[Honō Saya]

It takes all of two seconds for Umechika to pick up on her awkwardness, the way her eyes indecently lingered on the Kumo-nin’s frame… and for a moment, the only sign that the older woman cares at all is the soft, wicked little grin that blooms across her pale face. A thousand different thoughts spring up in Saya’s mind at the look, her face flushing even brighter at each one, only for her to look away at last, chastened by the pink-haired Chuunin’s retort, however playful it might have been.

Get your head on straight. The Hono girl thinks, shaking her head to try and clear any lingering ideas from it before she does anything to further embarrass herself. Still, her whole body feels warm, the cool night air suddenly not so bothersome as she and Ume walk together, neither slow nor fast, in a strange dance of silent communication and waiting. The Kumo-nin breaks the ice first, reaching out to grab her hand with surprising tenderness, her skin chill and slightly stiff- the touch makes her face go red again, but this time the redhead doesn’t try to fight it, allowing herself to be pulled along by the older woman’s grip, their pace increasing as she finally turns her attention back to Ume again.

"Oh." Saya says softly, her legs moving fast in order to keep up with the smaller woman’s pace; pale moonlight dances across the Shitai’s frame, making her already pretty features seem hauntingly beautiful, as if she were born and bred for the night. The Hono girl gulps, breath hitching in her throat as she follows after Umechika, her lips parting in a soft, unknowing smile, thoughts alive with all the implications. She has no idea what this might mean… and for the moment, she doesn’t care.

"Best keep up now." She says, picking up the pace as she speaks, pushing herself to go faster than the Kumo-nin in something close to a dead sprint, her hand still interlocked with Umechika’s, dragging the Shitai along if needed. She was hungry, after all.

Shitai Maimomu

[Shitai Maimomu]

It's Umechika in the lead for a little bit and she's elated by the way Saya follows her, keeps stride with her long legs and flowing pink hair and supple-

Ume's head twitches with a stalled shake, one that erases the thoughts as they come, and her feet skip a step as Saya exclaims and falls into a sprint. Surprised, the vampire laughs, calling Saya a string of absurdities as they stumble-run down the sidewalk. Ignoring passersby who might stare, Ume keeps her fingers interlocked with Saya's for the duration of their run, even as she rakes in her breaths. Lungs burning, heart pumping, her body fills the thrill of living. She's still giggling when they come to a stop in front of the alleged restaurant. Despite the time, which was seeing the sun begin to rise, they are open. Not many patrons, but a man at the bar and an old couple off in the corner.

"Smells good," she remarks dumbly, pink against her cheeks as she catches her breath upon entering the establishment. She finally lets go of the strawbette's hand.

The thought of eating puts the thought of sinking her teeth into Saya's jaw past her eyelids. She shakes that away, too.

"Order anything you want," Ume says once they're sat with menus.

[Honō Saya]

Saya shouldn’t have been surprised that Umechika can keep up with her; shorter though the Shitai was, she was still a Chuunin, one who had likely seen far more combat than she had. Still, the fact that she doesn’t have to slow her stride for Ume to keep pace is a surprise, her face splitting in a wide, goofy grin that spills out into a fit of laughter to match the Kumo-nin’s beat for beat. How they managed to keep hold of each other’s hand while maintaining a dead sprint is beyond her, but they do it, the sun just beginning to rise above the horizon as they reach their destination.

The place is still open despite the hour, the smell of grilled meat and sauce wafting out from the entrance and making her mouth water. Her cheeks are flushed from the run in the cold, her clothes are a mess, and she’s certain she looks like a dirty hick… but in that moment, all she can see is Ume. Her smile, the soft pink flooding her cheeks, the brilliant paleness of her skin and the soft, cold smoothness of her touch. God she’s… beautiful.

"Yeah." She said, almost reaching out to grab the Kumo-nin’s hand again as she pulled back. Almost, but not quite; her sense of propriety takes over, face flushing brighter as she looks way, unsure of what to do now. There is a long moment of silence as she looks at the restaurant, her head wrestling with what to say- but eventually she settles on something simple and looks back, gesturing for the Kumo Chuunin to go first.

"...We should head in." Saya said, her smile soft and perhaps a little nervous as she waited for Ume to move in, only going inside once the other woman was mostly through the front door, as she had been taught to do for guests. It isn’t until the two of them are seated at one of the tables that she relaxes a little, her eyes lingering on the menu, wondering what to order.

Shitai Maimomu