Dance Dance Lilliputian

[Deleted]

Mixy groaned as the rain continued to fall over Minatsuki with no sign that it would let up any time soon. It was bad enough that no one at the ferry terminal had warned her that very little dancing happened on Dance Island, leading her to dress in a way that made her stick out like a sore thumb among the pragmatic locals. But what exactly was a “rainy cycle” and why would anyone want to have one that lasts two weeks?

Mixy had spent most of her day clinging to a black and red oil paper umbrella, desperately searching for something more interesting than a brewery. Four times she had given up, ducking into a sparsely attended brewery tour to hear about how each brewery used only the finest grains of rice to make the legendary sake Dance Island was famous for. It was all incredibly dull to Mixy.

“To be promised dancing only to have to listen to old men drone on about sake. Truly Dance Island is a place of unbridled sorrow,” she complained, hanging her head just low enough for it to escape the umbrella and get a quick shower of cold rain before she pulled it back.

As the sun began to set she removed her sunglasses, wiping moisture off the wide v-shaped black lenses before replacing the pair. The brewery workers were finally leaving for the day, and all seemed to be listlessly wandering toward the western edge of town. Mixy raised an eyebrow; was it possible Minatsuki had a nightlife? Her curiosity was enough to snap her out of her blue mood, and she soon followed after the group.

Soon Minatsuki’s endless rows of breweries began to give way to the city’s blossoming red-light district. From what Mixy could tell it was mostly bars, but she was relieved to finally know what all of the breweries were for. And after all of that walking, a drink sounded well warranted. She picked out an establishment at random and stuck her head inside, only to find it poorly lit, dreadfully decorated, entirely bereft of dancing, and full of tired brewery workers shooting uncomfortable stares at the obvious outsider.

So Mixy continued on in search of a bar that was more to her taste. After a few blocks, a brightly colored exterior caught her eye, and she veered toward it for a few steps before suddenly freezing. There was a man with a large head and a small bowler hat impatiently tapping his foot near the door, clutching a piece of paper and scanning the crowd. She was almost certain he was in the first bar she stopped at, and he didn’t look like a local. Mixy caught her reflection in the window of the bar next to her and realized there was a similar-looking man with a small head and a large hat staring at her from across the street. Was she being followed? Trying not to panic, Mixy picked up her pace and took a hard left turn down a wide side street.

[Fox]

Tia hated the rain. Truly, it seemed as though even the heavens pitied her for her miserable defeat. Her fiery red hair clung to her body. What wasn’t wet had that awful frizzy feeling that humidity imparted. Rain streamed off her black horns as she held a hand over the poster that she was clutching in the other. Mixy Dichora. Unlike her usual targets, this bounty hadn’t been passed out by the World Government. This was something of a… open but private case. They happened occasionally, and the job was usually easier than the payout would suggest. In short, easy money.

Sometimes you had to be careful because of the potential criminal possibilities, but Tia had done her research. The client was on the up and up as far as she could tell. And, if that proved not to be the case, she’d just turn the client in. Tia tossed a wet lock of hair behind her shoulder with an annoyed huff. These jobs usually were runaway rich kids. Why any rich kid would want to come to a place as dreary as this, Tia didn’t know.

“Okay… they said… somewhere in Minatsuki. Thank the gods this isn’t one of those bustling metropolis islands.”

Too many places to hide in those parts. She didn’t have Veera with her right now either, so getting into tight spaces was a problem. Tia walked up to the town. It looked on the larger side for a human settlement. To the little ones inside, she must have looked like a monstrous shadow looming out of the rain. She even saw a few gasp in terror and duck into their dwellings. None of them were who she was looking for.

Mm, if she were a runaway, where would she go… Tia scanned the town, spotting an area that seemed alive even with how late it was. Some kind of casino district? Either way, that was the ticket. As a bit of a runaway herself, she would be drawn to it. It seemed like the only interesting part of town.

Tia walked down the streets, keeping to the unpopulated ones so as to lower the risk of accidentally stepping on anyone. She could see over most buildings with relative ease anyhow. On closer inspection, this area seemed to be mostly bars, and not very many that didn’t have that overly rural vibe to them.

