It was a misty night in Kirigakure (Imagine that?) and all through the town, not a creature was stirring, not even a… Well, there was a girl walking in the street towards big empty building. The old brick and mortar building had been uninhabited for years, and the girl walking slowly towards it knew that very well… She had picked out the location, after all. Sayaka Hinode was good at getting her way, and setting up a party for her friends wasn’t hard, especially because everyone needed a break from all their hard work. Getting the place filled and cleaned was a cinch, and alcohol was pretty easy to get in bulk as well. Add that to a well-catered snack table thanks to her friends at the bakery, and money chipped in by every attendant, and the result was one killer christmas party.

Of course, Sayaka was currently missing the party. At the last minute, she’d been called home to attend to some errands, so she had left the party in the hands of her friends, who promised to keep the metaphorical seat warm for her. Finishing her errands as fast as she could, Sayaka eagerly awaited her return to the party. Of course, it gave her a chance to fix her makeup, so she didn’t mind going home that much.

She looked almost surreal in the streets, a bright contrast to the rest of the dark, colorless night. She wore a red vest with puffy sleeves that made her shoulders seem more broad, a white crop top underneath and a matching white scarf wrapped loosely around her neck to complete the look. She had hastily thrown on a red miniskirt to go with the outfit, pulling out some white and red striped stockings and topping the whole ensemble off with a santa hat, sticking out like a thimble on top of her mess of blonde hair. She looked like a regular Santa’s helper.

The clicking of her shoes subsided as she finally reached the door, hearing the music, holiday themed as she had hoped, leaking out into the streets. It felt good that she organized this. She was proud. For a moment, she was overcome by emotions, unable to open the door. She collected herself, before grinning mischievously. It was time to show them that the real fun hadn’t even started…

She threw open the doors, expecting fanfare, but was met only with silence. Nothing. Not a peep from anyone. Looking around the room, she saw that her date had stiffed her, and was currently talking to another girl.
”...What the hell is this?” She would shout at the empty air. The music was low, and the atmosphere was awkward. Nobody was dancing, and nobody was enjoying themselves. It was like they were all in a standoff, waiting for somebody else to make the first move. Sayaka stepped farther into the room, standing alone on the empty dance floor. ”I pour my blood, my sweat, and my tears into making the best christmas party this village has ever seen, and you guys aren’t dancing?!” She shouted mockingly, the crowd still not moving. ”Well, what are you waiting for?!” She shouted again, pulling a girl from the sidelines to demonstrate. ”Fine, I’m dancing, and so are you.” She said sternly, taking the girl by the waist and the hand, leading her across the floor. She had moves, although the girl she was leading certainly did not. She was somewhere between crumbling from fear, swooning in her arms, and pulling away, madly trying to escape embarrassment. For a few moments, the two danced alone, with Sayaka gesturing for the DJ to pick up the tempo. He obliged, playing the music faster and faster, until the two were twirling amid a crowd of, at first, uneasy dancers. This is where Sayaka stayed for a long time, enjoying the dancing immensely.

Eventually, however, she became tired, and needed to sit down for a break. She swaggered off the floor, smoothly trading her dancing partner for a drink, downing it as she approached the bar and received another. Eggnog and Whiskey were an unbelievably wonderful combination, and Sayaka had taken the edge off in no time, her time as an uptight, stressed out academy graduate was over, at least for tonight. She could have fun for now. Of course, she didn’t have anyone to share the night with, and that made her feel a little empty. Her date had tried to get back with her after striking out, but she just shrugged him off. If he couldn’t wait fifteen minutes, she could do without him. Check another off the list on her search for “The one.”

A few friends had gathered around her, talking loudly and pointing out girls and guys alike to Sayaka. She would laugh and either say something along the lines of “Been there, done that,” “She’s crazy, I don’t want to be a part of that,” or simply “He’s an asshole.” They were having a very hard time to get Sayaka to make a move on somebody, which was normally fairly easy. Her heart simply wasn’t in it tonight… She seemed down in the dumps, even with the amazing party she had orchestrated, and they didn’t know if there was anyone who could quell this foul mood.

If Sayaka Hinode was Santa Claus, then Katsumi Haruto was definitely the Grinch.

