===== Chapter 14 =====
Rest and Relaxation
It was getting later into the day, and it was almost time for dinner. The team were all gathered back at the villa, getting ready for a dinner reservation Sarah and Lucia had planned in advance for them. Even though Blair and Roxanne didn't go into the ocean or get dirty, they took a shower and freshened up to look their best. They wanted to look presentable, and since they were going to a fine dining restaurant at a fancy resort, they didn't know who they might run into. They already ran into a college friend by random happenstance, so anything was possible.
When it came to dressing up, Blair was wearing a fitted suit as per usual. She had her crimson ensemble which consisted of matching slacks and blazer. Along with that, she had on a black dress shirt and tie. On the other hand, Roxanne went with something a bit more casual than her usual dress. Her outfit consisted of a black knee-length skirt, a white blouse, and a black blazer.
Once the team was all ready to go, they left the villa and headed to the restaurant. The weather outside was cooling off, so the walk over wasn't too bad. Thankfully when the team got there, they didn't have to wait long, and they were quickly ushered to their table. They were seated at rectangular table with Blair, Roxanne, and Sarah sitting at one of the long sides; while Shizune, Miharu, and Maggie sat across from them. Lucia was situated at one of the ends at the head of the table where she was able to see everyone. After ordering and receiving their drinks, Lucia decided to address the team for a bit of business.
Lucia cleared her throat and got everyone's attention at the table. "I'm glad to see that everyone's enjoying themselves so far," she said as she looked to the team, seeing their happy smiles on their faces.
"Yeah. It's pretty sweet around here. Thanks again for setting all this up, ma'am," said Blair as she looked to Lucia.
"My pleasure. Like I said before, this is to reward you all for your hard work and to congratulate you for finishing your training," said Lucia before taking a drink of water from her glass. She then set the glass back down on the table before continuing on. "Since I have you all in one place, Sarah and I would like to get you all up to speed regarding the upcoming tournament. We received an email detailing several things, so we thought you'd all like to know." She then looked to Sarah, allowing her to continue on with the conversation.
As the rest of the team redirected their attention, Sarah gave Lucia a nod and picked up right from where she'd left off. "Right. So, the main thing I'm guessing you'd all like to know is who's confirmed to be participating in this tournament. Am I right?" said Sarah as she looked to the pilots whom all gave her a nod. "Good. So the teams that you could possibly be facing are as follows: Team Black Egg, Team Sledge Mamma, Team White Snow, Team Velshtein, and Team Satomi. The final bracket hasn't come in yet, so any one of these teams could be your first opponent."
"Wow. Both Team Satomi and Velshtein? Those two would be quite the match if we happened to get them in the first round," said Shizune as she took in the news.
"Yeah, but Sledge Mamma and White Snow aren't pushovers either," said Miharu as she looked to her sister. "They'd be formidable as well."
"What do you think our chances would be- You know, if we happened to go up against the number one team in the first round?" asked Roxanne as she looked to Lucia. As soon as she said that, everyone quieted down to hear what the coach had to say.
Having been put on the spot, Lucia took a brief moment to think things over before giving her response. "I'll be honest- it won't be easy, and the odds aren't in your favor…," she said as her tone got a bit more serious than before. Seeing that her words seemed to dampen the team's spirits, she tried to cheer them back up again with a little hope and positive reinforcement. "But, it's not a complete loss. There is a chance that you can still best them. Just remember your training and remain focused. You can win if you all work together and stick to the plan."
"Heh, I'll drink to that," said Blair with a confident grin before raising her glass for a toast.
"That's what I like to hear. To victory!" said Lucia as she raised her glass as well.
"To victory!" said everyone else as they joined in on the toast, their glasses clanging against one another.
With the business side of things taken care of, the topics of conversation became more casual with side ones beginning to form. The pilots mostly conversed with one another, talking about all the fun things they wanted to do at the resort. Meanwhile, Lucia, Maggie, and Sarah mostly kept to their side of the table, occasionally chatting with each other every now and then.
Not before long, everyone's appetizers arrived followed by their main entrees later on. Being that it was a fine dining restaurant, there was no expense spared when it came to the food. The restaurant was also by the sea, so they had a lot of fresh seafood featured on the menu. Blair couldn't resist and ordered the swordfish for her main course. It was served with a lemon butter sauce, and it was accompanied by fresh grilled asparagus and a small side of mashed potatoes. She was used to eating fresh seafood, having lived in Japan by the coast.
After finishing their meals off with a little dessert, everyone left the restaurant to do their own thing. The Anko Twins and Maggie went off on their own to explore the resort some more. Meanwhile, Lucia and Sarah went back to the villa to retire for the night and relax after a hearty meal. Blair and Roxanne, on the other hand, wanted to stay out a bit longer and decided to take an evening stroll along the beach. They quickly went back to the villa and changed into something a bit more comfortable. Once they were out of their dinner outfits, they left the villa once more and took a path down to the beach adjacent to them.
