Six Shooters and Dirty Dealers

[Jade]

By the time the small Marine vessel had made its way to the island of Sundance, only two of its original four passengers remained - the other two had disembarked on another island, one without a Marine presence, leaving Tomoe and the Ensign she had taken as a hostage, who she had learned was named Virne Beatrice, or just Bea for short, to continue sailing in search of an island that fit the bill. The first week or so at sea had been, understandably, tense, given that Bea had been kidnapped.

Tomoe looked up from the piece of driftwood she was working at, toward the blonde woman working at the sailboat's rigging, and smiled. Things still weren't perfect by any means - Bea had made the fact that she fully planned to hand her over to the Marines at Pecos Town crystal clear - but working together to keep the boat from capsizing had been enough to form some sort of positive bond between the two of them. The first few sleepless nights had worn them out to the point that there was nothing to do but to trust that the other wouldn't attempt to kill or throw them overboard in the night as well. And that counted for something!

Now that Sundance Island and, more specifically, its Marine base were in view, though, Bea seemed to be reverting back toward her more uptight self. She was decked out in her full Marine uniform for the first time in days, even going so far as to wear the coat draped over her shoulders. "For the last time," Bea called out, "will you please change out of the uniform?"

"Hm? You don't like it?" The dark-haired fighter looked down at herself. Much to Bea's chagrin, Tomoe had donned a Marine uniform as well - although it was made for someone a fair bit larger than herself, so Tomoe had made her own alterations to it. The shirt was tied up, exposing her abdomen, while the blue neckerchief was instead tied around her waist, acting as a belt to keep the too-large pair of white pants held up. She'd opted for her own boots, given that they were the only ones that would fit her feet, which the bottoms of the pants were tucked into; other than that, she still wore her own red bead necklace over the Marine uniform. All in all, Tomoe certainly didn't see anything wrong with it, since no one would mistake her for a Marine in the first place... And the clothes were clean, which was a plus. "Nah, I think it makes me look kinda dashing."

Bea sighed, dropping the topic for the time being, and put her attention back toward ensuring their safe arrival at the island. Tomoe watched the woman gently nudge the sail to fully catch the wind with a faint smile on her lips, and then looked back down to continue working at the piece of wood in her hands.

---

Pecos Town was bustling - even more so than usual, despite (or perhaps in spite of) the sun burning in the brilliant, cloudless sky above. Market stalls with colorful tapestries were set up on every street corner, selling beautiful trinkets and delicious-smelling foods; children darted across the avenues, laughing and playing games as they darted between the legs of the adults milling about and laughing along with their own friends. All of this was absolutely fantastic, as far as Tomoe was concerned, though Beatrice seemed increasingly frustrated as the dark-haired woman stopped at nearly every other stall to see what was for sale.

"Here, I got you something!" The blonde woman turned to face the returned woman, a glass bottle of some beverage thrust into her face. There it stayed until she reluctantly took it, turning it around in her hands to try to get some idea of what the liquid inside it was. Tomoe fell against the side of the building next to her, holding her bisentō close to the head as she used the blade to pop the top off of her own bottle. "They said it was called 'sarsaparilla'!"

Bea frowned... But there was no denying the heat, and the cold beverage in her hands was tempting. She put one hand on the cap, attempting to twist it off, and then stopped - for all of her efforts, all she had to show for it were some painful markings on her palm. "Hey. Open it."

Tomoe, mid-sip from her glass, stood up straighter immediately. "Oh! Yeah, sure - here, hand it over." She took the offered bottle from the Ensign and smoothly popping its cap off the same way she'd taken the cap from her's. As she handed it back, she grinned, holding the cap up for Bea to see. "But I'm keeping this. The guy who gave 'em to me said they were collectible!"

As she slipped the cap into the pockets of the baggy white pants to join the cap from her own bottle, Tomoe glanced around the street. "Sssssooooooo... What's with all of the people? Some kind of festival?"

The answer to her question took a minute as Bea took a tentative sip of the drink, holding it in her mouth for a moment to determine whether she enjoyed its flavor or not. "Mm. Couldn't tell you. This is my first time on this island," the blonde replied, and then looked down at the bottle in her hands again. "This is pretty good. How much was it?"

"Oh, no clue. Old dude said I could have 'em for free, for 'all my service to the community,'" Tomoe grinned, even as Bea shot a withering gaze in her direction. "Who knew there were perks to being a gal in a uniform?"

