Espada don't DO Blind Dates (Open)

Narue gave a small giggle in response to Esmerelda's comment as she assisted her, tying off what needed tying off for the woman.

She gave a smile when she was done, stepping away to give the espada some space now that her swimsuit was on properly. "Doneee~!"

Her own swimsuit still needed to be put on, so she'd change soon too...she also needed to leave money next to the register; as for what to do with Hato-kun, well, he could just sit off to the side while they swam since she wasn't exactly comfortable stuffing him into a locker or anything.

Esmerelda's blush didn't fade for a minute or two after Narue finished tying up the loose ends of her swimsuit. She ran her hands down her sides, smoothing it out, watching Narue back away with a fiendish little look in her eye. She sighed. She HAD promised to be good. She shifted uncomfortably. Being good was haaaarrrd.

She pouted. "I don't suppose you'll be requiring some assistance getting into yours, would you?" She said with a smirk, balling her hands into little fists. She was being good, damn it... Maybe bringing her here where they'd be in swimsuits was a subpar idea.

"H-Huh? Well I, if I do I'll call on you! Promise!" Narue replied, for her's...it was really only the top that needed to be tied and she didn't think she'd have a problem with it...though Esmerelda's question had surprised her...though it probably shouldn't have.

Narue walked over behind a few of the racks herself, placing Hato-kun on the table holding various necklaces and summer-themed accessories one could buy here s a souvenir before she began changing.

Esmerelda strolled around the store, enjoying the feel of her new swimsuit. It was sexy, but elegant. Narue had an eye for clothes, alright. She walked over to the register and looked among the various tourist attraction baubles before picking up a pair of swim sandals. "Narue? I'm getting a pair of swim shoes. I suggest you do too. Some of these areas can have SO many germs." She said before walking back over to Narue's area, keeping a healthy few racks between her and the other girl to give her privacy.

"Correct me if I'm wrong, but did that make you flustered?"

"Okay!" She replied.

Swim shoes sounded like a good idea, along with the talk of germs it could also be painful to walk on the pavement barefoot for too long...at least it wasn't daylight though, then it'd be even harder due to it being too hot to walk on.

The lieutenants thoughts on the matter though, were interrupted as Esmerelda approached her; keeping behind a rack so she could have her privacy.

"Ah...w-well...it was a bit...embarrassing." Narue replied, glancing to the side after getting the bottoms of the swimsuit on as she moved to change into the top.

Esmerelda leaned against the rack, smirking. "Oh? You were embarrassed? But you helped me get into mine.." She glanced to the side, a long black mass rising from the ground around her. She gestured with her head for it to go. Not that it mattered, since it was a part of her, but she liked little visual flourishes like that. Regardless, the tendril quietly arced over the clothes rack and, with a startling speed and deftness, swiped the swimsuit top from the lieutenant, holding it up in the air out of her reach.

"Are you sure the word you're looking for isn't 'yearning'? I promised to be good, but if you'd like me to stop, I would certainly have no qualms."

She gave a small 'eep' of sorts when the top was snatched from her grasp; noticing it was one of Esmerelda's shadows when her eyes followed the article of clothing. One arm had gone to cover herself, even if there wasn't much to cover in the first place, still though...it wasn't like she was board-flat...just...small.

"I-It was embarrassment." Narue responded, "b-being asked that was just...just a little embarrassing."

"hmhmhm..." She giggled to herself. She wanted so badly to tease Narue further. She sighed. "Well... I DID promise to be good... You should count yourself so lucky I enjoy your company enough to keep my promises." She said, lowering the swimsuit back to Narue. Unknown to the girl, there would be an ever so small slip of shadow on the drawstrings still, invisible in the darkness.

"Is it wrong, Naru-Chan, that I absolutely adore the sound of your voice when you're embarrassed?" she followed it up with a lecherous little chuckle.

Narue gave a mental sigh of relief when the top was returned to her and she quickly slipped it on, unaware of the lingering shadows as it remained hidden in the darkness. Her smile brightened when she was dressed, she was happy with the swimsuit. It was cute. Now she just needed to get some shoes and then she'd pay...pay...oh no...her wallet with human money was back in her gigai!

Oh no...she'd have to come back and pay later, same with the alcohol...she had the money, her problem was with having to wait to pay. She didn't let it show on her expression though, it wasn't like she wasn't going to come back. Things would get paid for!

The lieutenant could only manage a small, sheepish giggle of sorts in response to the espada's question...not really knowing what to say.

She rounded the corner quickly, walking over. "Goodness, Narue." She reached out and pinched her side. "If you're worried about people thinking you're the wrong kind of cute, wear things like this more." Her pinching hand slowly pressed its palm gently to her side. She looked like she might make some kind of move before turning and storming away some. "Bahhh..." She crossed her arms, with a small "HMPH!" She glanced over her shoulder. "Naru-chan had better seriously appreciate how much effort she is making it for me to continue being good."

