Christmas Island [Helena]

[Dakari Johessman]

How’d you like to stay up late
like the islanders do?
Wait for Santa to sail in with your presents
in a canoe?

Constant Spring, Jamaica

What better way was there than to spend the holiday in the tropics, under the shade of palm fronds, with your toes in the sand?

Of course, the Johessmans would have Helena back in time to spend Christmas with her own family. They had just wanted to steal her away for a bit. They had heard about what had transpired at Christian Moynahan’s meeting; how could they not have? They were using and creating more underground shipping routes, the ones they used while sneaking less than legal products into the States. It had been Ana’s idea, and the other Johessmans had backed it one hundred percent. Rayleigh Johessman, the matriarch of the family while Shawn Johessman was “dead,” had arranged everything for Helena - her flight to and from Jamaica, her accommodations, and anything else she could want or need. She would only be there for a few days, between Christian’s trial and enough time before Christmas. Incentally, the trip did present Helena with the opportunity to purchase some unique gifts, if she so chose. It didn’t matter whether Jamaican Customs would allow the purchases to pass through or not; the Johessmans were Customs.

The family had managed to take every Caribbean nation under their power. They oversaw everything; the former leaders remained only as direct governors. The only exceptions were islands that belonged to other countries… for now. The islands had formerly possessed only the most basic, defensive armies; they were quietly being trained in offensive maneuvers. The Johessmans had their sights set on a few other countries - starting with Aruba and Curaçao first, as a warm-up, and then, their military being much greater and stronger, they could challenge Colombia and Venezuela. They had little interest in Puerto Rico, but they did not like the Americans having a post so near to them, so that was on the list as well.

They had no interest in Central America either; they might come back later for those countries, but that was one of the lower priorities.

So when Helena arrived on the island in Jamaica, she was actually in the Dominion of Jamaica; the term for the associated countries. So far, the new nation had not been recognized by the United Nations, but the Dominion had not drawn enough attention to it to really be of any concern. That was by design, of course. The Johessmans did everything by design.

There was an ulterior motive to Helena’s trip. There always was. That, however, was wrapped in layers of beaches and shopping and rum. Many, many bottles of rum. Once unravelled, however, the truth became apparent: the women wanted to comfort Helena and perhaps even get her on the right track on bringing her back into her own. They all knew Helena had an inestimable strength within her; the young woman could move mountains if she wished to, but first she had to realize and expect that she could.

Helena met each of the Johessmans again in turn. A brief trip to the family home in the Blue Mountain had given Helena the opportunity to see and chat - although not over anything heavy -time to greet Helena with Shawn Johessman, as that was where he was quietly manipulating events and plans, with Rayleigh carrying them out. Rayleigh herself was busy, but had taken some time to lunch with the young woman and, again, what about minor things. From there, the Johessman sisters took over.

Dakari had not been invited. She had been ordered to remain in the States until Shawn recalled her. There, she was overseeing the shipments of food and grain, initially with Ana, but Ana had been allowed to leave for the occasion, Instead, their little brother, Raymond, was with Dakari, mitigating any damage the brash young woman might cause. Young was in Jamaica as well, and briefly greeted Helena also, but was also going about the business of running the Dominion.

There were seven Johessman siblings. Dakari, Shawn ii (“Young”), and Anastasia made up the triplets, the first born. Maori was the next, then Raymond and Andrea, and last, ChaToiya. Maori and Andrea shared some similarities in appearance, but not with the others; they had been adopted following their parents’ deaths. One could hardly tell from the way they acted, however; they all behaved just as natural siblings would.

It was the sisters who took up most of Helena’s time. They took her shopping, and for ice cream, and to beaches all around the island. Today they were sunbathing on the roof of a building in a neighborhood in Kingston; the sun was setting now, and from their vantage point, they had the sun setting to one side and the mountains ahead of them. All around below them, Christmas lights were coming to life, and one could see lights coming on along the ridges there as well.

“I fall in love with this country more and more,” Drea declared. “Well, Jamaica, at least. The rest of the Dominion can kiss my ass.”

“You should probably be careful about saying that in public.” Maori raised an eyebrow.

Drea shrugged. “You can’t tell me you didn’t get a perverse sense of pleasure when we took over Trinidad and switched their airliner back to Air Jamaica.”

Maori shrugged. “There was that.”