It was nighttime by then, and the sun had already set, leaving nothing but the natural moonlight and the feint lights of the resort right next to them to illuminate their path. Blair and Roxanne casually walked along the water's edge, not quite reaching to where the water came up upon the sand. The night sky was clear, and they felt a slight breeze coming in from the sea.
All throughout the day, since their car ride to the resort, something had been on Roxanne's mind, and she couldn't stop thinking about it. "So, Blair, how exactly would we have kids if we chose to do so?" she asked, getting straight to the point.
Blair let out a slight snicker, figuring that something had been on Roxanne's mind. "So that was what you were thinking about?" she said, placing her hands into the pockets of her cargo shorts.
"Yeah. I never really gave it much thought, but having a child might be nice," said Roxanne.
Still not exactly comfortable with the idea, Blair continued to avoid the topic. "Marriage comes first, remember?" she said after a somewhat exasperated grumble. "And we haven't even gotten that figured out yet either."
Smirking at the fact that Blair hadn't outright dismissed the notion of marriage, Roxanne continued to go with the topic, and she put off talking about children once more. "Okay then. Marriage first," she said before sighing contently. "So, what kind of wedding do you want?"
"You're asking me?" asked Blair.
"Well, yeah. You have an idea of what I want, but what about you?" asked Roxanne as she looked to Blair.
Blair took a moment to think it over, not having given it serious thought yet. "I don't know. I guess whatever you want is what I want," she said.
"Oh, c'mon, Blair. Tell me. What would your ideal wedding look like?" asked Roxanne.
Blair let out a sigh and kicked at the sand beneath her feet as she walked along. "Hmm… well, I guess I wouldn't mind something simple, you know?" she said finally. "As long as we're together, surrounded by our closest friends and family, that's all I could ever want. It could be in a church, or on the beach, or in a parking lot. It doesn't matter. What matters is that we're becoming one and reaching a new level in our relationship."
Hearing those words, Roxanne just smiled and wrapped her arms around Blair, hugging her close. "That's so sweet, Blair," she said. "But if that's the case, then you don't mind if I add some things in there, right?"
"Like?" asked Blair.
"Like picking the venue, theme, decorations, catering. You know, since all you need is us," said Roxanne. "But I do agree that we should keep it rather exclusive, only inviting family and close friends. And no media. We don't need that during our special day."
"That sounds good to me," said Blair as she felt her mood improve. It made her feel all warm inside talking about something as special as marriage with the woman she loved.
Blair and Roxanne continued to talk about wedding plans while walking along the beach. After a while, the two turned around and returned to the villa. Once they got back, they took it easy and got ready for bed. Weary from the day's events, the two of them didn't bother staying up late and turned in for the night, wanting to get an early start the next day.
#
Feeling someone stirring beside her, Blair was nudged awake as Roxanne began to get out of bed. Blair slowly opened her eyes, feeling well rested and completely comfortable on their luxury bed. She yawned and smiled, rolling onto her back with only the bedsheet covering her body. She looked over to Roxanne, who was about to head to the bathroom, when they heard a knock on the door.
Roxanne was slightly startled by the sound and answered the door, opening it up to find Shizune there. "Hey, what's up?" asked Roxanne as she stood there in the doorway, wearing nothing but a t-shirt and panties.
"We're all going to get breakfast after we're done getting ready. You guys wanna come with us?" asked Shizune.
Roxanne grumbled slightly as she continued to fully wake up. "Looks like everyone else had the same idea of getting a head-start on the day. Yeah, we'll be right there. Give us a sec," she said. She then yawned again and headed over to her bathroom while Shizune wandered off back to her room.
"Looks like you could've slept in more," said Blair with a smile as she watched Roxanne shamble in front of the bed.
"I'm fine. It's just the bed was so comfortable last night. I haven't slept that well in a while," said Roxanne as she opened up the bathroom door. "I won't be long then you can have it."
Blair gave Roxanne a nod before she disappeared into the bathroom. While Roxanne was washing up, Blair finally got out of bed and went over to her luggage to retrieve her outfit for the day. She figured they were going to be doing a lot of activities that involved getting wet, so she changed into her bikini while wearing simple clothes over it. She wore a pair of light-beige Capri pants and a red button-up Hawaiian shirt. If they were going to swim or get wet, she'd just strip off the outer layer, and afterwards, she'd use her towel to dry off before getting dressed again when they were ready to move on.
Just as Blair had finished getting changed, Roxanne came out of the bathroom, so they swaped places. While Blair was washing up, Roxanne got changed into her bathing suit as well. She too wore a bikini while also wearing a t-shirt and short-shorts over it. Once they were ready to go, they slipped on their flip-flops and retrieved their sunglasses. They'd come back for anything else they'd might need after breakfast.
Out in the common area of the villa, the rest of the team were coming out of their rooms and getting ready for the day. Shizune and Miharu were also wearing bikinis with a simple floral skirt covering their waist and legs, leaving their torsos covered only by their bikini tops. Sarah was wearing an outfit similar to the one from the previous day, consisting of a bikini and skirt. Maggie and Lucia, on the other hand, were more conservatively dressed. Maggie was wearing a swimsuit underneath her tank-top and shorts while Lucia was wearing a simple short-sleeve shirt and shorts.
