[video&action]

[undefines]

[A. Video]
[From the looks of things, Nue isn't dressed in her usual dark colors today. Instead, she's wearing the red and white uniform of a Hakurei shrine maiden, meaning she must have finally taken Reimu up on the punishment she had ordered a while back. The fact that the image's backdrop is the Hakurei shrine and she has a broom in hand makes this pretty obvious, too.]

[That isn't what she wants to talk about, though. She just got bored with sweeping, and there's been something else on her mind, too.]

So... Do you think that Pirate Queen is actually going to keep her word? [Her wings flick back and forth like tails behind her, the movement seeming somehow irritable. Apparently, she's incensed just thinking about it.] It's not like I gave her something I can't just make more of, but still. I'm going to be mad if she doesn't come back like she said she would.

[The truth is, Nue is just impatient. It's been a week and a half, maybe, and she's already getting antsy. But she asked for something she hopes will cheer Sanae up, so she's anxious to get her hands on it now.]


[B. Action]
[Alternately, you could come see her sweeping at the shrine in person. Or you could catch her around the fortress later in the day; she still isn't living at the shrine 24/7 now, so she has to go back there if she wants to change out of those stupid miko robes after she's done with her stupid chores.]

[In any case, people picking this option should BEWARE OF ATTACKING MISTLETOE!! Indicate whether or not you want youkai smooches in either an OOC note or a PM.]

Comments

[undefines]

That's what you're supposed to do when you invite someone in, though, isn't it? Offer them something to eat or drink. [This isn't something she ever had to worry about before now, so she isn't quite sure how to deal with it. It makes her quicker to accept Kariya's "I don't need tea," than she otherwise might be.]

It is big, but I still don't think I want to go back to living in the shrine. I thought I might ask Sanae to stay here with me, but... [She isn't sure if she'll want to leave Reimu alone, mostly. Her expression clouds for a second, but it clears again quickly.] ...Anyway, alright. The next time it feels like there's too much space, I'll ask you right away. Where have you been staying lately...?

[She keeps her eyes on Kariya as she starts to step forward. She isn't going to get very far, but she hasn't realized that yet. Kariya's presence has distracted her sufficiently, apparently, even if she should be paying better attention after her previous mistletoe incidents.]

[tosaveyou]

I suppose it is. I've never really invited someone in. [She's never had a home, as such. Having friends over as a child was different, and she'd tried to avoid staying in the house even then] But I don't think you have to, if someone just drops by.

[Kariya might not have picked up in the teasing, but she does see that brief clouding of Nue's expression.] Maybe you won't always be here alone. And there are lots of other places you could go, if you decide you're tired of it. Or you could make your own home. Not that this isn't nice enough, for now.

[Kariya moves to follow, completely unsuspecting. She hasn't had a run-in of her own with the mistletoe.]

I've been staying at the clinic, mostly, but sometimes I go back to the Pagoda.

[undefines]

I guess so. I'm not really sure what kind of home I would make, though. [She'd briefly considered making the Myouren temple, once, but she had quickly decided that without anyone else there it would be too—]

[Thump.]

[Taking an automatic step back from the barrier, she gestures for Kariya to stop moving, her expression quickly becoming an out-and-out scowl as she turns back and looks upward to verify. Again? Really?]

[tosaveyou]

I don't know what I'd make either. That's why I never made anything. The things that are already here are enough for me. [She has something of an aversion to committing to a permanent home. It reminds her too much of her childhood.

When Nue gestures for her to stop, she stops. It's not hard to tell that something's the matter.]

What's wrong?

[undefines]

[There it is. Ugh. She points upward, to a place above their heads.]

Remember that time I told you about the plants that made people kiss?

[tosaveyou]

[She looks up and spies the mistletoe without any difficulty.]

You mean... That?

[undefines]

Yeah, that.

[She sighs and folds her arms, unable to keep herself from feeling frustrated at this turn of events. She doesn't want her attitude to make Kariya feel bad about something beyond her control, though, so she makes some effort to smooth her expression out again.]

This happened to me earlier, too, so I should have been paying better attention. Sorry.

[tosaveyou]

[She continues to look up at it. It just looks like an ordinary plant, but she believes Nue. Anything's possible here.]

Oh. It's all right. It's not your fault. Knowing this place, it could have appeared at any time.

[It's magic, after all. Kariya has a hard time with magic sometimes.