“Helena,” Ana said, while shaking her head at her sisters’ conversation. “I totally forgot to take you there before, but there’s Devon House with the big lit-up tree, and Emancipation Park puts on light shows every year. Want to check those out?”

ChaToiya, who was on the other side of Helena, nodded. “They really do a spectacular show. Oh, and then we could get dinner after. Or we could just go for dinner. It’s up to you, darling.”

They had largely let Helena choose what she wanted to do, only giving her guidance on what her options were, since she was still unfamiliar, more or less, with the island. This was one of those times; the ladies were flexible, and really just wanted to see Helena have a good time.

Words: 1073.
Attire: These.
Excerpt: Ella Fitzgerald, “Christmas Island.”
Comments: Can you tell I miss home?

[Helena Rahal]

Will you help me find the right way up
Or will you let me take the wrong way down?

It almost felt like an abduction, the swiftness in which she was swept off her feet and into a plane heading to Jamaica. A few years prior and it might have even been as such, rather than whatever it was now, but it was certainly not an abduction. Especially with the way Helena was treated upon her arrival to the island. More concerned with what was going on with her family, her company, and a certain few crisis with the nation, Helena had not been aware of the newly created Dominion of Jamaica.

Too much had simply past her notice the last few months and even more so the last few weeks. She was in another cycle of depression and self doubt, she knew that much. A year or so ago she had begun to realize how her moods fluctuated, how she had hit so great highs and then found even deeper lows. What caused that, she was not really sure, it could have been something even so small that her conscious missed it but it deeply afflicted her subconscious. This was one of those times in that she had hit a crater and everything seemed greater than what she could muster.

However the Johessmans were keeping her very busy from the moment that the plane had touched down. A trip to their residence in the Blue Mountain, where she was reacquainted with all of the Johessman clan that were present. She did her best to hide the pleasure that Dakari was not there, their last encounter in person had not been pleasant for Helena. That entire evening had left her reeling greatly, despite the efforts of Maurelle to try and sure her up. It still seemed to her that the invite to the meeting should have never come to her, that her aunt had erred in letting her go without her. It was Marie who was truly in charge of Vital, not herself.

It surprised her at how accommodating everyone was being, going out of their way to make her feel comfortable. Even the matriarch of the family had taken time out of her business to chit chat her up. It felt very strange and foreign to her, something that was far more befitting someone like a princess or prime minister, someone of importance whose favor needed to be won. That was someone she was not, not by any measure that mattered in the world as far as Helena cared or was aware of.

Despite the strangeness of the situation, she had relaxed enough to let herself get swept up in it, even deciding to splurge as they went shopping. How she was going to get so many bags packed into her suitcase was beyond her, it was not as if she had brought the private jet of hers or Felicia's family to the island. Even then, the Johessman girls soothed her, telling her that it would all be taken care of.

Now she let out a content sigh as the sun slow cooked her pale skin. Oh it had been far too long since she had a proper tan, much less in winter, having moved up to frigid New York. Yet here in Jamaica, she was sat out in a bikini, sunglasses, sandals, and even a straw hat. You could take a woman out of Texas but you can't take the Texas out of a woman it seemed, as Helena had selected her attire for the sunbathing.

Helena was so relaxed, she even let the girls little discussion simply wash over her. What was it to her that the Johessman were now basically crafting out a kingdom of their own in the Caribbean? In history that was how it was done, people took lands and crafted their own kingdoms and empires to rule. Seeing as how they had yet to taste defeat, theirs was now the right to rule, even if the United Nations failed to recognize the new state. The U.N. was pretty much a spineless organization, only ever doing something so long as the Americans backed them and America had far greater problems right now than the leadership of a few Caribbean islands switching hands.

"A show huh?" Helena said as she slid the shades over her face and gently rolled over to catch the last of the suns rays on her backside. "A show could be nice or we could go to dinner and I could make a show myself." It had been some time since Helena had purposefully used her powers to any great degree. But what was a little fun playing around with her ability to set about explosions and what have you with a simple little thought.

"Like so." A glow began to surround her body, it would not last very long Helena knew. Yet she had set off all those chemical reactions as if it were nothing, and now she glowed. "The angel Helena at your service." She said with a bit of a laugh and wondered just what more she could do if this display required so little of her...

