insert Summer Lovin' sting here | for divineplea

[fujimaru]

[ Summer!

Somehow, time continues to progress onward, and now it's another summer, another wacky situation they've landed themselves in. They've followed signs of what might be a budding Singularity (and how unfair is that, Ritsuka had complained in the privacy of her own mind, that there are still potential Singularities to resolve with everything else going on as well?!) to a beautiful deserted island. There are definite remnants of a society here: Chaldea's refugees have set up base in a village, weather-worn and old, but still functional and surprisingly comfortable. They aren't sure yet what is the actual cause of the Singularity, though Ritsuka has her suspicions about that they might have to do with the active volcano that lies in the dead center of the island...

Well, that's something to worry about later. For now, it's the usual summer madness: picking up what materials they can farm from the land and its native wildlife, a growing group of Servants strutting their new summer bathing suits, and a series of hijinks that, once upon a time, Ritsuka would have written off as too ridiculous to ever happen in real life.

Even if she knows better by this point, there's still the fact that she'd been at the beach with Mash, wading into the shallows with the idle desire to find seashells -- ordinary seashells! the kind that would make nice souvenirs and nothing more! -- when the summer squall had come rolling in. She's no stranger to abrupt changes in the weather, but it still takes her by surprise, the way that the clear blue sky goes dark in a heartbeat, and the rain comes sheeting down. Without thinking about it, she grabs Mash's hand and bolts for the little shack they'd passed earlier in the afternoon. They're both soaked by the time they make it inside, but at least the roof is intact. It'll provide reasonable shelter for the time being.

Ritsuka peers out through one of the windows, flipping her dripping bangs out of her eyes. Despite the general warmth of the afternoon, she's shivering a little. ]

Guess everything was going a little too well for once, huh...

Comments

[divineplea]

[The only positive Mash can think of is that they were already in their swimsuits - Mash had a hoodie on, but it's still nothing that she wasn't prepared to get wet. She was already wading in knee-deep water, crouching down to look for seashells.

But there's a difference between pleasant sea water and a gallon of rain being dumped over her head.

For starters? She has her glasses on. She huffs as she pulls them off, reaches for her pocket to take out a cleaning cloth and realizes, about halfway through the motion - right, it's wet, too. Of course. She sighs and takes her glasses off for now, glancing over at Ritsuka out of the corner of her eye - her bangs are always in her face, so at least that isn't new.]

Hopefully there's some towels in here - ah, found some! [And she's already moving to grab them from the corner of the shack, shaking them out in her hands and motioning.]

Sit on the bed, senpai? I'll dry you off. It'd be terrible to catch a cold during summer...

[fujimaru]

I can do it myself...

[ It's an automatic protest, but even as she says it, she's moving to do as she's told, rubbing at her arms. For her part, she's regretting not taking the shirt someone tried to foist on her before they'd left. Even wet, it probably would have helped. ...Probably.

But it would take someone far more stupid than her to ignore Mash. Ritsuka perches on the edge in an attempt to keep the bed from getting too wet, turning immediately back to Mash once she's settled. There's a smile on her face she can't suppress-- a little embarrassed, a little sheepish, but mostly fond. ]

Or-- hey, tell you what. You do me, I'll do you. Okay?

[divineplea]

I had my hoodie on, see? [And Mash is shrugging it off even as she says that - the bikini underneath is different from her usual. Less white, more pink, an actual bikini instead of the one piece she usually wears. It's nothing showy, or anything, and she has bigger things on her mind, but she'd felt like a change.

She wonders if Ritsuka likes it. She always likes how Ritsuka looks in summer - she thinks back to their first year together, the first time they'd been on the beach. Mash hadn't been as used to these misadventures, back then -

Then again, she's still fussing over Ritsuka, so maybe things haven't changed much. She steps closer with the towel in hand, sets her glasses on a nightstand, and eases the towel down onto Ritsuka's shoulder, brushes along it. Her touch is delicate, caring - even though she calls Ritsuka senpai, she's the one coming across like a coddling older sister.

... Maybe a little too coddling. She's taking this way too slowly and gently.]

