The proximity made Mumei's teasing smile, all the more evident, Yul's gaze shifting from her eyes to her lips at that little quirk. "And that turned out well. Besides, now you know that I've got steady hands." His own lips curled up playfully in response.

Nodding, Yul fished out his communicator as well, reaching into a jacket pocket. His was just as battered, but much less adorned. It had a single sticker on the back, a purple circle with a unicorn in it. At just the right angle, some sort of stylish beetle would be visible as well.

"Oh. Her." Yul half-smiled, half-grimaced. "What are the chances? That's what I asked myself when I saw her here. We're actually wingmates. Our competition goes back years, to when we were both in Academy together. She's a huge pain in the backside..." Yul sighed, "-but she's a heck of a pilot, and I'd trust her to cover my wing any day." His lips quirked. "Even if she'd rub my nose in it afterwards."

"Hmm...indeed. And I definitely trust your hands," she grins at her communicator as she scrolls and taps at it. "For flying too, of course." The communicator chirps and open transmits the code to be picked up.

"Nice to have a steady group you can trust like that. Some definite advantages to not having to learn a new crew every assignment. And having one of your team here...well, I imagine the pair of you can see twice as many of the participants and share notes." She glances up from the device, with a sly smile. "Guess I need to be careful around Utaku-sama. Wouldn't want to get a bad report carried back."

"I'm very glad to hear that." Yul murmured, smirking back. "I hope I will have more opportunities to show that your trust is well-founded." Bringing up his communicator, he brought it next to hers, a cheerful chime playing as the pairing was made. "There we go. Keep in touch, huh?" He tucked his communicator away again.

That sly smile... Yul found himself grinning in response. "You want to make sure you get high marks, huh? I wouldn't worry. She and I grade very differently. I think climbing up on a roof for noodles would get a very cold stare from her. From me, well..." Yul let out a slow breath, "-you're doing pretty well so far, Nakauchi-san." His eyes glinted at her again.

"Definitely." She snaps the communicator shut and slips it back into its pocket. "Let me know when you've scheduled that flight...or just want to dance." With a smile and a small huff, she shifts to her knees and then up to her feet. "I...think I'm pretty glad I ran into you tonight instead of her then, Shinjo-san." Her smile softens as she rocks forward a bit, then stops with a barely perceptible head shake.

"Time to get down and return those bowls, hmm? If you could hand em down..." She takes the few steps to he roof's edge and hops off with enough spin to come around and catch the edge of the roof for half a breath before dropping the last little bit to the landing as quietly as she can. She'll remain there, looking up with a wide grin.

Yul rose to his feet as she did, ably, if not quite with the same flair. And then as she rocked forward Yul found himself doing so as well... turning his head aside with a delicate cough as the motion was arrested. "Count on it." He murmured, smiling, his voice just a touch rough. He took a breath...

And then she was off the roof.

"I'm not gonna try to top that..." Yul chuckled. "Although wait until we're in the air. Okay." Crouching, he scooped one bowl, then the other. With a flourish, as though presenting a magic trick, he passed down one bowl, and then the other, meeting her grin with one of his own.

"My turn." Yul grunted. His descent was much simpler; turning to face away from the edge, a firm grip on the corner, and then slowly lowering himself, his shoulders shifting under his jacket. There was a bit of a scuffle as his boots hit the wooden surface, and he straightened once more.

Mumei laughs as she takes the bowls, forgetting quiet when they're so close to being able to just clatter away down the steps. "No competition. I'll leave it to your wingsister. Me? I'm looking forward to seeing you make that thopter dance in the air."

She watches him lower himself down with a dancer's eye for movement and muscle. Good shoulders to go with steady hands...of course With his feet on the ground, she's close enough on the little landing to smell the leather of his jacket and a lingering scent of ramen, as she lifts dark eyes to meet his. Quietly, more because her throat's gone tight than to keep them from notice, she says, "best accidental run in on a strange street."

Pausing a moment, as if to say more, she bites her lip with another of those barely-there head shakes, and whirls around to clatter down the stairs after all, taking them two or three at a time. Back on the street, her steps return to a completely normal 'I'm just walking down the street and certainly didn't just rattle down anyone's staircase' walk to drop the bowls at the cart and continue on through the market.

/scene?

Yul took a deep breath as their eyes met, taking in that incense and leather scent of hers once more. And ramen, but that didn't intrigue his senses nearly as much. "No kidding." Yul breathed, smiling gently. Down at his side, his hand moved ever so briefly towards her, then stopped, fingers tightening and then relaxing.

And then nearly between one moment and the next, she was gone. Or, at least, walking down the street.

"Hooooooooo boyyyyyyyyyyyyyy..." Yul said to himself, very expressively, he felt. He watched Mumei walk away, his eyes following her until she was out of sight. She certainly knew how to make an impression. Regardless of what else happened, this was a night he'd remember for a long time.

Grinning and shaking his head, Yul casually descended the steps, ignoring the confused look from the owner, whose attention was drawn by Mumei's sudden exit. As Yul passed the noodle stand, he paused, depositing a few more coins in the payment bowl, to an even more confused thank-you from the owner. It seemed only fair.

Yul walked back to the inn, whistling a cheerful tune as he went.

/scene! and thank you!