#amerhauser 1

Sakura Bakushin O stays put amongst the crowd around the Belles - a very kind bystander earlier had explained to her - as she's taken in by the songs. These were so different from the Christmas Carols she had heard back home! But some felt similar too.

The Golden Ward sands found her once again. The roll of the waves of the beach hitting the shore... it felt like home. Almost.

The silver-haired pirate stood barefoot in the waves, her eyes closed as she took in a breath of the air - earlier she had been working on various warm up stretches. A sort of way to figure out a new routine.

Ikki needed a break. He'd been job hunting like a maniac--and he hadn't taken hardly any time to rest since arriving to this shitbag of an island. (Okay, the island wasn't that bad--he was just adjusting, leave him alone.)

So, he Corridor'd back to his condo, picked up the wooden sword he'd been given on arrival, and took the trolley to the strand at the Golden Ward.

This late in the year, people weren't exactly keen on "fun in the sun" activities. That meant that the beach was populated by only the real weirdos--joggers in the early morning, couples on romantic strolls during the golden hour.

But in midday, Ikki had the beach damn near to himself. So he took off his shoes, rolled up his pants legs, padded across the sand, and picked a spot. He wound up well within sight of the boardwalk, but he didn't really care.

He was just doing sword forms. It was nothing crazy.

Soon enough, Ikki's sweater ended up folded and set delicately on top of his shoes. The day was warmer than he'd anticipated. And he'd just returned to life--he'd just been given this new body--he'd just--

It was just sword forms. Nothing crazy.

After a while, though, it seemed like he had an audience. A busty blonde girl a little older than him watched his movements with a trained eye--she had to know a little martial arts herself, to have such an appraising gaze.

Part of him wanted to ask if she did. If maybe she had some thoughts about his form. All of his martial skills came from Riku's memories, after all--and while Riku was good, those skills weren't really Ikki's. Not technically. He'd kill to have some skills that were wholly his own.

But being watched by a stranger got his hackles up in a way he didn't expect, so he turned to Beatrix with a snarky tone locked and loaded.

"... Ahem."

Not only had he been lost in his own thoughts when this woman had called out to him— after all, choosing a shampoo that wouldn't ruin his perm was absolutely vital— but unless his ears had deceived him, he was sure she had been speaking a different language as well.

Starline flashes her a cordial smile, clutching a grocery basket to his chest that was just barely too large to be comfortable for him to use. He disguised his confusion and mild irritation well, save for the slight furrow of his brow.