June eyed the bottles and juices Camellia poured into the shaker. Juice was great, but this felt... overkill? I guess she did say to surprise her with something fruity. Didn't get more fruity unless the bartender squeezed freshly picked produce directly into a glass. 

"I'll take the cherry," She said. As requested, a drink was placed in front of her with a big cherry on the top. June took a tenative sip of the drink and let it sit on her tongue for a few seconds. Yep, that was fruity alright. And sweet. Arceus, it was sweet. How much grenadine did she put in there? Or could she just not handle sweet as much as she thought she could.

Regardless, she put it off to the side. A drink to be 'savored', for better or worse. 

"Not from your suppliers, from the people that come here! Like they order stupid shit that's impossible or a bitch to make. And, like you, I do it because I need money. Simple as."

She could just toil away in someone else's garage, doing what she wanted to do until she died or made enough money to buy her dad's old place, but having a boss was nonnegotiable. Besides, deliveries kept her active and, most importantly, away from home. Away from the reality of the situation. There were... worse coping mechanisms. 

June knocked on the bar countertop, "Oh, well, mostly simple as. Sometimes it gets... complicated. Or weird. Don't know if you'd know anything about that, though. Can't imagine things get bent out of shape here. Well, THAT bent out of shape."

The delivery girl seemed to perk up from her previous stupor, but now talked at a million kilometers an hour. Just where did this energy come from?

---

Camellia Lemaitre

"Oh, it absolutely was. No thanks on the alcohol though. On call for deliveries," June explained. Not that it was a lie, but it made the conversation a lot easier than 'I don't drink, so even a normal cocktail will get me too tipsy to fly or drive'. Almost as tiring as her day.

She snatched up the menu and immediately flipped to the back side. 'Burning Maw', huh? Sounded funny, but something must be working with the decent amount of people within the bar. But the non-alcoholic options left something to be desired. Water, whatever pops were on tap, and a couple 'mocktails' she'd never even heard of. Maybe this hadn't been such a good idea.

"Uh... surprise me, I guess. Something non-alcoholic," She said. A large, mental shrug. "And fruity? I guess? Refreshing? Sorry, don't do this often."

Arceus above, this was already a mess. Her heart raced, and her face flushed up. She didn't need to mention that this wasn't a normal experience for her, it was as clear as... the water outside. Fuck.

"Ugh," June sank into the counter top. "Today sucked. Stupid pokemon made me run a marathon with deliveries. And two of the boxes were fucking full of rocks again! Seriously, why keep doing it? You get anything like that in this place? Fake orders?"

Hey, Camellia offered for her to 'spill'. Besides, those twerps already knew how to trick her. Another person in the game meant little.

---

Camellia Lemaitre

As soon as the two corn dogs hit June's hands, she took a large bite out of the first. Delectable, soft, and hot. Exactly what she needed in this exact moment. The rest of it soon disappeared, devoured in a grand total of four bites. 

"Why would you want backsies? This is literally what I wanted," June said through a mouthful of corn and meat. In all honesty, she was surprised he even had the money to pay for it. Must've pushed an eight-year-old onto the ground and stolen his pocket change. It was hard to imagine him getting the money from anyone else. Could Howard take on a ten-year-old?

Not in a million years. She chuckled at the thought of the reverse happening: this bulky and tall man sobbing on the ground as a middle schooler kicked him in the ribs. 

"And did I stutter? Of course we're even-- well, on this bet anyway."

What?

Oh. Fuck. Even if he had disqualified himself from the rope game, their wager had still taken effect. He even agreed to it. One crisp, looming favor. Even worse, they hadn't discussed how it would work at all. How great it could be, when it had to be redeemed by, or anything else! Maybe it wasn't too late to try to figure that out.

However, right as June polished off the second corn dog and before Howard could hope to get the words out, a static buzz rang out from her pocket. Arceus above could she not get even a minute--

"June! Where the hell have you been?! That bumper car you fixed broke again! Get over there and fix it right the fuck now!"