The young woman sat alone near the back corner of the bar, trying terribly hard to ignore the writhing... mass of holiday spirit surrounding her. For a party-goer, the kunochi was incredibly tense, so rigid she may have turned to stone if not for the drink in her hand. Eyes half lidded, Katsumi brought the concoction to her nose, sniffing it vaguely before downing it in a single go. Fire exploded across her throat as she set the shot glass down beside the already-emptied two beside her, and, blinking slowly, she realized she had no idea what was even in the glass.

Not that it mattered, really. It was smooth, it was spicy, and it was strong... like drinking a candy cane. A really, really hot candy cane. Really hot.

Despite her general irritation with the entire holiday, Katsumi supposed the drinks were... satisfactory.

"It's so loud in here..." Katsumi muttered as she fingered the fourth shot in her set of five. Indeed, ever since that one chick arrived - Wasn't she the hostess or something? Katsumi wasn't sure she knew or cared - the party had soared in volume. All around her, people ground to the music, screamed horrendously to whatever Christmas tune or mainstream rap that came through the speakers, and continuously created so many vibrations that Katsumi was sure she could feel it, even from five feet away. The young woman swirled her shot around the glass. Why was she here, again?

Oh, right. Mari.

The eccentric purple-haired kunochi had all but begged her to attend the party, jabbering on and on about her absolutely fabulous friend that Katsumi just had to meet. All she could really catch from the never-ending babble was that the woman apparently had fantastic hair and… large breasts. That was it. Of course, as soon as Mari finished pushing Katsumi to the party, she had blurted something about “his man-glutes” looking like “the ass of Zeus - in skinny jeans” and ran off into the heart of the beast, leaving the obviously disoriented Haruto to navigate the jungle of hollering young adults.

Eventually, at least, she had found the bar in the midst of the event, but it hadn’t been without her fair share of collisions with various other party-goers. As such, not once had she left her island once she found it. It had been around 45 minutes since she arrived at the party, 30 since she reached the bar, 15 since the hostess had made her extravagant entry, and 5 since she ordered her third round of shorts. At least this one was her first notably strong set. Perhaps it was her low tolerance, but she was only feeling slightly buzzed; level-headed enough to stay out of the way of dancers, but tipsy enough not to care when people occasionally bumped into her back.

Katsumi, swirling her drink once more, downed it in a single gulp. Once more, the flaming, minty tendrils curled their way into her chest, and she sighed softly at the feeling. Hopefully Mari would turn up soon so she could leave the dreadfully crowded party and set her senses to rest. She leaned against her palm, elbow resting on the bar as she gazed out across the packed dance floor. Katsumi felt pairs of eyes lock with hers as she surveyed the room, but who she looked upon remained a mystery. After a moment, she averted her dull eyes to her drinks once again, a habit that never died despite her situation. After all, when one couldn’t see, what was the point in looking around?

They kept on trying to match Sayaka up with someone. How could they not? They all knew about her insatiable desire to find her “Destined one,” as they had taken to calling it, making sure to use lots of fanfare and dramatic flair, as if somehow they were far older and wiser than her, wisely shaking their heads and assuring her that she was too young for love.

If they only knew… Heh…

Sayaka stifled a chuckle at the thought, getting a weird look from the kunoichi with purple hair that was babbling to her about her friend, all the while stealing glances over at a boy in rather… tight… clothing. Sayaka just shrugged, not really interested, until the girl pointed her out. She gazed lazily in the direction that the girl was pointing, not expecting much, but was pleasantly surprised at what she saw.

The girl seemed to be scanning the room for someone or something, looking around blankly, and for a moment, their eyes locked, and Sayaka swore she felt sparks. She was pale and petite, very small and fair skinned, with large, light green eyes and silky raven hair. She looked absolutely underwhelming, yet that what set her apart. Where nearly every other partygoer was sporting some sort of mask, whether it be literal or metaphorical, she just looked so real…

Her jaw would drop ever so slightly, not enough to register to her friends, but enough for Sayaka herself to notice. She decided to… Relieve herself of her friends, to go and talk to her. Mari, the girl who had wanted to introduce them in the first place, was too busy gawking at the aforementioned boy’s behind, so opted to stay behind and let Sayaka introduce herself. That was fine. She preferred it that way.

She swiped two drinks from a tray somebody was holding on her way to her, crossing the dance floor and moving nimbly through crowds of couples, dodging a few attempts at flirting without missing a beat, before finding her place in the empty seat next to the girl, smiling warmly and setting holding the drink out for her at half an arm’s length, standing slightly behind her.

