Day 49: Late Afternoon - Black Rock Inn

[mind-the-sukima.livejournal.com]

[From here]

It had been a longer walk to the Inn from the park than some of the other buildings they could have taken shelter in, but the reward of the crackling fire was more than enough to make up for it. Bidding the orderly who had guided them there farewell so he and his umbrella could go round up other sopping patients, Yukari, still holding Sheena's hand, immediately gravitated towards the flame.

"Ah, like coming back to life~" she said happily as they came within the radius of its warmth. Throwing back the hood on her jacket, she pulled off the scarf which had gone from warming accessory to neck-chilling sponge. Borders of hot and cold, wet and dry, it seemed she'd be forced to get rid of the chill the old-fashioned way - sitting in front of a roaring fire. Finally letting go of the ninja, Yukari plopped down on the rug before the fire, holding her hands out towards it to bask in its glow.

[To be crashed by some pink dead thing]

Comments

[mind-the-sukima.livejournal.com]

"A time limit, perhaps," chuckled the youkai. Though she'd seen some nurses try to curb patients who piled up ridiculous amounts of food, even if they didn't, they would be sure to move her ghostly friend when the shifts changed.

Unfortunately for said ghost, even if it worked on that gardener, Yukari was immune to Yuyuko's pleading - some of the time. This happened to be one of them, or at least the ninja could hope.

"Not even a nibble - this one's mine," she said, wrapping her arms around Sheena possessively. "You'll have to get your own~"

[aperfectbloom.livejournal.com]

Yuyuko nodded, pouting through both Yukari's quite-correct appreciation of the obstacles she faced and her refusal to offer any help.

"Ah," the ghost gave a theatrical cry of feigned dismay, "Her prison has turned my good friend into a miser that finds good things diminished by sharing. She is the only thing I must want to be mine again."

[mind-the-sukima.livejournal.com]

"Yes, what a cruel, cruel place this world is, for you to be so betrayed," said the youkai. However, rather than theatrical sympathy, Yukari looked more like a villain, smirking and petting the ninja's head like a she were a cat. Bad guys in those movies always had cats, didn't they? All she needed was a high-backed chair, the kind that swiveled.

Still, that didn't mean the currently flustered ninja could remain a passive object in her teasing, at least not for long if she knew Sheena at all. Picking up the girl's hand by the wrist, she raised it up, tapping it against her lips in thought since her own hands were busy at the moment.

"Well, I suppose if it's just a nibble..." she said, offering the hand to the ghost.

[mizuhomaiden.livejournal.com]

And finally Sheena snapped out of her confused stupor, snatching her hand out of Yukari's grasp.

"Hey! Don't you be doing that, you damn youkai. I am not a chew toy, no matter what you might think or any past evidence to the contrary." Oops, she hadn't meant for that last bit to slip out and her face heated up. She crossed her arms despite being held onto by her youkai, and looked away with a 'hmph'. No, she wasn't pouting. She wasn't.

[aperfectbloom.livejournal.com]

"Ah, she's swallowed her own foot before I could get any~" Yuyuko whined. "And when she's cooking so nicely."

She leaned closer to Sheena. "Such a peculiar meal to be so particular about who eats it..."

[mind-the-sukima.livejournal.com]

Yukari chuckled in amusement at the ninja's slip-up, amusement that only increased with Yuyuko's humor - or possibly serious complaint, it was always hard to tell. Yes, what a lively little party this was now. She smiled and leaned forwards with the ninja in her arms, further trapping the girl between them.

"Peculiar indeed, but that's part of why I find her so interesting," the youkai chuckled. "You'll likely never find another quite like her."