She did spot one that actually looked visually interesting from the outside, so she started to scan the streets for anyone who stood out. It wasn’t hard. A young lady who generally matched the poster took a hard left down a pretty barren side street. Tia clicked her tongue and shook her head. That was her. And it seemed like the competition had singled her out already. Well. Tia wasn’t too worried about them.

Tia moved to cut off Mixy, appearing at the opposing end of the little side street that the girl had gone down. She had to kneel down and hang off one of the buildings slightly to avoid breaking anything, but Tia was used to maneuvering around human cities. She waved as cheerily as she could manage to the girl.

“Excuse me, little one! I seem to be lost. Could you help me?”

Tia lowered a hand to the ground. To someone trying to escape weird people, it could look like an inviting escape. Of course, she could just end up frightening the girl more, but it wouldn’t be too hard to snatch her up at this distance if she tried to run. Still, Tia preferred this to go the easy way rather than the hard way.

---

Tia | #ff6347 (Tomato) | Post Count: 1

[Deleted]

Mixy began to regret her impulsive escape plan almost immediately. Minatsuki’s back roads were even less distinguishable than the main streets, and the pouring rain made seeing the path ahead of her a challenge and drowned out the sounds of any pursuing footsteps. But regardless, she continued, not slowing her pace until she began to see a large, curious shadow in the distance. As she cautiously approached the figure, she suddenly heard a voice from...above her? All around her? It was hard to tell.

“Lost? I’m sorry, I’m not from arou-” Mixy looked up, trying to find the source of the voice, and was astonished to finally realize that the silhouette she had approached belonged to a gigantic woman. Fearsome giants were a frequent feature in Aglossan fairy tales, but with her homeland’s closed borders Mixy had never seen one before or even seriously entertained the idea that they were real. She took her sunglasses off and looked at Tia again to confirm what she was seeing this, and couldn’t help but stagger back a step in surprise before blurting out the first thing that came to mind.

“H-how did you get so tall? Are you from Dance Island? Could we get a picture together, just a quick one, please? Wait, you don’t eat humans, do you? No, of course not, we’re probably too small, right?” With each query, Mixy darted around Tia as if to look at her from every angle, or at least every angle that didn’t require her to step around Tia as she blocked most of the street.

Unfortunately, the barrage of questions wasted enough time for Mixy’s pursuers to catch up, and her impromptu interview came to an abrupt end as she heard the sound of guns being cocked. Six men stepped forward, a few of them carrying lanterns that cut through the twilight, but kept a cautious distance from Tia. As Mixy reflexively raised her hands (and umbrella) into the air, the member of the group with the smallest hat and the bearing of a leader stepped forward to address Tia.

“This mark belongs to the Morenail Brothers, the best people-finders in all of eastern South Blue. Walk away now and we won’t have a problem here. Any questions?”

A henchman carrying an overstuffed burlap sack raised his hand. “Uh, boss? Didn’t you say before we were gonna be kidnapping tonight? I didn’t bring any people finding stuff…”

The boss looked turned his head and glared daggers at the goon who had spoken up, who held his bag up in front of his face defensively. Mixy was next in line, enthusiastically waving her free hand even as she kept it raised above her head.

“Yes! I have a question! Why doesn’t he have a hat?” Mixy gestured toward the sole hatless goon on the edge of the group, who seemed all too eager to step forward and explain.

“I’m not one of the brothers, I’m just filling in tonight! Let’s do our best, everyone!” The brothers only grumbled and avoided looking at him in response.

Boss Morenail sighed, closed his eyes, and counted to ten. “Alright. I don’t want to hear from anybody besides the giant. Walk away now, and find your own job. Got it?”

[Fox]

The reactions that Tia was accustomed to getting ranged from terror to awe. Mixy’s definitely leaned more into the awe category, and, while Tia appreciated that on some level, she didn’t feel like playing twenty questions with daddy’s little princess. Instead of hopping onto Tia’s hand and making these easy, she darted around trying to get a look at Tia from every angle. Blues folk were so simple sometimes. Not that this island had much going for it in the way of the entertainment department.

Annoyingly, this gave enough time for Mixy’s pursuers to catch up and pin her between them and Tia. It didn’t seem like they were going for a stealthy approach with her being there. She counted six of them, and, while that number might have made her consider if they were anything like the ones who had beaten her and Veera, if they needed that many people to kidnap a tiny little girl, she had the feeling they weren’t all that threatening. They were giving her a wide berth, which only solidified her read on their strength. So much for doing this the easy way.