Outfit

[Dakari Johessman]

We're jamming
I wanna jam it with you
We're jamming
I hope you like jamming too

The quiet conquest of the other islands was actually quite enjoyable to the Johessman children. It was basically practice for them. Oh, soon they would begin to set their sights on bigger, more challenging targets, but for now, they were on hiatus, simply enjoying the holidays with each other. It might actually have been an ideal time to attack someone, as few expected that, but the Johessmans had their own moral code, and the holidays were as important to them as to anyone else who celebrated anything during the winter.

So here the women were, chilling on a rooftop with Mrs. Helena Rahal. They knew who she was, her identity; it was a natural thing for them to know of the person they were protecting. For a young woman who had a bit of a confidence issue and could be meek at times, she certainly had a good deal of protection - the Johessmans from the right, and Maurelle Lacroix from the lest. The Johessmans were the newer additions, and the stranger ones, perhaps.

Helena was part of an organization that had antagonized the Johessmans, and, with what she knew - especially regarding the Johessman patriarch - could easily use that information against them. Additionally, they had met under uncertain circumstances. There was a reason - or, rather, many reasons - why Dakari hated the woman, after all. The other girls cared less. The Company was no threat to them, and they had no wounded pride to nurse. Dakari had always been the most prideful of them.

She had not been included on this occasion. She and Young had their own work, not by accident, and their other brother had little interest in the girls’ activities. The girls had been left to their own devices. They could move freely about the Dominion, but they preferred their homeland the best, of course.

For her part, Helena seemed much more relaxed. Excellent. They certainly approved of her chosen outfit, as well.The ladies had all worn red and black, so Helena’s blue was a refreshing change. The bikini was cue, too, and they all approved of the accessories. They had told her so a few times throughout the day.

“A show,” Ana confirmed, but that was before Helena continued. Dinner sounded like the best idea; Ana was hungry. “Oh, Like dinner. We could go down to… hmm.” Ana considered that. There were many fine restaurants they could visit, some specializing in traditional Jamaican cuisine, some fast food (meh), and many from other cultures, Indian, various portions of African, and Chinese, even. Chinese food had a different taste in Jamaica, just as it did in most of the rest of the world; there was no MSG, just the regular meaty flavor that came with it naturally, no need to stimulate umami.

“Dinner and… our own personal lights show.” ChaToiya grinned. “Hey, hey. Hey you.” She poked her sisters, who had been discussing current events. “We’re going to have dinner and then Helena’s gonna treat us to a show.” She nodded over to where Helena where glowing. “That’s not the kind of thing we see this time of year.”

They were all speaking Jamaican English, which was essentially English with a tropical lilt to it. Not Jamaican Patois; that was a language unto itself, and if they had been speaking that, Helena would likely had trouble keeping up.

“Our own what now?” Andrea turned around and saw Helena. “Whaaaaat! Yeah, man. I’m liking this plan.”

Maori nodded her approved; the four sisters were in accord, making the matter unanimously agreed upon. “That is brilliant, Helena. Much love.”

“Okay. Dinner. Now we pick dinner. Are you in the mood for anything in particular, Helena? There’s pretty much anything. That includes going home for some real cookin’. But that would take a longer time.” Toiya poked Ana. “Anyway. Your pick, Helena.”

Words: 645.
Attire: These.
Excerpt: Bob Marley & The Wailers, “Jamming."
Comments: I don’t have that many icons for the ladies. lol

[Helena Rahal]

Forgive the time I said
I would replace you with another
I never would

Helena grinned as the girls one by one noticed her little display and seemed to agree that a dinner and a show would be a fine end to the day. The challenge now was trying to decide where to go get something to satisfy their hunger though, as it seemed the options were quite limitless. That said, Helena could already see some obstacles standing in their way to a little night out on the town, namely that they were all in swimwear. Helena was fairly sure they could not walk into everything in what they had on...

Yet a trip back to the house would indeed take quite awhile and waste some time between. It seemed though that the girls were going to leave that choice entirely up to her though, all the blame if it went wrong. Or all the spoils if the night right, so wonderfully right and delightful. Though now that she had put on a nice little show of herself, she would definitely have to up the ante for whatever show she decided to put on as the capper.

"Well we certainly do not want to be so wasteful with time, nope nope." Helena said, giving a bit of a shake of her head as she did. Pinning her right forefinger against her chin, she thought for a moment of what sort of food she wanted. While Italian was her usual favorite, it was far too typical of a choice for her, the girls would be expecting something like that. They would also expect her to opt for something a bit traditional Jamaican, since she was in the dominion, that would not do either. She had to take the girls by surprise.

