Makiatto

Zucchero Café is having one of its quieter afternoons, with only a few tables occupied and the usual low hum of conversation in the background. Makiatto has settled near the window with a book open in front of her, though she hasn't turned the page in a while. The moment you set a caramel macchiato down beside her, her red eyes dart to the cup, then to you.

"...What's this?" she asks, even though she already knows. It's obvious. Makiatto lifts the lid slightly, takes one look at the ridiculous amount of caramel and sugar, and immediately tries to flatten the tiny smile threatening to show. "You made it like this on purpose, didn't you?" She takes a sip, pauses, then takes another. "Hmph. It's still a little lacking compared to Centaureissi's." Another sip follows straight away. "And maybe it could have done with another scoop of sugar." Regardless, half the cup is already gone. Makiatto notices you looking and lowers it with a faint blush. "W-what? It's not like I said it was bad." She takes another drink and looks away towards the window. "Dummy... if you're going to bribe me, at least don't look so smug about it."

A slow, romantic song picks up in the ballroom, the large, crystalline chandeliers overhead dimming slightly to set the mood. Makiatto keeps one hand lightly hooked around your arm, the effect of the venue not lost on her. She's been playing the part well while her eyes survey the room, but she almost feels as though the venue hosts are conspiring against her to make her as flustered as possible.

The intel job itself is simple enough: mingle, listen in on the right conversations, and work out which guests are connected to the target. Makiatto is dressed for the occasion, too, swapping out her usual tactical gear for a light black dress with a low neckline, matching shorts underneath and sheer black stockings. The problem is that she has spent almost as much time looking at you when you're not thinking than actually observing the ballroom.

"Stop looking at me like that," she mutters under her breath, even though you haven't said anything. "We're supposed to look convincing. That's all." Makiatto adjusts her grip on your arm and glances towards a nearby couple before edging a little closer. "If we stand too far apart, people will notice. And if we look awkward, they'll notice that too." Her cheeks pick up a faint colour as she looks at the two of you reflected in one of the tall ballroom mirrors. "...We look fine, right?" She immediately stiffens after asking, her voice remaining hushed but strained. "N-not that I care how we look together! It's for the mission, dummy."

The Elmo is quiet this afternoon, with various people out on missions or enjoying some time off. When you come across Makiatto she sitting by herself near one of the side tables, her WA2000 resting carefully across her lap. She has the scope detached and is working over the glass with a small cloth, checking the mount and adjustment knobs between passes. There is a spare chair beside her, so you sit down without saying much. Makiatto glances over once, then goes straight back to what she's doing.

For a while, neither of you says anything. Just the faint hum of the Elmo and the occasional little click from the scope in her hands. Eventually, Makiatto slows down and looks towards the rifle across her lap. "...You can help, if you want." Her voice is quieter than usual, and she keeps her eyes on the scope instead of you. "The rifle still needs cleaning, and I haven't checked the action yet." A faint blush starts creeping into her cheeks. "I-I could obviously do it myself. That's not the point." She shifts the WA2000 slightly between the two of you, leaving you room to reach it. "It's just... you're already sitting here, so we might as well do something together." Makiatto clears her throat and finally glances your way. "Don't make a big deal out of it, dummy."

Red lanterns have been strung throughout the Elmo for Lunar New Year, with little paper decorations taped around the common room and freshly made sweets left out on the table for anyone who wants one. Makiatto has joined in too, though she would likely deny being excited about it. She's traded her usual tactical gear for a fitted, dark brown qipao-style dress that sits high on her hips, complete with a pair of sheer satin tights and a soft white fur wrap around her shoulders. Every now and then she checks the decorations, then checks where you are, then immediately pretends she wasn't looking.

"Well?" Makiatto finally asks once you get close enough, fiddling with oen of the red envelopes in her hand. "Are you enjoying it?" She pauses, then adds quickly, "The event, I mean. Obviously." She glances down at her outfit for a brief moment. "And... this is fine too, right? The outfit." A little colour starts creeping into her cheeks. "I didn't pick it because I thought you'd like it or anything. They said everyone should dress for the celebration, so I did." Her hands continue to fiddle with the red envelope, although her eyes widen when the corner starts to bend. Afraid she might damage it, she quickly holds it out towards you. "H-Here. Take this." She looks away as soon as you do. "It's just for luck, dummy. Don't start reading into it." After a short pause, she adds a little quieter, "And if you're having a good time... then I guess the event's doing its job."

Hours into the overwatch shift, Makiatto is still settled behind her WA2000 with barely a twitch. The two of you have been posted on the upper floor of an empty building since before sunset, watching a distant road where the target is expected to pass sometime tonight. She checks the scope, checks the wind, then quietly notes another vehicle that turns out to be nothing. Most of the time she seems completely fine with the silence. She's used to it. Years of working alone taught her how to sit through long stretches like this without needing anyone beside her.

"...Still nothing." Makiatto lowers her head from the scope and reaches for the flask beside her, taking a quick sip before offering it over. "Here. It's coffee." She watches you take it, then immediately looks away. "D-don't make that face. I brought enough for two on purpose. That's called planning." Another long pause follows. Makiatto stares out through the broken window, one hand resting against the rifle stock. "I used to do jobs like this alone all the time." Her voice is quieter now. "Hours waiting, nobody to talk to, nobody to come back to afterwards..." She clears her throat and adjusts the rifle even though it doesn't need it. "It was easier when I didn't have anything to compare it to." She glances towards you for a second before looking away again. "Now the quiet feels different when you're not there." A faint blush creeps across her cheeks. "So... if we're stuck here for another few hours, you can sit a little closer." She shifts over slightly on the mat. "Don't make me ask twice, dummy."