[fujimaru]

[ It's a cute bikini, is what it is. Ritsuka watches for a moment, sidelong, then makes herself deliberately turn her head back to the window. Aren't summer storms supposed to be brief things? But it's still pouring, and she can already hear the scolding they'd get, if they tried to make it back now.

And because she's not looking, she starts a little when the towel finally comes down. She holds her breath for a moment, then lets it out slowly. Of course Mash is being gentle. She's always gentle when she has the choice, even when she could push harder. She could have more, if she wanted--

Well, not now. Right now, they're just doing their best to scrape by with what they've got. But someday.

Ritsuka considers saying that, making it a joke or fussing, then just lets out a huff of breath, leaning her head harder into Mash's hands. ]

[divineplea]

[Pink bikini, a little white trim, a red ribbon that drapes down under her chest. A little white skirt around the bottoms.

She catches Ritsuka looking, because they've been together so long - has it been two years? Maybe even longer, if you account for hopping back and forth in time - that its hard to miss even small gestures like that. She's not embarrassed. If anything, she's happy. She's sure Ritsuka's noticed.

And she feels silly for being happy about that, considering everything, but its probably because of everything. How many times has it felt like they might lose each other?

... But yes. Toweling Ritsuka off. When Ritsuka leans, Mash takes a moment to crawl onto the bed, behind her. Leaning back is way more comfortable. She restarts from the shoulder, and then down to Ritsuka's back, brushing the towel along her skin.

She reaches for Ritsuka's sidetail, fingers brushing against the band keeping it in place.]

We should probably let your hair down, too.

[...]

You noticed the swimsuit, senpai? [She feels silly. She'd much rather talk about that than anything else.]

[fujimaru]

It's cute.

[ Well. If she's going to get called out for noticing, she can at least admit that much, right? She can be casual about this. This is the sort of thing she could say easily to the girls she'd been friends with, before Chaldea, bubbly and just as much teasing as it was sincerity. That's sooooo cute! It looks great on you! I'm jealous! You're definitely cute!

The problem is that she's definitely more sincere than teasing in saying it to Mash. The new bikini is cute objectively on its own, but it's cuter because Mash is the one wearing it.

After a beat, Ritsuka coughs, straightening up a little and reaching for the bedraggled scrunchie. Part of her is amazed that it's lasted as long as it has. Forget Mystic Codes and all the magic woven into them for durability and protection: this scrap of fabric and elastic bought on impulse one afternoon is the true MVP of her wardrobe. She slips it out of her hair, wincing briefly as it catches on tangles, then slips it onto her wrist instead. And without really thinking about it, she says: ]

You're always cute, though. I'm glad you're changing things up a little. It's a good look for you.

[divineplea]

[Her face has to be red. Mash doesn't have those memories. No casual high school chats, in cafeterias or restaurants, no group beach trips, nothing. All she has is - well, there's memories before Ritsuka, but they're mostly a life of gray. There's a few exceptions, of course. A few faces that stand out in her memory.

They all ache, now.

Maybe that's why she's so weak to Ritsuka complimenting her. She has friends among the Servants, of course, Leonidas, and Boudica, and Nitocris, but - she's never going to be a social butterfly. And so much of herself feels tied into Ritsuka.

... She sounds clingy. She probably is.]

'Always cute?' I could scold you for fl - saying that, at a time like this, you know. [Flirting is not the word she should use. It really isn't.

She eases the towel up to Ritsuka's head, pauses, and rests it on her shoulders, reaches to gently untangle knots with her fingers. Very slowly, so she doesn't pull on anything.]

We could have gotten you a new one, too. Its fine not to wear a Mystic Code once in a while, senpai.

[fujimaru]

I'm saying it because it's true!

[ Without really thinking about it, she's still fiddling with that scrunchie on her wrist. It's a small, nervous gesture, something to occupy her hands as she does her best to sit quietly and patiently under Mash's fussing. It's not even that she's unfamiliar with being doted on, but-- just like she assigns more sincerity in her own compliments to Mash, she also wants there to be more significance in Mash fussing over her.