One of them, the boss supposedly, addressed her directly. He was ordering her to walk away. Threatening her. That irked Tia. While she might have been at a low point, she had no desire to sink any further by running away with her tail between her legs. One of the little minions piped up, giving her some more time to stew in her growing rage. Mixy, the dear, was at least adorable and raised her hand like a child in school. She pointed out one of the little goons who didn’t have a hat. He piped up with a cheery response.

Alright. Her mind was made up. As the boss shut everyone up and looked back at her, he demanded she walk away, which just made her wrath surge to the forefront again. Tia smiled. It wasn’t a warm smile. It was cold and didn’t meet her eyes. She moved one hand to grab Mixy. It was unlikely that she’d be able to escape from her grasp, but this was more a precaution to shield her from any bullets that might soon fly their way.

“Little ones, you try me. You see, I’m in an awful mood,” Tia started, picking up a statue from the street with her free hand. She held it between her thumb and forefinger. “I’ve half a mind to pop your little heads off your shoulders.” She pinched down, the hydraulics in her gauntlets making the statue explode into shards of stone and dust. “Like grapes.”

“But fortunately for you, this little princess and your hat-less friend amuse me. So go. Now. Before you try my patience further.”

---

Tia | #ff6347 (Tomato) | Post Count: 2

[Deleted]

Mixy let out an “Eep!” as Tia effortlessly grabbed her. She immediately began struggling against Tia’s grasp, but of course, had no chance of breaking her gentle but firm grip. Mixy continued her futile wiggling until Tia spoke and, in what was undeniably an attention-grabbing gesture, effortlessly destroyed a piece of public art.

All eyes were of course on Tia as she demolished the statue, and seven jaws dropped open in astonished unison as it crumbled. This reminder of the daunting physical power of a giantess seemed to hang in the air as Mixy broke into a nervous sweat. She cursed her decision to run; outwitting the Morenails would have been achievable, but there was little she could do to escape when she could barely move and her captor could crush her in an instant.

Boss Morenail was dealing with a nervous sweat of his own and staggered backward out of instinctive fear before turning to his men and muttering. “N-nobody said anything about no giant. It ain’t worth it, boys.”

Mixy began to panic as she realized that the presence of the rival hunters was the only thing keeping Tia from walking away with her and turning her in to...whoever wanted her. She had slept uneasily for weeks after leaving Aglossa, certain that someone would be coming for her. As soon as she began to get accustomed to her freedom, this happened. And there would be no pretending to be a tourist this time: the hunters had her picture and Tia seemed to already know who she was. Just before she could resign herself to moping over the end of her adventure, a desperate plan emerged.

“How disappointing! I had heard that the Morenail Brothers were the best fighters in all of eastern South Blue. What great sorrow to learn that they’re actually cowards! And I had planned to bestow a portion of my nation’s riches on them as a reward for rescuing me.” Mixy shouted after the fleeing Morenails.

Boss Morenail paused as his fear and his pride battled it out. Suddenly fired up by the prospect of a fortune, he grabbed each of his men by the shoulders to stop them from running. “Maybe it ain’t hopeless, boys! This giant lady just took us by surprise! Regroup back at home and get ready for phase 2 of the plan!”

Then they turned and fled the scene. Mixy sighed, but it was something. She just hoped they’d be back before Tia could take her off the island. In the meantime, there was little for her to do besides continue her fruitless struggle to free herself and maybe try to buy more time. She looked up at Tia and found the sensation of making eye contact with one so tall momentarily disorienting.

“You seem to know who I am. What’s your name?”

[Fox]

Tia was mollified enough in that her threat seemed to put these little ones back in their place. She watched them go, the little one in her hand calling out to the brothers with promises of riches. Tia was smart enough to know that it was a blatant lie, but it seemed like the idiot brothers were interested. Not enough to stop running away, but enough to be a problem for them both later. Tia sighed, rising up to her full height. She opened up her hand so that the little princess could sit a bit more comfortably on her metallic palm.