Once everyone was ready to go, they headed out as a group to get something to eat within the resort. In the morning during pre-determined hours, certain restaurants served a complimentary breakfast buffet for guests staying at the resort. The restaurant the team had found themselves at had just opened, so there weren't many people there, and the food was hot and fresh. They found a table to sit at that was large enough for the group and claimed it. After everyone had their spots figured out, they began getting their food from the buffet line.
Blair and Roxanne planned to only eat a light breakfast, getting just enough to last them until lunch. Since they figured they were going to be doing a lot of physical activities, they didn't want to have a lot of food in their bellies. They only picked up a few things to eat plus some coffee to give them that extra boost of energy. Blair opted to get some pastries, scrambled eggs, and crispy bacon while Roxanne chose something a bit healthier, picking out some fresh fruit and a plain bagel with some strawberry jam. With their plates of food in hand, everyone returned to their table and began eating.
After sampling the various foods on her plate, Blair looked to everyone at the table. "So, what is everyone planning on doing today?" she asked before taking a sip from her coffee.
"Yes, what is everyone wanting to do today? The resort has lots to offer in terms of outdoor and indoor activities. And I know I can't join you all in a majority of said activities, but I'd still like to watch and live vicariously through you all," said Lucia with a half-hearted smile.
"Aww. I'm sure there's plenty for you to do, ma'am. I'll take you wherever you want to go," said Maggie.
"That's very kind of you, but this vacation is just as much yours as it is everyone else's. I'm sure you'd like to join in on whatever the gals come up with, am I right?" asked Lucia as she looked to Maggie.
Maggie looked to the other women of the team then back to Lucia. "Umm… well, I wouldn't mind it, but I'm willing to put that all aside in order to take care of you," she said with an honest smile.
"Oh, nonsense. I'll be fine for the short time you all are having fun and doing whatever it is you young people do nowadays," said Lucia after chuckling slightly. "All I need is somewhere with some shade; a nice, cold drink; and my pad to read. I might even take some pictures or videos during your, er- whatever it is you all are doing at the time."
Maggie's smile widened, having been just as eager as the others to let loose a little and enjoy the resort. "I guess I'll make sure you're all taken care of then before I join the others for some fun," she said.
"Good girl," said Lucia before directing her attention to Blair and the other pilots. "So, what has sparked you all's fancy?"
Blair and the others exchanged looks before deciding to speak up first. "Well, of course we need to check out the beach," she said with an enthusiastic tone. "But I'm down for whatever."
"How 'bout the obstacle course? Mimi and I saw it while we were exploring yesterday," said Shizune.
"Yeah! There were a ton of inflatable things you can climb on and jump across. We can all pretend to be on one of those funny TV shows!" said Miharu. "We can even make it a competition if you two think you can handle it?" She then eyed Blair and Roxanne, smiling devilishly.
"Handle it? Please… BMT was probably easier than whatever is out there," said Roxanne.
"Does that mean you accept the challenge?" asked Shizune.
"What's in it for us?" asked Blair who had her interests piqued by the notion of a challenge.
Shizune and Miharu exchanged devious looks and chuckled. "If we win, you have to babysit us while we go out drinking tonight," they said in unison.
"And if we win?" asked Roxanne after taking a dainty sip of her coffee, raising an eyebrow of intrigue.
"If you two just so happen to win, we'll… uh, we'll-," said Miharu, but before she could finish, Blair chimed in with a suggestion of her own.
"If we win," said Blair as she gestured to herself and Roxanne with her hand. "You two have to wash the Viper when we get back… by hand. Meaning no pressure washers and the like. Only a bucket and a sponge to get my ride nice and clean." Roxanne gave her a harsh look but Blair just shrugged. "What? My baby is delicate. I never use the drive-through carwash to wash her."
Hearing Blair's proposal, Shizune and Miharu looked to each other, exchanging less than enthused looks about potentially having to get dirty doing Blair's chores. They leaned closer to one another and began whispering, just out of earshot of the others. After discussing it briefly amongst themselves, they looked to Blair and gave a nod.
"Agreed," said Miharu and Shizune together, both of them confident that they'd be the victors.
Blair smirked at the twins while leaning forward in her seat, then she moved back in her chair and looked to Sarah. "You wanna join us, ma'am?" she asked.
Sarah was mid-bite in some sausage when Blair caught her off-guard. She quickly chewed the morsel and swallowed before chuckling slightly. "That's quite all right. I'd rather not be stuck babysitting the Anko Twins nor be forced to wash your car," she said.
"Aww, you don't have to take part in the challenge. You can just do it for fun," said Shizune.
"I don't need to go making a fool out of myself by flopping around on some slippery obstacles. If anyone needs me, you can find me lounging around on the beach with a cold drink in my hand," said Sarah.
Maggie looked to Sarah then to the pilots. "I'll join you! But… I don't wanna be part of this competition thing you got going on…," she said.
