Taking a stroll along the way [open]

Vanilla heard about the festival that was going on and wanted to check it out. She put on her pair of cut off blue jean shorts and her favorite red tank top with a picture of a pirate woman on the front. She grabbed a pair of tennis shoes from the closet then Max's leash from the peg near the front door of her apartment. She whistled loud calling Max to her side as she heard his nails hitting the hardwood floor. "Come on boy we're going for a walk and see if we can find something fun to do today." She said grinning as she clipped his leash on then bent down to put his dog booties on.

They walked along the streets and towards where the festival was being held. She couldn't help but get excited because of it. She made sure that Max stayed close to her side the entire time she had him on the leash. Today was gonna be a test for Max because he loved running around and greeting people but she had been training him to not do that. She didn't want him to come across another person who hated dogs and try to take a swing at him.

They came to the entrance to the festival and she grinned as she looked at everything there was around. She walked with Max around the booths and vendors taking in everything there was around. Seeing the Lagoon made her smile knowing that if she wanted to go for a swim she could come here. Deciding to take a rest before continuing she walked over to a shaded tree and sat down with her back braced against it. Max laid down next to her trying to take the dog booties off, "Hey don't do that. You know you have to wear them when your walking on the pavement otherwise you'll have hurt paws." She admonished him making sure she kept his attention off the booties. They sat like that for a good twenty minutes before Vanilla got up and began walking towards a booth she saw. The items she saw that they had one display were something unique and looked like they were also handmade. She was concentrating on the booth so much she ended up running into someone.

"OH! I'm so sorry." She said apologizing profusely. Mentally she was kicking herself for not paying more attention to what was in front of her. "Are you alright?"

The festival which was accompanying the Quidditch World Cup was decidedly spectacular in its own way – if only because it was bringing out the spendthrift in Carenza Fortescue. She’d been to a myriad of booths and had lingered the longest at the jewellery one. She’d parted with a dozen or more sickles and though she knew she might regret it later when she bemoaned the lack of room in her jewellery box, at the moment she felt light and contented with her bag of goodies.

She’d even bought some things for her co-workers. She’d had a feeling that Keiran would appreciate a clock and it certainly went with the décor that he’d chosen for his office. What had sweetened the deal was the fact that it set off fireworks every time it struck the hour. She wondered to herself how long it would last in there but she decided that the six sickle and fourteen knut price would be well worth it for his expression.

Next, Carenza was in search of somewhere that was cooking a crepe or some other kind of fast food specialty. She was distracted by all of the bright lights and wonderful kaleidoscopic displays. So much so that she didn’t clock the girl coming towards her until they clashes together. Carenza only just managed to keep hold of her bags and she let out a curse that was a little bit too loud. A family nearby passed her a disapproving expression but she didn’t really see to feel sorry about it.

“Jesus,” she shook her head, bringing a hand up to straighten her hair out. She gave the woman before her the once over and Carenza felt her lips stretch into a sultry smirk. “Well,” she rubbed at her shoulder, even though it wasn’t really hurting. “I think you got me, alright. I might even bruise,” she chuckled a little and held out her hand. “I’m Ren. So, just so I don’t sue, what are you going to do to make this up to me, lass?”

Vanilla never felt more embarrassed about bumping into someone in her life. She knew she should have been paying attention but of course she wasn't. When she saw the woman rub her shoulder, she felt like a complete idiot for not watching where she was going.

"I'm so sorry," She said trying to figure out what to do. When the woman introduced herself then said something about making it up to her. She thought about it long and hard trying to come up with something. "I'm Vanilla, you can just call me Nilla almost everyone does. Would you like something sweet? I saw a vendor over there selling some sort of sweets." She pointed in the direction of the vendor with a small smile on her face.

Vanilla looked at Ren curiously wondering if the woman would agree. She had one arm behind her back her hand holding her other. She was curious about Ren and definitely wanted know more about her.

It was quite impossible to grab the smirk from the face of the Liverpudlian. She cleared her throat and even reached up to check her hair again but she couldn’t wipe the smirk off. Instead she just watched as the girl became increasingly more uncomfortable. Wretch that she was, Ren couldn’t help but enjoy it. She hoped that the girl knew that she was just being a wind up but with the increasing signs of stress enveloping her face, Ren was sincerely beginning to doubt it.

“Vanilla?” Ren said in a tone of disbelief. The girl was serious, though. Nilla. Everyone called her Nilla. Ren softened her smirk somewhat. She instead stepped closer, perhaps a little too close for comfort, and offered a gentler smile. “Well it’s very nice to meet you, Nilla,” Ren nodded. “And I’d kill for something sweet,” Ren let her eyes flick over the witch before her and she licked her lips as the smirk returned. “Lead the way, love.”

Vanilla saw the woman reach up to check her hair once more. Then began wondering if she was just messing with her for fun. If she was Nilla had a devious plan on her own. Now it was her turn to smirk at the woman in front of her. "If your shoulder still hurts I can massage it, I'm really good with my hands." She smiled sweetly but it had a look of mischief as well. She wanted to see how Ren would react to her words. She let go of her arm and put her hands in the back pocket of her pants. She gave Ren her 'innocent' smile.

"Yeah my parents thought that their children should have a unique name." She explained as she watched Ren stepping closer to her. She smiled back at her wanting to know what was going through her mind. "It's nice to meet you as well Ren." She said smiling still. "Something sweet sounds good to me as well." Then her own smirk returned as she saw Ren flick her eyes over her. "Gladly." She gave her a devilish look before walking towards the vendor.

