The Princess and The Thief-Apparent (Innocent Anathema & SuperSaiyanMusashi)

Juniper

"Killing?" A shiver went through her at the idea. Could she do that? Juniper had never hurt anyone or anything before. Yet if it would save them ultimately, maybe, maybe she could do it. She bit her bottom lip lightly feeling uncertainty cloud her mind. They had some time though for her to think it through.

Looking into his eyes, she spied that he was blushing. She wondered why before the fireflies had distracted her. She glanced toward him after the mention of adventuring. "You think that it's fate then? That you and I were destined to be on this journey?" That was an interesting thought. She really had to wonder if that was the case. "Maybe that means that the universe thought that we could work well together." That was an empowering thought.

She smiled hearing her name off his tongue as she slowed the horse to pick through street of town. She listened to his ideas of what they needed to accomplish before she heard a rumble behind her. It surprised her. What... what was that? Was that Musashi's stomach? He asked about dinner and she outright laughed aloud. The sound was rather sweet. "I think that may be a good idea. You are a hungry one, aren't you?" She looked back him once more with a grin. Looking back on down the street, there was an inn down the street. "That might be a good idea." She pointed toward it. "Could find food and lodging there." She drew up the horse and hopped down holding the reins of the horse for him to get down. "Shall we?"
 
Thinking about the question of fate, Musashi waxed, "Well, maybe-maybe not. This family mission chose my father and aunt some time back, but I guess after that it became their choice. Sure it was thrown into their laps, but I guess they could have walked away from it, but they chose the thing that initially chose them." Refocusing on their current situation he added, "There could be destiny at work here, but I really do want to protect your world and any others touched by Oni. And I am glad to your help doing it!"

The voracious samurai could hear his friend the pretty princess giggle a little as he grabbed his empty stomach. "Yeah," he admitted with an awkward smile. "I do love my food! My father assured me there was plenty, but sometimes I wonder if he had to teach extra lessons to make sure," he recalled.

Dismounting, he agreed, "June, this looks great!" He caught a few scents of meats roasting, oven fresh breads, and many different produce items being prepared, showing an excited smile as he did. Finally, he extended his hand to Juniper, offering to hold hers for the walk inside.

Reaching a table set for 2, the hungry samurai sat down across from his companion. Looking into her gorgeous golden eyes, he curiously asked, "Have any favorite dinners, Juniper?" He himself eyeing the menu and having trouble deciding what he wanted most. He then reached inside his belt pouch, producing a few silver coins. "Are these good to barter with?"
 
Juniper

Musashi's excitement over the prospect of food was rather adorable to her. Not that she'd say that aloud. It was just that she was so used to everyone walking around on eggshells around her. So his being so earnest was refreshing. It brought a sparkle to her eyes.

As she brought her mount over to the stable and returned, she considered her companion. Watching him a moment as she approached, her initial feelings on his character seemed pretty on par and they seemed to get along just fine. He was excited by the smells and that feeling was infectious. Although when he held out his hand, she wasn't sure what he wanted. Was he trying to escort her inside? She was used to holding onto a gentleman's arm not holding his hand. Yet, perhaps this was the custom where he was from. So lightly, she put her hand in his feeling heat skip up her arm from the feeling. This felt more intimate and connected than what she'd known before. It wasn't long until a little blush had crossed her features as they walked in hand in hand.

She sat down with him and ordered herself a cider before glancing over the menu. "A favorite dinner?" She glanced away then back to him. "You'll laugh but Shepherd's pie." A smile crossed her face. "That and blueberry pancakes. What about you?"
 
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Feeling the pretty girl's hand in his gave Musashi a warm, comforting sensation, briefly bringing his blush back as they proceeded to the table.

Ordering some limeade for himself, he listened to her indentify the Shepherd's Pie as a favorite. "Very nice," he agreed. "Oh I like pancakes too! All sorts: blueberries, apples, multigrain, and more!" Finally, he instantly knew what to say about his own favorite dinner, "Oh no doubt: it's Chef Hanzou's Japanese steak." he identified. "Hanzou has a restaurant in town known for being the place where samurai and other warriors come after a hard day of sparring, training, or a fencing tournament. Bringing another swordsman there for dinner, especially a rival, is said to be a show of respect. Dad often invited his opponents in the annual fencing tournament there afterwards. And some of my best memories were days where he and I would train very hard, and at sunset he would tell me, 'Musashi, you really did great today: how about we celebrate with dinner at Chef Hanzou's?'"