"Perhaps we ought to try a bit of Spanish cuisine this fine evening? I am sure that they would not mind a group of beautiful ladies like us shaking our tail feathers." Helena gave Ana a playful wink and let out of soft giggle. "Or we could always raid a store and I could try my hand at cooking for everyone. I make no promises that it will be five star quality though." Could Helena cook? Well for herself, she could, or if it was for her and Felicia. Yet it had been quite some time since she had cooked for a large group of people, especially those who she was not sure what they liked.

"Though I am more leaning towards the restaurant, easier to meet some boys or girls or at least browse the eyecandy." Perhaps she was relaxing too much and letting her wife rub off on her too much. All the same, she felt radiant and confident and ready to take on the world, or perhaps at least a restaurant full of surprises!

[Dakari Johessman]

One for the paper, two for the money
Nails did, hair did, yep, yep, I want it
One for the paper, two for the money
All my girls fly, girls gettin’ money

The girls watched eagerly as Helena considered her options. They were up for anything, really. There was so much to do and find in Jamaica - and, indeed, the entire Dominion - that they were not even sure they could even fit it all into Helena’s visit. They would try, though. This was all about Helena; they would let her pick most of the time, other than when there was some boutique or some beach that Helena absolutely had to see.

Nope, time was precious, after all, just as she said. The sisters playfully leaned in as Helena thought. Soon the answer came; some Spanish cuisine. The girls all smiled. “Excellent. A most excellent choice," Drea declared. “And no, I’m sure they see ladies dressed in swinwear all the time, although none as pretty as us.”

Besides, this was their Dominion. If they wanted to walk around in bikinis, who was going to stop them?

Helena also suggested cooking herself. Now it was a good idea that she leaned toward the restaurant, because hospitality dictated that the guest not cook, but be served instead. If Helena insisted, they would have let her, but that was something their mother would have frowned on.

“We’d be the eye candy, I think,” Ana said slyly. “But there should be some for us to enjoy as well. I know a great place that makes authentic Mexican dishes. It’s not far from here at all.” She stood and stretched. The sun was setting, and the sky was growing dark now; just the time for a meal. “Okay, girls. Ready to go?”

They left the chairs and their other items on the roof, and took the stairs down to the ground level. From there, Ana led them to a small, cute restaurant with a bell that chimed when she opened the door. “Ana!” one of the women inside exclaimed immediately, and hugged the young woman immediately. “It has been too long! And I see you’ve brought the whole family!”

“I did, just about,” Ana said cheerfully. “You know my sisters, of course. This is our latest addition.” She grinned and gestured for Helena to step forward. “This is Concepción, the owner and one of the main chefs here. Connie, this is Helena. She's a family friend, but a sister, really.” She waited for Connie to shake Helena’s hand. “We were hoping you could serve us something nice. And let us browse around, you know, man?”

“Yeah man.” Connie winked. “Here are some menus. Here, have a seat, I will pull up another table. Lori will be along for your drinks.” She put two tables together, then dusted her hands together. “As for your browsing, I hope you enjoy what’s here to view.” She smiled widely and went into the kitchen. “Your food will not be too long, ladies!”

Meanwhile, a young, slender lady approached their table. “Hola.” She grinned. “I’m Lori. What drink may I bring to you today?”

Words: idek.
Attire: In the first post, I thinkl
Excerpt: Keri Hilson, “Buyou
Comments: I don’t have that many icons for the ladies. lol

[Helena Rahal]

Never say never
Everything is just a thought and dream away

Helena had forgotten that the Johessmans now basically ran a good portion of the Caribbean islands. They could pretty much do whatever they want wherever they wanted to, especially in Jamaica, the swim wear was not an issue at all. Though it seemed that her suggestion of some Mexican food went over well, as Drea declared it a most excellent choice. Well, that would remain to be seen, but it did sound like some good eating right about now. A little salsa and maybe then a little salsa if the mood was right.

When Ana said they would be the eye candy though, Helena's cheeks nearly flushed. Her, eye candy, surely Ana was just jesting, only Felicia ever called her something along those lines. Perhaps she was not giving herself enough credit though, she was a young and decent looking woman. She had managed to catch the eye of a woman as beautiful as Felicia, though keeping her at home had proven to be a different matter all together. All the same, she was probably exactly what Ana was implying, though it would take some getting used to thinking of herself in that matter.