The mechanic groaned. She pulled out the walky-talky, "Yea, yea. Got caught up with a guest. I'll head over there now."

"Nice talking to you, but now it's my turn to run away. I'll get back to you on that favor you owe me!" And just like that, she was gone. Scurried off into the wrong direction. She needed her toolbox, which certainly got left at the tauros ride. Damn it!

---

howard slayte

June Sleigh here, this is a very cool rabbit I think I will take it.

"Should've thought about that before..."

June trailed off while she both pressed further into Howard and turned her head to whatever the hell he was pointing at. A weird phenomenon to both look at and for her to perform. Any currently existing murderous feelings slowly evaporated into the warm summer air.

Was that... yes, it was! June's stomach erupted into an ugly, gurgling noise as soon as her limited neurons pieced together what exactly the archeologist had meant. Anger turned to hunger, and frustration turned to a sudden trembling. When had she eaten last? Didn't she eat breakfast...

No, that was yesterday. And the sight of a Corn Dog stand not even thirty steps away was simply too much to bear. Just as she had invaded Howard's personal space, she left it and walked to the food stand. "Get the fuck over here, lug nut. Get me two corn dogs and we can ignore all this ever happening. Deal?"

Already did the previous conflict seem like a fever dream. Who cared about a stupid keychain or an obstacle course? Arceus above, there were corn dogs. How the hell could the mechanic continue her duties on a barren stomach? All the better if Howard actually bought them for her, but she could probably weasel her way into free food otherwise...

---

howard slayte

"I don't know, smart guy, you tell me how the hell you cheated in an obstacle course! Could've slipped out the side or hopped the barrier and ran up here real quick," June told him. 

She dug the keychain out of her pocket and slammed it into Howard's chest, "Here, fucking take it then. And if this thing is so cheap anyway, why the hell did you cheat for it?! Why not just go out there and buy-- oh, right, you can't afford one!"

Ouch. She'd probably regret that later, but her blood boiled too hot. She had been here for long enough, and gotten too invested in the silly competition. 

June threw up her hands and stormed past Howard, and past the small crowd that started to form when she had first yelled out against Howard. "Seriously... I can't fucking believe you! You seriously think I wouldn't run laps around you in the damned Throngler either? Or would you cheat again? How did you even bribe the people to let you cheat in the first place?!"

Despite the intention to turn around and walk away, she instead marched right back up to Howard and got inside his comfort zone. Chest to chest, face to face. She made those Olympic athletes look like atrophied mummies the way she jumped to conclusions. And to several different talking points. Where to even start?

The pressure from her fiery eyes didn't help matters either.

STAMP GET: Give your prize away to your thread partner

---

howard slayte

PURCHASING/REDEEMING

welcome to the poké mart!

1X Gachapon (I WILL WIN)(50 PD)

TOTAL

do come again!

50 PD

Scratch that. It did NOT get easier the more times June did it. Those stupid pokemon. Got all up in her business as she tried not to lose her cool and ignore the voice in the back of her head. Scared the mouthpiece right out of her... well, mouth. Not only did she nearly drown, but she had to get rescued by a lifeguard! Embarrasing, to say the least.

So why did she stand at the edge of the sea, still geared up and ready to delve once more? Why, the answer was simple.

Free stuff.

bbm2zAwG

- 1x - Tera Crystal
- 1x - Salac Berry
NEW - 1x - Level Tutor

Just as Howard crawled out of the obstacle course and stood up, he would hear the rustle and commotion of another person. One June, sweaty and smiling, emerged from the fabric cocoon. "No way in fuck Howard--"

"WHAT?!"

That smile quickly turned upside down, as soon as she locked eyes with the archeologist. If her face in that alleyway of Slateport had been mad, then this one meant she was downright pissed. A stream of curses escaped her lips while she clambered out of the obstacle course. "How the fuck did you beat me?! I was going, like, mach ten or some shit!"

