A Servant's Flame ˒ Jing Ke x Date Masamune ᘛ Idle Huntress 𓇬 Destiny Girl ᘚ

✎⠀ ̼ ̼ ⠀ ⠀꒱⠀⠀𓆩𝟸𓆪 Escalated Feelings

The inn building itself was encased with tangled vines and tentacle like flowers growing from them. Iron fencing also twisted around the area, enriched with potted plants in every corner. Overall, it gave a charming and earthy appeal, one that I was quite fond of.

"C'monnn! Let's go inside, hurry!" Date giggles and rushes us in while bouncing around on the balls of her feet. She leads me inside and a chee rful bell rings greets us as the both of us enter.

The white brick walls of the room are embellished with lush vines that have grown through the cracks. White flowers sprout along the vines, giving the inside a nice floral smell. In front of us lies a long bar with a marbled countertop, lined with black and red bar stools. Behind the bar stools, there are several tables of varying sizes and their corresponding chairs.

"Holy shit Date, you weren't kidding. This place is absolutely divine!" I gape, taking in every miniscule detail the interior had to offer. "Also, you called this a café earlier, but the sign says that this is an inn."

Date purses her lips innocently. "It's a café, hotel, bar, lounge all rolled into one! Really convenient for those who get a bit too tipsy and want a place to stay!" She blinks a few times before retracting, "not that I would know! I don't drink. Except the boba. What's not to love?"

"Welcome in!" A silvery, boisterous voice greets us from a hallway behind the counter. A man with purple tinted hair appears from behind a curtain. The edge of his lip was smudged with a glossy red.

He picks up a wine glass along with a rag, as he approaches us, and he begins to clean the glass. "How can I help you beautiful ladies tonight, hm? I have tea, coffee, juice, and even sandwiches."

I wait to see if Date would respond. As I peer over, a frozen, stuttering Date appears before me. "B-B-Boba... B-" She stammers while her head is basically facing the ground.

I whisper, "what's wrong?" I walk in front of her to hopefully ease the anxiety.

"I-I'm-!" Date shakes her head. "Scared of men!" She confesses with a turned lip.

I take a hold of Date's unoccupied hand and squeeze mine into her palm so I could hopefully ground her. "I see. Would me ordering for the both of us help aid your anxiety?"

She rapidly nodded her head, showing her pleading, but she kept her head low. "Would you really do that for me?"

"Of course. Doesn't bother me, none."

"Okay..." Date glances at the menu and then says, "Can you order two Rose milk teas with Strawberry popping boba, please?" Her face finally begins to relax.

"Alright, Hun. Just stay put, okay?" I flash her a smile before letting our hands naturally part, but Date still grasped at the tips of my fingers.

I walk up to the counter, scanning the menu just to review what I was supposed to order.

"Is your girlfriend okay?" The guy behind the counter asks with a vexatious smirk.

I cock an eyebrow in confusion. "Uhm." I kinda squint, unsure of how to respond. "What? Sure, uh, nevermind, she's fine. I'd like two Rose milk teas with Strawberry popping boba. Both in medium cups, please."

"Gotcha. That will be fourteen thousand Tala coins," he sizes me up and the smirk only grows wider.

Shit. Do I still have any...?

As I'm lost in thought trying to rummage through my pockets, and in general looking around for any kind of currency, a velvet, purple pouch flies over my head and lands in front of me on the counter. The guy doesn't question it and naturally picks it up. He begins to open the pouch and spread the coins out to count them.