After reminiscing about his youth, Musashi brought his attention back to the present. "But for tonight, I think wild duck sounds good!" he shared, pointing it out on the menu.
 
Juniper

Juniper had to smile softly at his little story of good his childhood. "That's a good memory. I bet you can remember the taste too but somehow, I rather think that your company helps shape how a dinner tastes almost as much the one that prepares it." She lifted a hand to her face giggling lightly. "Most meals at home are rather boring. Everyone is preoccupied with their duties."

He picked out what he wanted and she smiled before reviewing the menu herself. "Hmm I think chicken cordon bleu sounds good tonight." The waitress came over and took their orders and now they just had to wait amidst the other patrons. Her eyes lifted to catch his. "So what is a samurai? A type of knight? And that's what you are, right?"
 
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"Mmm..great company is always welcome at dinner time," Musashi agreed. "I guess at your castle people didn't pay much attention to you at dinner time? Well, Juniper, you've got mine undivided!" he assured.

"Ah, good choice; I thought about that one but the duck just edged it out this time," he shared. After their dinner choices were locked in, Musashi returned his focus to Juniper and answered, "Yeah you could say that. Samurai are like other knights, but with specific types of weapons and field gear. Samurai also have a philosophy that's ingrained in the training, including a code of respect regardless of personal animosity, a promise to leave killing or injuring as a last resort, and to push even bitter rivals to become stronger, knowing that them presenting a challenge will in turn push us to become stronger ourselves."

Expanding further, he added, "My fighting style is a combination of a few. While dad was a traditional samurai, Aunt Kaede was his kunoichi; she focused heavily on speed, stealth, and mobility. She also had a 2-weapon fighting style that I took a liking to. Since she had a hand in my training as well, I took after her a little."

"How about you, June? What kinds of things did you learn growing up?" he asked.
 
Juniper

"I'm glad to have your company, Musashi," she told him and honestly, she was since she felt like she could grow fond of him rather easily. She shrugged lightly. "I'm the youngest of my siblings. So, there's not too much political advantages to be made of my acquaintance and fear of the sceptre keeps the rest at bay. It's only natural, I suppose to fear what is not understood."

His explanation for a samurai was interesting to say the least. "Sounds like some of the better knights that I know but a lot are also only concerned with themselves, their image and their own people. Building up your rival in order to better yourself is smart as long as they are not a threat to the well-being of the innocent." She smiled a little at the mention of his family since she could see the fondness for them on his face quite easily. "They taught you a lot, huh?"

His question after her made her blink lightly and she ran a hand over the back of her neck feeling a little self-conscious. "I learned a lot of history and politics. How to ride, of course. I learned about archery and a bit about the sword. Most of what I know about the sceptre has been self-taught." She twirled a lock of hair about one finger before looking toward him. "Not really typical princess training since I would've had more training to be a lady and lead a household but because of the sceptre, I can't quite leave the castle. So, that means that I can't be married off like my sister is." A little laugh left her. "Of course, I have left the castle now... imagine that."
 
Learning about Juniper's family politics, Musashi sympathized, "Sorry people looked past you, but I think you have things offer that far more rewarding than any political advantage."

"That they did!" he confirmed, regarding how much his family taught. "My superstrength started to show at a young age, and once my old man saw it, he was determined to see its fullest potential realized. Good thing too; I've needed everything they showed me and more." he confided, recalling some of the previous dangers he had been in.

Learning more Juniper peaked the curious samurai's interest, "Oh you shoot [arrows]? You didn't by any chance grab a bow on your way out earlier, did you? Could be helpful with what we're up against."

Watching the pretty girl twirl her long pink hair gave Musashi a little blush. "Well..even if you didn't have as much instruction on being a 'proper lady' as your sister, I still think you're lovely; both the way you are now and yesterday when you wore that beautiful dress," he complimented. Thinking about how she escaped her home despite parental wishes, the friendly swordsman added, "Hope your little outing doesn't cause too much trouble. If we make it through this I'd love to help you escape again."