[Fox]

The bright, burning sun beat down relentlessly on Kasumi’s pale skin. She could feel it getting tight and red with every passing second. With an unhappy frown, she pressed a finger to the tip of her nose and booped the sore skin there. It wasn’t just her nose either. Her cheeks, shoulders, and forehead were all suffering. She regretted her current wardrobe choice. A sleeveless top was not what she would have chosen for such a miserably hot island. Kasumi sniffled and glanced out at the sea. The bright blue waves crashed against the shore and called to her with their refreshing chill. But… she couldn’t just swim around in circles forever.

She glanced down at her tail and the massive wings on either side. Kasumi had just recently celebrated her thirtieth birthday at the bottom of the West Blue. Alone. Wallowing in her own misery. But! That did mean that she had gotten her land legs. Right? She’d never actually tried to do it before… there had been no reason to until now. Kasumi could hear the sounds of a town not far away just barely over the growling of her stomach. She wrapped her arms around her waist as it made its grievances known. She didn’t have much of a choice.

Holding out her long tail, Kasumi stuck her tongue out as she concentrated on splitting her, tensing her muscles and trying to picture her tail pulling apart into two separate appendages. After a couple seconds of trying, she flopped back in defeat, shielding her eyes from the wretched sun. Wasn’t it supposed to be easier than this…? Sitting back up, Kasumi furrowed her eyes and stuck out her tongue. She wasn’t going to be beaten this easily!

---

After about an hour of struggling, Kasumi had somehow managed it. Before her flopped two strange looking legs. Her tail had split right down the middle and looked a little odd with her huge manta ray wings on either side of her much too thin legs. She was pretty sure that human legs didn’t look like that… but maybe it was just a fashion choice? Well, no time like the present to try them out! Pushing off of the rock that she’d been resting on, Kasumi launched herself up and stood on her own two legs for the very first time! For about half a second before toppling forward and face planting into the sandy beach.

She pushed herself up and spat out a wad of sand that gravity had shoved into her mouth. Using the rock to pull herself back up, Kasumi tried again, putting weight on her legs. The moment she did, however, she felt them wobble beneath her and give out on her entirely. She flopped against the rock, banging her chin on its hard surface. “Ah! Tssss… Ow…”

Maybe she was too heavy? Glancing at her wide manta wings and then down to her skinny legs, she thought that maybe the humans… had a point to their body design. She could try to mimic it if she just wrapped her wings around her legs… like so… There! Kasumi ran her hands down her thigh to make sure that her wing was wrapped as tightly as possibly around the spindly leg. She nodded to herself and tried putting weight on them again. This time, she felt them wobble, but not totally give out on her. As she kept her weight on them, they eventually stabilized. “Ha!”

Bolstered by her success, Kasumi slowly put more and more weight on them until she was standing upright without so much as tipping over. Now, all she needed to do was walk! Lifting one of her legs, Kasumi took her very first step. Only, her other leg gave out on her before she could put it back down, sending her flying face first into the ground again with a surprised squeak. Kasumi lifted her head up and rubbed her bruised and sunburned forehead unhappily. Oh, why was this so hard?

---

Some time later, Kasumi hobbled into the lively and bustling Pecos Town. She was leaning heavily on a large branch, using it to more or less drag her useless legs along as best she could. On her way, she had managed to acquire some very ill fitting pants, - they were much too large - but they did conceal her legs. She’d also found a pair of incredibly annoying rubber boots. They squeaked embarrassingly whenever she actually managed to take a step, so Kasumi had sort of given up on proper walking. She had tied the pants around her waist so that they wouldn’t just fall off of her, but she had no idea what to do with the too long pants legs. If the boots weren’t bad enough, she’d trip over herself constantly. But she was here! Finally.

As she hobbled through the streets, wonderful and savory scents wafted in the air all around her. Despite herself, Kasumi couldn’t help but drool a little. Everyone looked so happy and busy too. She did get odd looks, some of them worried, some of them perplexed, but the people who hadn’t noticed her looked happy. Was it some kind of celebration? She didn’t have much time to linger on the thought as she met the gaze of someone who was staring at her like she was some sort of weirdo or pervert.

Kasumi’s face flushed red. She hastily turned away, looking for somewhere - anywhere - to sit down and stop attracting so much attention. Ah! She couldn’t handle it when people stared at her. Glancing around looking frantic and lost, Kasumi was taken by complete and utter surprise when someone bumped into her from behind, sending her flat onto the street like a pancake. “Eeeek!” She couldn’t even react before her face smacked into the harsh unforgiving ground. “Ah… ow…”

[Vio]

_{Lumikki #1}

---

Denim jackets, light shirts, denim pants or skirts, broad-brimmed hats — these seemed to be the norm for the people of Sundance Island, so anyone wearing anything else was either one of two things. They were either in service of the World Navy, dressed in standard military uniforms and emblazoned with the seagull, or they were a complete and utter idiot with no sense of dressing for the weather.