"Sounds like a plan." Helena said as they left the comforts of the roof, as well as the chairs. It was a short trip from their sun bathing location and to the cute little place that Ana was taking them. It was at this point that Helena was glad she had opted for the more comfortable and practical sandals over some pool heels. The walk in the evening with the heels would have been something a bit risky in the unfamiliar setting.

Helena though gushed as they entered the building and Ana called her part of the family. She had never had any siblings of her own, the only child of her mother and deceased father. Hearing Ana call her a sister pulled at her little in a way she had not entirely expected, though she still managed a soft smile and wave as Ana motioned for her to step forward. "A pleasure to meet you."

The chef offered them some menus and pulled them up a table, adding in a little guarantee that their food would not be look. Well that was good, Helena was starting to feel a bit more than hungry and some quick food would be great. Quickly a young woman who introduced herself as Lori came to serve them, starting with drinks. "I think I will start off with a margarita." Might as well make the most of the night, it was not as if the tequila could get her drunk, not without a lot of it anyhow!

[Dakari Johessman]

Yeah, this was your city
You did it all and more
broke every law except for one, babe

The women sat around their table comfortably, with Maori leaning back in her chair and Andrea crossing her feet in the chair. They perused the menu for a moment before Lori greeted them. Then, the ladies glanced up, all with the signature Johessman grins on their faces - glee, mischief, and something just between the two.

“Hmm. I think I’d like a mojito,” Maori said, her lips now pursed. “That would be refreshing.”

“But clash with your meal,” Ana pointed out, then winked. “Helena made a good pick. You know your drinks, don’t you, girl?”

“I’m sure she does,” Maori said with a smile. “I still want a mojito.”

“Stubborn as ever,” Toiya shook her smile and grinned. “An appletini for me.”

“Someone here has to be sober,” Ana said before tapping her nose. “Notit.”

The others did the same. Drea looked confused, then tapped her nose. “Oh, darn it! Well, anyway, did you forget that we’re the princesses of this Dominion? We don’t have t follow the rules.”

“No,” the big sister Ana said, “but it does mean we should still be safe driving.”

The others nodded. Drea asked, “Who’s driving?”

They all looked around, including at Helena, and then Ana shrugged. “A Long Island Iced Tea for Drea, and the usual for me.”

Lori grinned. “A margarita; a mojito; an appletini, stirred; a Long Island Iced Tea; and and a Sex on the Beach. I’ll have them out before you know it.”

The server disappeared in the direction of the bar, and Maori leaned forward. “Now, the important part. What shall we eat, princesses?”

“What should change?” Toiya asked. “A little of everything. Spread a banquet, share the meals. Keep it just like the family’s always done it.”

Ana nodded, then turned to Helena. “We always have a bit of everything brought out, and separate plates for everyone, so we can all sample and share. We even do that at home when we have time. Unless there’s something you’d like to try specifically?”

The drinks were served quite quickly, but had been made well, despite the speed. The bartender was clearly skilled. As for the Johessmans, unless Helena joined in, the bowls of food and plates were all brought out, and the women dug in. “This is how we do it,” Drea said approvingly. Then she tilted her head toward Helena and grinned. “We share everything. I hope that works for you.”

Words: Too few to count.
Attire: In the first post, I think.
Excerpt: Justin Timberlake, “Take Back the Night.”
Comments: I don’t have that many icons for the ladies. lol

[Helena Rahal]

No matter how hard I try
It never comes out right
But I will show you

Helena had to choke down laughter as the girls tried to order their drinks and decide who was going to be the driver. If she was not all caught in just how hilarious their little bickering was, she would have explained how she was perfectly capable of driving them all after the dinner. Her powers made it very difficult for her to get drunk, especially if she limited herself to just one or two drinks on the evening. Which she surprisingly got a compliment about her choice, how it went with the meal.

"Well, I do not know if I would go all that far, but you have to remember that I was born and raised in Texas. I know my Tex-Mex." She gave the girls a wink and then a playful grin before letting them actual get on with order their drinks. It should not have surprised her just what Ana's "usual" was and she did bust out laughing at that one. Oh it definitely was right up Ana's alley alright , a sex on the beach, so typical of the very... talented woman.

The question now that the order for the drinks had been taken, what were the actually going to sate their hunger with? Helena felt like she could eat just about anything and everything that could be placed before her, as her stomach unexpectedly let out a low growl. "Alright, I get it I get it, you want me to fill you up already! You do not have to go around embarrassing me in front of royalty!" She playfully told off her stomach before joining the girls in perusing the menu for something that tickled her fancy.