Blair and the other pilots welcomed Maggie into the fold, and they all continued to talk about things they wanted to do during the day. Like Sarah, the others wanted to spend some time on the beach, soaking in the sun and just relaxing with some fruity alcoholic beverages at their side. They figured they could do that after their fun, little obstacle course challenge. While everyone was talking, Roxanne mentioned to Blair about possibly snorkeling. There was a sectioned off part of the beach where people were able to swim with fish and other aquatic life. She wanted to take some pictures underwater, and Blair thought that sounded fun as well.
After everyone was done eating, they went back to the villa to pick up a few things and hang out for a while before heading out again. It was still a bit early, and the sun wasn't fully out yet. Everyone just went back to their rooms to take care of any last-minute things and prepare.
Blair and Roxanne went back to their room and gathered some necessary items like suntan lotion, beach towels, and the like. They packed everything away into their beach bags and set them aside for now. Blair went over to the window and pulled open the curtains, getting a good view of outside as the sun continued to rise in the sky.
"This place is so beautiful," said Blair as she took in the sights. As she was standing there, Roxanne came up to her and nudged her shoulder.
"C'mon. I bet it's much nicer from outside on the patio," said Roxanne as she gestured for Blair to follow her.
Blair went over to Roxanne, and they went outside, stepping onto the balcony connected to the villa. From there, they had a perfect view of the sun rising over the horizon. The sky was painted with all sorts of shades of orange and blue. There was also a nice sea breeze that wafted over them, bringing in the familiar scent of the ocean.
Blair sighed happily, placing her arms on the deck's railing and resting her chin on them. "Reminds me a lot of Japan," she said, reminiscing about her home on the coast.
Roxanne came up and stood beside her, wrapping an arm around her. "It does," she said as she gazed out towards the horizon as well.
"Huh? You were there?" asked Blair as she glanced towards Roxanne.
Confused, Roxanne just looked back at her with a perplexed expression. "We were stationed there together, remember?" she said.
Blair stared at her for a moment then realized the miscommunication. "Oh, right. I forgot," she said, realizing what had happened. "I meant that it reminded of when I lived there as a kid."
Roxanne snickered then looked back out to the water. "Oh, I see," she said.
Blair and Roxanne remained outside for a bit longer before going back into the villa. They hung out with the others, then when it was brighter and warmer outside, they all left for the obstacle course. Everyone was in high spirits as they all followed Shizune and Miharu to where they saw the obstacle course the day before. The resort was beginning to become livelier as more people started to wake up and roam around the premises. Since it was still relatively early, all the attractions had little to no wait time, including the obstacle course when the group finally arrived there. They were the first ones to arrive that day, and they had it all to themselves for the time being.
The obstacle course area had two sections. One was the open course that was meant for anyone to go on at any time. The other was the challenge course where participants were only allowed on one at a time, and they were timed.
Everyone who was taking part in the obstacle course got in line at the challenge side. From the sidelines, Sarah and Lucia found a nice spot to watch all the action from. Lucia prepared her phone to take some pictures while Sarah had her phone out to take videos. Sarah wanted to make sure she got all the embarrassing moments that were bound to happen on the obstacle course.
In line, the girls listened to the attendant there as he explained the rules of the course to them. Only one of them would be allowed on the course at any given time. The attendant kept track of their times via a device wrapped around the competitor's wrist. It started the time once they passed through the beginning gate, and it stopped the time once they reached the end gate. Since there were two wrist monitors available for two players competing against one another, the digital time board kept track of two times. That way, the competitors were able to compare the times to see which one ran the course the fastest.
After getting all the details, the girls stripped off their outer garments, leaving just their swimwear covering their bodies. They then decided who would be competing against who. Roxanne volunteered to go first. She wanted to give Blair the opportunity to learn from her run in order to improve her own when it was her turn. Of the Anko Twins, Miharu volunteered to go first against Roxanne. To determine who went first between the two, they did in a round of Rock-Paper-Scissors. Roxanne gestured paper while Miharu gestured scissors. Since Roxanne lost, she had to go first and be the test-run for the group.
The attendant gave Roxanne one of the wrist-worn sensors to wear along with Miharu. Everyone else just stood back and watched as Roxanne took to the starting position. Blair wished Roxanne luck, and she replied by saying she'd do her best. Once Roxanne was given the go-ahead to start, she began navigating through the obstacle course as Blair cheered her on from the sidelines. An overlooked side-effect of going first was that all the obstacles were dry and had no water on them, making them less slippery an easier to traverse over. Roxanne took things slowly but methodically, doing her best to balance speed with agility. One by one, she passed each obstacle, and she eventually succeeded in crossing the finish line.
Blair clapped and congratulated Roxanne on getting back while Miharu and Shizune quietly talked strategy amongst themselves. Roxanne had a quick time according to the attendant whom had seen hundreds of people go through the course. It was even almost a course record, coming in just seconds shy of it which put her in the top ten fastest times.
When it was Miharu's turn, she took her place at the starting line while Shizune came up beside her, whispering something into her ear. Blair and Roxanne didn't notice as they were back behind them, talking to one another about Blair's upcoming go at it. With a devious giggle, Shizune patted her sister on the back and joined the others to watch her run.
