Vermillion Origami(Hime/Elyss)

It had been some time since Hime had visited her enigmatic companion, Elyss. Considering Hime's character, she was not the type of woman who would express that sentiment, wholly comfortable with allowing Elyss to operate at her own pace.

With no particular objectives scheduled, the graceful Shinigami supposed it was an opportune time to visit Elyss and explore their... relationship? They had spoken at length about being a couple but they never officially set anything in stone.

It wouldn't hurt to ask her out on a date, right? Preparing herself with a morning routine she had become accustomed to, she made her way towards Murasaki's division, moving between the respective yurts until she arrived at Elyss's home, softly calling out to the crimson-haired woman.

Observant woman as she was, it didn't take Hime long to discern an odd expression in companion's countenance yet she paid little mind to it, believing it to be the result of her likely being disturbed or not even expecting Hime to be at her door.

Clearing her throat, Hime bowed before Elyss as she contemplated how she should approach her on the subject of their relationship or... their date. Yes. That was her purpose in coming here and she would complete the personal objective she had set out before herself.

It had dawned on her that this was the first time in years she had asked anyone out on a date, let alone approach them at their doorstep. Was this proper etiquette? She was asking too many questions within her mind and simply took a deep breath before gazing into Elyss's eyes with a determined pair of amber eyes.

"What we spoke about... the last time we met... I was wondering if I could ask you out on a date today... if you don't have anything to do, of course. I would hardly wish to impose on your schedule."

Bowing? Elyss felt like telling the woman to lighten up and stop with the formalities. It’s not like they’re strangers or anything. Besides, Elyss had an idea about what the woman’s here for, and it only took Hime a few seconds to verify the redhead’s thoughts. Now, maybe Hime just wanted to act her best, but that’s not really necessary. At least Elyss found some humor in watching the woman stumble through her words a bit. It’s not enough to put her mind at ease, but it was enough to put a small amused smirk on her face.

“Bold, but I guess we did agree on one after I came back. Give me a bit.”

And, by bit, she meant about ten minutes. That’s how long it took her to decide on what to wear, clean up a bit, and exit from her home. At a glance, one might not actually recognize Elyss, but her red hair helped. Her attire, on the other hand, felt entirely wrong and entirely right all at the same time. Stepping from her home in a blue dress with matching slippers, Elyss decided to sport something she had acquired a while ago from her outing with Himiko. Hugging her body a bit too graciously, the dress rolled down to her knees with her shoulders fully exposed, the V cut stopping just above the small of her lower back. Bare shoulders, which her red hair lay upon, seem flushed by the glow of the sun. Though, it’s impossible for the redhead to hide the wear and tear of life, her arms, knuckles, and bare skin tarnished by light scarring that seemed to add a rugged beauty to her form.

Now, the best part of all this isn’t the outfit. It’s her expression. Different from her usual stoic poker face, Elyss’ face seemed almost womanly. With eyes that held no sharpness or usual disdain, they stared at Hime as if expecting something. Her cheeks seemed puffier, like the bare minimum of a pout, and her lips are pursed in a flustered manner. Without a word, she continued forward, stepping close to Hime, moving her gaze up into the other’s eyes before her head slanted some.

“So… Am I cute? Himiko would probably think I’m cute. She bought this for me, and I was standing, staring in my closet, wondering what to wear. I figured, why not? It’s not everyday I decide to be pretty or anything. Everyone always aquant me with aggressive tomboy energy, but that doesn’t hide the fact that I’m still a woman, ya know? Anyway, let’s get going, yeah?”

She talked a lot, a defense mechanism to keep from thinking about how embarrassing this actually is. Besides, it helps her just as much as it hurts her. This way, she’ll be more focused on her own looks and the looks of others. Now, she shouldn’t have time to ponder about everything else that’s been bugging her. She owes Hime that much.

Hime blinked, somewhat taken aback by Elyss going into the house let alone taking ten minutes to prepare herself and yet---the moment Elyss stepped out of her yurt and stepped towards her, Hime found herself rendered silent, her mouth somewhat ajar as she observed and even admired the natural beauty in her crimson-haired companion's countenance.

The dress accentuated her appearance beautifully, as if the dress was designed for her alone, meant to be worn by no one else but her. Even the scars on her skin added a rugged flair that hardly marred her lovely appearance in this moment.

Of course, she had once felt she had seen Elyss within this dress before but believed that her eyes had deceived her and played it off. Moreover, when her eyes set themselves upon her face, Hime had expected to see the typically stoic expression she had become familiar with since the two had known one another and yet even that expectation had been shattered into pieces, like so many shards of glass. Was she cute? By the gods, this woman was beautiful.

Reaching out to hold her hand, Hime smiled gracefully as she admired her companion's lovely appearance.

