Rashomon [Makoto, Shishiyuki]

There were still surprises, Makoto couldn't say that she'd ever seen Shishiyuki so shy. No, she was always so calm and collected. Even in her own distress this woman would be steadfast and handle it with an otherworldly kind of resolve that didn't quiver under pressure but it could not hide, no matter where she might've tried to hide the writing on the wall, her body exploited cracks to convey it.

It was comfortable too, a lot more than she initially felt about the whole thing. It was like the anticipation to the moment was a greater fear than the act itself could produce and she was completely relaxed as opposed to her previous stiffness in the body and visible discomfort like she was filled with tension and ready to pounce at the slightest disturbance.

"Would you like to kiss me?"

She said with a lot more confidence than she felt. Maybe because she was taking the pressure of initiating it this time or that she was growing increasingly comfortable in this situation and with the implications over the menial stress of others' perceptions, her own concerns and past grievances with romance yet she barely thought about them at the moment. That was to deal with later, she was happy with this moment given to her.

The lack of her typical cool and collected exterior was, in some ways, refreshing to Shishiyuki. While it was true that much of her steely composure was simply her natural state, she became all the more impregnable when dealing with outsiders. Of course, this was far more than a simple "outsider."

Makoto's question was not a difficult one to answer, and if anything, perhaps it was a bit easier than she thought it would have been. But this was a simple question, even if the emotional circumstances were far from simple.

"I would."

The confidence that the question had been asked with was, in many ways, far more appealing to Shishiyuki than the question itself had been. Ah, the very thought of considering appearance and the like, all centered around a single person, was so alien to Shishiyuki that she knew it would take a long while to adjust to. But she supposed it was wholly worth it, really.

Hearing the confirmation Makoto took her request in full and reached up to pull her head closer, guiding their lips again to touch. There was a little less from Makoto this time, not from any kind of nerves or hesitation but out of desire to let Shishiyuki guide and maybe a little bit of curiousity to get a better idea of what it would be like to be kissed rather than be the kisser. It wasn't like she was doing nothing though, she was completely willing to continue leading if Shishiyuki would prefer it that way.

From here she felt it was just trying to go with the most natural course of action that her atrophied romantic abilities could do which lead to her hands aiming to work their way down the woman's back until they were resting on her hips, blissfully attending to remain proactive as their lips indulged each other.

Though she knew fully well that she had no experience in this, and that her efforts were likely rather subpar by any metric, Shishiyuki nevertheless took the initiative where Makoto had intended, leaning into the kiss a bit more as she did what she was fairly certain was the correct course of action. The feeling of Makoto's hands moving over her body was an alien one, and she was unsure exactly how she felt about such a touch for a few moments. But, as they rested on her hips, she determined that it was, as everything else in this little interaction, pleasant.

All that she could do now was to simply return the favor, and she brought one of her hands up and behind Makoto's head, gently running her fingers through the other woman's hair. Was that correct? She thought so. It seemed intimate, and she was fairly certain that was something common in these kinds of situations.

Were it not for being out of practice herself and no small amount of years since her lips were put to use like this, she might've been more critical but there was some basis to draw off and enough to know that she was most certainly genuine in her admission of never having done this before. In a weird way though she found it charming for Shishiyuki always had such grace and elegance in every facet of her actions but this was a completely different angle that she got to experience.

The fingers through her hair were nice but she did pause momentarily, interrupting what would now probably classify as light making out until she regained her composure and returned her lips to work. She did have to wonder to herself how many other little acts would be a reminder of another time with another person, hopefully they'd pass is what she thought to dismiss them and return her focus to Shishiyuki.

"I'm sorry, this is all fast. I don't really know how far you'd like to go either."

It was a little embarrassing her first time was nothing like this, it felt like she was asking so many questions and fretting about every little thing. It was much simpler then although in hindsight she was always on the more receiving side which only made it feel all the more jarring when she saw herself leading for someone who was a teacher to her.

While Shishiyuki certainly found the whole moment pleasant, she was not nearly such a child, or so caught up in her own emotional reverie, that she could not notice the more immediate personal matters involved her, particularly in both Makoto's pause and in her words. She was not familiar with any of this, and it would be a lie if she said that she wished to rush into what it all entailed. It did not seem Makoto did, either, and she found that reassuring in its own way.

"I think this has already been more than I would have thought to ask for. It is quite fast, you are correct, and I do not wish to rush this."

There was more on her mind as she finished that sentence, something that she actually considered rather pressing given what had occurred here. She was almost unsure of how to word it, but as with everything today, she supposed it was best simply to be up front.

"I suppose I must ask what you would wish this relationship to be, going forward."

Well that was a relief, though she might've taken not wanting to move to quickly a little too far given that she retrieved her hands from their spot on Shishiyuki's hips and made a bit of space. Makoto couldn't exactly say that she had any plans in mind, her mind was empty given that it was still being reiorientated after processing the actual situation that had just unfolded. It barely felt like any time passed in that whole ordeal.

"Aha... I don't really know. This is all very surpising, I never thought I'd be with someone again."

It left her a little sheepish to say, wasn't this just so reckless. In hindsight maybe she should've brought up these hypotheticals before putting anything into practice but here they were.

"I had long since accepted that I would simply go my life without any romantic endeavors. This was certainly not something I anticipated."

Shishiyuki was decidedly more composed in this side of things, the conversation on important matters. After all, that was something she was far more familiar with, even if this exact topic of conversation was one wholly alien to her. It was not so different from anything else, really.

"I completely understand if you do not wish to make this into something romantic. My opinion of you as a person, a student, and a friend will not change in the slightest if that is the case. But I would be lying to you if I said that I did not find the idea appealing."

Well, that was that. Despite it being more personal in many respects, Shishiyuki had approached this with much more elegance than the physical side of things. She had no practice with any of this either, of course, but it was far easier to navigate.

She bit her lip ever so slightly while thinking about what Shishiyuki said. She had come to terms with the idea that she might be interested in women, or was it interested in a woman? Makoto also wondered briefly if it was an interest in women or just the convenience of being closer to them that made them more appealing. It left her a little hesitant but at the same time, it felt genuine and even just being apart she still felt her heart beating fast and awaiting the opportunity to get closer to her again.

"How exactly would it work exactly? I mean you are the Noble Family Head.. and my teacher, won't there be rumours? Maybe we could try something, see how it goes? It's not like we can't go back if we find it unsatisfying...."

Makoto hesitated after she said it, could it really go back to the point before being romantically involved if they lost the spark? At the same time what if it fell through? Wouldn't it be safer to just remain as they were now? Wasn't this risky?

"There will certainly be rumors, yes. I will be happy to dispel them, or to simply let them be. I have no concern about what others think of me simply because of my position. If they have issue with who I choose to pursue a relationship with, then they are welcome to challenge me on the matter."

The firm confidence in Shishiyuki's voice only grew more stern at that, not directed at Makoto, but rather at anyone who would judge her for this. She was, after all, still committed to taking the advice she had received from both of the Kashas, to not chain herself down solely by the opinions of others.

"I do not see any reason to complicate the matter. I think that would only put undue stress on us both, and detract from the matter itself. It would simply be a relationship like any other. You, as my...girlfriend, and I as yours."

The hesitation in her voice was not, in fact, out of any shyness with regard to the title, but almost entirely because she was unsure if that would even necessarily be correct in this context. Shishiyuki's understanding of relationships was limited at best, but still, she was maintaining her cool as if it were all very simple.