Miharu focused her attention on the first obstacle ahead of her, and when she got the signal, she was off. To everyone's surprise, Miharu failed to clear the first obstacle and fell into the pool of water below. It was a rather easy obstacle too since it was the first one on the course, but she slipped up somehow. Back at the starting line, Blair and Roxanne playfully shouted jests at Miharu to get in her head. Ignoring the distractions from her teammates turned rivals, Miharu quickly swam over to the ladder and climbed back up. She quickly cleared the obstacle then moved on to the second only to fail yet again.
After Miharu failed to get across the third obstacle on the first try, Roxanne began to suspect something. Of course, Blair was too focused on mocking Miharu that she probably didn't catch on, but Roxanne noticed. Shizune was awfully quiet despite her sister's poor performance, and she had a mischievous smile on her face as she watched. Curious, Roxanne decided to investigate things a bit and poked around.
"Your sister isn't doing so well now, is she?" asked Roxanne as she moved over and stood closer to Shizune.
Shizune momentarily glanced over to Roxanne then went back to watching Miharu on the obstacle course. "Eh, she's doing just fine," she said with a smirk, seeing her sister tumbling to the water once more.
Roxanne gave Shizune a curious look. "At this rate, she's not going to be able to beat my time, you know," she said. "Aren't you worried?"
With a slight chuckle, Shizune looked back to Roxanne. "It's not like she was going to beat your time, anyway," she said.
"And what's that supposed to mean?" asked Roxanne with a furrowed brow.
Just as Shizune was about to speak, Miharu finally crossed the finish line. As predicted, she wasn't able to beat Roxanne's time and lost the first round. Even after losing, she didn't look all that disappointed. In fact, she seemed to be in good spirits.
"Tough luck, Mimi. You know this is an obstacle course challenge and not a swim challenge, right?" asked Blair with a sarcastic smirk.
Miharu didn't listen to Blair and wiped the dripping water from her face. Looking to the attendant, she took off her wrist monitor and handed it back to him. She then went over to Shizune and shrugged nonchalantly.
"Oh well. I did my part," said Miharu. She and Shizune then turned to Blair with a scheming expression. "Looks like you're up," they said in unison.
Blair found their attitude a bit odd, but she put it out of her mind as she tried to focus on the obstacle course. She already had the wrist monitor on that Roxanne used, so she took her place at the starting line. Once she was given the all-clear, she sped off without any hesitation. Unfortunately, she was over enthusiastic and slid off the first obstacle due to all the water on it.
Shizune and Miharu chuckled from the sidelines as they watched Blair swim over to the ladder to climb back up. After taking position once more, Blair took a more careful approach to things and managed to clear the first obstacle. Unfortunately, she was going a lot slower than she wanted due to the hazardous conditions. Roxanne noticed it and turned to the Anko twins, finally realizing what their plan was.
"You did all that on purpose, didn't you?" asked Roxanne as she glared at Miharu.
Miharu smiled and shrugged with an aloof expression, feigning ignorance. "I have no idea what you're talking about," she said.
Unconvinced, Roxanne pressed the issue. "You purposely fell into the water to get all the obstacles wet and make it harder for Blair," she said.
"So what if she did? That not against the rules, is it?" said Shizune.
Roxanne scoffed, having found out their devious little plan. "Even if Blair happens to do less than expected, you still have to do the course yourself, Shizune. And if you happen to beat her, there's no way you're beating me," she said.
Shizune snickered as she looked back to Blair on the obstacle course. "We'll see about that," she said.
Blair tried her best and eventually managed to make it across the finish line. She was disappointed with her run, and when she finally saw her time, she cursed under her breath. She beat Miharu's time, but that wasn't saying much. According to the attendant, Blair's time was just above the average. She was still a far-ways off from Roxanne's time which gave Shizune a reasonable chance of beating her.
After exchanging some snarky remarks with Blair, Shizune prepared herself to tackle the obstacle course herself. She'd seen three people go through the course already, so she was confident in her ability to beat Blair's time. Right from the start, she blazed through the course despite the hazardous conditions due to the wet surfaces. She was making good time as she conquered obstacle after obstacle. From the spectator area, Blair and Roxanne had unamused looks on their faces as they watched Shizune's run.
It wasn't long after Shizune had left that she returned, having finished the obstacle course in decent time. Somehow, she managed to beat Blair's time, albeit barely. Blair and Roxanne didn't let it get to them as they prepared for the final round. Since Roxanne won the first round and Shizune the second, the score was tied, and so a tiebreaker was needed. Thankfully, they still had the course to themselves since it was still early, and there were hardly any people around yet.
To see who'd go first, Roxanne and Shizune flipped a coin, and Shizune won, meaning she'd go first. Roxanne stepped back beside Blair as Shizune once again took to the starting line. Once she was ready, she entered the obstacle course and was making good time, having already warmed up from having just gone through it.
Miharu cheered her sister on as they had a good chance of winning the challenge. Beside her, Blair and Roxanne watched with disenchanted frowns on their faces. Suddenly, something sparked in Blair's head which made her smirk devilishly to herself. She leaned over towards Roxanne and whispered what she was thinking in her ear, causing her to smile as well.