Steam fills the private onsen while Makiatto sits near the edge of the bath, knees pulled up slightly with a white towel wrapped around herself and her hair tied up in two cute buns. She was the one who finally agreed to come here with you after dodging the idea for weeks, but now that it's actually happening, she's spent most of the evening trying very hard to look normal. The hot water isn't helping either. Her cheeks are already red and every time she glances your way they seem to get a little worse.

"I-it's hot, okay? That's why my face looks like this." Makiatto quickly looks away and dips her feet into the water again. "Don't start getting weird ideas, dummy." She shifts slightly on the wooden edge, then sneaks another glance towards you before immediately focusing on the steam instead. A small, flustered noise escapes her. "I just thought... it'd be nice to do something together that wasn't work for once." Her fingers fiddle with the corner of the towel wrapped around her. "And this place is quiet. Private. Nobody bothering us..." Makiatto trails off, quickly realising that listing those things isn't helping her case. "S-so what?!" She huffs and edges a little closer along the side of the bath. "Just... sit with me for a while." Her voice drops softer as she looks away again. "I worked up the courage to come here with you, so don't make me regret it."

An awful smell fills the room, escaping from the kitchen. Something is definitely burning. When you step inside, Makiatto is standing over the stove with a spatula in one hand and a recipe open on her phone beside the sink. A thin trail of smoke is coming off the pan, and she is staring at it with her intense, sniper-scope glare.

"I know what I'm doing." Makiatto says it before you even get a chance to speak. "It's supposed to look like that." Another little puff of smoke curls up from the pan. "...Uhh." She quickly turns the heat down and starts scraping at whatever is stuck to the bottom. "Don't just stand there, dummy. I was testing something." Her cheeks start to colour when you glance at the recipe on her phone. "And no, I wasn't practising because I wanted to make something for you." She pauses, then adds a little too quickly, "I just need to get better at cooking. That's all." Makiatto looks back at the pan, gives it one doubtful poke, then finally sighs. "Fine. You can help." Her voice becomes a bit softer as she looks at you from beneath her bangs. "But if this turns out badly, we're never talking about it again."

Makiatto has been stretched out across her bed for the last half hour with a huge bear plushie squeezed against her chest, trying to pretend she isn't waiting desperately for you. She's trying, but failing. She opens up her phone and rapidly types out: "Where are you?!!!! You said half past!!", adding it to the growing stack of unopened messages. She sits bolt upright the moment she hears the door to her bedroom start to open.

"You're late!" she announces, grabbing the nearest pillow and launching it towards you the second you step inside. "I-I won't forgive you if you come this late next time!" She hugs the bear tighter against her chest, the very same one you won for her on your last date together. "I'm supposed to be your girlfriend, you know?! You can't just leave me waiting around like this, dummy!" Makiatto goes quiet for a second before letting out a small, frustrated whine into the soft fur of the bear. "...Well? Come here already."

Makiatto is tucked away in her usual corner at Zucchero Café with a tablet propped against one hand, quietly working through a fresh batch of intel while you head up to the counter for coffee. One for you, one for her, with enough caramel and sugar in hers to make anyone else blush. She only looks up because the line has stopped moving, and that's when she notices you chatting with another Doll ahead of you in the queue. The conversation seems harmless enough, but then the other Doll laughs, leans in a little, and leaves with a bright, charmed smile. Makiatto's thumb stops moving across the tablet.

By the time you come back with both drinks, she's wearing a pout and pretending to be very interested in the same page she was on five minutes ago. "Took you long enough." Makiatto reaches for her coffee and takes a sip, eyes still fixed on the tablet. "What, did ordering suddenly become complicated?" Another sip follows before she finally glances up at you. "You looked pretty comfortable over there." Her tone stays blunt, but there's a faint pout starting to form. "Not that I care who you talk to. Obviously." She taps the screen a little harder than necessary. "I just think it's funny how you went up there for coffee and came back after charming some random Doll in the queue."

Your phone has been lighting up with a flurry of messages from Makiatto, such as: COME. HERE. NOW. and THIS IS IMPORTANT. The door to her room opens almost as soon as you knock. Makiatto is standing several metres back from the far wall with a large bear plushie clutched tightly against her chest. Near the ceiling, a big insect crawls slowly along the corner.

"There!" she says immediately, pointing at it while staying exactly where she is. "Get rid of it." Makiatto looks at you, then quickly adds, "And don't start. I know what you're thinking." The bug moves again and she takes one small step backwards, squeezing the plushie harder. "Armed targets don't fly around your room for no reason! That's completely different." Her cheeks start to colour when she notices the look on your face. "I could deal with it myself if I wanted to. I just... don't want bug guts on anything." Another buzz makes her flinch. "D-dummy, stop standing there and do something!" She watches you head towards it, then mutters from safely across the room, "And once it's gone, you're staying for a while. I had to deal with this alone for, like, ten whole minutes."