Submission (#532) Approved

(Lumiora used with permission from Galaxy-Feathers)
The beach was alive with color—seafoam blues, bright coral pinks, and sun-dappled golds flickering on every wave and umbrella. Just off the boardwalk, tucked beneath the shade of swaying palms and hanging lanterns, stood The Sun-Pressed Sip, a juice bar made entirely from driftwood, woven grass, and seashell inlays. The sign was painted with fruity shapes and lazy script, and a carved wooden pineapple spun slowly in the ocean breeze. Kairos stood in front of the bar, clutching a folded menu like it was a sacred map. His tail flicked behind him in a nervous rhythm. There were… so many options. Starfruit splash, berry-boost smoothies, frozen coconut frost, sunberry fizz—how was he supposed to know what she’d like? He shifted his weight from one clawed foot to the other, peeking over the rim of his menu again like it might suddenly whisper the answer. The juice bar was lively today. Tourists and locals filled the little woven grass booths, sipping colorful drinks from spiral-shaped glasses. Steel drums played softly from a shell-speaker near the bar’s counter. A crab wearing sunglasses scuttled lazily by.
“Okay,” Kairos told himself, just pick something. “You know she likes things with floral notes, right? And nothing too sour.”
With a deep breath, he stepped up to the bar and pointed at two items on the hanging chalkboard menu. “Uh—one Misty Mango Medley, and… the Lychee-Starfruit Bloom, with the berry foam on top. Extra chilled. Please.”
The server, a bright-eyed Tatsukoi with sunburned scales and pineapple earrings, gave him a knowing grin and slid the drinks onto the counter. “Got a date, huh?”
Kairos immediately turned red under his scales. “N-no! I mean—not really, we’re just—friends. She doesn’t even—um. Thank you.” Before he could properly implode, a familiar voice floated in like a cool breeze.
“You always look so serious when ordering,” Lumiora said, her tone amused but warm.
Kairos turned so fast he nearly knocked his drink over. There she was—calm as always, her wings catching the sunlight like translucent sails. Her petal-like markings shimmered faintly in the afternoon glow, and a single flower on her shoulder pulsed with a gentle warmth.
“Lumiora!” he said, a bit too loud. “Uh—hi. I, uh, got you something.”
She tilted her head as he handed her the pastel drink, the berry foam artfully swirled on top with a sugared rim.
“I hope it’s not too sweet,” he added quickly. “I just thought… you might like it.”
Lumiora accepted the glass with both paws and brought it to her lips for a delicate sip. Her expression remained serene… then brightened, just slightly. “Mm. It tastes like sunrise. You chose well.”
Kairos gave a quiet, victorious exhale. “Glad you like it.” They made their way to a booth with soft cushions and a thatched sunshade, the view opening up to the golden stretch of beach beyond. Laughter floated by from the waves, and seagulls wheeled lazily overhead.
As they sat, Lumiora took another sip and watched him curiously over the rim of her glass. “Did you get here early?”
“Maybe a little,” Kairos admitted, pretending to be absorbed in the condensation on his cup. “Just wanted to… beat the crowd.”
“I see,” she said, eyes twinkling faintly.
A short silence passed, peaceful rather than awkward. A group of children ran by chasing a giant inflatable strawberry. The crab from earlier was now trying to scale a tiki torch. Kairos glanced back at Lumiora, just in time to catch her laughing softly at the chaos. He smiled.
She turned back to him and reached over with one hand, gently tapping his head with her knuckles in a light, affectionate pat. “You always think so much, Kairos.” His heart did a backflip.
“I’m just… trying to make sure you have a good time,” he said, a little sheepishly.
Lumiora tilted her glass toward him, the liquid inside catching the light like stained glass. “Then you’ve already succeeded.” Kairos sipped his drink to hide his grin, tail curling around his ankles like it was trying to hold in his emotions. Somewhere, the crab finally fell off the tiki torch. From their booth, Kairos and Lumiora watched a crowd gather near a roped-off section of sand. Wooden signs carved like bananas pointed to a chalkboard that read in colorful script:
“JUICE TOSS CHALLENGE! Partners Only – Win a Prize!”
Kairos blinked. “...What’s a Juice Toss?”
Before Lumiora could answer, a staff member—a sun-hatted elder Tatsukoi with a whistle around their neck and a half-empty coconut smoothie in hand—stepped forward with theatrical flair. “You and your partner stand apart. You toss fruit-filled balloons back and forth. Each round, you take a step farther apart. The last team to go splat wins a free round of drinks and a novelty beach hat!”
From somewhere in the crowd: “Woooo! Juice hats!!”
Lumiora raised an amused brow. “A test of reflexes, aim… and trust.”
Kairos looked around at the cheering pairs, some already prepping with stretchy warm-ups and strategy sessions. “It looks… sticky.”
“Only if you lose,” Lumiora replied coolly.
He turned to her, eyes wide. “Wait—do you want to join?”
She simply smiled and rose to her feet, dusting sand from her sash. “You did say you wanted me to have a good time.”
Kairos stood up too quickly, nearly tripping over his own tail. “R-Right! Yes. Let’s do it.”
The two joined the sign-up queue. Other contestants were already being handed their first fruit balloon: a sun-yellow orb filled with mango juice and sealed with a knot of green kelp-twine. The moment it hit the sand? Instant burst. No second chances. Kairos and Lumiora took their place, starting at a safe three strides apart. A drum beat sounded—begin!
Kairos gently lobbed the balloon. Lumiora caught it easily, one hand outstretched, barely even blinking. The return toss was equally smooth.
They advanced a step, then another. By the fifth round, things got… tricky. The balloon wobbled slightly in the air, and Kairos had to leap forward, claws outstretched, to catch it just before it hit the ground. He landed in the sand, tail flopping behind him. A light cheer erupted.
Lumiora, still graceful and serene, gave him a slow clap. “Well recovered.”
Kairos muttered something that sounded vaguely like “thank you” and “ow.”
Next throw. Her turn. She wound her arm back and tossed—this one arced beautifully, a perfect spiral. Until a rogue breeze from the ocean puffed in at the worst moment, nudging it off-course.
Kairos panicked. He stumbled sideways, twisting mid-dive. His claws grazed the balloon’s slippery skin—and then… plop! A loud SPLAT as the mango juice burst against his chest and dribbled all the way down his front. He froze, blinking through a sticky curtain of fruit pulp.
There was silence. Then cheering. And laughter. Lumiora rushed over, paws raised in soft concern, but when she saw his shocked expression, her lips twitched. “You’re… drenched.”
Kairos looked down at himself, then up at her—and cracked a helpless, juice-stained grin. “Do I win a consolation hat?”
She snorted, just once, and then—ever so gently—reached up to pat his head. “No hat,” she said, voice lilting with humor. “But you win most valiant effort.”
Someone from the crowd called out, “We’ve got a juicy warrior over here!”
As the staff handed out towels and celebratory drinks to the participants, Lumiora helped wipe some mango pulp from Kairos’s shoulder. She didn’t tease—at least, not too much.
Back at their booth, the sun dipped low on the horizon. Kairos sat with a new smoothie in hand—compliments of the bar—and his scales still faintly sticky, but glowing with happiness.
Lumiora leaned back in the cushion beside him, sipping calmly.
“You did well,” she said.
“I exploded,” Kairos replied.
She smiled. “And yet you still made today… perfect.” Kairos’s breath caught in his throat. But he only nodded, letting the salt-kissed wind carry the moment as the sky turned orange and gold above them.

Reward	Amount
Gold	5
Summer Daze Music Festival - Design and MYO Raffles (Raffle Ticket)	1