As Miharu stood there obliviously, too focused on her sister to notice the pair maneuvering around her. Blair went around her and stood beside her with Roxanne on the other side. By then, Shizune was on the home stretch with just a couple more obstacles left to go. With Shizune in their sights, Blair and Roxanne called out to her to get her attention. They then turned to Miharu and seductively hugged her close between them, each of them kissing one of her cheeks.
To their delight, the distraction worked, and Shizune slipped up on the last obstacle, causing her to fall into the water which cost her valuable time. As soon as Shizune hit the water, Miharu pushed Roxanne and Blair away as they chuckled at their success. She told them that what they did was a dirty trick, but Roxanne quipped back by saying dirty tricks demanded dirty tricks.
Blair and Roxanne high-fived each other just as Shizune finally finished the course despite her slight delay. She stormed right over to Blair and Roxanne and berated them just as her sister had, but they just shrugged her off and told her the same thing. Shizune just grumbled and stood by her sister, waiting to see how Roxanne fared. Shizune had beaten her previous run by a few seconds, but she just hoped it was enough to beat Roxanne.
"All right, Babe, this is it. Just do your best out there, kay?" said Blair as she gave Roxanne a thumbs-up.
Roxanne took her place and gave Blair a smile. "Don't you worry. I don't intend on letting those two indulge themselves with a win," she said.
After the buzzer rang, Roxanne was off. On the sidelines, Shizune and Miharu did their best to distract Roxanne, but Roxanne remained focused and didn't pay any attention to them. By then, she already had a good feel for the course, so the obstacles were hardly a challenge despite the wet surfaces. She went as fast as she could, and when she crossed the finish line, she heard a pair of disappointed groans along with a single cheer. She looked to the scoreboard where the times were displayed, and she saw that she did in fact beat Shizune, but only by a few seconds.
"That's my girl!" said Blair as she rushed over to Roxanne, giving her a high-five.
"It was rough, but I gave it my all just so I could wipe the smirks off their smug, little faces," said Roxanne as she looked to Shizune and Miharu. They were pouting off to the side, glaring right back at her and Blair.
"So is it my turn?" asked Maggie as she eagerly stepped forward towards the starting line. Everyone was temporarily distracted from the competition as they turned towards her.
"Uh, yeah. Sure. Let's see what you got," said Blair as she motioned for Maggie to proceed.
Maggie smiled then looked to the attendant. Once she was given the signal, she started off on the course. Everyone looked on in awe as Maggie easily dominated the course, clearing obstacle after obstacle with ease. She made it look easy as she effortlessly made it over the last obstacle and crossed the finish line.
"So… how did I do?" asked Maggie as she tried to catch her breath.
Blair and the others looked to the scoreboard with dumbfounded looks. To their surprise, Maggie actually did well, really well in fact. The attendant told them that Maggie's was surprisingly the fastest time out of all of theirs. Everyone gathered around Maggie and congratulated her on a stunning performance. As they were doing that, the first batch of new guests arrived at the course. Since they were done there, Blair and the rest of the group decided to move on.
Everyone was about ready to hit the beach, so they made their way to the closest access point. Blair and the others were eager to get some sun and just relax. Even Lucia was a bit excited to sit on the beach and watch the waves as the wind blew in her hair.
The group found a nice spot on the beach and settled in. They had a beach umbrella and a couple vacant lounge chairs already set up, courtesy of the resort for any guest to use. Blair, Roxanne, and the Anko Twins let Lucia and Sarah take the chairs.
Instead, Blair and the others took out their beach towels and laid them out on the sand next to the chairs. By then, the sun was fully out and shining bright with minimal to no clouds in sky. They made sure to apply appropriate amounts of sunscreen before lying back on their towels. While they were settling in, a staff member from the nearby bar came over asking if they wanted to order drinks. Everyone who wanted one put in an order before the staff member returned to the bar.
Once everyone was settled in, they engaged in some idle banter while they waited for their drinks. Soon enough, everyone's drinks were ready, and another employee came by to deliver them. The employee had all the drinks on a platter, and they handed them out once they arrived. They all took their respective drink in hand and slowly enjoyed them while getting some sun. During which, they mostly remained quiet except for some friendly chatter every now and then. It was so peaceful that Blair almost fell asleep, but she stirred fully awake after suddenly hearing Roxanne's voice in her ear.
Roxanne wanted to go snorkeling, so she and Blair left the group to go do so after finishing their drinks. They took their things and made their way over to a sectioned off portion of the beach. It was reserved for snorkelers, and it had fish and all sorts of other aquatic life within the netted-off perimeter. The beach was getting more crowded, but when they eventually got to the snorkeling shop, it wasn't busy at all.
There wasn't a line at the front counter, so Blair and Roxanne made their way over. They looked over the prices and decided that an hour of snorkeling was just about right for them. Thirty minutes was a bit short and anything over an hour was more than enough. They rented their snorkeling gear which consisted off a snorkel, goggles, and flippers. The price also included the use of the storage lockers where they could safely store their belongings. It came with a lock, and it was secured with a key. The key was attached to a brightly-colored plastic wrist band, so it could be worn around the snorkeler's wrist.