She sighed. "So! Water slides?"

Another small 'eep' of sorts escaped her at the pinch as she glanced up at the other woman, unable to help give another small laugh. "I'm glad...or well, it makes me happy you're making the effort though, even though you say I'm making it hard...ehehe."

Her smile was apologetic, at least for a short moment before it brightened at the suggestion.

"Mm! The water slides sound fun!"

"Don't apologize, Naru-chan. It's... It's on me, really." She sighed. "What can I say... I have an attraction to innocence. Or robbing it, anyway." She turned and began walking towards the slide, suddenly feeling like talking. "When I was your age... oh... about a thousandish years ago? I was a working girl in some romanian burg." She put her hands behind her head, stretching as she continued. "Maybe I grew up with different values from others or maybe I just never had the same ones? Nothing about my profession ever seemed sordid. It was a job I was good at and it was pleasurable to do. I didn't FEEL things the way others did." She glanced over her shoulder, assuming Narue was still walking. "Maybe your apathy towards the matter is why I'm so intrigued in stealing YOUR innocence, hmm? You remind me of me in some very weird way." She laughed again, slowing down to walk next to Narue, assuming again, she had followed.

"Oh, by the way. Some of my shadow is on the drawstrings of your swimsuit. I can remove your top with a thought." She looked over with a smug, nefarious smirk. "PLEASE tell me that makes you nervous~."

Narue followed, listening to Esmerelda as she spoke with interest. That was what her life had been like before becoming an Espada? It seemed...Narue couldn't quite place a term for it, she couldn't put herself in the Espada's shoes for such a situation...If she were as she was now, she didn't think she'd like that life very much...if she were raised on the lifestyle though...then how would she be? She couldn't be sure...

"I see...my only memories of before I became a shinigami were when I lived in the Rukon Districts...I was really little so...I think I died when I was a baby...perhaps? That or I was too little to remember. I got beat up a lot, since I was so small and I got beat up after trying to steal food. Riichi-nii found me then and bandaged me up...after that I didn't get beat up anymore, I got taken care of and raised in a happy environment...so in a way I was lucky for a time..."

The mostly serious mood though was quickly turned after she'd spoken at Esmerelda's following words. Her expression holding some shock as she gave a small noise to go with it.

"I-It does!" She exclaimed, her arms moving over her chest out of instinct.

"Hehehe.." She was SO glad... "Don't worry. I'm not going to drop it now... Just letting you know I can... whenever I want to....."

"Hrm.. Is it possible you're a soul society native?" She asked, eyeing a few ride names on a sign at a crossing and pointing which one she was headed towards. "If so, you might actually have parents there, you know." She looked over at her. "It's... It's good... you had someone to protect you.." She frowned. "I didn't. I thought I did but... that didn't turn out so well, y'know?" She frowned. She had said 'for a time'... what had happened to her happy little home?

"Let's just say that it turns out dark age romanian pimp aren't the world's most concerned about the well being of the seventeen year old girls in their employ. It turns out that all it took was some noble's money for him to try to sell me as a more... permanent addition to this rich bastard's house." She glanced at Narue, before giving a small proud smile. "The noble, his guards, the panderer's guards... I would have gotten the pimp himself if human bodies didn't need so much blood to keep working." She flipped her hair aside a little, rather pleased with herself. "Of course once I became a hollow, he didn't make it too far."

"Maybe...if I did I wonder if they're still around...though the Rukongai area is huge, there's no way of knowing...especially if all this is just speculation. It's impossible to find something you don't even know exists, mm?" She replied, her hold around herself relaxing some. Hato-kun had been tied around her neck and was now hanging from her back. When it came to actually riding the rides she'd set him off to the side...

"That kind of life...it's so hard for me to imagine, I guess it's because I never experienced anything like it but...it sounds bad..." She gave a small smile though, when Esmerelda mentioned when she became a hollow. She didn't seem too down about her past, which was good...she was making the most of things now, maybe? Narue had no way of knowing any of that for sure though.

"It wasn't so bad. It's just a matter of how you look at the world. I don't need to feel anything for someone to enjoy their company. And I was really talented at my work. There were people back then who did what I was doing their whole lives and I was already good at it. It was... fulfilling. Not as fulfilling as my current life, but.." She shrugged.

"And.. Well.. if they are in the rukongai... I could always help you." She sighed. "As if you're going to spend time around me in the future." she said with a little sad laugh. "I can't imagine trying, incorrigibly I might add, to seduce you has made you eager to see me after tonight." She sounded like she meant it, but there was no particular sorrow in her voice. It was like she said. The world is the way it is sometimes.

