more money for that dream to be a reality again. Finding his 'bar' cupboard he shifted around a few bottles before finding a half empty brandy bottle. Swirling the dark brown liquid around he offered it to the petite woman. "French Brandy, that suit your taste?"
He straightened up and gestured for Eva to take a look for herself. "Help yourself to anything you want...might even be beer in the kitchen"
Pouring himself a large tumbler of whiskey he left the two women to chat and drink while he proceeded to try and find something he could make. Shrugging of his heavy coat and leaving it over a chair he decided that he couldn't go much wrong with making some sort of stew.

He could hear the two women chatting in the living room as he was making the food. It was rather comforting to have such familiar voices in his house - it reminded him of something he'd long forgotten. It didn't take long to make - thankfully - as he was rather hungry. He laid the table as nicely as he could (guest where rare to be honest) and stuck his head back into the living room. "Dinner's served" he smiled before returning to the kitchen, finding some beer and wine. He liked giving them a selection, besides, he wasn't quite sure what they would prefer to drink anyways.

As the two women got seated he smiled wondering slightly what they had been talking about all that time - he'd only heard parts of it and was now rather curious.


(argh,sorry this is so late. Scotland has been hit with so much snow and my dad's Internet has been dead for days)

[Caroline Bausch]

Caroline looked up to Nikolaas with a smile, nodding thanks as she accepted the small globe-glass of brandy. “More than suit. Merci.” She lightly swirled the liquid, taking in the scent and getting a proper nose for the amber alcohol before imbibing. Years of being a connoisseur of brews varying all shapes and sizes had refined her habits to reflect her taste—she was able to fully appreciate the quality and texture, and let her stimulated palate soothe her unsettled mind.

To Eva, she gave her full and polite attention, smiling in wry recollection as she remembered the shifting weather that characterized her own crossing. For some reason, passage to Tortuga more likely than not included a storm, if the stories were anything to go by. She shook her head, chuckling mildly in an attempt to put Eva at ease. “Non, it is no trouble—I have been here for perhaps a fortnight.”

Smoothing over her skirts and tucking back a stray curl, Caroline allowed herself to recline into the couch, gazing into her glass with a soft expression. She decided to answer the unspoken question. “I am employed as a barmaid at the Salty Sea, where I also make my lodging, but to be honest, I came here with hope of setting up a practice—I am aspiring for a career in medicine. A proper doctor.”

Taking a small sip of brandy, the honey-blonde returned her gaze to the Belgian, smiling warm and golden. “What hopes bring you to the continent?”

She looked up as Nikolaas announced the meal, blinking in quiet surprise. “So soon? You are a swift cook.” The petite Luxembourger looked to Eva, tilting her head in curious amusement. “Shall we?”

[missbelgium]

As the other two carried on the short discussion about alcohol, Eva remained silent; to a personal level, she was quite fond of beer, the belgian brews being her favourite - there was some bias to it, but she had sincerely learnt to appreciate them. However it seemed to her as though drinking something when she was still slightly anxious would not be so good. Granted, she was feeling much more at ease, but even so she kept her thoughts to herself until she was addressed once more.

"Oh, I see!" The young lady nodded in an almost enthusiastic manner, although her expression was that of a young child learning something new from his or her parents. She honestly looked interested, if somewhat surprised to hear that. "I didn't really bond with people on the same ship... It's a bit sad, I suppose. But we all went our separate ways." Upon realising this, she could only shrug, but a soft smile graced her expression as she listened to the other. "A doctor? That's a very interesting job! I'm sure you will succeed, but ah... Sadly I don't have an interesting story to tell." For a brief moment, the girl looked down at her hands, idly playing with the hem of her sleeves - and although her smile did not vanish, it became considerably smaller.
"I.. I'm looking for something." She laughed softly, almost in the manner of a mother thinking her child is doing something silly - adorable, but silly. "I don't know what yet, just... Something. Perhaps... perhaps new recipes?" She looked up this time, sounding just as confused as she looks. "I would like to work in confectionery... But. But I always think I'm looking for something else.."

Eva didn't bring herself to try and finish her line of thought; as Nikolaas called them, she glanced in his direction and smiled in a kinder manner - and that expression stuck when she looked back at miss Caroline and stood up, holding out her hand. "Oui."

[netherland]

Dishing out food carefully and as professionally he could, Nikolaas placed the bowls down. He'd often made food for his family back home...but living alone had perhaps made him a bit more on the lazy side of cooking.
"I just hope the food is to your taste..." He smiled slightly before sitting down at the table himself "If it's not...we'll just drink till we can't taste the food anymore" He grinned happily at his two guests before motioning for them to help themselves with whatever alcohol they wanted to drink.

"So..." Nikolaas leaned forward a bit and studied the two women "I missed your little conversation....what brings the two of you to this busy town?"
He wasn't just trying to be polite - he was genuinely interested why two people who seemed to trigger an 'awful' sense of déjà vu at a horrendously fast rate. but despite all the disturbing images, and the now near constant headache and feeling he had forgotten something terribly important - the dutch male didn't really want them to leave. He wanted them to tell him about themselves, like old friends telling stories about years they'd been apart.
"Because, truthfully, the two of you really don't strike me as the typical pirates that wander though this place"

[Caroline Bausch]

'So, this is what having a schwester would be like?' Letting the thought pass unbidden, the Luxembourgish woman amused herself with the dynamic expressions of her companion--even though Eva was older than her, Caroline could sense a sort of brightness that tended to belong to women even younger than she. It was refreshing, and for some reason, endearing.

Caroline tilted her head toward the Belgian woman, musing softly. "Well, this is an age where it is natural to be soul-searching, ja?" She smiled softly, and tucked a wayward curl behind her ear. "As for recipes found on the way...well, they can hardly hurt."

Touching hands with Eva, Caroline then nodded towards Nikolaas, smiling pleasantly as she settled into a place at the table. She outright chuckled at his adjoining statement, adjusting her skirts in one fist. "I am positive it will not have to come to that, br- Nikolaas."

She swallowed, setting her brandy down and demurely turning her face aside, touching up her spectacles and silently chiding herself for her almost faux-pas. Honestly, the man bore no resemblence at all to her Navy-bound sibling. Why did she keep slipping the address? No matter, she would just have to cease.

Taking a spoon in hand, Caroline stirred the contents of her stew before raising a spoonful to her lips. Before she could actually taste the savory smelling soup, however, she caught Nikolaas' curious inquiry. She paused, before shaking her head with a chuckle. Honestly, her? A pirate? She turned to face him, mouth tilted with mirth. "I come looking to practice medicine. I have heard that, in the Americas, the medical field is a bit less constrictive in the employment of female doktors. Tortuga is merely a step in the right direction."

Sipping the stew to indicate her conclusion, she then politely turned to Eva to hear her reply.