In addition to their standard gear, Roxanne wanted to rent a waterproof camera. The fee for the camera included a memory card which Roxanne was allowed to keep after they were done. It allowed the snorkeler to easily be able to upload their photos straight to their computer. She splurged a little and got a card that had a slightly larger memory capacity compared to the standard one. She wanted to take a lot of pictures and didn't want to worry about running of memory on the card. In order to rent the camera though, Roxanne had to leave her ID with the front desk as a safety precaution, just in case a snorkeler decided to run off with the expensive camera. When Roxanne returned the camera, she'd be able to get her ID back. She didn't mind and understood the necessity of it all.
Once Blair and Roxanne had everything they needed, they secured their belongings in the small locker provided for them. After that, they made their way outside and found a bench by the water to put on their flippers and snorkel. Blair had gone snorkeling before and was no stranger to the gear; however, Roxanne wasn't too familiar. Her struggling amused Blair since it wasn't rocket science, but after some quick instruction from her, Roxanne quickly got the hang of it.
The water was the perfect temperature as Blair and Roxanne started wading into the shallow area. The water was so clear, and they were able to see all the fish swimming around. Roxanne was so excited and readied her camera. She pushed off from the concrete steps they were on and started swimming off.
Blair quickly adjusted her snorkel and swam after Roxanne. Even though she had been snorkeling before, she hadn't done so with so many fish in close proximity. They were so close that all she had to do was reach out, and she was able to touch them. All around her were fish of differing sizes, colors, and shapes. There were small, brightly-colored ones; large, darker-colored ones; and everything in-between.
The two of them swam around the immediate area until they had seen pretty much all it had to offer. Wanting to see more, they headed over to a floating platform on the perimeter of the sectioned-off area. It was a place for divers to transfer from the fenced-in area into open water. Blair and Roxanne swam over and did their best to climb the steps. It was a bit of a cumbersome feat in flippers, but there was an attendant posted there to help swimmers out of the water and onto the platform.
Once Blair and Roxanne were on the platform, they waddled over to the edge and jumped into the water. Now that they were on the other side of the net, they were free to swim wherever they pleased. They had nowhere in particular that they wanted to go, so they just began swimming off. Being outside the net, there was far less fish swimming around, and the water began getting significantly deeper the further they went out. In the distance, they saw scuba divers making deep dives into the ocean using their scuba-diving gear.
Blair and Roxanne continued swimming towards the open ocean at a sedate pace. The water was calm, so they weren't pushed around too much by the current. Blair made sure to keep an eye on where they came from, so they didn't drift too far away. Eventually, the two reached a point where there was a drastic drop in the sea floor. Since the water was very clear, they were able to see the drop into the darkness below. Blair had never swum out that far, and she was surprised to see the open ocean like that. It sent a slight chill down her spine, being in the vast expanse of the ocean and able to see all around her. Roxanne was also astonished and snapped a quick picture. She then took one more with both her and Blair in the frame, then the two decided to swim back to the snorkeling area.
When Blair and Roxanne finally got back to the snorkeling area, they were beginning to get a bit tired. They got back onto the platform located on the net's perimeter and transferred back over to the secluded area. They looked around a bit longer then got out of the water. They returned their gear and picked up their belongings before leaving.
Since it was almost lunchtime, Blair and Roxanne decided to head back to the villa to wash up and change into some outing wear. They wanted to head into the nearby town to look around and find something to eat. After taking a shower and changing clothes, they went back to the front of the hotel to get Blair's car. A valet there quickly retrieved the Viper and handed back the keys once he was back. Blair thanked the valet and gave him a generous tip. She and Roxanne both got into the car and headed out, leaving the resort area and driving onto the adjacent main road.
After driving for a bit, Blair and Roxanne hit a red light on the road they were on and stopped. Just as they had arrived at the intersection, another car pulled up beside them in the empty lane. Blair didn't think anything of them until she heard the driver beside her rev the engine of his car loudly. The sound prompted her to curiously glance over, and when she did, she saw two guys in their twenties looking back at her with smug expressions.
"Hey, nice car, babe," asked the driver, peering at Blair through his designer sunglasses. "You sure you can handle it?"
Blair just scoffed at him as she gripped the steering wheel. "Handle it? What do you mean by that?" she asked.
"You know what I'm talking about," said the driver as he revved his engine again, showing off the power of his engine. The sounds his car was making began to attract the eyes of nearby people, all of whom were wondering what all the commotion was about.
"Uh, what are you suggesting?" asked Blair, sounding slightly intrigued. Roxanne beside her gave her a cautious look, but Blair patted her thigh and gave her a reassuring smile.
"Simple. A quarter-mile race to the next light. If I win, you get to treat me and my mate out to a drink. If you win, we'll buy you and your friend one. Deal?" said the driver.
Blair just looked at the haughty fellow then glanced forward momentarily. She then smirked and revved her engine to signal her agreement to the terms. With a concerned look, Roxanne scoffed under her breath at Blair. Sensing her concerned girlfriend, Blair turned to her and gave her a reassuring look.