Plants that force you to kiss– it's been a while since she kissed someone, and she belatedly realizes that maybe she's still looking at the plant so as to avoid looking directly at Nue.]

[undefines]

I guess, but sometimes I still like to pretend I have some control over what happens here.

[It's hard to tell whether that was meant as a cynical joke or not. Her tone is dry. In any case, she watches Kariya as she continues to look up.]

So, how long are we going to stand here? You can test the wall, if you want to see for yourself.

[tosaveyou]

Sometimes that's all we can do in this place. Pretend.

[Kariya takes her seriously, joke or not.]

I believe you. [Nonetheless, she does reach out for the wall, because she's curious. At first, there seems to be nothing there, but then– she makes contact.] There it is. It's so strange.

[She still doesn't look at Nue. It's embarrassing. She's sure Nue would rather not be in such a situation with her. Nue's clearly not happy about it.] We might as well... There's no point waiting here, is there?

[undefines]

No, there isn't.

[At first, Nue thought it was merely curiosity, but now she's starting to suspect the way that Kariya refuses to look at her is something else. It's understandable, since it's an awkward situation, but she doesn't like it even so.]

[So, obviously, instead of kissing her, she just sweeps in to invade her personal space and stick her face in hers.]

Hey, stop acting so embarrassed. You're going to hurt my feelings.

[She's definitely joking this time, but her delivery is fairly pokerfaced.]

[tosaveyou]

[Well, now she can't avoid looking at Nue. So she doesn't.]

Oh, I didn't mean to.

[Kariya isn't always the best at picking up on jokes. She can sort of tell that Nue is joking, but still, there's a chance she might have offended her, isn't there?]

It's not that. I know that it's not what you'd want to do, but it's fine. I mean, I don't mind, and it doesn't matter. So everything's all right.

[There, that wasn't awkward at all!]

[undefines]

You didn't actually.

[She makes a face like she isn't sure whether or not she should be amused by Kariya missing the joke, and in any case she straightens up and holds her hands behind her back. She can remember Kariya saying she wouldn't want to kiss someone who didn't want to kiss her, back when she mentioned this kind of situation to her, so she guesses it makes sense that that's what's bothering her.]

Well, I mean... I guess not? But if I had to choose anyone other than Sanae to kiss, you'd be my first choice. [Actually, she doesn't realize how true that is until she says it. Certainly, she's closer to Kariya than she is to Alice, and Reimu? Forget it.] I just don't like being forced into things. It doesn't have anything to do with you.

[tosaveyou]

Good.

[She smiles, still a little embarrassed. It's harder for her to pick up on jokes when she's nervous. She doesn't associate nervousness with fun things, like jokes.]

I would be? [That's unexpected, but not unpleasant.] Thank you. [She does flush at this, though not much. Her skin is largely pale because of the worms redirecting her bloodflow.]

I don't like being forced into things either. That's one of the things I don't like about this place. It isn't right. If people want to kiss, they should be able to choose to do so on their own.

[undefines]

You would. [She nods.] I think I'm more comfortable with you than anyone else here.

[Again, barring Sanae. Though there were some things Sanae couldn't understand the way Kariya could.]

It's not like I'm going to argue with that, but we don't have a choice now. Come here.

[tosaveyou]

I'm glad to hear that. [She smiles.] I'm glad we're friends.

[She doesn't know if she feels exactly the same, as Nue did kill her, and it's hard to be completely comfortable, but she is fond of her, and probably closer to her than anyone else in the Gardens.

It's true, they don't seem to have a choice, and Kariya moves toward Nue obediently. She doesn't think to argue.]

All right.

[undefines]

—Yeah, me too.

[She knows from experience that it doesn't have to be a kiss on the mouth, so she sets a hand on Kariya's good shoulder and leans up to give her a kiss on the cheek on that same side. That should be more comfortable for her, too, she thinks.]

[It's a lot less awkward than when she did the same thing with Alice, but she still takes a step back right afterward.]

There.

[tosaveyou]

That's all? That isn't so bad.

[She realizes that that didn't exactly sound right.]

I mean, it was nice. Thank you.

[She smiles. Maybe one isn't exactly supposed to thank someone for a kiss, but Kariya does anyway.]

[undefines]

The first time Sanae and I got caught like this, she kissed my knee and it worked.

[Not like she took it personally. So, she can't help but laugh a little as Kariya "corrects" herself.]

There wasn't anything nice about it. You should be thanking the plant if you liked it that much, anyway.