"I see...I guess it would depend on how you look at it." Narue nodded, "and I couldn't ask you to do that...if they exist...they exist. If they don't, oh well...I won't get my hopes up. Dedicating time to something I'm not even sure exists...well, I'd much rather spend my days being happy with my friends and division then go on a wild goose chase."

She gave a small laugh but it was cut off at Esmerelda's sad sounding one. "Mm? I don't mind spending time with you, I just...don't know if I can easily reciprocate any...feelings that I'm not sure of."

"That's a wonderful outlook on life, Naru-chan." Esmerelda said with a happy smile. They came up to a rather towering water slide. Esmerelda stepped onto the wooden ramp leading to the stairs for it, glancing back at her. "Well.. I'll put out some intelligence feelers. You just go on being happy. How's that sound?" She gave a pleasant grin, that broadened when Narue responded to her. She ran back, stopping in front of the girl and putting a hand on her shoulder.

"Narue.. Please...We went over this before. I'm not looking for feelings. Feelings are what I try to avoid with people. I want to be your friend. I mean.." She put her hands up, throwing her head to the side. "Will I continue trying to convince you to sleep with me? Absolutely. You're adorable. But that doesn't mean I'm looking for anything more than friendship."

"If you want to, I don't mind." Narue answered though she did have to wonder how Esmerelda would know if she did come across anything.

"I know that's what you mean with the feelings thing...I just don't know another way of putting it for me." She couldn't help but attach feelings to...that sort of thing. She couldn't see herself in situations like that without them, then again she could hardly picture herself in situations like that at all; considering her confusion with herself. "Friends sounds good though."

"Great then!" She opened a garganta, pulling two constructs from her shadow. They looked like bats, if bats happened to be made of blades. They hovered near her and whispered to them for a few moments before they flew through the portal. "I'm already on it!" She said, having sent basic information for her agents to start canvassing.

"Oh?" She began walking up the stairs again. "You didn't mind the kissing though. Or the heavier activities we performed at the karaoke bar. Even you have to admit there was SOME part of you that desired more" She headed up one set of stairs before leaning over the side to talk to Narue on the set below it. "I would never do anything outside of a friend's comfort zone, but you can't tell me you wouldn't enjoy something more."

"It's...really confusing for me." Narue answered, a sheepish smile on her face as she followed Esmerelda.

"I think I explained it, how I want to make others happy...but when it comes to things like that, while I have a line, if I chose to go further I'm not sure if that would be me wanting it or if my want to see others happy were overruling my own feelings...so it's confusing. Even if there's no feelings behind it, I can't help but...put my own feelings behind it. I don't want to give others false hope and I don't want to do anything without being sure of how I really feel about it. If that makes any sense...Even I have trouble explaining it sometimes..."

Esmerelda raised an eyebrow. Goodness, she was cute. She hopped over the railing back onto the stair Narue was on, landing in front of her and leaning forward. "Hmm... I... kind of get it?" She gave a sheepish little laugh. "Um...But I get that you don't want to do anything you're not sure of... And you know I respect that.." She slipped to the side of Narue, putting her arm around her and walking up the stairs. "And I like that you're trying not to give anyone any false hopes. You're a sweet girl. Well, tell you what. In honor of our newly officiated friendship... I promise I will never get my hopes up that I will be able to sleep with you. I also promise I will also never cross any of your lines. However I also vow that I will continue to test and push those lines and occasionally need to have my hand smacked or to be told no... because if you let me, Narue Ueno? I WILL have you in my bed some day."

She looked over with a playful wink. "So... Do you agree to my terms of friendship?"

Narue gave a smile, "Mm! I can agree to that."

It wouldn't be much different from today then...just as long as lines weren't passed and she had control on that she was alright with it. Hopefully...the lieutenant wished that one day she'd be able to...figure things out, her feelings, how she feels about certain things...this confusion was problematic and...more frustrating that she'd like to admit.

She looked over, giving Narue a sweet smile. She reached out and slipped her pinkie finger around Narue's. "Well then, it's settled." She gave it a little shake. "Friends." She let it go and squeezed Narue's waist, hurrying up the stairs. She glanced over to see her new friend looking... apprehensive... She couldn't imagine what it was like to be... confused... about that sort of thing...

"Hey.." Her voice was soft, gentle even. "Don't worry, Narue..." She reached over and placed a hand to her jaw, but gently tipped it Esmerelda's way. "I'll be here if you need any help sorting yourself out....." She leaned forward and gave Narue a tender little kiss. "Even if it means I'd have to stop doing things like that. Now come on. We're almost to the top!" She said, letting Narue go to run up.

Narue's smile softened at Esmerelda's words as she gave a small nod; after the slight surprised of the unexpected kiss had passed. "Mm, okay."

Her pace quickened as she followed Esmerelda up the stairs; jumping up a few with ease thanks to not being a gigai and in her natural spirit form.