Every other Servant in Chaldea will one day move on. Someday, at the end of this, they'll return to the Throne, and they'll forget Ritsuka. But Mash is hers in a way none of the others are-- right? That has to mean something, doesn't it? ]

Anyway, if I did... it'd be kind of weird, wouldn't it? I'm all...

[ She gestures at herself. She's not sure when her Mystic Codes began including a glamor in them -- some small, subtle thing, had it been there all along? -- but it's there, and it helps to hide the worst of the damage. Having Servants who can heal and Chaldea's cutting-edge technology has helped, but she's a lot more battered than she was once upon a time. ]

[divineplea]

[And Mash's heart aches, at that. The scars. She's seen them - they're close, together almost always, and Ritsuka doesn't wear her Codes all of the time.

It doesn't ache for Ritsuka's sake, not really - she hates that Ritsuka's been hurt, but she's also proud of her, admires her.

It hurts because she doesn't have those same scars. She's fought to protect Ritsuka, struggled and scraped and - remaining unblemished thanks to being a Servant, struggling to regain herself after that desperate struggle at the end of the world, it's hard not to notice every time Ritsuka comes back with bite marks, marks where bullets had grazed her, sword marks, the remnants of burns.

Hard not to glare at Lobo, Columbus, Tomoe, or Abigail, even if she knows they aren't the same people. (Though she doesn't think anyone would begrudge her Columbus, but that's a different problem.)

Even Fou has scars. Mental if not physical. He's so much different now than he used to be.]

Senpai...

[She reaches to adjust her glasses, only to realize they aren't there - and her arm's up in the air, caught in that half motion, and she finds herself reaching it around Ritsuka's waist instead. It's a weird half-hug. The other hand's still pretending to towel her off.]

You're like that because you love us - humanity, I mean. It's beautiful. At least, I think so.

[fujimaru]

[ Ritsuka's first, instinctive response is to tense up. Hugs are a strange thing for her-- she'd never been particularly inclined to lots of physical contact with her old friends, and in Chaldea... well, there are definitely people she knows would love to take more than just that, and she has to be careful about that.

But it's Mash. Mash, who always, for some reason, thinks the best of Ritsuka, no matter how often she's fallen down, or failed, or otherwise come up short. Mash, who's the most sincere and gentle person Ritsuka has ever met, who has never been anything but kind to her hapless, fish-out-of-water Master.

So Ritsuka takes a breath and settles one of her hands on Mash's arm, where it's resting around her. This soft point of contact is nice. ]

I'm doing my best! ...Haha, now who's the one saying things "like that"? You're always too nice.

[ She twists a little to try and look at Mash finally, with the beginning of a smile. ] Don't flatter me too much, it'll definitely go to my head.

[divineplea]

There's a difference between complimenting a bikini and saying the truth --

[It's not like Mash has much frame of reference for hugs, either. Boudica is friendly and gentle, but she's different. And Mash is the one initiating here.

... You know, whenever its felt like they really might not make it, her first instinct's always been to hold Ritsuka. Like this. It lends it a bit of an edge, one she isn't even sure if she likes or not. Btu she readjusts her grip, hugs Ritsuka in a little more gently.

Then a gear clicks in her head that she just said bikini, and her face gets a little redder. They're both kind of bare right now. In more than just the emotional sense.]

If having this many people who rely on you hasn't gone to your head yet, nothing will, senpai. [So she tries to play it off with more banter, shifts - she should really break the hug. The point's made.

She doesn't, though.]

... Is a little longer fine?

[fujimaru]

...

[ Her fingers tighten where they rest on Mash's arm. Oh no. Oh no, she's cute-- ]

As long as you want.

[ It could be forever, if she wanted, and Ritsuka wouldn't complain. There's nowhere she feels safer than with Mash, even if they're not in direct contact.