“I wouldn’t recommend jumping,” Tia began, reaching out with a finger to gently brush some disheveled hair from the little one’s face. She was cute, all things considered. “Now why did you have to go and say a thing like that? That does complicate things for us, you know.”

A pause.

“Tia Dreki. I suppose we can dispense with formalities, little Mixy Dichora. I am a bounty hunter by trade, and, on occasion, I take jobs like this from private clients. To answer your other questions… I’m a Giant from Kaldurr in the Calm Belt. I don’t mind getting a picture. And, no, I don’t eat humans. You’d be much too boney. Plus, that just seems a little uncivilized, doesn’t it?”

Tia turned, starting to walk back out of the city. She didn’t really need the money from this job. She was doing it to… well, she wasn’t exactly sure why. Get in some training? It wasn’t as if the average human could pose much of a challenge to her. No, in truth, she needed more treasures. More friends. Her emerald eyes slid back over to Mixy who was probably very worried that Tia would stuff her back into the dollhouse life of a princess. Speaking of…

“I’ve half a mind to not return you to your home, you know. I don’t exactly lack funds. I was a bit curious about a runaway princess. Even moreso when I found out you’d come here. Tell me, what brought you to this dreary place? There are more exciting venues in the South Blue, I promise.”

Tia cleared the city border in short order. Though, she didn’t exactly want to drudge through the damp forest back to her ship on the shore. That sounded like such a chore. If there was something interesting to do on Dance Island, she would much rather occupy her time with that. That and getting to know this Mixy a little better.

---

Tia | #ff6347 (Tomato) | Post Count: 3

[Deleted]

“I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Mixy huffed as Tia played with her hair. “Isn’t it traditional for a brave hero to come running to the princess’ rescue...any...moment...now?”

Mixy looked over her shoulder, but there was no sign of the Morenails, or anyone else for that matter. It seemed the islanders had either turned in for the night or were giving Tia a wide berth out of fear. The view from fifty feet up actually made Dance Island look somewhat beautiful, but Mixy could only take it in for a few seconds before a sense of vertigo set in and she had to sit down on Tia’s palm, hugging her knees.

She listened intently as Tia answered her questions, grinning to have finally found someone who would answer more than two or three without becoming annoyed and walking away. “I wouldn’t say grabbing people off the street is very civilized either. But since you said yes to the picture I think we can call it even.”

Mixy hesitated to answer Tia. Spilling the truth to a bounty hunter she had just met seemed counterproductive to her goal of lying low, and she couldn’t be sure if Tia was serious about letting her go. “It’s right there in the name, isn’t it? Dance Island. It’s not my fault I was so wrong about it. If I opened a “dance hall” and filled it with nothing but rain and sour old men I’d deserve to be shut down, wouldn't I?”

As Tia’s long strides took them out of Minatsuki, it became clear to Mixy that this half-truth wasn’t going to cut it. The way Tia was looking at her was curious, and she couldn’t quite place the emotion behind her large green eyes.

“Although...I’ve heard of one thing on Dance Island that might be worth the time. I've heard the sake they make here is legendary. After getting rained on all day I could use a drink, and you seem like you could as well. I don’t think the bars here would be ready to receive someone of your...stature, but I just might happen to know where the breweries on the other side of Minatsuki keep the barrels ready to be shipped out.”

Mixy grinned devilishly - perhaps those lengthy brewery tours she had taken this afternoon would serve a purpose after all. “So why don’t we grab a drink, and I’ll tell you the whole story while we wait out this rain?”

[Fox]

Tia humored Mixy with a cursory glance around, but alas and shame, there seemed to be no knights in shining armor for her. Still, it didn’t look like she was handling the height very well. Tia couldn’t relate because this was simply the height at which she lived her life. She could scarcely imagine what it would be like to be so small. After all, she when she had been that small, she’d been just a tiny baby. And still, she was probably never quite that small. Hearing Mixy complain about her handling just made Tia roll her eyes.

“Yes, yes, I suppose you’d have liked to get hit by crossfire if things had gotten ugly back there?”

With a sigh, Tia decided to let it go, smiling a little at her complaints about the island’s name. She let out a soft chuckle, ringing like a bell. Using her other hand to shield Mixy from the rain as the girl talked about some breweries and excellent sake. Hm… well, that could be something worth having for both of them. With the promise of a story and sake, Tia was content to let this play out instead of drag Mixy back to the boat. She’d like to get a little sake before shipping off anyway.