”Y’know, of all the people at this party, a beautiful girl like you is the last person I’d expect to be drinking alone. Mind if I join you?” She would say, emphasizing every syllable of the word “Beautiful.” She would help herself to a seat if the girl took the drink, another one of her beloved eggnog cocktails, and set her own down, leaning on the bar with her right shoulder, so that she was facing the girl.

From this close, she noticed a few more things about the girl. Her eyes were always out of focus, and Sayaka couldn’t tell if it was because she was drunk, or if she was just not that into the party. She was far, far smaller than Sayaka, easily a head or two shorter than Sayaka. Next to her, Sayaka looked like a giant, but she was used to the feeling by now. Sayaka was very tall, so often even the men she dated were dwarfed by her. She was also much skinnier than Sayaka, probably light enough for her to pick her up with one arm, if she really wanted to.

Next to Sayaka, Katsumi was very, very tiny and petite, but that was, well, honestly, a turn on for her anyways. She had an undeniable weakness for short girls. They typically had a lot more spunk and personality, and she liked that. Short girls also tended to seek out taller partners, and Sayaka fit the bill in every case.

”I’m Sayaka.” She would say, winking at the girl for effect. She wouldn’t be too forward, she had all night, but she wanted to make it clear to her that she was interested. ”Your friend Mari sent me over. She said you’d came here to see me.” She added, deciding it might help break the ice.

Katsumi felt her before she heard her. There was a distinct change in the swaying vibrations around her, a particularly strong pulse seeming to make a beeline right to her. Habit moving her body, the kunochi turned her body towards the approaching figure, trying to focus her eyes a bit but probably failing at least halfway. Katsumi felt as the person extended their hand towards her, and, from the vague smell and general atmosphere, she figured it was a shot of some kind.

Green eyes glinting mischievously, she picked up her fifth shot and grasped it in her fingers. Katsumi clearly already had a beverage. However, just to humor the newcomer, she took the eggnog-whiskey mix and set it on the bar beside her. As the stranger spoke, Katsumi's lips twitched up into a small, smug little smirk. Another woman, this time? She hadn't had anyone but men make a move in weeks, but she supposed she should have been expecting to be picked up tonight. After all, Mari only ever got that excited over plotted romance - especially between friends.

"Came to see you? I don't think so. The only reason I'm still here is 'cause I can't find the door," she replied, dignified amusement lacing her melodic voice.

Yes, this was definitely the girl that Mari had been raving about. Tall, if the presence and vibrations had anything to say about it, and strikingly confident... A little overconfident, in Katsumi's opinion, but Mari did mention the woman being well-endowed. Perhaps Sayaka could back up her stance with the rest of the seeing world, but frankly, Katsumi wasn't buying it.

Katsumi swirled her shot as she had come into the habit of doing, her devilish little grin still printed lightly on her features. She 'looked' up at Sayaka, green-amber eyes shining in the low light, but her gaze was stronger than it was submissive and flirtatious. Katsumi sipped her shot - notably the peppermint, rather than the eggnog - and she clearly didn't seem to be taking the bait.

"So... Sayaka, was it? Nice entry, but how about your exit scene?" Katsumi swirled her liquor once again.

Huh. She didn’t expect her to play hard to get after all that fuss from her friend. No bid deal, of course… She liked a challenge. Shrugging, she would chuckle at her first response, taking the hit remarkably easy for her being who she was. Anyone that knew her would know that Sayaka had a very short fuse, and even the slightest insult could set her off… But of course, she was flirting, and a little back and forth was to be expected. Her pride would survive.

”...Well, I wish you luck on your quest to find the exit. Maybe I can see you out, once this party is over.” She retorted slyly, rolling her eyes playfully. She had a million and one comebacks, and if she wanted to play, Sayaka was pretty sure she would wriggle this girl out of her shell. Maybe another drink, once she finished the handful she already had would loosen her up.

Looking momentarily at her glass, she downed the shot of the sweet, strong drink, ruffling her eyebrows pleasantly as the bite hit her. ”Sooo… Do you have a name?” She said, having waited a second or two for her response. The girl seemed determined to brush her off, but that evil little grin on her face kept her going. She would have simply ignored her if she didn’t want any of the attention.