Though, honestly, this is definitely much nicer than any other alternative they've been through. She tilts her head enough again, this time to let her head rest against Mash's. She could definitely get used to this. ]

[divineplea]

[She lets the towel drop. That's probably the biggest tell towards her shaky motivations here, but -

She just wants to hug Ritsuka in close, both arms around her. It's a much tighter hug than before. Her hand's going up and down Ritsuka's back. She nuzzles her head into Ritsuka's, the faint sound of the rain outside having become comforting. The storm's quieting down, at least.]

It kind of feels like you're taking pity on me... [She isn't complaining, though.]

[fujimaru]

No way. If anyone's being pitied here, it's definitely me.

[ This is nice. This is nice enough that she doesn't even think to put any real self-deprecating humor in the comment; instead, Ritsuka just leans a little more into Mash's warm weight, blinking slowly at the hand she still has on Mash's arm.

Most of the time, it's easy to make a joke out of things like that. Hey, between the two of us, who's the squishy one? Who's the one that would absolutely wouldn't stand a chance in a fight? She doesn't usually use those on Mash, but just in general. Today, though, is a good day for sincerity. ]

You're one of the best people I know. What's there to pity?

[divineplea]

I mean... you know a lot of people more reliable than me, Senpai.

[And -]

... You're the type who can't look away when you know someone's feeling bad.

[And -]

You're kind of a busybody. [Wait, that was one and too many. She says it with way, way too much fondness for it to really mean anything, though. And she's still hugging Ritsuka in, close - she adjusts her grip, even, scoots upwards, until her chin's resting on top of Ritsuka's head.]

[fujimaru]

Wh--

[ Oh no. She bursts into a stutter of near-offended laughter, wriggling in Mash's grip like she's trying to get away. In a battle of strength, she knows she couldn't-- but she's confident that if she says the word, Mash will let go. It gives her the confidence to flop around the way she does, playful. ]

Hey! Busybody?! You take that back, I'm definitely too lazy to be anything like that.

[divineplea]

An emotional busybody! You're always thinking about other people!

[And - she knows they're playing, but when Ritsuka tries to get away, her first instinct is to keep her there. She doesn't want to lose this warmth. Of course, if Ritsuka actually wanted to, she'd let go, but - that disconnect, the fact that it's goofing around, makes her act on her first instinct. So she tightens her hug, slightly, pushes forward -

And kind of. Pushes Ritsuka back onto the bed. They're tangled up a little more, now, Ritsuka's back on the bed, Mash on top of her - ]

Uhm. [Good save.]

[fujimaru]

Uh...

[ Everything else she would have said evaporates in an instant. It's one thing to know that Mash is strong enough to hold her down and to play with it; it's another entirely to be pinned like this, so effortlessly. She can only blink up at Mash's face and hope that her own isn't as bright red as she feels like it is.

It takes her a few seconds to realize she hasn't said anything else, and she swallows hard before trying a smile, small and awkward. ]

...hey...

[ Nailed it. ]

[divineplea]

... Hey.

[She's also smiling, in the small, nervous grin way she tends to when, say, Boudica hugs her to her chest. Only it isn't Boudica, who she can just laugh this off with. And also she was the one who initiated.]

I should let you up, senpai.

[She's finding it very hard to move, though.

And - she leans in, closer, instead, hugs Ritsuka once more. Her chin's resting on her shoulder, cheek against Ritsuka's.]

... Shouldn't I?

[fujimaru]

I'm pretty comfortable--

[ Wait, is that too much? That's probably too much, isn't it?! Ritsuka's only good at being flirty when she isn't overthinking the moment, and there's no way she can't think about this right now. Mash is soft and warm and the contact is dangerously seductive. She's pretty sure she would be happy staying like this forever.

And pressed as close as they are, surely Mash can feel the way she jumps -- whether at the question, her own response, or just the closeness, Ritsuka herself can't say. But after a second, she wriggles her arms free enough so she can curl them up and around Mash in turn, resting her hands lightly against her back.

Her bare back. Oh shit. ]

Uh, I mean, i-if you don't want, you don't have to, uh-- it's fine! With me! If it's fine with you!

[divineplea]

[Mash is snickering.

It's hard not to, when Ritsuka is panicking like this. Her senpai's never come across as a bundle of nerves to her, but she is still a young woman, and - and it's so cute.