Choi Lumikki was very much the latter.

“Phew! It’s so hot,” the girl moaned quietly, shuffling her way through Pecos Town, ignoring strange looks she kept receiving from various inhabitants of the isle. Bright blue salopettes and a padded ski jacket decorated with dark blue chevrons and fur-lined hood and collar were anything but suitable for the summerly climes of Sundance, and, to make matters worse, there were additional layers beneath that exterior that further baked the woman beneath. The wise soul might have stripped down or worn something better suited, but she very much seemed unwilling to do so.

“Shame there’s nothing exciting happening around here,” Lumi sighed, but any disappointment was mild at best. Only slightly frowning from the stressful heat that beat down upon her, she otherwise tried her best to maintain a relaxed smile on her lips as she strolled through the city streets. Hood down, powder blue locks looked wildly windswept, shining almost white in the sunlight, while cocoa eyes lazily scanned the streets and stalls for things of intrigue to help her pass the time.

Barbecued meats smelled delicious, but the idea of eating hot foods when she was already at boiling point was perhaps the only thing that kept her from purchasing a steamed ham. If anything, food was the least of her worries, and soon enough she managed to snag herself a cool beverage with which to temper the heat. Indeed, it was mid swig of said drink, head tilted all the way back as she walked, that she accidentally collided with something.

^{“Ah,” Miss Choi sputtered:
“What did I bump into…?”}

---

Choi Lumikki ❘ #b0e0e6

[Jade]

Bea shot a dirty look at Tomoe, whose crooked grin was visible even as she took a drink from her bottle. "A uniform you have no right to be wearing, I would remind you."

"As you have multiple times, yes," Tomoe said as the bottle came down from her lips. When the Ensign didn't push the topic further, she stood a little straighter, looking around the street. The crowds of people was getting more dense by the minute, in spite of the heat of the sun overhead, to the point that it was becoming more and more difficult to believe this was some sort of ordinary occurrence. "... Hm."

She tilted the glass bottle upwards, bottom facing the sky, and gulped down the rest of her drink - and then brought it down, shoving the empty bottle toward Bea's chest. The Marine took it despite the confusion on her face, only to move away from the wall the two had been resting on as Tomoe started to walk away. "Hey, where do you think you're going?"

Tomoe's head tilted back to allow her to look at the blonde woman out of the corner of her eye, even as she continued to walk straight ahead. "To find out what all of this is about! Come on, you can't tell me you aren't a little curious." She walked on ahead, cutting through the crowds, leaving Bea, whose sputtering argument against this course of action was cut short, little option other than to try to keep up.

People gave them a smile, a nod, or a wave as they passed through the town's streets, and then promptly made way for what seemed to be two Marines. Bea's scowl darkened further with each individual Tomoe responded in kind to, to the point that she was actively walking with her arms crossed over her chest by the time the two had made it to what seemed to be a town square of sorts. People were milling about the paved clearing, moving barrels and tables into place, while others seemed to be putting fences into place for some reason. At the end opposite the one they had entered, a table with a sunshade overhead had been set up in front of what appeared to be a tavern; a number of individuals were standing around it or sitting behind it.

"Okay, you've seen what's happening now. Can we-" Bea turned her head only to notice that the woman she'd been talking to had darted off ahead without her noticing. By the time the Ensign had caught up, Tomoe had already walked straight up to the man sitting at the middle, with a handlebar mustache and a wide-brimmed ten gallon hat on his head, and was chatting enthusiastically with him while the others who had been standing there, talking to him not even a few seconds before, were shuffling off and giving the interloper dirty looks. "Tomoe!"

"-so I was wondering what all the commotion is about! Oh, and this is my friend, Bea." Tomoe turned and smiled at the woman, only to turn back to the man a moment later.

"Well..." The man behind the table looked between the two, clearly confused by the woman (incorrectly) wearing the garb of a Marine foot soldier talking so familiarly with a woman wearing the uniform of an officer, but he smiled through it all the same. "It's an annual festival here on Sundance - the running of the bulls. See, we get ourselves a bunch of bulls, and then some folks who want to partake who run ahead of 'em, leading 'em off to the end of the line. Those are what those barriers are for - they lead straight down to an arena off near the edge of town, where they'll be used in bullfights and such later on. I take it you lovely lasses aren't from around here? If Benny doesn't have you two workin' too hard, maybe you'd like to take part? We're still accepting folks who are interested."

[Fox]

Kasumi pulled her face up off the ground with no small amount of effort, rubbing her forehead where it had smacked into the dirt. She was almost positive that it would bruise. Grabbing her walking stick, Kasumi rose unsteadily to her feet and let out a hefty sigh before remembering that she hadn’t just tripped over herself again. Someone had bumped into her. Kasumi turned to see… someone very poorly dressed for the weather. She stared despite herself and uttered the words before she could stop them from escaping her lips.