Wait, hold on. Howard's bitching before they even started and weird behavior from the rope game... it all made sense! June shoved a finger into his chest, "You fucking cheated, didn't you?! After I decide to take it easy on you and not toss your ass in the arceus-damned Throngler, you cheat in the obstacle course? You never intended to play fair, did you?!"

Oh, what a joke! This guy was so enamored with her stupid damn keychain that he had to cheat for it? "Is this stupid keychain really worth any sense of friendship we had between us? Or were you that much of a sore loser that you couldn't handle me beating you at something you think you're good at?"

STAMP GET: Lose at least one carnival game.

---

howard slayte

June resisted the urge to pull Howard right towards 'The Throngler' and throw him into the metaphorical (and physical) wringer. Their 'friendship' would not last past that, since he would absolutely be one of the few that got sent to the hospital. Probably meant the next step down was out of the question as well.

June walked over to the course right next to the easiest one: Super Speedy Savage Sharpedo Raceway! Decorated in all sorts of blues and whites, after the namesake pokemon. Despite that, the course did not actually look the part of 'savage'. Packed to the brim with blown up cushions designed to get in the way and push back, and tight squeezes meant to hold you in place. 

Wouldn't get you mauled, though.

"Hope this isn't too tough or intimidating for an adventurer like yourself," she said. Like previously, she hadn't done this thing herself. However, the odds of Howard having both done this and having some background skills that somehow managed to be relevant were next to none. 

Besides, she could go fast! That meant enough, right? As Howard got them in and they both lined up, she loosened up and got into position. Speed would get her past all the other obstacles. She could already feel the soft plushie in her arms. It would sit perfectly on her bed as it gathered dust. Just like Howard's artifacts.

The person in charge of the ride blew the whistle. June disappeared into the blue mass of inflatable fabric, gone in the blink of an eye. What?

STAMP GET: Run an obstacle course

---

howard slayte

Arceus above, this sucked. Despite only working at these carnivals for a grand total of two days, June couldn't wait to be back to doing deliveries more often. It wasn't even the work necessarily; fixing stuff came naturally. It was having a boss that sucked. She needed a pick up.

So when she walked past the dunk tank, with some nerd perched precariously on the seat and a rare moment where the line didn't exist, the urge was too great. Remiel Calcifet would hopefully get a nice, quick swim and June would get a moment of pure happiness. All she had to do was hit the target.

ob_siGDy

It felt easier this time around, June noted. Sure did help when the reward from the last expedition was... good? Hard to tell. Yet the excitement of finding something so cool in such an alien, foreign place got her blood pumping. Almost enough to ignore the sense of dread that hung out in the back of her head.

Almost.

Well, too late to back out now, right? She had this. Deep breaths, and she pushed back into the watery depths.

TJDxBADM

1x - Tera Crystal

NEW - 1x - Salac Berry

How did he... why was... who had...

June shook her head. "I don't want to know."

She pulled herself up, took an Eevee keychain from a selection (seriously, who liked Pikachu?), and exited the play area of the rope game. An empty feeling followed. Looked like skill and risk weren't the only things that got you to win after all. 

At least she knew a game that she would be a true master of. June led the two of them right towards another colorful attraction, this one a lot longer and larger in scope than the last stupid game: an obstacle course! They could hear the screams of excited participants as they tried to complete it as fast as possible, despite the game's best intentions.

"These things throw you all over, but at least you're expected to complete them. Unlike your stupid game. And would you look at that! They let two people go at a time," She said. Despite the 'win', the mechanic needed more. And if Howard could pick something he was naturally good at, then why couldn't she? And she'd win honestly and naturally! None of these 'odd circumstances' or whatever had happened with her companion. 

"And since I got this thing," June spun the trinket on her finger, "How about I bet this against your plushy? And since that's obviously more valuable, I'll throw in some extra poke dollars as well."

Those last stakes had been way too high, even for her. Hopefully he'd agree to this one. 

STAMP GET: Pick a prize from the prize wall at one of the Carnival games

---

howard slayte