The snickering turns into a laugh, the kind of thing that comes deep from Mash's stomach, earnest and full.]

Senpai - Senpai, what on Earth is going through your head -

[She laughs a little harder, hugs herself closer to Ritsuka, tries to take a deep breath - the laughter fades out, but she's still smiling.

And then, a thought occurs to her -]

When was the last time I laughed, even?

[fujimaru]

[ If Mash thinks Ritsuka is going to say what's exactly going through her head right now, she's going to be disappointed. It's not that she thinks Mash is completely pure and untouchable, but listen: Ritsuka is a child of the internet era. She wasn't stupid enough to look up anything on Chaldea's network, but she has definitely Looked Stuff Up. There's noooooo way she's going to admit that aloud.

At least she has the distraction of Mash laughing, and that soft question. It makes her chest ache for a moment. How long has it been? Too long, for sure-- she has to believe it happened during that long awkward year waiting for the Mage's Association to come and pass its judgment on Chaldea. Surely it couldn't have been as long as before the Temple.

She tightens her arms around Mash in turn, a brief, hard squeeze. ]

...a while, probably. I'm glad to hear it.

[divineplea]

[She doesn't want to think it's been that long, either. But then - she's smiled, plenty. She knows that much. She's not going to pretend her life's been misery, she doesn't have that right. But she's never been the type to laugh that much anyway, and - her jaw's always clenched tight, these days. Worries and stress.

When Ritsuka squeezes into their hug, she hugs back. She doesn't want to let Ritsuka go.]

This much is fine too, right?

[fujimaru]

Of course it is.

[ Whatever salacious thoughts she might have had a moment ago, she's only fond and soft now. Without really thinking about it, she starts to stroke Mash's back, just small soft passes from shoulderblades to hipbones. It's soothing for her, too, to do this. ]

We can do this for as long as you want.

[divineplea]

[Honestly - being touched like this is giving Mash the salacious thoughts. She might not have had internet access, but she had a fully stocked library. There's only so many bodice rippers you can read before 'touching hipbones' starts to become foreplay.

Mash's face reddens, even if all she really does is squirm slightly against Ritsuka. But with the clothes they're in, that sort of motion just makes her redder.]

I'm starting to think you wouldn't say no to anything. [... Oh Jesus -]

Normal anything. [Look. At the end of the day - strip away fate of the world, saving humanity, Galahad, Servant - Mash is a shut-in whose hobbies are mystery novels and history. She deserves some slack here, right?]

... now I'm the one who doesn't know what they're thinking.

1/2

[fujimaru]

If you're the one asking, there isn't anything--...

[fujimaru]

[ Oops. Oops.

Ritsuka goes stiff again, because there she goes! Again! Just saying the first thing that pops into her head, casually-- because it's Mash, and Mash has always been patient beyond understanding when it comes to Ritsuka and her tendency to let her mind wander. Mash, who has listened to Ritsuka make some hilariously stupid things and just smiled gently, or (even worse!) taken her seriously, with a regard that Ritsuka doesn't understand how she earned.

She has to turn her head then, ducking it as best she can, so she doesn't have to make eye contact. It'd be one thing if they were just normal friends, two ordinary girls who'd become close; it's another entirely that Ritsuka is Mash's Master, and that Mash puts so much weight and importance into the dumb shit Ritsuka does on a daily basis. Is this taking advantage of someone's good nature?! Is this using her position of authority?!

The ground can open up and swallow her any second now, thanks! ]

1/2

[divineplea]

[The truth is, Mash has never once given Ritsuka any authority over her - she's given her trust, and devotion, and that's the relationship they have. There's a reason she doesn't call her Master. Ritsuka is her senpai. Someone she can rely on, no matter what.

Her lifeline.

The room's very, very quiet. The storm's quieted, but there's still the steady patter of rain against the wooden shack. Running along the grass of the window. A crack of thunder, far off in the distance. Mash registers none of this. It's just her heart, thumping in her chest, Ritsuka's steady breathing -

There's so much she couldn't take back if this went any further. Imagine trying to explain literally any of this to Da Vinci. Or anyone else. She knows there's Servants who love Ritsuka, just as much as she does, in their own ways. She knows it might cause complications. She knows she barely understands these feelings.