She noticed, to her disatisfaction, that her drink had remained untouched. Ooh, that left a bitter taste in Sayaka’s mouth. For a moment, she almost lost her composure, but damn it, she was too damn pretty, and it was not worth making a scene. Like she said before, she had all night to work at her. The girl’s response was intended as a dodge, it was fairly obvious the girl didn’t want to give up easily.

Without missing a beat, Sayaka cut right in with her response. ”My exit scene? Well, it ends with you in my arms, but I’ll leave the rest to the imagination.” She said coyly, knocking on the table for another drink to be sent her way.

Katsumi had to hand it to her, Sayaka had game. She rolled with the verbal punches well, always quick to get back on top, and that was something Katsumi could respect - if only a little. As much of a pet peeve as being objectified was to Katsumi, she had to admit that it was making the night interesting... and besides, at least Sayaka was being tasteful with it. Half the men that came on to Katsumi slobbered over her assets like dogs. Really, Katsumi decided, she was glad that she was bisexual. Girls just got it, sometimes.

Still, that didn't mean Katsumi was going to be an easy catch.

"Maybe you can," Katsumi replied, before downing the rest of her biting shot, "or maybe, and here's a stumper, I can find it myself?" Though her words were rude, Katsumi was clearly having fun with this, her glittering eyes fixed loosely on where she guessed Sayaka's face may have been. She sat down the newly emptied glass on the bar with a clank before straightening up a little, now fully facing Sayaka. Her tight black tee clung fittingly to her curves, now accented by her position, and the studded silver belt looped through her ashy jeans accented her hips nicely. If Katsumi looked good before, she looked absolutely delicious now.

Katsumi's long fingers reached out, searching idly for the mug she had previously sat down. Though it should have been somewhat in her line of sight, it still took her a moment to locate it, though it was with practiced ease that she did within but a moment. However, Katsumi held off on tasting the mixture, her fingers instead drumming along the rim of the glass in time to the music.

Katsumi actually snorted at Sayaka's - what, fourth? - attempt at a pick up line, though it was more amused than it was condescending. "Sounds nice, babe, but I don't cuddle. However..." Katsumi seemed to be thinking loosely, though in reality, she had already made up her mind. This could be fun, even if she bailed at the end of the night. Why not? Katsumi's slender fingers wrapped around the handle of the glass. "...buy me another one of these, and, pretty as I'm sure you are, we might be able to work something out."

And with that, Katsumi lifted the mug to her lips and took a long drink, hardly flinching as the weaker-in-comparison sting spiraled across her tongue. Her eyes flashed, and once more, she was gazing upwards in Sayaka's general direction. "Maybe." she restated, emphasis on the lack of finality. "And my name. Its Katsumi, Haruto Katsumi."

Katsumi, that was her name… Such a pretty name. As much as she believed in giving everyone a chance, people like her were the reason she leaned towards girls. A guy wouldn’t give you as much of a fight as a girl would. He’d take his prize and go. A girl likes to tease and sidestep. A girl likes the chase, and Sayaka was much like any other girl in that respect.

Now, the key to catching the elusive prize that now had a name in her mind, Katsumi, was laid out before Sayaka in her mind’s eye. First, you bait the hook with sweet words and drinks. Wait for them to take it. If they don’t, well… Then, you give it just a tug or two to set the hook, and the rest is history. Assuming you didn’t manage to screw up horribly by doing something like comparing her to a fish, that is.

Sayaka smirked with satisfaction as those sweet words crossed her lips, the elusive “Maybe.” Maybe, maybe, maybe… Then the second part of the phrase came, although she wasn’t surprised. She didn’t expect it to get easier just yet.
”Maybe you could…” She began, shrugging halfheartedly feigning giving up. ”...but then, who’d keep you warm once you found your way out that door? Christmas Eve is an awfully lonely night to spend by yourself…” She continued in mock dread of the thought. She hadn’t had this much fun flirting in quite awhile.

The girl grasped unsuccessfully a few times at the cup, catching a raised eyebrow from Sayaka, who decided to nudge the drink a little closer to her hand for her, not mentioning it. Maybe she was more tipsy then she originally thought. She hoped not, otherwise, she’d feel like she was cheating. She shoved her off briskly again, this time flirting back a bit. That was a nice change of pace.

