Firestorm (Ace x OC)

Chapter 22: When in Rainbase Part 1

Ryoko had fallen into silence as she traveled behind the main group, not speaking much except when directly spoken to. "Are you alright Ryoko?" Vivi called looking back to the woman who's shoulders sagged as if heavy weights hooked into her flesh.

"I'm fine Vivi. No offense but I really want to get this all over with as quickly as possible." Ryoko says, forcing out a laugh from behind her ceramic mask, her left hand reaching back to rub her cloth-covered neck. "I swear this heat is going to be the death of me." She adds. However, beneath the mask, she had a look akin to agitation. "How far until Rain Base?"

Vivi looked in the direction they were headed, "It should be just past a few dunes." She says as Ryoko picks up the pace towards the top of the dune. The bluenette blinked in surprise at the woman's seemingly sudden energy.

As Ryoko crested over the dune her eyes widened, "That is one gaudy pyramid..." She mutters looking at the green and yellow striped pyramid, topped with a crocodile head. Well she wasn't exactly sure given the color, if it was a crocodile, she had never seen a yellow one. She quickly headed down the dune and over a short amount of flatter sand and stopped just outside of the city. The smell of food caused her stomach to growl, "I should really wait for the others..." She muttered while glancing back towards the dune, "but I'd only be grabbing a place to sit and eat in the shade. Luffy's done worse in towns before." She says with a shrug before she walks into the city proper. Following her nose was rather easy as she walked down the packed sandstone street she came across a smaller diner-like scene.

As she pushed open the two swinging saloon-style doors she stepped in, her eyes scanning over the room for a moment as she walked over to the bar. Her heart felt like it stopped for a moment seeing two marines. One was a female, who wore a katana at her waist and the other was a burly-looking man who had cigars wrapped around his arm. She took a deep breath as she walked over to the bar and sat down a couple of stools away from them. "Would it be possible to get a glass of water and a cheese sandwich please?" she asked the woman behind the bar who nodded and went to get the requested items. 

Ryoko let her bag sit on the stool to her right as she shifted things around inside it, only to produce a leather pouch which she quickly opened and took some berri out of. She set them on the counter before tucking the pouch back into her bag closing the flap and clasping it shut properly. She pulled her bag back over her shoulders as the plate of food and cup of water were set in front of her. "Keep the change, please." She says sliding the berri to the woman as she shifts her mask to the left half of her face. She used the mask to shield her face from the marines leaving one of the eyeholes as a peephole. 

She began to quickly eat the sandwich she was given, it was very good. The bread was pretty soft, likely meaning it was quite fresh and the cheese wasn't dry. Out of the corner of her eye, as she was just finishing the food, she saw the two marines glancing toward her to which she just shook her head. "It's not really polite to stare," Ryoko says through a mouthful of food. "I thought you of all people would know manners." She chastizes finishing her sandwich before drinking the cup of water in one go. It was cold, it was refreshing, but it felt like it sat heavy in her stomach.

"What do you mean by that last part?" The woman asked tilting her head slightly, trying to look around the mask. "Do we know you?"

Of course, they would ask that. Ryoko sighed and pulled her mask onto her face again, "Not really, you're just a marine, figured since you all are so organized, you might know your manners." She responds while rubbing the back of her neck and looking at the woman, mask obscuring the current uneasy expression on her face. 

"What's that supposed to mean?" The swordswoman says pushing her glasses up slightly on her nose.

Ryoko put her pack over her shoulders as she turned to face the duo behind her mask, crossing her arms over her chest. "I mean no offense, but a lot of the marines I have met were pretty uptight about rules." She says getting up off the stool and heading towards the door.