“Aren’t you… hot in that?”

Clamping her hand over her mouth, Kasumi turned a shade of beet red. Oh no! What if what she had said was incredibly rude?! Ah! She didn’t know how surface dwellers lived their lives! What if that was some incredible insult or something?! Heat rose to her cheeks, making her feel more than a little dizzy under the sun’s already intense rays.

“I- um- oh! Th-hat… is.. I-I’m sorry if I was rude! Ah-ha! T-Terribly... and I…”

Why was the world spinning? Was it supposed to do that? Kasumi gripped her walking stick a little tighter, swaying unsteadily on her feet. It really was quite hot. She had never experienced anything like this beneath the waves. The water was always at a comfortable temperature. It didn’t help that she was just terrible at dealing with people. She would have liked to go sit down in the shade, but she really did have to address the matter of the girl before her.

“A-And… sorry for bumping into you… I’m not used to…” Kasumi panicked and managed to stop herself from saying walking, hastily filling in another word, “the h-heat! My island was a lot more mild, haha…”

[Vio]

_{Lumikki #2}

---

Eyes started towards her. Choi Lumikki’s eyes stared back — gazed in a somewhat hazy and gentle fashion. Perhaps the greatest sign she gave of her surprise was the subtle raising of her brows as she viewed the figure that she had so rudely collided with. Such a figure was, to the best of the skier’s knowledge, far from a normality. A woman of taller stature, though somewhat strained as she supported herself upon some sort of walking cane; vivid blue hair and deep purple eyes seemed to assess her in return.

^{“Aren’t you,” the woman began:
“Hot in that…?”}

It was at that moment that Lumikki became ever more aware of the temperature.

“Ugh… P— Please… Don’t remind me,” the snowy-haired siren sighed, flopping somewhat, feeling very much in need of a walking stick not unlike the woman’s own in order to prop herself up. With some sign of feebleness, she sipped at her drink, then held it out to the other. “Here, don’t worry about it. Just chill out,” Lumi smiled softly, “there’s no use getting yourself all worked up over nothing. Come on, I…,” she trailed off, looking around for a moment without any apparent care for the solar glare.

“I think there’s probably a tavern or a café or something where we can get out of this heat,” the overdressed oddity suggested, spying spots of shade all about the place as cocoa eyes assessed the surroundings. “Yeah, yeah, over there,” Miss Choi pointed, discerning shape and signage despite the dancing haze of the overbearing sun. Each step was slow and gentle, despite the weight of burning temperature upon her.

^{“So, hey,” she began to say:
“The name’s Lumikki… You?”}

Perhaps any other person would have quizzed the curiosity as to her origins, but Lumi cared rather little for the ambling abnormality that presented itself. Though, for all that said, there was one small criticism that the frosty female had reserved. Such balance was very poorly suited to land; she couldn’t imagine trying to ski like that.

^{“What brings you to Sundance…?”}

---

Choi Lumikki ❘ #b0e0e6
Kasumi ❘ #1565c0

[Jade]

Tomoe looked over at Beatrice with a big grin plastered on her face and stars in her eyes, even as the Ensign met her gaze with all the exasperation of a parent who was absolutely exhausted of dealing with a toddlers' antics. "No, I don't believe we have time to-" Bea started, not looking away from Tomoe even as she spoke to the man, but was cut off as her once-captor turned back to him.

"Yeah, that sounds great! When's it start?" Tomoe grinned down at the rather bewildered man, who took a moment to glance up at the increasingly-annoyed Marine officer standing beside what looked to him like a particularly unruly underling. When the Ensign didn't reprimand her supposed subordinate, though, the man coughed and turned back toward Tomoe, who was still standing there, hands down on the table, watching him expectantly.

"It'll be starting in about, what is it now..." The man stood from his seat and leaned forward, looking up toward the sky from under the edge of his booth's sunshade. "'Bout twenty, maybe thirty minutes or so, I'd say. How about you run off and get permission, and I'll hold a spot for you? What's your name, girly?"

The dark-haired young woman cocked her head to the side in mild confusion, but her grin never faltered. "You can call me Tomoe. And sure, thanks! See ya later!" She turned away from the man, picking up her weapon from where she'd left it to lean against the booth when she'd arrived and planting it against her shoulder, and started off on her way.

"She seems like quite a handful, miss. You've got my sympathies, if you're the one dealing with her day in and day out," the mustachioed man spoke up after Tomoe had walked out of earshot, looking toward Beatrice. "Might as well let her off for the afternoon if you don't have her doing anything important. Might make her more manageable if you let her burn up some of that energy."