Soon the generous dinners arrived, their hypnotizing scents getting the hungry samurai very excited. Realizing that despite the covert operation he was still in royal company, Musashi started to eat his at a slow pace. He then looked up at Juniper, signalling towards his duck and asked, "Want to try a little bit of mine?"
 
Juniper

His mention of her looking lovely made her pause and look at him a bit surprised. No one had mentioned that to her before. Huh, it was a sweet feeling that brought a smile to her face. She took a deep breath. "I hope that my leaving doesn't cause too much distress but I'm sure that it will. I did leave a note but it'll probably be best for us to move on as soon as we can. I'm sure that they'll come looking for me and more importantly, the sceptre."

"I didn't grab a bow on the way out, no, but I'm sure that we could find one easily enough," she mentioned as the dinner arrived. Musashi's expression over the arrival of the food only made her laugh a little thinking that he really enjoyed food. She had a bit of her chicken before looking up at his asking if she would want him to share some of his food. "You want to trade?" She asked and got a piece of chicken on her fork holding it out to him not thinking a thing of it really. "Musashi, what did you mean by superstrength? Can you pick me up?" She asked curiously watching him.
 
Listening to Juniper's concerns about search parties from her castle got Musashi thinking, to which he shared, "Hmm, knowing that, should we keep moving before too long? I mean, that riding lesson we discussed would be helpful if you think we have time, but do we?"

He nodded in agreement suggesting, "That's good; why don't we see about a bow in the morning."

While savoring the amazing dish, the food-crazed samurai confirmed "Sure," as he placed a small bite of the duck onto Juniper's small side plate and offered his up for a small cut of her chicken. Tasting the chicken he smiled, "Mmm..I might get that as my main next time!"

The strong swordsman slyly smiled at the mention of his superstength. He asserted, "I don't like to brag, but picking you up would be like nothing. I once lifted and slammed a metal tank weighing several tons!" [1]

Finishing his dinner happily, Musashi looked back at Juniper and asked, "How about dessert?"

[1]: Slam.gif
 
Juniper

"I'm not sure how fast that we'll be on foot versus riding. So the lesson may be time well spent." She took a deep breath. "We can always play it by ear in the morning and see about a bow then." There was something nagging her in the back of her mind. "I may be able to do something with the sceptre like a bow. I'll have to try it out." She recalled something about the sceptre being able to shift and accommodate the user's needs. Guess that she would have to try it and find out.

She smiled watching his face as he got to try some of the chicken. "You really enjoy your food," she said with a little laugh before trying that bit of his duck that he'd shared. The taste on her tongue brought a smile to her face. "That does taste good too. You made a good choice."

His response to his super-strength made her blink once. "Several tons? You can really do that?" Now that was rather amazing to hear. She really would be nothing to pick up. A little laugh left her. "Why do I feel really small now?" She asked with a smile. "I am very tempted to ask you to show me but I feel like that may be a bit presumptious of me."

"Dessert?" She was only about half-way through her chicken. "Hah, if you like, sure. I thought that I saw custard pie. I'll have to admit that's my favorite." She giggled. "What's yours?"
 
"Well, if we have to, I could always learn along the way," Musashi suggested regarding the horse training situation. "I definitely want the practice."

Listening to Juniper discuss the capabilities of her staff some more, Musashi paid attention, quite fascinated. "Yeah, definitely try it! That could prove vital!" he suggested.

As they traded foods, the samurai smiled warmly, happy that Juniper enjoyed his choice of dish just as he appreciated hers. "I sure do!" he confirmed despite how obvious his love of food was.

The strong samurai nodded to confirm the extent of his strength. "Maybe tomorrow I could show you somewhere out of the way?" he offered. "I don't want to draw too much attention to us." he wished.

Having been asked about dessert he shared, "Well, I've had many great sweets and things, but the favorite is probably what comes after Chef Hanzou's steak dinner. For dessert he makes mochis: they're balls of ice cream coated in soft, rice-flour shells. They're served ice cold but still chew softly." Thinking about the present time he opined, "That custard pie sounds good though." He then asked, "Juniper, how about we share one? Go ahead and finish dinner, then we'll share a slice of the custard pie!"
 