She leans in and presses her lips to Ritsuka's anyway, though, hands in her hair, shaky as she tries to hold at least her lips steady. The bridge of her glasses presses into Ritsuka's nose. She has to pull back, tilt her head, and try again. Her hands are shaking so much.

Ritsuka's lips are soft. That's the only thought she can have.]

2/2

[divineplea]

[She doesn't want to let anything go, ever again. And that isn't as cool and resolute a thought as she means it to be, because her hands are shaky, and her voice is small, and she breaks the kiss far too early, in the awkward, exploratory, 'I wonder how long is okay' way of most first kisses, but -]

I'm the one asking. [That, at least, is firm.]

Senpai.

Re: 2/2

[fujimaru]

[ RITSUKA.EXE HAS STOPPED WORKING

There's a couple of seconds where she just stares, wide-eyed and not even breathing. Ritsuka has never really thought about how she'd want her first kiss to go, but here it is. It's happened, and even after it breaks, her lips feel tingly. ]

--Yes?!

[ She's not even sure what the question is, anymore, only that Mash is asking her, and she likes... all of this. She likes Mash's weight over her, the arms around her, and she liked that kiss. And no matter how confused she is, she'd meant what she'd said. As long as Mash is the one asking, there's nothing Ritsuka would refuse her.

Her grip against Mash's back tightens. ]

Whatever you want, I'm definitely okay with it!

[divineplea]

Senpai, when you're that eager, it's embarrassing!

[Aaaand there goes the mood. Then again, she wouldn't want this to be any other way - this is Ritsuka, after all. The fact that they're this comfortable is the point.]

Just... tell me if I do anything you don't like, okay? Even a little.

[Wait. Wait. Is she the one leading? She's imagined this before. It wasn't like this.

She eases herself up, gives herself just enough room to take her glasses off - thank god, there's a nightstand in the room, she places them there - brushes her bangs out of her face, leans back in.

The kiss is firmer, this time. She hugs Ritsuka in close, with it, tilts her head and just lets herself enjoy the sensation of Ritsuka's lips against hers. They always feel connected, Servant and all, but this is - different. Much different. Warm. She can feel Ritsuka's breath against her skin when she pulls away, and that makes her lean in for another kiss. She tilts her head like she's seen in pictures, read about in books, and that angle feels much better.

She might just do this all day.]

[fujimaru]

That's--

[ That's not her fault, if she's embarrassing! Who kissed who first, Mash!

She's happy to let herself be cut off, though. It feels a little more romantic this way, and maybe it's embarrassing to admit, even to herself, that she does in fact like and want romantic... but also, she's not going to deny enjoying this. She's not one for self-sacrifice, not really; it's mostly that there's very little that she actually truly, deeply wants for herself.

And if she wants this -- and just importantly, Mash wants this -- then there's no need to play coy or pretend she's not as interested as she is. Just because she can't use her words doesn't mean she can't express how much she's enjoying herself.

If Mash is going to tease her about eager, she'll show eager. You don't need experience for that. She wraps her arms more securely around Mash as her weight settles, also tilting her head to accommodate, and then, daringly, curious and testing, parts her lips enough to dare a kittenish lick at Mash's mouth. Take that! ]

[divineplea]

[See, here's the thing.

Mash has read romance novels. Deep kisses, longing glances, unbridled lust, that sort of thing. She has no experience either, but she has knowledge, second-hand, filtered through narrative. She knows about what kissing should be like, in a story, or what people imagine it to be like.

So when Ritsuka licks at her lips -

"Oh, Ritsuka wants to use her tongue."

And that's why she kisses in, more deeply, presses her tongue into Ritsuka's mouth. She taps her tongue against the other girl's, slowly circles around it. It's a strange sensation - slightly awkward - but not at all a bad one. And it feels so incredibly intimate.

So, hand on the back of Ritsuka's head, she kisses in even deeper.]