“You have a deal, little miss. Point us in the right direction, would you?”

Tia turned around on her heel, circling the city from the outside. She moved her hand to let Mixy climb onto her shoulder or breasts or wherever she wanted to ride. It would be a sight more comfortable than her metal gauntlet in either case. Tia glanced around, spotting some rather tall buildings in the distance. They looked like warehouses? For sake maybe? If they were that big, then Tia could probably fit inside and actually dry off.

“Are those buildings over there the breweries?”

Even if they weren’t, Tia wanted to get out of this rain badly enough that she’d just buy the sake ahead of time and bring them there.

---

Tia | #ff6347 (Tomato) | Post Count: 4

[Deleted]

Mixy brought her index finger to the corner of her mouth as she pondered the likeliest outcomes of a shootout. On the first impression, the Morenails hadn’t seemed like especially competent criminals, and being filled with holes would probably end her vacation/escape plan even faster than being captured. She shuddered at the thought. “A fight might have been an exciting change of pace...but if it comes to that, maybe put me behind something sturdy. Unless...is this one of those bounties where you don’t have to bring me in with all of my parts still attached?”

This was a distinct possibility. Most Aglossan traitors met fates so terrible they weren’t detailed in the history books. Or maybe Mixy just hadn’t been paying attention during that lesson. Either way, the fact that bounty hunters were after her three months later extinguished Mixy’s faint hope that her crimes would simply be forgotten. “To be crushed like a delinquent statue for my sins...what a sad fate,” Mixy moped.

She shook herself out of her melancholy as she realized that Tia was lifting her up. Mixy took the invitation to scramble onto Tia’s shoulder. The rain nearly caused her to slip off, which was terrifying in spite of the fact that Tia’s hand was still only a few feet below her but managed to frantically pull herself up onto a safe, and more importantly to Mixy, more comfortable sitting position. She was almost getting used to the view from this height, as long as she didn’t look down.

After a few more minutes of Mixy navigating for Tia, the pair was finally approaching the banal but undeniably familiar district where she had spent her afternoon. Mixy tried to pick out the brewery whose tour guide had used the word “legendary” the most, but in the rain and darkness, they pretty much all looked the same. Squinting, she pointed at a warehouse at random.

“Yes, I’m absolutely certain that’s it there,” Mixy lied. Even if she was wrong, she was suddenly so taken by a curiosity about the building’s contents that she didn’t especially care. As they came closer, two obvious entrances became apparent: a human-sized door and a loading dock that was just big enough for Tia to use to get in if she ducked down. Both would probably be locked, but neither seemed beyond Tia’s talent for demolition.



(post count: 5)

[Fox]

Tia put a hand to her temples, letting out a low sigh as the little princess went on and on. She yammered and moped, trying Tia’s limited patience even further. She imagined the ride to either the rest of her companions or to collect on the bounty and shuddered at the thought. She’d probably be like this the whole way if not worse. Worse than a toothache for certain. Cute she might be, but perhaps not worth the trouble.

Worse yet, as they reached the warehouses, Tia leaned down to peer into the windows only to see that they were not, in fact, breweries. Even if they were, they didn’t seem to be manned at all. Probably had the sense to get out of this rain. As it stood, Tia didn’t much feel like breaking the law or causing collateral damage. She had a reputation to maintain. Besides, if she caused too much trouble, they’d revoke her license.

With a careless motion, Tia plucked the little whiny princess off her shoulder and set her down onto the muddy dirt path. “You were wrong, little one,” Tia said softly, patting her once on the top of her head with a metal finger. “And I think my patience has run out for the night. Ta-ta. Do have a bigger bounty when we meet again. I’ll enjoy bringing you in then.”

With a tired wave, Tia made the long trek back toward the heart of town. She was going to pick up several barrels and enjoy herself from the comfort of her ship out of the rain where it was warm. Then… she’d go find Newton and Edith with Veera, probably. They were the closest thing that she had to actual allies and acquaintances. But she just wanted to wallow in self-pity and roll around on top of her pile of treasures for a bit.

---

Tia | #ff6347 (Tomato) | Post Count: 5