Beware of the Locals. {meo x desertpaladin}

[meomeo]

Everyone on board let out a relieved sigh when the twin-engine finally came to a halt. To say that it was a rocky ride would be an understatement. The pilot had claimed to be an ex-fighter pilot in the Liberian Air Force, but he had steered the plane with all the finesse of a 12 year-old with a Playstation 3 controller. He was also smoking a fat cigar throughout the entire thing. Bastard.

"Are... are we alive?" blurted out Alicia, her pretty blonde self looking, for once, petrified and disheveled. She was gripping onto her boyfriend Stewart's hand as if clinging onto her life.

3 seats away her friend Georgia was in a prayer pose. The petite redhead was a lifelong atheist but people do tend to turn religious in times like these.

They couldn't get off the plane fast enough, making a point to NOT thank the pilot. Stewart, Lance, Alicia, and Georgia, with their fair complexions and the large rucksacks on their backs, were unmistakably touristy. The African heat was downright smothering, and the girls had dressed accordingly: Alicia was in a blue flannel shirt and very short beige-colored shorts, while Georgia was simply decked out in a white summer dress that matched with her wavy, flaming hair.

They surveyed the airport, or rather, airstrip, which seemed to be built in the middle of nowhere. The girls frowned as they saw the rundown two-story structure that would house Immigration. Everything is just so third world.

On a nearby peeling sign that was in English and French, they would read: "Welcome to Meboko!"

 

[desertpaladin]

The boys had tried to keep up strong faces for the flight but as they emerged from the plane it was clear that the two had been a bit shaken as they wobbled out onto the airstrip. Stewart was smiling as he wrapped an arm around Alicia as he pulled her close and he gently kissed her cheek "Baby don't worry... we will try to get a different pilot on the way out" he promiced quietly as Lance smiled, his hand wrapping around Georgia's waist as he pulled her in close before his hand gently groped hr ass "Don't worry girls, I am sure the hotel will look much better than this... besides we have a ride there.

Now Stewart and Lance had been friends since college when they learned they had the same major. The two had even gone to work at the same company and had gotten to know eachother well. The two men looked nothing alike however, Stewart having a bit of a gut but he was very tall being over 6' tall. He wore glasses and had short light brown hair unlike Lance who was a bit shorter, being a bit shorter than 6' with a bit longer dark brown hair and green eyes. The two wore semi explorer outofits with long pants and short sleeved shirts that made them look ready to hike or go on an adventure.

As the four stood there they saw a jeep approching them with a man stepping out "Lance and party?" The guy asked from the jeep and Lance nodded as they climbed in, the jeep having a big enough back that it might seat 6... but the thing was so cramped that it felt like, at least for Stewart, like they were being crushed. The jeep then took off when they were in with their things, taking them around through some very beautiful looking jungle that surrounded the air strip until they got into what seemed to be more of a town and off in the distance the hotel they had booked. The place was pretty nice, about the quality of a normal hotel in the states as the four got out to look at it.

The place prided itself on it's safaris and such that it was a hotspot for couples seeking adventure. It was an interesting set up as they tried to make it look like the old hunting lodges set up by england and the other countries in england as the four entered to see pelts and mounted heads as they headed toward the desk to get their rooms.

 

[meomeo]

They spent some time to freshen up before deciding to check out the small town. It was too late in the afternoon to start a safari anyways.

The town was everything they expected: dusty, tiny, and not much to see. The uneven streets featured decade-old car models, not to mention the occasional mule-drawn cart, and no building stood taller than 3 stories. It was clear the income from tourism hasn't exactly trickled down.

Alicia tried her hardest to look indifferent, not wanting to spoil the first day of the vacation, but make no mistake she'd rather not be here at this moment. It must have been something to do with the harrowing plane ride, the sweltering African heat, or maybe just the lack of general hygiene in her surroundings. Alicia is what you'd describe as a spoiled princess. She is the kind of girl that spends an hour each morning to do her makeup and hair and expects them to stay that way throughout the day, and she loves large and shiny accessories. Her traits aren't exactly compatible with an African safari trip, and to be honest she would not have come but for Stewart's insistence.

Georgia could not be more different... which partly explains why the girls aren't BFFs despite knowing each other for a good while. The redhead is a cute spark plug and loves all things new and exotic. There was a bounce in her flats as she held Lance's hand along the sidewalk, the camera around her neck clicking furiously. Not even the anti-photogenic, grizzled old man sitting on a rickety wooden bench could escape the wrath of her Canon. And she pointed and giggled a lot. Her white smile, flaming hair in the late afternoon sun, and curvy figure filling out the little summer dress was quite a sight to behold.

******************​

Dinner was back at the hotel. The local cuisine was inconsistently good, and even more surprisingly they served imported beer ("I see they managed something right!" said Alicia.) The restaurant was fairly empty and the tables were far apart, so they could talk loudly and laugh even louder. And as night deepens everyone, including Alicia, were in much better spirits. And then there was a lull in the conversation...

"So..." Georgia had her arm hooked into Lance's and her head against his chest, "... what's the plan for tomorrow?"