”Pretty as you’re sure I am?” She would ask questioningly, thought not hostile, merely out of curiosity.

”I suppose you’re worth the extra effort.” She teased as her drink was slid towards her by the bartender, whom she asked for one more, sliding her own drink over in front of Katsumi. ”For you, sweetie.” She said through a smirk as her own drink arrived.

The tapping of Katsumi's fingers changed with the music, fingertips drumming the beat of "Baby, Its Cold Outside" as it blasted out of the speakers. It was one of the kunochi's favorite christmas songs, really, and ironically... it really seemed to be fitting the mood. The thought sparked a burst of amusement within Katsumi. Next thing she knew, Sayaka would be asking to hold her icy hands or complimenting her eyes "like starlight now." Oh, would she have a story to tell, if that were the case.

Oh, Kami. Sayaka was even sounding like the song now.

"Mmm, perhaps it is..." Katsumi began in reply, "but I'm not the kind of girl to lend a jacket to." Indeed, while the offer of warmth and company on Christmas Eve was a nice idea, the kunochi simply wasn't the type, she believed. She always warmed herself on her long winter walks home, always made her own bed, and always, always, was alone on Christmas. It had been this way her entire life, and as nice as Sayaka's offer sounded... Katsumi decided she didn't need it.

"Honestly, I prefer the cold...~" Katsumi added, and in that moment, she truly believed it as well. Katsumi had lived this long on her own, completely on her own, and she didn't think that really needed to change. She was stronger than petty comforts. She could do it herself.

Still, Sayaka was right. Christmas Eve was a sorry night to spend alone, and despite having done so before, Katsumi figured a little company would be alright. It was why she really attended the party - not just to quiet Mari, but to quiet herself as well... and, Katsumi decided, she was glad she did.

Conversing with Sayaka made the kunochi grateful she hadn't stayed alone on Christmas Eve. It was lively, entertaining, and, oddly enough, comforting, having a drink in her hand and a suitor by her side.

...She supposed that this much warmth was alright.

Katsumi rolled her eyes. "Yes, hun, I'm sure you're stunning," she replied casually, sipping her drink. She seemed to have missed the marker on what Sayaka was actually asking about, the girl momentarily forgetting the fact that she didn't have a flashing sign over her head that said "I'm blind!"(and not particularily wanting to put one up). However, the way she brushed off the question left little to be discussed.

"You suppose, do you? I doubt you'll find a harder catch in the whole damn party," Katsumi replied, but it was without venom. "But I don't think you'll find a better one, either." She took another small sip of the whiskey-mix, the flavor growing on her. It took considerably less effort to find the location of the second mug, having heard it slide and felt it across the table, but she still grasped a handful of mostly air once before success. "Thanks, by the way. Flavor's growing on me."

Oooh, she was a tease, you had to give it to her. The music playing in the background only registered to Sayaka after she made the comment about being lonely on Christmas Eve, and she actually chuckled a bit. It was so appropriate, yet so ironic. She kept dodging her, commenting that she wasn’t the type to lend a jacket to. Ironically, as she finished speaking, before Sayaka could say anything, the song seemed to speak for her…

What’s the sense in hurtin’ my pride?

Sayaka just smiled.
”You know, he has a point.” She teased. ”Why come to a party if you didn’t want to meet people? I’m sure it wasn’t for Mari’s company alone.” She said, stirring her drink with her finger idly. ”...And I mean, if it matters that much to you, I’m not wearing a jacket, I’m wearing a vest.” She joked, winking again at her.

She once again mentioned that she was sure Sayaka was attractive, and that, well, it confused her. Was she in some weird, coherently drunk state? Perhaps it was some sort of perspective thing she was trying to make a point of… Whatever. She’d let Katsumi do her thing. No girl was without her quirks. ”Well, in that case, I’m sure you’re the best-looking girl I’ve laid eyes on all night.” She said, playing along.

As the music played, swirling and echoing around them, Sayaka couldn’t help but feel idle. The dance floor was relatively empty now, with people going back for drink breaks, and a few slow dancing. She wondered if...

”I, uh… don’t suppose you’d care for a dance?” She said. Normally, she wouldn’t have been so forward, but the song was too perfect for the moment to pass up, and she was sure Katsumi knew it too. ”Just for this song?” She asked in her best puppy-dog pleading voice.