Bea just stood there a moment longer, watching Tomoe walk away until only the glinting steel of her bisento's blade was visible amidst the crowd, and then put a hand over her eyes and pulled in, ending on pinching the bridge of her nose. "... Or something like that, sure. Thanks for the advice."

[Fox]

“O-Oh! Sorry!” Kasumi squeaked, thinking she brought up something of a sensitive topic. A red blush colored her pale cheeks. Oh, this was so embarrassing. Thankfully, the snowy haired girl brushed it off and offered her a sip of her drink. She really shouldn’t but it was terribly hot herself. She took it in one hand and had just a small drink before handing back over to the girl. “Th-thank you. Sorry, I just…”

Blinking as the other girl trailed off in mid-sentence, Kasumi glanced around, wondering what had gotten her attention. Was it maybe something bad? Was someone hunting the snowy haired girl and the heavy clothing was a disguise to hide her true identity?! Gasp! They had so much in common! It was only when the girl spoke again did Kasumi realize that she had only been looking for a place to get out of the sun.

Her face burned bright red. She covered her face in shame and nodded, moving along with the girl’s gentle, slow pace. “K-Kasumi. My name is Kasumi. It’s nice to meet you…”

To Lumikki’s question, Kasumi took a moment to think it over as she shuffled through the doors to the tavern that her newfound companion had picked out. She held them open with one hand and leaned heavily on her stick with the other.

“Ah… well. I guess I’d have to say chance? And… hunger? But… really. I’m sort of… running away from my responsibilities, haha… W-What about you?”

Kasumi hastily changed the subject. She wasn’t comfortable with the amount of shame that was crushing her right now.

---

[Vio]

_{Lumikki #3}

---

Finally, a reprieve from the scorching sun arrived as Choi Lumikki crossed the threshold of a moderately sized establishment. Though it was hardly a perfect escape from the boiling heat, the sudden drop of a few degrees was a welcome breath of fresh air to the overdressed oddity, allowing her then to concentrate at least a little more on a similar stranger’s replies.

^{“Kasumi, huh? I’m Lumikki,” she replied:
“Weird place to run away to, right?”}

It took naught but a few seconds for the skier to flop into a chair at one of the few empty tables in the tavern, form practically steaming as she gave herself in to the precious shade. It was hard to tell whose face was more ruddy — Lumikki’s or Kasumi’s — despite the two having entirely different reasons for donning such a saturation. The tavern itself was none too full, hosting what were likely regular patrons off on their own. Indeed, perhaps the greatest congregation was of a table a little across the way, where a gathering of souls seemed to be having a rather rowdy chat. Aside a glance, she paid them no mind, instead turning back to Kasumi.

“Me? Heh… Hwoo,” she exhaled, breathing out the last of the hot air that had crept into her lungs. “I’m just taking it easy, and you should too,” Miss Choi said, voice at first quieted by what was likely fatigue, but soon livening up a little as her mind drew forth other ideals. Her back straightened, pulling herself out of her slumped posture, though despite all this she did not lose her relaxed aura. “I’m just looking for fun… You know, something to get my blood pumping! No ski slopes here, though…”

^{“Ski slopes?” said a man:
“Damn right there ain’t, missy!”}

Cocoa eyes shifted to the source; a burly sir of scruffy beard who sat at the closest end of the crowded table. Not just him, but the entire group to which he belonged was paying mind to the unusual duo — more specifically the girl who had specified her thrill seeking ways. A soft shrug was about all Lumi replied with.

“If you’re lookin’ for action, though,” the gentleman added, chugging a little of what was a chilled ale before wiping his mouth upon his arm. “Might I suggest you take a gander at the Runnin’ o’ the Bulls — it’s a local tradition in these ‘ere parts. A couple o’ these chumps are gonna be runnin’ in this year’s festival. Should be right up yer alley! Though, maybe you ain’t really dressed for the occasion…”

^{“You hear that, Kasumi?” Lumikki piped up:
“No slopes here, but this bull run sounds fun~”}

Despite her previous bout of borderline heatstroke, Choi Lumikki was already on her feet again, a somewhat eager example of a smile upon her face — still relaxed. Truth be told, she had no idea what the festivities entailed, but that wasn’t about to inhibit her enjoyment of the situation.

“Pardon me for sayin’ this,” the man added, now looking from Lumikki and towards the mermaid who had, quite frankly, hobbled in: “But, I don’t think you’ll be suited for the bulls. See, the Runnin’ o’ the Bulls is just that — a bunch o’ plucky go-getters run ahead of a herd of rampaging bulls, leadin’ ‘em down the streets ‘n’ to the arena. But,” he cleared this throat, “if ya’ll really wanna, I’d have a word with the feller outside.”