Juniper

"I'm sure that if we found a good enough horse, then yes, you could learn along the way as long as your balance is pretty good." She nodded in agreement thinking that they'd have to ask around. Was this town big enough to have a livery or would they just have to barter with one of the locals for a horse that they had? She supposed that they would both see.

She had stuff to think about now like actually using the sceptre instead of what she'd read on it. That would be interesting to say the least. It was something that she'd worry about later since they were eating and she did find his zeal for food quite fun. In fact, the only other person that she could think of as interested in food was perhaps her brother before he started being more serious about being heir.

Juniper had to smile thought at his offer to show just how strong he was along the way. "As much as I want to see, you don't have to show me. I believe that you can." She said with a little nod of her head.

She smiled over dessert. Who wasn't a fan of that? "I've never heard of mochis or ice cream but if you like it, they must be good." The waitress had come by, so she'd asked for a slice of the pie. She finished up her dinner easily enough and it was a moment or two before it came out. She glanced at Mushashi thinking about sharing the pie with him before giggling. "You're sweet to share your food," she commented before the pie came out and she waited a moment. "You can have the first bite."
 
As the fine-smelling pie came out, Musashi thanked, "Oh, okay, sure," as he took his first taste of it. Savoring it slowly, he motioned towards it with his hand to suggest that Juniper take her first. He took his pieces of the delicious custard pie slowly, making sure the pretty pink-haired princess had ample time to take hers as well. When dessert was finally finished, he smiled back at her, looking into her eyes. He reached over the now-empty table, revealing his palm, hoping she would hold hands for a moment. He soon advised, "Getting late here; we should probably rest for the night."
 
Juniper

The pie was good and it brought a smile to her face as the taste pleased her tongue. Her gaze kept finding his throughout the time that it took to eat the dessert. "I don't think I've ever shared food with someone before." A laugh left her and it was pure and untainted with worry. She even wrinkled up her nose cutely with the effort. "It was fun!" Those golden eyes sparkled with mirth as they met his. "Think it tastes better shared." That seemed to be the truth. Although, when he held out his hand to her palm facing up on the table, she wasn't quite sure what to do for the moment. Then as if it were the most natural thing in the world, she placed her hand in his wondering if that was what he wanted. It certainly brought a bit of color to her face as she recalled that some of the lords and knights had held her hand only to kiss the back of it in introduction. This seemed sweeter somehow. He brought up the point of the time and she nodded her head. "Yes, I think that would be a good idea. We'll need our rest for the journey tomorrow." A little shiver ran through her. She wasn't looking forward to confronting her uncle. "They should have rooms upstairs here. Shall we go?" Of course, thinking about that now, it brought up one very good point. "I know that it might not be appropriate but it might be safer if we shared a room." Her mother would rolling again in her grave knowing that her even suggested that. Yet, Juniper trusted Musashi and if someone had figured out who she was and had ill-intentions, she was probably safer closer to him.
 
"Oh, well, I'm delighted to share this pie with you, June!" Musashi shared, agreeing about how much fun it was. Then seeing and feeling her hand in his, the affectionate samurai curled his fingers around hers and gave a gentle squeeze to show affection as he blushed a little.

"Mmm," he nodded in agreement. He then took a few silver coins out of his belt pouch and checked, "This enough to cover the dinner?" After settling their dinner tab, Musashi once again offered to hold Juniper's hand as they looked into lodging, at which point the subject of sharing a room came up. Musashi stammered, "Yea..that would be..safer..I..should we look for a room with 2 beds in that case?" He started to think about how he might eventually like to be closer to her but at the present time did not want to push her too hard too soon. He attempted to recover with "I mean..it's only second day I've known you so..yeah!" though his awkward blush was still apparent.
 
Juniper

Juniper smiled sweetly at him feeling that blush darken on her face at his hand squeezing hers. June, huh? She had said that he could call her that and well, no one besides her siblings ever called her that. It was a bit of a freeing feeling. Like she could just be herself and not the sceptre-bearer or princess. Well, he needed her as the bearer of the sceptre but it didn't feel formal at all. Like life at the castle had been stuffy. She'd really, really wanted to leave the grounds and now was her chance. She could see a bit of the world. The only sad part about it for her was the fact that she'd had to run away to accomplish it.

