#🌿 guard-dog drinksmith (gallagher).

[inscryptions]

[COCONUT] - A classic refreshment, served with two straws. Or you can crack open your own, if you really want to.

Gallagher settles in the shade near - but not next to - this asocial guest. At the periphery of any kind of boisterous fun, there are always figures like these, resistant to its pull but tethered all the same.

"Here." He slides a coconut with its top cracked open across the table that separates them. "A little taste of the island without all the noise. I won't bother ya anymore than that, don't worry."

I size up the approaching man from the corner of my eye before returning to my reading. Had I recognized I would get frequent interruptions by choosing this spot, I would've gone for a more remote one, but I've made myself comfortable here and would rather not move. There's plenty of shade, the beach is near enough that I could go down to the water at any time while also being far enough to mitigate the shouts and chatter of its occupants, and there's a cool breeze flowing through the area. I'm not about to go search out a better spot when I could be reading. So I keep my peripheral senses trained on the man as he sits down and slides something across the table between our chairs.

"Here."

At his explanation, I glance up, then sit up and take in the drink before me. How very considerate of him... actually, now that I think about it, the sun has moved quite a bit since I sat down here to read. My mouth feels dry in the heat, and I curse myself for forgetting to attend to my needs. This is why I lean so heavily on my schedule back home: by following it, I ensure I take care of myself in a timely manner. Here, however, it's a free-for-all, and as I so often do in the absence of work, I lose track of the time. I hadn't put my reading playlist on, either, and as a result I didn't know when to stop. This interruption was actually a good thing for me this time. "Thanks. I appreciate it." I pick up the drink and take a sip. The cool, refreshing taste of coconut milk, native fruit, and a hint of mint hit my tongue in a pleasant wave, and I close my eyes as I savor it. Yes... time for a break.

"This is good." I open my eyes and nod at the man. "Did you make it? You're pretty talented if so." I'd be curious to see where he learned his bartending skills from, or where he himself is from. That's some resourcefulness and experience at play that I've seen from some of the best bartenders I've come across. "And you're not bothering me much. You appear much more low-key than the others, and I needed to hydrate anyway."