"Ta, mate." Robert followed the drunken proprietor to his bar, and waited for Onaona to be seated before selecting his own, chuckling as he saw Onaona almost capture the orange-yellow fruit.
He let his fingers caress the weathered bartop with an ease born of experience, noting with approval that it was wiped clean and smoothed out for the comfort of a barhopper. Taking comfort in the familiar-not-familiar atmosphere of a bar, and in the many bottles of alcohol stored behind the counter, he shook Stu's proferred hand firmly, already feeling more at ease with the strange evening.
"Not the only one with a long name, Stu - Robert Ayr Glenfeidh. My friends call me Rabbie." Robert's smile threatened to split his face as Stu mentioned tasting a drink - it'd been such a long time since he'd had to test their brews at the distillery.
As Stuvantis chatted with the Otani, Robert examined the mug he'd been offered. An intense orange liquid that hinted at decadence and violence of flavour stared back at him. He swirled it gently, taking care not to spill any, and noted the surprisingly thin viscosity. He raised it to his nose, and closed his eyes, letting the aromas waft to his nose and sorting through them, as he had done many a time an age ago in Lhavit.
Citrus, of course. A sharp, tangy citrus that shoots right through your nose. A bit of wood and earth - might be the barrel that it was aged in. Tazrae's inn was built of something I'd never seen or smelt before, so probably an exotic wood only found here in Syka. No peat or smoke for sure. Ah! There's the saltwater - the air here always smells like this. And... spices. Stu's infused spices. Bit like mulled wine, but Lhavit's mulled wine was meant to warm our bodies, this is more of a tropical flavour to fit the climate.
He tipped it to his mouth, and took a moderate sip, letting it wash over his tongue.
There's the alcohol! This... fruit? The fruit juice's hidden the strength, but this is just right for a nice evening out with friends. Not too thick for this kind of weather or heat, and it flows clear. There's all the notes I can smell, but... there's a bit of bitterness that cuts the sweetness. A bit much, I think - it might be from the wood it's aged in, we've had a few batches that we had to fix because of that. Or is a spice?
He swallowed it, and waited a few seconds to get an impression of the after-taste before drinking more.
As Stu glanced over at him, even as Onaona savaged the coconut, he raised his half-empty mug and grinned.
"It's a great drink, Stu. The fruit juice sits a bit heavy, but you've gotten the proof just right. Might want to do something about the aftertaste - it stays there too long, and the fruit's a bit too strong for that kind of impresson. The spice mixture tastes good, but there's a bit too much bitterness that more than cuts the sweetness. What kind of wood did you age the liquor in?"
Stu's eyes widened a fraction, as his natural exuberance shifted into professional curiosity and more than a bit of intrigue.
"Not bad, Rabbie - a lot of experience, eh? You're almost there, the rum's relatively neutral, but I added some cardamom bitters to balance out the sweetness."
Slightly bashful at the praise, Robert replied. "I've been working at my family's distillery in Lhavit since I was a wee lad - got to have a good tongue, what with all the stuff I've tried."
Bursting into sudden laughter, Stu slapped his back.
"So you've come here to put me out of business, eh?" He continued cheerily. "Just a joke, Rabbie. I'm glad to have you here in Syka, it'll be a relief to talk to someone who knows their stuff. Ah, the young missie's almost done."
Having missed her gulping down of the coconut cocktail, Robert stared in fascination (and some horror) as he watched Onaona digging the coconut flesh out as messily as possible, before Stu spoke to him again, making him sputter with his insinuation.
"Not a date! You've got it in one, Stu - me and Onaona just chanced upon each other on a moonlit night, and I decided," Robert placed some emphasis on the word, "to accompany her on a search. I'm new here, so I don't know much of where anything is. But who knows? Seeing double after drinking a bit might help."
Stuvantis roared with laughter, and took a few seconds to recover from the unexpected quip before continuing. "I like you, Rabbie, you'll fit in just fine with us here. The Estuary Cave's further down the beach, halfway to the mouth of a river in the south. You might miss it in the dark, but there'll be a small stream on the way. Follow it, and you'll be there in no time. Once you're there... Trust me, man, you'll see something special. And you, little lady," he motioned to Onaona, "All done with that poor coconut? Want another for the road?" He dangled one of the mangoes in front of her before placing it near her hammock.
Nodding in agreement, Robert clasped hands with Stu, and turned around to Onaona.
"Well then, shall we?"