She nodded her head lightly at his asking about paying for dinner and she fished in her satchel getting a silver coin out and holding it out to him to pay for her half of the meal. "Fair's fair, right?" She said with a little nod before they both had to think about a place to stay for the evening. Why did he seem so flustered over the idea of them sharing? Sure... it was presumptuous but she felt like it was necessary. "They make room with two beds? That'd work well. Here, I thought that I'd sleep on the floor with an extra blanket like I did when I was little." She shrugged her shoulders lightly and it was quite obvious that she'd been kept on a pedestal and unaware of why he'd be flustered like this. "We'll make it work out. Although, if it really bothers you, I don't mind getting my own room. I'd just feel safer near you." She admitted the latter quietly and looked down toward the floor unsure of herself for a moment.
 
All manner of thoughts and feelings rushed into Musashi's being. Juniper was a princess to be sure, but she was a very real girl too, with emotions, motivations, and an apparent love for fun, especially in light of new discoveries. 'I really like her' he thought, 'And that's good because I'll be motivated to protect her and win this mission for her home, right?' 'But could that distract me from the mission?'

"Oh no, it doesn't bother me at all!" Musashi assured the friendly princess. "And I would never take the only bed from you if such were the case!" he added. After obtaining the keys for a room, the samurai once again offered his hand to hold as they ascended the stairs to the guest rooms. Beyond the door that the key fit, a small but comfortable looking chamber unfolded, 2 modest sized beds contained therein. First, the fencer turned to Juniper and offered her a hug as he bade her, "Good night, Juniper!" Afterwards, he flopped onto one of the beds and began to doze off.
 
Juniper

The pink-haired girl smiled and took his hand walking with him up to where the rooms were kept. It felt rather nice holding his hand. So, she didn't mind at all. Perhaps, she should but it was a sweet sentiment that was hard to let go of when there didn't seem to be any harm in it. She looked about the room curiously and was a little surprised by the hug and yet, it was sweet. "Good night, Musashi," she said softly trying not to laugh as he claimed a bed for himself.

She found herself curious as she walked over to the window and glanced up at the moon. Lightly, her hand touched the pane of glass imagining that she could touch the moon for the moment. She'd never seen the stars from this perspective before. It was so new to her. She took a deep breath and let it out slow considering before loosening the ties on her dress to make it more comfortable. Maybe she could do this. Hopefully, that hunch was right for all of their sakes. She wandered back and laid down before pulling the covers up. "Thanks for today, my friend," she said quietly before rolling on her side and closing her eyes to finally let sleep claim her.
 
As the sun started to rise, the sleeping samurai began to stir. He stretched and yawned in his bed before slowly turning to the side. He started to think about everything Juniper and he would have to face that day: ride training, learning more about the royal scepter, carrying on to Duke Marcus's keep. He also thought about how they were quite possibly being sought out by Juniper's father. Then came the question of the wrist band's problems: was the greater oni onto him and actively seeking him out as well?

Taking a moment to loosen up and appreciate the calm morning, Musashi looked at the rising sun out the window, then peeked over at Juniper hoping she would soon awake.
 
Juniper

There was a smile on her face as she slept as if she were dreaming of something sweet. She had the covers drawn up to her chin and was sleeping quite soundly. A quiet giggle left her before she'd fallen quiet once more nuzzling the pillow lightly. A little yawn left her. Slowly, her eyes blinked open looking around and she appeared confused for a moment as to where she was. This wasn't her room. Then she saw Musashi across the way from her and it came back to her just what was going on. A soft smile crossed her face as she watched him a moment before saying something. "Good morning."

Pushing herself up, she adjusted her clothes and fished a brush out of her bag to patiently work through the long lengths of her hair making it smooth once more. Patiently, she braided it into a long braid that she had over one shoulder out of the way for the most part. "Are you ready to start the day?" She asked softly as she stood up and stretched. "I hope that you slept all right." With a happy sigh, she made sure that sceptre was secure and put her satchel back over her shoulder. "Why don't you go find us some breakfast and I'll go see about getting us another horse?"
 