"Cute? If I may be so bold, Elyss... You look absolutely gorgeous right now. I'm at a loss of words, truly. To say I expected to be rendered almost speechless is truly humorous but I appreciate that you decided to look so lovely for our date. I hope I can impress you today. As shameful as it is to admit, I haven't been on a date in years..."

“You’re being bothersome.”

Hopefully, Hime wasn’t expecting Elyss to be especially swayed by pretty words. People throwing compliments around annoys her. How’s she supposed to react? Maybe calling it bothersome wasn’t the correct decision, but she found it better than blushing and falling head over heels. Unfortunately, being annoyed doesn’t stop her from becoming a bit bashful. Even if she doesn’t seem too impressed, Elyss is still affected by that kind of stuff, so Hime at least did something.

“Let’s get moving. Guess you’ll have to work extra hard to make sure this date goes well, huh?”

She huffed as she went forward, dragging along the woman who dared take her hand. Now, where should they head off to? Really, honestly, Hime should be the one to pick their destination. It was her who came to take Elyss out somewhere.

There it was. The stoic crimson-haired woman Hime was ever familiar with. A pleasant smile formed across her lips as the two women walked side by side. Pulled along at Elyss's pace, Hime wondered about what would serve as a suitable location. Musing on locations, Hime thought the most ideal place should be one where her companion she felt comfortable. A place where neither of them had to worry about wondering eyes.

There was no need to be extravagant and yet she still found that a piece of her pride wanted to impress her girlfriend... Finding a middle ground in her mind, Hime turned to Elyss and decided to pull her along to a restaurant she had become accustomed to, one that served fine cuisine but also allowed the two to operate at their own pace without the watchful eyes of others.

if Elyss followed along, they would eventually reach the restaurant of Hime's choice as she turned towards Elyss to gauge her reaction. If she disliked the locale, she had another location in mind...

Despite her warning, Elyss doesn’t actually care where Hime took her. The location is important for a date, but Elyss knows Hime wouldn’t take her anywhere that’d prove troublesome. Considering Hime’s probably fancier than the redhead, it just makes sense that they’d end up somewhere decent. So, Elyss didn’t make a fuss when Hime finally decided to take the lead and make her follow. That’s how this is supposed to go anyhow. The only issue was probably the wandering eyes around them. It’s one thing to be in a dress. It’s another thing to be led around by another woman. People are going to gossip, and Elyss is sure she’ll have to deal with questions later, but, for now, she’s not going to let the future taint the present.

“This place is totally you. I was expecting something a bit fancy.”

Not one to colorcoat her words, she made the connection pretty seamlessly. Of course Hime would take her to an area that would warrant a little bit of fashion. It also seems like a place that most wouldn’t recognize her in at first, even if her general air mismatches with her personality a bit. A light chuckled followed as she pulled the other into the place, her eyes flicking here and there to get a better lay of the land.

“Not bad. Not bad.”

Hime smiled somewhat sheepishly at Elyss's comment but took it in stride, a small hint of relief pouring into her soul as she gazed at Elyss . With step one completed, Elyss pulled her into the restaurant, surveying the establishment with observant eyes before voicing her opinion.

To find a suitable seat, Hime surveyed the array of tables they could sit at, an ideal place where they wouldn't be disturbed by watchful eyes or gossiping lips. Of course, Hime would hardly allow herself to be swayed by the opinions or others when it concerned Elyss. What was there to be ashamed of? They were on a date, a date agreed upon months in advance.

If they couldn't operate in a public setting, that would not bode well for future prospects beyond this date. Better to experience growing pains now and remove all forms of doubt in their minds.

Hime lifted a finger, beckoning for a waiter or waitress to come over and guide them to a table. When they reached their seats, Hime curiously wondered what would make for good table conversation. In a professional setting, she was a master of her craft. On a date? A fish on dry land.

Now for the worst and best part of a date: the conversation. Elyss couldn’t have cared less about eyes or rumors. There’s nothing she can do about that, and worrying about it while with Hime would only spoil their afternoon. She’ll deal with her issues when she deals with them, but she can put on a pretty smile and act normal for one date. Besides, she owes this woman that much after what she’s done. It’s obvious the news has yet to reach Hime just yet, but Elyss knows she’s not ready for the fallout. That thought alone was almost enough to make her want to break down right then and there, but, again, she won’t spoil this afternoon because of problems unrelated to Hime.

“So, how have you been? Sorry for making you wait so long. I did say I’d letcha take me out, and then proceeded to be gone for way longer than expected.”

Knowing how bad Hime is at this stuff, Elyss took the reins. She knows a bit about conversing with having to fake interest in smalltalk with people a lot. It’s not going to be a huge conversation probably, but it should be enough until they get served and everything.