[fujimaru]

[ An inadvertent noise rises out of her throat at the brush of Mash's tongue, a shiver going through her. Apparently she likes hands in her hair! That's news to her! There's a part of her that's genuinely embarrassed to be this responsive, but she doesn't want to stop, either. Everything's new and interesting on top of feeling good, and she's happy to apply herself diligently.

So she kisses back, letting her tongue slide against Mash's in those same small curious strokes, and she also lets her hands wander, sliding along the smooth skin of Mash's back with more intent than before. A few times, her fingers pluck against the back of Mash's bikini top, but she's not quite brave enough to pull it.

Yet. She's working up to that. ]

[divineplea]

[Ritsuka likes hands in her hair, Mash likes having the back of her bikini teased at. They're learning things together, because boy, Mash squeaks when she realizes what Ritsuka's teasing at.

Her tongue's inquisitive against Ritsuka's, tracing it as best she can, and God, when their tongues actually touch properly, it kind of feels like heaven. She runs a hand through Ritsuka's hair, gentle, tries to calm herself down.

She finally breaks the kiss, and, uh - nods. Eagerly.]

Go ahead. Can I - yours?

[fujimaru]

Yeah.

[ She says it softly, barely more than a breath. It feels almost like a prayer.

And after a moment, she manages to rustle up a smile-- not quite the usual easy ones she can summon when they're with everyone else, or even in the other quiet moments when they've been alone together. This one feels awkward on her face, more shy than she wants to admit to being. Her figure isn't bad, but compared to some (a lot) of the Servants, it's nothing to brag about, either.

So to distract herself, she reaches up behind Mash's back, feeling for the little bow that ties the halves together, and gives it a tug. ]

[divineplea]

[Well, how does Ritsuka think Mash feels? Looks were never something that were prioritized for her - taking care of herself, washing her hair - anything that went beyond the bare minimum needed to keep her health, she had to learn that herself. Or from other people, ones who just cared about her.

And it's not like she's a goddess, or pursued by heaven for her beauty, or anything. She's just a person, like Ritsuka. So as far as she's concerned, they're equals.

... Even if, when Ritsuka undoes her bikini top, there's a sort of weight to how they fall. She doesn't imagine Ritsuka's feel that heavy.]

... Like them?

[Look. This is going to sound extremely stupid. But she mostly Servants to compare herself to. So in her own mind, she's kind of average.]

[fujimaru]

...I think they're really pretty.

[ She was ogling a little -- how is she not supposed to, when they're right there? -- but Mash's question draws her gaze back up to the other girl's face, and then Ritsuka can't help the smile that curls her lips. If she couldn't resist looking at Mash's exposed breasts, she's even less able to resist the fondness that uncurls inside of her at the question. There's something comforting about knowing they're both nervous about this.

Ritsuka lifts a hand to brush some of Mash's hair back, letting her fingers linger at the curve of Mash's ear. ]

I think you're really pretty. I think maybe you're one of the prettiest people I've ever seen.

[ If one were to be strictly objective, then no, Mash isn't the most beautiful person in Chaldea. There are too many Actual Goddesses for that.

But in terms of Ritsuka's affections, Mash outshines all of those goddesses and legendary beauties. And that's the only measure that matters to her. ]

[divineplea]

You are... too...

[She was so bold a minute ago, but how are you supposed to respond to being told that? Ritsuka's met multiple goddesses of love. Women who have bewitched the world with their looks. She's met people whose literal face qualifies as a Noble Phantasm.

So being told that is - heavy.]

You're beautiful, senpai. [And that feels so inadequate, so -]

... I love how sincere your smiles are? Ah, and your nose is cute.

[... Sorry, she's trying her best here. She - well, she mostly just wants this conversation to be over, so she hugs Ritsuka into her chest. There. Now Ritsuka's happy and can't talk.]

[fujimaru]

What--

[ Oh no. Oh noooooooo. Ritsuka might not be able to talk, but she does laugh, muffled as it is, looping her arms around Mash's body in turn, squeezing in an attempt to convey her affection. She can't help it; it just feels like it bubbles out of her in a wellspring, and it's such a relief to be able to let it out.