As she was leading the way, she had to maneuver through the crowd of people that were there. A man almost collided with her but she managed to step back. "Hmm," Looking around at everything in front of her. She had a devious idea and almost giggled. Taking Ren's hand to lead her through the crowd. "I'm gonna end up losing you in this crowd. I don't know how anyone gets anywhere, it's ridiculous." She said as she looked for an opening to get through.

As great as it was to be on the front foot – the unabashed tease – Ren loved nothing more than being matched. When someone was willing to go toe to toe with her, though, she was utterly in her element. Nilla had not initially struck Ren as the type. She had, perhaps arrogantly, assumed that she could reduce her to a scarlet stuttering mess. In fact, the opposite was proving true and Ren felt a wicked grin take hold of her lips as Nilla replied.

“I might have to take you up on that,” Ren winked, bringing her hand dramatically to her shoulder. “It hurts!” She complained woefully, her eyes sparkling with impishness. “I like it,” Ren assured Nilla about her name. After all, ‘Carenza’ was hardly common or garden sort of name. Vanilla though, that was a new one – and Ren did like it.

She certainly hadn’t been expecting Nilla’s hand to come around hers as they moved through the crowd. A little bit of surprise registered across her face but Ren did one better by twisting her hand a little and laced her fingers with Nilla’s, her smirk returning to fix firmly in place.

“Hate to lose me, love?” Ren teased. “Fond of me already, are you?”

Nilla couldn't help but grin at the woman when she said she'd have to take her up on it. "Well if you do, I'll make it worth it." She said giving her a wink and a mischievous grin. Hearing her saw it hurts and the way Ren's eyes sparkled gave her an idea. "Aw poor baby, do you want me to kiss it better?" Her eyes were danced with mischief and she had a devilish grin on her face.

Feeling Ren lace her fingers through her own made her smile. "Well if I lost you, who know what mischief you'll find yourself in then where would we be." Nilla said teased her over her shoulder before finding an opening.

She was almost through the crowd when she saw some boys from school who graduated with her. They made their way towards them when she had a brilliant idea. The leader of the group scowled at her with anger behind his eyes.

Glancing over her shoulder she whispered, "I'm sorry about what may come out of my mouth soon."

"What do you think your doing Nini?" He asked glaring at her more. "I thought I made myself to you very clear."

"No you just assumed that I'm a piece of property that you can snatch up. Sorry love but I just don't find you attractive. If you'll excuse me I'll be on my way." She said looking at him with a glare of her own. "Besides your just not that...hmm...good of a kisser."

His mouth dropped open in shock so Nilla used that to get Ren and herself away from them. "Sorry about that," She said softly irritated with the boys who were still behind them.

Ren felt her grin widen. It was an impossibility, really, considering she had exceeded Cheshire Cat proportions long ago. Somehow, though, her smile extended and she leaned into Nilla, her eyes dancing cheekily over Nilla's features.

"If you're offering," Ren wiggled her brows, replying to both sentences. She puckered her lips and laughed, unable to keep a straight face long enough to keep her lips pursed.

"Merlin knows that's true," Ren conceded, already half-imagining what sort of nonsense she'd get up to. Still, it would make an interesting tale for Monday morning all the same.

When they were cornered by the blokes, Ren raised a disapproving eyebrow, not quite able to believe that they were really going to act as childishly as they seemed intent on doing. She clucked her tongue against the roof of her mouth and side-eyed Vanilla interestedly, a proud smirk sidling over her lips when the brunette chipped out her reply. Her laugh rang out not a moment after.

She and Nilla walked away after, Ren somewhat reeling. This girl was surprising her at every turn, to say the least. Ren twisted her fingers out of Nilla's grasp and curled her arm around her waist instead, bringing them together so that they were nose to nose.

"How about I show you what a decent kiss feels like?"

Vanilla grinned at her response and said, "What if I am offering?" Then laughed with her when Ren puckered her lips. She couldn't help but laugh with her, "Your much more different than the people I've known. Don't get me wrong there's nothing wrong with that. It's just refreshing." She said still smiling.

Nilla's head was still reeling at her response to the idiots behind them. She felt better knowing that she was able to rid of them so quickly. She was out of her usual element but for once she felt like it was a good thing. She was brought out of her thoughts when Ren wrapped an arm around her waist. When she was nose to nose with her, she almost didn't catch her question.

She looked at Ren in the eyes and whispered, "Please Ren. Please show me what a decent kiss feels like." She was ready to throw herself into the deep end and see if she would sink or swim.

The smile dropped for the first time that evening, the challenge lost from her eyes as it was replaced with a tentative sort of affection that concealed beneath it undeniable lust. Her lips came together and she felt her mouth water a little bit with anticipation as her mind conjured up all of the things that the kiss could ultimately lead to. Ren shivered a little.

Leaning forward, she dropped her eyes to Vanilla's lips and carefully brought one hand up to cup her cheek. The other remained around the woman's waist and Ren advanced on her lips, only not to touch them. They were a hair's breadth away and Ren could feel the puff of Nilla's breath on her face. It brought that smirk back and bared teeth which she used to nip playfully at Nilla's lower lip, pulling it out before releasing it with a little pop. Then she planted the first kiss.

It was chaste - a nothing kiss that started and finished in the blink of an eye.

The second kiss was the one that mattered. Her lips gently slid against Nilla's, feeling the softness there. She waited for Nilla to respond and then began to deepen the kiss, tugging her impossibly closer so that they were chest to chest before running her tongue against her lower lip in request for entrance. In her fever, she picked up the pace, devouring and plundering the other witch's mouth until finally the call for air became too much.

Breaking away, with newly swollen lips, Ren offered a small smile.

"How was that?"