^{“Sure thing,” Lumikki nodded:
“What about you, Kasumi…?”}

---

SPOILER: Click to show

{Post Synopsis:}
_{Lumikki and Kasumi enter the tavern, cooling off a little, but Lumikki is soon inspired to take part in the annual festivities.}

---

Choi Lumikki ❘ #b0e0e6
Kasumi ❘ #1565c0
Stranger ❘ #9ba341

[Jade]

If things weren't going to kick off for a little while, there was certainly time to kick back - at least, that's how Tomoe reasoned. Getting out of the scorching sun seemed a smart move, at any rate, a thought which led her across the town square toward a building that, even with the differences in architectural style from what she was familiar with, was unmistakable for anything other than a dining establishment of some variety. It wasn't until she'd reached the door that the young woman glanced back behind her to notice that Beatrice wasn't right behind her; Tomoe bounced up onto the balls of her feet to try to look over the crowd, balancing herself by planting the butt end of her weapon on the ground, to try to catch sight of the actual Marine.

And just a moment later, there was the blonde woman, wearing an even colder look of disapproval on her face than Tomoe had seen, even when she'd put the Marine uniform on back on the boat. "Hey, there you are. Come on, stop dragging your feet, let's get a bite-"

"No." Beatrice spat out, and then took a half-step away from the other woman. "No, I... Need to check in with the Marines on this island. I don't have time to waste playing your ridiculous games anymore, Tomoe. Drop the weapon and follow me."

"And if I don't?" Tomoe dropped her heels back onto the ground, but kept her hand firmly on the shaft of her bisentō. "You'll, what, arrest me? Drag me in with your own bare hands?"

The two stared each other down for a solid ten seconds without a further word before Beatrice turned around. "... Just change out of the damn uniform. I'll be reporting to the commanding officer here about what transpired back at Windia in great detail, so either get off this island or be prepared to spend quite a while in chains."

The Ensign left it at that and took a step forward, re-entering the crowd, and she was gone. Tomoe sighed and raised her weapon off the ground, gave it a lazy spin, and then brought it right back down to rest against her shoulder before turning back toward the entrance of the establishment, and pushed her way inside. By the time she'd entered, her smile was back in full force, seemingly unfazed by the intense conversation and barely-veiled threat against her just a moment before; a few individuals within turned to give her a curious look, and then a double-take at the sight of an unknown Marine wearing their uniform like that, but no one did more than look as the dark-haired young lady navigated her way across the floor toward the bar.

Tomoe popped up onto one of the stools there, flipped her weapon down to rest, blade on the floor, against the physical structure of the bar, and then looked up and down the bar for a person tending it. There were a few individuals - dressed in well-worn work attire, vests over their button-up shirts, heavy boots to go with their faded denim pants - sitting there as well, talking over their own drinks, but no sign of an actual bartender. She rapped her fingers, one at a time in quick succession, against the surface of the bar before spinning around, leaning back with her elbows on the bar, to look out over the rest of the tavern. Most of the folks around seemed to be locals, wearing similar fashions to those who she'd previously seen obviously from this island, but there were definitely a few tourists and out-of-towners here and there.

Most interestingly, there was... A woman wearing full winter sporting apparel, even indoors, chatting away with some individuals, and a similarly flushed (though seemingly less from heat exposure) woman sitting at the table with the seasonally-confused one. They were having a chat with some of the other patrons, though Tomoe wasn't really able to make out what it was they were talking about - though it seemed a safe bet, to her at least, that it was probably some level of concern on the local's part about the first woman seemingly trying to cook herself alive in the midday heat.

[Fox]

Kasumi felt a bit of nervous sweat bead up alongside the normal sweat when Lumikki called this a weird place to run away to. Was it weird?! Did she suspect? She didn’t know much about human settlements. Nothing, actually. Still, she sat down in a seat beside Lumikki, wondering why exactly she was still here. Much in contrast to her seasonally confused friend, Kasumi was still very much a bundle of raw nerves. Apparently, she was looking for fun, but Kasumi didn’t see much in the way of sun in the sun on this dusty island.

Glancing over to the man who just swooped into their conversation with a start, Kasumi let out a lengthy sigh. She really was getting too jumpy. Only. The rest of his table was also looking over at them. That made Kasumi feel really uncomfortable. She tugged at her pants, nervously, trying to make sure it covered everything. She almost missed what the man had to say, but when Lumikki brought it up, she held up her hands.