Beautiful, huh. That uncertainty goes both ways, after all. Ritsuka has no illusions about her looks-- she can clean up nicely if she puts in the effort, but it's been so long since she's had the desire, never mind the time. But if Mash thinks so, then what else matters?

She does turn her head enough to free her mouth a little, and then -- it's an impulse really, a thoughtless instinctive gesture -- and nips at the skin available there. It's just a small playbite, no real pressure to it-- a tiny challenge, because she can't not, even now. ]

[divineplea]

Nn...

[Sorry, even just a playbite makes Mash squirm. There are things that should have teeth on them and things that shouldn't, and in Mash's mind her body is definitely in the latter category. Again, she's read books, but - look, playful nips aren't something she's used to!

... It's not even bad, is the thing.]

Don't laugh, senpai. That's a terrible thing to do when a girl is pouring her heart out to you.

[fujimaru]

I'm happy!

[ Ritsuka says that now that she's free to talk, tipping her head back to beam at Mash. She's so innocent right now, look at this face. She's also still laughing, draping her arms now around Mash's neck.

(Honestly, she thinks she'd like biting, which is why she'd done it, but really, the point is that Mash is adorable. She's the best. Ritsuka is maybe in deeper than she wants to admit.) ]

I can't help it-- what am I supposed to feel, when you say stuff like that? Jeeze.

[divineplea]

[Mash is - in the deepest, really. There's no part of her that she doesn't think of as partly Ritsuka's, not because of ownership or the Master/Servant relationship, but because she's willingly - given herself? To Ritsuka. She can imagine life without her, but she doesn't want to. That's what love is, she thinks. Not that she has any experience.

Through Ritsuka, she's learned to value herself more. And now that she knows she has value, she wants to give as much of herself to Ritsuka as possible. It's like that.

She nips, very lightly, at Ritsuka's ear in return, pouting at her.]

Swept off your feet, maybe?

[fujimaru]

Aha--

[ In spite of herself, she squeaks at the flash of teeth. Ritsuka's whole body curls into that for just a second, her arms tightening around Mash's neck. Okay! File that note away for later -- teeth good, her ear is good, they can revisit that later.

For now, she just beams up at Mash, flushed and pleased. She can't stop smiling. It really does feel like Mash's weight on top of her is the only thing that keeps her from drifting away-- in more ways than one. Ritsuka knows herself; she knows how easily she can glance off of things and drift off, a pleasant encounter and nothing more. It's Mash's faith in her that anchors her, and roots her in the desire to stay in the present and to make something of it.

She's happy for it. ]

I'm definitely that. But you don't have to try to make me feel that way. As long as it's you, I will.

[divineplea]

['As long as it's you, I will.'

-- She wonders how long Ritsuka's felt like that. Since Camelot? -- Later? Earlier? Mash struggles to think of the first time she felt truly useful to Ritsuka, the first time she let herself think maybe she was not only wanted, but needed.

Or, really, the first time she let herself think maybe she was wanted.

-- And 'later' is right now. She nips once more at Ritsuka's ear, teeth dragging along her skin, briefly suckling on the lobe of it - tongue tapping along it for a second before pulling away, peering at Ritsuka over her glasses.]

I want to try and make you feel more swept off your feet, then.

[fujimaru]

[ Another little squeak bursts out of Ritsuka at the second brush of those teeth. She can't really stop it, or the breathless giggle that follows. Her voice is noticeably more breathless, this time, her fingers tangling to tug playfully at Mash's hair. ]

You'll spoil me, if you're not careful. Are you sure you want that?

[ It's not quite a challenge; she doesn't really think either of them are in danger of going too far, there. But it is cute to see Mash riled up, and her determined face is one of Ritsuka's favorites.

To punctuate the question, she lets her lashes dip low, biting her own lower lip for a moment. It's the sort of coy expression that she's seen Mata Hari pull off before. On her, it feels closer to ridiculous, but she's also confident enough that it'll be funny, not off-putting, if she isn't successful. ]