Seeing the pretty girl awaken and hearing her greeting, Musashi returned it in kind, "Good Morning, June." After giving her a few moments to collect herself and climb out of bed, he greeted her with another affectionate hug. Stepping back he confirmed, "Yep; Rested and feeling great!" He then agreed to her plan, "Sure, I can get us something good!"

Parting ways briefly, Musashi stepped down the stairs, returning to the cafe in the tavern. While he inquired about breakfast, he spotted an armed soldier asking a lot of questions. Most of the patrons just shrugged, or answered, "Maybe..I wasn't really looking." After another passer-by couldn't answer the odd-man's question, he turned around, and his eyes flashed with orange light for a quick second. Musashi silently gasped as he saw it, then buried his face in a nearby newspaper as the stranger left. The concerned samurai then observed to himself, "It's started."

After waiting through the cooking time, Musashi traded a few silver coins for a hot plate of food primarily featuring blueberry pancakes plentiful for 2, which he transferred to a hard plastic container he brought with him from other worlds he had visited. Walking outside, he located the suspicious investigator again, but breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing him go in the direction away from the local ranch. The samurai briskly stepped towards the horse ranch, keeping an eye out for Juniper.
 
Juniper

Juniper had slipped out with no trouble. It was amazing that no one stopped her or questioned her at the sight of her face. A little smirk crossed her face. That must be a perk of being stuck in the castle most of the time. Her face wasn't that well known not like her siblings or her parents since she didn't have to make public appearances. That just might be a good thing. To the villagers, she was just another young woman passing through. That was thankful.

As she walked, she wondered about that good morning hug that she'd gotten from Musashi. He was a friendly sort, wasn't he? She'd have not pegged him for it when she first saw him fighting. It was rather nice to be treated in a familiar way like she wasn't made of glass or could break at any moment. Rather made her feel alive. She had just turned down another street when she spotted the livery stable. Walking inside, she was greeted by a stable hand and she waved jovially. "I'd like to collect my horse and see about a second mount please." She asked and he nodded showing her a few stalls of those that were for sale. The stable hand looked surprised at how she inspected the animals choosing one with kind eyes and a dark black coat. "This one. He's well-behaved and minds well, right?" The man nodded. "I'll take him and tack for him please." Of course, Juniper knew her way around a horse. At least, that part of her education hadn't been lacking. She got out the appropriate coins to pay and walked out holding both horses' reins. When she spotted Musashi outside, she waved. "Over here."
 
Spotting Juniper's wave, the jovial samurai smiled widely and ran over to her. "June!" he greeted. Seeing both her mare and the new horse in tow, he observed, "And you recruited an additional steed, excellent!" Adding to the news, the hungry samurai produced the container in which he kept the breakfast he procured as he shared, "As I recall you mentioned a love for blueberry pancakes, so I got us some! Along with some fixings!" He also revealed that kept a couple of clean forks in his curiously small pouch as well.

Looking for a good spot to eat, chat, and start becoming acquainted with the new mount, Musashi then spoke somewhat quietly as he informed Juniper, "We'll have to watch ourselves. I saw someone in town looking for people. He had the eerie eye-glow of someone who's been mutated into a lesser oni. If our idea about the Duke is accurate, that soldier could be from his keep, and looking for me."
 
Juniper

"Blueberry pancakes? You remembered!" A bright smile crossed her face bringing a sparkle to her eyes. She laughed happily as she walked beside him leading the horses and looking for a place to sit. "I think this horse will suit you fine. He's a bit bigger than mine and seems easy to get along with. You'll have to name him." She said with a nod. "And get acquainted with him."

They found a spot under a tree on the edge of town and she was just spreading her skirt to sit down when she heard the news of what the samurai had seen. "An oni here?" She swallowed lightly as a bit of worry crossed her face. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly before snorting. "We make a good pair, you know. My father after me. The oni after you." She shook her head lightly. "So, a lesser oni has a glow to their eyes? Is that the only way to tell them apart from a regular human?" A little sigh left her. "I guess I was kinda hoping to enjoy this time with you a bit more before the danger caught up with us. Guess it was too much to ask." She shrugged lightly. "Just means that I have to get better with this thing." She tapped the sceptre as she let the horses graze nearby.
 
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