“O-Oh, no, no. I don’t want any action or fun or trouble,” she said shaking her head. And, thankfully, the man gave her an out, mentioning that she was poorly suited for the event. Oh, she definitely wasn’t suited to it. She was perfectly happy here. She’d get some supplies and just continue on her way. Lumikki probably wouldn’t do it either, which would lead to an awkward exchange and all, but-

“Sure thing,” Lumikki nodded. “What about you, Kasumi…?”

“You’re… really going to do it?” She muttered with a look of concern. “Well, if you think you can handle it… but no, it’s not for me. I… I still haven’t found my footing."

Kasumi stood up with effort and offered a little bow of her head to the man and his group and Lumikki.

“Thank you for the drink, but I need to stock up on supplies for my trip.”

With that, she excused herself, shuffling out with her walking stick. She didn’t relish the idea of going back out into the scathing sun already, but if she hurried to a store, she would be fine. On the way out, she passed by another woman wearing… a Marine uniform similar to some that other patrons were wearing. Only. She was… wearing it a little more interestingly. Kasumi blushed and muttered an excuse me as she passed by and exited the tavern.

---

[Vio]

_{Lumikki #4}

---

“Eh…? Well, alright then,” Choi Lumikki replied, giving a relaxed smile to Kasumi as she expressed her own personal disinterest in such an event. While the seasonally challenged soul had practically jumped at the chance to seek thrills in the form of dangerous sports, she understood that it wasn’t everyone’s preference. Some preferred a more mundane lifestyle, free of dangers whenever it was within their immediate control to do so.

^{“Thank you for the drink,” Kasumi said:
“But I need to stock up on supplies…”}

“You’re welcome! It was nice to meet you, Kasumi,” the skier replied, waving the wobbly woman off with little more than a coolly spoken: “Bon voyage!” And with that, she was alone again. Almost. There were still the people who had inserted themselves into her conversation, amongst other oddities — what appeared to be a foot soldier of the World Navy had also entered the bar. That in itself seemed unusual, but Lumi’s attention was most definitely elsewhere at this point.

Namely, the last of her drink.

Oh, man, I’m out already…? The last few drops of precious liquid were refreshing, to say the least, but the premise of stepping out once more into the breach without a source of coolant was none too tantalising. And so, with perhaps the most determined movements she had shown thus far today, she shuffled over — ski bag and all — to the bar. With a sound somewhat equatable to that of a broken egg first entering a hot frying pan, she practically flopped onto the countertop.

^{“Oi… Where’s the barkeep?” Miss Choi asked:
“Don’t rush, man… I’m good…”}

---

SPOILER: Click to show

{Post Synopsis:}
_{Lumikki bids farewell to a departing Kasumi before approaching the bar, needing an apparent top up.}

---

Choi Lumikki ❘ #b0e0e6
Kasumi ❘ #1565c0
Stranger ❘ #9ba341

[Jade]

Apparently oblivious to the people who were trying to chat her up, the bundled-up sportswoman shuffled over toward the bar, carrying her bag and all. Tomoe watched her walk over with a raised eyebrow, turning to continue following the woman with her eyes as she got closer - until she had flopped onto the top of the bar with a worrying sizzling sound beside her.

The stranger was certainly interesting, even beyond her wildly inappropriate outfit for the weather. Where most of the folks Tomoe had seen on the island seemed dirty - no, that wasn't the right word... Earth-y would be a better word for it, with their dusty denim clothes and brown and tan vest, hats, and boots. Unlike them, this girl reminded her more of crisp, cold winter snow, like some kind of snowman that had somehow rolled its way into the middle of summer and was actively melting.

"Oi... Where's the barkeep?"

Tomoe spun around on her stool to face towards the bar proper again, looking down at the melting lady to her side. "Ah, haven't seen 'em since I got here," she offered as explanation. "Let me see if I can't get their attention, though, before you pass out." She stood up on one of the rungs of the stool below the seat, looking up over the heads of some of the other patrons at the bar, searching for someone working behind the bar - and, down at the other end, there was a woman cleaning a cup and talking with someone Tomoe couldn't quite see, aside from a mop of dark brown hair and the back of a red plaid shirt.

"Hey! Can we get a pitcher of water down here?" she called out, waving a hand over her head. The bartender looked up and gave her a thumbs up, which was good enough for Tomoe, who plopped back down on her stool. "Alright, water's coming. You were drinking water, right? You should probably be drinking water, if you weren't." The dark-haired young woman paused, and then turned to face the stranger beside her with a grin and an outstretched hand. "Oh yeah, the name is Tomoe! What's your's?"

---

"Well howdy, miss. Mind if I take a moment of your time?"

Unlike most of the main streets, the shaded back alley, nestled between two of the taller buildings she'd seen since arriving on the island, was devoid of people - or so Beatrice had thought when she took it. Still, there was no one there when she turned her head toward the voice; it took a quick whistle for her to crane her head upward, finally catching sight of the man sitting at the top of the building.