She was about to suggest getting some appetizers while they decided when Toiya made an excellent suggestion. Helena remembered just how the Johessmans did it from her previous trip to the island, though she was a different person then and under different circumstances. All the same, a buffet for them to pick and choose and share all around definitely seemed great to Helena and her empty stomach. Especially if she could land herself some nachos and chips and salsa while they were at it, plus whatever goodies came to their table.

"That's perfectly fine, maybe stealing from all you will shut my stomach up!"

The drinks came quickly and Helena took a large, generous sip of the drink, letting out a content sigh as she placed her cup down. That definitely hit the spot, she was going to have to have several more of those as the evening progressed. "You know, everyone needs to have a margarita tonight, a lime one, with plenty of salt along the lip of the glass!" That was the proper way to drink a margarita while having Mexican food anyhow and always better with a crowd!

Just to show that she was fine with the way the Johessmans were going to go about having dinner, Helena grabbed her fork and plucked a piece of beef fajita off of Drea's plate and nommed it with glee. With a crooked grin, she took a nacho from the plate and crunched it down as well. "Well, what do you think sis? Do you think I am fine with it?" She said with a coy grin and stretched out a piece of the chicken fajita that was on the plate in front of her for Drea to take.

[Dakari Johessman]

When Helena started laughing at her drink choice, Ana playfully pointed a finger at Helena. “Hey. Sex on the beach is good. And I mean it both ways.” The other girls now also laughed, some throwing their heads back laughing so hard. Ana pretended to pout and folded her arms, but then broke into a grin. Once the laughing quieted down, they made their order: a veritable buffet.

The tradition was that there were empty plates set in front of each of them, and then bowls and plates of food set in the middle of the table, for each woman to take more or less of as necessary. There were, of course, fajitas, as well as quesadillas with various sorts of dips, ceviche, guacamole, and plenty of ingredients for making tacos and chalupas. The sisters spooned whatever they liked onto their plates and into shells.

“Great thinking, sis,” Ana said, savoring a cheese quesadilla she had dipped in sour cream and salsa. “This is perfect. Just what we needed, I think.”

The others nodded and all agreed in various fashions.

“Next round, we’re all going for proper margaritas,” Ana added. “Because clearly our sis here knows her stuff.”

“Next round?” Andrea’s glass was already empty. “Guess I’ll wait for you all to finish, them.”

The other women looked at her and grinned before bursting into laughter again. Drea innocently spooned a bit of guacamole onto her plate.

“And you were the one who was supposed to be driving.” Ana tsked. Her drink was still very much full; she was taking the time to savor hers.

“And Helena? What do you think?” Maori asked. “How does it compare?”

Words: Too few to count.
Attire: In the first post, I think.
Excerpt: None.
Comments: I don’t have that many icons for the ladies. lol

[Helena Rahal]

The song is not the same
And we're all played out

Helena nearly laughed the foot right out of her mouth as Ana talked about her drink and not about her drink. Her cheeks flushed bright red and she quickly swallowed down what she had in her mouth. Helena knew that Ana was a lot more... well a bit like Felicia when it came to such escapades, she never suspected that to come up while they were having dinner! "I will have to take your word on that, on both accounts." Shaking her head in disbelief, she could not help but chuckle at the entirety of it all.

Helena was too busy eating and drinking to take too much note of the girl's talking. Her rumbling stomach had her having a one track mind and that was to stuff it until it shut the heck up. While she was not going to be rude about it, she carefully sniped a bit of food here and there when the opening was there to do so. Everything tasted so very delicious, she was more than happy that she had made the suggestion to come here. Ah the perks of being friends with ... whatever the Johessmans were.

Yet the salsa had more than a bit of a kick to it and seeing no other option, Helena grabbed her margarita glass and began sipping it up. It wasn't until she had tipped it completely over and drained it of its contents that she realized that Maori was looking at her as if expecting for some response. With a suddenly blank stare on her face, she tried to scramble her brain into overdrive to think up a suitable answer that could cover any and all the possible questions that could have been asked.

"Uhh... I think... I think we need to start another round of margaritas! Simply delish... just like the food!" With a half grin, she took a bite of fajita and gulped it down. Yet she was laughing again as soon as it was down, this was the most relaxed and unwound she had been in quite some time.