"Don't worry, Babe. Everything is going to be a-okay. Trust me," said Blair before turning back to the guys in the car next to her. "You better give it everything you've got! I won't be holding back!"
"Just try and keep up!" said the male driver's friend.
Blair ignored the snarky comment and just focused on the streetlight, waiting for the split-second for when it turned green. Beside her in the passenger seat, Roxanne just sighed with dismay and prepared herself, wishing her partner hadn't acted so impulsively.
Blair and her opponent were poised and ready, their hands gripping the steering wheels of their vehicles and their feet poised on the gas pedals. When the color green flashed in their eyes, they reacted without a moment's hesitation. The vehicle next to Blair's roared to life as its wheels spun rapidly, causing smoke to form from the burning rubber. Once it had gained enough traction, it sped forward and launched from its starting position. Surprisingly enough, Blair's vehicle hadn't so much as made a peep, remaining in place before finally beginning to move forward at a normal pace. Up ahead, the friend in the opposing car was turned around and making mocking gestures towards Blair and Roxanne, probably spouting off equally as insulting words.
Confused, Roxanne just looked to Blair. "Did you forget how to race all of a sudden?" she asked.
Blair just kept smiling at remained looking forward. "What? Please. Just see for yourself," she said as she continued driving normally within the speed limit.
Roxanne directed her attention forward just in time to see flashing lights and the sounds of a police siren. A police cruiser was lying in wait up ahead, keeping an eye out for any speeding vehicles along that particular stretch of road. When the guys' sports car sped right along in front of them, seemingly too focused on the race to notice, the police jumped into action. They caught them red-handed and went off to pursue them, eventually catching up to them in no time. Having been caught, the sports car slowed down and pulled off to the side as the police cruiser stopped right behind them.
"See? I told you everything would be a-okay," said Blair as they approached where her opponent had been pulled over. "Even if the cops weren't there, I wouldn't have raced. I put all that reckless stuff behind me… for the most part."
Roxanne smiled, happy that Blair was more mature and reasonable than in their earlier years. "Good. Besides, we're celebrities now, so we can't have anything the media can use against us. You know? I could do without the bad optics if I can avoid it," she said.
"Yeah, yeah. I get what ya mean. The less headaches, the better," said Blair as she passed by the driver of the opposing car, giving him a smirk and nod of the head. The driver and his friend just looked back with unamused looks. As they were about to curse Blair and Roxanne out, the police officer standing right beside their car redirected their attention back to him.
After having a bit of amusement at the expense of the cocky driver and his friend, Blair and Roxanne finally arrived at their destination. They spent the remainder of the day walking around the touristy part of town, visiting various shops and eateries. All the while, Roxanne made sure to take several pictures of their surroundings wherever they went. Some were artsy while some were just to remember the moment. Of course, Blair was the main focus in most of them, but Roxanne also took some nice scenery shots as well.
#
At the end of the day, the two returned back to the resort to catch dinner with the rest of the team. They all decided to eat at a Polynesian themed restaurant, and the meal was served akin to a dim-sum restaurant. Everyone had a menu and ordered small dishes by the plate. There was one dish in particular that caught Blair's attention. It was an Asian noodle dish, and it was very delicious. It consisted of ramen-like noodles with a peanut sauce and strips of pan-fried Spam. It was very unusual to her as she didn't particularly didn't eat Spam, but after she tried some of Maggie's, who was very fond of the canned meat product, she was instantly hooked.
Everyone was tired from the day's activities and spent a good portion of dinner talking about what they all did. Blair and Roxanne decided not to share their little incident with the street racer earlier as to not worry Sarah and Lucia. Surely the Anko Twins and maybe even Maggie would've gotten a kick out of it, but they decided to keep it under wraps anyway. Instead, they talked about their snorkeling excursion and their little trip into town.
Dinner was delicious, but Blair and Roxanne didn't want to overfill themselves. Even though they won the obstacle course challenge, they decided to join the Anko Twins for a night out drinking anyway, but they weren't going to be baby-sitting them. Blair and Roxanne just wanted to socialize and have a drink or two.
After dinner, Blair, Roxanne, and the Anko Twins got changed into their night outfits and headed out into town. Shizune and Miharu had done some research on the town, and they had a few bars they wanted to try. Blair and Roxanne had no itinerary in mind, so they just followed their lead. Blair and Roxanne took their own vehicle while the Anko Twins rode in theirs.
The four of them went into town and got a drink at one of the notable establishments there. They hung out there for a bit before moving on to the next bar. Everyone had a drink and hung out together, but when the Anko Twins wanted to move on, Blair and Roxanne declined to join then. Instead, they decided to call it a night, and they went back to the villa.
On the way back, Blair was feeling a little bit tipsy, so Roxanne volunteered to drive back. During the ride, a song on the radio reminded Blair of a certain memory from her past. Her eyes suddenly fell on the lone keychain that was attached to her car keys. It was a black cartoon cat, and it had a very worn appearance. Gazing longingly at it, Blair leaned her head back and closed her eyes for a brief moment.