One Step at a Time (Locke and Mina)

[locke]

A huge grin spread across Locke's face as she opened the door to the little shooting range near Ancient Gear Amusement Park. The albino was here on a mission, and she would come here every day until it was complete. The bells on the door tinkled as it opened, and the Tora warrior walked immediately to the front counter, where no one was currently stationed. The grin widened a bit as Locke reached down and started ringing the service bell in rapid succession.

[Mina Izumi]

Mina was enjoying a pleasant cup of tea in the small room behind the counter. It hadn't been much when she had first gotten there but after a bit of nagging and some puppy eyes she had managed to renovate it and turn it into a small lounge. Today had been a slower day and the Tora was re-reading the fourth Dark Tower novel to pass the time.

Thus, while she wasn't too happy to hear the bell ring, it DID mean that she got to show Stephen King how well SHE could be a gunslinger. Kage had been a quick study, and Mina intended to be better even if it took awhile. Hell, she was aiming to take on her own Cort and win. So marking her page and placing down her tea she exited from the small room.

"Hello, can I hel-" She had started out fairly friendly, though as soon as she caught sight of who it was she glared. "Oh. You. What are you doing here?" The gunslinger-to-be wasn't particularly happy to see Locke as the one ringing the bell, as a matter of fact, her mood turned distinctly sour.

[locke]

"Oh, now is that any way to greet an old lover?" Locke replied, her grin plastered on at this point. "We shared so much, and all you can say is 'Oh. You.'? For shame, Mina." The albino wouldn't have been able to tell exactly how she had come up with the idea to bug her fellow college student here. It was just something she decided to do on a whim, and it was already bloody amusing.

[Mina Izumi]

Mina snorted. "Old lover my foot. We got into a fight at the garden, that's it. Stop deluding yourself." She sighed, trying to stay calm. Satoru would kill her if she broke anything in another fight with Locke. "Why are you even here?" She tried, deciding to get to the bottom of it all and nip it in the bud. If she could get rid of Locke now she might not ever have to deal with this again.

[locke]

Locke crossed her arms over her chest and 'hmmphed'.

"To see you, of course!" she told Mina simply. "Why wouldn't I visit my girlfriend while she's at work?" Of course, the term 'girlfriend' was able to be used for platonic purposes, but that was left deliberately ambiguous.

[Mina Izumi]

Mina scowled. "Because your acquaintance doesn't like being interrupted without a good reason." There was no way that they were even friends. Mina had come out of the fight both humiliated and shot in both shoulders, like hell that made them friends.

[locke]

"Please..." huffed Locke. "It's not like there's anyone in here... Face it, it's a friggin' slow day, and I've come to brighten it up!" The albino gave her clanmate a friendly smile and leaned on the counter. She'd keep up conversation until Mina told her to leave.

[Mina Izumi]

Mina scowled. "You're doing a terrible job of it. Just leave if you're not here for anything up for offer." And if Locke chose to stay, well, it wouldn't be Mina who'd teach her. Egil and a few other employees were the ones training the people today, and Satoru was holed up in his office working on a bit of paperwork. No one could order her to teach Locke, and no one was going to yell at her for scaring off a potential customer. It was a win-win situation!

[locke]

Locke looked as though she were about to retort, but instead stood up and put her hands on her hips.

"Fine, if that's the way you want it, darling," the albino said before turning to walk away. "See ya round, Mina."

[Mina Izumi]

"Bye!" Mina practically sang, glad to see the other Tora leave.

THE NEXT DAY

Once again, Mina was behind the counter, only now she was joined by Egil in a conversation. He was like her big brother in a sense, and she was quite glad that they could talk. Around other people, Egil typically clammed up. They had just bid farewell to a different customer and were waiting on the next person to enter. Still, that had been ten minutes ago and it was about time for a lunch break.

Egil (true to a promise after seeing Mina so frustrated yesterday) had brought her a few 'Biskvi' as he had called them. She just called them 'those awesome cream-filled cake things with chocolate on top,' either way, it had brought her spirits up as he placed a plate of them on the counter.

[locke]

Locke pushed the door open again, listening to the little bells tinkle like they had the day before. She walked up to the counter and rang the service bell, but not repeatedly. It was likely a bit more lively today, so the albino decided that she wouldn't be so obnoxious.

[Mina Izumi]

Mina headed out to see who it was this time, the last bite of one of the Biskvi in her mouth and another in her hand. She almost choked at seeing Locke, though she had a bit too much dignity for that. "You again?" She asked incredulously.

Egil poked his head out from the back room (as it was more than capable of housing Mina and a giant comfortably) and simply looked at the newcomer, deciding that if Mina got angry again he'd step in, but he'd let her fight her own battles until then.

[locke]

"Me again," answered Locke with a grin. "Whatcha got there, darling?" Like the day before, the albino leaned forward and rested her elbows on the counter. "Well, it looks good, whatever it is."

[Mina Izumi]

"Egil calls 'em 'Biskvi' or summat like that, and it's damn tasty." She said, forgetting for a moment that Locke was back to bug her AGAIN. Mina blinked and then glowered after she regained her senses. "Should I even ask why your here or is it the same as last time?"

[locke]

Locke took a strand of her hair and played with it as she eyed the Biskvi Mina had yet to eat.

"Mmm... Pretty much the same as yesterday," the albino answered. "You, uh... you gonna eat that other cake thing?" It did indeed look damn tasty.