He wore a battered cowboy hat that may have been another color at one point but was distinctly a dark dusty color now and a bandana with a pattern reminiscent of a grinning skull pulled up over his nose, leaving only his warm green eyes on display. "I don't suppose you're looking for the good Captain, are ya?"

"... What is it to you if I am?" Bea shot up at him. She had half a mind to just continue on down the alley, back onto the sunny street she could see just a few yards down the way, but she didn't.

"Well, as a matter of fact, I'd be quite glad to hear it. 'Course, you're heading the wrong way," the man continued, pointing back the way she had came, "considerin' he ain't at the base right now. You should be able to find him down at the end of the track for the Run, missy. Now, if you're already heading to him, would you mind deliverin' a message from a 'concerned citizen' to Benji for me?"

Before Bea could speak up, the man leaned forward, tipping precariously forward on the edge of the building's rooftop; the movement of his bandana suggested a wry smile hidden under the fabric. "You tell him that - rumor has it - the day's festivities are going to be jeopardized, and one of his boys is involved. Now, 'course, he might not have any reason to believe that, but you let him know it's Sixgun that sent ya and that might change his tune." The self-proclaimed "Sixgun" sat back a little, pushing himself back up onto his feet, and started to walk away before suddenly stopping and kneeling back down. "Oh, and if he questions that, you just remind him that I'm a sporting sort, and the game's much more fun with a level playing field. If you could tell him all that, I'd be much obliged," Sixgun said, calm and cool as anything; with a further tip of his hat and purposeful ignorance of the calls from below for him to get off the roof, he turned away and walked out of sight.

[Vio]

_{Lumikki #5}

---

^{“Ah, haven’t seem ‘em,” said the Marine:
“Let me see if I can’t get their attention…”}

Strange as the gesture was — strange as the seawoman was — it was a welcome one all the same. Choi Lumikki had had little experience with the World Navy in her lifetime, admittedly, and that was perhaps a good sign. Sure enough, the Marine managed to grab the attention of someone, requesting water for yours truly, and then proceeded to suggest that such a liquid become a staple.

^{“Oh yeah,” she added, hand outreaching:
“The name is Tomoe!”}

“Lumikki,” the skier replied, somehow managing to peel herself from the bar and sit up straight and proper upon her stool. A better look revealed a young woman of above average height, perhaps a little taller than the powder-haired peculiarity, though the disparity was made a little more obvious thanks to Lumi’s own physique. Length of leg made her seem quite a ways shorter than that which she observed, but all the same she extended a gloved hand to meet that of the soldier’s.

“It’s nice to meet you, Tomoe,” Miss Choi added with a smile. Despite her urge to sign herself up for the upcoming run, there was still some time to spare — time enough for water and a few questions. “Hey… Uh… Why are you here in a bar? Aren’t you supposed to be on duty, or something…?” The question was one that lingered for a moment, even to Lumikki, who truly wasn’t aware of exactly what Marines did on any detailed level. As far as she was concerned, they were law enforcers — soldiers.

Excitement hidden within prompted another question as water was delivered.

^{“Say, Tomoe,” Lumi quizzed:
“What’s this ‘Running of the Bulls’ like…?”}

---

SPOILER: Click to show

{Post Synopsis:}
_{Lumikki exchanges names with Tomoe before asking her about her duty, as well as the upcoming event.}

---

Choi Lumikki ❘ #b0e0e6
Tomoe ❘ #94271e
Kasumi ❘ #1565c0
Stranger ❘ #9ba341

[Jade]

"Lumikki, huh?" Tomoe said as she took the other girl's hand, taking it with a firm grasp and a quick shake. "It's nice to meet you!"

As she took her hand back, the requested pitcher of water and an empty glass were set down in front of them - the bartender turned and produced a second glass in short order after seeing the state Lumikki was in, and then she turned to head back down to the other end of the bar. Tomoe took the pitcher and poured her new acquaintance a glass, which she placed in front of the young woman with a grin on her face that grew in size as Lumikki asked about whether she was supposed to be 'on duty'. "Hardly. I'm not exactly beholden to any sort of schedule or anything," she replied, pouring herself a glass of water as well as she did, "despite what you might think from the outfit."

Tomoe downed her glass of water as the question of the day came - asking for details about the upcoming event, that "Running of the Bulls" the guy back outside in the town square had been talking about. "Mm! Couldn't tell you, I just got here myself. I'll be finding out firsthand! Are you going to taking part too?" She gave Lumikki a quick once-over with a raised brow. "Because you might want to take a few layers off, if you are."